BUFFALO, N.Y. —Despite the movement and uncertainty in front of them, the outcome for the New York Rangers’ No. 5 selection in Friday’s 2026 NHL Draft turned out precisely how many thought it would.They used the pick on Alberts Šmits, a 6-foot-3 Latvian who many consider the most pro-ready defenseman in this year’s class. He’ll immediately jump to the top of a prospect pool that’s been depleted over the years by a series of win-now moves and a spotty developmental track record.The Rangers passed on fellow defenseman Chase Reid, who was the top-rated defenseman according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, as well as Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff. But they had clearly zeroed in on Šmits as their guy.The 18-year-old separated himself by displaying a mature game while playing against higher competition than his draft-eligible peers. The hard-shooting lefty spent the season playing at Finland’s top level, Liiga, where he posted 13 points (six goals and seven assists) in 38 games while averaging around 20 minutes per game for Jukurit. He was then loaned to EHC München in Germany, where he registered another six points (two goals and four assists) in 11 playoff games.“His future is as bright as it can possibly be,” said EHC München coach Oliver David. “He has a very good ability to get out of the defensive corner. He’s got a great defensive stick to kill plays. He can go back, get first touch on a puck and get out of a corner in many different ways. He likes to use his skating as sort of the default and get the puck up the ice that way. Skating is really, really good. … He’s also capable of contributing on both special teams.”Šmits put those skills on display at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where he grabbed scouts’ attention while representing Latvia. His crunching hit on U.S. captain Auston Matthews was a signature moment, but his length, mobility and steadiness was apparent throughout the tournament. Šmits later cemented his status as a high pick at the World Championships.“He was able to handle those responsibilities on very big stages,” David said.Those performances against many established NHLers removed some of the projection that would have come with other defensemen in this range, specifically Carson Carels, Daxon Rudolph and Keaton Verhoeff. The margin between Carels and Šmits, in particular, was viewed as razor-thin throughout this process. But Carels’ late-season concussion and resulting neck injury may have factored into the final decision.There are fewer concerns over Šmits, who may not skate quite as well as Carels and hasn’t produced the same volume of offense but is still considered adept in both areas, with a shot that grades out better than his lefty counterpart. There aren’t really any glaring holes in a game that’s defined by its well-roundedness, with The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranking him as the second-best prospect in the draft while Scott Wheeler aptly had him at No. 5.“He’s very, very impressive,” an Eastern Conference scout told The Athletic. “He’s a moose.”Šmits is expected to sign his entry-level contract this summer. There’s a chance he’ll begin the season by getting his feet wet with AHL Hartford but making the NHL club out of training camp isn’t out of the question.