The NHL draft is still a few months away, but we're getting to our coverage of the prospects early. We've done most of the high-end talent, but we're yet to talk about Tri-City Americans defenseman Jackson Smith. Smith is a Calgary native who has become one of the better players in the WHL for this draft class. He's a left-shot defenseman, meaning there isn't as much demand as there would be if he held his stick the other way, but there is still a lot to like about this player.
In the WHL, Smith became one of the better-performing prospects, especially among defensemen. Smith played in 68 games with the Americans this season, scoring 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points. That's one of the better totals from this year, and he will be getting a spot as a high pick because of it. Questions about his defensive talents have been asked, but that can be coached into him.
At 6'3", he has a reasonable frame for an NHL player, but he's only 190 lbs, so he needs a lot of work to reach the required height and weight for the big leagues. He needs to be given proper guidance and instruction in the weight room, and that will come as he gets older and he can continue to get stronger. He will likely need another year in the WHL anyway, but this is a good sign.
Smith is expected to go in the top 10 but towards the back end of the top 10. It's a thinner draft class for top-end talent, so we will have to wait to see what happens, but there is no denying that Smith could change the Rangers' defense in the long term. Smith, next to Adam Fox, feels mean in theory, but that's unlikely.