Alberts Šmits Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury, No Specific Timetable For Return

Alberts Šmits is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

On Saturday night, Šmits was a late scratch in the New York Rangers’ game against the Seattle Kraken, as Matthew Robertson filled his spot in the lineup.

It’s unclear when or how Šmits sustained this injury, and his timeline to return remains in question.

"I don't know exactly when it happened,” Mike Sullivan said of Šmits’ injury. “It wasn't during warmup, but yes, obviously, he was dealing with it. I don't know the exact time."

The Rangers recalled defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in the wake of Šmits’ injury.

After making the Rangers’ roster out of training camp, Šmits carved out a role for himself on the team’s third pairing, primarily playing with Braden Schneider.

The 18-year-old rookie averaged 14:29 minutes in 17 games, with Sullivan and the coaching staff continuing to build trust in him over time.

“I have been in this situation before when you come into the new team and you got to prove yourself,” Šmits said. “I think also the organization has helped me a lot. They’re doing a great job helping me adapt as fast as I can. I'm trying to do my best here to adapt to the game and bring my best performance every night.”

Sean Durzi, who has missed the past four games due to an undisclosed injury and was placed on injured reserve, skated with the team on Monday morning in a non-contact jersey.

It’s unclear exactly when Durzi will be ready to return, and Scott Morrow should continue to fill Durzi’s spot until he’s activated off injured reserve.