Jake Neighbors (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Forward
Neutral Zone NHL’s Donald Godreau, June 2020: Neighbours plays a solid two way game. He already has a nice physical build, and right now he uses it to win a lot of puck battles. He plays with a bit of bite to his game, but can show flashes of finesse in the open ice when he is having a positive game. While Neighbours doesn’t necessarily have the top end speed of some of his peers, where he separates himself is in his initial strides. They are quick and powerful, and his initial burst can be the decisive moment in whether or not he’s about to overwhelm and opponent with his attack. While Jake has a very good shot, he has a deceptive release, and good accuracy, he can be predictable on the rush. He doesn’t play with a ton of creativity off the rush, looking more to overwhelm with pressure and speed, rather then slowing the attack or changing his angles to create more space. If he see’s teammates, he will make nice plays, and has the hands skills to feather pucks through tight areas, but it doesn’t always seem to be natural for him to slow up, or even seek out teammates if he doesn’t see them on his initial scans of the ice. Defensively he plays with good effort. His feet are active, and he engages physically, using his strength to create turnovers. He is quick to get the puck moving in the attacking direction. Jake has the versatility to be a type of player who can slide into a lot of roles up and down the line up. His upside is most likely a complimentary top six forward, but he has the physical tools and aptitude to be a solid checking forward. Grade: B
2020 NHL Draft Left Wing Rankings, April 2020: Jake was Neutral Zone’s 8th highest rated left wing. His 2020 draft grade had been raised to an ‘A-‘.
February NHL Draft Rankings, February 2020: Jake was ranked 67th in our February rankings. His Neutral Zone Draft grade had been raised to a ‘B+’.
December 1st NHL Draft Rankings – Who are our Top 64 rated draft eligible players?, December 2019: Jake was ranked 56th in Neutral Zone’s December draft rankings. He had a ‘B’ Neutral Zone NHL Draft grade.
WHL – Ranking the 2020 NHL Draft Prospects, October 2019: Jake was ranked 9th in the Western Hockey League. He had a ‘B’ Neutral Zone NHL Draft grade.
Mac’s AAA Midget Holiday Tournament, January 2018: A player who can change the momentum of a game with one of his patented crushing hits. In addition to being a heavy player, he move well all around the ice. He has a fantastic release on his shot, and it is deadly accurate. Also demonstrates an ability to make plays for his teammates which makes him very unpredictable and hard to contain when he is skating hard on the rush. Grade: A
WHL Cup (2002s), October 2017: A power forward player who uses his size and strength very well. When the puck is on his stick, he is almost impossible to knock off of it. He also uses his length to keep defenders at bay as well. While his skating doesn’t blow you away with speed, or explosive agility, he has a very good stride and still gets up and down the sheet with good pace. His release is good, and his eyes are always scanning for threats when the puck is on his stick. He shows soft hands for a player of his size. Grade: A-