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Every Thursday, NHL.com will head to the 2019 NHL draft with a detailed profile of one of his best hopes.
Jakob Pelletier struggles to find the right words to explain what makes him a great player. All he knows is that it is in his DNA.
The 18-year-old Moncton forward in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League may have two seasons of experience in the league, but his reputation as a clutch performer is well established.
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"I do not really know (how to explain it)," says Pelletier. "Some people collapse under pressure, but that only makes me stronger, I think it's a good thing.It may be the little extra energy." in these games that allows me to skate faster or improve my typing.
"I think it gives me a little help."
Pelletier finished seventh in the QMJHL with 89 points (39 goals, 50 assists) in 65 regular season games, the highest number of points among QMJHL players eligible for the NHL draft in 2019. He was also third for Moncton with six goals.
He also returned from an ankle injury in the first game of the first round of the playoffs against Baie-Comeau to score the game-winning goal in Moncton's 3-1 win in Game 6 of the playoffs. a series Moncton has won in seven games. Moncton was swept by Halifax in the second round and Pelletier finished the playoffs with three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games.
It was not the first time Pelletier won the playoffs. At 16, he led the Quebec AAA league with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 17 playoff games to lead the Séminaire Saint-François to the league championship. He then collected 10 points, a tournament top (three goals). , seven assists) will lead the Séminaire Saint-François to a second place at the 2017 Telus Cup, Canada's National Midget Hockey Championship.
Pelletier is No. 27 in the final ranking of North American skaters according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
"He's probably the smartest board player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League," said Troy Dumville of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. "He's going to think farther than you and fight against spots, he's a very fast skater, he has game skills, scoring skills, and has a high level game in competition."
Pelletier staked out a rookie season that earned him 60 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 61 games and a spot in the rookie QMJHL rookie team.
His size (5 feet 9 inches, 160 pounds) could take a break, but Pelletier's statistics, his talent and his competitive style of play prove the opposite.
"Doubts are something everyone faces," said Pelletier. "You can make your own way if you respect your identity … Hockey has changed a lot in recent years, I do not think Jack Hughes is much bigger than me and he's going to be the first great career choice." . "
Hughes, a center of the US National Team Development Program of the USA Hockey Under 18 Development Team, is number 1 in the final rankings of the Central Scouting North Skaters. Americans with a size of 5-10, 170 pounds.
"Its size does not change anything," said Darren Rumble, who coached Pelletier to Moncton before being fired on Jan. 7. "He's not afraid to go to the net, which has earned him a very beautiful mark, but he gets his nose dirty and is not afraid of anyone."
The bottom line is that the NHL teams strive to become faster and more skillful, two aspects of the game that Pelletier certainly brings to the table.
"He continues to increase his value through consistency and production," said Dan Marr, director of the NHL Central Screening Office. "He plays with speed and intelligence, he is always first on the puck, he does not hesitate to go to the net and he is able to generate the offensive.
"He is an offensive catalyst and threatens to threaten all shifts."
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Listening: New episode of the NHL Selection Class
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