Alberts Šmits is already in the conversation for the Rangers’ opening-night roster, but the team isn’t rushing the process.
New York used the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Šmits, doing so with the belief that he was the most NHL-ready defenseman in the class. That alone put him on the radar for September, but whether he actually shows up for training camp remains up in the air.
Šmits didn’t commit either way when asked about camp.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Šmits told the media about if he plans to participate in the Rangers’ training camp in the coming months.
Chris Drury left the door open as well, but made it clear the Rangers are looking at the bigger picture. The president and general manager stressed that the organization wants to handle the 18-year-old defenseman in a way that protects his long-term development.
“We're gonna do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger,” Drury said of Šmits. “This is not a sprint for him.
We hope he's a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We're not going to put him in positions or situations that he can't handle.
So excited to add him, but again, not going to do anything that's not in the best interest long term for him.”
Drury also said Šmits will be back in New York later in the summer after returning from Latvia, where he’ll continue his offseason training.
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