With his 10th game in the books, the Carolina Hurricanes have officially signaled to the hockey world that 2020 first-round pick Seth Jarvis is an NHL player. And an effective one at that.
Jarvis’ path to becoming a full-time NHLer is unique. he was among the CHL contingent of players that started last season in the AHL because of the COVID-19 pandemic preventing some leagues from playing, including the WHL.
At one point, he led the AHL in scoring with seven goals and four assists. Thankfully for the rest of the league, the victimization would end after he was sent back to the WHL once the season resumed later in the campaign.
Jarvis went back to the Portland Winterhawks where he continued to be a two-way force. While his offensive numbers took a bit of a step back on a per-game basis, he was clearly one of the most skilled players in the western league and his defensive game looked quite improved.
With nothing left to prove at the WHL level and the AHL not being an option as Jarvis remains a teenager, the Canes kept him on their roster to start the season. It took a while, but on Halloween night, Jarvis finally made his debut – and announced to the world that he was ready for the big show.
Jarvis’ trademark puck skill and agility have shown up in flashes during his short NHL tenure, but it’s his persistence and adaptability that has allowed him to find success early on. He has found the scoresheet in six of his 11 games with four goals and two assists, but it could have easily been more impressive had two consecutive goals not been called back.
The AHL experience he had last season has proven valuable as he has stepped into the NHL seamlessly. Early returns, as you can see on the chart below, have been quite nice for the now-former Portland Winterhawk forward.
Jarvis has put up excellent results in a limited sample size at five-on-five. His power-play numbers look a bit underwhelming but should turn around as his skill set lends itself to playing with the man advantage in a major way. High skill, impressive passing, and a sneaky good shot tend to all play well on the man advantage.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour has put Jarvis in a position to succeed, and it’s working out. Playing primarily with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, the Hurricanes rookie is being given the run that most young players dream of. The trio has played at an extremely high level with a goals-for percentage of 72.69 percent and a shot-share of 58.04 percent.
Putting young, skilled players in the bottom six early in their careers is a recipe for disaster. Oftentimes, teams and fanbases complain when their high-end prospects look less than stellar early in their career despite not accounting for the fact that they are the only offensive presence on the fourth line, playing ten minutes a night. Brind’Amour has ensured that is not the case with Jarvis.
Jarvis blends high-level puck skills with impressive vision of the ice that allows him to put himself in the right place at the right time. His pace is through the roof as he looks to put the defenders on their heels regularly with his speed and agility.
Many scouts and analysts questioned whether the 2020 No. 13 overall pick would be able to play his game at the NHL level. Jarvis has translated his skill and ability to the NHL showing that he belongs in the show.
Confidence is key for young players and Jarvis has it in spades. Jarvis is here to stay.