The New York Rangers have high expectations set on Alberts Smits and Mike Sullivan didn’t hide them. During a press conference ahead of training camp and the 2026-27 NHL season, the team’s first-round pick in 2026 was a major topic of conversation, and the two-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach voiced a clear statement on how he sees the young defenseman.
“I think the most important thing is, and we have talked about this internally, is that in the big picture, the sooner that Smits becomes part of our roster the better,” Sullivan confessed, via the New York Post’s Mollie Walker.
“But we also have to make sure that we do the right thing for him, both in the short term and in the long term. We’ll see where it goes. His play will tell us where we think he fits and what’s best for him.”
While he acknowledged how valuable getting Smits into the NHL lineup could be for the defense-needy Rangers, Sullivan also made it clear the team can’t rush the 18-year-old and toss him into the fire. After getting burned a couple of times, New York has learned its lesson.
Mike Sullivan during 2026 Olympics.
Smits could make NHL debut soon
Just like the Blueshirts did with Perreault, whom Chris Drury recently explained why the Rangers put his extension on hold, and other first-round picks, it seems waiting for them to develop before sending them out for their rookie lap appears to be the safer bet.
However, as much as Sullivan noted the team should preach that same mentality and not repeat past mistakes with the Latvian teenaged blueliner, he also made a confession that may signal otherwise.
“Yes, [Smits] has a chance to make the team,” Sullivan revealed during his first press conference ahead of training camp and the 2026-27 NHL season.
Playing Smits is a double-edged sword
Obviously, if Smits proves himself and is ready to handle the big league’s spotlight, why shouldn’t New York play him right away? There’s a reason the Calder Memorial Trophy has been won by rookie defensemen in back-to-back seasons (Matthew Schaefer and Lane Hutson). However, they play a different style from Smits and have experience playing at least on the continent.
Smits has never played professional hockey in North America, and while he shined in the Olympics with Latvia against the elite, he has yet to get his first taste of NHL hockey. Let alone on a nightly basis, dealing with the highs and lows, and settling into his new life in New York City. In more ways than one, it’s a lot to take in at once, and Sullivan is well aware of that. So should the Rangers.
NY Rangers have made first-round picks wait
Should Smits make the NHL lineup right away to start the 2026-27 season, he would snap a long drought in Manhattan. Alexis Lafreniere was the last of New York’s first-round selections to play right from the jump, and even the last to play in his true rookie year. The Rangers haven’t exactly knocked Lafreniere’s development out of the park.
Since then, every first-rounder — Brennan Othmann, Gabe Perreault, and EJ Emery — has had to wait. Emery hasn’t even made his debut yet. Whether it was only a coincidence, a decision made by the Rangers, or simply that the three prospects needed more time to develop, Smits could be the one that breaks the streak. For better or worse? Only time will tell.
