Blue Jackets select Jackson Smith No. 14 overall in 2025 NHL Draft
A potential impact blueliner has heard his name called.
The Columbus Blue Jackets selected defenseman Jackson Smith, 18, with the 14th overall pick Friday night at The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Smith, who recently announced he’s committed to play for Penn State University next season, entered this year’s draft as one of the more sought-after defenders in this class. NHL Central Scouting had the Calgary native listed as the 13th-best North American skater, fifth among rearguards behind the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Radim Mrtka, Kashawn Aitcheson and Logan Hensler. Daily Faceoff draft expert Steven Ellis has Smith as the 12th overall prospect heading into the draft, including the third top defender.
Smith’s game has grown exponentially over the past couple of seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League, the team that took him second overall in the 2022 WHL Draft. After playing a few games with the team at the end of the 2022-23 season, he notched a respectable 29 points during his rookie campaign in 2023-24. Then, in 68 games this past season, Smith registered career highs in goals (11), assists (43) and points (54), helping the Americans qualify for the playoffs.
Along with his experience at the junior level, which included playing for Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge this past year, the Edge School Prep product has seen some considerable time on the international scene. Along with playing for Canada Red at the 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, Smith played a key role in helping the Canadians win gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship.
Smith has a good base, physically, standing at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds. A lot of scouts believe he has the potential to become a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL one day. Ellis says that, given his offensive ability and raw talent, that’s a great possibility.
“He has all the traits you look for in someone who can handle the pressure of going up against an NHL team’s top line,” Ellis wrote. “He can skate, hit and beat you with his pure skill. Even though he has a decent shot, scouts would like to see better selection moving forward. But if he can iron that out, we could see him in the NHL in two years.”
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