Alex Jefferies (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B-) Forward
Jefferies is a smart stocky forward who is probably ready for the USHL right now. He plays 50-50 correctly and always stays on the defensive side of the puck. He’s very good at providing support to his defensemen when he is the low forward or when he is the easiest outlet in quick transition. He has poise on the line rush and consistently makes the proper decision when approaching the lines. Jefferies has a low sturdy base that allows him to be very smooth laterally and his first step is explosive. He plays as if he expects to win every puck battle and often times the scouts in the crowd expect the same. He is a bull who not only plays through contact, but will initiate it in the corners or in front of the net. He rolls off contact very well and his acceleration allows him to attack the net or vulnerable defenseman in an instant. His release is deceptive and accurate. We feel he carries himself like a leader and he plays the game like a veteran right now. He has the chance to be a top 9 forward in the National League who plays in all special teams situations. A little background on how Neutral Zone’s evaluations have changed as his game has developed; In May of 2017 Alex was a 3.25 Star Amateur Rated prospect. By a Christmas of 2017 Tourney Alex earned a “B” at The Honeybaked U15/16 Showcase “Alex is a natural goal scorer with a hard and accurate shot. He has good size, who can protect the puck using his size and reach.” And by May of 2018 Alex earned a “B+” at the MA Festival “Alex is a play-making forward that excels with the puck on his stick. He makes touch plays in space that create positive scoring chances. Is smart with the puck and manages possession with his body and reach. Has a good set of hands which allow him to beat defenders in tight areas. Wins board battles and competes hard. Has a lot of potential. College: Merrimack”. From a 2019 evaluation “shows a maturity to his game that was difficult to find at most other age levels in this showcase. Truthfully, his skill set and poise with and without the puck would have made him a good candidate to play in the USHL games that were occurring at a different venue, but we digress. As you can see from his listing he has both good size and good strength and he uses that most effectively on the puck. Once he gains possession, it is very difficult to take it away from him and we didn’t see him lose one all game. He keeps his head up at all times and is really good at recognizing ways to gain zone entry quickly and take himself wide of the net, while firing a puck back across the zone for easy tap-in passes at the other end of the net mouth. He is a great surveyor of the zone and he simply uses his anticipation to slice and dice the zone. We routinely saw him carry the puck in and just hold it for extended stretches, waiting for the right pass or shot option to come available as he slipped around the D. He will be a force of nature this season for Gunnery after the season he put up last year. Grade: A College: Merrimack. As you can see, in the span of 30 months Alex has gone from a 3.25 Star Rated Prospect to arguably being the most dominate player in NE Prep Hockey and we feel he will continue developing and be a legitimate NHL Prospect by June of 2020. So what does that mean? Well, even though he is approximately 4 full seasons from turning professional, we can see him sneaking into the top of the 3rd round because he may be NHL ready when he does turn Pro.