LD Jackson Smith - Tri-City Americans, WHL (2025 Draft)

[JadedRandom]

+1, unless teams really want a RHD.

Wouldn't personally draft an RD until at minimum the 15th spot or so this year even if drafting for needs vs. BPA.

My top-3 defensemen for this year's draft are all lefties (Schaefer, Smith, and Aitcheson), and personally I'd have Hensler still as the #1 RD but he'd only be 20th right now on my list (Fiddler 23rd, Mrtka 27th, no other RD in the top 32).

As for Smith, well, I just really like his fluidity in transition, his clarity of purpose offensively, his skating, his overall Hockey IQ, and the edge with which he plays the position.

In fact, I like him better this year than I liked Zeev Buium last year (and I had Buium 5th [after Celebrini, Demidov, Dickinson, and Levshunov] in my final 2024 list, that's how much I liked him) as I just think that fewer things need to "go right" for Smith to end up a top-pairing defenseman vs. Buium.

And when it comes to pure draft rankings, I'd have Smith at the 7th spot on my list right now (Schaefer would be my #1, and Aitcheson 18th for info).

 

[Briser la glace]

Wouldn't personally draft an RD until at minimum the 15th spot or so this year even if drafting for needs vs. BPA.

My top-3 defensemen for this year's draft are all lefties (Schaefer, Smith, and Aitcheson), and personally I'd have Hensler still as the #1 RD but he'd only be 20th right now on my list (Fiddler 23rd, Mrtka 27th, no other RD in the top 32).

As for Smith, well, I just really like his fluidity in transition, his clarity of purpose offensively, his skating, his overall Hockey IQ, and the edge with which he plays the position.

In fact, I like him better this year than I liked Zeev Buium last year (and I had Buium 5th [after Celebrini, Demidov, Dickinson, and Levshunov] in my final 2024 list, that's how much I liked him) as I just think that fewer things need to "go right" for Smith to end up a top-pairing defenseman vs. Buium.

And when it comes to pure draft rankings, I'd have Smith at the 7th spot on my list right now (Schaefer would be my #1, and Aitcheson 18th for info).

I agree, but we know how NHL teams work, last year all three righties went before the lefties.

Smith is the second best defenseman this year imo, and I don't have any RHD in my Top-15 either. But I wouldn't be surprised if Mrtka, Hensler and Fiddler all go between 7 and 14.

Smith would probably be ranked 4-6 on every list if he was a RHD.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Tell me one good reason not to rank him fifth.

 

[JadedRandom]

Tell me one good reason not to rank him fifth.

I value both Desnoyers and Frondell slightly more than Smith right now given how complete they are, and how they could both develop into high-end matchup centers with good offensive potential to boot. They'd be my #5 and #6 picks as of this moment.

Aside from that though, I've got nothing.

Smith is an incredible prospect and I like his game more than that of the Eklunds, Schmidts, Spences, and Lakovics of the world.