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Late-blooming Jensen on the rise
By Matthew Wuest - RedWingsCentral.com / July 4, 2009When Detroit Red Wings scout David Kolb first saw Nick Jensen play in Minnesota's high school ranks, he saw an unpolished gem.
"He was a real pond-hockey player out there," Kolb recalled. "Very good skater, good offensive ability ... You kind of worried about his game being incomplete watching him there, but he showed a lot of talent with the puck."
So Kolb followed Jensen's progress closely when the 6-foot-1, 187-pound defenseman joined the United States Hockey League's Green Bay Gamblers last season. And Jensen came far enough that the Red Wings used a fifth-round pick (150th overall) to select him in last Saturday's draft.
He put up good numbers — although nothing like the gaudy totals he put up at Rogers-Zimmerman high school — chipping in five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 52 games while leading the USHL with a plus-34.
Kolb said Jensen's plus-minus was somewhat inflated because he played on the league's best team. Nonetheless, every time he saw the Gamblers play, the 18-year-old showed steady improvement in his defensive game.
"He just became a much more complete player," Kolb said. "He's not a shutdown guy, but he became a lot more responsible, and that was a big thing. That no longer was an obstacle for him. He got rid of that."
Kolb projects Jensen as a complete two-way defenseman with a game based on skating ability and skills suited to lead the breakout. Like pretty much every prospect, Jensen needs to get stronger and his shot needs work.
"The offensive upside is what we're exciting about, the skating ability," Kolb said. "His skating is his best asset and he's a good puck-mover."
The Red Wings are known for giving prospects ample time to develop and that's another reason why Jensen appeals to them. He'll return to the USHL next season and then head to St. Cloud State for four years, meaning the Red Wings don't have to sign him until 2014 — plenty of time to work out the kinks.
For a prospect who's a raw project to begin with, it's a good fit.
"He's a little bit of a late-bloomer," said Jim Nill, the Red Wings' assistant general manager. "He caught David Kolb's eye, developing late. We like those guys who keep showing they're getting better every time we see them."
This is part of a series of features on the Red Wings' 2009 draft choices. Check back all week for more on the other prospects selected.
» July 3: Almqvist has a sense of wonder
» July 2: Nestrasil 'ready to battle every shift'
» July 1: Feet-first Fournier a fit for Wings
» June 30: Tatar tops Wings' charts
» June 29: Yappin', scrappin' Callahan breaks the mold
» June 27: Triple threat: Ferraro, Tatar and Nestrasil
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The next wave
RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
| 01 | F | Tomas Tatar » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 02 | D | Jakub Kindl » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 03 | D | Brendan Smith » | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 04 | G | Thomas McCollum » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 05 | F | Gustav Nyquist » | Maine (NCAA) |
| 06 | F | Landon Ferraro » | Red Deer (WHL) |
| 07 | F | Jan Mursak » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 08 | F | Cory Emmerton » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 09 | F | Joakim Andersson » | Frolunda (SEL) |
| 10 | F | Mattias Ritola » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |