Ranking The Top 31 Prospects in The 2020 NHL Draft: 15. Jack Quinn

A late-bloomer, Jack Quinn exploded in his second season in the OHL

Jack Quinn (LW), Ottawa (OHL)

H: 5’11” W: 176 lbs

Not a well-known name in most draft circles, Jack Quinn made his presence felt at the correct time. Before the season started, Quinn was left of all top 30 lists and was actually left off a few top-124 rankings, he was viewed as a mid-round pick. If anybody tells you they expected Quinn to score 52 goals in 2020, they’d be lying.

A late birthday too, Quinn is nearly 19-years-old and is the pure definition of a late-bloomer. This is more of a good thing than a concern, every player has a different development curve and Quinn’s just happened to take a little longer.

2019-2020 Recap

GP: 62 G: 52 A: 37 P: 89 +/-: 48

As mentioned before, Quinn wasn’t regarded as much heading into his draft year, after he put up just 32 points the season prior with the Ottawa 67’s. What would transpire in the upcoming season would shock many.

Potting 52 goals and 89 points, becoming a premier goal scorer in all of the CHL. Quinn led all draft-eligibles in the CHL in goals, 10 more than second-place Seth Jarvis. Playing alongside one of the top prospects in this year’s draft in Marco Rossi, they thrived on the ice together, mainly on the man-advantage. 15 goals on the power play, Quinn was also a demon at even strength with an impressive 37 goals and his amazing +48 rating.

Quinn ranked 2nd in the whole OHL in terms of true goals, ahead of heralded 2019 draft picks Arthur Kaliyev and Connor McMichael and was the only draft-eligible inside the top-10.

Strengths

Shot

A crafty goal scorer, Quinn can score from any area on the ice and as Craig Button has called him the best scorer in the draft:

“He’s the best goal scorer entering the 2020 NHL draft, with more than one trick in his scoring bag. He scores in multiple ways and uses a very wide canvas to express his goalscoring artistry when we get down to the scouting report that hockey sense is right at the top.”

Quinn can score from distance, in-tight and on breakaways, he uses his shot in multiple ways. One of the greatest examples of his wicked shot is shown below:

Attacking the defenceman on a 1v1, rather than trying to beat him wide, he just stops up and tries to beat the goalie clean, which he does to perfection. While Quinn does have a lot of power on his shot, his accuracy is what separates him from many players in the draft. The puck is off his stick in an instant and is usually placed to perfection.

Hockey Sense

When Quinn plays it seems as though the game slows down for him, usually a trait special players possess, he definitely fits the bill. His coach in Ottawa André Tourigny says “he always had that hockey sense”:

As something that players struggle to learn, it’s surely a trait that Quinn has had for a while and one that will help him thrive in the NHL.

It seems as though Quinn can confidently make plays in tight areas while keeping his composure, his terrific poise he plays with can be attested to how well he thinks the game.

Quinn is also very capable on the defensive end, in position regularly and will always work just as hard in the defensive zone as the offensive.

Weaknesses

Playmaking

The Ottawa 67’s star forward could use some work on his playmaking as he won’t be able to rely solely on his goal-scoring at the next level. His 37 assists paint a better picture of his limitations in the passing game and most of those were created by rebounds.

With not a whole lot of information on Quinn from years prior and only this year to evaluate his play, it’s tough to weed out any holes in his game, since he doesn’t have many glaring weaknesses. Playmaking stands out as an area he could definitely improve upon.

Quinn at 5th Overall?

No, no, no, this would be a giant reach and one that would anger many Senators fans, but something that has been rumoured:

A certain scout from twitter predicted Ottawa taking Quinn at 5th and while he does have a lot of redeeming qualities they cannot let this happen with many superior options at 5. If Ottawa were to target Quinn it would be more viable for them to package some picks and move up around 10 to select the sniper.