Experts weigh in on Šmits' rookie NHL season: from AHL assignment to a steady pairing with Fox
At 18, Artūrs... Alberts Šmits became the youngest Latvian ever to play in the NHL after debuting for the New York Rangers. Team observers assess the best, worst and most realistic outcomes for his first season.
Alberts Šmits, 18, has become the youngest Latvian in NHL history after making his debut for the New York Rangers. The fifth-overall draft pick logged 16:54 minutes of ice time in his first game, though the Rangers opened the season with a 0-3 road loss to the Boston Bruins, conceding three goals in the final four minutes.
Earned his spot, not given one
Before the debut, The Athletic's Rangers beat writer Peter Baugh told Sportacentrs.com that Šmits had both the physical tools and the experience against men needed to be NHL-ready at 18. He pointed to the defenseman's strong stick use on defense and flashes on offense, including a high-level scoring assist.
Ryan Mead, host of the popular Rangers podcast Blueshirts Breakaway, said that with a shorter training camp this year, it initially seemed Šmits would have no path onto the roster and would start the season in the farm system. Instead, he impressed from the first day of camp and earned his roster spot fairly comfortably. Bleacher Report's Adam Herman, who has covered the Rangers for more than a decade, added that Šmits had to prove himself against veteran defenseman Matthew Robertson, a left-shot blueliner who could easily play on the third pairing, and did so by demonstrating his superiority in strength and skating.
Three scenarios for the season ahead
The experts agree that Šmits' progress so far already counts as a strong outcome. Mead pointed to an even better scenario: a steady regular-season pairing with Adam Fox, which Šmits sampled during preseason games. Baugh named a full-time NHL role as the best-case outcome.
All three experts cited a possible assignment to the AHL farm club as the worst-case but not shameful scenario, should his performance dip or should he need more time adjusting to the pace of North American hockey and developing his offensive game. Herman noted that a full season is a long road, and earning an opening-night roster spot doesn't guarantee a place in all 84 games.
