Saturday, June 25, 2011

Buffalo takes Colin Jacobs at #107

The Sabres have selected Colin Jacobs of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds with the 107th pick of the 2011 NHL draft. The 6'2, 204-pound right-handed center was the fifth leading scorer for the T-Birds in 2010-11, cashing 22 goals and 44 points with 69 PIM and a -20 rating.

A product of the up-and-coming Dallas Ice Jets junior program, Jacobs is a big, raw talent who works hard and will go to the high-traffic areas of the ice to get results. Tough on the boards, his package of size and shooting was a very attractive package in the fourth round to a Sabres club needing pivots in the prospect ranks.

Jacobs employs a physical brand, will definitely crash and bang, and is not afraid to drop the mitts, as evidenced by his four scraps as a rookie in 2009-10 and another in his draft year.

It's hard to classify Jacobs as a a natural offensive mind, but his willingness to use his frame makes him a potential power piece down the middle. Again, nice value for the Sabres at this spot in the draft.