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Jacob Truscott Scouting Report: 2020 NHL Draft #104

Jacob Truscott

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2020 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we look at Jacob Truscott.

Fort Gratiot, Michigan native Jacob Truscott has spent the last two seasons with the US National Team Development Program. This year he scored five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 47 games with the Under-18 team. Unfortunately, this year’s squad didn’t get the chance to compete at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Truscott scored five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 55 games with the Under-17 team. He also added a goal and an assist for two points in two USHL playoff games. Truscott played for Team USA at the 2018 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He registered one assist in four tournament games.

Truscott is a product of Michigan based Little Caesar’s hockey program. In 2017-18 he scored 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points in 48 games in Midget Hockey. In 2016-17 he scored four goals and 18 points in 20 games at the Peewee level.

Truscott is committed to playing hockey for the University of Michigan Wolverines next year. Should he change his mind, his OHL rights belong to the London Knights, who drafted him in the 8th round, 154th overall, in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection Draft.

Jacob Truscott Scouting Report

Defence — shoots Left
Born April 12th, 2002 — Port Huron, Michigan
Height 6’1″ — Weight 172 lbs [185 cm/78 kg]

Skating

Truscott is a very good skater and he uses this to be effective in both ends of the ice. He has a good first step and strong acceleration in both directions. His top-end speed is also well above average. The strong backwards skating is combined with very good lateral agility and helps Truscott to defend against the rush. He is difficult to beat in one-on-one situations. His edgework and pivots are also very good and allow Truscott to change directions or transition from offence to defence (and vice-versa) with ease. Truscott could stand to get stronger in his lower body. This would improve his balance. It would also make him stronger in battles on the boards and in front of the net.

Offensive Game

Truscott pairs his skating with good stickhandling ability. He is able to retrieve pucks in his own zone and avoid the forecheck before passing the puck up the ice. He is also able to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create effective zone entries. However, this is something he does not do a lot of, as he prefers not to gamble unless an excellent opportunity presents itself. Truscott is not the most creative player but he makes safe and smart plays to keep the puck moving in the offensive zone. He won’t hold on to the puck for long, preferring to get it to an open teammate. He also does a good job of picking his spots and pinching in to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

Truscott also has a decent shot from the point. It is not overpowering, but he does a good job of getting it on the net. Truscott uses his lateral mobility to walk the line and open up shooting lanes. He is effective with his one-timer from the point as well as sneaking down to the circle and taking a wrist shot. As he continues to get stronger, his shot may become even harder and give goalies more issues.

Defensive Game

Truscott uses his strong skating to defend in his own end of the rink. His backwards and lateral mobility gives him good gap control and he is tough to beat on the rush. He funnels attackers to the outside and away from prime shooting areas. An active stick helps him to stick check opponents and take the puck away. He also has good positioning away from the puck, cutting down passing and shooting lanes. Truscott’s ability to move the puck quickly out of the defensive zone also helps to reduce the other team’s possession and zone time, and this helps his defensive game. He could stand to be stronger and more physical as he will need to improve this area of his game to play at the pro level.

Projection and Comparison

Truscott does a lot of things well but doesn’t really have an outstanding trait at this point. He also needs to improve his strength and gain muscle in the next few years. With his commitment to playing hockey at the NCAA level, he will get plenty of opportunities to do so. He could become a second-pair defender at the next level, as well as play a bit of power-play time on the second unit if he is able to round out his game. Truscott’s game is reminiscent of Chris Campoli, however, this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill and potential.

Highlights

The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Jacob Truscott that are available on youtube and twitter.

https://twitter.com/JokkeNevalainen/status/1226230494448234496

Check back tomorrow for the next prospect on our draft board.

 

Jacob Truscott Main Photo:

Embed from Getty Images

PLYMOUTH, MI – DECEMBER 12: Jacob Truscott #55 of the U.S. Nationals turns up ice with the puck against the Switzerland Nationals during day-2 of game two of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament at USA Hockey Arena on December 12, 2018, in Plymouth, Michigan. The USA defeated Switzerland 3-1. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Ben Kerr

Ben Kerr

Ben is a credentialed sports writer from just outside Toronto, Canada. A lawyer, he has a highly analytical approach to writing. Ben is the COO of Last Word On Sports INC. Most of his writing can be found in the hockey department, though he follows and writes on other sports as well.

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