| Jacob Leblanc | Niagara Icedogs | OHL | R | D | 6’0″ | 181 | Kitchener Rangers | 2020 | Port Colborne, ON | 2004 | 2022-2023: C+2021-2022: C+ |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran March 21, 2023: Today’s NHL is built on transition and Leblanc provides that. His passes are flat and on the tape. When it’s the best option he has the skating ability and puck poise to move his feet through the zones and he understands that getting the puck deep can lead to prolonged offense for his line or team. I would still like to see him shoot more, but he has smooth feet and the lateral mobility to change shooting lanes and find net front tips. To me he might not be an NHLer right away, but he added strength during the 2022 summer and I would expect him to do the same in 2023. So maybe the drafting team gets a solid two-way defender with the skating posture that will allow him to carry more weight and the passing skills to be an asset in the professional transition game.
Neutral Zone NHL, July 4 2022: Why an NHL draft pick, he plays a solid steady game and continued to improve throughout the 2021/22 season. He has confidence in his feet and plays with a tight gap. At 174 pounds he is still slight, but he won 53% of his puck battles because of his understanding of body positioning. Why not an NHL draft pick, at 6’0″ and 174 pounds will NHL organizations look for someone larger to play his solid steady game? During the 2021/22 season he attempted 113 total shots with 29 of them being blocked.
OHL: Soo Greyhounds at Kitchener Rangers, January 8, 2022: Jacob Leblanc is a steady right shot defender who continues to show improvement in his first season in the OHL. Leblanc played a simple game and minimized mistakes. He showed good vision and mobility on the offensive blueline and was able to adjust his shooting lanes effectively to get pucks through to the net. He is handling pucks cleanly and is making the right passes on the offensive side of the puck. Defensively, his gap through the neutral zone continues to improve and he was able to break up the rush effectively. His body positioning was sound and he was more physical in this game through the neutral zone. Leblanc’s confidence is growing as he plays more for the Rangers. He is not a cycle buster yet like he was in his U16 career where he was able to use his strength to overpower smaller forwards. Grade: C+
OMHA Championship, March 25, 2020: Leblanc accurately represents a highly touted combination of offensive prowess and defensive responsibility and maturity. A mainstay on the blue line throughout the OMHA Championship Tournament, he was regularly relied on in even-strength and special team situations. His edgework, pivoting, and transitional play are outstanding as he recognizes gaps and capitalizes on opposing line changes in little to no time. With impressive stickhandling ability and accurate passing, he is trusted to coordinate breakouts, with or without pressure, and to quarterback the powerplay with a green light to lead rushes as he sees fit. Defensively, he regularly plays against top lines and his agility and active stick often force the offense to pursue the other half of the ice. Through leading the tournament in defenseman scoring with seven points in five games, Leblanc has cemented his draft stock and will undoubtedly be an early round selection in next month’s OHL Priority Draft. Grade: A
Toronto Marlies Classic, February 2, 2020: Leblanc a fluid defender with a strong skating stride and ability to create separation on offense. LeBlanc gets better and better every time we see him. He continues to have a strong presence on the back end; makes play after play with the puck. We continue to like his steady and reliable defending on top of a constant threat to create offensively. As the season progresses we continue to see increased confidence in his puck possession game. He can run the PP from the top but also be your best penalty killer. He is a true 2 way defender who offers upside in every aspect of his game. Grade: A-
Whitby Silver Stick, December 19, 2019: LeBlanc had a standout performance at Silverstick and really put on display why he is becoming a very solid and intriguing defenceman. In the offensive zone, he walks the line extremely well. He gets shots through and they are usually low and hard, and on net. He runs things on the power play; not shy to get his shot off but he is also a quality passer of the puck. He has good size and is very mobile. He moves well with the puck. In his own zone he is able to skate out of pressure and make a strong first pass into the neutral zone. His transition game is smooth and can regroup with ease. He makes strong outlet passes from the D-zone and is able to find teammates in transition. He has a lot of upside to his game. Grade: A-
Battle of the Border, November 19, 2019: LeBlanc is a smooth skating D who has lots of offensive upside. He is dangerous to the outside with his quick feet and acceleration and is dangerous to the inside with his silky hands. He is dangerous on the rush and knows to chip it forward and outrace his opponent. Defensively, LeBlanc uses the boards effectively to pinch off players at the blue line. GRADE: A-
Wendy Dufton Minor Midget AAA, November 3, 2019: LeBlanc is a very smart agile defender man who makes a good first pass or can skate it out of the zone. LeBlanc will jump into the play and plays the game with a lot of composure. He is an above average skater, with decent size and he see’s the game a little slower than most on the offensive side of the puck. A confident defender who manages his gap well and keeps the play in front him. His mobility and good defensive IQ make him difficult to beat to the net. Grade: B+
Toronto Titans Early Bird Tournament, Minor Midget AAA, September 24, 2019: LeBlanc is a heads up defender with good awareness in all zones of the ice. LeBlanc showed the ability to pass or skate the puck out to breakdown forechecks. He showed smooth hands and good puck possession in his zone and played a safe steady game in his zone. LeBlanc was very involved in all zones, he pinched often, and he gapped up defensively and made quality reads often. Grade: C+
Silver Stick Finals 2004s, February 10, 2019: Jacob played key minutes for the Admirals. Not flashy but enough skill to run the power play. Can drag the puck and create along the offensive blue line. Decent skater but will have to improve that overall. He will also need more mass to be a tougher defender to play against in his end. Like his upside as he has tools that are hard to teach young D like vision, puck play and poise. Grade: C+