Jacob Battaglia
2023-24 team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Date of Birth: March 13, 2006
Place of Birth: Mississauga, ON, CAN
Ht: 6-foot Wt: 203 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 42nd (among NA skaters)
- Andrew Forbes’ Top 100 (May): 92nd
- SMAHT Scouting: 45th
- Craig Button (TSN): 58th
After a slow start to his 2023-24 season with the Kingston Frontenacs, Jacob Battaglia slowly worked his way from playing bottom-line minutes into eventually playing top-line minutes and being one of the team’s strongest powerplay players. His relentless work ethic and motor helped him do just this, along with being on a Kingston team that had an underwhelming start to their season.
Once Battaglia found himself getting more time on the ice, his offensive prowess truly shined through. After tallying only 27 points in his rookie season, he more than doubled that this season (65 points). Where he truly shines is when he has the puck on his stick. He has shown that he has good to elite puckhandling abilities that allow him to maneuver through the neutral zone and set himself up for success in the offensive zone, whether it comes in the form of getting a shooting chance for himself or a teammate. Overall offensively, he has shown a strong balance between being able to be a goal-scorer while also showcasing the strong playmaking abilities he has. This has made him a clear threat in the offensive zone.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
But where his game seems to lack is with his skating. Battaglia is not the slowest or clunkiest skater, but it is one of his biggest areas of improvement. It has affected his game at both ends of the ice, more so in the defensive zone. While in the defensive zone, his skating has limited him being able to move around and keep himself in the right position to better help the rest of his teammates. With the IQ and work ethic he does have though, he should make this less of a “downfall” to his game with some time and work.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Jacob Battaglia- NHL Draft Projection
With the strong progression in his game throughout his draft season, Battaglia has seemingly risen up the rankings and, therefore, has moved up in draft projections, but there is a strong chance that he will still see his name being called somewhere in the range of the second-to-third round of this June’s draft.
Quotables
“Battaglia is a versatile winger with both playmaking and scoring abilities. His hockey intelligence allows him to survey the ice and create smart plays….” – Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers
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“Battaglia’s great puck skills and patience work well with his slower pace, controlling the play and using his size to hold the puck while his linemates find open ice. His offensive awareness and vision make him an equal threat to execute difficult passes or use his quick release to fire a hard shot.” – Joseph Aleong, FCHockey
Strengths
- Battaglia’s offensive game is a multi-faceted one, balancing between being strictly a goal-scorer and a playmaker.
- His shot is strong and powerful and can find its way through traffic as well.
- Worked his way up the Frontenacs lineup this season thanks to his strong work ethic and IQ.
- His offensive play helps him be a force on the power play.
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
- While being a physically stout player, he does not use his body as often as many would think he would or should. If he can show a willingness to do this, it will help take his game to another level.
- His skating ability is far from bad, but his first few steps and his ability to get going down the ice sometimes set him a step behind his opponents and teammates.
NHL Potential
Battaglia seemingly has all of the tools to become a player that can impact the middle-six of an NHL lineup at some point in his career if he can tweak a few things in his game. His strong offensive game should continue to translate at the next level and help him become likely a second power-play unit player as well.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk: 2.5/5, Reward: 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 5.5/10, Defense: 4/10