NHL Draft curveball might let Red Wings steal blueliner they badly need

So far, I’ve covered almost exclusively forwards throughout this wild pre-draft process. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great defensemen worth checking out. I’m going to go ahead and assume Matthew Schaefer will be long gone when the Detroit Red Wings pick at 13, but there’s a nominal chance Jackson Smith could fall. 

Right now, Tankathon has him slated to go eighth to the Seattle Kraken, so he’s somewhat in the range. They also have him ranked 11th, so with the Wings picking 13th, we’re talking about him. 

Smith’s got ideal size for the league already, at 6’3, 190 lbs. He’s got two full years at the junior hockey level, playing for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. But in 2025-26, he’s heading to Penn State. This is a move I like since Smith will face a different type of player at the collegiate level as opposed to juniors. 

Jackson Smith could be another two-way blueliner in the Red Wings system

Steve Yzerman loves taking players like Smith early, just as he did with Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. And it didn’t take Smith long to showcase his skills in the WHL, as he put up eight goals and 29 points in 2023-24 before turning around and nearly doubling that total this year with 54 points and 11 goals. 

Something I like about Smith more than anything is that he’s got pinpoint accuracy in the offensive zone. He doesn’t hesitate when he passes the puck, even if there are two or three opponents in the vicinity. Smith knows just how much juice to put on a pass, and it almost always hits its target. 

Smith is also a great heads-up player, knowing when to create space and dish the puck off before anyone knows what’s happening. Passes like these lead to easy goals, and you don’t need to spend too much time wondering how Smith’s assist count hit 43 last season. 

Smith may not be buried on the Red Wings if drafted

Smith will spend some time with the Nittany Lions, no doubt, but he’s one of those blueliners who could make the immediate jump from college to the NHL. He’s that good of a player and one who won’t be buried in the organization if the Wings don’t do something about this blue line over the next few seasons. 

Seider’s a lifer, we know that much. But the jury’s still out on Edvinsson, even if I was fine with the way he played last season. Ditto for Sandin-Pellikka, who we’ll get a better read on this year. My projection, though, is that Edvinsson and Sandin-Pellikka will be fine NHL blueliners. 

Albert Johansson will turn into a good defensive defenseman on the third pairing, but that leaves a slot open for someone like Smith, should the Wings not find more than just a stopgap here. 

So, while it’ll be a surprise for Smith to fall, if he did I’d have a tough time passing on a blueliner who should be a surefire top-10 pick. We’ll see if he’ll make Steve Yzerman’s decision tough next Friday night.