Overview
- The New York Rangers used the No. 5 overall pick on Alberts Šmits at the NHL Draft in Buffalo on Friday, making the 18-year-old the highest-selected player ever from Latvia.
- Scouts describe Šmits as a left-shot, 6-foot-3, positionally strong defenseman who relies on reach, gap control and a reliable first pass to control play and drive transitions.
- His main development priorities are quicker first three strides out of pivots and greater offensive assertiveness so he will attack shooting lanes and finish plays more often.
- Šmits spent 2025–26 playing against men with Jukurit in Finland’s Liiga and on loan in Germany’s DEL and he represented Latvia at the Olympics and World Championship, experience that raises the possibility he could appear for the Rangers in 2026–27 though nothing is guaranteed.
- The pick is a milestone for Latvian hockey and signals New York’s interest in a stabilizing, minutes-eating blue-liner; the team is expected to finalize his entry-level contract and assess him at training camp this summer.