Ryan Yessie's Sarnia Sting Mid Season Report

2009-2010 Sarnia Sting Mid-Season Report






J.C. Campagna - #8 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘1” - 170lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Campagna has cooled off after his quick start. He’s got a decent shot, but needs to put himself in better scoring positions to utilize it. When I see Camapagna, I see a little be of a more tame version or former Sting Daniel Carcillo when he was with the team in J.C.’s game. Campagna looks like he could be destined for a role as a 3^rd line agitator at an NHL level, however it is really too early to tell if he will maintain, surpass, or decline from those early projections. Where Francisco and Ritchie have been playing with more confidence, and gaining more offensive roles, Campagna has level himself down to being a checking role player that can sometimes get involved on the offensive play. Defensively he’s been pretty decent, although his positioning could use improvement.
Campagna has - 37GP - 5G - 6A - 11PTS - 32PIM

Brandon Francisco - #9 - RW - YOB: 1993 - 5‘10” - 155lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Francisco got off to a bit of a slow start. Francisco had some bad habits not back checking as much as he should have, trying to carry the puck way too much without passing it up, and would buckle under pressure in front of the net. Francisco had many opportunities to score and just put it over the net, missed wide, or had it jump off his stick. If he could have taken advantage of those opportunities he would easily have 10 more goals than he does now. Francisco started out with 7 pts. In the first 34 games. But going into Sunday’s game Francisco had 2G, 3A and 5 PTS in his last 5 games. Francisco as a prospect has a lot going for him he has great speed, handles the puck well, has a quick release on a shot that is only a half inch off the mark a lot of the time, and on top of it is very disciplined. When he gets that half inch back into his game as he develops, he could be a multi-season 30 goal scorer, and possibly a 40 goal scorer before his junior career is over. Francisco has the ability to become a top 6 forward at the NHL level, but will need to overcome his size, improve defensively, and commit to the weight room (the sooner the better) if he wants to be an NHL forward.
Francisco has 40GP - 5G - 7A - 12PTS - 2PIM

Brandon Alderson - #18 - RW - YOB: 1992 - 6‘4” - 195lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
I’m going to be totally honest on this one. Brock deserves all the credit for pointing this young man out the first few games of the season. Alderson has been very impressive and looks like he’s going to turn out to be a very effective OHL player. Alderson has outstanding speed for 17 year old at 6’4” He handles the puck well, and makes smart plays to help his team. He’s safe in his defensive zone and seems to be developing a skill for putting the puck in the net. Alderson has an excellent wrist shot and leads all Sting rookies with 10 goals. It’s hard to project where Alderson could go and what he could develop into because he just simply continues to improve every single game. It’s scary to think of where he could be 2-3 years from now if he keeps this up. Alderson in terms of an NHL projection is about 15 lbs, and a mean streak away from becoming a potential 2^nd line power forward. He’s already safe defensively, and even with an extra 15 lbs. Alderson would still be well ahead of the curve in terms of skating among power forwards. Sting may have found themselves a diamond in the rough with Alderson.
Alderson has 42GP - 10G - 7A - 17PTS - 16PIM

Brett Ritchie - #20 - RW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘3” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Ritchie, like Francisco really needed to get a feel for the OHL for the first little bit. He didn’t seem willing to engage physically, and seemed to just want to make the safe play and not utilize his size. He was very inconsistent, as he was rolling along very well in early/mid October and seemed to have found his game, but then went 10 games only registering 1 assist and not really being much of a factor in any of those games. The turning point in Ritchie’s season may have been the Semi-Finals of the World U-17 tournament. Ritchie scored two goals, and one that sealed the deal for Ontario’s trip to the finals. Ontario lost 2-1 to USA but as the 3^rd period wore on Ritchie was generating chance after chance and saw his ice time increase more as he nearly scored multiple times in the last 10 minutes of that game. That tournament seemed to have sparked Ritchie, as he has looked exceptional in his games since then. Ritchie has good speed for someone his size, he’s protecting the puck well, and is playing hard in the corners. Like Alderson; Ritchie could really use a mean streak at times, and could use another 15-20 lbs. in upper body strength. He will likely be a bit of a project for whoever drafts him in 2011, but he has all the intangibles of a top 6 forward prospect in the NHL. If Ritchie continues this pace, he could have an explosive second half of the season.
Ritchie has 40GP - 7G - 7A - 14PTS - 31PIM

Ben O’Quinn - #22 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Going into this season Ben O’Quinn looked like he would have something to prove in terms of potentially becoming an NHL prospect. He has a solid defensive game, as well as good skating, and is solid along the boards. Also 16 games into the season he already had 7G, 8A to go along with his sound defensive play. However after he scored the winning goal midway through the 2^nd period on October 31^st, Ben O’Quinn would only score one more goal until January 9^th 2010. In that span of of 22 games O’Quinn would put up only 1G and 3A. This pretty much destroyed any chance of O’Quinn becoming an NHL draftee. However O’Quinn does seem to be turning his two-way game around, and could have a very strong second half. He’s got more talent than he showed in November and December, and although I don’t doubt his ability to play pro hockey when his OHL career completes, O’Quinn will likely take the long road if he ever aspires to be an NHL player.
O’Quinn has 42GP - 9G - 13A - 22PTS - 16 PIM


Kyle Neuber - #24 - RW - YOB: 1989 - 6‘2” - 215lbs.
NHL: 7^th Round - 197^th Overall by Columbus in 2009
For the first two months or so Kyle Neuber was easily the most frustrating part of the Sarnia Sting roster. He was not engaging physically very much, he appeared to be trying to be a finesse player, carrying the puck, stick handling around defenders, and on the rare occasion he would get by the defenceman, he didn’t have the speed to stay ahead for long. He was a fairly detrimental part to the team the first quarter. Coach/GM Dave MacQueen had a private meeting with Neuber in which he said he had good discussions with Kyle on his role with the team. Neuber has responded to that playing much better the second quarter of this season, playing a much more physical, and intimidating brand of hockey. Neuber still carries the puck sometimes when he shouldn’t, but is a little more responsible in dumping it in and not trying to do too much. Neuber has had some big heavyweight tilts and is regarded be most to be the toughest figher in the OHL this year. Neuber is on pace as expected with 4G and 7PTS midway through the season, I’d expect 8G, 15-17PTS out of Neuber, and he has an outside shot of getting to 200 PIM. Not much to say about Neuber talent wise, he’s limited in the skating, and puck handling department, he’s a devastating hitter, and if he continues to play his role he will be a very beneficial part of this Sarnia team. His job now will be to keep opponents honest, and punish those that go after the future talents of this franchise. If he is effective in doing this, he will likely fall into favour with the Columbus Blue Jackets if he can get his skating up to an adequate level for a pro hockey player.
Neuber has 35GP - 4G - 3A - 7PTS - 123PIM


Miroslav Preisinger - #28 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘0” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Of all the Sting players, Miro Preisinger is the toughest to judge. He started out his career as a player who would disappear once the game got rough. By the end of the season he was a physical presence and threw the hit of the year for the Sting on Michael Latta. Preisinger has got outstanding passing ability, and has threaded some amazing passes that have resulted in goals since joining the Sting. He has solid stick handling ability and a respectable wrist shot. However Preisinger never seems to put all these together in a consistent basis. He has cooled off on fighting, as he hasn’t dropped the gloves in 2 months, and the second last fight was a one punch TKO of overager Chris MacKinnon. The second half is very unpredictable for Preisinger. If he explodes offensively he could wind up with 20 goals this season. Preisinger is a player who, if he can put all his skills together into a consistent package he would be a can’t miss prospect. However only bits and pieces of those skills are found spread across different games.
Preisinger has 41GP - 10G - 6A - 16PTS - 47PIM


Kale Kerbashian - #44 - C - YOB: 1991 - 5‘11” - 173lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Kerbashian has been an offensive leader for the Sting while he’s been in the line-up. He’s had a couple injuries that have kept him out at different times of the season. Kerbashian has shown great speed, and puck handling, although sometimes unable to finish on a great play he’s made, there’s no denying the talent. Kerbashian also is reliable in his own zone, and has been critical in a few Sarnia victories already this year. Concussion problems have bothered Kerbashian as he has suffered two so far halfway through the season. Kale was expected to break out a little more offensively, but with a quick recovery and a strong second half he could potentially be the only 20 goal scorer for Sarnia this year. Entering his last draft year it’s hard to see Kerbashian getting picked, however wouldn’t look out of place going in the 6^th or 7^th round either. He has a lot of skill, the question is if he could transfer that to a 3^rd line role in the NHL.
Kerbashian has 36GP - 13G - 16A - 29PTS - 15PIM

Nathan Chiarlitti - #5 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘0” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Chiarlitti has really improved this season. He is showing he does have some offensive skills, although will likely wind up being a defensive first defenceman. When I try to compare him to another defenceman I think of Danny Syvret with a little less offensive play. Chiarlitti has great hockey sense and IQ in terms of anticipating a play, and moving the puck in terms of making the safe play. He has got burned in 1 on 1 situations, and will need to be more patient in letting the forward do what he is going to do and make the safe play as he does in other situations, he generally bites on one of the dekes of the higher skilled players and has been left in the dust, however he has appeared to improve on that in the last couple games from what I’ve seen. Chiarlitti’s skating is not an issue nor a strength. It’s improved but still at about average for the OHL. Possibly the best kept secret in the Sting organization is the fact that Nathan Chiarlitti will succeed Jordan Hill as the captain of this team, and unless something drastic happens will likely become one of the longest serving captains in team history (3-3.5 years) as he’s expected to play out his junior eligibility. Another area Nathan needs to improve on is his physical play. He has opened up a little, but still needs to be able to throw the odd solid hit here and there if he is going to be regarded as defensive NHL prospect. Chiarlitti doesn’t have one standout skill, he is not horrible in anything, but is not great at anything either, so at 6’0”, 185lbs. That may make things tough for him in establishing himself as a prospect. Chiarlitti’s greatest assets are his hockey sense in his own zone, puck moving abilities, discipline in only taking smart penalties most of the time, and his leadership abilities. This combination should by all means draw in at least one team in the late rounds of the draft. I currently have Nathan projected around the 5^th-6^th round.
Chiarlitti has 43GP - 3G - 8A - 11PTS - 35PIM

Jordan Hill - #41 - D - YOB: 1989 - 6‘2” - 195lbs.
NHL: Free Agent
Jordan Hill is a very capable and physical defensive defenceman. He plays a safe game and has excellent positioning. Hill, like former Sting Matt Martin came from seemingly nowhere to become a depth player for the Sting. Then after a year quickly became an impact player for the franchise. Hill also showed this year he has a little untapped offensive potential in the form of a big point shot. Hill by all means should be able to attract an AHL contract, and maybe even an NHL one at the completion of this OHL season.
Hill has 41GP - 4G - 15A - 19PTS - 55PIM


Joe Rogalski - #74 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘3” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
After 2+ years of inconsistency, Rogalski has finally put his skil lset together. Rogalski is very streaky offensively, but has outstanding skating ability, as well as the ability to move the puck. He is much better to carry the puck up the ice rather than pass it, as he has made a few bad giveaways in the past. Rogalski is not getting the PP time he probably could handle, but is a very capable puck mover when he is out there. Rogalski does have some issues taking a bad penalty here and there, and sometimes takes a shift or two off. The thing about Rogalski’s flaws are they are all fairly correctable as he moves on to the pro ranks. Combined with his skating, and puck moving assets, he could become a potential steal in the mid rounds of this draft if he can continue to develop his skills.
Rogalski has 43GP - 4G - 16A - 20PTS - 53PIM

Adam Courchaine - #1 - G - YOB: 1989 - 6‘3” - 185lbs.
NHL: Signed as a Free Agent by Boston in 2008
Courchaine has been very streaky this year, he played very solid through October and November, only to put forward a lackluster effort in December as well as the first game in January. Then throw in a stellar performance against Windsor on trade deadline weekend. Courchaine has the ability to make the big save at the big time. He is not shy about playing the puck and does so in very reckless fashion at times. Courchaine challenges shooters, and is able to recover in time to stop the 2^nd shot nearly every time. Courchaine is a pick-up of the Boston Bruins, and will likely battle for AHL time at the end of this season for the foreseeable future.
Courchiane has 8W - 16L - 1OTL - 1SO - 3.51 GAA - .899 SV%
　
Shayne Campbell - #30 - G - YOB: 1992 - 6‘2” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Campbell has a very wide spectrum in terms of what people seem to expect from him. I personally see Campbell as a potential prospect in the NHL. Campbell’s greatest asset is his reflexes, and quickness watching him play the last few years if there’s one thing Campbell can do is kick out a pad, or flash the glove at the last possible second, reflexes are just as good as any goaltender out there. His recovery ability is another very strong asset for Campbell. This is important as he tends to give up too many rebounds. His positioning is something he needs to work on as well. He does appear to have improved in that area, but it used to cost him goals earlier in his career. Finally on the list is lateral movement. Again Campbell is improving in that area. Campbell has kept a very positive and professional attitude. He has remained patient, despite his lack of starts at times and now appears to be in position to spend the final 30 games of the season proving that he in fact is the goaltender of the future. Goaltenders Jesse Raymond and Jamie Phillips will be knocking at the door if Campbell doesn’t show he is capable of carrying the load on a consistent basis, and consistency has been Campbell’s biggest obstacle. He won 4 starts in a row including an outstanding effort playing against Kitchener just outside his hometown of Cambridge. He has put forward multiple stellar outings against Windsor and London to go along with his great start in Kitchener, which speaks volumes about Campbell’s ability to handle fire under pressure. Campbell however has had a history of randomly giving up 6, 7 goals in a game on occasion. A long evaluation of a player who can be summed up in two sentences. Great reflexes, quickness, and the ability to perform under pressure, who need to work on his lateral movement, cutting down angles, and cutting out the occasional night off. If Campbell plays well there’s little doubt he’ll be a potential pick-up in the 2011 draft. His future in the NHL should he make it would likely be as a back-up goaltender, as it’s not very likely he could handle full-time duties at the highest level, even with all his assets.
Campbell has 5W - 7L - 1OT - 4.25 GAA - .881 SV%

Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Sarnia vs. Windsor from January 9

Sarnia came out and played their game of the year, but a few very questionable calls, and a relentess 3rd period effort by the top ranked team in Canada results in a 5-4 Windsor victory at the RBC Center Saturday night.

Taylor Hall - #4 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Jan/09/10: Taylor Hall has become a little less respectful towards his opponents as he used to be in his first two seasons in the OHL. Brent Sullivan caught Hall around the boards, early in the game and delivered a massive, yet clean hit, Hall gets up and cross checks Sullivan in the back as he’s skating away. This results in Brett Appio the only other player left to attack Hall. Appio landed one, maybe two shots on Hall before he turtled and a linesman and referee intervened. The funny part was when Hall jumped up looking like he was ready to fight momentarily. Hall received a penalty for the cross check, and was a non factor for most of the 1^st period. Hall several times tried to showboat with his stick handling, carrying the puck, putting the puck through his skates, most of these resulted in a turnover, one resulted in him getting nailed with what probably could have been considered a head check. Despite all of this Hall was in on 4 of the 5 goals in this game, with a goal and 3 assists. This may be a tribute to how talented he really is that he can do all these careless things, and still be a directly positive impact on his team winning the game. Hall still has every element to his game, however the defensive part is lacking. He’s alright short handed although I think he’s out there to think offense just as much as defence out there, but especially 5 on 5 he seems a little hesitant to be willing to jump back into the play. Realistically this, and his new found attitude seem to be the only flaws in his game, and to me he is still the clear cut #1 Overall pick.
(Hall had 1G, 3A, 2 PIM)

Ryan Ellis - #6 - D - YOB: 1991 - 5‘10” - 170lbs.
NHL: 1^st Round - 11^th Overall by Nashville in 2009
Report: Jan/09/10: Ellis’ puck control in terms of handling it is amazing, especially on the point on the power play. He really is smart, and one thing I noticed about Ellis is when you’d see other defensemen make those fancy back hand passes and gets picked off, Ellis takes that extra split second peak over his shoulder just to make sure the play is there, and it seems to separate him from most PPQB’s. Ellis’ puck handling abilities outside the offensive blue line seem to be bpretty questionable at times. He’s made some really bad decisions, and his offensive and defensive game seems to be the tale of two players. Ellis’ skating is much better from 12 months ago, but in all honesty for a defenceman his size still needs more improvement. Ellis will almost definitely be back in the OHL next season. Ellis blasted one from the point with only 12 seconds left that turned out to be the winning goal of the game.
(Ellis had 1G)

Marc Cantin - #11 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 201lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Jan/09/10: Cantin is a guy who I could see get picked in this years draft in the late rounds. He plays a hard nosed physical style, however the way he hits looks a little on the edge. He was challenged to fight multiple times but declined at times where it looked his team could use some extra motivation, which was disappointing as a fan to see more. Cantin received two minor penalties in this game, but other than that Cantin was very effective for his team.
(Cantin had -1, 4 PIM)

Adam Henrique - #14 - C - YOB: 1990 - 6‘0” - 196lbs.
NHL: 3^rd Round - 82^nd Overall by New Jersey in 2008
Report: Jan/09/10: It’s only been 18 months, but Henrique could very easily be considered the steal of the 2008 draft. He was not at the top of his game tonight, however he was still an impact on his team. He won a couple clutch, critical face-offs, and was very good defensively keeping it safe, while at times being on the kill with a forward partner that was thinking offense while trying to kill off the penalty.


Cam Fowler - #24 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘2” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Jan/09/10: Fowler is certainly making his push to become the 2^nd Overall pick for this draft. It’s not likely he’ll land 1^st overall, but Fowler is a can’t miss prospect and will likely be a franchise defenceman for some team. Folwer combines projectable size with great skating ability. He didn’t put up any offense, but he did rush the puck up the ice effectively. I would consider him somewhat comparable to Erik Johnson of the St. Louis Blues. Like Johnson he does have a good shot from the point, a very solid skater for a defenceman with a big frame. Unlike Johnson I think Fowler is a little safer defensively, although that area could use improvement, but the one area he is not like Johnson, and I think needs to try harder to bring into his game is the physical element. Someone his size could still grow another inch, or two and if he can get himself to 205-215 lbs. He could be a physically imposing defenceman while still being a solid skater and offensive contributor.


Kenny Ryan - #26 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 6‘0” - 204lbs.
NHL: 2^nd Round - 50^th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Jan/09/10: Kenny Ryan has put up close to a point per game since joining the OHL, but for the time this year I can’t really say I saw a lot in his game. He threw a couple hits, and got decent ice on the penalty kill, but he doesn’t see overly engaging on. He could be a valuable penalty killer at the next level, but needs to continue to work on his offensive skills if he would like to be much of an impact player in the NHL.


Justin Shugg - #44 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 5‘11” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Jan/09/10: Shugg reminds me quite a bit like Guelph forward and NHL draftee Michael Latta. Despite the size, Shugg is built pretty solid and is able to throw a solid hit. It seems, atleast in Sarnia this year Shugg has got lost in the mix with his ice time, much like Jesse Blacker last year you can tell Shugg has some solid potential but it’s a lot less noticeable because he’s not one of the lead guys for Windsor. Shugg appears to have a solid shot, and a decent skater.


Austin Watson - #61 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 6‘3” - 187lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Jan/09/10: Scouts seem to give Watson a little extra credit due to his size, in the times I’ve seen him this year and last, Watson doesn’t appear to be as significant of a prospect as he’s being projected to be a 1^st round pick. Watson does a good job around the boards, and is a hard worker when he gets to the front of the net. Watson was very defensively responsible tonight and seems to do a good job breaking down plays in his own zone. Watson seems to play fairly similar to Kenny Ryan in both games I’ve seen him, and like Ryan, He needs to put forth more effort in developing his offensive game if he wants to be anything more than a 3^rd liner in the NHL. The potential, and the size is there, Watson may just need a little more time
(Watson had 1G)

Eric Wellwood - #67 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 5‘11” - 179lbs.
NHL: 6^th Round - 172^nd Overall by Philadelphia in 2009
Report: Jan/09/10: Hall may have had a goal and 3 assists, but Wellwood was, in my opinion the best Windsor player on the ice today. He plays with a never quit attitude, and has great speed. His size makes it difficult to keep up with bigger opponents sometimes, but his relentless effort and active stick make him a very solid and projectable penalty killer. Wellwood also handles the puck very well, and has a great shot. Wellwood appears to be a player who will have a good shot at starting his pro career in 2010-2011.
(Wellwood had 1G, 1A)

NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings

Today, NHL Central Scouting released their midterm rankings for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In case you're unfamiliar with the annual midterm rankings, they are different from the preliminary ones released in November (found here). Central Scouting's preliminary rankings are separated by league, so the OHL had it's own ranking (top 25 skaters and a ranked list of goalies). Well the midterm rankings have a different format. All North American skaters are combined into a top 210, while the North American goalies combine to form a top 32.

Before you go and slam the rankings, keep a few things in mind.

1. Historically, NHL Central Scouting, is the last to catch on to a scouting "trend." For instance, you may look at all the other independent scouting agencies (ISS, Redline, McKeens, etc), and see a player rising up the rankings (for instance Jeff Skinner), but then look on Central Scouting and see them much lower. Just to give you an example from last year, at midterm they had Matt Hackett as the 8th highest rated NA goalie for 2009, when many agencies had him as the top one. Then, the final rankings roll around and BOOM!, Hackett is number one. Some people like to say they're behind the eight ball, while I like to think they're just more patient. It generally takes a lot to really sway them in favor of really jumping a player in their rankings.

2. It's only one ranking. This list isn't the be all and end all of rankings. For whatever reason, Central Scouting can seem to be down on certain players, or very high on certain players that other scouting agencies aren't. For example, every other scouting agency was high on Kyle Clifford by the end of last season. Central Scouting...not so much. Despite rave reviews and high rankings from everyone else, they had Clifford at 182 on their final ranking. He ended up being the 26th North American player chosen (35th overall to LA). Just because they've got a player ranked low does not mean he won't go high and conversely just because they like a player doesn't mean that he'll get drafted (see Eric Doyle from the WHL).

3. In saying, Central Scouting does a great job and they shouldn't be used to print off and become toilet paper. A lot of NHL teams use these ranking as a way to target certain players they may not have seen play yet.

If you're still with me after the rant, here's how the OHL players stack up. You can find the official list here.

Skaters
1. Taylor Hall: NA Ranking = 1
2. Tyler Seguin: NA Ranking = 2
3. Cam Fowler: NA Ranking = 3
4. Erik Gudbranson: NA Ranking = 6
5. Alexander Burmistrov: NA Ranking = 7
6. John McFarland: NA Ranking = 10
7. Tyler Toffoli: NA Ranking = 22
8. Ryan Martindale: NA Ranking = 24
9. Austin Watson: NA Ranking = 25
10. Ivan Telegin: NA Ranking = 26
11. Ryan Spooner: NA Ranking = 38
12. Steven Shipley: NA Ranking = 44
13. Joey Hishon: NA Ranking = 46
14. Jeff Skinner: NA Ranking = 47
15. Stephen Silas: NA Ranking = 51
16. Brandon Archibald: NA Ranking = 58
17. Justin Shugg: NA Ranking = 62
18. Brock Beukeboom: NA Ranking = 63
19. Josh Shalla: NA Ranking = 64
20. Andrew Yogan: NA Ranking = 65
21. Dalton Smith: NA Ranking = 66
22. Devante Smith-Pelly: NA Ranking = 67
23. Cameron Wind: NA Ranking = 80
24. Sam Carrick: NA Ranking = 87
25. Greg Mckegg: NA Ranking = 94
26. Freddie Hamilton: NA Ranking = 102
27. Christian Thomas: NA Ranking = 114
28. Gregg Sutch: NA Ranking = 115
29. Austin Levi: NA Ranking = 117
30. Jared Knight: NA Ranking = 123
31. Philip Lane: NA Ranking = 124
32. Joe Rogalski: NA Ranking = 142
33. Adam Sedlak: NA Ranking = 145
34. Myles McCauley: NA Ranking = 162
35. Brandon Alderson: NA Ranking = 167
36. Geoffrey Schemitsch: NA Ranking = 169
37. Reid McNeill: NA Ranking = 171
38. Michael Sgarbossa: NA Ranking = 183
39. Derek Froats: NA Ranking = 189
40. Alex Cord: NA Ranking = 194

Goalies
1. Mark Visentin: NA Ranking = 8
2. Philip Grubauer: NA Ranking = 9
3. Ramis Sadikov: NA Ranking = 11
4. Scott Wedgewood: NA Ranking = 13
5. Dalton McGrath: NA Ranking = 16
6. Michael Houser: NA Ranking = 18
7. J.P. Anderson: NA Ranking = 20
8. Petr Mrazek: NA Ranking = 26
9. Kevin Bailie: NA Ranking = 28
10. Bryce O'Hagan: NA Ranking = 30

Just as a reminder, here was my midterm Top 30.

Comments:

• If you compare my rankings with theirs, I think you'll notice the biggest differences being the rankings of Jeff Skinner and Jared Knight. 9 and 12 spot differences respectively. I gotta disagree with Central Scouting here. With Knight, I think I understand the reasoning. Basically it comes back to what I was saying about them being behind the eight ball sometimes. Knight has only recently (the last month or so) been rolling on all cylinders (correlated with his Diabetes diagnosis and treatment). I think it comes down to them taking into consideration his poor performance to start the year. By the end of the season, I'd expect him a lot higher. As for Skinner, well this one I just don't get. Here is the OHL's leading goal scorer, a dynamic offensive player and yet he's ranked 47th. Sure Skinner is undersized at 5'10, but he's stocky and he's a very good skater. I want to compare Skinner to former OHL'er Bryan Little. Little was the same size in the OHL, just as good offensively (similar skill set IMO), but not as good a skater as Skinner. Yet Little was ranked 7th in 2006 by Central Scouting (both midterm and final). What makes them different?

• I don't really get the Myles McCauley addition. Maybe in the preliminary rankings, when he was playing some good hockey for Plymouth. But he hasn't scored a goal in 16 games. He's only got 2 assists in that time too. As a draft re-entry 1991, I just don't see him as being good enough to crack this list. Especially true considering there are a whole host of draft re-entry's having better seasons like Taylor Carnevale, Alex Friesen, and Darren Archibald.

• Alex Cord is a weird inclusion too, even if he's the last guy rated. It's an honor just to be included on this list, so I think it's worth talking about. A former high OHL draft pick, but Cord has played but three games with the Majors this season. When not with the Majors, he's been playing with the Oakville Blades of the OJAHL (Junior A). There he has 6 points in 24 games. I don't see the allure of adding him considering some of the quality players left off of this list (Corey Durocher, Matt Petgrave, Roman Berdnikov).
  

• Last thing I want to mention is the inclusion of Gregg Sutch...especially pretty high. I didn't even expect to see Sutch on this list, but it's a nice surprise. I like him a lot as a player and even more from what I've heard and read about his personality and character. But he's had a very tough year with injuries and hasn't been able to get his offensive game going. But he's a very physical player and a big guy who can skate too. I think he does have offensive talent, just needs to get back into a consistent groove. In case you want a very good read, check out Sutch's blog entry from The Hockey News where he discusses the difficulties he's had this season. You can find it here.

So what do YOU think?

Five Game Reports from Ryan Yessie!

Ryan's been really busy lately, so he hasn't had the chance to send me a ton of game reports in recent weeks. Well turns out he's been hard at work over that time, and then decided to send me them all at once!

Get ready for the monster post to end all monster posts.

We've got game reports on the following games...

December 10 - Plymouth at Sarnia
December 12 - Erie at Sarnia
December 17 - Kitchener at Sarnia
December 19 - Brampton at Sarnia
December 29 - Plymouth at Sarnia

Some great stuff here folks, make sure you give it a read. Ryan has organized it very nicely for everyone.

December 10th -





In the always exciting teddy bear toss Joe Rogalski pulls out the highlight reel for this one, then scoring a second goal before Jordan Hill and Zach MacQueen scored goals in the shootout to win in this exciting divisional match-up.

Tyler Seguin - #9 - C - YOB: 1992 - 6’1” - 186lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/10/09: I was curious to see if I was going to jump off the Taylor Hall train and onto the Tyler Seguin bandwagon as it seems many have done. But that wasn’t the case tonight. Seguin displayed great speed, handing the puck in tight situations, and getting his shots to the net. He was good defensively and was very willing to be the first man back. On the other hand Seguin’s overall effort wasn’t as impressive on a consistent basis. He took a few pointless penalties. None of which resulted in a goal, however it was a very close game the entire 60 minutes, and Seguin spent 6 of that sitting in the box. There is no denying Seguin’s top 3 placement, and I for those that remember (refer back to Brock’s 2010 outlook around May 09 for proof) That I was one of the first that slated Tyler Seguin as a top talent in this draft, and still believe he is top 3.. But watching him compared to Hall several times last year, and again this year, personally there’s no question Hall is the more projectable talent.
(Seguin had 1G, 6PIM tonight)

A.J. Jenks - #22 - LW/C - YOB: 1990 - 6’2” - 200lbs.
NHL: 4^th Round - 100^th Overall by Florida in 2008
Report: Dec/10/09: Jenks played pretty good in this game. You can really see his evolution as a hockey player compared to 2 seasons ago when he got drafted. He displayed excellent speed, and looks bigger and hits harder than his 6’2” 200lb. Frame suggests. Jenks drove to the net protecting the puck well. He threw big hits, and generally was effective on his shifts. He was taking some draws and apparently is now considered both a winger and a center as he looked pretty decent in the circle. I still believe, especially with the skill set he’s developed he would factor in as a power forward, but with the recent issues with the Panthers and Power Forwards (ex. Anthony Stewart, Kendal McArdle) maybe he’d be better off shying away from the Power Forward reputation. Both Plymouth goals were set up by Jenks tonight. Very impressed with his overall performance tonight, but he will still need to shake the reputation of disappearing in the important games as he did last playoffs.
(Jenks had 2A tonight)

Jamie Devane - #23 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6’5” - 217lbs.
NHL: 3^rd Round - 68^th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Dec/10/09: Devane is a guy I saw play 5 times last year in person, and I don’t remember once saying this guy looks like a NHL prospect-like talent. Apparently Brian Burke disagreed and drafted him early in the 3^rd round. I made sure I kept a close eye on him whenever he was on the ice. He’s a very good skater especially for someone 6’5” and was willing to engage physically without really trying to take anyone out. He was decent with moving the puck, however offensively you really didn’t get the impression he was looking to create any offense, and looked lost at times in terms of what he was supposed to be doing. A few good intangibles, but I still disagree with Burke’s call on this guy as an early 3^rd round talent. Devane is a bottom 6 guy who may be able to create some energy, but really lacks offensive impact, furthermore he didn’t stand out defensively either.

Austin Levi - #7 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6’4” - 195lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/10/09: Keeping consistent with the big sized players in Plymouth is 6’4” defenceman Austin Levi. Levi is a solid skating puck mover, that throws a big hit. I can count 8 hits he threw off the top of my head, so there was likely more in this game. However close to half of those required him to go out of position. Levi looked a lot like what I saw in Jesse Blacker last year in many ways, however with the strong physical element. If Levi can become content with the hits he throws while maintaining his defensive positioning, he has all the puck moving and skating skills to become a 2^nd pairing two-way defenceman in the NHL one day. If he cannot he could wind up being a very physical and useful AHL defenceman. Certainly interested to see him play a few more times.
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December 12th -





Erie got out to a quick 2-0 lead, and depite two great plays by Jesse Stoughton, the Sting could not solve Janus for that 3rd goal as Erie sneaks out with a 3-2 victory.

David Shields - #5 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6’3” - 215lbs.
NHL: 6^th Round - 168^th Overall pick by St. Louis in 2009
Report: Dec/12/09: Shields was very good defensively today. He looks like he has a decent shot, but also doesn’t appear to be much for focusing on his offensive game however. Shields is a safe defensive defenceman who doesn’t hesitate to throw the body when the opportunities. Shields looks like he has legit NHL potential as a 5^th-7^th defenceman that plays a safe defensive role with the team.
(Shields had -1, 4 PIM)

Tyler Hostetter - #10 - D - YOB: 1991 - 5‘11” - 195lbs.
NHL: Signed as a Free Agent by Philadelphia in 2009
Report: Dec/12/09: Hostetter seemed to spend a lot of time with Shields tonight, and that works well as these two are polar opposites. While being safe and not getting badly out of position, Hostetter’s game seems to be that of a simple puck moving defenceman. He doesn’t appear to have a big shot from the point, but he’s very smart when moving the puck. Like Shields he doesn’t project to be more than a 5^th-7^th defenceman.
(Hostetter had 1A, +2, 2 PIM)

Andrew Yogan - #12 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘3” - 200lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/12/09: Yogan is a guy I’ve been pretty high on for this draft. I like his combination of size, puck control, and a sniper’s shot. Yogan wasn’t overly impressive but still played hard, was willing to rush the puck up the ice. His skating isn’t great, but it’s good enough at this point of his career. He was very good along the boards, and unlike what I’ve seen from some others that are good along the boards, Yogan also can unleash a great shot from places other than the front of the net. Yogan is a guy I would have liked to see more from, but he didn’t play bad either.
(Yogan had 2 PIM)

Greg McKegg - #14 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘11” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/12/09: Not sure what to make of McKegg sometimes. To one extent he carries the puck with confidence, has a solid shot, and looks bigger than he really is. On the other side he disappears for decent amounts of time when I watch him play. McKegg didn’t really stand out for most of the game. He’s a sure fire prospect, but I question his first 3 round potential. McKegg is someone I’d like to see a little more of to get a better judge of his true talent.

Jaroslav Janus - #14 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘11” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/12/09: Janus as expected stood on his head tonight. Janus’ positioning is not exactly the most technically sound in the game, but he makes it work for him. He always is centered to the shooter, doesn’t come out as much as he should, and always seems to be able to put himself in front of the shot. He gave up a few big rebounds but he did a great job. Jesse Stoughton burned him twice, that landed him with a goal and an assist, but other than that he absolutely shut down a Sarnia team that was buzzing (no pun intended) the entire second half of the game to try to get that 3^rd goal to tie the game up.
(Janus stopped 29 of 31 shots)
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December 17 -





Kitchener wins 5-2 in a game where almost all of their prospect relevent players were out of the line-up for numerous reasons, I was still able to catch two significant names for the Rangers.

Jeff Skinner - #53 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘10” - 197lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/17/09: Skinner was a very important player for Kitchener despite not putting up any statistics. Skinner showed off solid speed, and worked hard every shift on this night. I had the pleasure of talking to one of Kitchener’s scouts during this game. He stated that Skinner has been doing a great job for them defensively all year, as he’s not just a guy who’s putting up points for them. Skinner looks like a high end two-way player that may suffer a little at the highest level in points, but it would be based on how important he is in his own end. No indications to me show that Skinner will be anything but a top 6 forward; but even if that doesn’t happen his work ethic and willingness to help out in his own end will always make Skinner a valuable player.

Ryan Murphy - #24 - D - YOB: 1993 - 5‘11” - 160lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Report: Dec/17/09: Murphy was a critical part of the Rangers victory tonight. Murphy displays great speed, and carries the puck up the ice with confidence and the ability to accelerate when needed. Murphy reminds me a lot of Mark Katic in his speed, and ability to carry the puck. He’s a little smaller, but carries the puck up the ice a lot more. Murphy moved the puck very well. Being in the weak 2011 draft, Murphy is almost guarenteed a spot in the 1^st round, however like the former 6^th overall ranked Katic found out, Murphy could see his stock drop slightly if he gets banged up between now and June 2011.
(Murphy had 1A)
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December 19 -






Again I was only partially observing as I was up in the suite for a Christmas party. However the great view did give me an excellent angle to scout the game. It’s remarkable how much easier it is to recognize and detect certain areas of a players game from that angle. However, I was also engaging with those that invited me up in the box, so I apologize to Brock that I didn’t quite apply my usual focus on my scouting duties, especially since he watched the game lol. Brampton wins 2-1.

Matt Clark - #5 - D - YOB: 1990 - 6‘4” - 218lbs.
NHL: 2^nd Round - 37^th Overall by Anaheim in 2009
Report: Dec/19/09: I was surprised where Clark was drafted this year, however there’s no denying his physical presence was a very attractive option to one take appear on Anaheim’s blue line. Clark threw a few very solid hits, he finished his checks, but was very smart in his own zone, as well making sure he didn’t get caught. The game was a bit of a tight one defensively. Clark snuck in from the point a few feet and unleashed a big and smart slap shot, showing he’s more than just a physical defensive defenecman. I say it was a smart slap shot because he waited a moment before he blasted it, with everything going on for Campbell it seemed to mess with his rhythm.
(Clark had 1G, -1, 2 PIM)

Cameron Wind - #8 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6‘1” - 200lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/19/09: Wind is a guy I’ve heard a lot of from Brock. Compared to my liking for Brett Flemming last year, Wind is projected as a mid round prospect who could be a 4^th-6^th puck moving defenceman. What I really like about Wind isn’t that he moves the puck well.. But he positions himself and moves around to move the opposition with him to open up the angles. He seems to use these angles and that method to open up passing lanes. Where other defencemen that move the puck well thread the needle, if Wind doesn’t like what he’s looking at he’ll quickly shift his positioning and scan the opposition for holes, was very impressed with his ability to do this on numerous occasions. I think it would be interesting to see if Wind rushed the puck more often if he could be more of an impact on the offensive end of the ice. Wind has a lot of size and I was a little surprised and disappointed by his lack of willingness to hit. The word “raw” comes to mind when assessing Wind’s placement as a prospect. He has several interesting intangebles and although he seems to already utilize his hockey sense, positioning and puck movement, I think he may have some untapped offensive skills, as well as the size to punish the opposition along the boards.

Philip Lane - #10 - RW - YOB: 1992 - 6‘2” - 194lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/19/09: Gotta be honest with Lane, I was expecting a lot out of him tonight and he showed me very little. Lane was on a 4 game goal scoring streak coming into this game. However he bobbled the puck on more than one offensive opportunity, and didn’t produce. However he did use his body well in this game, protecting the puck at times, and willing to get in the corners, he looks like a potential power forward, but there weren’t too many parts to his game that impressed me on this occasion.

Patrick Killeen - #1 - G - YOB: 1990 - 6‘4” - 204lbs.
NHL: 6^th Round - 180^th Overall pick by Pittsburgh in 2008
Report: Dec/19/09: I was never very high on Killeen, and I never considered him that strong of a prospect. Even after two periods I didn’t think he was that great. But in the 3^rd period he stole this game away from Sarnia. Killeen absolutely stood on his head in the 3^rd period. He was able to use his size to make the first as well as the second save. Rebound control appears to be an issue, and probably could have made life a lot easier on himself by controlling the puck, but he used his size very effectively. He was recorded as stopping 21 of 22 shots but the shot clock was broken half the game (happened in another game as well) So I can assure you he faced around 35 shots.
(Killeen stops 21 of 22 shots)
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December 29 -





Plymouth comes into Sarnia and takes a 5-2 win in a game that was much closer than it appeared on the scoreboard for the first 55 minutes or so.

Tyler Seguin - #9 - C - YOB: 1992 - 6’1” - 186lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/29/09: Seguin came out again with top speed, but I have to say his play tonight made it very evident why he was left off the WJC team. Despite playing with the fast pace offense that he is known for, he seems to be having a rough time creating offense and at time appears to be doing too much. Many times on this evening Seguin tried to make a move on the defenceman, one we’ve seen players like Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, and most recently Taylor Hall perform and accomplish. Seguin makes it far too blatant when attempting to make a one on one move against the defenceman and got stuffed multiple times. He was at his best carrying the puck along the boards, and swerving out of the direction of the opposition. It’s clear he’ll need to add more strength. His puck movement and skating was superb as always, but another flaw that seems to be coming up as an issue is his discipline. Seguin again like last game took undisciplined penalties at opportunistic times. He feels like a mix of Matt Duchene and Nazem Kadri to me. He has this top end talent (more so than Kadri) But makes really undisciplined plays at times that need to be addressed before he can max out his potential at the NHL level. It’s been disappointing watching him play in the games I’ve seen him this year after how dominant he looked last year.
(Seguin had 2 PIM)

Jamie Devane - #23 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6’5” - 217lbs.
NHL: 3^rd Round - 68^th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Dec/29/09: Devane looked much better to me today. Again he did not look like anything special, and really wasn’t involved in any of the offensive play, I did however notice him chasing down the puck on a few plays, he has great speed for someone at his size, and got in a fight with Kyle Neuber, one of the premiere OHL heavyweights and really held his own.. I would have given Neuber the decision but for being 2 years younger and not really seeming to be that much of a fighter Devane would say impressed me in his fight. He looks like someone who could take on one of the bottom 2 lines and play with energy, speed, and throw down when needed. He won’t be a great NHLer or much of a point producer, but he will likely be an asset to a team in the NHL.
(Devane had 5 PIM)

Robbie Czarnik - #27 - C - YOB: 1990 - 6’0” - 175lbs.
NHL: 3^rd Round - 63^rd Overall by Los Angeles in 2008
Report: Dec/29/09: Czarnik is another guy I could see entering an energy line role in the NHL. Certainly looks like his 6’0” was a little generous, looks more like 5’10” 175 to me, but he plays quick along the boards, multiple times appeared to have a motor that wouldn’t quit, and really worked hard to help his team, but especially looked at home along the boards. This was a close game for a while, and Czarnik’s play was necessary for Plymouth to gain the advantages during puck battles. He displayed solid speed. Although I don’t see him being a top 6 forward in the NHL he certainly has some interesting upside as a high energy 3^rd liner, and is someone who seems like they’re starting to adjust well to the OHL.
(Czarnik had 2A, +2)

Austin Levi - #7 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6’4” - 195lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Dec/29/09: Levi played a much more disciplined game than he did a few weeks ago. Wasn’t going out of position to make the big hits, he didn’t hit nearly as much, but he was very effective in his own zone. Smooth transition on the puck movement tonight. He’s not likely to be a top 4 defenceman as it stands right now, however he reminds me a lot like Jesse Blacker with a more physical element. I think Austin’s development could be an interesting thing to watch, because I like the assets he has, and the way he’s used them so far this year.

Matt Hackett - #31 - G - YOB: 1990 - 6’3” - 170lbs.
NHL: 3^rd Round - 77^th Overall pick by Minnesota in 2009
Report: Dec/29/09: There really seems to be no holes in Hackett’s game. He’s well positioned, he anticipates the play very well, he seems to be comfortable giving up rebounds as he tends to kick them to the side to either whenever he can. Hackett has impressed me this year and last since he’s taken over the starting job in Plymouth. He once again played great tonight.
(Hackett stopped 33 of 35 shots)

Sunday Top 10 - Players to Watch for Tomorrow's Trade Deadline

The OHL Trade Deadline is looming. By tomorrow afternoon (Monday the 11th), teams will be set moving forward towards the end of the season and playoffs. Obviously, a lot of the action has already occurred. Big trades involving the likes of Alex Pietrangelo and Phil Grubauer have taken center stage over the last week or so leading up to the deadline. But that doesn't mean the action is over. There are a ton of rumours floating around and I'm sure we're bound to see some more trade fireworks tomorrow morning.

So let's take a look at the 10 most likely candidates to be playing for a different team come tomorrow. The list is in no particular order.

Matt Clark/Ken Peroff/Brad Albert - Brampton Battalion
The Battalion are one of the worst teams in the OHL, absolutely no question. While they play a solid defensive game, there offense just isn't good enough to get them very far, should they even make the playoffs. What's interesting though is that Brampton has been incredibly quiet during these turbulent trade times. Are they a seller? The main reason Brampton's defense has been so strong is the play of these three veteran blueliners. Peroff and Albert are overagers, while Clark is likely in his last OHL season before going pro. So what benefit does Brampton have to holding on to these guys and not helping their rebuild by dealing them. All three could provide veteran leadership to a contender's blueline. I'd be very surprised if at least one of them isn't dealt tomorrow.

Cody St. Jacques - Guelph Storm
This guy just can't find a home. He hasn't been great for Guelph this year, but he hasn't been god awful either (save maybe the last few games). St. Jacques has already been traded once this season after requesting a trade from Sault Ste. Marie. However Guelph has just gotten back Brandon Foote and he'll be the team's starting netminder from here on out. There are a few teams out there iffy about their back up goaltenders, and there might not be a better (or cheaper) option to acquire a veteran tender than St. Jacques.

Peter Holland - Guelph Storm
It's hard to tell what Guelph's plan is. Their season thus far has been brutal, to put it lightly. The team has underperformed severely after having pretty high expectations to start the year. They've got a wealth of talent in the 1991 age group which means they should be strong next year, but then again we said that this year too. The thing this team probably needs most is a shake up and the name we've heard most often is Peter Holland, who, of the big three (Holland, Latta, Beck), has been the most disappointing. If the Storm can deal Holland in a deal that can give them a different look, I think they do it. I'm sure Anaheim wouldn't mind him getting dealt either since it looks like his development hasn't gone according to plan so far.

Tyler Randell - Kitchener Rangers
After coming over from Belleville last year and performing well for Kitchener as a gritty goal scorer, Randell has not had a good year. He's been given chances to shine for the team in a scoring role but just hasn't been able to bring any consistency to the table. The Rangers are very likely to be buyers at the deadline and Randell is likely an attractive trade piece that Kitchener will try and use to improve. Big guys with the potential to be gritty goal scorers are always going to find a home in this league, so my guess is he'll still have a fair amount of value if teams covet him in a return.

Mavric Parks - Kitchener Rangers
This one is tricky. He's the name we're hearing most right now as trade bait, but at the same time does moving him make sense? My guess is that Steve Spott doesn't want to move him...but feels like moving him makes sense considering that he's got a lot of value right now. Brandon Maxwell was brought in to be the number one goaltender, and even though he's been inconsistent this year, he's likely the guy they go with next year. So the Rangers either deal Parks now when his value is at it's highest, or they move him next year as an overager. Tough call considering the team is really concentrated on making a run in the Western Conference. My guess is if all the Rangers are being offered is draft picks for Parks...they hold on to him. But if they can flip him for a quality roster player who'll help both now and next year, they'll do it and hope Maxwell is up to the challenge.

Philip McRae - London Knights
It's hard to envision a team that's in first place in their division as a seller. It's even harder when that team is the Knights, a perennial buyer. But I think the Hunters are slightly worried about the damage the past few years of trades has done to the teams youth core. With a bevy of talent still on the roster, the team can afford to move a big name piece for youth in hopes that others step up and continue to keep this team in a top four or five spot in the Conference. The most likely name would be Phil McRae, who's had a bit of a disappointing season, but still has a lot of talent. If the Knights can get back a quality 92 and a draft pick for McRae (or any other big name player on their roster), I think they do it.

Jamie Doornbosch - Peterborough Petes
The rumours have been rampant over the past week about teams scouting the Petes (in particular Windsor). The name that everyone keeps bringing up is Zack Kassian, but I'm not sold on the Petes wanting to trade him at this time. They're still in the thick of things for the East Division and Kassian is the key to their triumphs. If he can elevate his game in the second half, this team will be fine. I think a name that's more likely is Jamie Doornbosch. Easily one of the more underrated players in the OHL, Doornbosch can run a powerplay, move the puck and has improved his defensive game considerably. He'd be a dynamite pick up for a contending team looking to add another puck mover...say a team that lost out on Alex Pietrangelo.

Austin Levi/Colin MacDonald - Plymouth Whalers
Something's up in Whaler land. The team used a 4th rounder (no chump change) to acquire Jay Gilbert...when the team already had a fairly crowded defense. Rumor has the Whalers are serious buyers as they believe with the offense they've assembled and Matt Hackett in goal, they can make a push in the West...and they're probably right. If the Whalers make a move to acquire another talented player, I'd expect one of Austin Levi or Colin MacDonald are on the way out. Both are attractive trade pieces as up and coming 1992 defenseman and should be able to fetch the Whalers a pretty solid player...say like Phil McRae.

Jordan Skellett - Saginaw Spirit
Saginaw is a little confusing to me this year. Are they buyers or are they sellers? They go and move TJ Brodie, Nick Crawford, and Anthony Peters, but then go and pay a hefty price for Jordan Hill in Sarnia. Odd. Saginaw's playing better hockey of late, but they still aren't likely to be big movers in the West. Skellett is a talented offensive overager who could jump right into the Top 6 of any team in the league. My guess is they'll look to move him to a team who needs a playmaking forward and look to get a quality player back in return so that the team can still make the playoffs.

Eric O'Dell - Sudbury Wolves
You have to wonder what's up in Sudbury. The team is playing poorly yet again, despite a fairly talented roster. And despite being chronically close to being out of the playoffs in the East, the rumors indicate the Wolves are going to be buyers. Well I don't buy it (pun intended). The team is in disarray really, and could massively use an infusion of youth. Eric O'Dell is the team's best player and could fetch quite the trade package from someone looking to add one of the league's top centers. My guess is that the Wolves will have suitors for him, it's just a matter of whether they want to pull the trigger. And if they were smart, they would.

BONUS
Shawn Lalonde - Belleville Bulls
Anyway I can, I'll cheat to add more players to a Sunday Top 10. I add Lalonde as a bonus because he's someone who's attracted trade attention all season long and who's rumored to be going just about everywhere. However, I don't think he'll be traded. And here's why. If Lalonde was going to be traded, I think it would have been done by now. Either he doesn't want to leave Belleville or the team doesn't want to move him. The Bulls are obviously rebuilding, but they are also still looking to make the playoffs. Thus the acquisitions of guys like Panik, Bezzo, and Peters. Lalonde is the team's driving force and without him, they definitely aren't a playoff team. I just think if something was going to happen with him, it would have happened already.

That's it folks. Stay tuned for tomorrow's deadline! Next Sunday I'll be putting together a Winners and Losers of the Trade Deadline Top 10.

Any guesses as to where these guys go...or better yet, any guys you feel should definitely be on this list?

Thoughts on Plymouth and Niagara from January 7

Been busy as heck lately so I haven't had time to go check out a game live in a few weeks, so you'll have to settle for a report based on action caught from the OHL Action Pack! Hadn't seen Plymouth in a little while so I figured I'd catch the Whalers take on the IceDogs in Niagara.

Was an...interesting game to say the least. From a fan angle it was frustrating to watch so I can't imagine what the coaches were feeling. Well actually, I can imagine what Whalers Coach/GM Mike Vellucci was feeling because everyone got to see it at the end of the second period when he was ejected from the game for arguing with referee Mike Bolibruck. Really can't say I blame him. Way too many questionable calls, especially against the Whalers. Hooking was being called on players just trying to gain body position on opposing players. Then there was the terrible no goal call on Robbie Czarnik's shorthanded backhand that very clearly went into the net. Admittedly, this wasn't necessarily the fault of the referee, since he do go upstairs for it, but all those things just added up for Vellucci and he lost it. Nothing I hate more than watching an OHL game where the referee takes the game out of the players hands and puts it in his own. Just let them play, we don't need a game in which half of it was played 5 on 4. I don't like ranting about the refs very often because, quite frankly, they've got one heck of a tough job. But tonight's game was really bad.

As for the game itself, the Dogs largely dominated the play thanks in part to the number of powerplays they received. An impressive performance for Niagara who's looking to get back in the race for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. Once the Pietrangelo and DeSousa deals are completed (plus whoever else Niagara deals), this team could actually be better than they currently are, despite the fact you would label it as an act of selling. DeSousa is at home awaiting a trade and Petro hasn't played for Niagara all year. If they can add a couple more talented bodies to their roster, they'll be better off.

Some individual player performances (mostly Plymouth since I just saw Niagara).

Plymouth Whalers






Colin MacDonald (2010)
I've been reading and hearing a lot of talk starting to generate about this kid and his status for the 2010 draft. Plymouth fans in particular seem to hold him in very high regard. In a way, I don't think I'd really notice him if I wasn't actually paying attention to him, which...I think is a compliment. It means he's not making mistakes. Very good size, solid mobility, seems to make the smart play with the puck. Just a very quietly effective defender. On one particular play, he did a great job staying with the Dogs best skater (Alex Friesen) as he attacked on the rush, staying in front of him by moving efficiently backwards and laterally. However in the first period he did get beat to the outside by Dogs forward Andrew Agozzino as he failed to keep his feet moving. Second time I've noticed him get caught flat footed this season. He needs to be ready at all times defensively and seems to be somewhat vulnerable to players who suddenly turn on the jets at the blueline. The only thing I can really say is that if he were more physical, he'd easily be on the draft radar. That package of size, mobility and aggression gets you drafted high (just as Matt Clark), but without that aggression in his game, he'll have a harder time getting attention.

Austin Levi (2010)
I still don't really know what to make of Levi. Like MacDonald, I find myself enamored with his combination of size and mobility. He's also a more physically engaged player and it seems to me that eventually he'll develop into a guy who'll take the body hard. I think he's also got offensive potential as he can rush the puck and can run the point on the powerplay. But right now, it seems to be all about projection, rather than current ability. I just don't know if he project as an offensive defenseman, or a stay at home defenseman. He didn't have a good game either. When he rushes the puck, he seems to do so in an ineffective fashion. In a way, it seems like he really is "rushing" the play. Gets up ice as fast as he can, almost just to avoid falling under the trap of the forecheck. It's more out of desperation, it feels or looks forced. Perhaps that's a confidence issue. Defensively, he got abused on the game winning goal by Andrew Shaw. Got caught in the offensive zone, and lost his man behind him. Shaw picked up the pass and went away on the breakaway for the goal. There are things to like about Levi, those sort of natural physical gifts, but the rawness to his game makes me queezy. Plymouth fans, what's the deal, what do you think?

Tyler Seguin (2010)
Had a good, but not great game. Was really strong in the first half, but seemed distracted by the officiating in the second half. In the first half, had a couple of absolutely beautiful rushes into the offensive zone. His ability to pick up the puck, get to top speed quickly, and handle the puck at that top speed is what sets him apart from others in his age group. Just blew right past Dougie Hamilton and Reggie Traccitto, picking up the puck at the blueline and splitting the D to go in alone on Visentin who made a nice toe save. Later in the period he made a beautiful cross ice feed to Beau Schmitz for a one timer goal on the powerplay. His on ice vision and overall hockey intelligence is through the roof. Even though I still prefer Taylor Hall (as an NHL draft selection), the debate between these two will rage on until June.

Garrett Meurs (2011)
Meurs might just be the most offensively talented 1993 in the league. He has incredible offensive skills and in a way, I think playing in Plymouth and in Tyler Seguin's shadow has prevented him from receiving the attention that Boone Jenner and Matt Puempel have. His hands in close to the net are top notch and he puts himself in good positions to capitalize on offensive opportunities, which tells me he has a high hockey IQ. Until the end of the season, it's just going to be about refining his game. Limiting turnovers in the offensive zone, doing a better job in the corners, getting back defensively. A lot of potential with Meurs.

Jamie Devane (TOR)
I'm just not sure Devane is ever going to be able to live up to the fact that he was drafted as high as he was in the NHL. As an OHL player, he has effective traits. He hits hard and he hits smart (doesn't take himself out of position looking for the big hit). He's responsible defensively and is a good penalty killer. Actually had a great chance shorthanded as he stole the puck, fought through a check and put a good shot on net that Visentin gloved. He's also not afraid to be the bear in front of the net. But as far as being an NHL player, I still don't think I see the upside. There are a ton of players across the CHL who can give you the exact same things Devane can and none of them will see life outside the CIS. The offensive hockey sense doesn't seem to be there. In the offensive end, he skates around or goes straight to the net, but he's not really involved offensively. As a forechecker, he could really stand to develop into a higher energy player who attacks the opposition. And when he does get offensive opportunities, I don't think he has the hands to be a goal scorer. Realistically, is he any different of a player than current Leaf farm hand (and former OHL'er) Andre Deveaux? And even then, Deveaux actually had finishing ability in close in the OHL.

Robbie Czarnik (LAK)
Really liked what I saw from Czarnik. First time I've seen him play since the 2008 Under 18's (where he was excellent for a bronze medal winning American team). Was on a rotation with Garrett Meurs and Josh Brittain as the guys who saw time with Tyler Seguin. Had really good speed and had no qualms about using it to take the puck hard to the net. Shorthanded in the second period, he took advantage of a turnover (and a bad pinch by Matt Petgrave) and took the puck the other way on a one on one rush. Made a nice move to get around Dougie Hamilton, freeing up some space for himself to get a nice backhand off on the way to the net. The shot beat Visentin and went off the inside of the post and in...however it was called a no goal (despite the obvious replay of it being over the line). All game he was involved near the puck, whether it be offensively or defensively. He seems to be a great pick up for the Whalers and also seems to have some chemistry with Tyler Seguin which bodes well for his production in the second half.

Josh Brittain (ANA)
Brittain had a fairly effective game. Played within his strengths, took the body, had a few scoring chances and managed to avoid taking one of the games 19 minor penalties. I think the Ducks still have to be disappointed in his offensive production this season. Dare I say he might be in danger of not receiving a contract offer from them?

Scott Wedgewood (2010)
As the back up to probably the best goalie in the OHL (Matt Hackett), you aren't going to get a lot of playing time. But Wedgewood does seem to be making the most of it. He started tonight and played a solid game. He didn't make any really big saves, but he made the ones he had to. Comes out to cut down angles, controlled his rebounds relatively well (save the first Andrew Fritsch goal). Seems to have good mobility. As one of the youngest 1992's available this year, I'm sure he's got NHL scouts looking at him, when they do actually get the chance to see him play. Made 30 of 33 saves and took the loss.

Niagara IceDogs






Andrew Fritsch (2011)
The Dogs 3rd rounder from 2009, Fritsch has had a solid season thus far. In fact, not much has been made about his play despite the fact that he's currently 4th among 1993's in goal scoring with 10. Now, a lot of that has to do with his current hot streak, but it's no fluke. Fritsch has very good goal scoring instincts and will absolutely develop into a quality goal scorer in this league. He finds the open ice well and is developing into a player who can work a cycle and outwork a defense for his offensive chances. With improved strength will come an improved shot and that will allow him to take even greater advantage of the positions to score he puts himself in. I think he's a 1993 to keep an eye on.

Mark Visentin (2010)
Arguably the top goalie available from the OHL this year, Visentin has earned himself that trip to the CHL Top Prospects Game. He's improved leaps and bounds from last year, where at times he looked over matched in the league. While he was always mobile in his crease, his overall improvement comes from improvement in two areas specifically. One is just overall confidence. He looks much calmer in net. He didn't have to make a lot of saves tonight, but he was there when he needed to be, robbing Seguin on a breakaway and Devane in close with huge saves. The other thing is rebound control. He's knocking pucks to the corner and he's dictating the pace of play. Made a tremendous recognition play on the Andrew Shaw game winner. Plymouth made a long shoot in on net that Visentin used his blocker to deflect up to Dylan MacEachern at the blueline. He recognized the opportunity for Shaw's break and used the rebound to spring the play into action. It's those little things and the massive improvement that have lead to NHL Central Scouting having such a high opinion of him. Made 18 of 20 saves for the win.

Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

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Pietrangelo & Other Thoughts

I discuss a whole bunch of issues from the last week that have crossed my mind from the return of Alex Pietrangelo, to the Windsor/Belleville trade to the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge.