Sunday Top 10 - Your Call

I did this last season and had a lot of success thanks to great input from everyone out there...so I'm doing it again.

I've run out of ideas for the time being of Sunday Top 10 foci (I've got some ideas for a little later on in the season, but not right now). So...

I challenge you, the reader, to come up with an idea or a focus for next week's Top 10. Even if your idea is not the one I choose to do next Sunday, it could very well be something done in the coming weeks. I remember last time I did this, I actually used about 3 or 4 of the ideas for future articles.

Anyway, I want to hear/read what you've got! Post a comment with your idea(s) and check back next Sunday to see if I've selected yours!

Thoughts on Sudbury and Barrie from November 12

With T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford making their debut for Barrie, I figured I'd check out this game between Barrie and Sudbury on the OHL Action Pack. Barrie has been on fire lately, winning six in a row, and this one was no different. Crawford and Brodie each finished at +3 as the Colts took it to the Wolves by a score of 5-0. This Colts team is just dominating right now. An eye opening stat mentioned by the Colts broadcast crew was that the Colts have now gone 21 straight periods without being beaten. In other words, the Colts have not only gone seven straight games without losing, but they haven't even lost a period in any of those games. Quite impressive.

In watching Barrie before, and now with Brodie and Crawford, there is a difference. They join this lineup seamlessly and really help to get Barrie up ice quickly so that their forwards can take over play. Speaking of which, the Colts forward have really seemed to find some chemistry. All three lines were solid tonight, with even the fourth line of Ryan Strome, Dean Pawlaczyk, and David Mazurek dominating play down low on several occasions. Goaltender Peter Di Salvo had a great game too. I think there is much reason for Barrie fans to get excited this year, as this Colts team really does look like a contender for the OHL title, perhaps as the second best team behind the Windsor Spitfires.

Sudbury will have some tough times ahead. Already one of the worst offensive teams in the league, the Wolves will be without John McFarland for at least a few weeks as he's suffered a shoulder injury. The guys who need to pick up that slack, like Jared Staal and Marcus Foligno just aren't getting it done. Staal has 1 goal in his last 7 games, and Foligno hasn't scored since the third game of the season. The Wolves started this one with a bizarre offensive line up too. Nothing against Coach Foligno, because he knows what he's doing, but the forward lines he started with seemed like a recipe for disaster. The team's best player and only true offensive player, Eric O'Dell, was between 2 guys with a combined 4 goals on the year (Tarini and Allicock). Meanwhile, the club's other offensive threats were all on one, slow line (Kurtz, Staal, Foligno). Three very two way players, but also three forwards who lack the natural talent and foot speed to carry the puck into the zone. It's obvious that Coach Foligno is trying to find something without McFarland in the line up (and O'Dell's normal linemate), but it wasn't surprising to me that those lines failed to get anything done. And it didn't take long before they got thrown in the blender and mixed around. It wasn't until the 3rd period until the Wolves showed some life, much thanks to Eric O'Dell, but it was too little too late. Not a pretty game from their end at all and it certainly doesn't get easier for the Wolves to score as they'll be taking on the defensively stingy Mississauga Majors at home tomorrow.

On to some individual performance thoughts...

Sudbury Wolves





Justin Sefton (2011)
Highly touted draft selection of 2009, Sefton seems to be adjusting more and more to play in this league. I continue to be impressed with his defensive abilities, and ability to use his size at the ripe age of 16. On one occasion, beast Kyle Clifford came into the zone with a head of steam, but Sefton stayed in front of him, guided him to the boards and separated him from the puck. Quite a few defenders have a tough time with Clifford's size and speed combination, but not Sefton. He made a similar play on Stefan Della Rovere later in the game; another guy who's tough to contain. His offensive game still needs work, in particular his confidence in moving the puck up ice quickly, but I think there's some potential there. Late in the game he rushed the puck into the offensive end, which was a first for me in my viewings. He went end to end and took it right to the net, forcing Di Salvo to make a nice save. I hope he starts doing this more.

Jake Cardwell (2010)
Over the past two seasons, Caldwell has always been a guy who's caught my eye. He's got good size on the backend and he's not afraid to use it. He seems to be fairly mobile and has the ability to move the puck up ice. He runs the powerplay and can get his shot through to the net. The only thing missing is a big statline. I'm not entirely sure he's an NHL prospect, but I think it's worth giving him a solid shout out. He did well to defend against the Barrie rush and does a good job of staying ahead of the forwards. He had a couple nice rushes into the Barrie zone, in particular in the third period when Sudbury was trying to get some momentum back. He also hit the post with a point shot while on the powerplay. He did have a couple of turnovers in the defensive end, in particular one bad pass up the middle of the ice from behind his net, but nothing came of it.

Jared Staal (PHX)
Not much to say here. Completely invisible on the ice, for better or worse. Didn't make any glaring mistakes, but he didn't do anything in the offensive end either. Since his hot start to the season, he's gone quite cold as of late.

Daniel Maggio (NYR)
I thought he played a very solid game for a defender whose team just lost 5-0. Defensively he made a few very nice plays. For a guy his size, he has excellent mobility and he seems to do a very good job on rushing forwards. On two different occasions he was able to stay ahead of Kyle Clifford and Alex Hutchings, and keep them from the front of the net. It showed not only strong mobility, but good positioning too. He does need to tighten up his defensive zone coverage though and be quicker in picking up his man. Offensively, he rushes the puck well up ice and seems to make smart passing plays. On the powerplay, made a very nice play to keep the puck in the zone by knocking it down right at the line, then used the Brian Campbell esque spin'o'rama to elude two stick checks, and finishing the play off with a heads up cross ice pass for a one timer that was stopped by Peter Di Salvo. As a former 7th overall priority selection, his progress this year seems to be really flying under the radar.

Marcus Foligno (BUF)
Struggled tonight. Took two bad, sloppy, undisciplined penalties to negate his teams powerplays. The first a tripping call, the second a high stick. Nothing like taking two different penalties with the man advantage to kill any momentum offensively. Also had a couple terrible giveaways in his own end, one a bad pass to the middle of the ice that was picked off at the blueline. Another where he was stripped of the puck from behind while trying to carry it out of the defensive zone. Both led to scoring chances, but not to goals. Offensively, he just isn't getting anything done. As a penalty killer and board player, he's effective, but the Sabres didn't draft him to be a 4th line plugger. Hoping that playing for his dad again turns his game around for the better as the season goes on.

Eric O'Dell (ATL)
I thought he was really the only Sudbury forward who was able to generate offense tonight. Plays both ends of the ice, made a couple of very nice plays defensively to tie up his man. He works the cycle well and he can make things happen off the rush. Missed on a penalty shot (which was a terrible call) after taking the puck off a falling Nick Crawford and going hard to the net. Nothing to show for on the stat sheet, but this loss wasn't his fault. He's definitely missing John McFarland right now, as the two had built up quite the chemistry this season.

Barrie Colts






Alexander Burmistrov (2010)
Was part of the Colts most effective line on the night, with Alex Hutchings and Stefan Della Rovere. This line just couldn't be stopped. Burmistrov is such a smart offensive player. He doesn't need much room to slip through the defense and has a lot of confidence in carrying the puck. On Barrie's final goal of the game, he took the puck end to end on the powerplay, deking through two Wolves defenders, before smartly pulling up and finding Nick Crawford for the open point shot. Stefan Della Rovere promptly made the redirect, but it was Burmistrov's original play that got the ball rolling. His overall game is really rounding into form too. He's still doing good work on the penalty kill, but he's showing more effort 5 on 5 defensively and on the backcheck. He also is showing a willingness to stand in front of the net for screens, like he did on the Rovere tip in third period goal. Hasn't finished a game with a minus rating in 10 games. His stock for the draft can only go up at this point.

Alex Hutchings (TBL)
Simply put, Hutchings was a beast tonight. His speed caused a lot of trouble for the Wolves defense, in particular for the Wolves forwards on the backcheck. On the penalty kill, he was outstanding, pressuring on the forecheck and killing time along the boards. He takes the puck on the outside and goes hard to the net with speed, and his acceleration and low center of gravity make him very hard to stop, even if he is slightly undersized. Scored a goal on a nice pass from SDR in the first and picked up two assists on Barrie's 3rd and 4th goals. I'm disappointed he didn't get an invite to the Subway Super Series, because he deserves to be there. If there's an injury, I don't doubt he'd be the first they'd call to play.

Kyle Clifford (LA)
While he didn't have any points tonight, he made a difference. As I mentioned, his speed and size combination make him very hard to stop. While Sudbury's defense made a few nice plays on him, they largely had trouble containing him. On one excellent play, he slipped behind the defense for a breakaway, missed the net but followed up his rebound, shrugged off a check and took the puck hard to the front of the net on a wrap around. Unfortunately Andrew Loverock made a nice save on the play, but it showed how hard he is to stop with full momentum. He seems to be gaining a lot of confidence in just taking the puck to the net as soon as he gets it on his stick, which is something the Kings have to be happy with (in terms of his development).

Nick Crawford (BUF)
Played a tremendous game. Was solid defensively, playing a sound positional game. He keeps himself between the net and the opposing forward very well, and he reacts to the play like an NHL veteran. Offensively, he's incredibly smart too. Had three points on the night, a goal and 2 assists. What I like about Crawford is that he doesn't feel the need to take a big slapper from the point. He's comfortable putting a hard, accurate wrist shot towards the goal, and it creates scoring chances. He scored on one, and had another redirected for a goal. All in all, a tremendous first impression for him in Barrie, and perhaps out of the shadows in Saginaw, he'll start to garner the respect he deserves as an NHL prospect and top OHL defender.

Stefan Della Rovere (WSH)
Since starting the season very slowly, SDR has been outstanding of late (7 goals in his last 10 games). He's taking the puck hard to the net, he's crashing the net looking for rebounds, he's screening the goalie on point shots, and he's back to being his general shift disturbing self. Always a physical threat, Rovere is really hard to contain along the wall. Always keeps his feet moving in loose puck battles near the boards, part of the reason he rarely loses them. Scored a nice goal on a redirect in front of the net. Scored another goal on a nice reaction off a rebound, by turning and firing it top shelf, surprising Loverock. He also made a great pass to Alex Hutchings for the first goal of the game. Won a battle for the puck behind the net and made a beautiful back pass to a streaking Hutchings for the one timer. As long as he can keep his emotions in check and remain disciplined, he's such a valuable player to have on the ice in this league.

T.J. Brodie (CGY)
Like Crawford, this was Brodie's first game with Barrie and he was very strong. Interestingly enough, Brodie wasn't really involved offensively tonight like his partner Nick Crawford was. But he was solid defensively. Was never beat to the net, was winning battles in the corners. Did a good job on coverage. I even saw him rub out an opposing forward along the boards. That physical play is something you don't see enough of from Brodie. If he can put forth the defensive effort he did tonight...consistently for Barrie...it won't be long before more than just OHL and Calgary Flames fans know who this guy is. Like Crawford, he finished +3.

Bryan Cameron (Overage Free Agent)
Cameron didn't have a tremendous game, taking some undisciplined penalties. But he has been on absolute fire lately, with 7 goals in his last 5 games before this affair. I really like him as a player and I hope an NHL team gives him a shot this offseason.

Darren Archibald (2010, but 1990 born)
I was shocked when this guy went undrafted last season, after his strong OHL rookie season and playoffs. I'll be even more shocked if he goes undrafted or signed again this year. He's big, he can skate well for his size, and he has good hands and offensive instincts. A true power forward prospect who can do a little bit of everything. Besides Alex Hutchings, I thought Archibald was Barrie's best forward tonight. On his first shift of the game, he took a drop pass from Taylor Carnevale and ripped a snap shot off the crossbar. Later in the period, he flew down the wing, shrugged off a check from Josh McFadden, took the puck straight to the net and fired home a wrist shot top shelf. Quite an impressive goal. He also made a few really nice passes tonight in transition. Big power forwards who can play offense in transition don't grow on trees. He also kills penalties and makes a consistent effort on the backcheck. He saved a likely goal in the second period after coming back to the defensive zone to cover for a pinching defenseman, and intercepting a pass to a wide open Sudbury player in front of the net. After starting the season off slowly as he recovered from injury, Archibald has a 6 game point streak (6 goals, 4 assists) going now. This guy is a beast.

Taylor Carnevale (2010, but 1991 born)
Exploded offensively this season in Barrie and has a lot of people talking about his draft prospectus. Mark Seidel has him in his recent top 100 for the NACS. He seems to have very good chemistry with Darren Archibald and these two worked the give and go on several occasions. He has good speed and he's not afraid to work hard on the forecheck or in the corners. Kind of a jack of all trades who's smarts and vision give him the opportunity to put up points. He finished with a secondary assist on Archibald's goal.

Peter Di Salvo (2010, but 1990 born)
This one is for Mr. CAPS (read my comments section and you'll know!). Di Salvo was excellent tonight. Didn't really face much in the way of serious scoring chances until the third period, but he shut the door all night long. I really like how aggressive he is in challenging shooters. He gets out right past the blue ice and gives opposing shooters very little to aim for. His rebound control was a little bit suspect tonight, especially on long shots, but not much more you could ask from him tonight. Made all 28 saves for the shutout victory. By the way, Di Salvo has one of the coolest masks in the OHL (check it out)

That's it, anyone else see Brodie and Crawford's first game with the Colts?

Thoughts on Kitchener and Mississauga from November 11

Happy Remembrance Day everyone. Was great to see a solid tribute put on by the Majors staff and the Hershey Centre before the game. An 11 a.m. start for this match between two of the best clubs in the Ontario Hockey League. The early start was part of the "School Day" promotion that most OHL teams are now using once or twice a year in order to attract youth to the OHL.

This game had two faces. The first face occurred in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game when the Kitchener Rangers dominated play and looked poised to run away with this one. The second face occurred throughout the rest of the game where the Majors completely dominated play and held the Rangers to under 20 shots in the game.

This was a great victory for Mississauga, as their defense was tested against one of the premier offenses in the OHL. They were up to the challenge as they kept the Rangers largely to the perimeter and prevented them from gaining any energy in the offensive zone. The Majors forward unit played a great game too, as they did their job in keeping play in the Kitchener zone, winning puck battles and keeping possession. I'm not sure about time of possession numbers, but this one was largely dominated by the Missy.

Kitchener really fell flat. Not sure if it was the early start time that through them off, but they didn't have much energy in this one. Their defense had trouble starting the attack, and really fell victim to the forecheck of the Majors. This prevented anything resembling a quick transition game, which in my experience watching this Rangers squad, is something they need to do to be successful.

Thoughts on individual players...

Kitchener Rangers





John Moore (CBJ)
Second time I've seen Moore this season, and second time I've come away less than inspired. He hasn't scored a goal since his first game in the league. The skating and mobility is definitely his biggest asset. Majors forwards had a hard time getting around him on the attack, and he always appeared to be a step ahead (or a step closer to the net) than the rushing forward. But his coverage in the zone seems to need work. On a few occasions he seemed lost in his own zone, failing to pick up his man or communicate with his defensive partner (mostly Jonathan Jasper). In the second period, his pairing gave up a breakaway to Majors forward Riley Brace as he got behind them. Offensively, to be bluntly honest, he was a non factor. The Majors forecheck was all over him and really prevented him from skating with the puck up ice. I can't remember him making any rushes that resulted in access to the Majors zone. For a player billed as an elite rushing defenseman, this area of his game has less than dazzled me in two viewings. On the powerplay, he failed to get his point shot through to the net either, and even had trouble 5 on 4 with bringing the puck up ice and eluding the forecheck. I'm not saying he's a terrible player, but if anything I expected to see a guy (as a first round pick and someone who nearly made an NHL roster) to be head and shoulders above the competition...which he hasn't been.

Tyler Randell (BOS)
He had a pretty solid game overall. His line with Alex Aleardi and Ben Thomson was one of the few actually working hard in the offensive zone. However, there does appear to be some consistency issues at work here. For every shift he was a factor, there were two where he was completely invisible. For a player of his ilk, that's unacceptable. He needs to find a way to get involved on every shift, whether it be making a big hit, or doing a good job on the cycle. When he did have a good shift, he was very noticeable as a tough object to move in front of the net and in the corners. He scored a nice goal off a beautiful feed from Alex Aleardi. Aleardi had the puck behind the net, fed it to Randell in front of the net for the one timer over Anderson's shoulder. He clearly has good hands in close, he just needs to put himself in more situations to capitalize from them.

Ryan Murphy (2011)
Continue to be impressed by this young defenseman. His skating ability and eagerness to bring the puck up ice is refreshing. He too was affected by the forecheck of the Majors, but he did manage to get away on a few occasions and bring the puck up ice to advancing forwards. Defensively, he needs to get stronger in order to handle forwards in front of the net, but the intelligence is there. This guy could be one of the best offensive defenseman in the league by next season.

Alex Aleardi (2010)
Aleardi reminds me a lot of Niagara's Alex Friesen last season. Tons of speed to burn, great on the forecheck and the cycle, but ultimately missing something that's preventing him from capitalizing more often from hard work. He seems to have a really hard time keeping the puck on his stick at full speed, and as such very little came from his attacks deep into Mississauga territory. He did do well in the cycle and managed to make a very nice pass to Tyler Randell for his goal. At this point I'm not sure he's an NHL draft selection, but if you look at the progression of Friesen this season, with added strength and confidence, perhaps Aleardi can still become a top quality player in this league.

Jeff Skinner (2010)
Thought he was Kitchener's best forward today, although I'm not sure that's saying much. Seemed to be one of the few Kitchener players still moving their feet and giving it all in the second and third periods. Had two nice rushes where he managed to breakthrough the Majors defensive pairing for a chance in close on J.P. Anderson...although both times he was turned away by the goaltender. He showed some chippyness in the game too and was in a few little after the whistle skirmishes. While his motor is running at full speed in the offensive end, I do wish he was able to translate that at the other end of the ice consistently. It would definitely make him a more valuable prospect to NHL scouts.

Jeremy Morin (ATL)
Morin was invisible in this one. Completely blanketed by the Majors defense. He threw a couple nice hits though, one in particular near the Rangers bench. Haven't seen that side of his game yet. But not much else to say here.

Gabriel Landeskog (2011)
Had some good shifts in the first period where he used his speed to disrupt the Majors transition game. In particular, took the puck off Cameron Gaunce on one occasion and was able to create a scoring chance off of it. I like his drive to the net too, and his fearlessness. But he was invisible in the second and third periods much like the rest of his teammates.

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors




Stuart Percy (2011)
Really starting to like the way he plays the game more and more. Seems like he's getting better (and gaining more confidence) every time I see him play. Defensively he was excellent today. He shows great anticipation of the play and is aware of how to cut off scoring lanes to forwards. On one occasion he saved a breakaway by being aware of the Majors player stepping out of the box, and instead of pinching to keep the puck in, he peeled off the blueline and positioned himself between the passing lane and the player, intercepting the pass and putting it back into the zone. It was a little thing, but something that shouldn't go unnoticed. Offensively, he's bringing the puck up ice more, playing well on the powerplay, and doing a very good job of keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Made a really nice slap pass to Jordan Mayer in the slot on the powerplay, forcing Mavric Parks to make a big save. Percy is getting better and better and seems to be one of the best 1993 defenseman in the league this season.

Tim Billingsley (PHX)
Had a rough first period, but settled down in the second and third. In the first he made a couple really sloppy passes that resulted in scoring chances for the Rangers. But he got better and was unnoticeable the rest of the game, which means Billingsley did his job defensively. But this isn't the first game I've seen where he started off poorly, before settling in. I'm starting to wonder if this is a habit...

Brett Flemming (WSH)
After starting the season off pretty cold, Flemming really seems to be settling in this month, with 6 points in 5 games thus far. He's back to playing in all situations for the Majors and seems to be playing with a lot more confidence than when I last saw him. He's rushing the puck up ice, he's playing solid defense, and he's doing a very good job on the powerplay. One thing I'd like to see him do is shoot the puck more. He gets opportunities from the point, but continues to elect to pass. Sometimes if you're open, you gotta get the puck to the net from the blueline.

Casey Cizikas (NYI)
Cizikas is transforming himself into one of the better two way players in the league. He's got 9 points in 5 November games thus far and is really starting to gain confidence offensively. He was all over the ice today. Caused a lot of trouble for the opposing defense on the forecheck and forced quite a few turnovers. He seems to anticipate the play very well. He's taking the puck to the net with authority and made a very nice pass to Devante Smith-Pelly for a one time shot in the slot. He was hitting players too and doing a good job of trying to get under the skin of the Rangers. On the penalty kill, he's one of the best in the business. Disrupts play so well and forces bad passes with his anticipation. He did take a very undisciplined penalty towards the end of the game though, giving the Rangers a 6 on 4 with the net empty.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
The best player for the Majors today, IMO. He may not have the height of your prototypical power forward, but he plays like one. He finishes his checks, he takes the puck hard to the net, he's defensively responsible, he skates well, he's strong in the corners. Not much he can't do right now. His speed and acceleration is quite good. He blew by a Ranger defenseman (I believe Dodero) and managed to get a shot on goal from a bad angle coming down the wing. He had that aforementioned chance in the slot set up by Cizikas, but was turned away by Parks again. Defensively, he was outstanding. First forward back in his zone, winning the battles in the corners, and really pushing people around. On the forecheck, he was very active. Caused one turnover with a big hit along the boards that got the puck free for a scoring chance to Casey Cizikas. This guy is a HUGE riser on the draft board if he continues to play this way.

Gregg Sutch (2010)
Recently returned from an ankle injury and still seems to be going through he feeling out process. Playing on a line with Jordan Mayer and William Wallen, so he is getting an opportunity. Had a few nice hits and appears eager to throw his body around and go hard to the front of the net. Unfortunately he wasn't able to finish off any plays in front of the net, with his best opportunity coming on a rebound, but his stick broke. We'll see if he can start finishing off some of those chances a month from now when he should be fully rehabilitated.

Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Did not have a good first period at all. Was sloppy with the puck, failed to tie up his man in front of the net on the Tyler Randell goal, and became a victim of the Rangers forecheck. He really does seem to have a hard time with teams who have forwards with speed on the forecheck. Simply needs to get that puck out of his zone quicker. But it's as if a light went on in the second period and he began playing much better. Had a few nice rushes with the puck (something I haven't seen with much consistency from Gaunce this year). Made a beautiful pass to spring Riley Brace on a breakaway in the second. Spun away from the forecheck, waited patiently and hit Brace right down the middle of the ice; a beautiful pass. Defensively, he became much better, was taking the body and taking no prisoners. Finished with an assist on Dustin Ekelman's goal, after he put a weak shot on net that generated a big rebound. I am starting to slowly wonder about his ability to transfer him game to the NHL level though.

J.P. Anderson (2010)
Anderson got the start in this game and wasn't tested all that much. Did a very nice job in the first period, keeping his team in the game, but wasn't tested at all really in the second and third (save the last 2 minutes of the 3rd). He reacts very well to the play and takes away the bottom of the net very well. His rebounds were either collected or kicked out to the corners, so he did a great job in that area. The shot that beat him was high, and for an undersized butterfly goalie, this will be a concern for him going forward (just the way it was for Mike Murphy). It'll be interesting to see how things play out for him this season. He made 16 of 17 saves for the win.

Thoughts? Comments?

HUGE Barrie and Saginaw Trade

I don't usually report on trades here, but I felt this one needed some talking about.

Today it was announced that the Barrie Colts and Saginaw Spirit have completed a four player trade. The Colts have acquired defenseman T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford, while defenseman Ryan O'Connor and forward Michael Sgarbossa head to Saginaw.

Confirmed HERE.

This is an absolutely massive deal for both clubs, with the exchange of four higher profile OHL players.

For Barrie, this is a trade they had to make. If they want to swing with the big boys in the West (and with Mississauga in the East), they needed to upgrade their defense. Not only are T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford excellent at running the powerplay and moving the puck up ice (currently 2nd and 3rd in defenseman scoring), but they are also solid veteran players who can play solid defense. Nick Crawford in particular is on the ice in all situations for Saginaw. On the downside, this deal was made in order to make a run this season. Losing two very good 92's like O'Connor and Sgarbossa will hurt this team next season when Brodie and Crawford (likely) have moved on to the professional ranks. But as I said, they had to make this deal. Their time is now to make a run in the Eastern Conference.

For Saginaw, this move must be a hard one to swallow for the fans. On a purely business side of things, this deal makes sense. One small step backward in order to take a larger step forward next season and beyond. But with the team playing so well (3rd in the West), it has to be hard for the fans to fathom the fact that the team has decided to trade their two best defenseman in an effort to rebuild. Obviously Todd Watson and Saginaw management believe that the team is not strong enough to win the Western Conference this year, but that they might be next year. For that reason, I really like this trade from their point of view as well. Ryan O'Connor and Michael Sgarbossa are two high quality offensive players. By this time next year, O'Connor could likely be as good as T.J. Brodie is now, and he could also be a potential top 60 NHL draft selection. Sgarbossa is a talented playmaking forward who very likely jumps right into the Spirit top 6. He's also likely an NHL draft selection and a guy who next season, will be able to replace the types of things Jordan Skellett is providing as an overager this year. Let's face it, O'Connor and Sgarbossa are no scrubs right now either. Both were playing a large role for the top team in the Western Conference. If a young Spirit defenseman can step up to fill the void, this team might not even lose much this year.

What are your thoughts on the trade?

Sunday Top 10 - Players Who are Exceeding Expectations

Since last week's Top 10 examined those players underachieving so far this season, I thought it might only be fitting to talk about those players who are playing incredibly well. However, not are they playing well, but they are exceeding the expectations that many had for them going into the season. The list is a real mixed bag that includes some overagers finally taking that step forward, draft eligible players maturing quicker than expected, and one free agent who was possibly even a long shot to make his team.

10. Jordan Skellett - Saginaw Spirit
The Saginaw Spirit are right in the thick of things in the Western Conference standings (to the surprise to this blogger) and Skellett has been a big reason. Carried offensively last year by two star overagers (Chris Chappell and Jack Combs), the Spirit have continued to get a strong improvement in production from their overagers this season. Once picked off the scrap heap in Erie, Skellett provided secondary scoring for Saginaw last season. But he's never been close to a point per game player in the league. Well, he currently sits third in the league in scoring and is on pace to double his production from last season. Skellett has always been a very capable playmaker, but now he's getting the ice time, and confidence to take his game to the next level.

9. Bobby Mignardi - Owen Sound Attack
When the Kingston Frontenacs made the move to acquire Tyler Beskorowany, a lot of Kingston fans were worried that the Fronts fixed one hole, by opening up a bigger one. Mignardi was a guy who had a disappointing 2008-09 season (like most of Kingston), and it was probably time for a change of scenery. Boy has that change helped. Frontenacs fans might have been right to worry that Mignardi had more in him. He currently sits 6th in goal scoring in the league with 15 and has been huge for an Owen Sound team who's needed his production in the face of consistency problems from the rest of their offensive forwards.

8. Alex Friesen - Niagara IceDogs
Even though he's gone kind of cold recently, Friesen has still been outstanding for the Dogs this season. Perhaps his coming out party was last season's playoffs when Friesen was one of Niagara's best players, and coming into this season there were some expectations that he could raise his game. But for a player who scored 11 goals last year, and who showed a lot of offensive frustration, I don't think the expectations were THAT high. Friesen was at one point in the top 10 of OHL scoring and has already surpassed his goal totals of last year. His speed and energy make him a very valuable offensive player in this league and as a 1991 born player, this could only be the tip of the iceberg.

7. Troy Passingham - Windsor Spitfires
Passingham played sparingly in the QMJHL the past two seasons, spending the majority of last year with the Vaughn Vipers of the OPJHL. Picked off the scrap heap and invited to training camp, Passingham earned the back up job behind Josh Unice to start the season. But as Unice struggled, Passingham provided a steady and calm presence in the net that was much needed for a team with high expectations. Then Unice got injured and Passingham was given the starter's role. He's been solid the entire season for Windsor and is providing much the same Andrew Engelage did last season. He's not losing games for Windsor and he's making the stops when he needs too. It remains to be seen whether the Spits will go out and get another goaltender, but Passingham has at the very least provided way more than was expected of him.

6. Anthony Luciani - Erie Otters
While the Erie Otters have struggled a bit without the likes of Ryan O'Reilly and Jaroslav Janus (who recently returned), it'd be tough to argue that they wouldn't be even worse off without Anthony Luciani. He had 14 points all of last season. This year, Luciani already has 14 goals and has often provided to a spark to an Erie team that's vastly needed it. It seems the rest of the Erie offense has finally started to come to life around him, which can mean things could get even better for him.

5. Tony DeHart - Oshawa Generals
Originally acquired by Oshawa in 2008 for a 6th round pick, DeHart is another player who was acquired without much fan fare. If you would have guessed that a "De" named defenseman would be leading the Generals, you would have likely guessed Calvin de Haan. But DeHart has been tremendous all season long for an Oshawa team that seems to be improved from last season (save their recent 7 game slide). He's provided leadership and excellent play at both ends of the ice and currently sits 6th in the league among defenseman scoring.

4. Matthew Tipoff - Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls may be struggling through a rebuilding season, and they may have one of the worst goals per game in the league, but one player who hasn't struggled for them is Tipoff. An energy guy who had to be disappointed he went undrafted last year, Tipoff has completely brought his game to another level this season. He's currently in the top 10 of league scoring and has only been held pointless in three games this year. He's also a good 13 points ahead of the next Belleville forward in scoring. If only the rest of the Bulls younger forwards had taken that kind of a step forward.

3. Devante Smith-Pelly - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Smith-Pelly finished 11th in team scoring last year as a rookie, but did play a key energy line role for the Majors. Obviously, as a former first rounder, there were some expectations for Smith-Pelly to increase his production with increased ice time. But I can't say I thought he had this type of offensive production in him, at least this fast. But he's now leading arguably the best team in the East in goals, points, and +/-. Since being placed on the first line with Casey Cizikas and William Wallen (at least most of the time), Smith-Pelly has been on fire with 16 points in his last 9 games. This has to bode well for his NHL draft aspirations.

2. Taylor Beck - Guelph Storm
Last season, the consensus seemed to be that Beck was the complimentary player among the Guelph Storm's offensive players. A hard worker, but one with skating issues, Beck experienced some inconsistency in his offensive game. But with Matt Kennedy, Peter Holland, and Michael Latta experiencing injury troubles and consistency issues of their own, it's been Beck who has taken the team on his back offensively. Currently sitting 6th in league scoring with 31 points, Beck is 15 points ahead of the closest Storm player. Maybe we had it all wrong, maybe Beck was the true offensive star of the bunch? I definitely did not expect him to have the type of production he has this season.

1. Tyler Seguin - Plymouth Whalers
You had to have seen this one coming...right? Yes, he was an OHL first rounder, and yes he probably should have won the OHL Rookie of the Year last season. But I heard many a people claim that he was riding the coattails of his linemates Matt Caria and Chris Terry. And I heard quite a few question as to how he would do without them this season. Turns out, maybe Terry and Caria were riding Seguin's coattails. He currently sits 2nd in league scoring with 36 points and has thrust himself into the picture for first overall in 2010, despite being largely underrated by the mass population last year. With the amount of injuries the Whalers have suffered at forward, it's amazing that he's been able to do what he's been doing without a whole heck of a lot of help.

Honorable Mention:
I Did it, I did it! I made it through a top 10 without cheating the rules and including more than 10 players in my actual top 10. That being said, I think there are some players who need to have their names mentioned too (and in no particular order). Colts center Taylor Carnevale has been excellent for the team thus far, providing scoring and excellent penalty killing to one of the strongest teams in the East. His emergence has really helped to give the Colts a balanced offensive attack and the second best offense in the OHL. Owen Sound Attack defenseman Geoffrey Schemitsch has been arguably the league's best rookie this season. A walk on free agent, the expectations on Schemitsch were obviously small, but he currently finds himself top 10 in defenseman scoring and has been a calming presence to an inconsistent Attack defense. I didn't include him on this list because as a rookie, I felt like maybe it opened the door to including too many rookies on this list who obviously had small expectations going into the season. Mississauga St. Michaels Majors goaltender Chris Carrozzi has been outstanding this year, leading the league in goals against average and currently second in save percentage. Many people wrote the OHL veteran and NHL draft selection off this season, expecting him to give way to talented youngster J.P. Anderson. But he's forced a platoon situation yet again, one that even sees him getting the majority of starts. Who knows what happens as the season goes on, but Carrozzi is definitely playing the best hockey of his career when many expected him to be the back up. Finally, Windsor Spitfires defenseman Mark Cundari has been outstanding this season. Always a solid two way defender, Cundari's offensive game has improved dramatically this year and he's playing with a ton of confidence right now. He currently sits 5th in defenseman scoring and could even be forcing his way into contention for the Canadian World Junior team. As much as I've always liked Cundari, I would have never guessed that.

So...Hats off to all those players starting the season well and keep it up! Anyone you think I missed that deserves to be mentioned, then hit up the comments section and let me know!

Thoughts on Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie from November 5

Having only seen these teams a few times this year so far, I decided to catch this one on the Action Pack last night. The game saw the recent return of very important players for both clubs. Jordan Nolan was playing in his second game back after serving a 20 game suspension stemming from an incident involving Plymouth's R.J. Mahalak at the end of last season. Ryan Ellis played in his first game in over a month after suffering a wrist injury. Meanwhile the Hounds were still without the services of forward James Livingston (death in the family) and goaltender Robin Lehner (apparently has H1N1 virus).

After coming away with two wins last weekend, it was a big chance for the Hounds to get back on track and start off this week well. But they came up short. The Spitfires forwards were just too fast and too skilled, causing a lot of trouble for the Hounds defense. Bryce O'Hagan had a very good game in net for the Hounds, as he faced 45 shots, the majority of which were solid scoring chances. I still think that Sault Ste. Marie is a good team in the West and that they'll make the playoffs. But with a young defense (minus the two overagers) and a young roster in general, there will be some bumps along the way.

Some individual thoughts on the players...As always with a Windsor game, it's hard to keep up with the many NHL prospects they have.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds






Brandon Archibald (2010)
Of the Hounds younger defenseman, Archibald was the best last night. I know that's not saying a lot, but I felt he displayed some things that makes him an attractive NHL prospect. I know every time I've seen him play, I've come away impressed (to differing extents). He made a couple of nice defensive plays on Taylor Hall, staying with him on the rush and forcing him to go outside. For a big guy, he has pretty good mobility. He did get blown by once by Hall though on the powerplay, as he was caught standing still. That's more positionally related though and not necessarily mobility. Offensively, he had his ups and downs. I know he can handle the puck and make a good first pass out of his zone, but he needs more confidence doing it. Towards the end of the game he made a nice pinch and put a good hard shot on net. He's capable offensively, just needs more confidence. I think he's nearly a carbon copy to Matt Clark in Brampton, and we saw how high Clark was drafted in 2009. This leads me to believe Archibald is easily a top 60 selection at this point too.

Daniel Catenacci (2011)
All this kid needs is added strength. He's got all the offensive capabilities you look for. Killer speed, which he used to breakthrough the defense on a few occasions last night. Offensive instincts, he knows where to be on the ice. His all around game is maturing and he's not afraid to take a hit to make a play or go into the corners for a loose puck. He's just missing the strength and conditioning that would allow him to be a dominant offensive force in this league. Because he's not strong enough, he's relying strictly on his speed right now to generate offensive scoring chances. Any time the game slows down, he gets held up by the defense. His shot strength isn't where it needs to be at this point either. Had a few good opportunities coming down the wing, but put a weak shot right into the chest of Passingham both times. By the end of the season, you'll see, he'll be much better and more dynamic, as he gets stronger.

Jordan Nolan (LA)
Didn't take him long to get his game back. He was the Greyhounds best skater in the game. Really the only Greyhound player generating scoring chances (save a few nice plays from Catenacci). His acceleration and first step aren't great, but once he gets going, he's hard to stop. Took the puck to the outside and beat his defender along the wall a couple of times, both leading to eventual scoring chances. On the lone Hounds goal, he made a beautiful pass to a streaking Michael Quesnele on the powerplay. It was a beautiful and hard pass cross ice through two Spits defenders. The only thing he's missing right now is his timing. Had a few good opportunities to score but missed on them as he either failed to get a shot off, or shot it well wide.

Brock Beukeboom (2010)
I like Beukeboom, but he had a terrible game last night. Definitely the worst I've ever seen him play. To an extent, I almost feel like he was exposed a bit too. Greyhounds fans might be able to comment more, but after that hot start, he's really quieted down lately. His mobility and foot speed really got exposed in this game as a weakness. Richard Panik exploded by him twice, once hitting the post, the other time drawing a penalty. On a few other plays, his positioning got exposed as players went by him as he got caught standing around or turning around. He was terrible with the puck too, committing several bad passes. One was inside his own zone as he made a pass to partner Michael Quesnele. The pass was more like a slap shot and Quesnele was nowhere near ready for the speed or inaccuracy of the pass, this lead to a turnover and another post hit by Richard Panik. Towards the end of the 3rd period, he committed an atrocious turnover that lead to a Spitfires 3-0 break and a Taylor Hall goal. As the rest of his team was going off for a change, instead of dumping the puck in, he decided to make a drop pass...to no one. Just a complete brain fart. Definitely not the best game for this 2010 prospect.

Bryce O'Hagan (2010)
I thought he played exceptionally well last night. He has very good goaltending mechanics. Got himself square to the shooter on every play and reads and reacts well to the play, knowing when to challenge the shooter. His rebound control is very strong too and he did a good job of freezing that puck. He really couldn't be faulted on any of the Spitfires goals and did his best to keep his team in the game. After starting the season so well, he's struggled lately on the stat sheet. Hounds fans is this a reflection of his play or on the Hounds defense? On the negative side, he really needs to stop handling the puck. Every time he went out to try and make a play on the puck, he ended up giving it away to the Spitfires. And every time that caused a scoring chance. Stay in your net Bryce!...or keep working on those puck skills (or at least the timing of using them anyway). He made 41 of 45 saves and took the loss.

Windsor Spitfires







Taylor Hall (2010)
Just all over the place in this one. After some people criticized him for not really taking a step forward last season (perhaps merited), there is no doubt in my mind that he has this year. His speed and puck carrying ability is second to none in this league. His ability to make plays at his highest speed is his greatest quality. He's really cut down on the turnovers this year too, from what I've seen. In previous years, I found that he could be forced into turning the puck over around the neutral zone, but I haven't been seeing that this year. He's been much smarter with the puck. To open the game he had a highlight reel goal, an NHL quality goal on the powerplay. Cam Fowler hit him with a pass cross ice and Hall unleashed a howitzer on the one timer top shelf. Not even Roberto Luongo stops that one. Gained an assist after making a nice pass to Adam Henrique on a two on one in the third period. Finally, got a late third period goal after stealing Brock Beukeboom's terrible backpass and going in on a breakaway, going five hole on O'Hagan. I think Hall's defensive game has improved by leaps and bounds too, and he's playing effectively on the penalty kill. Not much he can't do right now. Finished the game with 2 goals and an assist.

Ryan Ellis (NSH)
Good to see Ellis back from that wrist injury. He was great in the game. Solid at both ends of the ice, is starting to become a very capable positional defender. Absolutely nailed Daniel Catenacci with a great hit as he tried to gain access over the blueline. Not many guys run a powerplay like this guy too, which everyone knows. His instincts are so strong. I've never seen a defenseman at this level with the ability to keep the puck in the zone that he has. Unless the puck is going 100mph out of the zone, this guy is stopping it at the line. He finished with an assist.

Adam Henrique (NJ)
Had a solid game as always. Brings speed, forechecking ability, hard work and two way play to the ice every game. Made a nice move in close for the 2 on 1 goal with Taylor Hall. Went to the backend and chipped it up over O'Hagan's shoulder. Not much else to say here other than he's turned into one of the more dependable players in the OHL and if I'm picking Team Canada for the WJC's, he's part of my shutdown line.

Cam Fowler (2010)
So much to like about Fowler. That pass to Hall on the powerplay for the one timer goal was a work of art. Hard, through the defense, right on the stick. As I said, that's an NHL play. Defensively, he's solid positionally and uses his mobility to prevent forwards from getting by him. His play along the boards and in front of the net is vastly improving too. On the downside, every time I see him play, he makes at least one boneheaded play with the puck in his own zone. Tonight was a bad pass straight up the middle of the ice from behind his net. It was picked off and created a good shot opportunity on Passingham. Those brain farts really have to improve. He finished with an assist.

Kenny Ryan (TOR)
My first look at Ryan in the OHL and didn't come away impressed. Only one viewing so by no means am I making a concrete assessment of Ryan's future. But he was very sluggish in this game. Hard to tell if it was effort/endurance or skating, but he had a really hard time in getting by the opposing defense (about the only Windsor play who did have trouble). He tried to be active on the forecheck, but was often too slow to reach the puck carrier. Outside of that, he was pretty much invisible. But I've heard some good things out of the folks in Windsor, so I'm obviously going to see him play again. He finished with an assist on the Hall/Henrique two on one goal.

Richard Panik (TBL)
To an extent, I think Panik has been receiving some criticism in Windsor this year. Fans expected more out of him offensively than he's been giving them. Every time I've seen him play, I have come away with something different. The true reflection of an enigma. But he was quite good last night. He hit two posts and had a very nice pass to Scott Timmins for his first period goal. I actually really like his on ice vision as every time I've seen him play, he makes a really nice pass finding a streaking player. Shows good awareness and anticipation of the play. His speed and size makes him difficult to contain too, when he shows the willingness to take the puck to the net. At this point of the season last year, guys like Loktionov and Grachev were enigma's too. For Euro players, it can take time for them to find consistency in the OHL.

Justin Shugg (2010)
Another guy who's been ice cold lately after a hot start. Not going to add much here. Was pretty invisible in the game.

Mark Cundari (STL)
Honestly, the most underrated player in the OHL (I think I say that every time I see Windsor). He's playing with so much confidence right now too. Offensively, he's making the smart play and he's taking good chances with the puck. He's not afraid to pinch in to make a play to keep possession in the offensive end. He does a great job of getting his shot through to the net, and unlike a guy like Cam Fowler, he doesn't feel the need to use a slapper all the time. Defensively, he's a rock. Not a single Greyhound player got by him tonight (OK that's a lie, one did and he took a holding penalty on the play, but it was as he was coming back into the zone on a rush, so technically, the player didn't get by him, he was returning on the backcheck). He's physical, he's smart and he's definitely an NHL caliber prospect. Don't be surprised if he gets an invite to the Team Canada WJC camp with the way he's playing right now.

Harry Young (NJ)
Harry was Harry tonight. Good defensive composure, good for a few hard slapshots on net from the point. Made a really nice defensive play on Jordan Nolan. Nolan got by him on his way to the net, but Young kept his feet moving, engaged physical contact and used his long reach to knock the puck away. If you're a big stay at home defenseman, that's all you can ask for.

Austin Watson (2010)
Had a good game even though he didn't get any points to show for it. I know I keep saying it, but when this guy adds more muscle to his frame, he's going to be an absolute beast. He's already hard for defenseman to contain down low. I like his willingness to take the puck to the net as soon as he gets it on his stick too. He doesn't mess around.

Greg Nemisz (CGY)
Had a very strong game despite not notching any points. In the first period, he had several quality scoring chances. I think his speed has really improved, and he's using his size more to take the puck to the net, rather than being satisfied with being a complimentary offensive player. I don't think he'll ever been a power forward at the NHL level, because he doesn't really hit people or use his size in that way, but as an offensive forward with size and soft hands, he still has a great future ahead of him. If not for a few nice saves from Bryce O'Hagan, Nemisz would have definitely hit the score sheet.

Eric Wellwood (PHI)
Really like him on the wing, where he was playing last night. Definitely one of the fastest players in the OHL, and that causes a lot of problems for opposing defenses. He had a couple of nice rushes with the puck, although nothing really came of them. He was also very good on the penalty kill, as he always is. Before being held pointless in his last two games, Wellwood was on a major tear with 16 points in 9 games. Looks like the Philadelphia Flyers were pretty smart in grabbing him with a draft pick in 2009.

Scott Timmins (FLA)
Timmins has 11 goals in his last 10 games and really seems to be playing with a lot of confidence right now. Showing no hesitation in shooting the puck. In a couple of occasions, he really rifled it just missing the net. Puck was on his stick one second, and to the net the next. No hesitation and that shows confidence. I'm still not sure he's an offensive player at the next level, but he's at least a very strong two way forward who hit the ice for you put in a solid effort. Scored his first period goal off a nice feed from Richard Panik, as he was found cutting to the net across the ice, beating his defender and going over O'Hagan's shoulder (and off the cross bar and then off a Greyhounds defenseman) and in.

Questions and comments are always welcome. Anyone else see the game?

School Your Pool - Michael Liambas Suspension

I've remained relatively silent through the whole Ben Fanelli incident. I decided to write a piece for School Your Pool which sums up my thoughts on Liambas' suspension and the entire incident.

Be sure to check it out.

Michael Liambas Suspension - Fair?

Also be sure to let me know what you think about everything. The suspension? The hit? David Branch?