Prospect Pulse: Torey Krug (Indiana Ice, USHL)

Torey Krug is what you would call your typical undersized, puck moving defenseman. Listed at 5’7, 168 from a very reliable source, Krug is indeed small. However, his lack of size doesn’t seem to bother him or hamper the style that he plays. A graduate of the Belle Tire Midget program in Detroit, Krug’s best asset is his hockey sense. He plays smart positionally and makes the right play nearly all the time, which is somewhat of a variety given his age. He won’t force a long pass when a short one will do, he gets the puck out of harms way and is willing to skate it out to relieve pressue. For me, its the little intricacies of his game that stand out.

Coming in a close second on Krug’s list of attributes is his work ethic. He never quits on a play and his tenaciousness down low and on the boards mean that he wins many battles that he should have no business winning. I watched him outwork two forwards, both of whom were north of 6 feet tall, while killing a penalty and then clear the puck out of the zone. He clearly has some good offensive skills, but seemed to be focusing more on the defensive aspect of his game while becoming adjusted to the speed of the USHL. Keep in mind that he was skating against players up to three years older. He is adept at moving the puck and possesses good speed and quickness. Though we did not see him employ his shot very often, Illegal Curve thinks he will grow into an offensive role, perhaps as soon as the end of this season. He did tie for the Indiana Ice lead in goals scored during the pre-season.

Krug is as of press time uncommitted to any colleges, but he did skate at Plymouth Whalers rookie camp this spring, so he may be looking at the OHL. His two older brothers both went the college route, skating for Wayne State. Illegal Curve feels that although Krug may not be drafted this spring, we would not be surprised to see him become a valued free agent after a college career.