Each day over the next month leading up to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22 in Dallas, we will be taking a look at the top 31 prospects available, starting with the 31st and leading up to number one.
Next in the series of prospect profiles is our 28th-ranked prospect, defenseman Jett Woo.
Jett Woo
2017–18 Team: Moose Jaw (WHL)
Date of Birth: July 27, 2000
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, MB
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 205 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: D
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 28
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Ranking: 20
NHL Comparable: Travis Hamonic
Predictability can often be a bad thing in hockey. However, when it comes to a prototypical all-around defenseman, predictability is exactly what you are looking for. What you see is what you get with Jett Woo. He does not blow anyone away in any specific area, but does a lot of things well, which adds up to being an effective defenseman.
Perhaps Woo’s biggest strength is his assessment and judgement of what is happening around him. More times than not, he makes the right decision, whether that be pinching in from the blueline to make a hit or chip a puck in the corner or to retreat to the neutral zone instead of pinching. Woo possesses enough speed to recover from a pinch when needed.
Woo’s size and strength allow him to be an effective player physically. He is not afraid to battle for pucks in the corner, and more times than not, he comes away with them. His physical play is his forte, yet he uses it wisely, having the discipline to avoid taking penalties.
While Woo quarterbacks the first power play unit for Moose Jaw, he is not an offensively minded defenseman. Woo owns enough puck skill combined with his strong hockey sense to contribute offensively. While generally a pass-first player, Woo has a good enough shot to be a threat from the point.
A looming concern for Woo is the question of durability. Woo misses 28 games this season with upper-body injuries, which may scare teams away from taking a shot on him in the first round.
Implications for the Blackhawks
It is entirely possible Woo could be snatched up before the Hawks pick at 27th if a team is willing to look past his injury concerns. However, if Woo is available at 27th, he would be a safe pick because of his style of play. He would also provide the Blackhawks with a bit of a different type of defensive prospect than they have in Gustav Forsling, Henri Jokiharju and Chad Krys, who all have a more offensive style to their game. However, depending on what the Hawks do with the 8th overall pick, the team may want to go in another direction, especially if they question his durability.
Timeline
Despite having decent speed, Woo will need time to adjust to the pace of professional hockey. He has the frame needed to be a steady NHL defenseman, but will likely need to add a bit more strength to withstand NHL contact, especially with his injury concerns. He will likely need at least one more year of juniors before making the jump to professional hockey, with maybe one year in the American Hockey League to follow. Do not expect to see Woo in an NHL sweater until at least 2020–21.
Projection
Though he will never become a top-pairing defenseman, Woo has all of the necessary tools to become a sound NHL defenseman. His reliability and consistency will bode well for his long-term development into what will likely be a bottom-pairing role at the NHL level, with the potential of landing a number four defenseman role if he can improve offensively.
What others are saying
“Woo isn’t a perfect defenseman and he was injured for a good chunk of his draft year, but there are a lot of things to like about his game. He’s physical and loves to hit, but picks his spots well and generally doesn’t take a lot of penalties. He’s defensively oriented, but has a good eye for puck distribution. He’s a passer primarily, but has a very effective shot from the point. Most appealingly, he plays a pro-style game already and probably won’t need to change a whole lot to succeed at higher levels – though he’ll probably have to rein in his love of big hits when he’s playing against grown men. He’s one of many appealing secondary defensive prospects in the 2018 class.”
— Ryan Pike/The Hockey Writers
“Woo not only owns one of the best names in hockey, he is a really good hockey player too. A physically strong and intimidating presence on the blue line which is surprising for a kid so young to have that type of confidence so early. Will hit opponents with clean, brushing body checks at any given opportunity and loves that aspect of the game. Almost always comes away with the puck coming out of the corners. Gets good looks in the passing lanes and moves the puck effectively out of the D zone. Power play QB and is intelligent and patient in the offensive zone. Strong skater who has a very active stick and can break up plays in the neutral zone and quickly transition to offence. Tough to beat and waits for the offensive player to make a move and he adjusts his coverage well on the fly.”
— Marshall MacKinder/Hockey Now