The Rangers’ fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft came with one surprise attached.
Nobody was shocked to see New York use that selection on a defenseman. The surprise was the name: Alberts Smits, not Chase Reid. And if you’re looking at the move with a long lens, there’s a real argument that Smits could end up being the summer’s best addition for the Blueshirts - even ahead of the Pavel Dorofeyev signing at $11 million AAV over the next seven seasons.
That sounds aggressive on the surface, especially since Dorofeyev gives the Rangers an immediate scoring boost. He’s shown a natural knack for finishing chances in a small sample over the last two seasons with Vegas, and that matters with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck absent from the forward group. In the short term, that makes Dorofeyev the clear winner.
But the bigger prize might be on the blue line.
Smits has already signed his entry-level contract, though that doesn’t lock him into the NHL for 2026-27. His arrival timeline is still up in the air.
Even so, his appeal is obvious: he has the potential to be the kind of defensive partner Adam Fox has been missing. That piece has been sorely lacking, and Ryan Lindgren, for all he brought as a very good defenseman, was never going to be the long-term answer in that role.
If Smits eventually lines up next to Fox, that pairing could become one of the most important developments for the Rangers this season. It might take time to click, or it might start working right away. Either way, the payoff could be substantial.
And if he doesn’t begin the year alongside Fox, there’s still a path for him to ease in with lower-leverage minutes before climbing into a bigger role later.
That’s why the upside here is so intriguing. Dorofeyev can help immediately.
Smits could help define what the Rangers become down the road, with the ceiling to be a near-generational addition to the back end. If that kind of talent develops the way New York hopes, it could be part of the answer to a goal the franchise has been chasing since 1994.
For now, the real measuring stick comes in the weeks ahead. Training camp should offer the clearest read yet on how much time Smits needs before he’s ready for the NHL, and whether he looks like the real thing.
After that, the answers will come with time. For Rangers fans, the hope is that time brings more than just a promising rookie - it brings the start of a new defensive era.
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