Sabres 2025 Draft Target: Jackson Smith

One of the most important things for any hockey organization is to continue growing its depth chart through the draft. In the case of the Buffalo Sabres, they do possess a great deal of young talent in their farm system. However, they do not have a lot of high end defensive prospects on the cusp of NHL emergence. It is never a bad thing to have stable options ready and waiting in the wings for a defensive group, and if the Sabres make their first round selection in the 2025 NHL draft, they could have an absolute steal in defender Jackson Smith, of the Tri-City Americans.

Smith Is a “Do It All” Defender

It is not often that a young defender can perform well in nearly every aspect of the game. Smith is the kind of defender who can not only contribute in his own end, but can also be a driving transitional force, and be a scoring threat in the offensive zone. He is easily one of the better skaters in this entire draft, and his ability to drive plays with that skating ability is something that makes him stand out. Standing at a respectable 6-foot-3, he is not a small player by any means, so his combination of size, smooth and quick skating, as well as puck skills make him a reliable threat for any team’s back end.

The way he plays is similar to that of current Sabre Bowen Byram in a lot of ways. He has great playmaking ability, and a capacity to shoot the puck, but his best assets are the ways he positions himself in each zone, and how he sets up plays on rushes and in transition. With a solid stat line of 11 goals and 54 points in 68 games this past season, Smith showed his capacity to both put the puck in the net, and distribute the wealth to his teammates while not being caught constantly up in the play. The way he plays is smart, fast, and hard, and the Sabres could really use a prospect like that in their system, especially on their blue line.

Sabres Would Benefit From Smith’s Skill Set

The Sabres are built to be a fast-paced team with transition ability and great skating skills. Their top players like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are both excellent skaters, and adding in a prospect like Smith, whether short-term or long-term, would be ideal for them. He would plug directly into their system, and despite being another left-handed shot, he would be able to thrive alongside the other top talent like Owen Power or Dahlin.