2019 NHL Draft Profile #3- Jared Buckner
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| (Photo Credit: Facebook) |
Ed. Note: With the 2019 NHL Draft just days away, all of my posts in the month of June will be focused on unranked yet intriguing prospects eligible to be selected in Vancouver later this month.
Easing our way eastward in the hunt for under-scouted prospects, we head to New England and a little-scouted prep school that is home to a hulking forward... well, depending on the sport you're referring to, that is. Today's prospect of note is the definition of a multi-sport athlete -- and the textbook example of a sleeper with enormous potential.
Easing our way eastward in the hunt for under-scouted prospects, we head to New England and a little-scouted prep school that is home to a hulking forward... well, depending on the sport you're referring to, that is. Today's prospect of note is the definition of a multi-sport athlete -- and the textbook example of a sleeper with enormous potential.
When one thinks of Maine, Stephen King and seafood are probably the first things that spring to mind. But what about hockey? True, with Rick DiPietro's retirement, the only active Mainer in the NHL is Brian Dumoulin. But the state's prep school scene has long been a development hotbed for not only locals, but also imports from as far south as Florida.
Enter Tampa native Jared Buckner. This time last year, the teen was earning accolades in not one but two sports at Maine's North Yarmouth Academy. Named to the Holt All-Conference Team of the New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) as a defenseman for NYA's hockey team, Buckner was also a star for the school's golf program.
What makes Buckner's hockey honor especially impressive is that 2017-18 marked his first full season on the blueline; one year prior, he had paced the U16 Potomac Patriots of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) in scoring. But the move to D proved little trouble, with Buckner playing in all situations and leading NYA's blueliners in goals.
As 2018-19 began, Buckner would add a third sport -- and position -- to his resume. Thanks to injuries and other roster issues, he not only found himself the starting goalie for NYA's lacrosse team, but a top-line winger for the Panthers as well. The reason for his ability to star in goal in one sport while being a scorer in another should be readily apparent:
What makes Buckner's hockey honor especially impressive is that 2017-18 marked his first full season on the blueline; one year prior, he had paced the U16 Potomac Patriots of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) in scoring. But the move to D proved little trouble, with Buckner playing in all situations and leading NYA's blueliners in goals.
As 2018-19 began, Buckner would add a third sport -- and position -- to his resume. Thanks to injuries and other roster issues, he not only found himself the starting goalie for NYA's lacrosse team, but a top-line winger for the Panthers as well. The reason for his ability to star in goal in one sport while being a scorer in another should be readily apparent:
| Secret Scout Profile | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Jared Buckner |
| Ht/Wt: | 6'6, 209 lbs |
| Position: | LW/RW |
| 2018-19 Team: | North Yarmouth Academy Panthers (NEPSAC) |
| 2018-19 Stats: | 31 GP, 15-13-28 |
Leading NYA to a high school lacrosse championship -- oh, and finishing as a top ten golfer state-wide in his age group -- it wouldn't be wrong to wonder whether hockey is Buckner's best sport. After all, scoring at or under a point-per-game in high school is not just common for draft hopefuls, but generally the rule; this season alone, 2020-draft eligible Brendan Brisson- son of super-agent Pat Brisson- led all prep school scorers with 101 points, albeit in 55 games.
However, the above numbers require some context. NEPSAC as a whole scored less goals in 2018-19 than almost every prep league in the country, and NYA's conference especially so. In addition, the Panthers were not exactly a powerhouse; losing eleven in a row at one point and finishing 11-20 on the season, Buckner not only seamlessly made the switch back to forward, but led his team in goals, assists and points -- earning another all-conference nod, this time at forward:
However, the above numbers require some context. NEPSAC as a whole scored less goals in 2018-19 than almost every prep league in the country, and NYA's conference especially so. In addition, the Panthers were not exactly a powerhouse; losing eleven in a row at one point and finishing 11-20 on the season, Buckner not only seamlessly made the switch back to forward, but led his team in goals, assists and points -- earning another all-conference nod, this time at forward:
Congratulations to Sr's Ryan Baker, Josh Soucy and Jr's Jared Buckner and Stefan Kulhanek for being named to the Holt Conference All Star team.— NYA Boys Hockey (@NYABoysHockey) March 6, 2019
As for his prowess in other athletic pursuits, multi-sport NHLers are certainly nothing new. From almost the very beginning of pro hockey, stars such as Lionel Conacher have featured prominently in other disciplines. Baseball and hockey in particular have a rich and strangely intertwined history; while Jarome Iginla and Jamie Benn were high-level baseball players who stuck with hockey, Hall-of-Fame MLB pitcher Tom Glavine was one who spurned the sport, even after being selected in the fourth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by LA -- ahead of some fellow named Luc Robitaille.
More recently, Islanders forward and 2009 sixth round selection Anders Lee was also a highly-coveted quarterback while at Minnesota's Edina High School. Lee's interest in D1 football unquestionably drove down his stock, with many pundits otherwise placing him in the top 60 of his draft class talent-wise. But while Lee excelled both on the gridiron and the ice, Buckner's versatility and sheer adaptability to new sports and positions is unique -- especially for an athlete of his stature.
However, speaking of size, another current NHL big man provides for an interesting parallel. Before he was stifling opposing forwards as a premier shutdown center in the league, 6'7 Brian Boyle also played prep school as an 18-year-old- and also led his team in scoring, albeit at a much higher clip:
More recently, Islanders forward and 2009 sixth round selection Anders Lee was also a highly-coveted quarterback while at Minnesota's Edina High School. Lee's interest in D1 football unquestionably drove down his stock, with many pundits otherwise placing him in the top 60 of his draft class talent-wise. But while Lee excelled both on the gridiron and the ice, Buckner's versatility and sheer adaptability to new sports and positions is unique -- especially for an athlete of his stature.
However, speaking of size, another current NHL big man provides for an interesting parallel. Before he was stifling opposing forwards as a premier shutdown center in the league, 6'7 Brian Boyle also played prep school as an 18-year-old- and also led his team in scoring, albeit at a much higher clip:
| Secret Scout Head-to-Head | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Brian Boyle | Jared Buckner |
| Draft Year | 31 GP, 32-31-63 (USHS) | 31 GP, 15-13-28 (USHS) |
| D+1 | 35 GP, 5-3-8 (NCAA) | ? |
| D+2 | 40 GP, 19-8-27 (NCAA) | ? |
| D+3 | 42 GP, 22-30-52 (NCAA) | ? |
But much as context is necessary when evaluating Buckner's in-season production, it's important to compare their respective teams; whereas Boyle's St. Sebastian's School Arrows scored a combined 137 goals during the 2002-03 season, the Panthers were limited to just 80 total this year. In fact, of the players to appear in 25 or more games for NYA, eight of them scored zero -- nada -- goals.
The stats begin to tell an even more interesting story when looking at goal shares. Buckner was in on 18.75% of his team's production, while Boyle accounted for 24% in his draft year. The pair are even closer when looking at difference over second place; while Boyle paced St. Sebastian's by 13%, Buckner finished 11% higher than the next-highest scorer on NYA. Finally, the depth of both squads is not comparable; the 8th-highest Arrows scorer would've finished third on the Panthers.
Moving away from stats, Buckner's style of play is also comparable to Boyle's. Remember, this was a young man who found a way to shift from being a top producer on offense one season to shutting down top lines the next -- only to pick right up at forward after a year away from the position. When questioned about what drew him to the Florida native, the GM of his U16 team highlighted some of the gifts that allow Buckner to tilt the ice regardless of his role:
Indeed, "powerful" is as good a word as any to describe Buckner's style of play. While many skyscraper-sized skaters have lacked balance, acceleration, speed or even all three, the 6'6 forward's first step is both strong and brutally efficient. Once moving, he is further able to lengthen his stride to generate even more speed. Finally, while one would never confuse Buckner for a figure skater, his footwork and 360-degree turning ability are reasonably refined for a big man.
Zeigler (sorry, no relation to John Ziegler, history nuts) was also right to praise his recruit's hockey sense; a player who oozes intelligence, Buckner is a difference-maker in all three zones -- be it as the first man back to break up a scoring opportunity, the offensive catalyst on a zone entry, or the late trailer looking to snap home a sure goal from uncontested ice. On any given shift, he is involved in every play, besting his opponents with cerebral positioning and speed if not size.
Where the 6'6 forward will need to improve is in the more finesse-based aspects of the game. In skating terms, this means working on his stops and stops to make them more fluid; skill-wise, his hands- both when shooting and passing- tend to bash the puck from A to B. Like the previously-profiled Jacob Roach, it would likely benefit Buckner to hire a skills coach who can help him refine his talents in those areas.
But in ranking the attributes most scouts value when assessing talent, size, speed, and hockey sense would likely top a lot of lists individually -- never mind together. That's to say nothing of his otherworldly athleticism. All in all, Buckner is an intriguing prospect who would benefit from the same treatment Brian Boyle received... with one difference.
While Boyle spent all four years in college and another 2.5 in the AHL following his draft year, Buckner is not eligible to graduate from NYA until 2020. That will mean another pivotal year of development at the prep school level. However, as a likely D1 recruit himself, time is certainly on his side -- and that of any NHL team who might have interest in him. Even if he were to return to high school for 2019-20 and not debut in Tier II until his 20-year-old season, Buckner's rights would remain with the team that drafts him until Year 4 of college.
Will Buckner be selected next weekend? While even four years ago I would've answered with a hard no, NHL teams have begun to take greater and greater advantage of the "stash-and-forget" benefit that NCAA hockey provides; Pittsburgh's 2018 6th round selection, Liam Gorman, just completed his own D+1 year for Boyle's alum, St. Sebastian's. Meanwhile, Colorado prospect Nate Clurman was a freshman for Notre Dame this past season -- three years after being drafted.
As such, I am cautiously optimistic Buckner hears his name called in Round 6 or 7. After that, there will be little to do but watch and wait -- oh, and hope he doesn't discover a gift for yet another sport along the way.
The stats begin to tell an even more interesting story when looking at goal shares. Buckner was in on 18.75% of his team's production, while Boyle accounted for 24% in his draft year. The pair are even closer when looking at difference over second place; while Boyle paced St. Sebastian's by 13%, Buckner finished 11% higher than the next-highest scorer on NYA. Finally, the depth of both squads is not comparable; the 8th-highest Arrows scorer would've finished third on the Panthers.
Moving away from stats, Buckner's style of play is also comparable to Boyle's. Remember, this was a young man who found a way to shift from being a top producer on offense one season to shutting down top lines the next -- only to pick right up at forward after a year away from the position. When questioned about what drew him to the Florida native, the GM of his U16 team highlighted some of the gifts that allow Buckner to tilt the ice regardless of his role:
| Secret Scout Quote of the Day | |
|---|---|
| “Last season we recognized that this group would benefit from more size in the line up. Jared is a big, powerful presence up front that skates and sees the ice extremely well.” -Potomac Patriots GM RJ Zeigler (Source: potomacpatriots.net) |
Indeed, "powerful" is as good a word as any to describe Buckner's style of play. While many skyscraper-sized skaters have lacked balance, acceleration, speed or even all three, the 6'6 forward's first step is both strong and brutally efficient. Once moving, he is further able to lengthen his stride to generate even more speed. Finally, while one would never confuse Buckner for a figure skater, his footwork and 360-degree turning ability are reasonably refined for a big man.
Zeigler (sorry, no relation to John Ziegler, history nuts) was also right to praise his recruit's hockey sense; a player who oozes intelligence, Buckner is a difference-maker in all three zones -- be it as the first man back to break up a scoring opportunity, the offensive catalyst on a zone entry, or the late trailer looking to snap home a sure goal from uncontested ice. On any given shift, he is involved in every play, besting his opponents with cerebral positioning and speed if not size.
Where the 6'6 forward will need to improve is in the more finesse-based aspects of the game. In skating terms, this means working on his stops and stops to make them more fluid; skill-wise, his hands- both when shooting and passing- tend to bash the puck from A to B. Like the previously-profiled Jacob Roach, it would likely benefit Buckner to hire a skills coach who can help him refine his talents in those areas.
But in ranking the attributes most scouts value when assessing talent, size, speed, and hockey sense would likely top a lot of lists individually -- never mind together. That's to say nothing of his otherworldly athleticism. All in all, Buckner is an intriguing prospect who would benefit from the same treatment Brian Boyle received... with one difference.
While Boyle spent all four years in college and another 2.5 in the AHL following his draft year, Buckner is not eligible to graduate from NYA until 2020. That will mean another pivotal year of development at the prep school level. However, as a likely D1 recruit himself, time is certainly on his side -- and that of any NHL team who might have interest in him. Even if he were to return to high school for 2019-20 and not debut in Tier II until his 20-year-old season, Buckner's rights would remain with the team that drafts him until Year 4 of college.
Will Buckner be selected next weekend? While even four years ago I would've answered with a hard no, NHL teams have begun to take greater and greater advantage of the "stash-and-forget" benefit that NCAA hockey provides; Pittsburgh's 2018 6th round selection, Liam Gorman, just completed his own D+1 year for Boyle's alum, St. Sebastian's. Meanwhile, Colorado prospect Nate Clurman was a freshman for Notre Dame this past season -- three years after being drafted.
As such, I am cautiously optimistic Buckner hears his name called in Round 6 or 7. After that, there will be little to do but watch and wait -- oh, and hope he doesn't discover a gift for yet another sport along the way.
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