Devils Recall Riley Tufte

The 2026 NHL Draft’s fifth overall pick has suffered his first injury in the NHL. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits will miss the next few weeks with an upper-body injury.

New York held Smits out of yesterday’s matchup against the Seattle Kraken and recalled depth defender Marc Del Gaizo to fill his roster spot. The Rangers will presumably return Del Gaizo to AHL Hartford once Sean Durzi, who is on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, is healthy enough to return.

Because of his recovery timeline, Smits will miss the rest of New York’s road trip through the Pacific Division and their next home game against the Montreal Canadiens on…