2016 NHL Draft Radar: Jake Bean
By Sam Blazer
7 years agoAs funny as it would be to see Jake Bean one day paired with Mike Green, forming the “Green Bean” pairing, the joke may actually have some legs. Many mock drafts have the Red Wings selecting Bean in the draft. His play warrants a high ranking but questions remain whether he is a weak selection given the spot. Is Jake Bean “Red Wing” material?
Bean was the fifteenth ranked North American skater according to the NHL CS Rankings.
The Stats
Being a point per game player in junior hockey during your draft year basically ensures that you are going to be drafted by somebody. When you are a defenseman doing that, you will find yourself in the first round. Bean fell short of a point per game by just a little bit but still was turning heads offensively. Bean played on a Calgary Hitmen team that was bounced in the first round in the WHL playoffs. During that series, Bean only had two points, a disappointing mark for a player angling for a high draft pick.
The Eye Test
Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects had this to say about Jake Bean’s year:
“A shifty and intelligent defenceman that plays with panache and poise. An excellent skater that is a good puck-carrier up the ice. Makes very good decisions with and without the puck, and plays strong positionally. Works hard and doesn’t give the opposition much to work with, but could stand to be a bit more assertive during high pressure situations. That being said, he is not a one dimentional player. He displays natural talent in the offensive end, but also plays a complete defensive game in his own end. He has a proactive stick and boxes the opposition out, limiting lanes. All-in-all, the type of all-around defenceman that you want to have on the ice as much as possible.”
The website Future Considerations had this to say about Bean in November of 2015:
“Bean is a slick, pass first, puck moving blue liner who is absolutely deadly in transition. He has quick feet that allow him skate with the puck and the vision to quickly find his passing options. Has solid composure and will calmly skate the puck out of pressure before head manning a pass up to streaking forwards. His defensive ability needs work as right now it consists of an active stick he uses to try to shut down opponents as they’re coming down wide on the rush. Needs some added strength and to improve his defensive positioning.”
Scout for Buckeye State Hockey and other publications, Paul Berthelot had this to say about Bean:
Saw Bean three times, each time left me impressed with his skating ability. He has a smooth stride and is quick. He’s smart with the puck picking good spots to shoot from and not shooting it into pads. That is a big reason he scored 24 goals this season.
Does he fit in with the Red Wings?
There is a reason mock drafts have the Wings selecting Bean. He is a player that has the offensive potential that leaves teams drooling and doesn’t have the defensive deficiencies that many teams dread. I am honestly surprised he isn’t in the conversation with players like Sergachev, Juolevi and Chychrun. Those players may have better all-around games but the potential in Bean is tantalizing. He is the defender of the future, as his skill set is clearly desired. If he happens to fall to the Red Wings, fans should be ecstatic to get such a player at that pick.
Player Oddity
Maybe not an oddity but the kid loves his NHL 94, like any other normal person.
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