MLive’s Ansar Khan issues a 2019-2020 season outlook for Jacob de la Rose this morning. As Khan notes, de la Rose doesn’t really add anything to the mix in terms of offensive abilities, but I felt that he was a useful shut-down forward last season:
2019-20 outlook: The Red Wings took a flier on the 34th overall pick from 2013 who didn’t pan out in Montreal, hoping he was a late bloomer who could benefit from a change of scenery.
He is mobile, has good size and reach and his defensive instincts make him better suited for a checking role and penalty kill duty. He hasn’t shown any offensive proficiency during his brief NHL career, so he figures to be competing with the likes of Christoffer Ehn and Ryan Kuffner for a spot on the fourth line, likely on the wing.
De la Rose was a healthy scratch only once from the time he made his Red Wings debut until late March, when he was shut down due to a heart issue. He had surgery in early April and was scheduled to be on blood thinners for three months but was given clearance to resume training. He was expected to be fully recovered and ready to go at the start of training camp.
