Rangers Grab Smits at Five, Begin Next Chapter of Rebuild

The New York Rangers used the fifth overall pick to select Albert Smits, signaling that Chris Drury's vision for this franchise extends well beyond the next season or two. Smits represents the kind of foundational talent that rebuilding teams covet, and his presence in the draft class suggests the Rangers are thinking long-term even as they make aggressive moves in the present. This pick could define the Rangers' forward group for the next decade if the scouting department nailed it.