Today, we’re kicking off our 2018 edition of Top 25 Under 25 here at Winging it in Motown. In this series, we rank the top 25 players in the Red Wings system under 25 years old. This year, we asked the community to rank the players for us. All rankings were decided by a majority vote, 1-25. Rounding out the bottom of our list is forward John “Jack” Adams.
The Vitals
John Adams, No. 15 for Union College (NCAA)
Birth: 2/5/97 (21 years old), Boxford, Massachusetts
Position: LW/RW
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 205 lbs
Drafted: 2017, 6th rd. (162nd overall)
2017-2018 Stat Line: 28 GP, 4g-9a—13p
Adams was drafted by the Red Wings as an over-ager in 2017. He was coming off a scorching-hot USHL-leading season with 37 goals. In his freshman season with Union College, the numbers were far short of that, but he saw limited minutes on an already strong team. With just 13 points in 28 games, he was second on the team in that regard for freshmen. Three of those goals came at even strength, one on the power-play. In high school, Adams was seen as a lanky winger with less-than-average skating. Since then, the 21-year-old has added heaps of muscle, and has steadily improved on his footwork.
Jeff Cox, a scout with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, and columnist for the New England Hockey Journal has seen his fair share of Jack Adams in his time covering NCAA Hockey. Here’s what he had to say on the Union winger:
Jack is a big winger whose skating continues to improve. He has good hands for a big man. He can create time and space for his linemates and can make room for shots in quality scoring areas. He’s in a good situation at Union with Rick Bennett who is one of the best developers of talent in college hockey.
Adams hasn’t been signed to his entry-level contract, but I see the Red Wings not rushing with him. If they plan to have him in the big picture, it will likely come in a few years. He’ll play out his time with Union College, and then the team will lock him up if they like what they see from him. as Jeff pointed out, he’s in fantastic hands with Rick Bennett.
As stated above, this year’s rankings are based on a community vote. With that being said, we’ll weigh in on if we agree with the ranking for each player.
Personally, I wouldn’t have had Adams in my top 25, but I can see why some would. He’s a project winger who has a proven knack for scoring. We won’t see him in the NHL in the next two or three seasons, but there’s reason to be hopeful that he could end up being a bottom-six contributor for the team in the not-so-distant future.
Is Jack Adams a fair choice at 25?
| Yes | 331 |
| No | 156 |
