Jakob Dobes might not be a name you are familiar with. He wasn’t really on my radar until friend and colleague Patrik Bexell and I were talking the other day. At this stage in his career, I have no idea if he has what it takes to make the NHL. I can’t be too tough on the minutia of his technique, but the most important thing for me right now is his instinct.
I’ve heard player scouts talk about how important it is for young players to think the game well. They’ve said that everything else can be fixed or built but if the brain isn’t there, it might never be.