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Intriguing Rangers draft option Smits wins award, makes Seider comparison
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- Intriguing Rangers draft option Smits wins award, makes Seider comparison
As if the New York Rangers needed another reason to seriously consider selecting Alberts Smits with the No. 5 pick in this year's NHL Draft, the 18-year-old defenseman from Latvia checked another box Tuesday. Smits was named the 2026 recipient of the E.J. McGuire Award for Excellence .
The announcement and presentation was made at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, won by the Carolina Hurricanes , 5-3 over the Vegas Golden Knights .
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First awarded in 2014-15, the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is presented annually "to the NHL Draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism." Previous winners include Michael Misa of the San Jose Sharks (2025), Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (2023), and New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier (2017).
Smits represented Latvia in the Milan-Cortina Olympics, 2026 World Junior Championship, and 2026 IIHF World Championship this past year. He more than held his own against professionals, both at the Olympics and Worlds, and playing in the top pro leagues this past season in Finland and Germany.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenseman is the No. 2-ranked international skater per NHL Central Scouting. He's in a mix of roughly five or so defensemen considered to be long-term answers at the position for whichever teams select them in this draft. Each of Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, and Smits is expected to be selected within the top 10 picks later this month.
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Smits confidently believes he's the best of the lot.
"I don't want to sound cocky here, but I'm only one who's playing in a men's league right now, also on a daily basis training and playing against men," Smits said, per NHL.com .
The Hockey News ranks Smits as its No. 9 overall prospect in this draft, and drew a comparison to Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider , another European defenseman, who was the No. 6 overall pick in 2019, and averaged 25+ minutes of ice time the past two seasons and recorded a career-high 60 points in 2025-26.
"As a player, I'm trying to be a two-way defenseman, trying to take care of the D zone, and also trying to help the forwards in the O zone," Smitz explained to Sportsnet on Tuesday. "There's a lot of two-way defensemen in the NHL, but maybe one of them I could name is Moritz Seider. I love to watch him play. I'm hoping I will be as good as him one day."
Rangers could land defenseman who may be ready to play in NHL right away if Alberts Smits is their pick at No. 5
If, as expected, the three best forwards in the draft — Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra — are off the board by time the Rangers are on the clock at No. 5, Chris Drury and Co. should land a top-tier defenseman. Most draft experts predict Reid will go second overall to the San Jose Sharks. Carels is the popular choice for the Rangers at No. 5, but there's definitely a strong case to be made for Smits.
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If selected by the Rangers, Smits is a left-shot defender who one day could take the mantle on the top pair from veteran Vladislav Gavrikov . In the meantime, he could man the left side of the second pair or third pairs, perhaps as early as next season, and learn from Gavrikov, who's coming off an outstanding first season with the Rangers after signing as a free agent last summer.
The same case can be made for Carels , who's also a lefty and considered by some to be NHL ready, though he's committed to the University of North Dakota next season. Verhoeff and Rudolph each is a right-shot option.
Smits recorded two assists in four Olympic games with Latvia, earning praise from countryman Elvis Merzlikins , the Columbus Blue Jackets goalie. He also had four assists at the Worlds in eight games. And he excelled on both sides of the puck at the World Juniors, finishing with five points (one goal, four assists) in five games.
"He's able to play at the pro level, he's able to take the big minutes every game," Latvia's WJC coach Artic Abols explained to NHL.com. "He's a good skater, has good skills and a good shot. Off the ice, we need a leader and he's a man. He's not a kid. He's a man."
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There's a good chance that Smits, who played 43 pro games in Liiga and the DEL this past season, will become the highest-selected player from Latvia in NHL history Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons holds that honor since the Buffalo Sabres chose him with the No. 14 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.
The question here is if it will be the Rangers grabbing him at No. 5 overall or not. With Drew Fortescue as the best left-shot defenseman in New York's prospect pipeline, there's a serious case to be made for the Rangers selecting Smits — or Carels.
Let's leave you with this, for now, from Smits speaking at the NHL Draft Combine .
"I believe in myself, I believe I will become a complete hockey player and be one of the best defensemen."
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