2026 NHL Draft
Alberts Smits in the 2026 NHL Draft
New York Rangers selected Alberts Smits 5th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
He was the first of the 4 Latvians selected that year. It was the first of the 9 picks New York Rangers made in the draft. Of the 223 players selected in 2026, 5 have played in the NHL regular season. Only 2 of them have played more games than his 16.
- Overall pick
- 5
- Round and pick
- Round 1, pick 5
- Drafting team
- NYRNew York Rangers
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 18 years
The picks around it
Picks 2–8 in the 2026 draft
- 2Ivar StenbergL17 GP · 10 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 3Caleb MalhotraCVANVancouver Canucks
- 4Daxon RudolphDBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 5Alberts SmitsD16 GP · 0 PNYRNew York Rangers
- 6Carson CarelsDCGYCalgary Flames
- 7Chase ReidDSEASeattle Kraken
- 8Viggo BjörckC16 GP · 0 PWPGWinnipeg Jets
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 2026 class
1st
of 4 Latvians selected
2nd
of 74 defensemen selected
Counted in draft order across the whole draft. The position is the one listed at the draft.
First Latvians selected
- 5Alberts SmitsD16 GP · 0 PNYRNew York Rangers
- 58Rudolfs BerzkalnsCEDMEdmonton Oilers
- 114Patriks PluminsGTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 124Olivers MurnieksCBUFBuffalo Sabres
After the draft
The road to the NHL
Alberts Smits made his NHL debut on September 29, 2026, 95 days after the draft.
16
Games
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
New York Rangers picks in the 2026 draft
- 5Alberts SmitsD16 GP · 0 PNYRNew York Rangers
- 64Benjamin MacBeathDNYRNew York Rangers
- 67Danai ShaiikovGNYRNew York Rangers
- 77Charlie MorrisonDNYRNew York Rangers
- 81Tomas ChrenkoCNYRNew York Rangers
- 102Spencer BowesLNYRNew York Rangers
- 162Andre MondouxDNYRNew York Rangers
- 163Darian AndersonRNYRNew York Rangers
- 193Ivan PatrikhayevDNYRNew York Rangers