2022 Draft Profile:
LW Colton Smith, London OHL
Though destined to be a divisive prospect due to his play style, Colton Smith has the potential of a true draft day sleeper due to the fact many modern scouting bureaus and draft writers specifically and purposefully ignore players of his particular play style. And when describing Smith's play style, we can probably sum it up in one, single word: MEAN.
The Hershey, PA native is 6'2-210 and possesses extraordinary physical strength. It is safe to say he is well aware of this attribute, as he basically plays the game like a bully on skates. Smith hits anything that moves in the opposing jersey, and he hits it hard. If one of his teammates takes a hard check, Smith is out on the next shift trying to plaster the offender into next week. He is incredibly tough, and this is also how he affects the game offensively. Smith's finest attributes in the scoring sense are that he is an immovable object in front of opposing nets, and he is one of the best in the OHL at screening goalies and banging home rebounds or scoring off greasy, net-front scrums. If there's any battle where the winner is determined by strength, Smith is going to come out on top of that particular battle.
Where Smith becomes intriguing is when we look at the surrounding tools in his game and realize they're actually pretty good. His skating is average and his puck skills need work, but he's actually a pretty nifty passer and his shot is heavy and accurate. His go to move with the puck, like many youngsters gifted with size and strength, is to shield the puck with his body and hold it out, as if playing "keep away" with a smaller kid. The problem with this move is, unless you are an elite level hands/vision guy like a Juraj Slafkovsky, it usually leaves the puck so far away from your own body that it takes several precious moments to reel it back in for a pass or shot when that opportunity arises. Smith has trouble creating, and the London coaching seems to prefer him to just crash the crease and let the other 4 Knights skaters do the heavy thinking. But again, Smith is terrific at crease-crashing, and this is an increasingly rare but still incredibly valuable skill in modern hockey.
Defensively? Whoooo boy does Smith need work. Without dwelling on specific aspects, it's safe to say that if Smith can't hit you, you just beat him. But just don't let him hit you, because he's basically a freight train -- if he catches you you're toast, but if you see him coming and elude him, he's stuck on the rails and can't turn back.
Colton Smith has been, as mentioned, largely ignored in draft rankings. Craig Button has him at #64, but I couldn't find him in any other top 100 lists. I don't know if I would consider such a player in the first 5 rounds, but in the 6th/7th you have a shot at a very physical 4th line bruiser who could develop the requisite skills to become a pretty decent hockey player. The passing and shooting are pretty good, and if he can improve his puckhandling and -- primarily -- defensive zone play, I think we could have a Zack Kassian-type somewhere down the line, which is very useful for your 4th line. The problem is, I don't see Smith lasting until the 6th/7th rounds, because he's the type of player Ottawa likes to snatch up in the 2nd round.