Prospect Info: [ 2018 - 71st] Jordan Harris (NCAA - Northeastern University)

[canadiensnation]

My scouting report on Jordan Harris this past season.

Jordan Harris is a smart smooth skating two-way defenceman that isn’t afraid to carry the puck end to end. He’s always active jumping into the rush or pinching in from the point to create another outlet or lane for his teammates. Harris uses his quickness and agility to close gaps or force the offensive player in low scoring chance positions. He’s extremely effective at exiting the zone via the first pass or using his excellent acceleration to hit center ice. Harris’ footwork is top-notch, his edges are crisp as he can effortlessly turn on a dime and explode up ice. He shows some good vision and reads the play really well both offensively and defensively. He often doesn’t make high-risk blueline to blueline passes but when he does it’s tape to tape. Defensively Harris is extremely efficient, great ability to read and anticipate the opponent’s next move while keeping his head on a swivel. His stick work is excellent, whether it be a quick stick lift, breaking cross-seam passes or simply positioning his stick to direct the player to the perimeter. Harris doesn’t have a heavy or dangerous release but he is a plus player at finding the lane through traffic.

Notes: Habs Prospects in the NCAA

 

[Adam Michaels]

Habs EOTP officially start their Top-25 Under-25 series today. And this should be such a fun series this year with the influx of prospects. In fact, the countdown begins with two players tied for 25th, and Jordan Harris is one of them:

2019 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: T-25 Jordan Harris

 

[CheldishGamibno]

What a play by Harris. Played like a pro. Might be a hidden gem from the 3rd round.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

And his assist, nifty play.

 

[montreal]

One things for sure, Jordan Harris is one of our top D prospects, he's not at Brook's level or Romanov's but he's in the conversation in the next tier for sure. If you are ranking the top 25 and under, he's got to be around top 15. As long as he continues to improve, the Habs might have a really good prospect on their hands.

 

[26Mats]

Habs EOTP officially start their Top-25 Under-25 series today. And this should be such a fun series this year with the influx of prospects. In fact, the countdown begins with two players tied for 25th, and Jordan Harris is one of them:

2019 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: T-25 Jordan Harris

Interesting that they have pitlick ahead of harris.

Anyways i like both of them.

 

[Mrb1p]

One things for sure, Jordan Harris is one of our top D prospects, he's not at Brook's level or Romanov's but he's in the conversation in the next tier for sure. If you are ranking the top 25 and under, he's got to be around top 15. As long as he continues to improve, the Habs might have a really good prospect on their hands.

Honestly, is Romanov really 0n another level from Harris ? I know Romanov dominated the WJC but still, Harris did really, really well in league play. To me, Brook is #1 and we have a cluster of Romanov, Fleury, Juulsen, Harris and heck, probably Struble nordlinder and Fairbrother too. Aside from Brook and maybe Fairbrother, I think the value is all really close.

 

[montreal]

Honestly, is Romanov really 0n another level from Harris ? I know Romanov dominated the WJC but still, Harris did really, really well in league play. To me, Brook is #1 and we have a cluster of Romanov, Fleury, Juulsen, Harris and heck, probably Struble nordlinder and Fairbrother too. Aside from Brook and maybe Fairbrother, I think the value is all really close.

yes, for sure. Romanov has the better physical game, bigger shot, bigger frame. If Harris can improve his offensive game then perhaps their offensive games will be closer but for now I give the nod to Romanov.

What Harris did last year was very impressive, I doubt many around watch more NCAA hockey over the past 20 years then I have so it's a league I'm very comfortable with. Russia I only watch when we have someone there so it's been a few years and they have really odd game times that make it hard to see them as I'm not getting up at 6 am just to watch a hockey game.

Romanov was very impressive in the KHL and the WJC's at 18, Harris at 19 might not even make Team USA. I still have a really hard time trying to figure out Romanov, if the offense is legit or is he just a better Emelin.

But Harris needs to show a lot more offensively, yes he didn't get much PP time at all but he still playing on the top pairing so he had a lot of ice time but he couldn't score if he life depended on it last year. He needs to show he can produce at a much higher level this year since he should be their #1 defensemen unless Struble really surprises but I don't see that happening as he'll have to earn the coaches trust whereas Harris has proven to the coaches he can be trusted as the kid plays with so much poise.

 

[Mrb1p]

yes, for sure. Romanov has the better physical game, bigger shot, bigger frame. If Harris can improve his offensive game then perhaps their offensive games will be closer but for now I give the nod to Romanov.

What Harris did last year was very impressive, I doubt many around watch more NCAA hockey over the past 20 years then I have so it's a league I'm very comfortable with. Russia I only watch when we have someone there so it's been a few years and they have really odd game times that make it hard to see them as I'm not getting up at 6 am just to watch a hockey game.

Romanov was very impressive in the KHL and the WJC's at 18, Harris at 19 might not even make Team USA. I still have a really hard time trying to figure out Romanov, if the offense is legit or is he just a better Emelin.

But Harris needs to show a lot more offensively, yes he didn't get much PP time at all but he still playing on the top pairing so he had a lot of ice time but he couldn't score if he life depended on it last year. He needs to show he can produce at a much higher level this year since he should be their #1 defensemen unless Struble really surprises but I don't see that happening as he'll have to earn the coaches trust whereas Harris has proven to the coaches he can be trusted as the kid plays with so much poise.

I agree on Romanovs shot, but I'm not sure I agree that his offensive game as a whole is superior. Romanov has never been one to produce much, I think he's pretty much on a similar level to Harris, but differently. The edge is obviously their shot but I also think Harris is a slightly better playmaker/skater/puck handler than Alex.

 

[HOPE]

Romanov is for sure a hard one to gauge, small sample size against his peers but realy played well, plays in the KHL at 18 so can’t realy show much offense, he has for sure a low floor and a very unpredictable ceilling. I personally see him as a modern complimentary top 2 or 4. The guy who plays with your PMD, shut down, physical but by modern i mean that he’s also very mobile and you can also count on him to chip in offensively. You tell Brook to focus a bit more on offense and you pair him with Romanov and you got yourself a crazy two-way duo who is nearly impossible to score against that brings quick puck moving, one as a bomb of a slapper and the other one as a nasty wrister that pass through traffic!

As for harris, i have watched a bit of him last year and you can tell he’s very raw, still small physically but very smart, never makes mistakes, very mobile, always does the high % play, super calm under pressure, those quality are outstanding for a kid his age, tough to see how he’ll turn out but could definitely be a steal when he becomes stronger and if he starts being more offensive, taking little more high risk high reward plays but being successful at it. Oh and of course, a stronger shot!

 

[Mrb1p]

Romanov is for sure a hard one to gauge, small sample size against his peers but realy played well, plays in the KHL at 18 so can’t realy show much offense, he has for sure a low floor and a very unpredictable ceilling. I personally see him as a modern complimentary top 2 or 4. The guy who plays with your PMD, shut down, physical but by modern i mean that he’s also very mobile and you can also count on him to chip in offensively. You tell Brook to focus a bit more on offense and you pair him with Romanov and you got yourself a crazy two-way duo who is nearly impossible to score against that brings quick puck moving, one as a bomb of a slapper and the other one as a nasty wrister that pass through traffic!

As for harris, i have watched a bit of him last year and you can tell he’s very raw, still small physically but very smart, never makes mistakes, very mobile, always does the high % play, super calm under pressure, those quality are outstanding for a kid his age, tough to see how he’ll turn out but could definitely be a steal when he becomes stronger and if he starts being more offensive, taking little more high risk high reward plays but being successful at it. Oh and of course, a stronger shot!

I don't think Romanov has a low floor, I think it's pretty high, like i expect him to make the NHL in a top 4 role and I'm like 80% certain of it. What is lower is his ceiling IMO.

 

[HOPE]

I don't think Romanov has a low floor, I think it's pretty high, like i expect him to make the NHL in a top 4 role and I'm like 80% certain of it. What is lower is his ceiling IMO.

I’m sorry it’s late, it’s what i meant to say wich makes sense with what i wrote, in a way where, he’s 100% a NHLer but how high can his ceilling go? I rarely feel that way towards a player but his ceilling is very unpredictable to me!

 

[Frozenice]

I don’t see Harris and Romanov competing against each other for the same roster spot. Harris will be competing with Mete and Kulak for playing time and Romanov will be competing with Struble and others for time and where they’ll slotted in.

 

[Runner77]

I want to see as much competition as can be had for all roster spots. What a favorable situation to be in.

 

[tinyzombies]

I like this guy. Last two camps he looked good.

 

[montreal]

I agree on Romanovs shot, but I'm not sure I agree that his offensive game as a whole is superior. Romanov has never been one to produce much, I think he's pretty much on a similar level to Harris, but differently. The edge is obviously their shot but I also think Harris is a slightly better playmaker/skater/puck handler than Alex.

It's hard to say since Romanov wasn't used in any sort of offensive role with CSKA and his coach didn't want him jumping into the play from what I've been told. So Harris might be the better playmaker, for now I think it's close between them but I have had a really hard time with Romanov, likely the toughest non goalie Habs prospect I have ever come across. I'm hoping to see more of him this season and this time hopefully they won't be jerking him around the lineup as the bulk of the games I saw last year were early when he hadn't established himself yet. I spent too much time watching Olofsson instead I should have spent more time watching Romanov (when there games were on around the same time, noon and 1 pm)

Skating that's a tough one as it's hard to say anyone is a better skater then Romanov. Puck handler maybe, both seem solid there but Harris had more freedom to rush it up ice.

I just think if MB called every GM to offer Romanov or Harris in a trade, the bulk would lean towards Romanov. I seem him as having the higher upside but Harris being the smart, better defensive player. The problem with Harris is size and strength mostly.

The funny thing is both of them the thing that stood out to me so much last season was how little mistakes they made. You just don't see that, 18 years old, one on the top team in the KHL the other on a top 10 team in the NCAA, both playing on their off-positions mostly. Both just didn't make many mistakes in the games I saw, which clearly were a lot more for Harris as I saw most of his games.

 

[FrankMTL]

Harris looks great! Love his upside.

Overall, I'm very optimistic regarding our d prospects at the moment...

Brook
Romanov
Struble
Fleury
Harris
Norlinder

Lots of potential in this group.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

It's hard to say since Romanov wasn't used in any sort of offensive role with CSKA and his coach didn't want him jumping into the play from what I've been told. So Harris might be the better playmaker, for now I think it's close between them but I have had a really hard time with Romanov, likely the toughest non goalie Habs prospect I have ever come across. I'm hoping to see more of him this season and this time hopefully they won't be jerking him around the lineup as the bulk of the games I saw last year were early when he hadn't established himself yet. I spent too much time watching Olofsson instead I should have spent more time watching Romanov (when there games were on around the same time, noon and 1 pm)

Skating that's a tough one as it's hard to say anyone is a better skater then Romanov. Puck handler maybe, both seem solid there but Harris had more freedom to rush it up ice.

I just think if MB called every GM to offer Romanov or Harris in a trade, the bulk would lean towards Romanov. I seem him as having the higher upside but Harris being the smart, better defensive player. The problem with Harris is size and strength mostly.

The funny thing is both of them the thing that stood out to me so much last season was how little mistakes they made. You just don't see that, 18 years old, one on the top team in the KHL the other on a top 10 team in the NCAA, both playing on their off-positions mostly. Both just didn't make many mistakes in the games I saw, which clearly were a lot more for Harris as I saw most of his games.

I just don't know if Romanov has that creativity and puck skills in the O zone that could make him be a #1 though I guess all #1s don't have that but still. I did see more puck skills than I thought he'd have in the WJC which was refreshing. It is hard to tell because he likely had the handcuffs on him offensively even at the WJCs potentially seeing as he was an 18 year old. I saw him make one bad pass and his coach lost it on him lol. I could be wrong that that was the case.

I can't tell whether he just doesn't have those skills or he's just been tasked with focusing more on D. Great stretch passes. Decent hands at times. Don't see much creativity.

I don't know if Romanov's the better skater. I think Harris has more straight ahead speed as Romanov doesn't seem to possess elite high end speed but everything else seems pretty fantastic. Still might give the edge to Harris.

Romanov's game seems more translatable for whatever reason maybe because of him being bigger and stronger. Harris seems fairly strong for his size but if he's going to want to play his same style he'll definitely have to get stronger.

 

[montreal]

I just don't know if Romanov has that creativity and puck skills in the O zone that could make him be a #1 though I guess all #1s don't have that but still. I did see more puck skills than I thought he'd have in the WJC which was refreshing. It is hard to tell because he likely had the handcuffs on him offensively even at the WJCs potentially seeing as he was an 18 year old. I saw him make one bad pass and his coach lost it on him lol. I could be wrong that that was the case.

I can't tell whether he just doesn't have those skills or he's just been tasked with focusing more on D. Great stretch passes. Decent hands at times. Don't see much creativity.

I don't know if Romanov's the better skater. I think Harris has more straight ahead speed as Romanov doesn't seem to possess elite high end speed but everything else seems pretty fantastic. Still might give the edge to Harris.

Romanov's game seems more translatable for whatever reason maybe because of him being bigger and stronger. Harris seems fairly strong for his size but if he's going to want to play his same style he'll definitely have to get stronger.

I really don't know how much creativity Romanov has as I don't put a lot of stock in the WJC's since it's a small sample size, so I want to see it in his KHL games but last year he didn't get much of a chance to show what he can do. I'm legit worried he's been great overhyped here but at the same time I see flashes where I think he could end up as one of our very best prospects and a very legit NHLer.

I just never had this much trouble forming an opinion.

As for Harris I would give him the speed but skating I would leave that to people that are better judges of skating as both are just outstanding skaters imo. Both have the skating, mobility, and speed that you want for today's NHL and at 18/19 years old meaning there's no telling how much they will improve physically over the next several years.

Romanov is bigger and plays bigger, he has the upright stance that makes him look taller then he is.

 

[HOPE]

I really don't know how much creativity Romanov has as I don't put a lot of stock in the WJC's since it's a small sample size, so I want to see it in his KHL games but last year he didn't get much of a chance to show what he can do. I'm legit worried he's been great overhyped here but at the same time I see flashes where I think he could end up as one of our very best prospects and a very legit NHLer.

I just never had this much trouble forming an opinion.

As for Harris I would give him the speed but skating I would leave that to people that are better judges of skating as both are just outstanding skaters imo. Both have the skating, mobility, and speed that you want for today's NHL and at 18/19 years old meaning there's no telling how much they will improve physically over the next several years.

Romanov is bigger and plays bigger, he has the upright stance that makes him look taller then he is.

He 100% got overhyped last year! I realy like him but as you say he does not have the offensive game that people are hoping for, who knows that can change. But i really don’t see him as a Weber partner. Like i stated above i see him as a complimentary #2 #4

How i proceed
#1 = your top PMD
#2 = your top complimentary
#3 = 2nd PMD
#4 = 2nd complimentary

So i see Romanov having a similar role Weber had, but in a more modern, more mobile, more agile, physical but little less imposing! Doesn’t mean 1# is more important than #2, just different role!

 

[Mrb1p]

It's hard to say since Romanov wasn't used in any sort of offensive role with CSKA and his coach didn't want him jumping into the play from what I've been told. So Harris might be the better playmaker, for now I think it's close between them but I have had a really hard time with Romanov, likely the toughest non goalie Habs prospect I have ever come across. I'm hoping to see more of him this season and this time hopefully they won't be jerking him around the lineup as the bulk of the games I saw last year were early when he hadn't established himself yet. I spent too much time watching Olofsson instead I should have spent more time watching Romanov (when there games were on around the same time, noon and 1 pm)

Skating that's a tough one as it's hard to say anyone is a better skater then Romanov. Puck handler maybe, both seem solid there but Harris had more freedom to rush it up ice.

I just think if MB called every GM to offer Romanov or Harris in a trade, the bulk would lean towards Romanov. I seem him as having the higher upside but Harris being the smart, better defensive player. The problem with Harris is size and strength mostly.

The funny thing is both of them the thing that stood out to me so much last season was how little mistakes they made. You just don't see that, 18 years old, one on the top team in the KHL the other on a top 10 team in the NCAA, both playing on their off-positions mostly. Both just didn't make many mistakes in the games I saw, which clearly were a lot more for Harris as I saw most of his games.

I agree for sure, but why would a GM prefer Romo over Harris? Is it size and international play? That would he my guess. Theyre not exactly impartial when it comes to prospects and they let hype dictate most of their decisions, prospect wise. Id be interested in asking scouts or even Timmins what theyd think. Hed probably lean to Romanov, since he picked him ahead and both had strong years, but Im pretty sure theyre head to head or so in his mind. But I agree on popular opinion being on Romanovs side.

Gotta say, I really, really love the defensemen picks since 2015. Potentially could fill two D squads full just with 4 years of picks.

 

[Mrb1p]

I really don't know how much creativity Romanov has as I don't put a lot of stock in the WJC's since it's a small sample size, so I want to see it in his KHL games but last year he didn't get much of a chance to show what he can do. I'm legit worried he's been great overhyped here but at the same time I see flashes where I think he could end up as one of our very best prospects and a very legit NHLer.

I just never had this much trouble forming an opinion.

As for Harris I would give him the speed but skating I would leave that to people that are better judges of skating as both are just outstanding skaters imo. Both have the skating, mobility, and speed that you want for today's NHL and at 18/19 years old meaning there's no telling how much they will improve physically over the next several years.

Romanov is bigger and plays bigger, he has the upright stance that makes him look taller then he is.

Romanov is so aggressive in his decision and thats a special skill IMO. Thats something that makes me go "okay, this kid will make the NHL and sky's the limit and if shit hits the fan, we have a slightly smaller Emelin on our hands."

I dont like the KHL/MHL development path. It stifles offense or it teaches players skills that theyll never use in the pros, in the MHLs case. Id be way more confident in his offensive game had he played in Liiga, SHL or NA.

He needs to use those skills and use them often. Last year was transition and didnt do much for him IMO. Get stronger and faster, I guess.

 

[montreal]

He 100% got overhyped last year! I realy like him but as you say he does not have the offensive game that people are hoping for, who knows that can change. But i really don’t see him as a Weber partner. Like i stated above i see him as a complimentary #2 #4

How i proceed
#1 = your top PMD
#2 = your top complimentary
#3 = 2nd PMD
#4 = 2nd complimentary

So i see Romanov having a similar role Weber had, but in a more modern, more mobile, more agile, physical but little less imposing! Doesn’t mean 1# is more important than #2, just different role!

I certainly see Poehling, Romanov and Teasdale as the overhyped guys on this board while Harris and Primeau are the overlooked guys. That said I love that Poehling and Romanov play such an NHL styled game already that you can see how they will likely have an easier transition to the NHL. The question for me is just how good will they be?

I'm not looking at Romanov as where will play in the lineup as Weber is 34 and might not be here in 2-3 years and the entire blueline could look very different. Of course if they do bring him over and he's in the NHL in '20-'21 that changes things a bit since Weber could still be here.

So the question is can Romanov be that top pairing LD we so badly need? I don't think so, so far I haven't seen the upside to say that he can be but I do think he can be a solid 2nd pairing D. That said we'll see how much he continues to progress, and my opinion of him was mostly formed from KHL and MHL games so now that he's a regular in the KHL they might trust him to do more and he'll show me more.

I agree for sure, but why would a GM prefer Romo over Harris? Is it size and international play? That would he my guess. Theyre not exactly impartial when it comes to prospects and they let hype dictate most of their decisions, prospect wise. Id be interested in asking scouts or even Timmins what theyd think. Hed probably lean to Romanov, since he picked him ahead and both had strong years, but Im pretty sure theyre head to head or so in his mind. But I agree on popular opinion being on Romanovs side.

Gotta say, I really, really love the defensemen picks since 2015. Potentially could fill two D squads full just with 4 years of picks.

Well Romanov over Harris is a safer bet, Romanov doesn't have many holes in his game, just a question of upside. He's got an NHL style game already and has shown a good bit at 18. Harris there's always going to be questions on his size/strength and how it will impact him. He's very much in the Mete mold to me and the NHL is clearly finding that smaller players do have a place in this league especially great skating/mobility PMD's.

I think if Harris shows more offense and Romanov doesn't progress much it will be a lot closer.

But I also like what Timmins and his staff have been doing drafting blueliners, the only blueliner picks I didn't like were Walford and Henriksson.

Romanov is so aggressive in his decision and thats a special skill IMO. Thats something that makes me go "okay, this kid will make the NHL and sky's the limit and if **** hits the fan, we have a slightly smaller Emelin on our hands."

I dont like the KHL/MHL development path. It stifles offense or it teaches players skills that theyll never use in the pros, in the MHLs case. Id be way more confident in his offensive game had he played in Liiga, SHL or NA.

He needs to use those skills and use them often. Last year was transition and didnt do much for him IMO. Get stronger and faster, I guess.

I could certainly see him being a slightly better Emelin if he struggles offensively. i can't really say about the KHL/MHL, I used to follow the league a lot more closely back in the early days of Timmins when Kostitsyn, Grabo, Emelin, Korneev, Valentenko were over there. Funny story to those that might not have heard it from the early days of HF but there was a Hab fan in Russia and she and I agreed to exchange VHS tapes of Hab games for what was then the RSL so that I could see Kostitsyn, Emelin, Grabo. Well I got her tapes but she didn't get mine. I told when I mailed them and she had to use her contacts to find out that the KGB (I'm pretty sure that's what she said it was a long time ago) had confiscated them but I believe through her contact he was able to get at least one of the tapes.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

a lot more people start to see him like a steal.
I'm high on him, I see him on a breakthrough season this year.