Name: Jordan Schroeder

Team: University of Minnesota(WCHA)

Height:5'9"

Weight: 180 lbs.

2008-2009 stats: 35 games, 13 goals, 32 assists, 45 points

Prospect Info:

There seem to be three constants throughout Jordan Schroeder's hockey career: he's one of the youngest players on the ice, he's one of the smallest players on the ice, and he's one of the leading scorers on the ice.

Schroeder first started turning heads the fall of his freshman year of high school when he played in the prestigious Upper Midwest Elite League for top high school players in the Midwest and led his team in scoring. Since then, no 9th grader has even made an Elite League team.

That spring, he helped lead St. Thomas Academy to a Class A state title. With little else to prove in the high school ranks, Schroeder made the jump to the US National Development Team. Initially, Schroeder was slow to develop with the Ann Arbor team, but eventually found his grove by the midway point of the year, and that spring was called up to the US U18 team, where he was paired on a line with James van Riemsdyk, and the two dominated the tournament.  After that performance, some scouts were ready to draft Schroeder in the top ten of the draft, if not for the fact that he was still two years away from being eligible for the draft.

The next year, he led the US U18 team in scoring,and skated for the US World Junior team, while accelerating his studies in order to join the University of Minnesota a year early.

As a freshman at Minnesota, Schroeder finished the year with 45 points in 35 games.He was the top freshman scorer in the country despite being the youngest player in college hockey. He was named conference and national rookie of the year by several publications.

Schroeder may lack top-end size,but makes up for it with incredible playmaking ability. He has great vision and anticipation, and a deceptively strong snap shot.

Strengths: Scoring ability, Hockey IQ

Needs to Improve: Defense, Adding more strength, taking more shots

Links of Interest

University of Minnesota bio

INCH Recruiting Notebook July 2006

Fanhouse feature November 2008

Judging Jordan Schroeder December 2008

Hockey's Future Feature December 2008

Schroeder Named National Rookie of the Month December 2008

Hockey's Future player profile

MyNHLDraft.com profile

On WCH...

March 9, 2006: "I was pretty impressed with Jordan Schroeder. He was probably the most flashy player on the ice yesterday. He's practically impossible to stop one-on-one and he had some crazy moves, including one where he put the puck between his legs and beat a defenseman to set up a goal that was eventually called back. That said, there's not much else to his game. He's a little bit like Phil Kessel, except without the great snapshot. He's certainly got time to develop that game though. I think he might be better served in the USHL where he's playing against better defenseman."

April 21, 2006: "I've also heard a rumor that Minnesota forward Jordan Schroeder has been offered a spot on the NTDP U17 team, and will likely accept. I think that would definitely be the right move for Schroeder. He's accomplished pretty much all he'd want to at the Minnesota high school level with two great state tourney performances, including a state championship this past year as a freshmen. Playing for the NTDP should give Schroeder the opportunity to showcase his skills at a higher level and prove that he can play at the next level."

July 26, 2006: "I'll wait until a legitimate news source confirms this report to remove the question mark, but Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says Jordan Schroeder will play for the Gophers.

Schroeder was reportedly choosing between Minnesota and Wisconsin, who were both very interested in the diminutive, but talented forward. Schroeder played two very impressive seasons with St. Thomas Academy in Minnesota and earned a spot with the NTDP. Because of his age, he won't enter college until the 2009 season, when he'll be one of the top recruits in the country."

January 5, 2007: "Minnesota recruit Jordan Schroeder was his usual creative self. He made a couple jaw-dropping moves. He also played the point on the powerplay. He'll be a fun player to watch in college."

November 25, 2008: "The fact that he is playing with a near equally talented senior in Ryan Stoa practically eliminates Jordan Schroeder from having any hope of winning the Hobey as a freshman, but I'm not totally convinced that he doesn't belong in the discussion.

Somewhere along the way last season, I put forth the theory that Minnesota had a ton of big goalscorers, but lacked a dynamic playmaker to set up those goalscorers. Schroeder has been that guy. Perhaps Jay Barriball just had an off year last season, and was bound to return to normal, and perhaps Ryan Stoa learned a lot while sitting out last year with a knee injury, but both are likely going to have career years, and have really helped carry Minnesota's team this year. I think Schroeder deserves a ton of credit for that."

YouTube videos

Schroeder Scores at World Juniors

Another World Juniors Goal

Final Projection

Despite concerns about his lack of size, Schroeder may be one of the most "NHL ready" picks in the draft. Numerous times in his career, he's been thrown into situations against bigger, older competition, and every time, he's found ways to adapt and to score points. There's no reason he shouldn't do the same in the NHL, even though he's only 5'9". Schroeder will likely go in the 5-10 range in the Draft and should be a great pick for a team that is really hoping to improve their offense.