Christopher Ralph is a sportswriter with a focus on hockey prospects, the entry draft, as well as occasional Flames coverage here at THW.
“Full Potential” Prospect Profile:
Jack Campbell (Click on name for up- to- date stats)
Age: 18
Date of birth: January 09, 1992
Place of birth: Port Huron, MI, USA
Ht: 6-2.5 Wt: 175
Catches: L
2009-10 Team: USNTDP-U18
NHL Status: Draft Eligible 2010
One-Timer:
In the rare event that I would have a NHL GM or Head Scout position, a goaltender would have to be absolutely spectacular for me to even consider taking him in the first round, let alone being Top 10 worthy.
For every netminder drafted in the first round that has been successful in the big league, I can name you five that were busts.
Having said that, Jack Campbell is one goalie to defy my thinking with respect to the difficulty in projecting goalie prospects. While I have him ranked 12th , I would not be surprised to see him drafted even as high as 4th by a team that wants and needs a true franchise netminder {cough, Tampa Bay Lightning, cough}.
Team USA (Men’s Team) looks to be in good shape well into the foreseeable future. I see incumbent Ryan Miller someday handing the reins over to Campbell.
Yes – he is that good.
He is technically very sound combing with his physical stature and athleticism, he encompasses perhaps a perfect blend of goalie attributes for a prospect. His performance at the recent scouting combine was insane. Not only was he the top performing goalie, but had one of the best performances overall.
What truly sets him apart is his mental makeup – he is extraordinarily confident and cool under pressure. He has proved it in big game after big game on the world stage.
He will be joining the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL next season to further his development.
Scout’s Honor:
“The one thing that has really impressed me is the fact I’ve never seen a goalie his age, even on the AHL level, who handles the puck as responsibly as he does. He just has a feel for the game. He’s no Marty Brodeur, mind you, but he makes decisions with the puck that’ll never hurt the team.”
– USA Under-18 coach Kurt Kleinendorst (NHL.com)
“He’s a good-size goalie that plays big in the net. He’s your typical butterfly-style goalie, but he keeps his body upright, which is still covering a lot of the net. His angles are good and he’s always square to the shooter. His movements are very controlled. He has good quickness in his reactions and recoveries. He’s a little bit of a laid-back type of goalie so he doesn’t beat himself. He’s got a good glove hand. He’s got good size, doesn’t beat himself, his positioning is very good, great butterfly style — a blocking-style goalie. Good quickness in recovery, but he’s not all over the place. He’ll make the saves.”
– Central Scouting scout and former NHL netminder Al Jensen (NHL.com November, 2009)
Current Season:
2009-10: In 11 games with Team USA in the USHL, Campbell had a 6-3 win-loss record with 1 shutout, 2.21 GAA and .917 SV%. See below for his spectacular international record.
Bio/Interview(s)/Link(s):
- Kevin Wey of McKeens – April 2010
Scouting Combine Performance: One of the best performances of all prospects.
- 1st in Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min)
- 6th in Anthropemetry: Sum of 6 Skinfolds (mm)
- 6th in Anthropemetry: % Body Fat
- Tied for 10th in Musculoskeletal: Standing Long Jump (in)
- 4th in Musculoskeletal: Vertek Vert Jump/No Pause (in)
International Tournaments, Jack Campbell Hockey: (as per NHL.com)
•Jack Campbell won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championships. He entered the championship game against Canada in the second period with a 3-0 deficit — he stopped 32 out of 34 shots helping the U.S. win in overtime.
• He also helped lead the U.S. to back-to-back gold medals at the 2009 and 2010 Under-18 World Championships. He led the 2010 tournament with a .965 save-percentage and 0.83 goals-against average, posting three shutouts and was selected as the Top Goaltender.
ETA = 3-4 yrs
Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 2.5/5* Reward = 5/5
*Relatively high risk rating only because I think all goalies are a risk. However, Campbell about a low as a risk there is in terms of prospect netminders.
NHL Potential: Franchise, All-star Goaltender
Strengths:
*See “One Timer” section above.
- Size
- Top notch athleticism
- Technically sound
- Mental strength and confidence
- Performs under pressure; that is, big game goalie
- Puck handling and passing.
- Work ethic and excellent charcter
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
- Continue to train to increase strength and mass to lean build.
- Can be put off his game when opponents crash the net.
- On the rare occasion when off his game, has a propensity to play over aggressive, flopping around and making easy saves look difficult – rather than his normal silky smooth, technically sound, controlled style of play.
Fantasy Hockey Potential: Save and shutout machine!
NHL Player(s) Comparison:
– At his best: Ryan Miller
Interesting Notes: (NHL.com)
“Campbell got his start in hockey watching his cousin, Marshall Campbell (who later player football at Michigan), play goal and he fell in love with the position. He started playing goalie full-time when he was nine years old after a failed attempt by his dad, uncle and youth hockey coach to try and convince him not to be a goalie.”
Other Rankings:
CSB: 2(G)-NA (Apr ‘10)
TSN: 16 {Bob MacKenzie}
McKeens: 3
THN: 13
THW: 12 (June ’10) {Christopher Ralph }
*For all the latest prospect and draft news follow me on Twitter: The Hockey Spy
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