The Florida Panthers will make the ninth selection in the 2026 NHL draft, and for the next month before the June 26 draft, we are going to look at which players the Panthers could target. Today’s player preview is about defenseman Alberts Smits.
There is likely not another defenseman in this draft as NHL-ready as Alberts Smits is, and it’s why he would be such a perfect fit for the Florida Panthers.
While the Panthers’ defense core has few to no weaknesses, they can afford to add another young, two-way defender. It’s unlikely that Smits would feature in the Panthers’ lineup during the 2026-27 season, but he could play in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, and nothing is impossible.
Their current defense core heading into next season features Gustav Forsling (29), Aaron Ekblad (30), Seth Jones (31), Niko Mikkola (30), Dmitry Kulikov (35), and Uvis Balinskis (29). They desperately need youth, and Smits can provide that.
But outside of being near NHL-ready, Smits has a high ceiling. Standing 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Smits sports a frame that is ready for the NHL, and he has no fear in using it. Smits is strong when protecting the front of the net, uses it to avoid forecheckers, and separates players from the puck around the boards.
Smits also has the skating and speed to make his large frame effective. Smits routinely uses his skating to avoid forecheckers and start transition offense. Whether that’s by carrying the puck up by himself, or moving it to teammates before continuing up the ice, if there were a thing to nitpick on, it would be his decision-making once he enters the offensive zone.
A bit too often, Smits defers to playing the puck into the corner and making a safe play, rather than trying to create offense. When his team is cycling the puck, the Latvian defender can jump into the play and is often the main puck possessor.
Finally, Smits has had no issues quarterbacking a power play unit. He’s done so at the World Juniors Championships, did a bit at the Olympics, and has recently done so at the World Championships. At the world juniors, Smits posted one goal and five points in four games; at the Olympics, he posted two assists in four games; and at the World Championships, he posted four assists in eight games.
Smits has also shown plenty of versatility. He started the season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, where he scored six goals and totaled 13 points for Jukurit. He was then loaned to EHC München in the DEL, where he scored two goals and six points in 11 playoff games.
Smits would be a perfect fit for the Panthers, but there remains a high likelihood that he will be selected before then. Scouts and draft analysts are pretty split on how to rank the defensemen in this draft class, as some have Smits in the top five and others outside the top 10.
One thing is certain: Smits would fit the Panthers' play style and culture to a tee.
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