Roby Jarventie

Skating:

I had watched Jarventie in pre-season before the 2022-23 season and thought his skating was a little below average and he lacked the ability to get separation. Fast forward to 2023-24 and I think he's slightly above average in terms of top-speed, average in acceleration and slightly below average in edges and turns. The good news bad news is that he had season ending knee surgery in February 2024 for knee problems that had been ailing him for a few years.

Passing/Handling:

Jarventie has good hands in tight, a long reach and has good touch on his passes whether forehand or backhand. He uses his size effectively to protect the puck while stickhandling. He won't dangle through a whole team, but he can certainly beat a defender one on one on occasion.

Shooting:

He has an excellent one-timer which he uses on the power play, which reminds me of Elias Pettersson. He has a nice wrist/snap shot and can surprise goalies on the backhand now and again.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

He sees the ice well both on offense and defense and the puck seems to find him. Because of his size and long reach, he holds the puck well and is comfortable with the puck at any spot on the ice.

Forechecking:

He is strong on his skates and uses his size well along the boards. As he gets stronger and his confidence grows, he should win more puck battles than he loses.

Defense:

I believe his play without the puck in his own end has improved quite a bit since he's been in North America and he is learning to play in a role which might not be on the top line. He protects the area between the faceoff circles quite well and doesn't leave the zone early. I think he has expanded his chances to play in the NHL to include all four lines, whereas before I thought he was top two lines or nothing.

Best Asset:

His one-timer has the potential to score some power play goals in bunches. With his size and skating, he has the chance to be a center in the NHL that 32 teams are looking for.

Biggest Concern:

Injuries. He missed almost 50 games this past season and over 30 in 2022-23. His knee surgery, could fix some of his lingering issues, or this might be a concern on a yearly basis.

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Second line center

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

He has the offensive capabilities to play in the top six, but it will be his defense that will keep him there.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Fourth line center in the NHL/Top six AHL forward

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

If he is forced to change his game away from carrying the puck to dumping and chasing into the corner, he might be limited to a fourth line role in the NHL.

Stylistic Comparable:

His wrist shot and one-timer remind me of Elias Pettersson but his skating and size remind me of Brock Nelson.

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

Jarventie will need a lot to go right and he will need to get healthy to have a shot to get a regular role in the NHL in the next year or three. He is just 21 and 6-3 and 209 lbs with some offensive capabilities. He's an intriguing prospect.