Jets prospect Poolman at home on UND blue-line

By: Tim Campbell Posted: 3:00 AM CST Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

A season of mostly playing out of position has not hampered the development of defenceman Tucker Poolman.

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A season of mostly playing out of position has not hampered the development of defenceman Tucker Poolman.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/11/2015 (3639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A season of mostly playing out of position has not hampered the development of defenceman Tucker Poolman.

The 6-3, 210-pound blue-liner is now full-time on the back end and continuing to blossom in his second season at the University of North Dakota.

“I’m starting to feel a bit more comfortable, starting to get into a rhythm, you could say,” Poolman, the Winnipge Jets’ fifth-round pick of 2013, said after last weekend’s sweep of Miami University. “Last year I played D and forward and playing with different guys constantly, so I never felt like I was in a rhythm.

James Carey Lauder / winnipeg free press

“Not an excuse or anything, but I’m just feeling more comfortable. It’s my second year now, and I’m getting used to the guys and the level.”

Because of injuries up front and depth on the blue-line in 2014-15, Poolman was asked to be a forward and play the point on the power play.

“The reason, last year, we did that was that we were depleted up front and he’s a good all-round player and he’d played forward before in his career and his athletic ability lent itself to that,” said his new coach, UND head coach Brad Berry. “And he was a big reason why we had success and got to the Frozen Four.”

On a new team in a new season, Poolman is one of UND’s key players — as a defenceman only.

“I made it crystal clear to our group and to the Jets organization that he won’t play forward,” Berry said. “He’ll play defence all year. That’s his rightful position.

Last Saturday’s overtime win illustrated just what Poolman’s abilities are.

With knack for finding a way to get point shots through to the net, he drew the assist when rookie Brock Boeser tipped home UND’s first goal.

With his team desperate and in extra-attacker mode for a tying goal in the final two minutes of regulation, Poolman turned out to be the centre of attention who created that goal.

When he got the puck high in the slot, three Miami defenders rushed to cut him off, leaving teammate Nick Schmaltz wide open to collect the scrambled puck for the tying goal.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Files
Manitoba Moose Matt Fraser (25),Chase De Leo (19), Brenden Kichton (8), and Joel Armia(10). — TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Files Manitoba Moose Matt Fraser (25),Chase De Leo (19), Brenden Kichton (8), and Joel Armia(10).

It’s not always the most important stat, but Poolman was a plus-four in the 4-3 overtime win.

“He creates just because of his athletic ability,” Berry said. “He’s such a force that way. He’s a big body that moves extremely well. And his physicality is ratcheted up a little this year.”

Berry said Poolman is again making “great strides.”

“He’s a consummate late bloomer as far as hockey development,” the coach said about the 22-year-old from East Grand Forks, Minn. “Go to the Colin Wilson’s of the world… he falls into that category. He played high school hockey in East Grand Forks as a forward and he wasn’t very big. But he grew four, five inches one summer. He’s a late developer.

“He has defied a lot of odds. It’s kind of a neat story.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

In-the-system, Jets prospects (name, position, age, draft round and year or trade, current team, stats GP-G-A-P):

Pro Prospects

CONNOR HELLEBUYCK, G, 22, 5/12, MANITOBA MOOSE, 2-6-1, 2.45 GAA, .926 SVPCT. Big man who stops the puck; gathering valuable experience, including at last spring’s world championship.

ERIC COMRIE, G, 20, 2/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 1-2-1, 1.95 GAA, .937 SVPCT. Mature pro rookie with enviable work ethic. Has an instant major challenge to earn net time.

JOSH MORRISSEY, D, 20, 1/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-0-1-1. Slow-ish start as first-year pro but showing signs, not surprisingly, that he’s figuring out pro game.

BRENDEN KICHTON, D, 23, 7/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-2-6-8. Moose scoring leader at the moment, great skill, still working on foot speed.

JULIAN MELCHIORI, D, 23, 3/10, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-0-0-0. The big man is a good skater and is smoothing out some of his rough edges; trending up.

JAN KOSTALEK, D, 20, 4/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 10-0-1-1. Injuries have cost him some camp and season time. Smart, puck-moving game is his strength.

JOEL ARMIA, C, 22, TRADE, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-3-3-6. Slow start with maybe some send-down disappointment, but his skill is emerging; trending up.

CHASE DE LEO, C, 20, 4/14, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-1-6-7. Intelligent hard worker who is small in stature but more determined than many suspect.

SCOTT KOSMACHUK, RW, 21, 3/12, MANITOBA MOOSE. 13-2-1-3. Sniper had 49 goals in final junior year, 14 for IceCaps last season. His breakout has been elusive.

AXEL BLOMQVIST, RW, 20, F/A, MANITOBA MOOSE, 8-0-0-0. Battling for playing time, the big man is not a rugged player and needs time.

AUSTEN BRASSARD, RW, 22, 5/11, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-2-2-4. Gritty, hard-working game is his forte; consistency ebbs and flows.

RYAN OLSEN, C, 21, 6/12, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-1-1-2. Great camp, opened some eyes with physical play; tough-to-play-against mode is his ticket forward.

JIMMY LODGE, C, 20, 3/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 8-0-0-0-0. A skilled centre, hard-working rookie is still navigating the pro game on and off the ice.

J.C. LIPON, RW, 22, 3/13, MANITOBA MOOSE, 13-4-3-7. Nearly made Jets out of camp. He’s honing an energy game every team needs.

IVAN TELEGIN, C, 23, 4/10, CSKA MOSCOW, 15-1-1-2. Speedy forward on radar but far from Jets’ thoughts.

Amateur Prospects

(by year and draft order)

KYLE CONNOR, LW, 18, 1/15, MICHIGAN (BIG10), 7-5-4-9. Out of the gate well, great vision, shares team points lead; no conference games yet.

JACK ROSLOVIC, C, 18, 1/15, MIAMI (NCHC), 12-7-6-13. Gifted playmaker and producer leads team scoring as freshman; has made Miami’s power play a force.

JANSEN HARKINS, C, 18, 2/15, PRINCE GEORGE (WHL), 16-2-7-9. Not off to great start to junior season; not unusual after draft. A smart forward.

ERIK FOLEY, LW,. 18, 3/15, PROVIDENCE (HOCKEY EAST), 7-1-2-3. College rookie has great shot for Team USA at the world junior championship because of fine, no-fear summer camp.

MICHAEL SPACEK, C, 18, 4/15, RED DEER (WHL), 22-10-15-25. High in WHL rookie scoring; learning the game on smaller ice and maintaining high skill.

MASON APPLETON, C, 19, 6/15, MICHIGAN STATE (BIG10), 9-3-6-9. Start is excellent as college rookie. Has quickness and good vision.

SAMI NIKU, D, 19, 7/15, JYVASKYLA (FINLAND), 21-0-3-3. Slight build on the back end, in the running for spot on Team Finland for the world junior championship.

MATTEO GENNARO, C, 18, 7/15, PRINCE ALBERT (WHL), 21-5-3-8. Late-round pick finished strong in 2014-15, but is off to another slow start.

JACK GLOVER, D, 19, 3/14, MINNESOTA (BIG10), 9-1-2-3. Struggled to get in lineup as freshman, using size and making progress now.

NELSON NOGIER, D, 19, 4/14, RED DEER (WHL), 20-0-6-6. Mature youngster, good skater in a big year with the Memorial-Cup-host Rebels.

C.J. FRANKLIN, LW, 21, 5/14, MANKATO (WCHA), 12-3-1-4. Sleeper Jets pick of ’14 draft. Strong, battler, does nothing at half-speed.

PAVEL KRASKOVSKY, C, 19, 6/14, YAROSLAVL (KHL), 21-0-1-1. Not in CHL-Russia series but expect him on the Russian world junior team.

MATT USTASKI, C, 21, 7/14, WISCONSIN (BIG10), 8-0-0-0. Big man has improved skating, needs to take more advantage of his size.

BRENDAN LEMIEUX, LW, 19, TRADE, BARRIE (OHL). 4-1-0-1. Just off month-long suspension; spent time training. Dynamic player. High hopes not diminished.

TUCKER POOLMAN, D, 22, 5/13, NORTH DAKOTA (NCHC), 8-0-5-5. Big, agile defender with hockey instincts, promising future.

MARCUS KARLSTROM, D, 20, 7/13, AUSTIN, MINN. (NAHL), 14-0-4-4. Comes to North America as 20-year-old year, shuffled to NAHL. Long-term project.

JAMIE PHILLIPS, G, 20, 7/12, MICHIGAN TECH (WCHA), 6-4-0, 2.20 GAA, .920 SVPCT. Numbers off slightly on a less-powerful team, still off to a good start.

TANNER LANE, C, 23, 6/10, NEBRASKA-OMAHA (NCHC), 6-0-1-1. Senior is good skater but has struggled for playing time. Five goals his best college year.