This isn’t the start we wanted to see from Alberts Šmits, but some of that comes down to the team around him. The Rangers haven’t exactly been a welcoming environment for developing players lately.
Still, head coach Mike Sullivan’s praise—even as Šmits searches for his first NHL point—suggests the team sees promise in him. He’s also the first 18-year-old defenseman to play for the Rangers since Dave Maloney in 1974.
Šmits is an incredibly intelligent, detail-oriented player. He processes the game at a high level, which should help him continue to improve. He’s still making mistakes, but his decisiveness helps limit their impact: He commits to his reads rather than compounding an error with hesitation.
With all of that in mind, the Rangers could put him in a better position to succeed. He’s struggling alongside Braden Schneider, and an extended run with a different defense partner would give us a better sense of what he can do. He doesn’t look overwhelmed, which is encouraging as he adjusts to the NHL. But the Rangers can’t simply count on him to figure it out; they need to help him along rather than say, “Oh, he’ll be fine,” and carry on.