The Rangers have selected left shot defenseman Alberts Smits with the 5th overall pick.
Smits is 6-3, 205 and is considered by many to be the most NHL ready defenseman.
The Hockey News says that the best case for Smits is Detroit’s Moritz Seider.
This past season Smits played for:
- Jukurit in the Finnish League
- EHC München in the German League
- Latvia at the World Juniors
- Latvia at the Olympics
- Latvia at the World Championships
McKeen’s Hockey ranked Smits #2 in their rankings of best Defensive Defensemen and #7 Offensive Defenseman.
McKeen’s had him ranked #6 overall and said “Smits projects comfortably as a robust, physically imposing top four NHL defenseman who can chew up significant, difficult minutes against top-tier opposition. His disciplined positioning, high work ethic, and ability to execute under intense physical duress make him the ideal partner for a highly chaotic, modern offensive rover. He handles himself with the absolute maturity of a professional vet, demonstrating a fearless attitude that ensures he is completely unfazed by older or more aggressive opponents. As he continues to master the pacing of the pro game and gains the confidence to activate his offensive tools on a more consistent basis, there is an incredibly high floor here for a shutdown, modern-day defensive specialist who brings an abundance of intangibles, leadership qualities, and physical edge to an NHL blue line.”
Adam Rotter: Smits was who I was hoping for with #5 but passing on Chase Reid after Buffalo surprisingly didn’t pick him at #4 will be a story. Smits is more of a fit for the Rangers right now as a left shot with size and physicality and Reid is a right shot offensive defenseman but the Rangers already have that in Adam Fox and Fox is obviously the PP QB. Could this be like passing on Cam Fowler and drafting Dylan McIlrath in 2010? It’s possible, but having Adam Fox makes it easier to pass on Reid.
Smits is what the Rangers needed right now. They are lacking on the left side, even with Drew Fortescue turning pro, and Smits helps that, he’s big, he’s physical and while I’m slightly hesitant to have him play in the NHL next season, he certainly seems ready or very close to ready with all his experience. There is a lot of upside at both ends of the ice for Smits but he also seems to have a higher floor than some of the other defenseman the Rangers could have taken.