After dominating the WHL with elite offensive production, the high-scoring blueliner heads to the Big Ten to refine his pro-style game and navigate Anaheim’s crowded defensive pipeline.
It was reported Tuesday that Anaheim Ducks prospect defenseman Tarin Smith (20) has committed to play the 2026-27 season at the University of Minnesota in the NCAA.
Smith was selected by Anaheim two years ago, in the third round (79th overall in 2024) from the Everett Silvertips in the WHL.
Entering his draft, Smith was seen as a smooth-operating offensive defenseman who was somewhat limited by his skating and slipped to the third round for his questionable defensive habits.
In his draft-plus-one (D+1) season of 2024-25, Smith was awarded an “A” for his Everett squad, and took a step offensively, notching 60 points (16-44=60) in 65 regular season games, and added 16 points (4-12=16) in 13 playoff games.
In 2025-26, Smith wore the “C” for the Silvertips and took his game to new heights, scoring 71 points (16-55=71) in 65 regular season games. He added two assists in four playoff games, but sustained an injury that has kept him off the ice for the duration of his team’s playoff run.
Game 1 of the WHL Finals will begin on Friday, and Smith hasn’t played since April 1. The details of his injury are unknown.
Like many of his contemporaries, Smith will elect to play in the NCAA after aging out of the CHL. Smith projects to have an immediate impact role for Minnesota, who had a down year in 2025-26, not qualifying for the NCAA tournament, and finishing with an 11-22-3 record.
Smith will look to benefit from an NCAA schedule to put the finishing touches on his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and adapt to a more pro-style game. He’s taken significant strides in his defensive game, specifically deep in his end, as his rush defending remains a staple of his skill set. He’ll now face bigger, stronger competition on a game-to-game basis.
Smith is part of a deep prospect pool for the Ducks organization and is part of a left-shot defensemen corps that includes Stian Solberg, Darels Uljanskis, Lasse Boelius, Anthony Allain-Sammake, Alexis Mathieu, and Drew Schock, with Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Tyson Hinds already in the NHL.
The Ducks are in for a long-term position battle or logjam on the left side of their blueline, but Smith has as good a chance as any to become an NHLer in the next couple of years. It will be worth monitoring his progression as he takes a significant step in his development, transitioning to the NCAA.