New York Rangers Sign 2026 1st-Round Pick

The New York Rangers announced today that general manager Chris Drury signed defenseman Albert Smits, who was selected 5th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Smits, a Latvian defenseman born in Riga, spent the 2025-26 season in the DEL with Munich EHC and in SM-Liiga with Jukurit Mikkeli, and is a top prospect for the Blueshirts. 

The team inked Smits to a three-year, entry-level contract with an unreported AAV at the moment. 

Smits played 38 games in SM-Liiga with Jukurit, scoring  (6 goals, 7 assists) 13-points, and 5 games in the DEL with Munich EHC, scoring 1 point, and played 11 playoff games, scoring 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists). 

Officially a Blueshirt 🤝

We've agreed to terms with defenseman Alberts Smits on a three-year, entry-level contract → https://t.co/cEtYc31oSJ pic.twitter.com/vQXaz4eJNE

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 15, 2026

The Rangers are getting another premier defense prospect in Smits, who led Jukurit in goals, third in points, and fourth in assists. 

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman played 47 games of his SM-Liiga career with Jukurit, scoring 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists). He played 5 games in the World Junior Championships (U-20), scoring at a point-per-game pace (1 goal, 4 assists), and in the 2026 Men's Olympics for Latvia, playing 4 games, scoring 2 points ( 2 assists). 

NHL.com's Mike Morreale has a great picture of what Smits' game will look like in the NHL, and he could find himself in the Rangers' top-four in the future: 

 "Smits fits that need as a physically imposing, composed defenseman who plays with confidence and poise. He stood out for Latvia at the World Juniors by leading the team in ice time and further elevated his profile by earning a spot on the roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics."

GM Chris Drury has secured another building block in the Rangers future today with this signing.