The New York Rangers‘ Tuesday night preseason game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Islanders was a big test for 2026 fifth-overall pick Alberts Šmits.
Entering his first training camp, Mike Sullivan emphatically stated that Šmits would be given a real opportunity to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
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Those words have been put into action, as through the first week of training camp, Šmits has been playing on the Rangers’ third pairing alongside Braden Schneider, a clear indication that Sullivan and the coaching staff are serious about getting a serious look at their young defenseman to determine if he’s ready for the NHL.
Tuesday night marked his biggest test, facing off against an Islanders roster filled with NHL players, and it’s safe to say he passed the test.
The way in which Šmits defended in his own zone stood out, specifically on a play where he used his long reach to poke-check the puck away from Bo Horvat, who was cutting to the net.
At just 18-years-old, Šmits showed he’s able to still command a physical presence and hold his own amongst NHL players, which is what caught the eye of Sullivan.
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“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he’s a man as an 18-year-old. His physical stature. He’s big and strong. He has the ability to battle on pucks. He’s big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that’s one challenge I think he’s already met.”
Šmits was also able to contribute offensively.
In the second period, Šmits gave Taylor Raddysh a perfect pass as he was streaking to the front of the net, which resulted in a deflection goal from Raddysh.
The play showed Šmits’ confidence with the puck as well as his impressive offensive instincts to find Raddysh in a tight window.
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“He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal,” Sullivan said. “Just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up, and the awareness to make that play… He;s a mobile guy.”
Šmits finished the night playing 15:29 minutes, while recording one assist, one blocked shot, two hits, and one takeaway.
After the game, Šmits emphasized that he felt comfortable with the speed of play, something that was directly shown in his performance.
Despite an impressive preseason debut, Šmits described his overall performance as up and down.
“There were a lot of good moments, a lot of moments where I wish I could have played differently,” Šmits said. “Hockey is a momentum game, and there is ups and downs through the game. I just gotta learn from the bad things and gotta take them with me to the future.”
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Šmits has already played some high-level hockey at a young age, including at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing his home country Latvia.
However, he was still in awe and relished the opportunity to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
“Obviously, it’s a big arena,” Šmits said. “You can feel all the energy that’s in there, and it was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”
