For a player who was overlooked in his first two NHL Drafts, the Battalion's Kyle Jackson has certainly made an impression after the Seattle Kraken selected him in the seventh round in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft held in Montreal last summer.
Jackson, who turned 20 in October, has 25 goals and 34 assists for 59 points in 43 games and was named OHL Player of the Month for November.
"He has been really good," said Ryan Oulahen Battalion head coach.
"He has really come on as of late and I think when we put that line together two months ago they have really gelled and had some chemistry. Kyle has taken it upon himself to have more detail away from the puck and that goes to show the points are always going to come for him but the detail he has had away from the puck down low.
"His faceoffs have been getting better, all those types of things and I think what Seattle is really liking about him is that detail, commitment and all those things he has been showing."
Jeff Tambellini, Kraken director of player development, told NHL.com that Jackson has impressed with his ability to take in information and quickly apply it to his game on the ice.
"It's impressive how quickly he is implementing a handful of our suggestions into his gameplay," said Tambellini to NHL.com.
"He's cerebral and smart."
Jackson admits he learned a lot about pro hockey at Kraken development and training camps this past summer.
"I want to keep building my pro game, it's not all about the points and stats," Jackson told NHL.com.
Jackson hopes to be another successful Battalion late bloomer much like Barclay Goodrow and according to the Kraken it appears he is well on his way to making a positive impression.
