[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 18):

LD Jacob Rombach (6'6", 201lbs)
Lincoln (USHL): 28gp/ 0g/ 6a/ 6pts, +12, 26 PIM.

Big defenseman Jacob Rombach is a shutdown defender who has the scouts excited. In their preliminary rankings, Central Scouting gave him a "B" grade, meaning they see him as a potential 2nd, or 3rd-round pick, which seems like lofty praise for a player who has never shown any offensive ability. Rombach took part in the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup (2 assists in 5 games), and the most recent World Junior A Challenge (2 points in 5 games) for Team USA, which indeed shows that he's near the top of this year's crop of defensemen for the Americans. With 3 goals and 9 points in 59 games in 2023-24, I would think more was expected of him numbers-wise this season (he is on pace for 12 points in 57 games in 2024-25), especially when Lincoln is 3rd in win %, and 1st in goals-for at the moment. Offense just isn't what Rombach is counted on to provide, although he gets involved in all facets of the game, and is a highly active player.

Rombach's speed is somewhat deficient, but scouts say the mechanics of his stride as well as his edges and agility look projectable- all he needs is to increase his leg strength for his skating to be considered a plus. Rombach plays a smart, simple game without risk or complexity in transition and in offensive situations- he supports the play in all 3 zones quite well, even if it doesn't bring him many points. He walks the line effectively to open seams for his smart passes, but also to keep pucks in the zone and to draw defenders towards him to create space. He gets shots through to the net consistently as a playmaking device for second-chance opportunities. He will activate to keep pucks alive, and once in awhile to make plays off the wall to high danger areas. Rombach is not at all afraid to be aggressive and pinch deep, and he can explode off the boards with the puck to the middle to make plays or to get a shot off. He participates in the rush and will attack the slot, but if he were to improve his speed, he could potentially unlock a whole other dimension to his game. He's still developing as a true puck-mover, and flashes some smarts and vision, but gets in trouble when he tries to be fancy with the puck.

Though he may not be perfect, his defensive game is his bread-and-butter, and with his overwhelming wingspan and active stick, he is proficient at smothering attackers of time and space. He displays fairly good awareness and anticipation in being a disruptor- he intercepts passes, blocks shots, pokes pucks away from danger, and keeps aggressors to the outside with regularity. He makes a good number of stops in the neutral zone and is effective against the rush, employing tight gaps to deny entries. In front of the net, he boxes adversaries out, ties up sticks, and manhandles his opponents. Rombach plays a physical brand of hockey, and not only throws his weight around, but is inescapable when he ties up, or pins his victims along the boards. Scouts give his retrievals consistently good reviews, as he shows proficiency in scanning for options and making efficient outlets under duress- which is a hard thing to do on a regular basis. After shaking off pressure with a fake or two, he can even carry it out of the zone on occasion. Rombach might be a longer-term prospect, but the reason he was "B" rated is because he has solid NHL tools to build on, and he'll get plenty of time to develop at the University of Minnesota next season. He's looking like a potential top-4 shutdown D, and I believe he'll be taken in the second, or third-round of the 2025 Draft.