An overaged player in this draft class, Kyle Jackson saw his goal-scoring take off for his team this past season as he established himself as an effective offensive producer. He is at his best when he has the puck on his stick and is strong at reading the play to intercept the puck as well as force turnovers. When carrying the puck, he seeks open lanes and will drive to the middle of the ice to put himself into a more dangerous shooting position. There are times where he could be more patient with the puck as he has a tendency to force passes into traffic or simply just throw it away when feeling pressure from behind. He is very good at providing support defensively, using an active stick to disrupt passing and shooting lanes. These instincts of his really help him impact changing possession and driving transition play towards the offensive zone. It seemed that his play got stronger and more consistent as the season went on. Earlier in the year he had moments where he was a bit quiet and not making a difference in the game. Towards the tail end of the season though, he was making positive impacts through his well-rounded two-way game. Still, he could fade in games to the point he’d be a low-impact player. For a player known for filling the net he, at times, could also show improvement in his stick preparation to give teammates a target. The goal-scoring will surely interest NHL teams but it’s the work ethic and mature game he plays that will ultimately allow him to develop into an NHL player. He can be the prototypical bottom-six forward who outworks his opponents on every shift and occasionally finds himself in a prime scoring position and produce offense every now and then.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide