A high-profile NHL draft pick has been cut by his team ahead of tomorrow’s submission deadline, according to reports. The Rangers have released Alberts Smits, an 18-year-old defender selected fifth overall in the 2026 draft, leaving him as one of the final prospects still on active rosters. With just hours remaining before the league’s deadline, the move adds to a wave of late-season roster purges among teams clearing space for younger talent. The decision comes as five top 2026 draft picks—including selections from the Maple Leafs, Sharks, and Jets—face similar uncertainty before the final roster submissions.

The Rangers have informed reigning fifth overall pick Alberts Smits that he’ll break camp, reports Mollie Walker of the New York Post. The 18-year-old defender is one of five 2026 draft picks still left on NHL rosters before tomorrow’s submission deadline, joining the Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna (#1 overall), the Sharks’ Ivar Stenberg (#2), the Jets’ Viggo Bjorck (#8), […]