NHL Draft prospect Jamie Oleksiak mirroring Chara

With the NHL Entry Draft looming and the Boston Bruins on top of the hockey world, there has never been a better time to compare a highly touted prospect to the Stanley Cup champ’s captain.

At 6’7″ and 244 pounds, 18-year-old Jamie Oleksiak of Northeastern University is said to be the league’s next Zdeno Chara.

“He’s definitely a guy whose play I try to emulate,” the college rearguard said.

Ranked No. 18 in The Good Point‘s 2011 NHL Mock Draft, Oleksiak is not only known for his tremendous size, but his impressive skating, hard and accurate shot, uncharacteristically soft hands and potential to ramp up his stats.

“My game is a defensive defenseman with offensive abilities,” he said. “I think I move the puck well and create some transition, I’m comfortable in all three zones, and I use my long stick and my size to take away opposing team’s scoring opportunities.”

Although Oleksiak is comfortable in his skin and with his game, like all aspiring pros, he still recognizes his weaknesses.

“Being a bigger guy, I’m still kind of growing into my size,” he explained. “I’ve been getting stronger overall, but I still want to work on my lateral movement, my mobility in general, and I want to become more explosive on my first couple strides.”

During the lull in action between the NCAA season and the upcoming draft, his focus has been on improving the aforementioned skills by continuing to train at the Northeastern facilities.

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“Leading up to the draft, I’ll continue to be in Boston working with our strength coach at Northeastern Monday through Friday starting at 6 a.m., so that will really help me improve and stay fit,” he said.

In addition to the exceptional training program, Oleksiak feels his experience on the ice has added to his game immensely.

“Northeastern has been incredible. Each week I’ve gotten better and better, so I owe a lot to the coaching staff and the older players on the team,” he offered. “I think we had a great season and everyone there made me feel comfortable and helped me work on my weaknesses and I’m really looking forward to the next couple years here.”

Growing up in Toronto, Oleksiak took to the ice at a very early age, but unlike most young hockey players in Ontario, his passion for college hockey was something he’s had for a long time.

“My brother introduced me to the college hockey atmosphere when he played at Clarkson and my dad also went to school in the states, so it was easy for me to fall in love with the college hockey culture and I knew that’s the path I wanted to take,” he explained.

As far as fitting in on a pro roster, the brute blue-liner is confident in what he can bring to the table.

“My overall reliability and ability to play a bunch of different roles is something I take pride in,” he said. “I can step up and play big minutes and in all situations.

“I have all the tools to do that and as long as I keep working hard I can make that same impact at the next level.”

His off-ice traits won’t hurt the cause either.

“My work ethic off the ice and my ability to push myself has been a big part of my success, and I can push the guys around me to be better too,” he said. “I might not be the most vocal guy in the room, but I’m a big team player with a positive attitude so I can definitely lead by example.”

So, if teams are looking for a solid, skillful defenseman with a physical presence at this year’s draft, expect Oleksiak to be on the top of their lists.

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Check out more of The Good Point‘s 2011 NHL Entry Draft Prospects Series.

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