Jake Wise
2017-18 Team: U.S National U18 Team (#12)
Date of Birth: February 28, 2000
Place of Birth: North Andover, MA
Ht: 5’10” Wt: 190 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible
Rankings
Down 3-0 early to Team Russia at the Five Nations tournament, Team USA needed a spark. Thanks to a strong push, the Americans were able to tie the game at four. Then with under two minutes left in the third, Jake Wise made the perfect pass. It landed on the stick of Tyler Weiss and bang, the comeback was completed. Team USA defeated Russia 5-4.
It’s not often assists are more memorable than goals, but for Wise, this was definitely true. His pass helped setup the game-winning goal. It set off a massive celebration because the Americans came back from a huge, early hole and defeated their rivals. They then went on and defeated Finland to win the tournament. These great memories will stay with Wise moving forward. However his season didn’t start out like roses.
RELATED: THW’s 2018 Draft Guide
Wise missed the first three months of the season due to injury. Instead of letting that get to him, he used the time to maintain a positive attitude while staying in shape. Once he returned, he played lights out. He gave an offensive spark to his team at just the right time.
So what do we have in Wise? We have a player who was once thought of as a potential top-10 pick in this draft. It’s easy to see why many felt this way. He combines top-end playmaking with a deceptive shot that gives goalies trouble. In my viewings of him, if you left him alone in the right circle, forget it. You weren’t stopping him. Then when the next opportunity came, he was making great passes to wide open teammates. He drove the offense when in the lineup.
Wise does come with some questions. His skating and footwork are pretty average for someone who had the hype. Once he’s in motion he’s fine. He’s also not an overly physical player although he is strong for his frame. How will he do against consistently bigger, stronger competition? The other thing I’d like to see is him using his shot more. Granted, he played with Oliver Wahlstrom a lot so playmaking was more natural in that case. But he has the kind of shot that isn’t easy to stop. It’s hard and very accurate. If he can unleash his shot more, he becomes that much more a dangerous player.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Jake Wise – NHL Draft Projection
Most projections of Wise have him anywhere from the second round to the beginning of the third round. I do believe he is one of the best 62 players in this draft given his overall skill set. He’s fits just inside my top-50 at 49th overall.
Quotables
“Top-end playmaker with superior vision and hockey sense who is the power play architect for Team USA’s under-18 team. Wise has excellent hand-eye coordination and razor sharp awareness, and he’ll rarely make a mistake when opponents giftwrap a scoring chance. He also possesses a highly-accurate shot that seems to give goalies a hard time. Wise is one of several AAPG participants with a commitment to Boston University.” –Steve Kournianos/The Draft Analyst
“Wise is an incredibly intelligent player with the ability to read and react to the play developing around him. He was an offensive catalyst for Team USA, providing them with a combination of goal scoring and playmaking ability. He works extremely hard with or without the puck, and is always looking to generate a scoring chance. Wise does a lot of the little things right.” –Future Considerations
“Wise centered Team Leetch’s top line (at All-American Prospect’s Game) with Tkachuk and McLaughlin, so he had a hand in the offense. But I also liked his defensive awareness, which will serve him well in the future at Boston University.” –Ryan Kennedy/The Hockey News
Strengths
- Top-end playmaker
- Deceptive, hard shot
- Effective two-way center
- Good vision
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Footwork
- Needs to use his shot more
- Physical game
NHL Potential
Wise projects as a middle-six center at the next level with some upside. While his skills aren’t elite, they’re very good. The way that he was able to drive offense for the U.S. Development Program gives you a glimpse of what he can be.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 3.5/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 8/10, Defence – 7/10
Awards/Achievements
Wise won a silver medal at the U18’s last season. Before that, he won gold at the Youth Olympic Games thanks to him scoring the most points on the team.
Interview/Profile Links
- Wise Coming into His Own: The New England Hockey Journal
- Hockey Remains the Only Sport for Wise: USA Hockey
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq9hObacWtc