Undersized and Underrated: Chase De Leo and Nic Petan

Does size even matter in the NHL anymore?

In today’s NHL, If a player is below 6 feet, is it really going to hinder their chances of making the team? Art Ross trophy winner Patrick  Kane is 5’11; Johnny Gauderau finished 6th in scoring in the league and he’s 5’9, heck the best player in the league; Sidney Crosby, is an inch under 6 feet. If you have the skill and you can flat out play, you’ll get your shot in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets have a pair of undersized and highly skilled forwards in Chase De Leo and Nic Petan. Each were impressive in their first pro seasons and have the potential to make lots of noise this year be it with the AHL and maybe even the NHL. While each may be well under 6 feet, the two have found a way to score at every level they have played at. While high junior hockey point totals rarely are an indicator of anything, the two translated their scoring to the pros and each’s height shouldn’t mean they can’t become full fledged NHL regulers

Despite the integration and acceptance of undersized players, there is still the stigma surrounding sub 6 foot players that they need to take extra time to “bulk up” and get more ” fine tuning” simply because they are small. But when thinking of it, how much more weight do the two need to put on? Neither of them get knocked off the puck easily and both use their craftiness to not get pinned hard in the corners. 

While each are at different stages of development, the two displayed lots of promise last season, it might not be a matter of weight and mechanics that sends them back to the Moose, there just may not be spots and opportunity for them with the big club. 

The Moose were in the basement of the AHL standings throughout the 2015-2016 season and Chase De Leo wasn’t in much of a position to succeed from the get-go. Despite this, the 20 year old centre quickly evolved in to the Moose’s top centre in his first AHL season even with rather weak line mates skating on his wings throughout the year. 

De Leo recorded 40 points in 73 contests and finished as the 9th highest scoring forward in the AHL under the age of 21, all the while playing on an incredibly low scoring team amongst the league. With the Moose projecting to be much more skilled up front in the upcoming 2016-2017 season, imagine the point totals De Leo could reach with much more skilled players skating on his sides.

Nic Petan made the Jets out of training camp season but after struggling in his first 15 NHL games, he was sent down to the AHL to further develop. Petan notched 32 points in 47 games which amounted to a team high 0.68 points per game. His strong performance with the Moose earned him a second nod with the Jets when he got recalled up in March. Petan proved he was much more polished and ready for the NHL game and recorded 5 points in the Jets final 5 games. 

While Petan is certainly a bubble player to make the roster next year and I predicted him to make the squad when it’s all said and done, he may not make the team and if that’s the case, a full AHL season could see Petan eclipse high point totals if he continues to build off his 0.68 point per game pace. 

Chase De Leo and Nic Petan are two of the Jets brightest youngsters in the system. If the duo is assigned to the Manitoba Moose at the conclusion of training camp, the two could do some serious damage like they did in their Portland Winterhawk days. 

Their small stature shouldn’t minimize the potential they possess, they shouldn’t be ruled out as legitimate NHL prospects. Rule out the stereotypes of them being to thin or too small, that’s unlikely to be the reason for them not making the club. Likely the Jets will send them down so they can have more opportunity and not play less than 10 minutes a night or warm a seat in the press box. 

One thing is for sure, if one or both don’t make the roster, it won’t be because they are ” too small.”