In the aftermath of the Rangers’ final exhibition Friday, tucked near the corner of the visiting locker room at UBS Arena, Alberts Smits didn’t reveal much about whether he thought he’d done enough to make the roster. He left the final call to the Blueshirts coaches the 18-year-old — and No. 5 overall pick — spent impressing, but he did hint that “it’d mean a lot” for him to break training camp in the NHL.
And then that became official Sunday, with Smits making the Rangers’ initial 23-man roster, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker.
The competitions that defined training camp all came into focus Sunday, with forwards Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar making it, defensemen Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow surviving and then Joonas Korpisalo beating out Dylan Garand for the backup goaltender role. But Smits’ reality was confirmed, too, as a sprint of a preseason filled with plenty of praise for the rookie’s game culminated with a final call that — by the end of it all — had become inevitable.
That means, when the Blueshirts open up Tuesday night at the Bruins, Smits will likely skate alongside Braden Schneider as he has all preseason. There wouldn’t be a purpose to having Smits with the NHL group if he didn’t log regular minutes. And Schneider told The Post last week that he hoped Smits got the opportunity to play opening night because “I definitely think he’s earned the chance.”
“A lot of his game has impressed us,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers’ 6-1 win over the Islanders on Friday. “Just his quiet confidence. He defends really well with his stick. His reach is strong. He doesn’t get out-muscled, and he’s not afraid to make a play.
“He plays the game out there like he belongs.”
