The Columbus Blue Jackets hit the draft lottery in a different way on Friday night, landing defenseman Jackson Smith from the Tri City Americans with the 14th overall pick.
In our coverage leading up to the draft, Smith was the player we had high hopes of landing with this pick. In my opinion, having him fall into their laps at this slot is a huge stroke of luck. As I said last week in our sim: I can't believe he was still there. I think he's the second best defenseman in the entire draft.
At 6'3" and 195 pounds, Smith is a heady two-way defenseman who has drawn comparisons to Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars. He's a good skater with a solid all-around game, able to defend off the rush, in the defensive zone, and contribute offensively.
Aside from his skating, his big shot is very translatable and he should at the very least become a third pairing defenseman in the NHL. His upside probably isn't as high as someone like Zach Werenski, but at this range of the draft; that's not to be expected.
This is the dream scenario for the Jackets in my opinion. Several other teams picking ahead of them reached down the board for centers, leaving one of the best defensemen in the draft to fall into their laps. They land a talented player who will fill a position of need moving forward.
Smith has the size and tools to wind up being a steal out of this class. In that way, it reminds me of the year Cam Fowler fell to the Anaheim Ducks. That's another comparable player for Smith; and if he can be that good at the NHL level, we'll be very happy.
The Jackets still own another first round pick (#20 overall). Let's hope they can strike gold again!