2020 Draft: Neighbours' maturity part of what makes him top prospect

Every Thursday, NHL.com will look ahead to the 2020 NHL Draft with an in-depth profile on one of its top prospects.

Jake Neighbours' best quality might be his maturity.
When Brad Lauer, Neighbours' coach with Edmonton of the Western Hockey League, first met Neighbours in the fall of 2018, Lauer was surprised to learn Neighbours was only 16 years old.
"He carries himself really well," Lauer said. "As the season went along and I got to know him, I noticed our 20 year olds were always talking to him. He seemed like one of the older guys on the team. He just fit right in with that older group."
Neighbours (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) is well-developed physically but as Lauer points out, the 18-year-old forward has maturity beyond his years. Having grown up around several older siblings, Neighbours said he learned early to act older.

"I've got two half-brothers who are 32 and 30 now, and two step-sisters who are 24 and 22, and a younger brother who is 16. There's a pretty big age gap," he said. "Once you get to the age of 10 or 11 and your brothers are 14 years older than you, your brothers don't want to hang out with you anymore if you're going to be an annoying kid. So I've learned from a young age to be mature and relaxed so my brothers would want me around."
That maturity shows in the way Neighbours approaches the game.
"He's not one of those guys who wants to be noticeable with flash," Lauer said. "He's just a very grounded individual. He puts the time in. He's always one of the last guys leaving the gym, last guys on the ice working on his game. Those are the type of guys you look for. I don't need to go get him to work on things, he does it himself."
Neighbours' production took a leap this season, with 70 points (23 goals, 47 assists) in 64 games, up from 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 47 games in 2018-19.
As much as he enjoys scoring, Neighbours said he thrives on embracing the physical side of the game as well.
"I feel like I'm a unique combination of a player who plays with skill but also brings an edge and plays physical," he said. "I think when I'm finishing my checks and being a bit of a pest, that's when I'm playing my best. I love the hitting aspect and being a physical player. Players like (Calgary Flames forward) Matthew Tkachuk and (New York Islanders forward) Anders Lee, two players who play with an edge and play that physical type of game but also produce points and are leaders, those are two guys I look up to."
Whether the game is played with finesse or if it turns physical, Lauer said Neighbours is comfortable.
"He's one of those forwards I'd put in the power forward with good skill who can make plays category," Lauer said. "But he's also a big body who can play a heavy game in those tight, below the goal line, getting to the net type of games. He's got that ability to be that big man and the ability to make plays with good hands and a good hockey sense. He doesn't shy away from tough areas and that is a strongpoint of his game."

Neighbours, who is No. 26 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2020 Draft, credited Lauer for helping him improve this season by sharing experiences from his NHL career. Lauer played nine seasons with the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1986-87 and 1995-96, and was an assistant coach with the Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks before being hired by Edmonton in 2018.
"He knows what it takes to get to the next level," Neighbours said. "I've looked up to him big time and he's taught me a lot of things that have contributed to my game trending upwards. He's told me about little things that guys like (Lightning forward) Nikita Kucherov work on in practice and make you that much more effective during the game. He's told me stories of elite players like that working on parts of your game you wouldn't think of needing work."
Lauer said Neighbours has taken the experience he's gained and used it to build his game to where it is today, including better use of his size and strength, which should help him make the jump to the professional level.
"You see the growth and maturity of his game from last year," Lauer said. "Going through the experience he did last year, he's taken the time since last summer to put in the work on his game, getting in better shape and maturing as a player. But his game has changed to being that more power player type of game. A lot of the production he's had is those hard-area goals and points."
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