[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Aces Edition, Vol. 12)

LD Jackson Smith (6'3",190lbs)
Tri-City (WHL): 68gp/ 11g/ 43a/ 54pts, +2, 48 PIM

Calgary-born Jackson Smith (ranked # 13 NA Skaters, # 10 by McKenzie, # 12 by Button) was 4th-overall in regular-season scoring on the Tri-City Americans, with 54 points in 68 games, and led their defense in scoring by a whopping 29 points. The Amerks finished in 15th-place out of 20 teams in the WHL, and were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the Victoria Royals in 5 games- with Smith contributing 3 points, and a minus-4. With his team banished from the post-season, Smith joined Team Canada's gold-medal winning run at the U-18 Championship, and was tied for second in scoring on the squad, with 4 goals and 5 points in 7 games (and a +7). He won a matching gold medal at last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as well, posting 3 assists in 5 games. This kid is a scout's wet dream- with size, speed, two-way acumen, puck-moving ability, and physicality. Smith can do it all- he can play in any situation, and has few real weaknesses. For a defenseman who stands 6'3", he is an elite skater with amazing mobility in all directions, on a long and powerful stride, with a wide base that gives him better balance and extra stability. As far as overall skating technique and mobility, he is near the top of this draft class- he can flat-out fly. He is even remarkably smooth and maneuverable on his edges, exerting seamless transitions, tight turns, quick pivots, and a rapid change of pace- with the ability to explode laterally when weaving through the neutral zone. He accelerates quickly off of a volcanic first-step, to an overwhelming top-gear that leaves pursuers in the dust.

Though he sometimes gets into trouble by trying to be too fancy with the puck under pressure (resulting in egregious turnovers at times), his hands are quick enough to match his stride, and he keeps excellent control of the puck at top-speed, handling with poise and confidence. It's a thing of beauty to watch him rocket up the ice while playing keep-away with would-be checkers, maneuvering through traffic, breaking ankles, and pushing opposing defenders back on their heels with the puck on a string. When moving through tight spaces, he opens up his hips to protect the puck in-stride, utilizing his long wingspan to handle outside of his opponents' reach. Smith walks the line skillfully to dissect the opposing team's defensive scheme, by moving around at the top of the zone to pry open lanes- and while he doesn't possess the hardest shot in the world, he gets good whip on his deceptive release to paralyze goalies; upgrading the power in his shot will make him a true goal-scoring threat. Smith will join the rush when he spots an opportunity, and sports solid offensive awareness with a high-end IQ, but he may not be the most creative; he reads the play well and reacts quickly, and distributes effectively with simple passes, but doesn't try to do anything too dynamic with the puck, and didn't produce at an elite level this season. A big chunk of his playmaking comes from his high-volume shooting, which keeps pucks funneling to the net. He can pinch in deep from the blueline to get chance in-close, and has the speed to recover back to the point seamlessly.

Smith holds enormous value in his puck-movement, and in his contributions to his team's transition. With his high-end speed and stickhandling, he can rush the puck through retrieval, as well as exit and entry on his own, but he can also push the puck through the neutral zone with short, quick feeds; he isn't shy about dumping the puck in, or chip-and-chase plays to enter the zone if nothing else is available. Smith is one of the top transitional defensemen in this draft, in my opinion. Though he needs to work on his decisiveness under pressure (he tends to force plays when nothing is there), he usually makes smart plays off of recoveries, and is often a conduit for clean exits, either by pass or by carry. He completes a high number of crisp breakout feeds, and can stretch the ice with precisely placed stretch-passes on occasion. At the most recent U-18 Tournament, as well as the CHL-USA Top Prospects Challenge, he was a virtual exit machine, and seemed to make a high-end play after every retrieval. Smith is a stalwart in one-on-one scenarios, which makes him extremely difficult to beat off the rush; he can match footwork with anyone, exerts an enormous range, and wields an active stick to angle attackers to the boards, where he closes them out with stiff hits, layered on top of poke-checks. Though he looks better against the rush than he does the cycle, he still exhibits solid engagement and awareness, with intelligent positioning and awareness to make stops, cause multiple turnovers, and break-up plays. He boxes opponents out from the net, puts his body on the line to block shots, and wins the vast majority of his puck-battles in-front, and along the boards. Though his game in the defensive zone has it's warts in terms of his decision-making with the puck at times, he shows shut-down potential for the next level.

Smith is a hard-worker with a relentless motor, and can munch big minutes in important situations. He's competitive and physical, but won't take himself out of the play by looking for a big hit; he uses his size effectively to win 50/50 battles, and puts forth multiple efforts to win possession. I believe Smith is outplaying his stats, and might have more eye-popping numbers if he were on a different team, with more talent around him. Though he isn't yet showing dominant production, he still has immense potential, and could easily become a top-pairing rearguard in the NHL. Smith needs to improve the power and deception in his shot, work on his decision-making under duress, and of course- get stronger. Look for him in the top-15.