Jack Drury

2017-18 Team: Waterloo Black Hawks (#18)
Date of Birth: February 3, 2000
Place of Birth: Winnetka, IL
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 179 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible

Rankings

When you hear the last name Drury, you think of successful NHL career. Whether it was Ted with the Ducks or Chris with the Sabres and Rangers, the Drury name is one that has enjoyed their share of great moments. The 2018 NHL Draft presents us with another Drury to consider. He is Ted’s son and Chris’ nephew. Meet Jack.

Just as his elders were, Jack Drury plays the game one way. That’s with passion and tenacity. And this past season, it came with a lot of points. After scoring just 12 points in 44 games for Waterloo in 2016-17, he exploded in his draft season with a line of 24-41-65 in just 56 games. This included breaking a USHL record by scoring in 22 straight games.

RELATED: THW’s 2018 Draft Guide

Drury’s season started as the captain of Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka tournament where scored five points in four games and finished as their leading scorer. He then was named the captain of Waterloo and led his team in scoring with those 65 points. He is set to play his collegiate hockey at Harvard, the same place his parents were student athletes.

Jack Drury of the Waterloo Black Hawks — Jack Drury’s next stop in his career is Harvard. (courtesy USHL)

So what do we have in the younger Drury? We have someone who will play in any situation at any time. He can play the power play, the penalty kill and in any defensive situation. If there was a puck battle, you can bet he was in the middle of the scrum. If the puck was in front of the net, you could bet he was the reason for the traffic. He is also very smart. His uses his intelligence to put himself in the right spots for plays. He doesn’t have blazing speed so he makes up for that in other ways.

That’s where questions with Drury begin. His skating is ok but definitely not one of his strong suits. It is getting better but there’s still work to do. He also doesn’t have an overwhelming shot. You’re going to see most of his goals from in close. He takes it upon himself to improve in these areas, but his future success will strongly lean on how much he improves in these areas. Given the way he improved in year two at Waterloo, expect his upward trend to continue no matter where he ends up.

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Jack Drury – NHL Draft Projection

Most of the industry has Drury as an early day-two pick. He does so many things well that some teams may even consider him in the late first. I wouldn’t have considered this possibility at the start of the season until he went on a scoring tear. I see him as an early second rounder as a great follow-up for a lottery team who took a winger or defender with their first pick.

Quotables

“He is the son of former NHLer Ted Drury and the nephew of U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Drury and that is evident in the way he plays the game. He was impressive as the USA’s captain at last summer’s Ivan Hlinka Tournament. “High hockey IQ,” Marr said.” –USA Today

“Mature, hard-working center with NHL bloodlines whose top-end production is a byproduct of his ridiculous work ethic in every situation regardless of the score. Drury, whose father Ted spent the majority of his NHL career with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, epitomizes the old school “lunchpail” type by hustling and fighting tooth and nail for the puck. He’s a workhorse along the boards and usually beats his man to coveted real estate in front of the net. All that said, Drury is able to pile up an impressive point total from all the scoring chances his blood and sweat help create. Not only was Drury Team USA’s best player at last summer’s under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament, but he’s also among the league leaders in scoring as a first-year draft eligible. He’s very good on draws and can be both the main set-up guy on the power play and Chicago’s most reliable penalty killer. Drury’s speed and shot are both average, but he understands the game well enough to make the right reads and convert his opportunities.” –Steve Kournianos/The Draft Analyst

Strengths

Very smart
Effective on both special teams
High energy
Faceoffs
Oozes Leadership

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

Skating
Could improve his shot

NHL Potential

Drury’s upside isn’t one of a go-to number once center who will fill the net but more of a middle-six center who will play in very tough situations. Whether you need a defensive zone faceoff win or a huge penalty kill, Drury will provide you with the energy and effort to complete the dirty work. But give him a chance and he will score big goals and points against you.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 8/10, Defence – 7.5/10

Awards/Achievements

Drury was a member of both the USHL All-Academic Team and Second All-Star Team.

Jack Drury – 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile