2025 NHL Draft Rankings: #10 Jackson Smith
For the first time in a while, we have a defenseman to profile!
Welcome back to our feature on draft profiles for projected top picks in the upcoming 2025 NHL draft. Catch up with the previous ones here:
No 1: Matthew Schaefer
No 2: Michael Misa
No. 3: Porter Martone
No. 4: Anton Frondell
No. 5: James Hagens
No. 6: Caleb Desnoyers
No. 7: Jake O’Brien
No. 8: Roger McQueen
No. 9: Victor Eklund
For the rankings, we have turned to the venerable Bob McKenzie from TSN for his listing of players. McKenzie’s list is typically in-tune with the NHL, because his rankings are an average that comes from surveying 10 active NHL scouts. As such, the list is set as follows for players we will look to profile in the coming weeks to spread some awareness and knowledge for Pittsburgh NHL fans to get to know some of the top prospects.
No. 10: Jackson Smith, 6’3” 195 pounds, LD, Tri City (WHL)
Jackson Smith checks a lot of boxes as a top hockey prospect right off the bat. Being 6’3” as a defenseman who can skate very well and produce points is always going to draw attention. There’s been some differences in opinion in just how much various scouting services see him as he stacks up against his peers. Smith is ranked anywhere from 5th, 6th or 7th in some places to as low as 15th, 17th or 20th (Corey Pronman, The Athletic).
One aspect that works in Smith’s favor for his draft spot is that he should be the second or third defenseman drafted. Matthew Schaefer figures to go at or near the very top of the draft, after that teams have to decide if they want to go with a center or select the next tier of defensemen, comprised of Smith, Radim Mrtka and Kashawn Aitcheson. Given that defensemen can be overdrafted a bit, it’s possible some of this tier will hop a few of the forwards ranked higher than them in our outlooks.
Here’s a bit from the NHL profile on Smith:
“I feel like I’m pretty unpredictable,” the 17-year-old defenseman playing with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League said. “I can move up and down the ice super well and I’ve got a lot of offensive upside off the rush.”
Smith (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) is pretty accurate with his self-assessment. Just ask Tri-City coach and former NHL forward Stu Barnes, who played 1,136 NHL games over 16 seasons.
“He’s a big guy who’s a very good skater, good on his edges, very elusive for his size, and is able to skate the puck out of the defensive zone, out of trouble, and then transport it down the ice and be very effective offensively,” Barnes told NHL.com. “But he’s a better defensive player than he probably gets credit for. He’s pretty good in his own zone, has a good stick and the commitment as well to continue to defend first, and then get the puck up the ice, because the next level is just going to get that much harder.”
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Barnes said his top-pair defenseman averages over 22 minutes a game and plays all situations, including power play and penalty kill.
“He’s really worked himself into being pretty equal on both [special teams],” Barnes said. “I think this is the first year he’s really kind of quarterbacked the power play (11 power-play assists), so he’s kind of learned on the fly. He’s been a really effective penalty-killer as well and continues to improve in all those parts of his game.”
Smith cited defenseman Miro Heiskanen and Kevin Korchinski as comparable styles of players to his game and those he likes to watch. NHL teams would love for Smith to follow in that type of mold, and at the draft we’ll see if anyone picking in the top-10 is signing up to bet on it.
They said it
Smith’s a big, strong, powerful left-shot defenseman who plays hard and can impact play in a variety of ways. He can skate pucks through the neutral zone. He’s got good edges opening up in the offensive zone. He’s strong through his pushes as a skater, regularly beating the first layer of pressure laterally. He walks the line proficiently and gets his shots through, opening up well. He can make plays in open ice. He can shoot the puck. He’s capable of playing the game firmly and even boldly at times. He’s got transition value. He’s competitive and strong. But his reads and processing still need some fine-tuning, he can skate himself into trouble, he can take bad routes defensively, and I’m not sold on him as a true power-play guy up levels. He has pretty well all of the makings of an NHL defenseman and he’s still got some untapped offensive and defensive upside. He should have a long career as a potential top-four NHL D if developed properly, but I just haven’t been able to fall in love with his game
Smith has generated a lot of NHL interest due to his combination of tools and production. He’s a 6-foot-3 defenseman who skates quite well. He’s funky-looking at times, going 10-2 with his edges a bit too much, but he’s a powerful, fluid skater who can easily get by checkers and skate pucks up ice. Smith often tries to attack with his skill and can break down players one-on-one easily. Smith’s decision-making isn’t the best at times, and I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker, but he creates a lot of offense and has a good point shot. Defensively, he’s decent due to his frame and feet, and when he’s leaning into checks, he can be a two-way force. His defensive play is inconsistent, in part because he’s often up in the attack, but he has the potential to be a top-four defenseman who can play on both special teams.
Smith is a remarkably fluid skater for his size, covering ice in all directions extremely well, which bodes well for NHL projectability. He’s physical often, almost to a fault as he can fail to follow through on hits and end up a bit leaky on defensive transitions, but his overall results in that area are excellent. I get asked a lot about which players datasets don’t quite line up with my read on them as a player, and Smith is probably the best example of that. While on the ice at 5v5, Smith gets absolutely run over driven largely by completely absent offensive output from Tri-City with him on the ice. He’s not a poor offensive transition player whatsoever but he often relies on passing when those receiving those passes simply can’t finish the job. Of the offense that Tri-City generates, he’s the source of a third of it. There are some really impressive playmaking moments through scoring areas as well, and Smith simply brings an excellent talent profile that good coaches and development staffs could foster extremely well over time. He feels much more settled and comfortable in recent viewings, seeing the ice better and picking better times to push play up the ice, but he isn’t perfect. In this class, he brings big upside and potential
Many consider Smith to be the second-best defensive prospect in the draft, and I fully agree. From an overall package standpoint, Smith has so many things going for him. He’s physical, skates so well, and he’s very mobile for a 6-foot-3 defenseman. I also think his hockey sense is great, and it’s only a matter of time until he finds a way to explode offensively. I’ve seen him play in person a handful of times this year, and he almost always was one of my favorite defenders on the ice.
An intelligent player who adapts quickly and proficiently in a variety of roles. His excellent skating foundation, and high-end agility, allow him to consistently be part of the play. He projects as a two-way defender, but more time is needed to develop his offensive side.
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The Penguins have selected Western Hockey players with their top picks in the last three drafts (Harrison Brunicke last year in the second round, Brayden Yager and Owen Pickering as first rounders the prior two years), be it a trend or pure coincidence,. That could well continue with Smith at the draft — assuming he’s still on the board at No 11. If he’s not, Pittsburgh is positioned to take a forward that Smith got picked over instead. From that perspective, it seems to be a win/win at 11.