The Canucks have had some success in recent years drafting Ontario Hockey Leage defenceman in late rounds, with Frank Corrado providing the blueprint. On a controversial draft day, the club may have found another late round steal with the 115th pick of the draft: Jordan Subban.
Jordan Subban, whose eldest brother PK Subban is the reigning Norris winner and whose other older brother and teammate Malcolm Subban was a first round pick of the Boston Bruins a year ago in Pittsburgh, is an undersized offensive defenceman with serious wheels and puck-moving ability.
Read past the jump.
I watched Jordan Subban play a fair bit of hockey, including a small handful of games live when I was covering last years Canucks first round pick Brendan Gaunce, and I generally came away impressed. Jordan would occassionally disappear for long stretches of the games I saw, but for a defenceman whose defensive play is often questioned, that might be a compliment.
Corey Pronman had Subban rated 54th on his big draft board, and described his skillset as such:
Jordan Subban, like his brother P.K., is a right-handed Belleville Bulls defenseman who enters the draft with offensive gifts and defensive question marks. P.K. was selected 43rd overall in 2007, similar to this range for Jordan. Subban is a top-end skater who has the ability to jet up and down the ice as a dangerous puck rusher. He has plus offensive skill, as he can weave through traffic and make quality setups. He can be a little risky with his offensive attacks, however, as well as make poor positional errors on defense. He is a small defenseman at about 5’9", and that brings a solid amount of risk to his projection. His value in his own end is questionable, although he will work hard in one-on-one battles. He can make plays as a stick checker, but as a prospect, he has a high amount of uncertainty based on his defensive projection.
That mostly meshes with what I’ve seen as well. Jordan’s skating is a pretty unique tool, and he’s got a deceptive shot from the point as well. Obviously size concerns are Jordan’s major issue, and probably make for a sufficient explanation of why Jordan was available late in the fourth round. Of course the Canucks have generally drafted slightly smaller defenceman during the Mike Gillis era, a trend that meshes with the Jordan Subban selection.
If Jordan can figure out how to compete in the NHL as an undersized defenceman, he could have significant value as a puck-mover and power-play specialist capable of producing offense against secondary competition. Regardless, I’d say he represents significant value with the 115th pick of the draft.
Here’s video of Jordan Subban scoring a hat-trick against the Sudbury Wolves last season: