from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,
Trouba checks off a lot of the boxes: He’s 6-3, 202 lbs; he’s a right-hand shot; he can play physically; he has an excellent shot, and he can work the power play. All of that and he doesn’t turn 23 until this coming February.
So we asked a couple of scouts whose opinions we trust. Does Trouba, coming off a fall-back season at age 22 have a chance to be a genuine No. 1?
“Look at all the blue-lines across the league,” began an Eastern Conference scout, “and ask who in the league is 25 or younger, who has real big upside? You have to come to Jacob Trouba.
“He can shoot a puck. He’s a heady player. He’s not a fighter, but he can play physically, and he’ll take a hit to make a play. March him forward a couple years, to 25, 26, 27, and you’ll have a Top 1-2 guy. That’s a pretty fair projection for me.”
The feeling, however, was not unanimous.
“For sure I’d say no,” said a Western Conference scout when I asked him if he projected Trouba as a No. 1. “Not unless he gets a lot smarter.”
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