Jackson Smith 2025 NHL Draft Profile

It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL draft rankings and draft profiles! Using our very own consolidated rankings, we will be taking a look at the top 50 prospects for this year’s draft. The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The NHL is testing a decentralized draft this summer.

Up next for us is the defenceman out of Tri-City, Jackson Smith. The Calgary product has climbed the draft rankings throughout the year, taking advantage of the weakness of top-end defencemen in this year’s class. Smith now has a real chance of going inside the top 10.

Who is Jackson Smith?

Player	Position	Handedness	Height	Weight
Jackson Smith	D	Left	6’3″	190lbs

Smith’s on-ice production

Year	Draft Relative	League	Team	GP	G	A	P
2020–21	D-4	AEHL U15	Calgary Royals U15 AAA	5	1	1	2
2021–22	D-3	CSSHL U15	Edge School U15 Prep	29	15	23	38
		CSSHL U16	Edge School U16 Prep	7	2	1	3
2022–23	D-2	CSSHL U18	Edge School U18 Prep	16	5	4	9
		WHL	Tri-City Americans	6	0	2	2
2023–24	D-1	WHL	Tri-City Americans	62	8	21	29
2024–25	D+0	WHL	Tri-City Americans	68	11	43	54

Smith worked his way through AAA and Prep school before reaching the WHL. After his dominant 2021–22 season with 38 points in 29 games as a defenceman, he was drafted second overall in the 2022 WHL draft by the Tri-City Americans. Not yet eligible for a full season in the WHL, Smith would head back to prep school for one more year.

Finally, 2023–24 saw Smith have his first full season with the Americans. On a not very good Tri-City team, he served as the team’s number two defenceman as a rookie. His 29 points in 62 games was good for the second-most points scored by a defenceman on the team. He already had eyes on him as his well-rounded game as a rookie had scouts excited for what could follow in the next season.

In his draft year, Smith took full hold of being the Americans’ number one defenceman. As he improved, so did Tri-City. Overall, everything was looking right for him. His production improved to 54 points in 68 games and was not only the highest-scoring defenceman on the team, but also fourth in points. He and the Americans made the playoffs but were booted in five games by the Victoria Royals. Throughout the year, Smith impressed with his skating and two-way ability.

Smith’s strengths

Skating

If there’s anything that makes Smith stand out, it is his overall skating ability. He brings every trait you want in a top-tier skater. To start, he is fast. He has a fantastic first step that gives him the boost amongst opponents, which then builds into a powerful stride that can leave others in the dust. It brings him great skill in transition to be able to get from the defensive zone to the offensive zone or vice versa so quickly.

Smith’s agility is a bonus and may be even better than his speed. He can move around either zone flawlessly, making quick pivots to reposition, move smoothly around the blueline with the puck, or make great exits outside of his own zone.

Smarts

Smith is a highly intelligent player in every aspect of the game. He reads the game at such a high level that it’s rare when he makes a mistake. Retrieving the puck in the defensive end, he can anticipate when to start the breakout, whether it’s carrying the puck out with his amazing skating or dishing a simple yet effective pass to his teammate.

He can sense when or when not to join the offensive side and control the possibility of the play going the other way. Creating opportunities before anyone else can see them is another great skill he possesses. His ability to be a puck-moving defenceman truly stands out at points. Smith is a guy who isn’t afraid of a little pushback or pressure. He can hold his own in many different types of situations and can smartly use any of his skills to his advantage.

Two-way play

Smith is reliable in any area of the game. He can move around the offensive zone and hold down his position while generating plenty of chances for his team. Then, he can move down to the defensive side and keep the other team on lock, with minimal chances against. Smith’s entire skillset allows him to be a force offensively, defensively, or physically.

His willingness to go out and give it his all every single shift makes him a threat in all three zones. Whether it’s physically wearing down the attacking opponent, jumping on the opportunity to make offence happen, or using proper positioning to shut down opposing offence, Smith rarely takes a shift off.

Smith’s areas for improvement

Adding some more strength

Smith is already imposing on the physical side of the puck. He’s not small with his 6’3″, 190 lbs frame, but a few extra pounds could be crucial in the long run. Smith may be great physically in a lower league such as the WHL, but to be able to carry his physical dominance into the NHL, adding on some strength may be optimal for his development.

Rushing play selection

Many players like Smith struggle with rushing plays while they’re in junior. Smith is a very smart player, but sometimes he acts upon his decisions a little too quickly. Whether it be shooting a puck into a blocked lane instead of looking elsewhere, or holding on to the puck instead of trying to force it to a teammate. He is very likely to fix this issue with more development, but for now, it can be seen as a problem.

Smith’s comparables

Smith is a hard player to draw an exact comparison to. There’s not necessarily a player who can skate like he does, try the things he tries, and be able to hold his own physically all at once. That’s not to say Smith is one of a kind, but it is what makes him intriguing as a prospect.

With his skating and offensive creativity, you could draw a comparison to the likes of Shea Theodore, who is of similar size and skill. However, Smith is more comfortable in the defensive zone than Theodore is. So then you could maybe look towards a Miro Heiskanen, but then again, the play style is not an exact comparison. I’ve seen people call him a more physical Kevin Korchinski, which seems like a fair comparison to draw, but Korchinski isn’t fully developed yet.

I think the best comparables are Mikhail Sergachev or Jake Sanderson. While not perfect comparisons, Sergachev and Sanderson both have good skating ability mixed with strong two-way play and a sprinkle of physicality. I would lean more towards Sergachev between the two, as Sergachev has a more physical presence.

Fit with the Flames

While it’s highly unlikely Smith will fall to the Flames, it is fun to dream. Smith would instantly become the top left-handed defenceman in the organization. The depth isn’t strong on the left side, with Etienne Morin being the only prospect with some promise to potentially be a top-four defenceman someday. Smith’s smooth skating, never-ending effort, and physicality would be ideal to pair alongside Zayne Parekh in the future.

Summary

Smith brings pretty much everything you want in a defence prospect. He has decent size, can skate well, can be trusted at both ends of the ice, can out-muscle his opponents, and he can be creative or simple. He has tons of promise to his game, with the only issues being the natural rounding out of it. At the NHL level, Smith will be serviceable. Whether it be as a team’s number one or on the second pair.

Risk: 1.5/5

Reward: 4/5

Projection: Serviceable, top-four defenceman

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:

Drew OstmoenApril 22, 2025

5 minutes read