C Jack Finley - Spokane Chiefs, WHL (2020, 57th, TBL)

[Haanz]

Son of Jeff Finley and one of the youngest draft-eligible players this upcoming season (September 2nd birthday). At 6'5" 207 lbs. he is a big kid with lots of untapped potential who I think will be a big riser by the time the draft rolls around.

Jack Finley at eliteprospects.com

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[wetcoast]

I guess he is someone to watch and had a good playoffs for Spokane but nothing really stands out about him except his size.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

He will be a later bloomer. A team will draft him pretty high and he will be dominant in the WHL at 19 years old.

 

[Haanz]

Two goals including the OT winner for Finley last night. Up to 17 points in 18 games now and has already nearly matched his regular season point output from last season (19 points in 63 games). A kid this size showing this kind of progression should garner some serious attention come draft day.

 

[Frk It]

Been pretty productive over the last month or so. Not many big centers in this draft, I wonder if he is creeping up draft boards for NHL teams.

 

[landy92mack29]

He's also a pretty good skater for his size so I'd imagine he goes somewhere in the 2nd. It's looking like another good WHL class this year other than no potential top 5 guys like last year or next year

 

[Dread Clawz]

Some team with a ton of picks is gonna scoop this kid up early in the 2nd easily.

 

[sabresEH]

Been pretty productive over the last month or so. Not many big centers in this draft, I wonder if he is creeping up draft boards for NHL teams.

He finished his schooling in the first half of the year and has had more offensive success since. I know one team had him rated just outside the first round during their scout meetings in the winter.

He's also one of the younger players in this draft as a September birthday and is leaned on very heavily on the dot. I took a look at face-offs taken leaders and all the top guys are 19 or 20 bombs with the exception of Jack and Connor Zary.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

He finished his schooling in the first half of the year and has had more offensive success since. I know one team had him rated just outside the first round during their scout meetings in the winter.

He's also one of the younger players in this draft as a September birthday and is leaned on very heavily on the dot. I took a look at face-offs taken leaders and all the top guys are 19 or 20 bombs with the exception of Jack and Connor Zary.

Ranked outside a teams top 30? If so that isnt exactly great.

 

[sabresEH]

Ranked outside a teams top 30? If so that isnt exactly great.

So in your eyes the only prospects worth mentioning are the ones ranked within a teams top 31?
He's consistently rated in the late second-third round by a lot of the guys that post their lists here. The fact that at least one NHL team has him rated just outside the 1st round is definitely a good thing.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Ranked outside a teams top 30? If so that isnt exactly great.

....out of worldwide players his age?

Kids is playing major junior, that’s already an absolutely fantastic hockey player in the grand scheme of things. To be ranked at all for the NHL draft, much less in a teams top 60 or 35 or whatever is an even more difficult and rare achievement.

 

[Favin]

He blew up the combine drills at CHL prospects game...was top-10 in every event.

He is a man.

EDIT: adding link here to results: Finley, Gould, & Guhle display strengths in 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Sport Testing Combine – WHL Network

 

[bukwas]

A couple more years of skill development and filling out his frame should do wonders for his stock. If the Chiefs continue rolling like they are now we could see him in Kelowna in late May.

 

[Johnny Hanson]

Jack Finley, to me, is one of the more intriguing prospects heading into this draft. He’s a big, right shot natural centre who already excels at the defensive portion of the game. He is one of the youngest players in the draft and has NHL bloodlines.

Having said all that, I’ve only ever seen highlights of him and I watched him in the CHL too prospects game. Anybody have an up to date scouting report on him? He seems like he’s got a ton of potential and would definitely be worth taking a shot on in the second round.

 

[landy92mack29]

Obviously a big kid who's one of the youngest in the class so while he's already 200+ pounds he has a ways to go filling out and can easily carry 230ish lbs. Still needs to work on his skating but above average at his size. Really good shot with a fast release and power behind it which should only get harder. Can pull off some nice passes and quick hands that makes it tough to knock him off the puck. Smart player and great 2way player already. Isn't extremely physical all the time but has games where he plays with an edge. Hopefully as he matures he brings that edge every game like a Getzlaf type. Should go somewhere in the 2nd and is a very projectable player. Played a bit with Beckman but moved all around the lineup so his numbers aren't that inflated by him

 

[FLAMESFAN]

How is he on faceoffs?

 

[sabresEH]

How is he on faceoffs?

53% on the season and used VERY heavily on the draw for Spokane. He had over 1300 face offs taken. Next highest on his team was Eli Zummack at 828.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Wow...that % should increase next year some too.

 

[neelynugs]

Obviously a big kid who's one of the youngest in the class so while he's already 200+ pounds he has a ways to go filling out and can easily carry 230ish lbs. Still needs to work on his skating but above average at his size. Really good shot with a fast release and power behind it which should only get harder. Can pull off some nice passes and quick hands that makes it tough to knock him off the puck. Smart player and great 2way player already. Isn't extremely physical all the time but has games where he plays with an edge. Hopefully as he matures he brings that edge every game like a Getzlaf type. Should go somewhere in the 2nd and is a very projectable player. Played a bit with Beckman but moved all around the lineup so his numbers aren't that inflated by him

obviously tough to comp a guy who's abnormally big, but is he similar to boyle at all?

 

[landy92mack29]

obviously tough to comp a guy who's abnormally big, but is he similar to boyle at all?

Kind of but he plays very similar to Dach. Obviously isn't as skilled or quite as good of skater but same play style

 

[FrankGallagher]

obviously tough to comp a guy who's abnormally big, but is he similar to boyle at all?

Freddy Gauthier with maybe a bit more offence. Big but doesn't hit a ton, more uses his size along the wall and in passing lanes

 

[landy92mack29]

Freddy Gauthier with maybe a bit more offence. Big but doesn't hit a ton, more uses his size along the wall and in passing lanes

Nicolas Roy is also kind of similar to Finley. No perfect one but they're close

 

[untouchable21]

His numbers are similar to those of Adam Lowry in his draft year. Could definitely see the Jets being interested. Sounds like he checks a lot of the boxes for things they like in a player.

His Dad was a member of Jets 1.0 in their final season.

 

[LastWordArmy]

The sixth overall pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, Spokane Chiefs centre Jack Finley literally towers over his competition in the WHL. With a September 2002 birthdate, he is one of the younger players in this draft class. Still just 17, he already comes in at 6-foot-6, and may still be growing. Finley struggled to find ice time as WHL rookie, and his numbers show that. He put up nine goals and 19 points in 63 games. Finley started to turn the corner in last year’s playoffs as he put up one goal and seven assists for eight points in 15 games. He also played for Team Canada Black at the 2018 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, picking up two assists in five games.

Finley really broke out this past season with a top-six role. He scored 19 goals and 38 assists and 57 points in 61 games before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. Finley comes from excellent hockey bloodlines. His father, Jeff Finley was a third-round pick by the New York Islanders in 1985. He played 708 NHL games for five NHL teams. His younger brother, Mason Finley was drafted by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2019 WHL Draft.

Our scouting Report is here
Jack Finley Scouting Report: 2020 NHL Draft #63 - Last Word on Hockey

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

IMO he goes in the 2nd round somewhere in the bottom half. I would take a chance on him there.