Game Report: Steelheads & Otters from November 4

My first game report of the season! Fear not though, I have obviously been watching games. This is just the first report I've decided to write.

I, along with many other people in the GTA (including the likes of Steve Stamkos, Gary Roberts, and Joe Nieuwendyk), traveled to the Hershey Center to catch a glimpse at 15 year old phenom Connor McDavid. The Steelheads (I think I've wrote Majors already three times and corrected myself) dominated the exhausted Otters, outshooting them 55-22, and outscoring them 4-1. In all honesty, the score could have been much more lopsided had it none been for the great goaltending provided by Devin Williams. It's hard to blame the Otters. They were playing their 3rd game in three nights, with the first two games coming against the Owen Sound Attack, possibly the hardest working team in the OHL.

So was this game truly a good measuring stick for players? Hard to say, but I'm going to provide you with some player reports anyway.

Mississauga Steelheads

#2 - Dylan DeMelo (San Jose Sharks) 
DeMelo had a great game and appears to be building off the confidence he gained last season. He made great strides last year and has continued his strong play into this year so far. He looks very confident with the puck this year. I've seen the Steelheads a few times this year and I've yet to see him turn the puck over in his own end. This used to be a real problem for him. But he's skating himself out of jams and making smart decisions with passes. He had a secondary assist on Smoskowitz's second goal, and scored by pinching in and pouncing on a loose puck near the crease while on the powerplay. Defensively, he was terrific. Nearly all of Mississauga's defensive players shone today, as Erie had a real tough time mustering the energy to keep possession in the offensive end.

#4 - Trevor Carrick (Carolina Hurricanes)
Carrick has done well to increase his offensive production thus far this year, and is seeing lots of time on the powerplay. Offensively, he was pretty good today. He did have one turnover at the point which lead to an odd man rush, but it was more the fault of Brett Foy for a bad pass which put Carrick in an awkward position. He gained an assist on the powerplay, working a give and go up top with Kris Kontos. He's playing 5 on 5 with Alex Cord, which is giving him lots of opportunities to work on his puck rushing skills. Defensively, I felt like he was one of the few Steelheads defenders to get exposed today. There were a few times where he was beaten off the rush and wasn't able to stay with a forward going to the net. When the play slowed down, he was good and was able to win his battles in the corners and was a physical presence, but those defensive lapses off the rush were things that plagued him last year too. He'll need to continue to work on that.

#15 - Josh Burnside (Draft Eligible in 2013)
I continue to be impressed with Burnside. Three things really stick out when you watch him play. The first is his speed. He's got a terrific extra gear and really creates space by stretching out the opposing defense. The second is how well he moves without the puck offensively. He gets himself in great scoring position. He was wide open twice in the slot in the game today, but both times he was spotted too late by the puck carrier (Brace and Smoskowitz). The third is how aggressive he is in getting to the net. He's a real crease crasher and relishes the role of being a pain in the neck of opposing goalies. He was a factor while playing with Brace and Smoskowitz, even though he didn't get any points. The biggest thing for him moving forward will be added strength. He still loses too many battles in the corners and isn't as effective as a forechecker as he could be because of this.

#21 - Damian Bourne (Draft Eligible in 2014)
What a mammoth. Bourne has definitely been one of the most impressive 1996's in the league this year. I remember hearing a lot of whispers about people feeling like he was overrated going into the draft, that he was only a product of his size and the fact that he was bigger than other midget players. But he's been pretty damn effective for Mississauga so far. He really is massive and he already uses his size really well, both with and without the puck. He's already hard to move from the front of the net, and he's hard to get the puck away from in the corners. He's also a physical player and had a couple of really nice hits today. For a big guy, I also think he sees the ice well. He seems smart in picking his spots in driving hard to the net. The skating needs to improve, but all things considered, he's been a very impressive rookie. He earned a secondary assist on Kontos' powerplay goal.

#23 - Dylan Smoskowitz (Draft Eligible in 2013, 3rd time eligible)
Pretty hard to ignore him at this point. 11 goals in 12 games since the trade from Barrie. He's a talented offensive player who just got himself in Dale Hawerchuk's doghouse. He's got great chemistry with Riley Brace (call them the 'stache brothers). The question is, if he continues to score at this pace, is he someone NHL teams take notice of? He's got a terrific shot and he does a great job of creating room for himself to get it off. You have to love his goal scoring instincts. The rest of his game (skating, play without the puck, playmaking ability, etc) rates out to only average, but if you can score goals, someone will give you a chance. He had 2 goals tonight, and missed a wide open cage to complete the hat trick. He's certainly someone to keep an eye on to see if he can keep this up.

#28 - Stuart Percy (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Fantastic game from Percy. I've been really impressed with his play so far this season. At both ends of the ice, might I add. Offensively, I've been really impressed with his ability to skate the puck out of his own end and make smart decisions to start the breakout. Perfect example of this today was when Connor McDavid looked like he had backed Percy into a corner and a turnover, but Percy stayed calm, waited for McDavid to go for the stick check, then spun away from him, through two other Otters and brought the puck up across the blueline. He looks very confident on the point of the powerplay too, where he's shooting the puck more. Defensively, he's been a rock. I honestly don't even remember the Otters having a scoring chance while he was on the ice today. He's playing physical too and winning battles in the corners and in front of the net because of it. This was an important year for Percy after last year's issues, so it's refreshing to see him back strong.

Erie Otters

#7 - Jake Evans (Draft Eligible in 2013)
Was centering a line with Stephen Harper today. I liked his aggression without the puck. Was very aggressive in pursuit and played physical. But was very quiet, dare I say invisible offensively.

#10 - Stephen Harper (Draft Eligible in 2013)
Very, very quiet game for Harper. His line wasn't able to sustain any pressure in the offensive end. Part of the reason for this was Harper's inability to win battles in the corners. He seems to be getting outmuscled a lot from what I've seen this season. My viewings of Harper this season have been less than impressive thus far, but I'm still a fan of his long term potential.

#27 - Adam Pelech (New York Islanders)
I thought Pelech was Erie's best player today. He's had a great year and is continuing to develop well, despite not having a ton of help on the backend in Erie. He looks quicker this year, in rushing the puck and defensively. He's very hard to beat one on one. Many of Mississauga's forwards tried to get by him off the rush, but every play ended the same way, with Pelech coming out with the puck and the opposing player rubbed out of the play. He was a steal in the 3rd round, as he's got great potential as a defenseman at the next level. As mentioned, he looks quicker when rushing the puck this year too, and was able to avoid the forecheck of the Steelheads. Hey Erie, get this guy some help on the backend!

#28 - Connor Brown (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Having a great year in terms of goal scoring, but it's hard to tell whether it's because of McDavid or not. At this point, I still don't see Brown as a guy who's creating his own offensive chances by being electric with the puck, or by flying into the offensive zone. He's certainly not a speedster, and his skating ability still seems to lack that explosiveness (something that caused him to fall as far as he did in the draft). But he definitely knows how to move without the puck and is a smart player. Perfect example of this was his goal today on a give and go with Connor McDavid. On the Powerplay, take the puck from the wing, dish to McDavid at the side of the net, cut hard to the net, get the puck back in the slot and rifle home a quick wrister. Other than that, he was a non factor today.

#97 - Connor McDavid (Draft Eligible in 2015)
There was a guy sitting near me saying "man this McDavid guy isn't as good as people say he is." To that man or anyone else who came away from this game saying that, give your head a shake. This was the team's 3rd game in 3 days. McDavid certainly didn't play his best, but I've been absolutely blown away by him this year previous to this game. The dude is such an electric player. He's such an explosive skater, and he has such confidence and poise with the puck. His vision and IQ is among the best I've ever seen in this league. And while this wasn't his best game (might have even been his worst in the OHL thus far), there were still some positives to take away. Firstly, he's starting to play with more of an edge. I love the fact that he's starting to engage physically and throw his body around. He's going to need to continue to develop that edge as player's start to target him. Secondly, I absolutely loved the play to end the game. While on the penalty kill, he was out there (in a game already decided), and was tenacious in forcing Eric Diodati into a turnover at the blueline. Then took the puck hard to the net (showing great strength on the puck), drawing a penalty. When every other Erie player looked like they had laid down and died, McDavid kept going hard. I can't stress this enough. If the Otters are making their only trip to your city this season (like Mississauga), get out there and watch him play. He's usually (sorry aforementioned bitter man) worth the price of admission.

#31 - Devin Williams (Draft Eligible in 2014)
Williams' certainly didn't get a lot of help today. He had to make 48 saves and kept his team in this game for nearly two periods. He's not the biggest goalie (maybe 6'0), but he plays a lot bigger than he is due to a hybrid style. He'll take a lot of shots from the outside standing up, although isn't afraid to drop down to the butterfly to handle shots low to the ice. I thought he did a pretty good job with his rebounds today too. He's certainly looking better than last year, and is on the right development path. He'll learn a lot from playing behind Dansk this year. Then he might have a chance of starting next year (his draft year because of an October birthday). He's certainly putting himself in conversation to be the top goalie available from the O for 2014 (although it's crazy early).

That's all folks!

Sunday Top 10 - Who's Significantly Raised Their Draft Stock?

First off, congrats to the London Knights for capturing the OHL Championship. I certainly didn't expect the series to be over so fast. Kudos to their perseverance and effort which were crucial in their win.

With the OHL playoffs over and the Under 18's in the rear view mirror too, this week's Top 10 looks at ten guys who really did well to showcase their abilities at the right time. Highlighted will be draft eligible players whose performance in this year's playoffs, or at this year's Under 18's, really helped to elevate their stock for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

Obviously, there are going to be a fair amount of London Knights on this list. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched this team dominate this year's OHL playoffs.

Let's look at the list.

10. Justin Kea - Saginaw Spirit
He finished much stronger than he started the year, that's for sure. While he only finished with three goals on the season, his performance to close out the regular season and into the playoffs provided scouts with enough evidence to suggest he's a much better player than his stats would suggest. He was very effective in the postseason working on the Spirit's 3rd line (with rotating linemates like the underrated Garret Ross). He was also instrumental on the team's penalty killing unit. Big centerman who can clear space for their linemates don't grow on trees. And Kea definitely showed enough guts, determination, and even skill to warrant a higher draft selection.

9. Josh Anderson - London Knights
Has improved so much since the start of the season. And it's easy to see why. Anderson is one of the hardest working guys on the ice. And while he was a little quiet in the OHL Championship against Niagara, I felt he was outstanding in the first three series for London. Anything you need done, Anderson can do it. He digs in the corners. He backchecks hard. He creates space for his linemates. But he also has skill and can contribute offensively. There's a reason this guy jumped up so much in the Central Scouting Rankings. He's turned himself into a terrific player and with increased ice time next year, we could see big things from him. Where as previously I felt like he might be someone a team targeted in the late rounds, I could see teams fighting for him earlier now.

8. Jake Paterson - Saginaw Spirit
If anything, the vote of confidence from Saginaw management gave him by starting him in the playoffs should be enough to impress scouts. But his performance in this year's postseason was even better. While his numbers don't jump out at you (a barely .900 save percentage), Paterson was good for a rookie netminder. Especially when you consider that he was the only 94 starter to see the second round. He had some bad games, no doubt about it. But he also dispatched of the powerful Sarnia Sting, and took two games against London in the second round. If anything, his losing effort in the pivotal game 5 against the Knights was his most impressive performance. He stopped 46 shots, but lost in overtime 2-1. He gave his team a chance to win that game, and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Even more impressive was that, that performance followed his worst performance in the postseason. Showed great mental toughness. I think Paterson has thrown his name into the ring with Murray and Altshuller to see who's the second OHL goalie taken behind Malcolm Subban.

7. Adam Pelech - Erie Otters
While central scouting might not be high on him, thanks in part to a bit of an injury plagued season on the worst team in the league, I think most NHL scouts still were even before his performance at the Under 18's. The thing is, it's difficult to standout as a top notch shut down defenseman on a terrible team. Playing for Canada and occupying that role was a significant opportunity for Pelech and he took full advantage of it. He was named as one of Canada's top 3 players in the tournament and was fantastic defensively, going against the opposition's top lines. I think he vaulted himself from a guy team's might have been looking at in the 3rd round, to someone who could hear his name called early in the 2nd.

6. Chris Tierney - London Knights
A definite unsung hero for London. While I've been high on Tierney all season long, I think his performance in this year's playoffs really helped him to get NHL scouts to take notice. He was one of London's best players in their first series against Windsor, and again in the OHL Championship against Niagara. He took key faceoffs, he was great defensively (especially in helping shadow Ryan Strome), and he scored some really big goals for the team. Like teammate Josh Anderson, I think Tierney has jumped from being a late round candidate to a guy team's may look at the in the mid rounds.

5. Scott Laughton - Oshawa Generals
It was kind of tough for Laughton to get recognition this year in Oshawa. He was overshadowed at times by the team's struggles for consistency, and by the team's veteran forwards. And while he did have a great second half of the season, it was his performance at the Under 18's that really caught people's attention. He was one of the Canada's best and most consistent performers. And he did everything for the team. From killing penalties, to grinding it out along the boards, to putting points on the board. I've said it before, but Laughton reminds me a lot of Mike Richards at the same age and I think there's a chance he's put himself in conversation for the back end of the first round.

4. Ryan Rupert - London Knights
I'm not sure what Central Scouting has against this guy, by not ranking him, at the very least, towards the back end of the draft. Sure, he's small. But he plays way bigger than he is. Too big at times. Rupert was absolutely fantastic in this year's playoffs, playing with OHL playoff MVP Austin Watson on the team's best defensive and offensive line. He's already fantastic defensively (as his coaches poll accolades would suggest), he works his butt off in the offensive end, and he's fearless out there. I don't know how many times in the OHL Championship, I saw the smaller Rupert in there winning board and loose puck battles against bigger Niagara forwards and defenseman (not sure what that says about Niagara though). If Rupert goes all seven rounds in June without getting selected, something is wrong with the system.

3. Matt Murray - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
I felt really bad for Murray this year. Things were looking great for him at the start of the season, with the Hounds playing well and him starting. But then the Jack Campbell trade happened (easily one of the worst trades in recent memory). Not only did it kill team chemistry, but it appeared to kill Murray's confidence. And while he was absolutely fantastic at the Top Prospect's Game, it was going to take a truly terrific performance at the Under 18's to save his draft season. And he delivered just that. Murray was nothing short of brilliant in most of Canada's games, showcasing an ability to make the highlight reel save to keep his team in the game. His performance at the event reminded me of when in 2008, Jake Allen came into the Under 18's as a relative unknown (8th rated CSB goalie in NA), and left a high 2nd rounder in June. I could easily see a team taking Murray early and banking on his athletic ability to take him far.

2. Tom Wilson - Plymouth Whalers
All season long, it was the same with Wilson. "Why is a guy with only 9 goals on the season being considered a first round pick?" He was being lambasted for his lack of offensive production, despite the other things he brought to the table. But the OHL playoffs were a different story for Wilson. He ended up with a point per game, finished second in team scoring (on a team with a ton of high draft picks), and lead the team in goal scoring. He was absolutely fantastic. Any scout who would have previously been on the fence as per his offensive potential, can now point to his performance in the playoffs if he wants to convince his boss to draft Wilson. While I'm personally still warming up to the idea of him as a first rounder, it honestly wouldn't surprise me at all if Wilson is drafted way earlier than people are expecting. I could easily see a team banking on his potential inside the Top 20...or even 15.

1. Olli Maatta - London Knights
This should come as no surprise after Maatta's playoff performance. He finished the playoffs tied for 4th in playoff scoring with 23 points, and had just as many points as lottery pick and OHL defenseman of the year Dougie Hamilton. Bottom line is, none of it surprised me. Every time I saw Maatta this year, I came away asking myself "how is this guy not putting up more points?" He's clearly had this in him all season long but his offensive confidence peaked at the right time. Best of all, Maatta was still fantastic defensively (+11). You couldn't have asked for more from him. So the question you have to ask yourself now is...just how high has he vaulted himself? I think we could definitely see him in the top 10 now and he's certainly closer to Cody Ceci now than he was 2 months ago.

Honorable Mention:

Alex Galchenyuk - Sarnia Sting
I think you've got to mention Galchenyuk here, even if he didn't really increase his stock; more solidified it. Working his way back to play at the end of the season and in the playoffs shows great determination. And even though he wasn't fantastic, he showed enough glimpses of brilliance to suggest to NHL scouts that he'll be just fine once he gets his legs under him again.

Sunday Top 10 - Most Impressive 1994 Born Players

Like many of the Sunday Top 10 articles on this blog, it's become a tradition for me to rank the "true" OHL rookies who impressed me the most. By true, I mean those 1994 birth date, sixteen year olds (sometimes fifteen) who did more than just get their feet wet in the OHL this season.

Now I must warn you. This isn't an early ranking of these players for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. This is a list of those 1994's who impressed me the most this year, and is not meant to be an early draft prognostication (as if it was, the list would look different).

As I mentioned, this is somewhat of a tradition, so it only seems fair to link you to the versions of yesteryear. 1992's. 1993's.

Here's this year's list.

10. Matia Marcantuoni - Kitchener Rangers
Even though he didn't really play the final two months of the season because of a high ankle sprain, Marcantuoni did enough in the opening months of the season to open some eyes. He has the potential to develop into quite the well rounded center, with speed, a complete offensive arsenal, and a developing edge to his game. He's likely to be the team's number one center next year (or at least number two behind Michael Catenacci) so I'd expect pretty big things from him next year after a summer of strength training.

9. Scott Laughton - Oshawa Generals
While it might have been hard for Laughton to stand out this year in Oshawa, thanks to the forward depth the team has accumulated, he made the most of his ice time. As a high priority selection, you'd expect the offensive skills to be there...and they are. Laughton is going to be an elite goal scoring center in this league. But what caught me off guard was the development of the rest of his game. Laughton is already a very complete player who plays the game hard, and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. While it may be equally hard for him to stand out next year when all of Oshawa's talented forwards likely return, he does enough of the little things right to make me believe that he'll be just fine.

8. Adam Pelech - Erie Otters
The Otters, even if they lost the battle with Windsor in the opening round, had a very good season. One of the biggest reasons for their success this season was the play of their underrated defense and that includes the third Pelech brother to play in the OHL. Brothers Michael and Matt had very productive OHL careers (even if their pro careers haven't gone quite as well so far), and Adam looks to be on track make it a hat trick. He's cut from a similar cloth to brother Matt (a former first rounder of Calgary); a solid stay at home defenseman who can move bodies with a good frame. But the difference is that I think Adam has the potential to be better offensively because he moves the puck better and has the skating ability to lead the rush. I think Adam could be the best Pelech yet!

7. Ryan Rupert - London Knights
A third round pick of the Knights, Rupert originally failed to make the team and didn't really start making his impact until the new year. Before that he was putting up great numbers in the GOJHL with Lambton. He's not the biggest, but he's a fearless player and has all the attributes you like to see in smaller offensive guys. He's quick, he battles away from the puck, and he's not afraid to stick up for himself. I'm not sure where the Knights keep finding these guys outside of the first couple of rounds, but Rupert looks like a guy who could make a very large impact in this league (along with twin brother Matt).

6. Gianluca Curcuruto - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
A very composed and intelligent defenseman, Curcuruto was maybe the top all around defenseman for the Hounds in his freshman season. He played in all situations for the team and finished at only -1 on the year...which has to be considered quite the feat on a last place team. I think we're looking at a player who's only scratching the surface of his potential; a potential we're likely to see more of next year.

5. Slater Koekkoek - Peterborough Petes
I wonder if any of the teams drafting in the top 6 are kicking themselves for letting Koekkoek slide to the Petes at 7th. Originally considered a possible top 3 pick, Koekkoek took a minor tumble on draft day, but he's certainly proved himself to be a future OHL all star. Offensively, he has all the tools and already controls the point on the powerplay quite effectively. Defensively, he's a work in progress, but he has all the intangibles that would suggest that part of his game will improve (like a desire to impose his size). It'll be interesting to see how he plays for Team Canada at the Under 18's.

4. Nick Ebert - Windsor Spitfires
You've got to be impressed by this Windsor blueliner. Coming over from the USHL, he had pretty high expectations and he met them (you don't say that for every player in his situation). Ebert is really the whole package. He can skate, he can shoot the puck, he plays both ends of the ice. The thing about Ebert's game that not a lot of people realize is how physical he is. He really throws the body around defensively. Sure he's a bit rough around the edges and has some learning to do (when it comes to pinching, or going for the big hit), but he's had a tremendous season and looks like he's well on the path to replacing Ryan Ellis in Windsor next year.

3. Alex Galchenyuk - Sarnia Sting
I bet you're probably surprised to see him at three, and really it doesn't have anything to do with Alex being bad (how could you be bad with the rookie season he put up), but more so to do with the next two really knocking my socks off. Alex is just a tremendous offensive player. He might have the best hands in the entire OHL, and next year's he's going to make one NHL GM very happy. Along with Nail Yakupov, he's become such an electrifying player who plays the game at full speed ahead. He's also got a bit of a mean streak, which he'll need as teams start to further zero in on him. I wouldn't be surprised if he lead the league in scoring next year.

2. Sean Monahan - Ottawa 67's
How good was this guy this year? Monahan was outstanding for the 67's, playing a bevy of roles for the team, whether it be the checking line center or on a scoring line. He's got great size down the middle, and unlike a lot of kids his age, he actually knows how to use it. He protects the puck unbelievably well and is already a very hard player to contain offensively. The best thing about Monahan is that he's already a very good two way player. When he's centering Tyler Toffoli next year, a lot of people are going to start to take notice of this kid. He's the complete package.

1. Jesse Graham - Niagara IceDogs
When the Dogs took Graham 6th overall, a lot of people were left scratching their heads a bit. Sure he was expected to be a first round pick, but over guys like Slater Koekkoek and Alex Gudbranson? Once Dogs fans got a glimpse of Graham in action, the critics were silenced. A lot of people are going to look at him at number 1 and ask me if I'm insane. And I'm cool with that. But let me tell you, this kid is a great hockey player. How many 16 year old defenseman are on the top pairing of the 3rd best team in the OHL and play 30 minutes a night in all situations? Graham's offensive stats may not wow you, but he gets the job done. He's a tremendous skater and compliments Dougie Hamilton very well in this regard as the two take turns bringing the puck up ice. He's also very mature defensively, with his +27 being BY FAR the best rating of any 16 year old defenseman in the league (Adam Pelech was 2nd at +14). While Graham may not be the biggest, he was the sixteen year old who caught my eye the most this year.

All in all, the defenseman crop for next year's NHL draft seems to be pretty freaking outstanding (especially when you throw in a late 1993 like Cody Ceci).