The Blue Jackets may be staring at a future without Zach Werenski, but they might already have the next big piece waiting in the wings.
Jackson Smith has surged to the top of the organization’s prospect ladder, and the case for him is hard to miss. He’s big, he skates well, he moves the puck, and he already looks like a defenseman who can handle a lot more than just sheltered minutes down the road. If Columbus does end up needing a new face to anchor the blue line, Smith has the kind of toolkit that makes the transition feel a lot less scary.
The Blue Jackets took Smith 14th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft after he put together a strong season in the Western Hockey League with the Tri City Americans. In 68 games there, he scored 11 goals and finished with 54 points. Then he made the jump to Penn State and didn’t need much time to settle in.
With the Nitany Lions, Smith posted 11 goals and 26 points in 35 games, along with 40 penalty minutes and a -2 rating. That performance pushed him to No. 1 on the Blue Jackets’ summer 2026 top prospects list, compiled by Matthew Duffey, Mike Stump, Weston Motz, Struan McNevan, and Curtis Deem. He was also ranked No. 2 on the list last summer.
What stands out first is the physical package. At 6'4" and over 200 pounds, Smith has the frame teams love on the back end, but he doesn’t move like a lumbering giant.
He gets around the ice with real quickness and agility. He’s not the kind of defenseman who goes out looking to punish people, but he uses his size and reach well enough to win puck battles and make life difficult for opponents.
The offensive side is just as intriguing. Smith is a strong puck mover who can make a first pass cleanly and also has the timing to jump into the rush. That blend of vision and creativity gives him a real chance to run an NHL power play before long, even if he’s still ironing out the rough edges.
And there are rough edges. The source notes that early in his career he has shown some poor decision making, which has led to the occasional turnover or missed assignment.
That’s part of the learning curve for a young defenseman, and it’s also why the position usually takes longer to mature. The flashy play is there.
The next step is choosing the right one more often.
The upside is easy to see. Smith’s profile points to a top-four defenseman, with the possibility of becoming a No. 2 on a contender. The source also describes him as a player who could fit as a legitimate top-pairing option, one who can contribute in all situations and impact the game at both ends.
A Thomas Harley comparison from the Dallas Stars fits the picture: big, strong, smart, a good skater, and capable of putting up 40-50 points a season. He may not be a Norris Trophy guy, but if he’s surrounded by talent, he could become a major piece of a championship core.
Smith is headed back to Penn State this fall to keep sharpening his game, but the path to the NHL doesn’t look far off. The source says it wouldn’t be surprising if he finished the season with the Blue Jackets and then stepped into a full-time role in 2027.
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Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski stood out as players providing positive value surpluses, the kind of production that can make a roster easier to build around. But the analysis also underscored the familiar push and pull of team construction, with names like Cole Sillinger and Charlie Coyle showing negative value in the evaluation, leaving the Blue Jackets with a little more to debate about which pieces are truly driving the foundation and which ones still need to justify their place. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Risk Chasing The Wrong Upgrade With Kirill Marchenko
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For Montreal, the appeal is easy enough to understand. The Canadiens are searching for help and Marchenkos position makes him a natural fit in the type of upgrade they keep weighing against what they already have on the wing. Still, the more scouts and analysts dig into the fit, the more this feels like the kind of chase that can look obvious on paper while masking a bigger question: whether Columbus would actually end up in a place where moving him makes practical sense at all. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Stay In The Middle Of A Goalie Debate Fans Feel Strongly About
As the NHL drifts toward another offseason of trade chatter, Columbus is again finding its name attached to one of the louder rumors. The Blue Jackets are among the teams that could be active as the 2026-27 season approaches, with Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski both mentioned in the broader swirl of possible deals, while other clubs around the league are also expected to explore their own roster changes.
Kirill Marchenko is the name to watch in the trade talk, especially with interest coming from Montreal and the kind of league-wide speculation that tends to spread fast once the offseason opens up. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said it had been weeks since he last discussed a possible Marchenko trade with another general manager, but that has not done much to quiet a conversation that still feels very much alive. [Read more 🡒]