DRAFT PROFILE: Jake Wise – Dynamic Two-way Centre  

 by Matt Smith, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

We will continue our look at prospective draft picks for the Montreal Canadiens at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft with Jake Wise of the U.S. National U18 Team.

Jake Wise, C, U.S. National 18 Team (USDP) 
February 28, 2000 | North Andover, Massachusetts, USA
5-10, 190 lbs. | Shoots Left | @wisey871
2017-’18: 38 GP, 11 G, 32 A, 43 PTS 

CSB: No. 38 (NA Skaters) | ISS: No. | THN: No. 89 | HP: No. 40 | FC: No. 63

Jake Wise is a highly-skilled two-way centre who unfortunately missed a large part of the season due to a broken collarbone. This injury unquestionably affected his draft position in spite of producing higher than a point-per-game pace, but could be a blessing for Trevor Timmins, the Montreal Canadiens, and their four second round picks.

Committed to Boston University next season, Wise could also elect to play in the Canadian Hockey League for the Halifax Mooseheads, who selected him in 2016. This could be an enticing option for Wise, as Halifax will host the 2019 Memorial Cup and will surely shake up their roster for a long playoff run. Wise should also be considered for the American World Junior roster this winter.

Upon return from injury, Wise was slotted into the lineup as the first line centre, playing next to projected first round picks, Oliver Wahlstrom and Joel Farabee. However, Wise was replaced by projected 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes, slotting into the second line centre position. Despite missing multiple games due to injury, as well as being moved down the lineup, Wise continued his strong play, finishing the season with very respectable numbers, scoring 11 goals, adding 32 assists in 38 games. 

A player who works hard each shift, regardless if he’s playing with or without the puck, Wise is very good at transitioning from offence to defense, allowing him to play in all situations, including the power-play and being a threat on the penalty kill.

Wise excels with the puck on his stick, with superior skating, stickhandling and puck control, allowing him to create space for his teammates, slow down the play, and efficiently complete a tape to tape pass, even while under pressure. Like many playmaking centres however, Wise can sometimes be too predictable as a pass-first centre, despite possessing an accurate wrist shot. This will an area of development that he’ll have to work on to become a more complete player, and a bigger threat when he’s on the ice.   

Jake Wise scores his second goal of the night 55 seconds into the 3rd to give Team USA a 7-3 lead against @ChicagoSteel. #USAvsCHI #NTDP pic.twitter.com/pnZR015B6R

— USA Hockey’s NTDP (@USAHockeyNTDP) March 25, 2018

Since the emergence of Jack Hughes, Wise has become an under the radar player despite his hard work and determination to return from injury and have a statistically successful season, which I believe he has done. Arguments could be made that if he had remained the USDP first line centre, he’d be hearing his name called in the first round, along with teammates Joel Farabee and Oliver Wahlstrom.

Wise is still a work in progress, likely a few years away from cracking a professional lineup, and will continue to improve his overall game, including improving his strength, and becoming more comfortable shooting the puck rather than looking to distribute, either with Boston University or the Halifax Mooseheads.

To a team like the Montreal Canadiens, who are finally adding depth down the middle with recent signings of Jake Evans, Will Bitten, Alexandre Alain, Lukas Vejdemo and Hayden Verbeek, adding Ryan Poehling through the draft last season, Jake Wise could be a desirable option, adding a natural centre to their depth chart instead of converting yet another winger into a centre.

With four picks in the second round, Trevor Timmins and his team of scouts will be busy during the second day of the draft, and if they’re successful, we may see more Canadiens prospects represented at the World Juniors, and an increased amount of youth injected into the Canadiens lineup over the next few seasons.