I'll try to study Jackson Smith more in the coming weeks.
He's looked good recently.
Skilled skater in all directions, very good in transition plays particularly. On the offensive end can separate from opponents with smooth mohawk moves, and passes and shoots pretty well but as a playmaker and shooter hasn't looked that dangerous yet. Skating skill and acceleration seem a bit more limited in d zone, so because of that and the lack of high-end vision he sometimes gets into trouble in breakout plays. But generally speaking he's a smart and effective puck mover.
Not much to complain about his defensive IQ and tools either. Rush defense, stick checking and occasional hard body checks are probably the best defensive traits. Compete level is somewhat inconsistent, I'd like to see more aggression in net front and effort to eliminate secondary chances.
He was the 3rd best D on HP's Nov list (#17 overall), and 2nd best behind Schaefer on EP's Dec list (#6 overall). I get why scouts like him. Well-rounded D with projectable tools and no obvious red flags. Based on the knowledge I have today I think I would be fine with drafting him if he happens to be in our range in June.