​Rebuilding their prospect pool is one objective for the New York Rangers, but showing patience and cultivating young talent from within the organization is another crucial strand of the plan. It’s clear the Rangers have laid out a straightforward and sensible strategy that could pay dividends over the long run. The key: don’t rush the kids, especially those considered the most NHL-ready.
Take Alberts Smits as an example. The Rangers used the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft on the imposing Latvian defenseman. Smits is viewed as the most NHL-ready defenseman in this draft class, a credit that helps justify his selection, but it isn’t the primary reason the Rangers chose him over other prospects such as Chase Reid or Carson Carels. The franchise is thinking long-term here. They aren’t aiming to force a talented 18-year-old into the NHL this fall just to show quick organizational progress. That doesn’t mean Smits won’t push for a spot in training camp, nor will the Rangers hold him back if he demonstrates he’s ready. If he’s prepared, he’ll get the opportunity. Smits already proved himself against men this past season, competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, the IIHF World Championship, and in two professional leagues in Finland and Germany. But Chris Drury and his staff aren’t going to push him into a role he can’t handle.
“There aren’t many players his age who have played in two different men’s pro leagues, the Olympics, and the World Championships,” the Rangers’ general manager remarked to reporters last week. “We’re excited about where we got him. But we’re going to do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger. This isn’t a sprint for him. We hope he’s a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years. We’re not going to place him in situations he can’t handle.”
That message appeared to resonate with Smits, who recently declined to discuss whether he’ll sign his entry-level contract this summer or attend training camp in September. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said at prospects development camp last week.
Let’s be honest: it’s expected that Smits will sign his rookie deal and attend camp this fall. The Rangers, however, have also safeguarded the left side of their defense by adding veteran Marcus Pettersson in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks and by acquiring left-shot William Trudeau, Dennis Cholowski, and Marc Del Gaizo as depth options. Matthew Robertson and Urho Vaakanainen are returning from last year’s roster as well. In other words, the organization isn’t banking everything on Smits, nor are they closing doors on him earning a spot on the roster.
The plan is to let him earn his place rather than force the issue this fall. If he’s ready, he’ll grab the opportunity; if not, the path could lead him to Hartford in the American Hockey League to begin his pro career. The Rangers’ approach is to balance encouraging a premier prospect with sensible roster management, ensuring that Smits develops at an appropriate pace while the team remains competitive in the short term. That measured posture is a core element of the organization’s strategy as they work to rebuild a robust pipeline of young talent while staying patient with the process.