Inside the NHL Mock Draft 2025: Why Matthew Schaefer Could Be the Islanders’ Game-Changer No One Saw Coming

11. Pittsburgh Penguins: Jackson Smith, LHD, Tri-City (WHL)

Kyle Dubas recently acknowledged that the left side of his team’s blue line is a mess. Thus, Jackson strikes me as a perfect pick for the Penguins in this spot. He projects as a top-four defenseman who will produce plenty of offense and perhaps be a legitimate power-play quarterback. At 6-foot-3, he’s also a big and fairly physical player who can impact a game in numerous ways. — Josh Yohe

12. New York Rangers: Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL)

The Rangers might not even make this pick. They could choose to give it to the Penguins instead of their unprotected 2026 first. Nesbitt, though, is a center, which fits an organizational need. He’s also big — 6-foot-4 — which is a trait Chris Drury has valued in recent drafts. He was nearly a point-per-game player this year for Windsor in the OHL. “He has top-six forward potential and could be a second-line center,” The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote in his recent prospect rankings. A second-line center-level player would be a great outcome for the Rangers — if they make the pick. — Peter Baugh

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