Jordan Schmaltz turns pro, signs with Blues

[ultrawhiteness]

Talk about under the radar. Only barely caught this on twitter... it hasn't even made the Fantrax news&notes updates yet.

http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2015...-signs-with-st

Schmaltz just finished a successful 3rd year at UND, and I guess his coach leaving to the Flyers helped the decision to forego his final season. He was drafted in the 1st round in 2012 and is the older brother of Chicago's Nick Schmaltz. He's a smooth skating mobile defenseman with great puckmoving ability but not mind-blowing offensive skills. Style-wise, you might compare him to someone like Jordan Leopold.

I picked him up in a dynasty league at the end of the season, based on a few articles ranking him right near the top of NHL prospects in the NCAA. Here is one where they ranked him 5th behind just Eichel, Hanifin, Larkin, and Tuch:

http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2015...-signs-with-st

There was also this one from hockeysfuture, which noted Schmaltz as being in a small group with Matheson, Skjei, McCoshen, Paliotta, and Rielly as the NCAA's best dmen this year.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/article...aa-defensemen/

(I believe McCoshen from that group will be the only one returning to college next season... Matheson signed with Florida, Skjei with New York, Paliotta with Chicago, and Rielly is a moderately hyped FA target this summer.)

[Dobber]

I wrote some quick thoughts on him in his DobberProspects profile:
Jordan Schmaltz

[Axeman33]

I own him in a couple of my keepers. Good looking prospect.

[ericdaoust]

Good prospect. I just wonder how productive he can be in STL behind Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk. Sort of like Beaulieu behind Subban and Markov...

[franklin]

I wrote some quick thoughts on him in his DobberProspects profile:
Jordan Schmaltz

Hey Dobber, with Schmaltz turning pro, is he in your top 35 prospects now?

Thanks!

[YzermansLegacy]

Really like the comp between Schmaltz and Leopold. Leo flashed some solid offensive skills early in his career before settling in as decent puck mover with limited O. Feel like Schmaltz could do the same.