Rangers coach says rookie Smits ‘making progress’ after 1st month in NHL

October 28, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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Alberts Smits made New York Rangers history when he cracked their opening-night roster this season. The No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft joined Kaapo Kakko and current teammate Alexis Lafreniere as the only 18-year-olds in team history to make their Rangers debut on opening night; he’s the first defenseman to do so.

The 6-foot-3 native of Latvia dressed for all 14 games the Rangers played in the first four weeks of the season, showing the tools that attracted the Blueshirts and induced them to move him right into the NHL. That includes a long, active stick which he uses to disrupt plays, good mobility, and a physical side of his game that he hasn’t been shy about using. Smits also displays a good feel for some of hockey’s finer points.

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That’s not to say everything’s been perfect; his introduction to the NHL has had some growing pains. Smits’ over-aggressiveness has gotten him into trouble at times, and he often looks uncomfortable with the puck — he has yet to register a point, is minus-4 and registered just six shots on goal. He’s averaging 14:34 of ice time in a third-pair role but hasn’t reached that number in any of New York’s past three games – all losses.

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Despite that, coach Mike Sullivan mostly likes what he’s seen.

“I think he’s improved,” Sullivan said Tuesday after practice, the first of a five-day break in the schedule. “When you look at an individual player’s development, my experience has been that it’s never linear – it’s never a circumstance when the player gets better today and then the next day and then week by week or month by month. There’s ups and downs and ebbs and flows inside of that development, that growth period.

“That’s what ‘Smitty’ is going through.”

Rangers pleased with Albert Smits during first month in NHL

The Rangers could have sent Smits to Hartford of the American Hockey League, where he’d have gotten more playing time and skated in a variety of situations. His special-teams time with the Rangers has been limited; he’s logged just 39 seconds on the power play and 2:00 on the penalty kill in his total ice time of 204:02.

Paired most often with Braden Schneider at even strength, Smits has a 41.16 expected goa share 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick. The Rangers are being out-scored 9-6, out-shot 94-73, and out-chanced 97-88 — including 49-42 in high-danger opportunities — with Smits out there.

Smits did play in men’s leagues in Finland and Germany last season, as well as representing Latvia at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics and 2026 IIHF World Championship. But would he have benefitted from some time with in the AHL? Maybe, but the Rangers seem committed to letting him work through his growing pains. One big reason is that he’s shown the maturity and even-keel approach he needs – and hasn’t lost confidence.

“He’s had stretches where he’s been really good, and then there’s been other moments where there have been learning opportunities,” Sullivan said. “And then he captures his game and moves forward. I think at the end of the day, the most important thing is he’s making forward progress. He’s not getting overwhelmed.

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“He’s meeting the challenges. We feel that he is a good player. He has so much upside – a big, strong kid who can really skate. He’s got a good stick. We’re encouraged with his ability to pass the puck, the way he moves the puck.

Sullivan has done his best to keep Smits in situations where he’s not going to be asked to do more than he’s capable of at this stage of his career. He’s pleased with the way the teenager has performed so far – and is optimistic about his future development.

“Now it’s about reads, things of that nature,” the coach explained. “That’s one of the hardest challenges about playing defense at this level, because the windows of opportunity open and close so much faster than any other league in the world. … We’re going to try to help him and guide him along the way. We’re going through that process right now. (Assistant coach David Quinn) spends a lot of time with him, one on one.

“We’re certainly encouraged by what we’ve seen to this point.”

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