Meet Alberts Smits, the no-nonsense top NHL prospect from Latvia
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Latvia is a proud hockey nation. And right now, there has never been a better time to be a supporter.
Between the bronze medal at the 2023 World Championship and the five-year run at the top division at the World Juniors (highlighted by consecutive hot showings against Canada), the program is in a good spot.
And in June, there could be another reason to celebrate. Zemgus Girgensons (14th overall in 2012) is the only first-rounder in Latvia’s history. Defenseman Alberts Šmits is a safe bet to go even higher.
Ranked eighth by Daily Faceoff for the 2026 NHL Draft, Šmits has turned heads at the 2026 World Junior Championship the past few days. He’s third among all players in Minnesota with 23:19 in average ice time. That includes 24:37 against Canada, where he nearly led his nation to another stunning upset over Canada. Scouts wanted to see a huge outing from the 18-year-old, and they got it. The 6-foot-3 defender is quickly drawing comparisons to Detroit’s Moritz Seider, another big, offensive defender who had to do big things on a bad team.
“He’s fearless,” one scout said. “It takes a lot, physically and mentally, to go up against a top team and shut them down like he does. But he thrives in big moments.”
Šmits is currently in his first year playing against men, putting up 12 points in 29 games with Jukurit in the top Finnish league. He’s averaging over 20 minutes a night playing against men, and it’s not unusual for him to boast a Corsi-for percentage well north of 50 percent.
Almost every top Latvian prospect leaves home to pursue opportunities elsewhere. In Šmits’ case, he left in 2021 when he was 13. He didn’t move with his family – he went by himself. That builds character, and in Šmits’ case, he has learned from and earned the trust of Jukurit’s coaching staff over a handful of years. For a while, Šmits was absolutely obliterating anybody who came near him. He has always been built tough, with the offensive proficiency coming later. He has already been more productive in the top Finnish pro league than he was playing against junior competition last year.
That experience playing – and playing well – against pros has been great for his confidence. Šmits is all business, all the time. He’s so serious that when asked by the media which players he enjoys watching, he kept it blunt.
“I don’t have favorite players,” Šmits said, completely deadpan.
How would he describe his own game?
“I don’t want to judge myself,” Šmits said. “So I’m going to let the fans and other people from the stands do that.”
Fair enough. So, here’s what scouts like.
Šmits is excellent in his own zone. And he can definitely hit guys – you expect that from someone his size. But his puck play is incredible, showing a level of poise and confidence that allows him to create high-quality chances. His pure size gives him astonishing reach, and he has the mobility to make up for the times when he can’t just rely on his poke check.
Big defenders used to be able to rely on their size to win matchups. Now, they have to do so much more. Šmits can transition as well as anyone, and he has so much foot speed to work with. You add in an extra layer of aggressiveness – he wants to overwhelm everyone – and it makes it challenging to come out ahead.
“He has good size, he’s a good skater for his size, and he’s good (at stickhandling),” long-time Latvian national team coach Artis Ābols said, while mentioning he’s impressed with the responsibilities he has taken on as an 18-year-old.
Šmits told reporters that World Junior competition doesn’t faze him. He’s used to playing against quality competition, including former NHLers. For some players, going down a level can be difficult. The pace is different; your teammates might make more mistakes. Canada’s Michael Misa has been dealing with that. But as the youngest full-time defender on his own Liiga team, Šmits is used to being the underdog.
Šmits’ mix of hockey sense, mobility and disruption potential should allow him to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. There’s still room to grow with his decision-making and whether or not his offensive prowess will carry over. But where it stands, he’s already farther along in his development path – mentally and physically – than most other draft-eligible defenders.
Teams love size. They love pure athleticism, too. Šmits has been the most noticeable draft-eligible player in Minnesota, and he’ll need to keep proving that if Latvia is going to surprise anyone. But nobody at this tournament is as capable of shutting things down as he is. Don’t ever bet against someone who plays like they have nothing to lose.