The Northeastern commit from Cumberland, R.I., led the hosts to the championship with wins over Winchendon, Albany Academy and Northwood School. Struble had three goals and three assists over the course of the three games.
A left-shot defenseman, Struble leads the Arrows in scoring. In addition to being a threat with the puck on his stick, Struble is a physical presence who likes to throw his weight around.
This weekend, Struble showed why he’s the most talented defenseman in prep school hockey. It’s not even close. However, while his physical tools are undeniable, his draft stock doesn’t come without an asterisk.
Struble’s body language can be less than ideal. He has his moments where he lets his emotions get the best of him. He occasionally tries to do too much or from time to time he lacks urgency without the puck.
There were incidents in Friday and Sunday’s games, but his play on the ice was solid for the most part. There were only a couple of instances in the second period of the final where he ran around and tried to do a little too much.
All of those things should concern NHL organizations looking to draft a prospect. It’s tough enough for NHL scouts to project how well a player will develop, but it’s made more difficult when trying to gauge all the other things that come with it.
However, I’ll argue I’d rather draft a kid who shows too much emotion and might let his temper get the best of him over a kid who is soft or who might not have the drive to be an elite hockey player.
Getting back to his physical tools on the ice, Struble consistently showed an ability to move pucks up ice and make plays whether on the rush or in zone. He can move the puck quickly in transition whether it’s with breakout passes or carrying it up ice. He showed good touch with several sauce passes.
He also did a good job of playing well physically. He made several good plays to close off angles and prevent opposing rushes from going any further. One such instance was in Sunday’s championship game when he closed off one of Northwood’s top forwards.
His goal in Saturday’s game versus Albany Academy came from the middle of the point. His low wrist shot was labeled for the low blocker side.
In Sunday’s championship game against Northwood, Struble scored his team’s third goal of the game. He rushed it up ice and gained the zone down the left wing side before sniping a wrist shot above the goalie’s shoulder and into the net.
The top two 2019 NHL Draft prospects among prep school defensemen are Struble and Rivers junior and Boston University commit Cade Webber. While Webber is a silky smooth skater and has the size advantage, Struble’s ability to make plays on a consistent basis and play tough in his own end give him the edge.
There are certainly issues Struble will have to address in the interview process with NHL teams, but if I’m one of the 31 teams picking next June in Vancouver, Struble is first on my board among prep school defensemen. Based on his talent, late in the third round or early fourth round seems about right.
