HabsWorld.net --
August 15th at 5:00 PM ET is an important time on the NHL calendar as it’s the time when unsigned college seniors have to either be signed or become free agents. It’s the latter for now-former prospect Jack Smith, whose rights have been relinquished by the Canadiens.
The Habs drafted the 24-year-old in the fourth round back in 2020, picking him 102nd overall. At the time, he had averaged a little under two points per game in Minnesota’s high school system and the hope was with some gradual development, he could become an offensive contributor in the pros.
Unfortunately for Smith and Montreal, that simply didn’t happen. After being drafted, he moved up to the USHL level, spending two seasons with Sioux Falls, managing just 16 points in 57 games. Suffice it to say, he struggled to adapt to playing at a higher level.
That trend continued when Smith moved up to the college ranks. He didn’t score a single goal in his freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth and it was around this time that the Canadiens simply stopped inviting him to development camp, a clear sign that they had basically given up on him as a prospect. Smith spent two more years there, managing just seven goals combined in 67 games.
As a result, Smith elected to enter the transfer portal, moving to Minnesota State (Mankato) for 2025-26. He fared considerably better offensively, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 40 games as a senior but it was still not enough to land a contract from the Canadiens or a minor league tryout.
The NCAA recently instituted the age-based ‘five-for-five’ rule, allowing some senior players to return for a fifth season. However, Smith didn’t start at age 19 (he started at age 20, missing the cutoff by about two months), making him ineligible to take advantage of the rule.
Knowing that Smith was going to be released, he was not ranked in our ongoing 2026 prospect rankings series. He slotted 40th overall in the 2024 edition and had he been ranked this year, it would have been lower than that given how the second half of his college career went.
When teams take mid-round flyers on project players, they’re going to hit on some and miss on some. It’s safe to say that Smith ultimately fell into the latter category.
The rest of Montreal’s key dates for when prospects need to sign by can be found here.
