Part two of Ryan's Top 50 for 2010.
11 - Alexander Burmistrov - Center - Barrie Colts
Oct-21-1991 - 5’11.25” - 157 lbs.
Scouting Report: If you’re talking pure talent Burmistrov can be mentioned in the same breath as Hall and Seguin. Burmistrov has outstanding speed, great acceleration and is very shifty when rushing with the puck, and was surprisingly active in his own zone. With all these talents, Burmistrov drops due to his selfish play with the puck, and constantly turning away scoring chances in favor of controlling the puck a little longer and trying to do too much himself. Burmistrov has developed a bit of a reputation in disappearing in games when the action has got too physical, and I myself have witnessed this. Also he has been seen noticeably diving over the course of the season. Finally his size at 157 raises other concerns. Burmistrov will be a boom or bust prospect who will either overcome the flaws in his game to be an excellent top 6 forward, or will be unable to reach the highest level due to those same flaws.
12 - Stephen Silas - Defenceman - Belleville Bulls
Jun-26-1992 - 6’0.5” - 183 lbs.
Scouting Report: Silas is an excellent puck moving defenceman with a smooth stride and can move the puck either up the ice, or around effectively on the power play. Silas has an underrated defensive game, and does well in his own zone in 1 on 1 battles. Silas will need to add a little muscle to his frame and become a little more willing to play physical, also his upside isn’t that of the 2 defencemen in front of him, but Silas could very likely turn into a solid puck moving defenceman on the lower end of the top 4 on an NHL blue line.
13 - Ivan Telegin - Left Wing - Saginaw Spirit
Feb-28-1992 - 6’2.25” - 194 lbs.
Scouting Report: Telegin is able to play both Center and Left Wing. Telegin has great puck handling, and is able to create offense for himself as well as having an excellent shot to go with a big frame. He isn’t intentionally aggressive, but he is a decent hitter when he does play physical. Telegin will need to improve his defensive play, as well as puck movement to maximize his potential.
14 - Brock Beukeboom - Defenceman - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Apr-1-1992 - 6’1” - 202lbs.
Scouting Report: Beukeboom is a physically intimidating opponent, who is smart positionally. Beukeboom has the ability to deliver punishing checks, without sacrificing position to do so. Beukeboom’s game seems designed around protecting his own net, and he does so well. He has some limited offensive potential, but Beukeboom’s gift lies in his already capable positional play combined with the fact he can potentially grow to 6’3” - 215 lbs. Beukeboom could afford to improve his skating, however like Silas two spots ahead, Beukeboom will likely be a lower end top 4 defenceman on an NHL blue line.
15 - Jared Knight - Center - London Knights
Jan-16-1992 - 5’10.5” - 186 lbs.
Scouting Report: Knight and Shugg have exchanged spots on my list all second half. Knight gets the edge due to his ability to create offense on a regular basis. Knight had a roller coaster year which included being diagnosed with diabetes. Once he got that in check he exploded in the second half showing off his true potential. Knight has pulled off a couple highlight reel goals and despite his size he protects the puck well, and has a very good release to go with his excellent puck handling abilities. Knight will need to improve on his skating, and get a little better in his own zone before reaching his potential which I believe could be contributing on someone‘s 2nd line.
16 - Justin Shugg - Right Wing - Windsor Spitfires
Dec-24-1991 - 5’10” - 184 lbs.
Scouting Report: Shugg is the lesser known of the 3 eligible Windsor skaters. Shugg plays an energy type game, however with an excellent release and is dangerous whenever letting the puck go. Shugg’s NHL projections are a little difficult to make at this point. He’s like a top 9 player, however at his size he will need to improve on his skating, which is not a glaring weakness, but does need to be better considering his size. His defensive coverage has been very inconsistent, and needs to be improved as well. Shugg does have the offensive tools to compete for a 2nd line role at the peak of his career if he can improve these areas enough.
17 - Greg McKegg - Center - Erie Otters
Jun-17-1992 - 5’11.75” - 191 lbs.
Scouting Report: McKegg has an excellent shot, and appears to carry the puck with confidence, which has helped his stats inflate greatly in the second half of this season. His consistency is an issue, and he still is a bit of a mystery, but there’s no question in looking at his skills and his potential he’s a legitimately skilled prospect.
18 - Devante Smith-Pelly - Left Wing - Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors
Jun-14-1992 - 5’11.5” - 211 lbs.
Scouting Report: Smith-Pelly is the last of this group of smallish forwards in the top 20. This is likely due to the combination of not seeing Smith-Pelly in person this season , and the fact the other 3 are in the upper 30’s in goals where Smith-Pelly has 29. Either way Smith-Pelly has got a tenacious attitude while on the ice. If he is able to grow a little bit, he could become a power forward type player. Currently at under 6ft. He still appears to be a player who could play an energy role being able to both throw his weight around, play sound defensively while contributing his share offensively.
19 - Brandon Archibald - Defenceman - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Mar-31-1992 - 6’3.5” - 200 lbs.
Scouting Report: Archibald appears to be a very effective two-way defenceman. He has shown good offensive instincts, and patience with the puck. Archibald is willing to play hard in all 3 zones. Archibald has the potential to be a very effective defenceman, but he needs to add a little muscle to his large frame and be more willing to utilize his size, as well as improving his speed.
20 - Ryan Spooner - Center - Peterborough Petes
Jan-30-1992 - 5’10.25” - 172 lbs.
Scouting Report: Spooner is one of the best pure playmakers in the draft. Despite his size he carries the puck effectively with good balance and is hard to stop once he starts moving with the puck. He appears to have outstanding playmaking abilities, and his stats would be much higher if he spent the entire season with Austin Watson on his wing. Spooner has excellent speed. Despite all the positives Spooner appears to wander defensively, and could really improve his play without the puck. Spooner will also have to overcome his small size to make it to the next level.
21 - Andrew Yogan - Center - Erie Otters
Dec-4-1991 - 6’2.75” - 205 lbs.
Scouting Report: Yogan has got great size and appears willing to use it. He protects the puck well and has a decent shot. Yogan is solid along the boards. His potential is somewhere in the lower half of the top 9, but he needs to improve on his skating and effort on a shift by shift basis before he can play at a higher level.
22 - Freddie Hamilton - Left Wing - Niagara Ice Dogs
Jan-1-1992 - 6’0.75” - 187 lbs.
Scouting Report: Hamilton is a sound two-way player who has shown the ability to put the puck in the net. Hamilton is a player who I believe is a safe pick for any NHL team entering the 3rd or 4th round, but at the same time he could work on several things such as improving his skating, and becoming more of a physical presence. Hamilton will likely not be a scorer in the NHL and will need to have more of an edge, and be a stronger skater to go with his defensive game to be an effective NHLer.
23 - Christian Thomas - Right Wing - Oshawa Generals
May-26-1992 - 5’8.5” - 162 lbs.
Scouting Report: Thomas is arguably the smallest of the OHLers expected to be drafted this year. What gives him a legitimate shot at being picked in the first half of the draft is his outstanding speed especially on the outside. When open he can unleash a very quick and accurate shot. Thomas will need to work hard to overcome his size disadvantage. But he is very hard to knock off the puck, and will need to add muscle to withstand the size and strength difference.
24 - Joey Hishon - Center - Owen Sound Attack
Oct-20-1991 - 5’9.75” - 170 lbs.
Scouting Report: Hishon was once very highly regarded out of the OHL for this draft. He has outstanding speed, and his puck control is excellent. If he was born 36 days earlier he would have likely gone higher in 2009 than he will this year. A series of injuries and lack of substantial growth combined cut Hishon’s season in half and raises big questions on Hishon’s future potential. If Hishon can overcome the odds he could become a secondary threat offensively. However a combination of injuries, questionable size, and the depth of OHL talent in this year’s draft knocks Hishon down the list.
25 - Ryan O’Connor - Defenceman - Saginaw Spirit
Jan-12-1992 - 5’9” - 179 lbs.
Scouting Report: Despite going unranked Ryan O’Connor winds up at a mid-round level on my rankings. He plays a lot like Ryan Ellis. His skating is excellent although his acceleration could use some work. The key to his game is his offensive zone play. He moves the puck well and has a surprisingly hard point shot. O’Connor; despite his size has shown the willingness to play very physical. His defensive zone coverage as well as his consistency both need to be improved for him to make his NHL potential a reality.
26 - Geoffrey Schemitsch - Defenceman - Owen Sound Attack
Apr-1-1992 - 6’1” - 180 lbs.
Scouting Report: Schemitsch has seemingly come from nowhere much like Calvin De Haan did last year. Schemitsch when given time has excellent puck movement, he’s useful on the power play as a guy who can move the puck around, but also has a decent shot that he could add to as he adds muscle. Defensively Schemitsch seems to handle 1 on 1 situations well. Schemitsch has had issues around turning the puck over when being pressured. Also he doesn’t seem to have top end potential, but could turn into a solid puck moving defenceman at the NHL level if he can add muscle to his frame, as well as improve his positioning a touch.
27 - Dalton Smith - Left Wing - Ottawa 67’s
Jun-30-1992 - 6’2” - 202 lbs.
Scouting Report: Smith plays with a never quit energy. He’s solid along the boards and along the corners, while possessing a solid shot at the net. His NHL projection is unlikely to see him land in the top 6, however at the same time he appears that he could be a very effective 3rd line player not only working hard in the corners, but also chipping in with some goals as well. He’ll need to improve on his skating before he expects to play at the pro level.
28 - Josh Shalla - Left Wing - Saginaw Spirit
Sep-25-1991 - 6’1” - 194 lbs.
Scouting Report: Shalla has an outstanding release and has one of the better shots of all OHL eligible players when in the goal scoring area. Shalla’s release as well as the quickness in which he releases the puck are both dangerous. Shalla also does an active job along the boards and seems to win the majority of battles for the puck. On the other side Shalla’s skating is horrendous, and really limits his effectiveness in joining the rush, or arriving to the puck in time to battle for the puck. Shalla has some solid goal scoring potential but addressing his skating is an absolute must if he wants to play at the highest level.
29 - Austin Levi - Defenceman - Plymouth Whalers
Feb-16-1992 - 6’3” - 192 lbs.
Scouting Report: Levi is a physically devastating defenceman, who has matured nicely over this past season. At first viewings he had an issue going out of position to deliver the big hit, but as the season progressed he became comfortable throwing hits as the opportunities came and maintained his positioning. He makes a decent first pass most of the time, and doesn’t appear to have too much in terms of offensive potential, but his positioning is respectable and he has shown more than enough capability in terms of throwing the devastating hit to make him a legitimate fan favorite, 3rd pairing defenceman that should get a regular shift at the highest level.
30 - Nathan Chiarlitti - Defenceman - Sarnia Sting
Feb-4-1992 - 6’0” - 185 lbs.
Scouting Report: Chiarlitti has shown steady improvement as the seasons went on. He has an excellent work ethic, and works hard every shift start to finish. He’s been solid defensively 1 on 1 very rarely ever getting beat despite constantly facing some of the most devastating scorers in the OHL. He is defence first, but has recently shown he very well may have some untapped offensive skill, and surprised a few teams down the stretch by jumping in on the offensive rush. He has a long reputation of being his team’s leader. Chiarlitti would greatly benefit from growing two to three inches into an ideal size for a his style of defence. Since that is very unlikely, Chiarlitti needs to improve on his skating, as well as adding a little more physicality in his play.
Stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
I am not totally sold on the one-dimensional "puck-moving" offensive defenseman label that many are so fond of. I like the guys you have, but I like them in a different order. I want to see defensemen that are better at keeping the puck out of their own net and frustrating the best forwards out there. I don't see that as much from O'Connor & Schemitsch as the others. I'd put them Beukeboom, Archibald, Levi, Silas, Schemitsch, O'Connor, but I wouldn't be as brave as Ryan to slap a number on them. Depends on who's picking and what kind of style they want - knowing that you could take any one of the first 5 and probably mold them into whatever kind of player you want them to be in the next two years.
hottot is number 1 :)
Post a Comment