Tarin Smith

April 2024 – Tarin Smith is an offensive defenseman who is dynamic with the puck and creates off the rush using his feet and creative puckhandling to slip through defenders in highlight-reel fashion. He’s an intelligent passer but loves to take a volume of shots from the point. His defensive game is solid, though he’s prone to gaffes. Smith can work his way into an NHL lineup as long as he remains committed to defence, works on his lateral movement, and continues find offence as a weak-side activator.  Luke Sweeney

April rankings: 57th

February 2024 – Smith has mostly gone under the radar, but a closer look at his game paints a different picture — one not fully encompassed by his 35 points in 52 WHL games with Everett.

An incredibly intelligent defenceman, Smith supports play with area passes, constant scanning and timely offensive activation. His hands are surprisingly good, as he can dangle forwards from the blue line or even score goals when he gets a lane to the slot. Defensively, Smith identifies his checks and sticks to them like glue, and has gotten much better at boxing out the slot. His skating holds him back considerably in both directions, but if he can improve his edgework and weight transfers, there’s a clear path to a second-pairing, second power play role for Smith. Hadi Kalakeche

February rankings: 46th