NHL Prospect Profile: Ty Smith

Statistics

Scout Quotes

Smith can be an excellent offensive contributor at the next level. He has all the skills to transform a team’s transition game and to run the power play. It is not clear if his defensive game will be good enough to take on top pairing minutes at the next level. Continued work on getting stronger will be key. He likely needs another year of junior, possibly two. – Last Word on Hockey

Instinctive two-way force from the blue line with exceptional hockey sense and a strong desire to join the attack and create chances. Smith’s mobility and vision seem to throw opponents into a state of confusion — his ability to transition quickly from defense to offense is excellent. He’s an effortless skater with strong balance and agility, and he can pivot with the best of them. You’ll rarely see Smith get caught chasing his man or losing positioning, as he makes timely reads and anticipates exactly where the puck will end up. He is a hard, accurate shooter and a pure power play quarterback who works the point with confidence and poise — Smith evades pressing penalty killers with ease and will exploit gaps with crisp, tap-to-tape cross-ice passes. You don’t wan’t to overcommit too much with Smith, as he’ll spin or pirouette his way into a quick dash to the open slot. A clean, reliable three-zone defender with leadership qualities and a team-first attitude, he is exactly the guy you want on the ice to kill a big penalty or lock horns with a top-scoring opponents. – The Draft Analyst

AJ’s Thoughts

Smith has long been one of my favorite players in this year’s class. He’s an elite skating defenseman who is great on his edges and has exceptional balance and agility. He has fluid hips and turns and chases like a cornerback in the NFL. He’s as pure and natural a puck-mover as there is in this class and I’m legitimately surprised there is such a large gap viewed between Smith and a player like Quinn Hughes.

For my money, Smith can play with the best of them. His skating is NHL caliber right now and his combination of offensive skills and hockey IQ is lights out. He’s disruptive defensively and he has the competitive level you need as a smaller defender. I like his game a lot and the red flags for him seem to be his size (fair) and poor performances internationally (less fair). He’ll of course need to get stronger but the entirety of his game should translate nicely to the NHL.

Despite his abundance of tools, it seems at times to me he’s missing a certain something, like an “it” factor. He disappears at times and you wonder what’s behind the poor international showings but ultimately the majority of his tape for Spokane is spectacular. He could very easily be a steal.

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

Given Colorado has loaded up on blue line talent and Makar and Girard are on the small side so this could look like the Avalanche being stubborn and going after small stars simply for the sake of it. Smith would be a great addition to any team’s defensive prospects and he could be a franchise defender if he fulfills his vast potential. In Colorado, that potential is probably capped because Zadorov and Girard are ahead of him on the left side and the power play responsibilities that produce so many of his points in the WHL won’t be available to him in the NHL with Girard, Barrie, and eventually Makar on the horizon. His ability to be a legitimate defender in his own zone should allow him to thrive in Denver should the Avalanche choose to go that route.

Rankings

#17 Hockey Prospect
#9 Future Considerations
#15 McKeen’s Hockey