Rangers top pick Alberts Smits focuses on development at camp

Alberts Smits participated in his first New York Rangers development camp on June 29, 2026, after being selected fifth overall in the NHL draft. Smits, 18, is keeping his plans for training camp open-ended, stating, 'We'll see how it goes.' He is considered among the NHL-ready players from his draft class, having played professionally in Finland and Germany last season. Smits emphasizes personal growth and hopes to address both strengths and weaknesses in his game. He also noted that a few Rangers players have reached out to him during this transition period.

• 5:23 PMYahoo Sports — Rangers top pick not ready to talk about training camp: ‘see how it goes’