| Jake Livanavage | Chicago Steel | USHL | L | D | 5’10” | 174 | North Dakota | 2023 | Gilbert, AZ | 2004 | 2022-2023: B-2021-2022: C+ |
U19: World Jr. A Challenge, December 12-19, 2022: Livanavage averaged just under 25 minutes per game while playing for Team USA. He was fixture on the top power play unit where his poise and puck deception consistently caught opposing penalty killers with their toe caps going the wrong direction. He showed the passing ability to be looking one direction and still give a pass that was in his teammate’s wheelhouse for a one-timer. Defensively he used anticipation to arrive at loose pucks earlier than his opponents and then used his strong skating base to keep lanes clear or win puck battles. When defending line rushes it was easy to see him scanning the sheet looking for the second wave of the attack and then communicating with his teammates what he wanted them to do. In terms of today’s NHL he may be a tad bit undersized, but his game awareness, passing skills and skating ability make him an above average asset in the transition game that National League coaches are lookin for.
USHL: Chicago vs Muskegon, December 3, 2022: Livanavage totaled 20:57 in ice time including 5:15 while on the power play and 1:40 while shorthanded. Offensively he is a very poised confident defender who has the puck skills to make plays while opponents are within a stick length of him. During transition he carried the puck to his strongside and was always ready to make quick hard accurate tape to tape passes as well as having the ability to make indirect passes that hit his teammate in stride. All night long he showed the fluid stride and puck protection skills to carry the puck out of the defensive end when that was the best option. He finished the game +2 with 2 secondary assists, 2 shots, 1 grade “A” opportunity, 0 hits, received 1 hard body check, 2 giveaways, 1 takeaway and he won 50% of his 8 puck battles.
USHL Showcase, November 15, 2022: Livanavage is coming into his third season with the Steel coming off a highly touted sophomore campaign after winning the Clark Cup his rookie season and produced an impressive 3 goals and 42 assists for 45 points in 61 games. With that being said he went undrafted similar to Jacob Guevin in his draft year for similar reason; he’s undersized and not an explosive skater. He’s got a bit of a wide based in his stride and while that gives him added balance and power it also takes away from his speed quickness and agility. He’s highly intelligent he can read a forecheck he can read a penalty kill formation and knows where to go with the puck before he gets it. He can run the power play he can break pucks out almost with ease and seems to be mentally a step ahead of everyone else on the ice. Livanavage plays a possession style game his head is always up he can read the entire sheet and moves the puck quickly and efficiently. He was at his best on the power play where he can walk the line find a lane almost instantly and snap the puck off his stick without hesitation. The offensive defenseman understands time and space he’s aware of pressures and made the high percentage plays. He retrieves the puck quickly able to pick pucks clean off the wall even if it’s wobbly or right up against the boards and he can pick it and make a quick turn up ice process his options instantly and zip passes up to his forwards. The third year prospect can escape forecheckers he can stretch the ice and showed pin-point accuracy on long range passes. Talented prospect who should be an immediate impact the NCAA level and one of the top two-way defenders in the USHL this season. NHL Draft prospect? He’s certainly a prospect a likely mid to late round consideration given he’s not overly dynamic and not overly explosive for an undersized defenseman but hard to overlook his brain and puck moving ability. Grade: A-
Neutral Zone NHL in 2022: Why he’s a draft pick, he averaged 22:46 of TOI during 2021/22 and was a key contributor to both special teams units. He carries the puck on his forehand which allows him to excel in transitional offense. During his two years in the USHL, he has won 53.5% of his puck battles and hit the net with 56.5% of his shots. He had four points in four games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His play got stronger as his draft year progressed as was shown by having nine assists in his final ten games and finishing +7. Why he’s not a draft pick, yes he has the skating base needed to be a potential NHL defenseman but he also has a slight frame and is listed at 161 pounds. How long will it take him to add the strength and power needed to win puck battles in the NHL? During 2021/22 he attempted 53 shots while on the power play with 13 of them going wide and 11 being blocked. Unless he continues to develop his shot, NHL players will feast on this type of predictability and limit his overall effectiveness.
USHL: Chicago Steel at Youngstown Phantoms, April 17, 2022: Livanavage is a smooth skating average sized offensively gifted left shot defenseman. He is well balanced, shows a smooth powerful heel to heel stride while pivoting as well as the speed to pull away from forecheckers while they are on his back. We liked his ability to keep the puck on his forehand which allowed him to snap passes in any direction. Positioned on the top of the umbrella or 1-3-1 formation, Livanavage is the quarterback on the Steel’s top powerplay unit where we liked his deception and unpredictability. He showed the stick skills to one-touch passes to either flank and we liked the awareness he showed to collapse into the high slot when the Youngstown penalty killers showed too much respect for the shooters along the dot lanes. Defensively Livanavage used his quickness to contain the puck to the corner and a very active stick to force turnovers. As with any young player Livanavage will need to continue adding lower body strength to defend in the NHL, but his ability to transition the will lead him to hearing his name in Montreal.
USHL: Tri City v Fargo; Chicago v Youngstown, December 10, 2021: Livanavage is an undersized skilled defenseman who exhibits elite patience and puck distribution. He QBs the power play and distributes the puck to the flanks for one-timer opportunities. Livanavage can skate the puck up the ice well but constantly has his head up as he prefers to distribute. Grade: B
USA Hockey Select 17’s, July 14, 2021: Jake played smart hockey with a strong stride and quick feet. He played up ice a lot with the puck but when he had to defend, he moved quickly with smart angles to create turnovers. Despite not being a big defender, he won wall battles as he is balanced and competitive. He transitioned rapidly and used the middle as well as his feet to get the offense started. His transitions looked smooth and could carry end to end or make any type of pass. He moved pucks. Jake regrouped when he didn;t see what he liked and was very good at skating backwards with the puck to wait and create. He oozed confidence and always had his head up. The Gilbert, AZ native’s stride is exceptional and that allowed him to expend less energy. He swiveled, protected and distributed the puck at an elite level. He was dangerous off the offensive blue line. He activated in and out of the slot and worked the high cycle. He was skilled with the puck up top and shook off opponents. He easily moved in every direction to manufacture passing seams, skating space and shooting lanes. He shot with his head up and was dominant at times. He controlled the game through stretches. He was named to the Hlinka team and most importantly the NZ All-Star team as well. Great year so far for Jake after a championship with Chicago in the USHL and now his success here. High level athlete with terrific upside. Grade: A-
USHL: Chicago Steel vs. Green Bay Gamblers, March 29, 2021: Livanavage was a tender for Chicago this off-season out of Phoenix Jr. Coyotes program. A polished skating, agile, heads up defenseman who is quick back to pucks, can evade forecheck pressure and make split second decisions with the puck. He’s elusive and skilled, he has a quick first step and can generate speed on his crossovers. He can snap passes off like a veteran and dust it off if he sees a lane. He, like most of the defenders on this team, likes to activate from the backend and jump up into the rush and become a fourth forward and has the speed and quickness to get back. He’s young and he’s undersized but he’s tight on his gaps, he’s smooth in transition and can make plays up ice. Grade: B
Notre Dame U16 Shootout, December 27, 2019: Jake stood out to us from the get go. He is really slick in all facets and plays with a lot of poise and polish for a younger player skating up with the 16U’s. Great acceleration and control of his feet. He loves to activate offensively and has excellent puck skills and offensive creativity. He is smart, sneaky player who does well to find open ice for looks in the offensive zone and can fire the puck. Very good in transition and keeps his gaps tight and had a solid defensive showing. We are interested to see more of him the rest of this season and whether he sticks at 16U. Grade: B+
U15 Tier 1 Showcase; Lewis Center Ohio, October 8, 2019: Livanavage is a solid, mistake-free defender who plays tight and aggressive in the defensive zone and can do well with the puck outside of it. He can makes above average passes and had a couple nice stretch passes in particular. Good awareness with the puck and sees the ice well. His feet could get a little lighter but his straight line speed is good and acceleration decent. Anticipates and reads well and always in position. Grade: C
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images