Christ I’m a pretty big Engstrom fan and I completely forgot about himHe was probably 4th or 5th on the LD depth chart and Engstrom will be knocking soon. With Harris he was a victim of the numbers game.
He will get ample ice time in Columbus.
Welcome to Columbus, Jordan Harris! | Media Availability
Welcome to Columbus, Jordan Harris! | Media Availability
Harris’ underrated skating ability contributed to making Montreal’s defense one of the most mobile in the league. Smart, competitive and fluid, Harris was no mere ‘throw in’.If Laine has Harris's fresh outlook, humbleness and stable persona, he would be an outstanding player. What Harris lacks in talent and size, he makes up in smarts and heart. Good guy.
Being nice about Harris is fair enough, we have no hard feelings and he is undeniably an intelligent player, but his avoidance of physicality was a liability.
Harris’ underrated skating ability contributed to making Montreal’s defense one of the most mobile in the league. Smart, competitive and fluid, Harris was no mere ‘throw in’.
I think this high-reaching analysis of Harris is a bit precious. At his age, with his tenure, with his profile, there are not too many comparable players who’ve gone from where he is to where you claim he can go.I feel obliged to offer some push back on this.
Harris certainly was not avoiding the dirty areas or avoiding contact any more than he should have in situations where it was prudent to rely on his brain rather than his brawn. He was increasingly effective last season in physical battles and as per his teammates and management he is in ridiculous shape and has put on a lot of muscle. He is suprisingly strong for his size but will never be a bruiser nor should he attempt to be. Jordan Harris at his best can be a 2nd pairing high end puck mover who plays a strong defensive game highlighted by his high IQ, strong stick work and a clear understanding of how and when to engage physically depending on the opponent. His upside imo is a bigger/stronger version of Spurgeon which is a top 4 defender on a contending team. His downside imo is a versatile bottom pairing defender on a playoff team. This would put his likely future based on my ceiling/floor as being a #4/5 defender on a good playoff team and that is a valuable commodity especially if he can play both LD and RD effectively.
I personally think he will be a very good player for a long time and it is a testament to our abundance of high end prospects on the blueline that he was expendable because when you add his off ice attributes to his steadily improving on-ice game he is a player that very few organizations would want to move at this point in his development.
As per Don Waddell, Columbus was given a list of players to choose from and they selected Harris so he clearly is better than what some fans around here currently believe.