Quote:
Originally Posted by Vulcan
Myself, I'd rather Jankowski plays tough competition than light it up in the USHL, which is where he was planning to go. He wasn't tested in high school and probably the coaching wasn't that great either, so he's had a bigger than normal adjustment.
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There's the issue for stat watchers in my opinion. If he would have gone to Dubuque instead of Providence, Jankowski is likely lighting up the league and making the stat watchers giddy. Instead he is at a higher level of hockey, competing while continuing to develop and putting up good numbers as a freshman. The stats don't bear it out, but he is developing.
Having had the opportunity to watch him on tv and online a couple of times this season, he has improved even in my limited viewings. He has the offensive skill, but he needs to continue to develop some defensive acumen before he can be considered a legit centre prospect. If he were to get to the NHL he needs to be able to defend against other 1st/2nd line centers to be effective. While the stats don't show this development, this is the key to his NHL future as his hands, skating and creativity will remain.