Jackson Smith 2025 NHL Draft Scouting Report After Being Selected by Blue Jackets

Scouting Report

Don't let people describing Smith as a two-way player fool you; they don't mean it in the way NHL commentators can use two-way to describe guys who can play at both ends but are low-offense. 

For Smith, it just means he's going to ruin his opponent's day at both ends of the ice.

His strengths are skating and puck-moving, but also basically everything that is key to a good defensive game. He's a chameleon; one moment he's your offensive dynamic defenseman leading the rush, and the next he's using his physicality and smothering his opponent's play. Any top-pair archetype you can think of, Smith has the ability to be it.

One of the best things about his game is his ability to combine pure skill with pure pain-in-the-tail behavior. He's going to drive his opponents crazy, but you won't catch him sacrificing potential scoring or the opportunity to stop a scoring chance to do it. He's somehow just able to do both.

His speedy skating and agility and edgework are going to be key to translating his game to the next level; it's already at a point that you can visualize it. His offensive instincts are top-notch, with creativity and handling skills that allow him to create some really effective (and enjoyable) plays. Another key to that playmaking is his hockey sense and the awareness that provides him. He knows exactly where to pass, and exactly where to be to cut off an opponent's pass.

All players have areas they can improve; for Smith, it's continuing to minimize the risks that he takes when he makes those plays. His decision-making will mature with time, though. It will be interesting to see how his offensive instincts play out in a league with a different style from the WHL.

Vitals

Position: Defense

Age on Draft Day: 18

Height, Weight: 6'3", 190lbs

2024-25 stats (WHL): 66 GP, 11 G, 43 A

Loose Stylistic Comparables

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Kevin Korchinski