Just a couple of miscellaneous things I wanted to bring to your attention on this fine Sunday afternoon.
The first is that Niagara IceDogs winger (and former Barrie Colt) Darren Archibald has FINALLY signed an NHL contract. After going through 2 NHL drafts (despite being ranked) and having long stays at 2 NHL camps (Columbus and Detroit), Archibald finally put the ink on an entry level contract with the Vancouver Canucks (LINK). As you know, I've been a big supporter of Archibald the past few seasons and I've always been flabbergasted that he continued to remain without an NHL affiliation (whether it be as a draft pick or signee). The Canucks are getting a complete player who can do a little bit of everything and who (IMO) should develop into at least a serviceable checking line winger with goal scoring ability. Congrats to Darren (Here's an interview with Darren about the signing. Clearly he's a happy camper).
The second is a pair of excellent goals that occurred recently. Both are from highly touted potential 2011 NHL Draft picks.
Rickard Rakell topped the OHL plays of the week with a behind the back, through the legs wrist shot that is definitely worth a look (reminds me a lot of James Van Riemsdyk's goal from the WJC's a few years ago).
HERE
Ryan Strome scored a beauty of a goal against the Barrie Colts last night, as he flew down the wing, put on the breaks and roofed it top shelf as he was falling to the ice. He's a human highlight reel. The goal occurs about midway through the clip below.
Showing posts with label Darren Archibald. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Darren Archibald. Show all posts
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thoughts on Barrie and Mississauga from November 27
I was lucky enough to take this one in tonight, because it was an excellent game. Hard to imagine that a match up between the 5th (Barrie) and 6th (Mississauga) ranked teams in the Canadian Hockey League would be anything other than fantastic.
This game had pretty much everything. Back and forth action; some outstanding goaltending; a few very nice goals; and even a fight. In the end, the Colts came out on top 5-2 thanks to a third period hat trick by Darren Archibald and some outstanding goaltending from Dalton McGrath. The win increases the Colts lead on the Central Division and Eastern Conference to three points and simultaneously extends their winning streak to 13 games. This Colts team is starting to look pretty unbeatable. Since the Brodie/Crawford deal, Barrie has held opponents to less than 1.5 goals per game and has not given up more than 2 goals in any of those seven contests. For a team that got a lot of attention for their offensive firepower, that deal has made them quite the defensive juggernaut too.
This brings me to Mississauga. Hard to really say something negative about the Majors because they've been just as strong this season and were 8-0-2 in their last 10 before tonight's division battle. I don't want to jump to conclusions after tonight's game, but considering how often I've seen the Majors (and the Colts) this season, I feel that I've got a good grasp on what this team brings to the table. I'm just going to come out and say it. Mississauga does not have the firepower or skill to hang with Barrie in a seven game playoff series. If tonight proved anything to Majors management, it was that they need to make a few additions in order to be able to beat the Barrie Colts in the playoffs. Barrie's forwards were too fast, too physical, and too skilled for Mississauga's defense to handle. And Mississauga's forwards are not skilled enough to be able to compensate for this disadvantage. The Majors had many great opportunities tonight, but they just couldn't finish. Again, the Majors are a great team and they have a great team concept, but I truly believe if they want to stay neck and neck with Barrie, they're going to have to go out and add another quality scorer and a quality two-way physical defenseman. That trade with Saginaw improved this Barrie team so much; the Majors have to go out and add something to stem the tide.
Some thoughts on individual performances...
Barrie Colts
Alexander Burmistrov (2010)
Burmistrov had a relatively quiet game tonight. He had a few nice rushes with the puck, was effective on the penalty kill, but didn't really get any chances in close to the net. On one of his rushes he did make a very creative play with the puck. He brought the puck up ice, and just before he hit the blueline, he faked a dump in, to which the defender bit (and backed off), and he was able to continue carrying the puck across the blueline and make a nice pass to a teammate for a shot on net. He finished with an assist and was +2 on the night.
Alex Hutchings (TBL)
I was really disappointed that he didn't get an invite to the Subway Super Series as it means he's not considered a candidate for Team Canada at the WJC's. However, I think he would have been a perfect candidate for the team. He's one of the best skaters in the OHL, he's a tremendous penalty killer and capable two way forward, and he's able to play any role needed of him. Since he's a 1990, it was his last kick at the can too. Oh well, you've got to soldier on and that he did tonight. Hutchings had a very good game. His speed creates so many chances, not for himself but for his teammates too thanks to forced turnovers. Had two partial breakaways, but was stymied twice by Majors defenseman David Corrente (making two very nice defensive plays). On the penalty kill, he did get a break on net alone though, but was robbed by J.P. Anderson with the paddle. He rang a shot off the goal post on that same penalty kill, as he cut across the blueline one on one with the defender and tried to go far side on Anderson. He scored his goal late in the game on a redirect that Anderson mishandled.
Nick Crawford (BUF)
Continues to be outstanding for Barrie since the trade. Playing solid both ways and really establishing himself was one of the league's top defenseman. The game's opening goal in the first period by Stefan Della Rovere was all Crawford. Controlled the puck at the point and made a beautiful pass to Stefan Della Rovere in front of the net for the wide open tap in. He's got outstanding on ice vision and just keeps the game simple. I have a hard time wondering what type of impact he'll have at the next level, but he's definitely playing some inspired hockey right now. Had 3 assists on the night and now has 10 points in 7 games with Barrie.
Stefan Della Rovere (WSH)
After a slow start to the season offensively, SDR has been much better over the course of the last month or so. He's back to playing that aggressive, pesky offensive role he cherishes and excels at. Tonight he was excellent along the wall and in the cycle, winning the majority of battles he engaged in. Finished off the aforementioned Crawford pass for the games opening goal. Got open in front of the net, took the pass and went around Anderson tucking it in on the backhand. Also received an assist on the late third period Alex Hutchings goal, making a nice pass to Hutchings in front of the net. Looks to be in good form as he tries to reclaim his role on Team Canada's checking line.
T.J. Brodie (CGY)
It's interesting to see him playing a bit of a different role in Barrie. While he's been underwhelming on the stat sheet, I don't think he's playing poorly. The pairing of Brodie and Crawford must have played AT least 30 minutes for Barrie tonight and Brodie saw time on the first powerplay unit. As always, he was solid with puck possession and makes smart plays to get the puck up ice. However, one thing I have noticed about Brodie is that at times he can become a little too narrowly focused with the puck in his own end. He'll try to do it all himself and skate out of the forecheck, rather than make the simple pass. This can lead to turnovers like it did on one occasion tonight. Defensively, I think he's playing much better and more consistent with Barrie, especially in defensive zone coverage. He got only his second point with Barrie tonight, but it was a beauty. On the powerplay, he regained possession of the puck along the boards, spun around at the point and fired a lob pass to Darren Archibald for a one time goal at the side of the net. Just a beautiful pass. Brodie also finished +3 tonight.
Darren Archibald (2010, but 1990 born)
This guy is just phenomenal. I'm going to make a pretty blunt statement here, but I think he's the best power forward in the OHL right now. The guy has 8 goals and 12 assists in his last 11 games. He hits hard (crunched Stuart Percy hard into the boards tonight), he drops the gloves, and he's very skilled for a big man. His best asset might be his wrist shot which is very hard and very accurate. He uses his size and speed to allow him space to get it off too. I'll run over the goals he scored to accumulate his third period hat trick. First one cutting down the wing on a 2 on 1, he absolutely wired a wrist shot over a sliding Stuart Percy and over J.P. Anderson's shoulder to the back of the net. Second goal was off that beautiful Brodie lob pass on the powerplay. But he showed incredible hands at the side of the net to finish off the pass by one timing it over Anderson's shoulder yet again. Hat trick goal he found a loose puck in the slot and wired top shelf yet again. Puck was on his stick and to the back of the net in a split second. Did I mention he also hit the crossbar in the first period too? Did I also mention he saved an easy tap in goal with some excellent work on the penalty kill by lunging with his stick to disrupt a pass to an open man at the side of the net? Darren Archibald is a beast in this league, plain and simple.
Dalton McGrath (2010)
Simply put, McGrath was outstanding tonight. Maybe the best goaltending performance I've personally witnessed this season. Admittedly, there was some luck involved, but the old adage is you've got to be good to be lucky. I think maybe it's time we realized this guy might actually be good and in the shadows of starter Peter Di Salvo. He was an award winner and all star in Junior A last year, he was excellent in the OHL preseason and he's been tremendous in limited action during the regular season. He's started only 4 games, but he's won all four of them and he hasn't had a save percentage under .913 in any of them. Made two absolutely outstanding saves tonight. Went post to post and robbed Devante Smith Pelly at the side of the net with the blocker. Later, used the blocker again as Blake Parlett had an open net to shoot at but McGrath managed to somehow keep the puck out. To be slightly negative, he does have some rebound control concerns, as he doesn't yet have the ability to control the shots he stops. But the important thing is that he's stopping them. He cuts down the angles and makes himself big in the net. He seems to have good mobility, especially laterally. As a late 1991, McGrath is first time eligible for the NHL Draft in 2010 and if he can start to get a few more starts, he might work his way on to a few radars, if he hasn't already. McGrath made 40 of 42 saves for the win.
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Stuart Percy (2011)
I thought he was the Majors best defenseman tonight, despite being a -3. As a 1993 rookie, his progress thus far has to be a positive for Majors management. Made a very nice defensive play on Stefan Della Rovere as he tried to get by him with the puck on the way to the net, but Percy stood his ground and got the puck off him and out. Also made a very nice play on the Archibald two on one goal. He forced Archibald to shoot by cutting off the pass, and then very nearly blocked the shot attempt, but credit to Archibald for the very well placed shot. This rookie was definitely not to blame for the loss tonight.
Tim Billingsley (PHX)
Had a very poor game. A couple bad turnovers in the first period, combined with blown coverage on the Stefan Della Rovere goal got him off to a bad start. To start the third, he took a sloppy tripping penalty to cope with making a bad pinch and getting caught in the zone. This led to Archibald's powerplay goal that made the game 3-0 and put it out of reach for the Majors. Billingsley has to be better.
Brett Flemming (WSH)
Thought he played a quietly effective game defensively despite being -2 on the night. Shows glimpses of being a physical defender, I wish he'd be more consistent in that department. Was a non factor offensively tonight though, which has to be a big part of his game. Not his best or his worst effort though.
Casey Cizikas (NYI)
I thought Cizikas was Cizikas tonight. Some solid penalty killing, a couple scoring chances in close to the net. Overall the Colts defense did a pretty good job neutralizing him though, especially the Brodie/Crawford combo. Did take a really lazy penalty in the first period though, while the Majors were on the powerplay.
Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
I thought Smith-Pelly was easily the best forward for Mississauga tonight. He was robbed a few times by Dalton McGrath, especially on the play I mentioned where McGrath slid across the crease to make the save with the blocker off Smith-Pelly's shot attempt. He scored a nice goal with a big slap shot near the faceoff circle that McGrath was unable to glove just above his pads. I definitely don't understand why he was left off the NHL's Central Scouting Preliminary list, but if he continues to play well and hard, I'm sure he'll find his way into the mid season rankings.
Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Gaunce played a solid, if unspectacular game tonight. He seems to be cutting down on the defensive zone turnovers that were plaguing him a bit in the early part of the season. Last two times I've seen him, he's been relatively mistake free. I also like the progress he's shown in the physical aspect of his game this year. Seems much more willing to throw the body and had a couple nice hits (including a nice hip check) tonight. He finished with assists on both of the Majors goals but didn't really influence them greatly.
J.P. Anderson (2010)
Anderson was OK tonight. I still really like him as a prospect, but he's got to make some adjustments as he's been underwhelming to start the season. Not the biggest goalie, Anderson is definitely not afraid to challenge shooters and come well out of his crease to make a save. However, one thing I've noticed about Anderson is that his posture in net is hindering him. Maybe I'm crazy, but he seems to compact himself and hunch over a bit when he's challenging shooters. Rather than standing tall (or tallish to still give himself a chance to be ready to go down into the butterfly) to take away more of the upper part of the net. All three of Darren Archibald's goals were scored up high on Anderson and that seems to be a pattern I'm seeing from every team this year. He's definitely a very athletic goaltender though and he does well to control his rebounds and take away the bottom of the net. His pads are incredibly quick and he reacts very well to the play. Still though, some of the same concerns I have about Anderson are the same ones people had about Mike Murphy, and we all know that Murphy wasn't the highest NHL draft pick. Anderson made 24 of 29 saves and took the loss.
That's it for tonight's game. Anyone else see this beauty or have thoughts on anything I've said? Is Darren Archibald the best power forward in the OHL? Is Barrie that much better than Mississauga?
This game had pretty much everything. Back and forth action; some outstanding goaltending; a few very nice goals; and even a fight. In the end, the Colts came out on top 5-2 thanks to a third period hat trick by Darren Archibald and some outstanding goaltending from Dalton McGrath. The win increases the Colts lead on the Central Division and Eastern Conference to three points and simultaneously extends their winning streak to 13 games. This Colts team is starting to look pretty unbeatable. Since the Brodie/Crawford deal, Barrie has held opponents to less than 1.5 goals per game and has not given up more than 2 goals in any of those seven contests. For a team that got a lot of attention for their offensive firepower, that deal has made them quite the defensive juggernaut too.
This brings me to Mississauga. Hard to really say something negative about the Majors because they've been just as strong this season and were 8-0-2 in their last 10 before tonight's division battle. I don't want to jump to conclusions after tonight's game, but considering how often I've seen the Majors (and the Colts) this season, I feel that I've got a good grasp on what this team brings to the table. I'm just going to come out and say it. Mississauga does not have the firepower or skill to hang with Barrie in a seven game playoff series. If tonight proved anything to Majors management, it was that they need to make a few additions in order to be able to beat the Barrie Colts in the playoffs. Barrie's forwards were too fast, too physical, and too skilled for Mississauga's defense to handle. And Mississauga's forwards are not skilled enough to be able to compensate for this disadvantage. The Majors had many great opportunities tonight, but they just couldn't finish. Again, the Majors are a great team and they have a great team concept, but I truly believe if they want to stay neck and neck with Barrie, they're going to have to go out and add another quality scorer and a quality two-way physical defenseman. That trade with Saginaw improved this Barrie team so much; the Majors have to go out and add something to stem the tide.
Some thoughts on individual performances...
Barrie Colts
Alexander Burmistrov (2010)
Burmistrov had a relatively quiet game tonight. He had a few nice rushes with the puck, was effective on the penalty kill, but didn't really get any chances in close to the net. On one of his rushes he did make a very creative play with the puck. He brought the puck up ice, and just before he hit the blueline, he faked a dump in, to which the defender bit (and backed off), and he was able to continue carrying the puck across the blueline and make a nice pass to a teammate for a shot on net. He finished with an assist and was +2 on the night.
Alex Hutchings (TBL)
I was really disappointed that he didn't get an invite to the Subway Super Series as it means he's not considered a candidate for Team Canada at the WJC's. However, I think he would have been a perfect candidate for the team. He's one of the best skaters in the OHL, he's a tremendous penalty killer and capable two way forward, and he's able to play any role needed of him. Since he's a 1990, it was his last kick at the can too. Oh well, you've got to soldier on and that he did tonight. Hutchings had a very good game. His speed creates so many chances, not for himself but for his teammates too thanks to forced turnovers. Had two partial breakaways, but was stymied twice by Majors defenseman David Corrente (making two very nice defensive plays). On the penalty kill, he did get a break on net alone though, but was robbed by J.P. Anderson with the paddle. He rang a shot off the goal post on that same penalty kill, as he cut across the blueline one on one with the defender and tried to go far side on Anderson. He scored his goal late in the game on a redirect that Anderson mishandled.
Nick Crawford (BUF)
Continues to be outstanding for Barrie since the trade. Playing solid both ways and really establishing himself was one of the league's top defenseman. The game's opening goal in the first period by Stefan Della Rovere was all Crawford. Controlled the puck at the point and made a beautiful pass to Stefan Della Rovere in front of the net for the wide open tap in. He's got outstanding on ice vision and just keeps the game simple. I have a hard time wondering what type of impact he'll have at the next level, but he's definitely playing some inspired hockey right now. Had 3 assists on the night and now has 10 points in 7 games with Barrie.
Stefan Della Rovere (WSH)
After a slow start to the season offensively, SDR has been much better over the course of the last month or so. He's back to playing that aggressive, pesky offensive role he cherishes and excels at. Tonight he was excellent along the wall and in the cycle, winning the majority of battles he engaged in. Finished off the aforementioned Crawford pass for the games opening goal. Got open in front of the net, took the pass and went around Anderson tucking it in on the backhand. Also received an assist on the late third period Alex Hutchings goal, making a nice pass to Hutchings in front of the net. Looks to be in good form as he tries to reclaim his role on Team Canada's checking line.
T.J. Brodie (CGY)
It's interesting to see him playing a bit of a different role in Barrie. While he's been underwhelming on the stat sheet, I don't think he's playing poorly. The pairing of Brodie and Crawford must have played AT least 30 minutes for Barrie tonight and Brodie saw time on the first powerplay unit. As always, he was solid with puck possession and makes smart plays to get the puck up ice. However, one thing I have noticed about Brodie is that at times he can become a little too narrowly focused with the puck in his own end. He'll try to do it all himself and skate out of the forecheck, rather than make the simple pass. This can lead to turnovers like it did on one occasion tonight. Defensively, I think he's playing much better and more consistent with Barrie, especially in defensive zone coverage. He got only his second point with Barrie tonight, but it was a beauty. On the powerplay, he regained possession of the puck along the boards, spun around at the point and fired a lob pass to Darren Archibald for a one time goal at the side of the net. Just a beautiful pass. Brodie also finished +3 tonight.
Darren Archibald (2010, but 1990 born)
This guy is just phenomenal. I'm going to make a pretty blunt statement here, but I think he's the best power forward in the OHL right now. The guy has 8 goals and 12 assists in his last 11 games. He hits hard (crunched Stuart Percy hard into the boards tonight), he drops the gloves, and he's very skilled for a big man. His best asset might be his wrist shot which is very hard and very accurate. He uses his size and speed to allow him space to get it off too. I'll run over the goals he scored to accumulate his third period hat trick. First one cutting down the wing on a 2 on 1, he absolutely wired a wrist shot over a sliding Stuart Percy and over J.P. Anderson's shoulder to the back of the net. Second goal was off that beautiful Brodie lob pass on the powerplay. But he showed incredible hands at the side of the net to finish off the pass by one timing it over Anderson's shoulder yet again. Hat trick goal he found a loose puck in the slot and wired top shelf yet again. Puck was on his stick and to the back of the net in a split second. Did I mention he also hit the crossbar in the first period too? Did I also mention he saved an easy tap in goal with some excellent work on the penalty kill by lunging with his stick to disrupt a pass to an open man at the side of the net? Darren Archibald is a beast in this league, plain and simple.
Dalton McGrath (2010)
Simply put, McGrath was outstanding tonight. Maybe the best goaltending performance I've personally witnessed this season. Admittedly, there was some luck involved, but the old adage is you've got to be good to be lucky. I think maybe it's time we realized this guy might actually be good and in the shadows of starter Peter Di Salvo. He was an award winner and all star in Junior A last year, he was excellent in the OHL preseason and he's been tremendous in limited action during the regular season. He's started only 4 games, but he's won all four of them and he hasn't had a save percentage under .913 in any of them. Made two absolutely outstanding saves tonight. Went post to post and robbed Devante Smith Pelly at the side of the net with the blocker. Later, used the blocker again as Blake Parlett had an open net to shoot at but McGrath managed to somehow keep the puck out. To be slightly negative, he does have some rebound control concerns, as he doesn't yet have the ability to control the shots he stops. But the important thing is that he's stopping them. He cuts down the angles and makes himself big in the net. He seems to have good mobility, especially laterally. As a late 1991, McGrath is first time eligible for the NHL Draft in 2010 and if he can start to get a few more starts, he might work his way on to a few radars, if he hasn't already. McGrath made 40 of 42 saves for the win.
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Stuart Percy (2011)
I thought he was the Majors best defenseman tonight, despite being a -3. As a 1993 rookie, his progress thus far has to be a positive for Majors management. Made a very nice defensive play on Stefan Della Rovere as he tried to get by him with the puck on the way to the net, but Percy stood his ground and got the puck off him and out. Also made a very nice play on the Archibald two on one goal. He forced Archibald to shoot by cutting off the pass, and then very nearly blocked the shot attempt, but credit to Archibald for the very well placed shot. This rookie was definitely not to blame for the loss tonight.
Tim Billingsley (PHX)
Had a very poor game. A couple bad turnovers in the first period, combined with blown coverage on the Stefan Della Rovere goal got him off to a bad start. To start the third, he took a sloppy tripping penalty to cope with making a bad pinch and getting caught in the zone. This led to Archibald's powerplay goal that made the game 3-0 and put it out of reach for the Majors. Billingsley has to be better.
Brett Flemming (WSH)
Thought he played a quietly effective game defensively despite being -2 on the night. Shows glimpses of being a physical defender, I wish he'd be more consistent in that department. Was a non factor offensively tonight though, which has to be a big part of his game. Not his best or his worst effort though.
Casey Cizikas (NYI)
I thought Cizikas was Cizikas tonight. Some solid penalty killing, a couple scoring chances in close to the net. Overall the Colts defense did a pretty good job neutralizing him though, especially the Brodie/Crawford combo. Did take a really lazy penalty in the first period though, while the Majors were on the powerplay.
Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
I thought Smith-Pelly was easily the best forward for Mississauga tonight. He was robbed a few times by Dalton McGrath, especially on the play I mentioned where McGrath slid across the crease to make the save with the blocker off Smith-Pelly's shot attempt. He scored a nice goal with a big slap shot near the faceoff circle that McGrath was unable to glove just above his pads. I definitely don't understand why he was left off the NHL's Central Scouting Preliminary list, but if he continues to play well and hard, I'm sure he'll find his way into the mid season rankings.
Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Gaunce played a solid, if unspectacular game tonight. He seems to be cutting down on the defensive zone turnovers that were plaguing him a bit in the early part of the season. Last two times I've seen him, he's been relatively mistake free. I also like the progress he's shown in the physical aspect of his game this year. Seems much more willing to throw the body and had a couple nice hits (including a nice hip check) tonight. He finished with assists on both of the Majors goals but didn't really influence them greatly.
J.P. Anderson (2010)
Anderson was OK tonight. I still really like him as a prospect, but he's got to make some adjustments as he's been underwhelming to start the season. Not the biggest goalie, Anderson is definitely not afraid to challenge shooters and come well out of his crease to make a save. However, one thing I've noticed about Anderson is that his posture in net is hindering him. Maybe I'm crazy, but he seems to compact himself and hunch over a bit when he's challenging shooters. Rather than standing tall (or tallish to still give himself a chance to be ready to go down into the butterfly) to take away more of the upper part of the net. All three of Darren Archibald's goals were scored up high on Anderson and that seems to be a pattern I'm seeing from every team this year. He's definitely a very athletic goaltender though and he does well to control his rebounds and take away the bottom of the net. His pads are incredibly quick and he reacts very well to the play. Still though, some of the same concerns I have about Anderson are the same ones people had about Mike Murphy, and we all know that Murphy wasn't the highest NHL draft pick. Anderson made 24 of 29 saves and took the loss.
That's it for tonight's game. Anyone else see this beauty or have thoughts on anything I've said? Is Darren Archibald the best power forward in the OHL? Is Barrie that much better than Mississauga?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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?
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?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday Top 10 - 2009 NHL Draft Surprises
With the 2009 NHL Entry Draft behind us, it is time to take a look at the draft a little more closely. All in all, it was an incredibly successful one for the OHL with 45 players selected in the weekend's 7 rounds. For those number crunchers out there, that's just over 20%. One fifth of the players selected were from the Ontario Hockey League.For me, it was a bit of a strange draft. A lot of interesting things happened, and there were a lot of surprises and disappointments. Thus, today's Top 10 will take a look at those interesting things, surprises, and disappointments. Obviously, since this is an OHL blog, the list will focus on the surprises for the Ontario Hockey League as it relates to the draft. However, the list can also serve as my commentary on the draft as a whole.
So here we go, the top 10 2009 NHL Draft surprises...
10. Calvin
de Haan Goes 12th to the New York IslandersFor any other follower of the NHL draft, this occurrence would probably be up near the top 3 of draft surprises. But for me, it's only a mild surprise. Obviously, I've been a big supporter of Calvin this entire season. I had him ranked 4th ahead of the likes of Kadri, Kassian, and Holland (2 of which he went before). His intelligent play with and without the puck obviously caught the eye of the Islanders too, since they traded up to make sure they got him. Calvin was ranked in the 20's by pretty much every scouting agency, so I'm sure this comes as more of a shock to them. But it's why it made this list, even though it failed to shock me. Congrats to Calvin in finally getting the attention he deserves.
9. Jamie Devane Who?
At the beginning of the third round, the Toronto Maple Leafs took Jamie Devane with the 68th overall pick. This had a lot of people scratching their head, me included. It also had a lot of people, in particular Leafs fans, asking the question, "who exactly is this guy?" Devane is a big OHL rookie winger from Plymouth who failed to crack my top 50 OHL players eligible (and quite frankly didn't even get consideration). One thing is clear about Devane, he loves to fight. He had 19 fights this season and is definitely one of the tougher customers in the OHL (here is a fight against Brian Shaw of Erie). That being said, I'm not sure I see the offensive upside, at least to warrant a top three round selection. I generally have a problem when NHL teams take heavyweights with high selections, because every year good prospects cut from the same cloth can be found as free agents. Just look at the Sharks signing of Brandon Mashinter as proof. But we all know that Brian Burke likes size and physical tools, and it's obvious his scouting staff sees more in Devane than just another George Parros for Burke.
8. Casey Cizikas Goes in the Top 100
Consider this a good surprise. You've got to be happy for Casey to be the first pick of the 4th round at 92, again to the New York Islanders. You have to wonder if Garth Snow and his scouting staff have been reading my blog! Cizikas has been heavily scrutinized after originally being touted as a potential high selection at the beginning of the season. Most scouts had a lot of problems with his consistency and effort level. However, I've been a big supporter, probably one of the few. He's always impressed me when I've seen him play and I think he has a lot to offer to an NHL team. That being said, this is a surprise because for all intents and purposes, I expected him to fall at the NHL draft, regardless of how high I personally was on him. There has to be a huge weight lifted off Casey's shoulders now that he's gotten drafted, and drafted fairly high.
7. Darren Archibald Goes Undrafted
Come on Garth Snow, you grab the other two guys I've been high on, but not Mr. Archibald? Surely Darren would have been a better 5th round pick than Anton Klementyev! All kidding aside, it surprised me greatly that Darren went undrafted. I had him as the 2nd best draft re-entry from the OHL heading into the draft. Then 11 OHL draft re-entries went instead of him! To me, Darren has all the qualities NHL teams usually look for. He's a big guy who moves well, has good hands, and is developing a sense of using his size. I thought he looked very good for an OHL rookie playing his first season from Tier 2. Had an excellent playoff series. I see a lot of potential in him and I'm not the only one. Redline had him in the mid 100's if I'm not mistaken. ISS was high on him, as I heard an interview with Mike Oke where he stated Archibald was his late round sleeper. With Barrie apparently loading up for a run next year, Archibald could have a really good season in 2009-10. He can only hope then that he can be among those drafted. Fortunately there are many routes to the NHL.
6. The Fall of Ethan Werek
I know I was higher on Werek than most, (having him ranked 5th for OHL eligibles), but I still expected him to be a late first or early second round pick. However he ended up lasting till mid way through the 2nd, where the Rangers finally took him off the board. Sure the skating could use a bit of improvement, but it's not terrible. If you read his blog over at Coming Down the Pipe (here), you'll notice how well spoken he is. A smart and goal oriented kid, it's pretty clear that Werek will continueto devote himself to improvement. I see a kid who scored the third most goals among draft eligible players (behind John Tavares and the undrafted Chris DeSousa), and I wonder how some fail to see his potential as a top 6 forward. I think it's pretty obvious to say that I think the Rangers got one heck of a steal in round 2 with this talented young man.
5. Bryan Cameron = No Su
ch LuckI was incredibly surprised when the Los Angeles Kings didn't sign him to a contract before the June 1st deadline. I was even more surprised when no one took him on Saturday, as he re-entered the draft (along with 6 others from the OHL failing to a receive a contract from the OHL). Look, I know he's undersized at 5'10. And I realize that the type of game he plays will be hard to translate to the NHL due to his size. But how many players have scored three straight 30 goal seasons, and have been to two straight OHL all star games? He brings a lot of things to the table. I'm sure he gets an invite to an NHL training camp and he needs to show that team he's worth a contract. If not he'll be back in the OHL as an overager, however not likely in Belleville as they go full blown into a rebuild. I think it'd be a real shame for him to fall through the cracks after being such a high NHL pick originally, considering the OHL career he's had thus far. The four guys he's posing with in the picture, all got NHL contracts, which has to make him feel left out.
4. Kyle Neuber Gets Drafted
I mean no offense to Kyle Neuber when I mention him in this article. But for him to get drafted, it surprises me greatly. This goes back to my rant before about teams spending picks on heavyweight prospects, when so many are available as free agents. Kyle is an excellent fighter, one of the top heavyweights in the OHL (here's a clip to show you why). But how much of an NHL future does he have? His offensive skills aren't good enough to make him a regular contributor at the OHL level, let alone the NHL level. His skating isn't great. Basically, he brings little to the table save being an enforcer. And I thought the NHL was getting away from putting "true" enforcers on their 4th line. Yet, this NHL draft we saw a large number of enforcer type prospects being drafted, including Neuber to Columbus in the 7th round. It all seems odd to me.
3. No Lov
e for Undersized ForwardsSomewhat related to the rant on heavyweight prospects, comes the surprise that so few skilled, undersized forwards were drafted. And those that were, were drafted late. Undersized defenseman seemed to be at a premium, Ryan Ellis, de Haan, Tyson Barrie, Sami Vatanen all went well. But the talented undersized forwards? Alex Hutchings, whom many had pegged as an NHL second rounder, falls to the 4th round. Phil Varone, one of the best players in the OHL playoffs, to the 5th round. Chris DeSousa, who scored the 2nd most goals behind John Tavares among OHL draft eligibles, undrafted. Brett Parnham, the OHL's goal leader and draft re-entry, not drafted. Andrew Agozzino, William Wallen, Jordan Mayer, Daniel Erlich, all undrafted. OHL players weren't the only ones effected. Kellan Tochkin, the WHL's rookie scoring leader for Everett, also fell victim to the undrafted list. So in an era when undersized forwards are excelling like never before in the NHL, why are so few being drafted?
2. OHL Goaltenders Get Knocked Down
While the goaltending crop for this years NHL draft didn't have a great reputation for being excellent, there were several OHL goaltenders slated to be high picks. OHL netminders occupied 3 of the top 5 spots on the Central Scouting's top NA goalies ranking. However, Plymouth Whalers goaltender Matt Hackett ended up being the 5th netminder taken in the draft (77th to Minnesota), despite being touted as possibly the top goalie available. The fall was more dramatic for the others. Edward Pasquale, who was so good for Saginaw this year, fell to the end of the 4th round, while Scott Stajcer and Michael Zador fell to the end of the 5th round. Barrie's Peter Di Salvo, Ottawa's Chris Perugini and Guelph's Brandon Foote all went undrafted. On the positive side, Erie netminder Jaroslav Janus finally heard his name called in the 6th, after being passed over in previous NHL drafts. For whatever reason, NHL scouts must have been down on North American goaltenders, as despite going 77th, Hackett was actually the first North American goalie taken. Four European netminders went before him, as early as the first pick of the 2nd round (the gigantic Mikko Koskinen to Long Island).
1. The Number of 1989 Born Players Drafted
While I'm not going to do the math, all it takes is one glance at the full NHL dra
ft list to see the sheer volume of players drafted with a 1989 birth date. These players had been passed over in two previous NHL drafts, yet there progression caught the eye of NHL scouts enough to warrant a draft pick. To me, it seems like more 1989 born players went in the last 100 picks, than first year eligible 1991's. This is truly bizarre, as most years no more than a dozen of these types go. Just to give you an idea. Last year for the OHL, 3 1988's went (Andrew Campbell, Justin Azevedo, and Justin DiBenedetto). This year, 9 1989 players went (Janus, Kolomatis, Kennedy, Macdermaid, Neuber, Timmins, Cowick, Nolan and Pelech). That's quite the large jump. Perhaps we're seeing a shift in NHL draft philosophy. With the three year window to draft players, perhaps teams are going to start looking more at those late bloomers as draft options. Or maybe this year is an outlier.Just like to say, Congrats to those 45 OHL players drafted. And to the many more who didn't hear your named called, take a good look at those nine 1989 born players drafted. They are the reason to not give up. They are the reason to push harder and improve, because NHL scouts are always watching.
Big day on Tuesday as the CHL Import Draft goes, where teams will look for the next Evgeni Grachev and Andrei Loktionov. I'll have coverage of that. Also stay tuned for next Sunday's Top 10, where I'll be profiling my early look at the top 10 for 2010!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday Top 10 - Biggest Draft Risers
As you may recall, last week's Sunday Top 10 ranked the biggest draft fallers over the course of the 2008-09 OHL season. Today, we will rank the draft risers. These are the players who saw their stock increase the most over the course of the 2008-09 season.Here is the top 10:
10. Brett Flemming - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Flemming is perhaps a bit of a reach for a list like this because he still could go undrafted. However, I think he did enough this season to warrant a look from scouts. Not the biggest defenseman out there at 5'10, 165lbs, Flemming proved that he could handle both ends of the rink. He moves the puck well, skates well, is developing some intensity and showed that at this level, his size isn't a detriment. As the season went along, he really developed and became the Majors 2nd most important defenseman behind OHL all star Cameron Gaunce. Progressing from part time OHL player to top pairing defenseman earns him a spot on this list. Without that progression and improvement, he doesn't get a sniff from NHL scouts.
9. Scott Valentine - Oshawa Generals
Valentine's rise in the draft rankings was pretty much done in the final third of the season. Not many guys rise like that without their team making the OHL playoffs. Valentine started the year stuck on the deep London Knight blueline and was earning little playing time. As part of the John Tavares trade, Valentine exploded in Oshawa with a larger role. With good size, offensive ability, and an aggressive nature, it's all a matter of whether that small sample size in Oshawa (26 games) is enough to impress the scouts. Judging from the fact that he went from unranked (210 spots available) to ranked 110 in the final ranking of the NHL's Central Scouting, he's getting that attention. Don't be surprised if this guy gets his named called in the first three rounds, well ahead of some of the others I personally have ranked ahead of him.
8. Darren Ar
chibald - Barrie ColtsArchibald went undrafted last year while playing in the OPJHL on the stacked Stouffville Spirit team that included Ethan Werek and Corey Trivino. That summer, he was drafted as a mature pick in the 7th round of the 2008 OHL Priority draft by the Barrie Colts. Suiting up for Barrie this season did wonders for him. He emerged as one of the team's best forwards, finishing third in points and third in goals with 25. He performed even better in the playoffs, leading Barrie in scoring with 4 goals and 7 points in 5 games. Archibald has NHL size at 6'3, and is still learning how to use his frame. But he shows glimpses of possible power forward development, driving hard to the net and using his body. I think this guy goes higher than expected next weekend.
7. Kyle Clifford - Barrie Colts
Another Barrie forward, Clifford didn't necessarily wow scouts with his OHL season, where he finished with 16 goals and 28 points. However, his performance at the 2009 Under 18's did. He showcased his strong work ethic and ability to play hard, hanging in there against the cream of the crop of his age group. While he largely profiles as a character forward at the next level, some believe he has some offensive potential. I know of one scouting agency that has him inside their top 50 for the draft, which suggests he could be a selection in the top three rounds as well.
6. Taylor Beck - Guelph Storm
A former second round pick in the OHL Priority draft by Guelph, Beck exploded offensively this season after putting up moderate numbers in his rookie year. He finished 4th in scoring for Guelph and managed to earn himself a lot of NHL draft attention in the process. While his skating needs work, and some question his NHL upside, he remains an attractive selection due to the fact that his hard work creates scoring chances.
5. Matt Duchene - Brampton Battalion
OK, I know, somewhat odd seeing Duchene on this list given that he's always been considered a top 10 pick for 2009. However, Duchene came into the season as just that; a guy being considered as a top 10 selection. He finishes the season and goes into the draft as someone being pegged as a top 3 selection. Duchene's play in Brampton this season leaves some believing he could be the best player out of this draft class. Redline Report has him ranked second ahead of John Tavares. I've seen mock drafts recently that have the Islanders selecting him first overall. Duchene came a long way this season and really cemented his status as a franchise prospect.
4. Scott Stajcer - Owen Sound Attack
Last season, Stajcer played 6 games in the OHL, struggling badly. This season he begun playing very little behind high NHL draft pick Tyler Beskorowany. But as the season went along, Stajcer began to get better and better, and subsequently he earned himself into a platoon role. A big goalie, Stajcer needs to refine his mechanics, but he's showcased the ability to win, and even steal hockey games. While not appearing at the Under 18's had to have been a disappointment to a lot of scouts, I don't expect Stajcer to last outside the top 100.
3. Matt Clark - Brampton Battalion
Clark went from playing in the OPJHL last season to being one of the top defensem
an on the best team in the Eastern Conference this year. Clark's big body, in combination with his mobility and physical presence makes him a very attractive selection for NHL clubs. While his offensive upside remains a bit of a mystery, he has the makings of a quality stay at home defenseman in the mold of a guy like Brooks Orpik, who was instrumental in helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup.2. Matt Hackett - Plymouth Whalers
After playing sparingly with Plymouth last season, Hackett failed to be selected in the 2008 NHL entry draft. This season, he came back strong and determined to prove scouts wrong. Hackett's strong play eventually led Plymouth to deal starter Jeremy Smith, and he proceeded to lead them to the 2nd round of the OHL playoffs. Hackett's strong play during both the regular season and playoffs earned him the top spot among North American goalies on the NHL's Central Scouting list. Don't expect him to fall through another draft.
1. Calvin de H
aan - Oshawa GeneralsOriginally an undersized offensive defenseman when he was drafted in the 3rd round of the OHL draft in 2007, de Haan blossomed into a budding star with Oshawa this season. It was quite the year for Calvin who cracked the Generals roster for the first time, quickly became their top defenseman, made the OHL all star game, and was finally named to the 2009 Under 18 team for Canada. Despite putting up 63 points and a plus rating on a terrible Oshawa team, it was not until the Under 18's where Calvin really began to catch the eye of scouts. He was arguably Canada's best defenceman and one of the best defenceman in the tournament. Expect Calvin's great year to continue with a selection in the first round of the 2009 NHL entry draft next weekend.
Next Sunday's Top 10 will most likely focus on the NHL Entry Draft and be written after its conclusion. Expect something along the lines of, "Biggest surprises at the Entry Draft."
Sunday, April 5, 2009
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 t
he 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 angle
s 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!
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 t
he 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 angle
s 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!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thoughts on Barrie from January 8
Happy New Year everyone. I'm back with my first game report of 2009 and was able to take in a very hard fought game between the Ice Dogs and Barrie Colts. It wasn't really a great game to evaluate offensive talent, since a lot of the game was played in the neutral zone and it was quite the back and forth defensive affair. The Dogs came out on top 1-0, thanks to a late third period goal by Chris DeSousa. Newly acquired netminder Jeremy Smith was solid in his first game, earning the shutout.
Here are my thoughts on some Barrie players...
Alex Hutchings - NHL Draft Eligible 2009
Hutchings was the best forward for Barrie tonight. He uses good speed to drive the puck to the net, and despite being undersized is often able to circle the offensive zone with the puck on his stick. He's just a really smart player too, who makes an effort to backcheck and who will go into the corners to win puck battles. As a late 1990, I've heard some criticisms or concerns over the fact that as an undersized offensive pivot, he's not putting up incredibly dominating offensive numbers. But he's a smart player, who has seen his production increase, and his overall game take that next step. He's a good bet to be a top 100 NHL draft pick.
Stefan Della Rovere - Drafted in 2008 by Washington/204th
Della Rovere was pretty quiet tonight. Definitely understandable as the guy must be exhausted after the show that is the WJC's. He did start to turn it on in the 3rd period and was beginning to take the body and drive to the net. In one instance he drove to the net, taking out goaltender Jeremy Smith and causing a minor circus. I'm not sure a lot more needs to be said about Della Rovere, who has obviously taken great steps forward this season in becoming a potential NHL player.
Josh Brittain - Drafted in 2008 by Anaheim/71st
Brittain has been somewhat underwhelming offensively since coming over from Kingston. He's got only 3 goals in 12 games, none in his last 8. At 6'4 and over 200lbs, he's a very good skater who loves to have the puck on his stick, and he drives hard to the net. He also works well in the corners, especially in the cycle. However, I'd like to see him improve upon a few things. For one, for such a big guy, he doesn't throw his weight around nearly as much as he should. Nor does he use his body to protect the puck. Also, he needs to stop being so cute with the puck. Just get the thing on net and go hard to the crease looking for some garbage. With his speed and the skill he does have, if he could develop more of a mean streak, and more of a desire, he could be a top end power forward. Apparently, this is what got him out of favor in Kingston with Coach Killer, the fact that offensively he was being to much of a finesse player and not enough of a 6'4 power forward.
Darren Archibald - 2009 NHL Draft Eligible (1990 born)
Rookie OHL winger who played last season in Stouffville with Ethan Werek and Corey Trivino, on a very solid team. He's been getting better and better as the season has gone along. At 6'3, 200lbs, he skates fairly well and is aggressive on the forecheck and along the boards. He uses his size well and goes hard to the net, looking for rebounds. He didn't show a lot of offensive ability tonight, but he did show a good effort level. As a 1990 born, playing in his first OHL season, I'd say he has a chance to get drafted as an entry overager this season, if he's caught a few scouts eyes.
Taylor Carnevale - 2009 NHL Draft Eligible
Since a trade from Oshawa, Carnevale has been great for Barrie with 13 points in 15 games. He's supplied the Colts with some secondary offensive production that they lacked. He's somewhat undersized, but he looks to skate well and he isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. He went to the net and he played in the corners. He also showed some good playmaking ability, with a couple nifty passes, although none ended up creating serious scoring chances. He played hard, and he looks to be fairly skilled. Could definitely be an NHL draft pick if he continues to put points up in Barrie.
Michael Hutchinson - Drafted in 2008 by Boston/77th
Hutchinson was very good tonight. He does a great job of challenging shooters when he needs to, and at 6'3 he can still make himself look big while staying back in his net. He moves well and has good overall mobility, and he also anticipates the play very well. His rebound control was excellent tonight, as many of the Dogs 42 shots came from the perimeter. He did a good job to make sure none of these softer shots ended up as rebounds in the scoring area. Going back to his size, Hutchinson is one of those goalies who seems to get a piece of absolutely everything. Because he's so big, when he does come out to challenge, especially on point shots, it's hard to find space. The only goal that beat him was an outstanding shot by Chris DeSousa, top shelf, blocker side, on a 3 on 1. No goalie would have saved that one. He's had a bit of tough luck recently, as despite a SV% over .940, and a GAA right around 2, he's only 4-4 in his last 8 games.
And a quick thought on an Ice Dog player...
Jeremy Smith - Drafted in 2007 by Nashville/54th
Smith has had a terrible season, and no doubt relishes the opportunity to start over in Niagara. He was outstanding in his first game with the Dogs, stopping all 33 shots for the shutout victory. And while none of his saves were incredible, he was a solid and calming presence in net, who gave up very few rebounds, and directed pucks away from high traffic areas. He was once considered an elite goaltender in this league, but hasn't been the same since a disastrous WJC tournament with team USA last year. There has to be some mental/confidence issue which is causing his poor play this season, as he has the skill and technical ability to be a good goaltender. Here's hoping he can continue to play well in Niagara and show Nashville that he's still got more left in the tank.
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