The Philadelphia Flyers can gain significant insight for their 2026 NHL draft scouting by tuning into this year’s Winter Olympics. While they’ll monitor established players like Travis Sanheim, Dan Vladar, and Rasmus Ristolainen, their focus isn’t limited to veteran talent alone.
Latvia, a smaller hockey nation that consistently faces strong competition despite its limited talent pool, is set to showcase a teenage prospect likely to be a top 15 pick in the 2026 draft this June. The player in question is defenseman Alberts Smits, a 6-foot-3 young talent currently playing his second professional season in Finland’s Liiga with Jukrit, alongside fellow Latvian Uvis Balinskis. Smits, who is 18, has already made an impression with 6 goals and 7 assists over 37 games this season, often logging more than 20 minutes per game—a sign of trust and maturity beyond his years.
Although he might have served as an inside scoop for the Flyers had Rodrigo Aborz not been injured, the team will now watch Smits’ performance firsthand. Last season, Smits played for Jukrit, which posted a 12-41 record; now, with his increased playing time, the team has improved to 14 wins and 23 losses—a positive indicator of his development. Throughout this season, Smits has demonstrated a willingness to be aggressive offensively and uses his size effectively on defense, showing the potential to become a top-four defenseman in the NHL. He isn’t yet Kale Makar or Radko Gudas, but the qualities are there to succeed at the highest level.
Comparably, Smits might be likened to NHL defenseman Mattias Ekholm—big, rangy, and capable of playing a responsible shutdown game while contributing offensively. The Flyers have strongly invested in right-shot defensemen in recent years, such as Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Vonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico, but they cannot ignore their needs on the left side and other positions. Smits should be a top prospect to watch, especially considering he will be the only 2026 draftee participating in this year’s Winter Olympics, making his performance a crucial focus for the Flyers in the coming weeks.
Fan Take: This development highlights how the Olympics serve as a crucial scouting platform for NHL teams, especially for identifying future stars like Smits. For hockey fans, it’s exciting to see the next generation of talent emerge on the international stage, signaling fresh prospects and new storylines for the sport’s future.
