Projectable Skills: Hockey IQ, Edgework, Slapshot, Reaction time
Development Opportunities: Skating

Jace reminds me a little bit of a few past/current WHL defensemen. He is ridiculously smart at adapting and solving pressure with his inside edges and good balance. He can curl, push off one foot, carve and adapt his gaps, and either explode just enough to create separation for a passing angle or bait you into his space before he passes to a teammate moving into positive space. I’d imagine quite often he is the smartest player on the ice and uses that to his advantage with consistency. Jace also has very fast hands and reaction time which helps his defensive adjustments and stick work as well as his hand speed on a one-timer slapshot from the point. I think the evaluations on Jace will see him anywhere from the middle of the first round through the end of the second and I’ll take the higher end of that. He excels defensively with closing out space, maintaining gaps, attacking with a well-timed stick, and moving pucks as soon as they come loose. In order to get the full potential of Jace, I’d work on his skating form to lengthen his stride, dip lower on his outside edges, and continue to build strength in his hips. If he slips too far in the draft, a team could get an absolute gift.