Alberts Smits Projected for Aggressive Arrival With NY Rangers

When will Alberts Smits be part of the New York Rangers' lineup?

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Alberts Smits reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers selected defenseman Alberts Smits.

Considered the most NHL-ready player at his position in the draft class, it made sense that the Rangers targeted him over other players, such as Chase Reid, who were thought to possess a higher ceiling.

The blueline was a weakness for New York last season, so selecting a player who is close to helping at the NHL level was taken into strong consideration. Now the question is, when will Rangers fans see the highest drafted Latvian-born player in NHL history on the ice with their favorite team?

Over at NHL.com, Dan Rosen shared a list of the top five prospects in the organization. Smits came in at No. 1, and part of the write-up for each player was making a prediction about when they would arrive in the NHL.

Alberts Smits predicted to debut with Rangers this season

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; NHL prospect Alberts Smits before the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Rosen’s opinion, the 6-foot-3 and 205-pound Latvian will be in the league this season. While New York did select him in part because of how NHL-ready he was, they do not have to rush him into the lineup.

Thanks to other upgrades made to their defensemen depth chart, acquiring Marcus Pettersson in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks and Sean Durzi as part of the return package from the Utah Mammoth for Vincent Trocheck, Smits isn’t going to be counted on to play a prominent role right away.

The Rangers can afford to have him develop in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, gaining some more professional experience under the tutelage of Jay Leach. However, with so much high-level hockey already on his resume, it won’t be long until he is helping New York.

Smits has played in two men’s pro leagues: Liiga in Finland and Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany. He was the youngest participant in the 2026 Winter Olympics and also participated in the IIHF World Championship, representing Latvia in both.

Rangers have greatly improved defensemen depth

Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Marcus Pettersson (29) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He was productive in the IIHF World Championship, producing four points, all assists, the most for a defenseman on Latvia.

With Matthew Robertson, Braden Schneider, Drew Fortescue, Urho Vaakanainen, Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio also in the mix, the Rangers can afford to take their time with Smits. They don’t have to promote him just to promote him, as their blueline depth is much improved this year compared to last.

However, if management believes he can help the team win games, he will be with the Rangers, likely starting as the No. 3 left-hand defenseman behind Vladislav Gavrikov and Pettersson.