Barrie Colts – McKeen's Hockey

MacKenzie Blackwood tops goalie rankings

David Burstyn — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:44:34 +0000

MacKenzie Blackwood is the highest ranked goaltender on the McKeen’s Hockey’s January Draft rankings at number 31. He would be the first OHL goaltender since Brian Finley was selected 6^th overall in 1999 to earn that distinction, the year Ryan Miller was drafted 138^th overall to put the time in perspective. In that time the QMJHL has had 5 tenders taken first, including the last two years in a row.

After winning the starting job as a rookie in a strong debut he has appeared in a total of 99 games over the past two season. He is currently tied for third in the league for wins with 30 and instrumental to the eastern conference second-place Colts overcoming the loss of Aaron Ekblad to the NHL. He missed the better part of a month with a sprained ankle from the middle of October to the middle of November. He came back too soon and struggled for the first half a dozen games before elevating his play in December with a 10-1 record and a .944 save percentage. A solid 14-6 since then, the sizable 6’4 puck stopper will continue to draw attention if Barrie can make an impact in the playoffs.

A scouting report:

Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Mackenzie Blackwood (2015), G, Barrie Colts

Outstanding net presence as he uses the most of his size – rarely dropping to a butterfly to make a save unless in tight .. good control of rebounds .. possesses quick legs and can kick out the pads in an instant to make down low saves – moves extremely well going post-to-post .. poised and unflappable – he can stymie a team by making a series of saves and demoralizing them .. position is sound as he is rarely out of position to make a play .. agile yet could still work on his overall fluidity and athleticism .. owns all the tools to be an NHL regular and is easily the best goaltending prospect currently in the OHL.

2014 NHL Draft: Thoroughbred Colts, Aaron Ekblad and Brendan Lemieux

David Burstyn — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 01:33:42 +0000

The Barrie Colts recently clinched a playoff spot in back to back games with Sudbury sporting an 0.551 winning percentage (59-31-25-1-2). Leading the defense is Aaron Ekblad in scoring (49-21-24-45) and ice time. An early favourite to go high in the 2014 Draft, McKeen’s Hockey currently has him ranked second in their midterm rankings, but he is being pressured for that spot by a surging Sam Bennett and Michael Dal Colle’s scoring exploits in the OHL are hard to ignore.

This is Ekblad’s third year in the OHL and he currently sits sixth in scoring among OHL defenseman and first among 2014 Draft eligible rearguards. He has an astonishing 15 power play goals to lead all OHL defenseman and tying him for third behind Connor Brown and Dane Fox for the entire league. He was only the second player to be granted exceptional status by OHL and was the first overall selection in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection. He will receive the sober second scrutiny that all highly rated defenceman seem subject to at the draft in recent years, witnessed by Seth Jones tumble to fourth overall last year. Ekblad certainly fits the definition of a big man still developing his game, giving teams a moment’s pause, but presents an irresistible package should it all come together in the pros. A solid performance at the World Juniors plus a good showing in the Top Prospects game has allowed him to hold his ranking.

Ekblad’s current roommate, Brendan Lemieux, channels his famous father at times, and leads the team in penalty minutes. The elder Lemieux, a second round draft pick, 26^th overall, played 19 seasons in the NHL and scored 459 goals to go along with 2,306 penalty minutes, including his impressive playoff stats. In that shadow, Brendan is having a solid scoring season (56-21-23-44) and is productive on the power play with nine goals. While currently in a small slump with points in only one of the last six games (6-1-1-2), he was a steady scoring force through January and early February scoring points in 14 of 16 games (16-7-13-20).

An underwhelming Top Prospects game was notable for some agitating after the whistle, but did not make a make a significant impact on his ranking,currently sitting at #38 among North American skaters on Central Scouting’s mid term list.

McKeen’s Hockey Director of Scouting, David Burstyn provides scouting reports on Ekblad and Lemieux:

__________________________

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Aaron Ekblad (2014), D, Barrie Colts

Highly touted prospect and team captain has played a ton of hockey already this season appearing in every major tournament including the Ivan Hlinka, WJC, Canada/Russia Challenge and the CHL Top Prospects game .. featured on both special teams he easily plays upwards of 29-32 minutes per night for the Colts .. a man-child, already playing at NHL size, tipping the scales at 6’4, 220 .. somewhat gangly looking at times with a knock kneed skating style .. needs work on his mechanics, sloppy on occasion, his feet tend to be everywhere .. lacking power in his backwards skating he glides through plays rather than accelerating .. not a fluid or crisp skater, his foot work needs more polish .. boasts formidable puck skills, but is not elite .. delivers an adequate first pass but has the propensity to launch himself out of the zone .. intimidating presence at this level due to size, however, this advantage will diminish significantly in the NHL .. puck handling skills are still a bit choppy; holds his hands high on his stick .. needs to make quicker decisions and put himself in better spots to architect an offensive play .. best offensive weapon is his booming slap shot; the power play is geared around it and he does an excellent job putting himself in premium position to use it, often stepping into the shot and getting great torque .. defensively his game has marked some improvement .. thrust into every top match up assignment effectively utilizes his size to contain players along the boards and is very strong on his stick .. uses his range and reach well as he will swat away at a player, knocking them off balance or prying the puck away just enough to be able to engage in a 1-1 battle along the wall .. excellent at winning battles down low due to sheer strength and size .. Ekblad will be a top selection especially for the Oilers who so desperately need defence .. however, questions regarding his skills at this point do not necessarily warrant him being a top three selection.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Brendan Lemieux (2014), LW, Barrie Colts

The son of former NHL’er Claude Lemieux recently competed in the CHL Top Prospects game .. plays a regular shift on Barrie’s top two lines, as Colts lack depth on the left side .. an enigmatic player who has a sporadic compete level and work ethic yet can burst onto the scene creatively on some shifts .. coasts back into defensive plays and is habitually the last man back .. hampered by a tendency to watch plays in the neutral zone rather than move his feet into a play .. strong on puck and can flash some bursts of skill when in possession, however impatience gets the better of him at times and will force plays or throw the puck away .. gets involved around the goal if he is in the general area and holds his own in traffic due to his strong, mammoth 6’1, 210 pound frame .. plays with a fiery edge but is guilty of taking unnecessary penalties, and needs to channel his competitiveness .. skating shows strong lateral quickness, better moving diagonally than forward, more control like his father would worry opponents .. speed is not a weakness but needs to be more explosive .. possesses good all-around ability if he puts forth an honest effort playing with pace and focusing on his strengths as he can score and make plays.

Greyhounds stay local, OHL picks 11-15

Sean Lafortune — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:07:43 +0000

In the third installment of the OHL’s first-round, scouting reports highlight the players drafted with picks 11 through 15.

The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds didn’t look far for their first pick, taking local product and Soo Thunder forward Blake Speers with the 11^th pick in the draft. Speers brings elite playmaking skills and vision to a team that may need an injection of offence after losing top scorer Nick Cousins to graduation.

The Guelph Storm addressed a weakness by drafting smooth-skating defenceman Garrett McFadden in the first-round. The Storm stand to lose three veterans on their back line, which should give McFadden an opportunity to hone his craft while playing big minutes.

Michael Davies followed to the Kitchener Rangers with the 13^th pick overall. Davies is a pure scorer with a wide range of shooting techniques that should keep goalies guessing.

The Oshawa Generals went with the assertive and versatile Mitchell Vande Sompel with the next pick. Vande Sompel is a poised defender with character and a high offensive ceiling.

With some key graduations to forwards Mark Scheifele and Anthony Camara anticipated this summer, the Barrie Colts tapped centre Matthew Kreis with the 15^th pick. Kreis earns top marks for his poise and willingness to make an impact, but may need to pick his spots better as he moves to the next level.

-----------------------------------

Blake Speers (C, 2015), Soo Thunder – 5'9" – 150 pounds – January 2, 1997

Drafted 11^th overall by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Photo by Paul Kidd

Speers is a highly-intelligent forward who was named to the Allstate All Canadians camp in July, designated as one of the top 42 players in the country in the ’97-born age group .. playing with the Soo Thunder, a travel team that will participate in key tournaments throughout the season, a first for the area .. an undersized, finesse forward with tremendous poise and playmaking vision .. remains an elite puck-distributor with a keen sense of his surroundings .. plays with a high tempo level in possession, will force defenders to back off with his high speed and willingness to travel into the dirty areas of the ice to either distribute the puck or unleash a tricky wrist-shot .. smooth, efficient skater with dynamic pickup speed and exceptional lateral mobility .. exhibits boundless amounts of energy and impressive stamina for a smaller-bodied player, however does wear down when matched up against bigger, stronger defenders .. needs to improve his play away from the puck in his own zone .. doesn’t do enough defensively at times due to a lack of size, reach and physical jam .. can over-skate the puck at times .. bulking up his thin frame will be a key, allowing him to better handle physical battles .. is expected to be top-9 forward with the Greyhounds, playing in a role that will allow him to adjust to the speed of the OHL while working on his strength and aggression levels.

Garrett McFadden (D, 2015), Grey-Bruce Highlanders – 5'10" – 171 pounds – August 21, 1997

Drafted 12^th overall by the Guelph Storm

Smooth and strong on his edges .. reaches an elite top speed with just a few powerful strides .. quick in recovery, especially closing gaps and defending on the rush .. excels in the transitional game, displaying good skill with an ability to make some crisp outlet passes .. a slippery player in open ice, as he flies by defenders with uncommon ease .. shows sharp instincts as to when and how to join the attack .. makes smart outlets and distributes the puck sensibly .. walks the line well and opens up shooting lanes .. has a knack for getting his shots through on the power-play, however he needs to trust his shot more and use it to generate offence .. not afraid to initiate or receive body contact .. stays engaged physically by proactively taking the body, exploiting his good upper-body strength .. needs to add structure to his defensive game and not play a run-and-gun style every shift .. over-pursues in the defensive zone and can be guilty of following the puck in the defensive zone .. he lacks poise in his own zone and can take poor angles when defending .. needs to mature and learn to pick his spots better .. with the loss of Andrey Pedan, Brock Beukeboom and Saverio Posa, McFadden should be expected to play a key role on a maturing Guelph Storm team .. could be an impact player on the power-play immediately.

Michael Davies (LW, 2015), Southern Tier Admirals – 6'1" – 195 pounds – February 5, 1997

Drafted 13^th overall by the Kitchener Rangers

Davies is a high skill forward who was one of the most talented players from the SCTA this season .. smart and slippery in one-on-one situations, as he can disguise his intentions and protect the puck well .. he possesses soft hands in-tight which power his excellent puck skills, as he has a knack for creating space and finding open passing lanes .. pure scorer has the ability to naturally finish off plays .. utilizes his deceptive, powerful snap-shot to fool goaltenders in the offensive zone .. shot release is tricky .. a clever puck-distributor with strong vision .. does play with an edge, however it’s inconsistent .. will bravely engage at times, while other times look passive .. a conscientious worker, however he does have room to grow with his defensive zone coverage .. can struggle at times with keeping his feet active in defensive situations .. has suffered from a case of mono in the first half, which led to issues with his production and conditioning .. will have to continue to develop his footwork while adding depth and length to his skating stride .. will fill a top-9 role within a rebuilding Rangers forward core, working his way into a more prime offensive role as the season moves forward .. could see initial power-play time, if he adjusts to the league quickly.

Mitchell Vande Sompel (D, 2015), London Jr. Knights – 5'10" – 171 pounds – February 11, 1997

Drafted 14^th overall by the Oshawa Generals

Undersized defender who is competitive and tough .. stride is compact and explosive, edges slash into the ice, generating a quick startup burst and terrific turning speed .. he times open-ice hits well .. willing to engage to separate the man from the puck .. assertive offensively .. willing to take charge and get the puck into the offensive zone .. gains the line effectively, utilizing his excellent one-on-one elusiveness and soft in-tight hands to move through the neutral one .. good passer and flashy puck-carrier .. packs a sizzling slap-shot and one-timer .. proficient at walking the line to alter shooting lanes .. poised and creative running the power-play .. gradually building better structure and one-on-one technique .. tends to over-pursue and loses focus .. a risk-taker who continues to learn to be more selective and adapt better strategies both with and without the puck .. upgrades in his body mass and core strength will aid him in puck battles .. the captain of the London Jr. Knights Gold, a player who brings a high complete level .. can play both forward and defence, however is best suited as a defender at the OHL level .. may struggle initially in five-on-five situations, however has the ability to be an impact defender on the power-play initially .. at maturity, Vande Sompel has the ability to be an offensive, puck-moving defender who can generate offense every time he steps on the ice.

Matthew Kreis (C, 2015), Halton Hurricanes – 5'10" – 155 pounds – August 1, 1997

Drafted 15^th overall by the Barrie Colts

Kreis is a high-compete forward who played the season with Halton after representing the Vaughan Kings at the 2012 All Ontario Bantam Championship .. light and smooth on his feet with exceptional lateral quickness and dexterity .. takes aggressive edges and is effective at driving off and propelling himself forward .. quick and agile, makes tight cuts and can spin on a dime .. plays a speedy, up-tempo style with a good determination level .. anticipates the game well, guided by astute hockey sense .. poised and skilled in possession, can finish with a tricky wrist-shot or snap-shot that features a tricky release .. can get caught in possession and can be guilty of trying to do too much .. gets neutralized in traffic by stronger defenders, which forces him to take less direct routes to the net .. doesn’t lack courage, however still gets manhandled by opponents, specifically in puck battles .. possesses inconsistent aggression and intensity in the defensive zone .. he must dedicate himself to bulking up a lean body and getting stronger on the puck .. will slot into the Colts’ top-9 forward core initially, possibly playing a penalty kill role while adjusting to the speed and pace of the game .. projects as a top-6 forward with leadership abilities.