Rangers’ Alberts Smits Out Week to Week With Upper-Body Injury

The New York Rangers will be without rookie defenseman Alberts Smits for at least the short term after listing him as week to week with an upper-body injury on November 9. The team recently called up defenseman Marc Del Gaizo, a move that had pointed to Smits being unavailable for an extended stretch.

Smits, selected fifth overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, began the season on New York’s third defensive pair with Braden Schneider. He later joined Scott Morrow and had shown improvement in that pairing. Smits has not recorded a point this season, is averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per game and has a minus-2 rating.

The injury comes as the Rangers ride a three-game winning streak. New York has other defensive options: Morrow has played well while Sean Durzi is out, and Matthew Robertson and Del Gaizo are available for depth. Smits’ absence could interrupt his development, though the team has depth to cover the position while he recovers.