Don't you just love bigger things? Everyone loves bigger discounts, bigger food portions (until it sits you on the toilet and tears your insides apart), and bigger cars. But what about... bigger hockey players?
Would a 6'6" defenseman strike your fancy, especially if he weighed 209 pounds? Well, that's what Jacob Rombach brings to the table. He's a sizable blue liner who boasts a left-handed shot and is projected by some as a Top 32 prospect.
You know someone's good when they could go in the first round of the NHL Draft on some boards. That's especially true if they carry an offensive touch to their game. Rombach scored three goals and 15 assists with the USHL's Lincoln Stars this past season.
That's good enough for a team like the Vegas Golden Knights to consider. The mock drafts have been calling for Kelly McCrimmon to select a defenseman in the draft. With rumors of Nicolas Hague potentially being traded, they need a cheaper alternative to the giant 26-year-old.
That's where the University of Minnesota commit comes into play. Right off the bat, he provides that size that McCrimmon craves on his blue lines. But he also brings more to the table than merely being a big body.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights should select Jacob Rombach in the 2025 NHL Draft
There's the whole size thing that stands out with Rombach. That would make him a sizable replacement for Hague, should the defenseman leave. But that's not all he can do for McCrimmon and company.
One thing that the Golden Knights love doing more than anything is making opposing offenses work. That's done through various avenues, whether it's clogging shooting lanes or disrupting the offensive flow. The Golden Gophers commit does all these things, causing problems to other attackers.
Aside from his size, he also has excellent footwork, whether it's stepping inside or matching the attacker. He can close out opponents and has excellent range. That's part of a complete defensive toolkit that emulates that of a familiar face on the Golden Knights.
Of course, he's also suitable in other facets. Rombach retrieves pucks and can use his skating abilities to elude incoming traffic. All these make him a well-rounded player, a package adored by the Golden Knights.
What Rombach must work on to become a prominent player
While he has the necessary tools to be a solid two-way player, he must develop his offensive game further. That means relaxing and making better decisions. That way, he'll avoid making costly turnovers that hurt his team.
The 18-year-old must also become more active with his stick and make plays for himself. Sure, relying on your fellow forwards to make plays sounds nice. However, that won't work on a Golden Knights team fed up with an endless barrage of passes.
Look at Shea Theodore as a perfect example. He's become well-known in the Las Vegas hockey community for creating rebounds. That led to 50 assists this past season, which was a career-high for the Original Misfit.
If Rombach wants to have a "big" career in the NHL, making these adjustments will help him thrive. It could also lead to Vegas finding their replacement for Nicolas Hague, should he be traded out of town. Who knows? He might get a Stanley Cup and a party at Toshiba Plaza to top it all off. Wouldn't that be huge?