McKeen's ranked Jake Wise at the end of the second of the draft on our final list. Our 2018 NHL Draft Guide notes - "Were it not for a broken collarbone that held him out for much of the first half of the year, we might be looking at Jake Wise as a potential first rounder in Dallas." Ryan Wagman provides a scouting report below.
A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity
| Tyler Weiss | 2018 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: LW/C, Shoots L | H/W: 5-10", 160 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | USNTDP Juniors, USHL (22-3-8-11-21) |
| U.S. National U18 Team, USNTDP (58-12-19-31-39) | |
| USA U18, WU18 (7-2-2-4-2) |
Skating: Wise starts fast and gets quicker as he keeps going. His first few steps allow him to break free, and he can skate well in all four directions. His top end speed is likewise impressive. There are some concerns with lower body strength and balance, which might be mitigated with additional physical maturity and added muscle mass. He will not blow you away with pace, but he is more than respectable. Grade: 55
Shot: A smaller player who frequents the slot area, Wise has a solid snap shot that he fires with a quick release. He scored frequently in USHL action, hitting the twine on nearly one inf four shots on net, but he is really more of a playmaker than a shooter. The shot is decent but is not the mean weapon in his offensive arsenal, firing little more than twice per game in USHL games. As a small caveat, it is possible that an early season collarbone injury has impacted his shot quality. Grade: 50
Skills: Wise has very impressive passing touch. A skilled playmaker, his hands work quickly and he has impressive strength on the puck considering his size and the aforementioned collarbone injury. He has the ability to spot tricky seams and execute cute passes to surprise opponents. Strong puck control ability and has the coordination to use his skates to supplement his stick when needed. Grade: 55
Smarts: An occasional penalty killer, and a member of the USNTDP’s primary power play unit, Wise demonstrates a keen understanding of his role and how the game will flow around him. He plays with admirable hustle. Forechecks with gusto and utilizes a good, active stick when defending, making him a disruptive player to play against. A clever player, all around. Grade: 55
Physicality: A small player who is active if not aggressive. To his credit, Wise is willing to take a hit to make a play, showing some bravery, which is especially impressive considering the aforementioned broken collarbone. On the other hand, he lacks the ability to land an effective hit. Grade: 45
Summary: Considering his strong but not elite skill set, and the fact that he was not used on the star first line at even strength, Jake Wise’s production in a partial season is nothing short of remarkable. 28 points in 18 USHL, including 20 at even strength, games is almost unheard of. As a natural playmaker, he would be best utilized playing with skill players who can take advantage of his feeds. While I would not predict an ability to continue scoring at this rate, Wise has top six potential, especially in a system that allows him to utilize his creativity.
Overall Future Projection (OFP) = 53