Alberts Šmits didn’t waste time making his case.
In his preseason debut Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Islanders, the 2026 fifth-overall pick stepped into a spotlight Mike Sullivan has already made clear is real. From the start of training camp, Sullivan has said Šmits would get a legitimate shot at the Rangers’ opening-night roster, and the early deployment has backed that up. Through the first week of camp, Šmits has been skating on the third pairing with Braden Schneider, a sign the coaching staff wants a close look at whether the 18-year-old is ready for the NHL.
The most encouraging part of Šmits’ night may have come in his own zone. He showed off his length and timing on a sequence against Bo Horvat, using his reach to poke the puck away as Horvat drove toward the net. That kind of play is exactly what stands out when a teenager is trying to survive against NHL talent, and Sullivan said the young defenseman already looks capable of handling one of the league’s toughest tests.
“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he's a man as an 18-year-old.
His physical stature. He's big and strong.
He has the ability to battle on pucks. He's big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that's one challenge I think he's already met.”
Šmits also flashed some offense in the second period. He found Taylor Raddysh with a clean pass as Raddysh drove to the front of the net, and the sequence ended with a deflection goal. It was a sharp read in a tight space, the kind of play that shows both confidence and touch.
“He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal,” Sullivan said. “Just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up, and the awareness to make that play… He;s a mobile guy.”
By the end of the night, Šmits had logged 15:29 of ice time and finished with one assist, one blocked shot, two hits, and one takeaway.
Even with the strong showing, Šmits didn’t pretend everything was perfect. He said afterward that he felt comfortable with the pace, but he also called his performance uneven.
“There were a lot of good moments, a lot of moments where I wish I could have played differently,” Šmits said. “Hockey is a momentum game, and there is ups and downs through the game. I just gotta learn from the bad things and gotta take them with me to the future.”
Šmits is already no stranger to big stages, having played high-level hockey at a young age, including at the 2026 Winter Olympics for Latvia. Still, skating at Madison Square Garden clearly carried its own weight.
“Obviously, it's a big arena,” Šmits said. “You can feel all the energy that's in there, and it was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”
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