Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn ImagesAlberts Šmits will have a chance to make the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp, but it certainly won’t be easy.
One left-handed defenseman role is up for grabs going into training camp this week, with Matthew Robertson holding the edge over Šmits and Urho Vaakanainen.
During rookie camp, Šmits was asked about what he thinks his chances are of making the opening-night roster.
“I’m just going one day at a time,” Šmits said in response.
Given the shortened training camp, it will likely be hard for Šmits to work his way up the depth chart and surpass Robertson, who earned a full-time role with the Rangers last season.
Chris Drury already made clear that the Rangers are going to be patient regarding Šmits’ development, which likely means they aren’t in a rush to bring him up to the NHL if he isn’t prepared for it.
“We're gonna do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger,” Drury said of Šmits. “This is not a sprint for him. We hope he's a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We're not going to put him in positions or situations that he can't handle. So excited to add him, but again, not going to do anything that's not in the best interest long-term for him.”
The 18-year-old defenseman was highly touted as one of the more pro-ready players in the 2026 draft class, leading him to be selected with the fifth overall pick by the Rangers.
Even if Šmits doesn't make the Rangers’ roster out of training camp, he’ll begin the 2026-27 season playing in the American Hockey league for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
