From the NCAA, we head abroad to check in with Latvian defender Alberts Smits, who’s made quite a name for himself in this class of the back of his unique style of play.
A quick riser through these draft rankings, Smits has done well to build up his stock coming off of successful stints internationally, first with the Latvian national team at World Juniors, and then ultimately at the Olympics. He’s established quite the impressive resume at such a young age, and while his play style might make him something of an anomaly among defenders at the top of this class, the potential in that complete game might well entice a team to take a shot on his potential with a high pick.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #2 by NHL Central Scouting (EU Skaters)
Ranked #9 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #7 by Daily Faceoff
Ranked #5 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
Ranked #10 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
At the risk of sounding overly reductive, Smits is just kind of the perfect defenseman for the modern game.
Given his background — having played parts of two seasons up in Liiga as well as a stint in the top German league — Smits already has a level of familiarity with playing at the highest levels, and has gotten a jumpstart on developing in himself a good, professional game.
Smits’s game is, in a word, aggressive. He’s in your face as a defender, but he also brings an aggressiveness in his play with the puck, as he’s confident holding on to it and driving it to the net, attacking the middle of the ice, for a scoring chance — in all, he’s more of a force in this area than, at the very least, any other defender at the top of this draft class. There is a bit of risk bundled into all of this, but he’s such a strong skater — with good speed and ability to make long strides back — that he’s able to erase a lot of potential mistakes that might be made along the way, so he’s not leaving his teammates to clean up any messes while he goes off and does his thing.
On the flip side, there still is a very good defensive foundation in his game. His vision is very sound and he scans well, processes the game quickly and at a high level, and just as that quickness and the long stride helps him erase his own mistakes, it also allows him to close in on puck carriers quickly and get to work in taking it off of them. But as effective as his is when making a strong first defensive play, there is a patience present in his game when required, where at times he’ll hold off and let his mark make a mistake, and then takes his moment pounce on that. He’s able to kill plays effectively on the rush, but he has good jump in smaller spaces as a cycle killer, as well. All in all, this makes for a balanced approach to defending, which is quite effective for him.
Elsewhere, he’s also quite dependable as a puck mover. That mobility that we keep harping on is an asset here as well, as he skates smoothly and can lead a rush all on his own, and the added strength of his puck protection gives him extra effectiveness there, but he also brings a good first pass, so he can defer well on those breakouts when the moment calls for it. Along with that, he does a lot well to support offense as well. There’s what he does individually to drive chances — which is quite a bit, as he really embracing taking an active role in getting to the net for chances of his own — but he’s also a strong playmaker, again, not afraid to activate in the offensive zone, and he can generate plays at a high level for his teammates, making for a particular, complete threat when he’s out on the ice.
All of his tools make for a good package, but the foundation that his anticipatory game supplies is what brings it all together into something really cohesive and effective.
This year has been a bit of a challenge for him, and he’s had to defend a lot — his team in Liiga was not very good, and the Latvian squad at the Olympics was, often, quite overmatched. And while that can make for a frustrating situation, at times, it did give him a lot of opportunities to get good defensive reps in, he was forced to learn good habits quickly, and he should be all the better for it, in the long run.
What’s not to like?
All of that said, Smits is still a bit of a decisive player, and a lot of that comes down to the fact that his style of play is simply not for everyone.
Smits up to this point has played something of a true rover role, and while that has at times opened up some risk and some plays blowing up on him and heading the opposite way down the ice, that risk and that fluidity is what makes him so effective as a player. A team that drafts him has to be comfortable working to develop him as the player that he is, because if the plan is to strip back much of that offense out of his game, it’s just going to devalue that game as a whole. Now, there are some teams that would welcome this challenge and this type of player, because it can make for such a high-end package if developed well, but there might be others who hold a more traditional sense of what a defenseman should do in his role and struggle to see that value in betting on him with a pick at the top of this draft.
There’s some polishing that needs to go into his game, to be sure, but Smits is something of a unique player in that a higher than average proportion of his value is going to come down to personal stylistic preference.
How would he fit the Flyers’ system?
For as weird as Smits’s style can be at times, one could really see him being an interesting fit within the Flyers’ defense group. In the broadest of strokes, there’s a lot in his game that ticks a lot of boxes as far as what the Flyers have been looking to build on their blue line — he adds size and reach, but also a good bit of mobility, as well as the finesse to be a net-positive in puck moving and feeding offense.
There’s a good bit of polishing that needs to go into his game, but this new regime is already showing that they can find some success in developing defensemen, in smoothing out their games while still allowing them to stay true to the key elements which make that game exciting. There’s some risk in him, but there’s reason to believe that this organizational staff could get the most out of him.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
While we’re getting into the range of players who might end up slipping to be picked somewhere closer to the middle of the first round, Smits is one who it would be hard to envision falling all the way into the 20s where the Flyers could grab him without having to do an maneuvering. That said, if it looks like he’s slipping down into the early teens, then we’re getting into the range that they could move up into, if they pool some of their assets into a good package.
So, not a sure thing here yet, but we’re getting into the slightly more realistic possibilities.
What scouts are saying
“Smits is a pro-sized late-’07 D from Latvia who played 20 minutes per game in Liiga this year and, quite literally, skated circles around the opposition when he played at Finland’s junior level in September. After Jukurit missed the Liiga playoffs, he made the move to the German DEL with Red Bull Munich to finish his year and averaged 18 minutes per game there, putting up six points and a plus rating in 11 playoff games. He also played for Latvia at the Olympics, where he performed well and registered two points in four games, and is slated to again at men’s worlds. With Jukurit’s junior team, he made highlight-reel plays with the puck on his stick in all of my viewings, showcasing high-end puck skill for a defender his size and playing keep-away inside the offensive zone whenever he decided to; frankly, I think how talented he is has flown under the radar a little in public sphere evaluations. He scored at an impressive clip with the pro club, too, and was a top player for Latvia at the World Juniors. He has legit hands for a 6-foot-3 D, both pulling pucks laterally and protecting them out wide, often with one hand on his stick. He has good size and a strong, pro frame that will continue to fill out. He’s a good skater with well-above-average four-way mobility. He plays with a ton of confidence against his peers and has played with similar boldness even against men at times, while still defending to positive results. He can scramble a little in his own zone but plays hard, has a good stick, closes with his feet, is competitive, and can get play going in the right direction when he wins battles or races. And while he can sometimes rush into the wrong read/decision (on both sides of the puck), playing too much on instinct at times, the tools are definitely there, and they have come together quickly over the last year. I think he has legitimate first-pairing upside and belongs in the best-D-in-the-class conversation.”
–Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“One Olympic appearance and a loan to Germany since my last ranking has only solidified my view on Smits as a top choice for a defenseman in this class. He’s exactly what I’m looking for in a two-way player at the position for the modern game. Great skating range, a great frame, strong skill and puck protection ability that I’d love to nurture more, an off-puck awareness that looks for great scoring chances with limited perimeter shooting offense leading to cheap and unprojectable production. If he does make a pinch, he doesn’t disappear, often using his range to get back and cover his position, with strong defensive efficiency. He’s a bit of a rover though, with a transition profile looking more like a forward than a defenseman, but he’s such an interesting two-way presence with a level of impact almost everywhere. His pass vision across longer distances could use some work, being a bit calmer on the puck in his own end, but he’s more than capable of keeping the game simple and straightforward with a good team-first focus. He really brings a Brent Burns type vibe to the game, with a bit of that offensive zone confidence that might scare many coaches, but if you give him some rope and time to develop, you might end up with a premier 70/30 offensive split defenseman that is a rock solid addition to any team’s top four. I mean, the guy went to the Olympics for the Latvians, played a ton, and I saw him shutting down some of the world’s best players, especially in their game against the gold medal winning United States. He certainly didn’t seem overwhelmed in his role, and clearly looked like a guy that could and should hear his name called awfully early this year.”
–Will Scouch, scouching.ca
One defenseman comes off the poll, so let’s add another one. We’re swinging around to the WHL and getting acquainted with Ryan Lin.
“Lin is a very smart defenseman. He has the high-end vision and poise to run an NHL power play and makes difficult passes at both ends of the ice. He’s a smaller defenseman, but plays hard and wins a surprising amount of battles for his size. His skating is fine, but it’s an issue for his frame, and his defense at the next level will be a question. He projects as a No. 4/5 defenseman.”
–Corey Pronman, the Athletic
