Jack Bar

June 2022 – Dipping significantly to the 5th round of the 2021 draft, Bar has elements of a great NHL defenseman. Standing at 6-2 and weighing in at 194 pounds, Bar plays a physical but calculated game, and his shot is already at a professional level. Bar’s actual NHL certainty is questionable, as his agility leaves something to be desired, with uninspiring acceleration, speed and pivots, and an overall disappointing hockey IQ, however, playing on a strong Harvard team in the NCAA, he has the time to improve on these aspects of his game, and if he does, his upside is a top-four, if not top-pairing NHL defenseman. Expect Bar to stay in the NCAA for a while, with a realstic timeline for his jump to pro-hockey being in 2025-26. Aaron Itovitch

July 2021 – Bar was selected in the fifth round, 138th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft. Dave Hall

March 2021 – Bar made the jump to the USHL this season and has looked more comfortable with each passing game. He has managed to put up solid offensive numbers with the Chicago Steel, usually playing second pair minutes with limited powerplay time. He will continue his development next season in the NCAA where he is committed to Harvard University.

Bar has an intriguing combination of size, skating ability, and offensive skill. He has good mobility for his size, able to elude forecheckers before firing a clean breakout pass or skating the puck out on his own and he likes to join the rush to create odd-man situations for his team. One of Bar’s greatest attributes is his proficiency on puck retrievals in the defensive zone. He protects the puck well, shielding off forecheckers with his big frame while controlling the puck in his feet and more often than not, he is able to escape pressure by spinning off his check or dishing the puck to a teammate and getting open for a return pass. He can try to do too much at times, however, and will skate himself into trouble on occasion. He has good defensive instincts and defends the rush well but he can struggle with his change of direction when puck carriers attack with speed. Still a raw prospect, Bar has potential as a second pairing puck mover but his floor as a solid number five or six defensemen at the NHL level feels pretty safe. Nick Richard