Sorry if someone else mentioned it, but this thread was starting to make my head explode. There's a lot of mind-blowing stuff in here about Jake's talent. But for me that is probably secondary.
Jake *sounds* like a more mature person in his recent interviews. Which, aside from his obvious progress with Green last year, makes me think that he is far more ready now for his shot in the NHL than he was when he first showed up. He hadn't matured enough as a person or player, regardless of his skill and size, and that was pretty clear in all of the interviews, video blurbs, etc.
He's grown as a person, as well as a player, in this past year. I was admittedly excited to see a homegrown kid make the club last time, but you could see in games that he wasn't ready. I hold a lot more optimism for him this time around. He seems to have gained much more of an understanding of what is required of him, on and off the ice. I'd be willing to bet that if you spoke to some of the older guys in the locker room, they'd be saying stuff about how he's got a different presence in the room.
Way to go, Jake. Take your experiences and make the most of them.