The Rangers’ decision at No. 5 is already getting a fresh spotlight, and it only sharpens the Alberts Smits-Chase Reid conversation.
Weeks after New York used the fifth overall pick on Smits, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler dropped his latest top 100 prospect rankings and gave both defensemen a prominent place near the top. Reid landed fifth overall across the NHL, while Smits checked in right behind him at ninth and as the Rangers’ top prospect.
That kind of ranking gives the Rangers plenty to point to after taking heat for passing on Reid, who had been viewed by many as the most complete defenseman in the class. Instead, New York went with Smits, the Latvian blueliner seen as the more pro-ready option.
Reid slid to the Seattle Kraken at No. 7 after the Calgary Flames took Carson Carels at No. 6.
Wheeler’s evaluation of Smits explains why the Rangers were comfortable making that call. “He possesses underrated puck skill for a defender his size,” writes Wheeler.
“He has legit hands, both pulling pucks laterally and protecting them out wide, often with one hand on his stick. He has good size and a strong, pro frame that will continue to fill out.
He's a good skater with well-above-average four-way mobility. He plays with a ton of confidence against his peers and has played with similar boldness even against men at times, while still defending to positive results.
He can scramble a little in his own zone but plays hard, has a good stick, closes with his feet, is competitive and can get play going in the right direction when he wins battles or races. And while he can sometimes rush into the wrong read/decision (on both sides of the puck), playing too much on instinct at times, the tools are definitely there, and they have come together quickly over the last year.
I think he has legitimate first-pairing upside.”
For the Rangers, the fit matters as much as the ranking. The organization already had Adam Fox and Braden Schneider, and the need was clearly on the left side.
That also explains why Sean Durzi, acquired in the Vincent Trocheck trade with the Utah Mammoth, factored into the equation. In that context, a right-shot defenseman like Reid would have had a tougher path to playing time.
There’s still a lane for Smits, especially with Marcus Pettersson now in place as a second-pairing left defenseman behind Vladislav Gavrikov. A third-pairing role would let Smits ease in rather than being pushed straight into the fire as a rookie.
That said, the appeal with Smits was always that he might not need much easing in at all. He already played in the top leagues in Finland and Germany, competed in the Winter Olympics, and held his own.
Rangers director of amateur scouting John Lilley said the team took Smits over Reid because, in their view, he was the best player available when they were on the clock.
Wheeler’s list also placed the other top defense prospects in the mix: Carels at 11th and Keaton Verhoeff, the No. 9 pick by the San Jose Sharks, at 15th.
New York has only two other prospects in Wheeler’s top 100. Gabe Perreault comes in at 19th, and Liam Greentree is 91st after being acquired in the Artemi Panarin trade with the Los Angeles Kings.
Reid may have the higher slot in Wheeler’s rankings, but Smits remains highly regarded by one of the draft’s most respected voices. The debate won’t be settled anytime soon, but the latest list gives both sides plenty to work with.
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