The Detroit Red Wings are officially locked into the 13th pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Despite falling one spot due to the results of the draft lottery, the Red Wings should still be excited about the young talent that should be available when it’s their turn to pick.
To that point, there will be a wide variety in talent and player types when the Red Wings are on the clock. They could select a do-it-all creative forward like the last draft target we highlighted, or they could focus their attention on a do-it-all defenseman such as the player that is our focus this time around: Jackson Smith.
Smith is one of the top defensemen available in this year’s draft; some will tell you that there is little chance of him being available at pick 13 because of it. If he is available, however, he could be the type of defenseman that pulls everything together and cements a dominant defense in Detroit for years to come.
Smith’s Toolkit
Smith is a two-way defender that likes to be active in all areas of the ice. This season with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he recorded an impressive 11 goals and 54 points in 68 games. He regularly factored in on his team’s offensive attack, and he placed just inside the top-10 in total points among WHL defensemen.
Smith has a keen sense of where his teammates are at any given moment. He surveys the ice and looks to move the puck quickly and accurately up the ice. He is always looking to make a play, and it’s not hard to envision him being a key member of an NHL power play in his prime. When he doesn’t have a passing lane, he puts the puck on net in hopes of a deflection or a rebound.
The 6-foot-3 defender also has good size, weighing in a 190 pounds with room to bulk up even more. Smith pairs soft skill with good physical strength, making him hard to knock off the puck when he is moving at full speed. While he isn’t a brute by any means, he is still learning how to use his frame to his advantage, and that should only improve has he gets older. Speaking of which, he is also on the younger side of this year’s draft class as he turns 18 on May 13.
On the defensive side of the puck, Smith uses his athletic abilities and strong hockey sense to steer the puck away from danger. He closes gaps quickly, and he generally makes good reads while the puck is in front of him. He goes to the net to clear the crease – something he should be quite effective at once he adds a bit more muscle. While he’s not shutdown guy in the defensive end, he is effective at killing plays and causing turnovers.
Compared to last season, Smith saw a 31-point jump in his plus/minus rating. While plus/minus is hardly a conclusive stat, it does show that his game is trending in the right direction. Whether it’s the Americans of the WHL or Team Canada on the national stage, he was relied on to play big minutes in key situations this season. That’s an opportunity that is earned, not given, and he did everything he could with the opportunities he earned this season.
Work in Progress
Like any player that constantly tries to make the big play, Smith sometimes suffers from being too risky with the puck. As great as he is at creating turnovers in the defensive zone, he can also get caught with an overambitious pass that lands on an opponent’s stick. That is the nature of players that try to make plays like he does, but he is still learning when to make the safe play and when to go for the big play.
When he does make those mistakes, Smith scrambles to get back on defense. While his defensive game is not poor, he can sometimes come off a bit soft when trying to defend. He doesn’t need to be overly physical, but it is pretty obvious what another level of physicality would do for his game. He is athletically gifted, but he often has to rely on those gifts to make up for the “rookie mistakes” in his game. If he can learn a smarter brand of hockey, he won’t have to rely on the physical side of his game as much.
To further compound the issue, Smith’s 31-point jump in his plus/minus rating still put him at just a plus-2 on the season. While a positive rating is always better than a negative rating, it does show that the puck still went the wrong direction with him on the ice at a nearly-equivalent rate as it went in the right direction. As is the case with many two-way defensemen with a ton of raw potential, the defensive side of his game is not nearly as developed as the offensive side.
In the offensive end, Smith could stand to work on his shot some more. While he isn’t afraid to put the puck on net, his shot isn’t dangerous enough to command the respect of opposing defenders. You don’t need defensemen to score goals the same way you need forwards to, but the game opens up for players that opposing defenders have to keep an eye on. If he can’t make his shot more lethal on its own, he can find ways to make it more situationally effective.
NHL Readiness
Statistically speaking, it is unlikely that the Red Wings will find an NHL-ready player at 13th overall. It is even more unlikely if they opt to draft a defenseman, given that defenders typically take longer to reach their peak than forwards do. If the Red Wings call Smith’s name at 13th overall, they should expect to wait a couple years before he is a consideration for the NHL roster.
Jackson Smith, Tri-City Americans (Photo Credit: Tri-City Americans)
This tracks with the development path that Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson took. The Swedish defenseman was drafted in 2021 then spent the next two seasons developing in the Swedish and American Hockey Leagues. By the end of that second season, he had played nine games with the Red Wings and was knocking on the NHL’s door. While he didn’t become a full-time NHLer until this past season, he stepped right into a spot in Detroit’s top two defensive pairs, including some time next to Moritz Seider on the team’s top pairing.
Edvinsson had a lot of raw talent when he was drafted, and Smith does too. While he wouldn’t be an immediate boost to the lineup in Detroit, the Red Wings have a track record of turning defenders like Smith into legitimate top-four options if given time.
Smith’s Fit with the Red Wings
This might be the biggest reason the Red Wings should take a long look at drafting Smith. With Edvinsson and Seider already established in the NHL and Axel Sandin Pellikka looking like he could join the team in Detroit next season, the Red Wings are extremely close to establishing a group of top four defensemen that could be the envy of the league for years to come.
With Seider and Sandin Pellikka on the right side, the Red Wings just need someone to join Edvinsson on the left side to pull it all together. Albert Johansson showed some promise this season, but his best fit long-term is probably on the third pairing. Digging deeper into the depth chart, you find some intriguing prospects like William Wallinder and Shai Buium, but none of them scream “top-four potential” like Smith does.
It would take at least a couple years for it all to come together, but the wait would be worth it if the end result is the Red Wings’ defense being set for a generation.
Best Player Available
Depending on how you value the different positions in hockey, Smith may very well be the best player on the board when the Red Wings are on the clock at 13th overall. As previously stated, he is one of the best defensemen in this year’s draft class, and teams with needs on the blue line typically aren’t afraid to reach for defensemen, especially once the top ones are taken. If the Red Wings decide they want to add to their pool of defensemen in this year’s draft, they shouldn’t hesitate if Smith is still on the board when it is their turn to pick.
Other Quotes
“If you were to go into a lab and build the physical characteristics for an NHL defenseman, there’s a good chance you’d get a lot of overlap with Smith. He has all the advantages that a sizeable defenseman would have, but his skating and mobility are what make him the first-round prospect he is.” – Kareem Elshafey, Future Considerations
“Smith possesses a blend of skating, size and poise. Smith’s development will be about using his excellent mobility to prevent rush offense, becoming a more consistent offensive threat and continuing to develop his decision-making.” – Rachel Doerrie, ESPN
“Smith is a ‘do it all’ prospect. He averages north of 26 minutes per game of ice time in all situations and matches up to shut down top six forward groups on a nightly basis. Smith is an excellent skater. He has the legs to escape pressure and lead the rush on his own, plus the agility to walk the offensive blue line to open up shooting and passing lanes.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
