Despite the gloomy weather on June 15, it was nothing but smiles for Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky and his staff, when Jackson Smith, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions.
Smith, 18, spent his previous two-plus seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) on the Tri-City Americans’ blue line. The defenseman played in 136 games, recording 85 points, 19 goals and 66 assists.
His skillset led the Americans to a postseason berth last year before ultimately falling in five games to the Victoria Royals, ending his WHL career.
Friday, the do-it-all defenseman will begin a new chapter in his life, as the Canadian is set to become the first Penn State skater to be selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft.
Penn State men’s hockey head coach Guy Gadowsky celebrates following the win at the NCAA Regional Finals against Uconn on Sunday, March 30, 2025 in the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Huskies 3-2.Â
Megan Miller
Metrics
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 190 lbs
Shoots: L
Position: Defenseman
Projected round drafted: 1st round
Player comparison: Zeev Buium (MIN)
Scouting report
Smith is not your prototypical defenseman.
Despite his large stature, he’s a dynamic skater, sharp on his edges and very elusive. As a result, Smith displays a strong 200-foot game, often joining the rush and using his speed to fly past defenders.
He dekes the opposition with ease using his exceptional hands, and showcases extreme confidence with the puck.
Paired with his finesse game, Smith has incredible vision, often finding the open man and feeding one-timers accurately. Furthermore, Smith rounds out his offensive game with his strong shot as he loves to direct the puck through traffic and has a laser of a one-timer. He’s also very challenging to stay in front of offensively, making him a nightmare matchup if left one-on-one with a defender.
Defensively, Smith uses his elite skating to keep the opposition in front of him, forcing turnovers and quickly transitioning into offense. While he is 6-foot-3, he isn’t as physical as most players his size are, but his stick work is strong enough to make up for it.
Although Smith is as well-rounded of a defenseman as you can get, he does have some flaws in his game. He’s a very strong playmaker, but his decision-making needs to develop, as Smith takes a multitude of risks down the ice. In addition, despite owning a strong shot, he doesn’t direct the puck toward the net nearly enough.
The Nittany Lions celebrate after winning the game in overtime at the NCAA Regional Finals against Uconn on Sunday, March 30, 2025 in the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Huskies 3-2.Â
Megan Miller
Best team fit: Pittsburgh Penguins
Considering the lack of offense generated from the Pittsburgh Penguins blue line, Smith seems like a perfect fit to stay in-state after his Penn State career. While the Penguins now hold picks 11 and 12 following the finalization of the J.T. Miller trade, the left-handed defenseman is a likely target and expected to go in that range.
In Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas’ 10-year career in an NHL front office, he has only selected a defenseman in the first round two times — Timothy Liljegren in 2017 and Rasmus Sandin in 2018.
Although Dubas doesn’t usually pick blue liners early, Smith is certainly a talent to make the Penguins general manager change his philosophy, especially when his back end has been lackluster as of late.
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