Jordan Schroeder, a freshman forward playing for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Not a particularly big player, Schroeder is nonetheless garnerning a lot of attention from NHL scouts because of his speed and offensive prowess. I had the opportunity to see him play two games against the UND Fighting Sioux, and took the time to jot down some notes.
I didn’t have a stopwatch nor was I paying special attention, but Schroeder didn’t see a lot of ice in the first period and a half in Grand Forks. He did see some duty on the power play, where he plays the point, and on the penalty kill. Despite his lack of ice time, it is patently obvious that he is blessed with a ton of talent. On the PP, he has the puck on the proverbial string and sees the ice exceptionally well. He uses his speed and smarts effectively on the PK, and seems to be a danger to to score even with the man disadvantage.
Obvious talent aside, I wouldn’t say Schroeder had the best game on Friday night. He reminded me a little of Joffrey Lupul, the Oiler years, due to his penchant to float around on the perimeter and shy away from any and all tough spots. Though he wasn’t alone (the Gophers were very flat), he certainly displayed the heart and fire that he has become noteworthy for. Schroeder did show some glimpses in the 3rd period where he picked up a goal and a helper by finding open space and being able to see a couple of moves ahead.
He did have a better individual game on Saturday, especially on the power play. Schroeder displayed excellent patience and puck control running the PP from the point. He distributed the puck well and was able to carry the puck into the zone at will in order to set the Gophers up.
While I am not suggesting that Schroeder doesn’t have top end talent, he certainly didn’t display any fire or special attributes this weekend. In his defense, he may be suffering from a little lag from the World Junior tournament or he may have been taken aback by the up tempo Sioux game plan. However, good players seem to step up their game when faced with adversity, and I didn’t see that from Schroeder.
