The New York Rangers have been one of the busiest teams in the NHL this summer, and coming off a dreadful year, there was a need to improve. Following what seemed like the team hitting a low point last season, the Rangers entered the offseason looking to improve. New York was positioned with a lot of cap space and draft capital, which put them in a nice position to be able to accomplish this. Between a mix of the NHL Draft, free agency, and the trade market, the Rangers were able to accomplish their goal of improving. However, this was also a team that needed to get younger and improve their prospect pool. While they did move some of their draft picks to get established talent, they wisely held on to the fifth pick and used it to take the talented Albert Smits. Now, it will be interesting to see what the plan for the team is with him moving forward.Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Alberts Smits reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectEven though the fifth overall pick was seen as one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the draft, New York is suddenly not in a need to rush him up too quickly if they don’t want to. Currently, the blueline, even assuming Smits isn’t on the roster, is projecting to be a strength of the team. On the first pair, the Rangers could have one of the better duos in the league in Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. This combo was very good last year when Fox was healthy and on the ice, but he did miss some time last year because of injury. Furthermore, with a focus this offseason being to improve the defense, the team also added Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in trades. These two seem to be the most likely combination for the second line, and they will both help the team quite a bit. With the addition of Durzi in particular on the right side, that will move Braden Schenider to the third pair as of now. There has been speculation that he could be dealt this summer, but nothing has come of it as of now. For Smits, it will be between him and Matthew Robertson for a starting spot. Considering they have good options already for their top two pairs, Smits could start out in the AHL and really work on his development. This is certainly a good position to be in for the Rangers, and the team will be focused on making sure they can put their new top prospect in the best position to succeed.