Defending Big D continues our annual series of looking at top draft prospects that could possibly have their name called by the Dallas Stars at the 2010 Entry Draft. Today we look to a goalie who really made a name for himself at the recent World Junior championships by leading Team USA to a gold medal: Goaltender Jack Campbell of the US National Development team.
Jack Campbell
Team: US National Development (USHL)
Born: Janurary 9, 1992
Hometown: Port Huron, Michigan
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 175 pounds
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Central Scouting rank: 2nd North American Goalies
| Lge | GP | W | L | T | GAA | SV % | ||
| 2008-09 | USN U18 | NAHL | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 2.52 | .906 |
| 2009-10 | USNDT |
USHL | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2.21 | .917 |
Why the Stars would want him:
The Stars once booming depth at goal has slowly shrunk away and is in need of restocking. Campbell's poise and confidence is beyond compare and he is probably the best goalie in the draft in terms of his ability to play sound, technical hockey and not be caught out of position. His puck handling abilities have also been well noted and he's been compared to the likes of Martin Brodeur and Marty Turco in that respect.
Why the Stars would pass:
Jack's attitude has been called into question at times and there has been the odd criticism that his ego is a little too inflated for an 18 year old kid. On the ice he could stand to fill out a little more. Plus there has been a stigma with goalies drated in the first round, so the Stars may want to put their chips in with a safer pick and hope that a goalie like Johnson is available come the 2nd round or later.
What they're saying:
The Scouting Report's take on Campbell..
Campbell is the best goalie available in the draft. Very strong technically, he takes up a lot of space in the net and finds ways to win games, especially big games, such as the Gold Medal Game at the World Juniors as a 17 year old. He could go a lot higher if a team decides they want to step up and take a goalie. He'll be joining the Windsor Spitfires next year.
Jack himself knew his size needed to be improved when he talked to Rivals.com in April...
Most importantly, I developed physical strength. Coming into the [US] program I weighed 158 pounds and I had very little strength. After nine months of training, I have gained 30 pounds in muscle and have gotten quicker than I came in. Let's just say I owe a big thank you to Darryl Nelson [US strength coach] for that.
And on YouTube: Jack Campbell - Highlights (via mike8219)