Per Scott Wheeler at the Athletic:
26. Jimmy Snuggerud — RW, U.S. NTDP, 6-foot-2
Over the course of every season, I poll U.S. NTDP players for their most underrated teammate. When the answers are scattered, I tend not to read too much into them. But when they’re close to unanimous, it’s hard not to read into what they see in practices and the rest that we maybe haven’t given enough shine to. This year, the answers were unflinching for two players: Snuggerud and Marek Hejduk. The latter is driven by his in-and-out-of-the-lineup year and the respect they all have for the way he handled it and the way he elevated everyone else with his work ethic. But Snuggerud, I know, is because they think he’s a darn good player and he doesn’t get the love he deserves playing on a line with Cooley and Gauthier, and a team that featured them plus Nazar, Howard and McGroarty up front.Snuggerud is a well-rounded three-zone player with a versatile offensive game who works harder than anyone out there. His head is always up and on a swivel, even in congested areas. He’s good below the goal line and makes a lot of low-to-high plays into the slot to find cutting teammates for chances. He sticks with the play and follows shots to the net to get to rebounds, playing a determined forechecking game.
He’s got a dangerous one-timer and catch-and-release wrister but he doesn’t tunnel vision for his shot, he sees the ice well, and he can make plays back against the grain. He’s got good hands, which help him make outside-in plays to beat defenders one-on-one more than he gets credit for. He uses space well and makes a lot of plays off of his backhand. His skating is a work in progress but I know he’s committed to it and spends a lot of time on it in the offseason. He’s also got a pro frame to build upon and a June birthday that gives him good runway.
