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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Boston Bruins prospect profile #2: Jared Knight

Jared Knight, RW
5-11, 205
January 16, 1992 in Battle Creek, Michigan
Shoots: Right
Boston's 2nd choice, 32nd overall in 2010 Draft
Signing status: Signed 3-yr ELC; July 18, 2011

Talent Analysis

Physical:
Not tall, but thick-bodied and naturally strong. Close to his physical maturation already with not a lot of room left to add muscle mass on his frame. Squat, powerful build with low center of gravity. First step is average; lacks explosive burst, but straight-line speed is fine. Shows the ability to separate from defenders in open ice. Demonstrates agility in his movements, especially when gaining the zone and crossing over to shake opponents and open up passing/shooting lanes. Sniffs out offensive chances and takes his game to a higher level. Hands are elite- a nasty, wicked shooter who can find the back of the net at will. Can wire it top shelf from the outside, or crash the net and beat the goalie with quick moves in close. A relentless player whose feet are always moving. Aggressive and determined whenever the puck is anywhere near him on the ice and goes hard to the net. Soft hands for giving and receiving passes- an underappreciated playmaker who proved he can set the table this season when Nazem Kadri turned pro and Knight was a veteran top liner on a young, inexperienced team. A physical presence who gets up under bigger players with his low center of gravity and then lowers the boom. Defensive game is much improved from where it was previously and shows his commitment to being a better player. Diabetes has not affected his ability to perform at a high level.

Intangibles:
Scoring instincts and knack for finding the back of the net are off the charts. He's one of those players who is always around the puck-- as if it follows him around on the ice. Like every good scorer, he wants the puck on his stick at crunch time and he delivers more often than not. A dedicated gym rat; works his butt off in the weight room, so size will not be an issue for him in the pros. Like other players with his condition, he has his diabetes under control and shows no signs of it affecting his play or energy. Has strong family support and good values. Has the respect of teammates and opponents alike for what he brings to the table and how he carries himself. Earned an invitation to Team USA Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid after going back on a U.S. NTDP commitment for the OHL, a sign that he has become the kind of valuable player who can help Team USA win the 2012 World Jr. Championship.

2011 Boston Bruins Development Camp Assessment:
Along with Ryan Spooner, Knight was the best Boston prospect at development camp. He showed significant improvements in his strength, conditioning, skating and confidence. A year ago, he was impressive but still figuring things out. This time around, Knight was leading the way and played with a lot of energy and verve. Spooner is more flashy and dynamic, but Knight simply does not get enough credit for his dangerous scoring/finishing skills and his nonstop motor.

Development Camp video: Jared Knight

3rd Day


Projection
Knight projects as a top-six scoring winger who could push for 40 goals in the NHL one day and could be a consistent 30-goal threat from year to year. At his floor, he's a third-liner who will play a solid two-way game. The style comparisons to Ryan Callahan are valid, and the two share some remarkable similarities in terms of size and style, as well as developmental path. Knight also reminds of a young Mark Recchi in that he is not the most explosive skater, but has excellent hands and a knack for generating scoring chances. You don't want to create unrealistic expectations for a player like Knight if he doesn't hit his target ceiling, but at the same time, he was the 32nd overall pick for a reason. The talent, drive and moxie is there and he appears to be just scratching the surface of his potential. He's going to have a tough challenge to win an NHL spot in the fall because of his junior situation, but he is physically ready to make a run. Knight might earn a 10-game audition if he can impress enough at training camp and during the exhibition season.

Quotable:

"So you see it firsthand, so, a guy like [Jared] Knight, he was already last year in tremendous shape and this year he’s even improved."- Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli , July 11, 2011

"[Jared] Knight was your typical up and down, north south style of winger. Got to the net, you know he would muscle his way through there and get second chances. I think he got a goal, I cant remember, I certainly noticed."- Providence Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy; July 8, 2011

"Well your hopes are that everybody gets away healthy, first of all, I mean, obviously Jared [Knight] drives to the net and it’s probably typical, I was talking, actually, to Doug [Hamilton] and Marc Cantin, two guys in the OHL, it wasn’t any surprise to them that it was he who ran into Hutch [Michael Hutchinson] but Mike’s fine and Jared’s not going to change his game. "- Bruins Assistant GM Don Sweeney; July 7, 2011

"Jared’s a little more ready-made in terms of his physical stature and what he’s going to be as a physical player. The cerebral part of the game for him, you know, we’re going to continue to work upon and I think we did that in Providence, when they got a snapshot."- Sweeney; July 7, 2011

2 comments:

  1. Glad to see Knight getting the love ! I am so tired of defending this kid to some. He's got "game"

    ReplyDelete
  2. it is a problem to have low gravity point because it can make things harder but at least he can perform good as Hostpph predicted.

    ReplyDelete