The Rangers have locked in their first-round pick, signing Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits to a three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday afternoon.
Smits, taken No. 5 overall, entered the draft as the most NHL-ready player among the elite defensemen available. He already has a résumé that stands out for his age: time with Jukurit in Finland’s pro league, a loan stint to Munich in Germany once Jukurit’s playoff fate was settled, and international experience with Latvia at the World Junior Championships, the Olympics and the men’s World Championships.
“There's not many kids his age, drafted, who have played in two different men's pro leagues, Olympics, World Championships,’’ Rangers GM Chris Drury said on his Zoom call with reporters July 1. “It certainly doesn't get (to be) bigger stages than those events he participated in.’’
That readiness is part of why the Rangers have been so high on him. At Prospect Development Camp earlier this month, Rangers director of player development Tanner Glass echoed that view and pointed to the maturity in Smits’ game.
“He's got some habits, just that you see in people that are much more mature, the way the way he surrounds the puck, the way he moves the puck, the way he kind of commands the ice,’’ Glass said. “He's confident in his abilities, and he's got a commanding presence on the ice, which is really nice to see in that age.’’
Smits is expected to be in training camp in September, and he could push for a spot on the opening night roster if he performs well enough. Even so, Drury made clear the organization isn’t planning to force the issue.
“He's obviously a terrific prospect, but with that said, we're gonna do right by him,’’ Drury said. “This is not a sprint for him.
We hope he's a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We won't put him in any positions or situations that he can't handle.’’
The signing comes as the Rangers’ defense picture has started to take shape. Drury added Sean Durzi from Utah in the Vincent Trocheck deal on July 1, traded Will Borgen to Boston and acquired Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver that same day, then signed restricted free agent Braden Schneider to a one-year deal on Monday.
At the top of the lineup, Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox are projected to form the first pair, with Pettersson and Durzi on the second. Smits, listed at 6-3 and 205 pounds, had six goals and 13 points in 38 games for Jukurit and added six points in 11 playoff games for Munich. He could end up battling for the sixth spot alongside Schneider on the third pair, with Matthew Robertson and Urho Vaakanainen also in the mix.
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