Sunday Top 10 - Defensive Defenceman

If you remember, last week we took a look at the top defensive forwards in the OHL (here), in an effort to glorify the hard work of some of the more less heralded players in the Ontario Hockey League.

Well today on the Top 10, as promised, we examine the top defensive defenseman in the OHL. These players are not necessarily all stay at home type defenseman, but they are the best at what they do in the defensive end, and shutting down the opposing teams offense.

Here they are:

10. Jacob Muzzin - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
You don't hear a lot about Muzzin, which is odd considering he was an OHL all star this year and a draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Perhaps it was because he played for such a bad team this year in the Soo, or perhaps it is because he plays such an unglorified style of hockey. Regardless, Muzzin is a solid defenseman. He uses his big body (6'3, 220) to clear the front of the net and despite some skating issues, is generally able to keep pace with opposing forwards. On an interesting note, Muzzin (as a 2007 draft pick) wasn't signed by Pittsburgh by the recent June 1st deadline. This means he will be re-entering the 2009 NHL draft. I hope someone takes a chance on him because he deserves it with the solid improvements he has made.

9. Adam Comrie - Saginaw Spirit
Comrie is only starting to get noticed now, after flying under the radar for the better part of the last two seasons in the OHL. At 6'4, 200lbs, Comrie's greatest asset is his mobility and reach in the defensive end. He stays with opposing forwards very well and is tough to get around because he uses that long stick to be an active pest. While Comrie is still learning to use his size more in terms of asserting himself physically, he's still a quite aggressive defender who will play the body. I think Comrie has a really solid chance to make the U.S. 2010 WJC team, which could be his coming out party as a prospect.

8. P.K. Subban - Belleville Bulls
P.K. gets a lot of flak for being this notorious offensive defenseman who needs to work on his defensive game. There is no doubting that was the case when he was drafted in 2007, but he's come a long way. Subban is now an active defender who makes an effort to return defensively after a rush, and who has been smarter in picking his spots to rush. He uses his smooth skating ability to really help him defensively, as he's developed into a very good one on one defender. While I think there is still needed improvements for him to be called a solid NHL level defender, the progression he has shown leads you to believe that it can happen. Getting the nod from the OHL coaches as the 2nd best defensive defenseman can't hurt his confidence either.

7. John Carlson - London Knights
Carlson is a guy who made quite the big impression in his first and likely only OHL season this year. Coming from the USHL, Carlson immediately became London's top defenseman and was a large reason for the amount of success that team achieved this year. He plays a strong two way game, but I don't think he gets enough credit for being a great defender. Another guy who is an excellent skater, Carlson seems to be everywhere on the defensive side, winning puck battles in the corner, taking his man in front of the net, and being generally conscience of what is happening on the ice. I don't think there is any coincidence that he's been able to take a regular shift in the Calder Cup final right now for Hershey and that he's being highly considered a possible member of the Washington Capitals next year.

6. Harry Young - Windsor Spitfires
Young is just a willing combatant, who uses his intensity level to be an effective defender. Being 6'4 with his wingspan doesn't hurt either. Like Jacob Muzzin, the skating could use improvement, but Young makes up for it by not allowing defenders to use their speed by breaking up plays with his stick, or by simply physically imposing the opposition. It's no surprise that Young compiled 138 penalty minutes this year (including 20 fighting majors), considering his brand of in your face defense.

5. Tyler Cuma - Ottawa 67's
I know, weird seeing his name on this list after he missed the majority of the season with a knee injury he suffered while attempting to make the 2009 Canadian World Junior Team. However, when not injured, Cuma is an excellent defender and likely could have been even higher here, if not for the injury. He has excellent hockey sense and knows where to be on the ice. This makes him an excellent zone defender who does his best to eliminate scoring opportunities for the opposition. There is no question the 67's missed Cuma tremendously this season.

4. Julien Demers - Ottawa 67's
Cuma's loss was Demers' gain. After Cuma was lost for the season, Julien Demers stepped up huge for Ottawa, leading a group of inexperienced defenseman to 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Once, one of the most feared body checkers in the OHL, Demers toned down his game this year in order to be a more effective positional defender. That isn't to say he got soft, because he still plays the body. It's to say he got smart and subsequently became a more effective defender.

3. Dan Kelly - Kitchener Rangers
Kelly is probably the least flashy player on this list. He plays a very quietly effective defensive style of game. He's not incredibly physical, nor is he much of an offensive presence. But that isn't what this list is about. Kelly is a downright effective positional defender who reads and reacts to plays at a very high level. He skates well enough to keep with opposing forwards and he uses his stick to push them to the outside. In a way, he channels the defensive musings of Nik Lidstrom (not comparing Dan Kelly to Lidstrom or anything). He's going to be a big part of Kitchener's expected massive improvement next season, as an overager (unless he earns a contract).

2. Cameron Gaunce - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Not many players in the OHL, took as big a step forward this season as Cameron Gaunce. A surprise 2nd round pick by Colorado at last year's draft, Gaunce emerged as one of the best defenseman in the OHL this season, being named to the OHL second all star team, as well as finishing 3rd in voting for OHL defenseman of the year. Gaunce was also recently named as a participant at the Canadian WJC Summer camp. Gaunce is just a really smart player, who rarely makes mistakes in his own end. He beats opposing forwards to the puck using strong positioning and anticipation, and he keeps forwards from the front of the net using his size and bullish nature. There is no surprise that Gaunce was named the East's top defensive defenceman by OHL coaches this year.

1. Brett Bellemore - Plymouth Whalers
There is no surprise that Plymouth only caught fire after Bellemore returned from a stint in the AHL with Albany. Bellemore, Hurricanes draft pick, started the year with the Albany River Rats after signing an entry level deal with Carolina. However due to strong depth in Albany, Carolina returned Bellemore to Plymouth just after the half way mark of the season. Bellemore, like many of the other players on this list, uses his size to position himself accordingly in the defensive end. While not a dominating physical presence, Bellemore is not passive either and will do the dirty work infront of the net. Considering his role, Bellemore is actually a very disciplined player. This is evidence of his strong positoning and work ethic at the defensive end, as he's rarely forced to take stupid or lazy penalties. Rightfully so, Bellemore was named the Western Conference's top defensive defenceman by OHL coaches.

Stay tuned for the next two weeks of Sunday Top 10, as we profile some of the players who saw a change of stock this season (both for the good and the bad) for the nearing 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

The Sunday Top 10 - Draft Re-Entries for the 2009 NHL Draft

The Sunday Top 10 returns today as we look at players who were previously passed over in the NHL Draft, but are still age eligible. With the new CBA, North American players have the opportunity to be drafted three times before they become unrestricted free agents (well there is actually another rule in place which allows players to be signed in a small window following the draft and during rookie camps, like the signings of such OHL guys like Brian Lashoff and Adam Courchaine in past offseasons). This means that for the 2009 NHL Draft, North American players born in 1991, 1990, and 1989 are eligible to be drafted.

Since the draft has decreased down to 7 rounds, more and more talented players are finding themselves on the outside looking in on draft day. That also means that more and more, players are finding themselves getting drafted at age 19 or 20, following breakout seasons. Just as an example, OHL'ers Andrew Campbell, Matt Martin, Justin Azevedo, Mike Murphy, and Justin DiBenedetto all found themselves drafted in 2008 after being passed over in previous seasons.

Here is my top 10 OHL players who were previously passed over in the NHL draft, but could get a call in the 2009 Draft.

10. Dan Kelly - Kitchener Rangers
Kelly had a bit of a rough season after breaking his ankle early in the season when he was slew footed by Attack forward Garrett Wilson. Kitchener also failed to make the postseason for the first time in Kelly's three year career. However, I don't think either will sour scouts on him. Kelly is widely considered one of the better stay at home defenseman in the OHL. While not physically imposing at only 6'0, 190lbs, Kelly manages to use his great hockey sense and solid positional play to shutdown opposing offenses. In this years OHL Coaches Poll, Kelly was named the third best penalty killer and second best defensive defenseman in the West. He is smart with the puck and makes a good first pass out of the zone. He also has strong mobility and could likely one day be a very serviceable third pairing NHL defenseman. As a 1989 born, this is Kelly's last chance at being drafted.

9. David Kolomatis - Owen Sound Attack
A lot of people in the OHL Scouting community actually believed Kolomatis would hear his name called in 2008, after a breakout season in Owen Sound, however that was not to be. Kolomatis came back this season even better, scoring 18 goals from the blueline. He is a very good offensive blueliner who loves to pinch on the play and has a very accurate shot. A lot of his points are generated from a good low shot which he gets through from the point. He's generally just a very smart offensive player who reacts well to the play. He's also an outstanding skater who uses his mobility to his full advantage. Defensively, I think he has improved. He's still not a strong two way player, but he's making strides and learning to pick his spots better for the rush. If Ryan Wilson can get an NHL contract with the same offensively abilities, defensive shortcomings but minus the outstanding skating, I can't see why Kolomatis should not eventually get a look as well. As an 89, this is also Kolomatis' last chance at being drafted. Actually interestingly enough, Kolomatis recently signed a tryout contract with Providence in the AHL and has already played one game there without registering a point. I wonder if the Bruins are interested in him?

8. Brett Parnham - Oshawa Generals
Another 89 looking to finally be drafted is this crafty, undersized forward. Parnham actually finished second in the OHL this season with 50 goals and was shown a lot of respect by OHL coaches in this years coaches poll. He was named the most dangerous player in the goal area and the player with the best shot in the East. He finished third in voting for hardest shot in the East. He can absolutely light the lamp, that is for sure. Where the concerns come in are his size and skating. At only 5'9, Parnham is the type of player who likes to enter the danger areas and is most dangerous operating in the slot. At his size, will he be able to physically handle the punishment? He's also only an average skater, which means will he be able to outskate defenders to get into scoring lanes at the next level. While his drive and effort are there, you wonder if he could be an NHL player. I think that if he was a little bigger or a little better of a skater, he'd be up near the top of this list. But without those qualities, he's a longshot at best. Still though, you can't deny his ability to put the puck in the net. Parnham is actually another guy who has signed a tryout contract with an AHL team to close out the season. He is playing for Rochester and has 0 points in 6 games. The Rochester Americans are the club team of the Florida Panthers which makes you wonder if they have interest in him.

7. Shawn Szydlowski - Erie Otters
Szydlowski is a 1990 born power forward who was passed over in last years draft. He's taken great strides forward offensively this season, finishing 4th in goals for a very balanced Erie scoring attack. At 6'0, 200lbs, he likes to use his size effectively as he drives towards the net. He is good around the boards and on the cycle and actually is a fairly effective skater for a big man. He also plays on the Erie penalty kill, where he again uses his size and physical play to be a big part of the PK unit. With Hodgman, Biggers, Gazdic and likely Torquato all moving on to the pros, Syzdlowski is likely to take an even bigger step forward next season when he becomes a main cog offensively and on the PK with Ryan O'Reilly.

6. Matt Kennedy - Guelph Storm
In the 2009 OHL Coaches Poll, Kennedy was named the West's most underrated player and hardest working player. I think about sums up his abilities. Kennedy is the type of forward who goes out there and leaves it all on the ice. He forechecks hard, plays both ways, takes the body, fights, and does all the little things that some players are hesitant to do. The biggest difference this season was his production offensively, where he jumped from 17 goals and 21 points in 2008 to 33 goals and 73 points in 2009, leading Guelph in scoring. His skating isn't amazing, but it isn't poor either. He could likely be a contributing player on an NHL checking line sometime in the future. Kennedy also signed a tryout contract in the AHL with Syracuse. Syracuse is Columbus's AHL club which makes you wonder if Columbus has interest in him. In 2 games, Kennedy has been held pointless.

5. Jaroslav Janus - Erie Otters
I think a lot of people probably recognize Janus' name from this past World Juniors where he was absolutely spectacular for a surprising Slovakian team. Truth is, a lot of people expected Janus to get drafted last season after playing decently for a terrible Otters team. However he went undrafted and bounced back strong this season. Janus was probably the main reason Erie was able to return to the playoffs. He is an incredibly athletic goaltender who moves laterally just about as good as any goalie I've seen. He also anticipates the play exceptionally well and is usually able to get himself into good position. On the downside, he has the habit of overplaying and flopping around, and he can get in trouble when teams look to go high. He also needs to continue to work on his rebound control, as often time his highlight reel saves are nothing more than necessity due to a juicy rebound. But the athletic and game stealing ability are hard to ignore. I'd be incredibly surprised if he doesn't have his name called in 2009.

4. Jason Akeson - Kitchener Rangers
Akeson is actually an interesting story. Last season he played for Cumberland Tier 2 and was having a successful season playing with linemmate Eric O'Dell. However just after midseason, his linemmate decided to jump ship to the OHL and had oustanding success with Sudbury, leading to a draft selection in the 2nd round. Trying to prove that he wasn't exactly chopped liver, Akeson also jumped ship late last season to Kitchener, however due to the teams depth, he wasn't really able to contribute much offensively. This season has been a different story, as Akeson finished the season 2nd in scoring in Kitchener. He has elite on ice vision and is an outstanding playmaker. He is able to slow the game down in the offensive zone and has no problem working the danger areas at only 5'10, 190lbs. His size doesn't really hurt him either, as he has excellent lower body strength and works the cycle fairly effectively. He's also a good skater. I think that this guy will continue to get better and better in this league and it'd probably be in some NHL teams best interest to claim his rights sooner rather than later. As a 1990, this is really his first full season in the OHL.

3. Luke Pither - Belleville Bulls
Pither has always been one of those guys who's got a ton of talent, but for whatever reason just was never able to put it all together. There were questions regarding his work ethic and his willingness to play in traffic and this lead to his exit from a vastly defensively oriented Guelph Storm team at the trade deadline. In Belleville, Pither absolutely exploded, being able to use the large ice to explore his offensive creativity and to give him more room to get into scoring lanes. He finished the season with 42 points in 23 games with Belleville. That's nearly as good as John Tavares' point per game average and stretched over a full season at that rate, Pither would have lead the OHL in scoring by a rather significant margin. He has an NHL caliber shot which he needs very little time to get off. He skates well and he loves to lead the charge into the offensive zone. He still has some flaws, like his willingness to become involved defensively and physically, but you can't teach his natural offensive abilities. Again, I'd be surprised if he isn't taken at least with a late round draft pick, especially since it's his last year of eligibility as an 89.

2. Darren Archibald - Barrie Colts
Archibald is another interesting story. He played last season for the Stouffville Spirit of the OPJHL. On that team, he played with current Kingston star Ethan Werek, and 2nd round draft pick and Boston University freshman Corey Trivino. He was overshadowed by them and failed to get drafted in his first year of eligibility. This season he made the transfer for the OHL, similar to Werek, with equally good results. However Werek has been getting all the hype (probably because he's a year younger). However don't sleep on Archibald. I think he's one of the best kept secrets in the OHL. He's got great size at 6'3, 200lbs, and he's still learning to use it. As the season went along, he began to use his size more and began to throw his body around. He's actually a good and elusive skater for his size and is not afraid to take the puck to the net. I think he also has some underrated puck skills, as I've seen him turn a few defenseman inside out. Archibald also had a great playoffs, leading Barrie in scoring in their round 1 loss to Mississauga. He had 4 goals and 3 assists in 5 games. I think he's a budding power forward prospect and I wouldn't hesitate to use a top 3 round selection on him.

1. Matt Hackett - Plymouth Whalers
Hackett exploded on to the scene this season, stealing the starting job from NHL second rounder Jeremy Smith and forcing his trade to Niagara. He has been a force all season and has probably been the 3rd best goalie in the league this season behind Mike Murphy and Thomas McCollum. He is a solid technically sound goalie who challenges shooters, covers his angles well, moves well in his crease, controls rebounds and who is constantly improving. Considering that he's having an outstanding playoffs so far, I expect his star to continue to rise. He was 8th at midterm for NA Goalies on the CSB list, and that was before Plymouth's monster run in the standings where he had a .925 SV% in January and February. I would put him right up there with Edward Pasquale and Scott Stajcer for the best the OHL has to offer at the position for the draft and because of that, I'd anticipate him being a top 60 selection.



Stay tuned for next Sunday's edition where I'll be looking at the 1992 born rookies who impressed me the most this season!