The Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] can get a big piece of their 2026 draft scouting done just by watching the Winter Olympics this year. Of course, the Flyers will be tuned in to see how the likes of Travis Sanheim, Dan Vladar [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/dan-vladar-injury-update-flyers-goalie-gets-important-green-light], and Rasmus Ristolainen fare, but it's not just their own guys - veterans - who they want to keep an eye on. Latvia, an underdog nation that always poses a tough fight regardless of their talent deficiencies, will be boasting a teenaged NHL draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/philadelphia-flyers-leave-nhl-draft-with-2-fatal-flaws] prospect expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in June. Defenseman Alberts Smits, a 6-foot-3 rearguard who is already playing in his second pro season in Finland's Liiga with Jukurit, is primed to feature on a Latvia squad that has only Florida's Uvis Balinskis ahead of him in terms of NHL-level talent. Rodrigo Abols probably would have been able to give the Flyers the inside scoop if it wasn't for his injury, but the Flyers will just have to watch Smits play for themselves instead. Smits, 18, has played 37 games for Jukurit this season, scoring six goals, seven assists, and 13 points. The two-way defender plays north of 20 minutes a night fairly often for his club, too, which is an encouraging sign of trust and maturity in a pro league for a player of his age. It's worth noting, too, that Jukurit was 12-41-6-1 last season, and with Smits now playing for them as a regular, have already improved to 14-23-3-6. Would Matvei Michkov Make Russia's Olympic Team? Top Coaches Omit Flyers Star [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/98359e13-0da8-4681-80d0-f41b02a710ca.jpeg] Would Matvei Michkov Make Russia's Olympic Team? Top Coaches Omit Flyers Star Two legendary coaches leave Flyers' Matvei Michkov out of their Russia Olympic teams. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/would-matvei-michkov-make-russia-s-olympic-team-top-coaches-omit-flyers-star] Still not great, yes, but the 2026 NHL Draft prospect has had an undeniable impact on the club. Smits is big and rangy with his 6-foot-3 frame, is an aggressive risk-taker offensively and in transition, and uses his size and details to execute defensively. The Latvian defender is neither Cale Makar nor Radko Gudas, but Smits has everything he needs to be a successful top-4 NHL defenseman, which should be attractive to the Flyers at this stage in the rebuild. Perhaps a player like Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm would be a fair comparison. And, considering the massive investments the Flyers have made to the right side of their defense in recent years--Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-high-upside-prospect-changes-teams-to-salvage-lost-season] all come to mind--they can't continue to neglect the left side or other positions of need. Time will tell if they are in a more favorable position to land someone like Tynan Lawrence [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-could-benefit-from-top-prospect-s-tumbling-draft-stock], but Smits should be right up there in this conversation. The 18-year-old will be the only 2026 draft prospect playing in this year's Winter Olympics, so Smits is a unique situation worthy of the Flyers' undivided attention for the next few weeks.
