Ben Thomas – McKeen's Hockey

Tampa Bay – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 11:51:37 +0000

I have long advocated for teams drafting the best talent available on draft day. With all but two to five prospects in any given year needing to go back to amateur hockey in the upcoming year, it does not make much sense to draft for current need. To that rule, I have appended an exception in the case of netminders. Namely, that there is a maximum number of goalies a team should have.

At any given time, there will be room for two young netminders to play in the AHL and usually another promising one can be assigned to the ECHL. If a team has more than that who are past the age junior/college hockey, there will be no place to play and develop them. This is why it is so rare for one team to draft two goalies in one year. And until Vegas left draft weekend with three netminders, more than two was unheard of.

The goalie problem is not one faced by Tampa. The opposite, in fact, as there are only two netminders with prospect eligibility in the organization. This topic is significant for Tampa, because they are stretching the boundaries of the best player available rule by drafting an abundance of players that fit within a fairly narrow profile.

During the draft, Tampa is generally a team that stockpiles draft picks. They rarely have less than their full allotment of picks, and often substantially more, including nine picks in 2015 and ten in 2016. When we look at the types of players they draft, we can see clear patterns.

For starters, they like their defensemen to be…well…defensive. Out of 15 blueliners in the system, nine are clearly defensive defensemen. Four more are two way defenders and only two could be counted as offensive defensemen. This topic came up when we were putting the system’s top 20 together. There are very good arguments to be made for a number of the defensemen in the system to make the top 20, but when so many of them have near-identical profiles, there are fewer paths for them to reach the NHL.

Most NHL teams, even possession-conscious teams like the Lightning, will have no more than three, and more likely two, defensive spots for blueliners who are limited in how much they can provide in the offensive end of the ice. So as talented as players like Erik Cernak, Libor Hajek, Slater Koekkoek, Matt Spencer, Dominik Masin and others are, it is hard to see a path where more than two of them establish themselves in Tampa. After two do, the others become trade bait. Only really Cal Foote and Mikhail Sergachev are versatile enough in their approaches to the game to fit in any type of role.

The Lightning have a similar, if not identical, story with their forwards. The majority, if not all, of their better forward prospects are secondary offensive contributors, providing as much if not more, energy than talent to their teams. With more forward spots on all teams than defensive ones, this is less of a problem, but it sure seems like Tampa scouts have a type that they prefer to hunt.

1 Mikhail Sergachev – One half of one of the most interesting trades of this offseason, Sergachev was traded straight up from Montreal to Tampa for Jonathan Drouin almost one year to the day of being selected ninth overall in the draft. A high end skater who excels at both ends, he can afford to pinch in deep as he is well able to recover. Plays with great maturity and patience on the puck, able to outlast an opponent and create a better lane for passing, or pushing the puck forward by himself. He should be ready for the NHL and has first pairing upside.

Taylor Raddysh of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

2 Taylor Raddysh – Although he has scored at superstar levels for the last two seasons, next season will be a real test for Raddysh, who will finally be the featured player on the Otters after the graduations of Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Standing in his favor are his excellent combination of shot and puck skills. The former is sniper level, and he is extremely dangerous from the mid-slot and in. The latter rears its head when he does not have a clear shot on goal. Very skilled at finding an open man through his vision and creativity.

3 Brett Howden – A two-way center with plus playmaking skills, Howden had a great offensive year for Moose Jaw, even without accounting for the 15 or so games he missed due to injury. Aggressive in his own zone, he is not afraid to block shots and has a knack for retrieving the puck and getting it into a position to move back up the ice. More quick and nimble than fast, he has enough speed to hold his own and play his game. Plays a chippier game than many with his passing acumen.

4 Anthony Cirelli – A big game specialist, Cirelli burst onto the prospect radar in his last game before he was drafted. It was a Memorial Cup final and he scored both Oshawa goals, including the overtime winner, to claim the title. Traded to Erie this year, he hit another level in the playoffs and again in a second Memorial Cup. All this after starring for Team Canada at the WJC. Supremely intelligent player who has great patience on the puck and an easy to underrate snap shot.

Mathieu Joseph

5 Mathieu Joseph – Drafted as a quick two way forward two years ago, the former fourth round pick has since emerged as a clinical finisher in QMJHL play with underrated playmaking ability that shone at the last WJC. Has a very strong neutral zone game, forcing turnovers through relentless pressure on the puck carrier. A good, if not exceptionally fast skater, his first two steps give him a clear advantage. Plays with great energy and has an overall skillset that can fit on any line.

6 Cal Foote – Foot speed is currently the only real impediment standing between Foote, whose father Adam played over 1,100 games in the NHL, and a projected first pairing ceiling. A competitive shut-down defenseman, he has near elite size and strength and puts those attributes to good use nightly. He inherited more of his father’s hockey IQ than his snarl, although he is a tough customer to boot. Reads the play very well and, although he is a pass-first player, has a cannon from the point.

7 Slater Koekkoek – Although the career for the former tenth overall NHL draft pick has been a disappointment thus far, it is far too early to count Koekkoek out. A fine skater with above average puck skills, he quadrupled his previous career high in NHL games played. A big minute muncher for Syracuse, he is rarely caught out of position and makes smart decisions when moving the puck. Seems to be past the injury issues that plagued his junior career.

8 Mitchell Stephens – Tampa’s top pick in the 2015 draft, Stephens is a high-energy, heart-and-soul forward capable of filling any role, up and down the lineup. A hard working player, he understands his role on a line works as part of a unit, rarely trying to play for himself. Strong and aggressive, he projects best as a puck retriever playing with two higher skilled linemates. Very effective when he skates to the crease. Ready for pro hockey.

9 Erik Cernak – Originally a second round pick of the LA Kings, Cernak was traded to Tampa as part of the return for a few months of Ben Bishop. Big and rock steady on the back, the Slovakian native has limited offensive upside, although his shot is strong enough to be a threat if he used it more often. Does not use his body aggressively, but keeps opponents at bay with strong positioning. Plays a quiet game, but is integral in getting the puck moving in the right direction.

10 Libor Hajek – One of the few lights shining on an otherwise abysmal Saskatoon team over the last two years, which makes him difficult to scout, Hajek has the right mix of size, mobility and snarl to keep the Lightning confident in his future projection as another shutdown defender. They are also hoping that he can show more offensive upside, regardless of the lack of support. They also expect him to finally be named to the Czech squad for the WJC.

11 Dennis Yan – An American-born, Russian national, Yan was one of the best shooters in the QMJHL last season. Combined with his plus skating ability, he was consistently able to get to soft spots in coverage before his opponents and from there to threaten the goalie. Further, his anticipatory skills have allowed him to play an important role in the penalty kill. May be brought on slowly this year in the AHL, but has top six upside.

12 Dominik Masin – Although his rookie pro season went smoothly, Masin seems to have left his offensive game in Peterborough. After putting up 66 points in 105 games across two years in the OHL, he was limited to a mere six points for Syracuse last year. He has a big body and skates well. Can play a heavy game, if not a violently aggressive one. He seems comfortable carrying the puck up the ice, but is mostly a defensive minded player at this stage of his development.

13 Connor Ingram – With Vasilevski now the incumbent NHL starter and the Kristers Gudlevskis era over, Ingram is now the only netminder in the Tampa system who has NHL upside. Drafted in his second year of eligibility after taking massive steps forward with Kamloops, Ingram was even better last year in the WHL, although he was very shaky in WJC play. On the small side, but very athletic, he is also a strong puck player. The workhorse should receive the lion’s share of work in Syracuse this year.

14 Ben Thomas – One of the surprise performers with Syracuse last year, Thomas showed the ability to push play from the point in a way that was not expected based on his WHL output. He has a solid first few steps and is very comfortable moving the puck up ice. Quietly dependable in his own zone, he does not play a very physical game, but uses his stick more and solid positioning. His point shot is strong enough to earn him some power play time.

15 Adam Erne – A power winger with a good top gear in his feet, Erne has steadily improved his offensive output over his first two years of professional hockey. Although he struggled to produce offense in his lengthy NHL stint last year, he did at least tend to move the puck in the right direction, without being protected to any extreme, a good indication for his future. Needs to be more consistently involved in the play before moving to the NHL full time.

16 Yanni Gourde – Gourde’s long and winding road up the professional ladder may finally be leading him to the NHL. Undrafted out of Victoriaville, he spent two years in the San Jose system on AHL deals before Tampa offered him an ELC. He has been consistently one of their top offensive performers in the AHL since. Feisty and with a strong nose for the puck and a playmaker’s instincts, he could play on an energy line in the NHL right now.

17 Matthew Spencer – Once the third overall pick of the OHL entry draft, Spencer has had a solid, if unspectacular career with Peterborough. A very good passer with advanced hockey intelligence, he plays a quiet game, limiting mistakes. He is an average skater and is unlikely to ever develop into a significant offensive threat, but is reliable enough in all zones to play in a depth role. Has a solid pro frame and began to leverage that more often last year.

18 Ross Colton – After exploding for 35 goals in his third season of draft eligibility with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, Colton was a revelation in his freshman season with Vermont. He has quick wheels, and nearly as quick hands. Plays a responsible game and his speed can be leveraged well on the penalty kill. He can absolutely fly with the puck through the neutral zone. His snap shot is a weapon. Needs to show that he can succeed in the dirty areas of the ice.

19 Boris Katchouk – A big power forward who combines a quick skating stride with a very strong shot, Katchouk took a few steps forward last year in his finishing ability, becoming a go-to guy for Sault Ste. Marie. Still justly lauded for his refined hockey smarts, if his scoring rates hold up, we can up his projections from that of a potential bottom six forward to someone with middle six potential. Great compete rate.

20 Alexei Lipanov – A two-way center with strong puck skills who plays with great energy, Lipanov can be a force when lined up next to a top finisher. The type of forward who plays on the point on the man advantage to leverage his great vision and passing touch. Very lean and not yet filled out, he will get a taste of the North American brand of hockey as he comes over to play with Barrie of the OHL this year. Very agile skater.

Despite their proclivity for certain types of players, the sheer amount of talent in the Tampa Bay system gives the Lightning one of the deepest organizations in the league. At the very least the big trade of Drouin for Sergachev proves that GM Steve Yzerman recognizes that he needed another two-way dynamic presence on the blueline as well as showing the ability to go out and get it through trade. That suggests that some of the others on the list above may be viewed as assets for other, future trades.

CHL Top Prospects Game notebook: Forwards

Grant McCagg — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 12:00:03 +0000

Here are some of the key plays and memorable highlights from the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

We first reviewed the game and concentrated on the play of just the 12 defencemen participating - and then went back over the contest a third time - with an eye on only the forwards.

Notes are listed below by period - and by the amount of time left in the period.

Here is a list of the defensemen and forwards by team - as they are noted below by only their last names:

DEFENCE

Team Cherry (Red): Anthony DeAngelo Haydn Fleury, Aaron Irving, Roland McKeown, Jacob Middleton, Alexis Vanier

Team Orr (White): Aaron Ekblad, Aaron Haydon, Julius Honka, Brycen Martin, Alex Peters, Ben Thomas,

FORWARDS

Team Cherry (Red): Daniel Audette, Ivan Barbashev, Conner Bleackley, Michael Dal Colle, Robby Fabbri, Nikolay Goldobin, Chase De Leo, Ryan MacInnis, Matt Mistele, Sam Reinhart, Nick Ritchie, Nikita Scherbak

Team Orr (White): Clark Bishop, Blake Clarke, Eric Cornel, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Ho-Sang, Brendan Lemieux, Jared McCann, Brendan Perlini, Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen, Spencer Watson

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1ST PERIOD

16:20 - Lemieux out for a stroll in the park, picks up nobody.. Reinhart gets it alone in front and almost tucks it in. Lemieux carries puck out to neutral zone, gets caught by Barbashev on backcheck.

15:40 - Bad pass by Perlini back to no one at the point, could have been dangerous the other way. Not sure about his vision sometimes.

15:00 - Subtle little play by Fabbri - gets puck along the boards and encounters Virtanen.. as he turns to the boards to make it look like he's going to turn the other way with the puck, he shovels it back to the d-man as he's parallel with the boards...the puck goes right along the boards and Virtanen misses it.

9:17 - Audette tips shot off post, Honka gets it behind net with Audette following. Honka makes a great little fake with the puck that delays Audette just long enough while his teammate gets free and shovels it ahead to Cornel, who decides to try a move to the middle at his blueline instead of either chipping it or taking it along the boards...bad turnover.

9:00 - Ehlers with the rush, then the toe-drag move to the slot and backhand.. puck comes back the other way and Reinhart drives to the net past Haydon, a good example of how Reinhart's speed can be deceptive.

8:30 - Tremendous pressure by the Reinhart line, the puck squirts loose to Draisaitl, who decides to head to the boards with the puck and wipes out without being touched, Dal Colle comes along and outmuscles both Leon and Thomas to get the puck to Barbashev, who was all over on the shift. Had good chemistry with Reinhart in this game. Draisaitl was clearly outmatched when he went head-to-head versus Reinhart, but to be fair he didn't have linemates that were as good.

4:45 - Dal Colle with the first of his many ill-advised cross-ice errant passes on the night, intercepted by Ehlers who knocks it up and then bats it to himself and goes on his famous rush where he pretended to be going around the d-man when he was in fact passing it to Cornel. If he doesn't flub the return pass and puts it in that goal is on every highlight reel all week. Ehlers a little lax on the defensive side a couple of times in this game, but he's a penalty killer in Halifax. His speed is a factor in any circumstance if he uses it. He was guilty of doing a little too much 'thinking' instead of 'doing' at times in this game, but he should have been on the top line, not the fourth. Ehlers falls down a lot, which is surprising for such a great skater. Mind you on some occasions he falls down on purpose to get at a loose puck...he can get up quickly a la Crosby.

4:30 - The pass by Ehlers to Cornel was special, not sure I've seen one quite like it before.

1:35 - The Virtanen brain cramp to let Scherbak get a break, to his credit he skated back to check him. Nice play by Audette to get puck in corner and center it to De Leo in slot.

MacInnis made three decent plays in the first 14 minutes, winning a couple of board battles and checking the puck away. On another occasion an opponent just waltzed around him in the open ice. Agility and first steps are in need of some refinement. I run a little hot and cold on him, mostly cold. Sometimes he looks lost, other times he anticipates the play well. Looks like he needs plenty of teaching, something you don't always expect in an ex-pro's son.....De Leo has a hard shot - had a couple of good scoring opportunities during the game.

2ND PERIOD

19:20 - Dal Colle gets his pocket picked by Draisaitl, who showed some hustle for once in this game, but Draisaitl, loses it back to DC.

18:14 - Ho Sang finds McCann in the sweet spot in the slot.. threaded the needle on the pass between two defenders.. disguised the pass. Nice play by McCann to get to the best spot. Ho Sang and McCann had several nice plays together.. would have liked to see those two with Ehlers.

16:26 - Audette to Scherbak at own blueline. Scherbak decides to try and deflect it off skate to a linemate who misses it. Instead of stopping dead and checking Watson, does a huge lazy loop where he goes outside of his own zone and comes back in covering no one.

15:10 - Dal Colle coughs up puck when McCann comes back to hit him. Great play by Ho Sang to draw opponents to him in the middle of the slot, and then having the vision to spot Perlini for an open shot in a prime scoring spot.

15:00 - The Thomas rush....he had time to wind up so it wasn't as impressive as it first looked I don't think. Check out his right arm swinging up wildly coming up to the opponent's blueline.. he almost wiped out unimpeded.

14:50 - Superb defensive play by Bishop or McKeown springs Ritchie on a break...breaks up the pass with solid defensive awareness.

11:20 - Draisaitl gets the puck at Red blueline, does a complete circle against three checkers until Ekblad is open on the boards.

10:10 - McCann sees the d-man move up on the puck, he circles in behind to make sure the puck carrier has backup as there was danger lurking.

8:00 - Mistele passes when he should have shot.. then tried to skate back hard, which was amusing to watch - looked like he was running, kinda like Fred Flintstone when he's about to take off, feet moving a foot above the ground and Fred not going anywhere. Then when he got back, he turned around in a defensive stance. Honka came coasting in from the red line with the puck, met Mistele, shifted a little to the left and quaintly coasted past him along the boards...Honka never took one stride the whole time. Needless to say agility is not Mistele's forte.

7:15 - White power play. Ehlers in his office on the right half wall, little backhand saucer pass to Ekblad for a good chance. Does it with Drouin all of the time.

5:36 - Point does several sharp give and go's moving up the ice. the pass by Bishop back to Point inside red blueline was excellent. Scherbak is not hard to beat, do not like his defensive play. Point set up Virtanen in front, Bishop nice lateral move to pounce on rebound.

2:40 - Thomas gets pass in his skates, nice play to kick it to his stick and then waltz around Reinhart. Perlini good eye-hand coordination batting down pass 20 inches off ice.

2:25 - Ho-Sang goal. Dal Colle was the goat but Point made the play, nice move to the slot from the wall and good low shot on net that Ho-Sang batted in.

2:20 - Audette makes skilled backhand tip pass to De Leo for great chance, vision-playmaking are his strong points.

0:15 - Draisaitl showed his puck possession skills. Had a few moments in the game and could have had a goal or two with some luck, but skating and lack of intensity were issues.

3RD PERIOD

17:05 - Leon coasts on backcheck on penalty kill, not one stride from center ice to the slot - he takes one stride and he stops Fabbri feed to Scherbak for a good chance.

16:01 - Good pass by McKeown to spring Goldobin, who feeds Mistele who finally shoots. Rebound to Goldy who scores on wraparound. Ho-Sang coasting on the backcheck again.

14:30 - Audette gets walked around easily by Virtanen. Not much presence defensively.

14:08 - Nice pass from McCann to Ho-Sang.

12:15 - Point gets puck in corner, waits for Rhino to make his move, then a little deke to gain free space, gets it to the d-man for a shot.

Goldobin penalty shot - Clarke with a poor play along the boards trying to check Dal Colle, but very half heartedly - should have skated back instead as Ehlers was out of the play behind the net.

11:00 - Ritchie decides to get physical, causes havoc and turnovers because of it. He's like the forward version of Douglas Murray when he hits.

10:35 - Fabbri with smart tip pass to Barbashev who does an inside-out move on Thomas, and drives to the net only to hit the post. Barbashev hard hit on Thomas.

9:00 - Virtanen rush - he and Scherbak were on even footing, Scherbak didn't even come close to touching him, not sure about Scherbak's straight-ahead speed, quicker east to west than north south.

8:45 - Nice pass by De Leo to Bleackley in slot, Bleackley's hands looked poor on that play. Looks like his upside is third liner with average skating.

Sportsnet nominated Fabbri as the hardest working player - can't say I disagree - was very diligent on the forecheck on the penalty kill in particular, threw a few hits, competed. Tied for OHL lead in GWG with 8, and that's with missing ten games. During those ten games Guelph lost five of them....in their 36 games with Fabbri Guelph has lost three times. Has a better work ethic than Ho-Sang, and is much better defensively. I thought it was a good move to pair H-S with McCann. Ho-Sang is more effective with a smart two-way center backing him up.

4:08 - Point gets puck from Ritchie, makes a smart pass to Bishop when he goes to his backhand and shovels it laterally to make sure it's not intercepted. Bishop got it to Virtanen, and he smokes it off the post. Virtanen can really blast the puck.

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings

CHL Top Prospects Game notebook: Defence

Grant McCagg — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 15:08:01 +0000

Here are some of the key plays and memorable highlights from the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

We first reviewed the game and concentrated on the play of just the 12 defencemen participating - and then went back over the contest a third time - with an eye on only the forwards.

Notes are listed below by period - and by the amount of time left in the period.

Here is a list of the defensemen and forwards by team - as they are noted below by only their last names:

DEFENCE

Team Cherry (Red): Anthony DeAngelo Haydn Fleury, Aaron Irving, Roland McKeown, Jacob Middleton, Alexis Vanier

Team Orr (White): Aaron Ekblad, Aaron Haydon, Julius Honka, Brycen Martin, Alex Peters, Ben Thomas

FORWARDS

Team Orr (White): Clark Bishop, Blake Clarke, Eric Cornel, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Ho-Sang, Brendan Lemieux, Jared McCann, Brendan Perlini, Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen, Spencer Watson

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

1ST PERIOD

19:00 - Martin's fist shift, caught flat footed, Red gets good scoring chance, Bleackley robbed by Mason McDonald.

10:40 - DeAngelo and McKeown paired together. DeAngelo leaves player to the side of net, then puck ends up behind the net..both d-men go back there but have no chance of getting puck.

8:50 - Thomas caught pinching again. Hayden and Thomas overwhelmed by Reinhart line at 8:20...been out too long at that point. Hayden made poor decision on who to take at one point, but he had three choices as Thomas was running around taking no one.

Hayden a limited puck mover, got beat to the outside a few times, pivots need work, mind you he was paired with Thomas, who was caught up ice nearly every shift. Martin skated backwards about ten feet in this period, as he was always behind the play. Does not anticipate when to back up very well at times. Honka and McKeown turn over the puck in their own zone too often. Honka gets a lot of his passes intercepted at the blueline.

2ND PERIOD

18:00 - Two minutes in on the chance by McCann - check out the defensive play by DeAngelo and Vanier. Vanier's pivot is horrid... DeAngelo reads the play much too late and then doesn't pressure McCann at all.

17:20 - Check out the play by McKeown. Why does he just blindly dump the puck away the second he gets it..doesn't look anywhere, has lots of time, and just throws it away.

13:15 - Honka passes it to Perlini...what was Perlini doing there...was he not aware of the d-man being there..skated right into Irving, who made a good read to pinch in there and cause the turnover. Perlini looked scared to get hit there...was soft on that play...he makes a play like that in the NHL, he's riding the pine for awhile.

11:50. Strong penalty-killing shift by Fabbri. Excellent forechecking and strong battle on that play. Martin on the other hand was putrid. Not sure why they started a PP with Martin and Peters, but anyway..

11:00 First White goal - DeAngelo on the penalty-kill with Middleton - recipe for disaster. DeAngelo was lost - left Lemieux alone to sit on the goalie.

Red came back 8 seconds later. Not really anyone on White's fault other than Cornel by the look of things...doesn't help that we miss the first three seconds as the camera is still on Lemieux. Nice play by Barbashev along the boards, nice pass by Reinhart, great pass reception and fantastic shot by Dal Colle. That play right there tells you he's a top five guy..pro-style winger with a sniper's shot.

9:55 - Vanier's lead pass to Scherbak was bad...he should have been sprung on a breakaway..Thomas should have been back more covering Scherbak. Poor play by Scherbak not to at least touch it and negate an icing.

8:10 - Chance for Team Red - Honka does not see Mistele coming in on the wing...he had half the ice to himself when he got the pass from Goldobin. Mistele should have either shot or went to the net..small d-man, small goalie..instead he stays outside and passes it back through two opposing d-men to nobody. Goldobin with the old Ribiero deke, fake going outside and sidestep to the inside, it's Goldobin's bread and butter and he usually gets away with it - Martin bit and looked pretty bad on it, but most d-men do the first couple of times they play Goldobin.

6:50 - Clarke scores on the power play. Decent shot, but Nedeljkovic should have come out of his net to cut off the angle. Fleury let Clarke walk in a bit...both he and MacInnis skated to the same spot, leaving Clarke alone. MacInnis looked a little lost on the penalty kill, didn't really know what to do. Good puck movement by Ekblad on the power play.

6:30 - Thomas decides to skate from his side to mid boards in his own zone, and then stands there for a couple of seconds only to be then hopelessly out of the play. Barbashev goes to front of net, Hayden doesn't stand between net and Barb, he stands beside him to the side of the net while his defence partner stands on the same side along the boards. You know where this is going. Barbashev gets the puck, simply pivots towards the net where Hayden can't check him, and dishes the puck to a wide open Reinhart, who is stopped while Ho Sang admires the play.

5:18 - DeAngelo lost in his own end..doesn't take Virtanen, or Bishop afterwards. Good chance.

4:10 - Honka makes a nice play to evade Goldobin, but then passes the puck to Fabbri at the line. Nice intercept and play by Fabbri, but the right play by Honka was along the boards to Ehlers, who chips it out.

3:35 - Vanier gets puck at blueline. Mistele has 40 feet of wide open space to the net, he doesn't see him, wrists a soft shot on net.

3:00 - Thomas burned with moves by Dal Colle a few times in this period. I think perhaps Thomas tried too hard to do things as it was in Calgary, but he ran around more than blueliner in the second period. Dal Colle hits the post with a great chance, Cornel for the second time in period caught sleeping defensively, didn't get between the pass and Dal Colle. Barbashev with the good pass from down low again. Thomas too late to do anything about it as he was running around...Dal Colle's shot was a ten in this game, another rocket.

2:20 - Ho Sang tip goal .. and again DeAngelo doesn't take anyone, deflects it to Ho Sang, who was left alone to tip it. Not totally DeAngelo's fault, a flukey one. Point with a decent play to break into the middle and get a shot on net after intercepting a horrible pass by Dal Colle in the neutral zone. Middleton wasn't great on the play, but not really at fault. Middleton actually played okay in the first two periods. No huge gaffes, worked hard and had decent positioning. Even challenged Lemieux but Claude Jr. wanted no part of him.

3RD PERIOD

17:30 - Middleton made a nice play to kick the puck to his stick and then do a loop inside the white blueline to lose checker, then made decent move around Haydon to drive to net, but was in too close.

16:05 - Good hit by Peters on Fabbri, played the man, not the puck.

14:40 - Strong play by Fleury to steal puck in White zone and get it to front of the net.

12:55 - Haydon with puck behind the net. Loses it trying to go in front of the net as he forgets about it, and then coughs it up. Not exactly soft hands there. Turnover caused by Fabbri again on penalty kill.

11:35 - Martin lets Goldobin get in behind him, ends up causing a penalty shot. His defence partner Thomas backed up keeping an eye on the invisible man, should have sensed Martin was in trouble and tried to head off Goldobin as well. Once again Martin didn't skate backwards an inch. Can he skate backwards?

11:00 - Haydon gets rubbed out by Ritchie trying to carry the puck, turns it over, gets it back, passes it back to other d-man Peters, who is surrounded by Red guys, coughs it up... Ritchie gets a good chance.

10:40 - Martin caught up ice again..he's the first forechecker at center ice for some reason but once again misses the puck, leaving Thomas and Draisaitl the coaster to defend Barbashev..wasn't pretty. Barbashev made an inside-out move on Thomas, who bit, and he powered around him and hit the post while Leon coasted along a little too late as usual.

9:50 - Goldobin and Reinhart at it again. Reinhart beats Peters (who falls), then between Point's legs and back over to Goldobin..who does his move to the middle and barely gets around a sweepchecking Ekblad. Meanwhile Bishop is coming back and covering the lane from Goldy to Reinhart, and then checks Goldobin in front of the net. Solid play by Bishop...wish they were all as smart as him. Bishop's skating is what's going to hurt him more than anything, he's certainly got good defensive awareness though.

9:00 - Virtanen with a burst around Irving, who was at the end of a shift. Fleury, who was fresh, watched Virtanen come in 1-on-4, beat Irving and come in on the goalie while Fleury watched..at the end he put his stick in front of Virtanen's shot, but too late.

Vanier-McKeown pairing wasn't seeing a lot of ice time in the third. Can't say I blame the coaches - that's not a good pairing..Vanier not quick enough to cover for McKeown brain cramps.

7:00 - Ekblad decides to go for a foray alone red zone on the PP, DeAngelo was trying to check him.. looked like a mouse trying to check a moose, just bounced off of him when he got near.

6:43 - Even the good ones can screw up.. Reinhart with an awful turnover inside his blueline that left Watson alone to walk right in. Reinhart tried to slide a slow backhand pass over to DeAngelo...who should not have been trying to exit the zone at that time. His partner was down in the corner.. he should have remained deep in his own zone as the proper outlet for Reinhart.

6:35 - Speaking of good ones.. Ekblad's turn to screw up.. loses the puck to Goldobin trying to rush in neutral zone.. Goldobin beats Peters.. to the outside!! Peters takes a hooking penalty.

6:15 - Goldy and Sam go to work on the power play.. and the Thomas-Martin combo. Martin was lost after losing Honka, who missed the third after taking a stick to the chops. Lousy job by Martin tying up Reinhart, who scored easily. Not much pressure from Thomas on Goldy either.

5:26 - Martin takes time going into corner, then gets muscled off the puck easily by MacInnis.

5:15 - Vanier hits Lemieux in White zone...has to skate back to catch play.. not pretty. Lemieux gets great scoring chance as Virtanen goes around a covering Audette and gets it to him.. Vanier can't catch Lemieux, who is no speedster.

5:05 - Ekblad mishandles puck at blueline, Scherbak pounces on puck and gets a breakaway, hits post. Thomas didn't come close to catching him, not as fast and took wrong angle. He coughs up the puck 30 seconds later as well, and then fails to pressure De Leo who has loads of time to make pass in the slot. By this time, Thomas was lacking confidence.

4:00 - Haydon loses puck in own end trying to carry it again. Ritchie with a big shift, two big hits including Peters, but at the end of his shift....brutal speed...he's out of shape. Ho Sang whizzes by, draws the d-man over and then slides it to McCann going the other way...excellent shot by McCann. DeAngelo is the one who follows Ho Sang to nowhere.

2:15 - Point comes in on Irving and DeAngelo, tries an inside move on Irving, hits Irving's skate, bounces back to Point who gets around Irving. Where's DeAngelo? Irving kept Point to the inside, all DeAngelo had to do was cover an inside move, instead he goes in front of Irving and misses Point altogether, leaving Point with a breakaway. Stopped by Nedeljkovic, who pokechecked him.

- Fleury makes some rushes with and without the puck in the third with his team down. Like that he wanted to make a difference.

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings

Top Prospects Game Review: Team Orr Defence

Grant McCagg — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 17:45:05 +0000

Captain Aaron Ekblad weathered a rough start and a shaky finish to play a primary role in leading Team Orr to a 4-3 win at the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Fresh off a four-goal, five-point effort against the Kingston Frontenacs, the Belle River, Ontario native contributed a pair of power-play assists and was able to showcase many facets of his all-around game.

Ekblad struggled early but was steadied by some reliable work from partner Alex Peters of the Plymouth Whalers, and rebounded with a standout effort in the second.

Peters, a native of Blyth, Ontario and the younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Justin Peters, certainly raised his draft stock as well - after recently returning from a 17-game absence due to a leg injury.

Finnish import Julius Honka kept the second pairing for Team Orr afloat for two periods until sustaining an injury. Paired with Swift Current Broncos teammate Brycen Martin, the gifted Honka displayed his elite talents but also some worrisome issues that temper the package.

However, Martin couldn't seem to do anything right and earned a failing grade - as did Aaron Haydon of the Niagara IceDogs, who also laboured through an error-filled night.

Team Orr (WHITE) - Defence

Aaron Ekblad, D, Barrie Colts (OHL) - Game Grade: 8.5

Ekblad had a few minor hiccups at game's start and game's end, ran around a bit when Reinhart and company were pressuring, but usually when he took a chance it was a smart decision. Played an all-around game, and showed capabilities on both the power play and penalty kill. Moved the puck well at both ends, see the ice well, plays an intelligent game. His skating is no longer a negative, he moves okay for his size. Very poised and confident. Good vision and smarts, not a ruffian, but competitive. Draft Ranking: Top 3.

Julius Honka, D, Swift Current Broncos (WHL) - Game Grade: 7.5

Honka missed most of the third with an injury, but up until then was the glue that held the second pairing together with Martin. Showed poise and patience with the puck, and a smooth, natural skating stride. His one rush where he didn't take a full stride from center ice down around the net and back out to the blueline, all the while evading Reinhart and Fleury, was testament to his leg power and balance. He turned over the puck a couple of times trying to clear the zone and lost some puck battles, he will need to continue working on his defensive coverage, and gain more muscle. Draft Ranking: 10-15

Alex Peters, D, Plymouth Whalers (OHL) - Game Grade: 7.5

Peters was a stalwart defender the first 2 1/2 periods, but looked like he may have ran out of gas somewhat at the end when red pressed for the equalizer. Never hurts being paired with Ekblad, and they were unquestionably the most effective pairing on Team Orr. He skates well, decent quickness and agility, and reads the play adeptly. Don't be expecting a puck-carrying point producer, but he handled the puck adequately and made a decent outlet pass the majority of the time. He wasn't overly physical, threw one decent hit, but was the recipient of an even bigger one by Nick Ritchie. Looks to have shutdown potential, will need to add some muscle and use his size more assertively. Draft Ranking: 30-50

Ben Thomas, D, Calgary Hitmen (WHL) - Game Grade: 6.5

Thomas tried a little too hard to make an impression in front of his home crowd in Calgary at times, and lacked the top-end speed to recover from his aggression. A smooth skater and satisfactory puck mover, Thomas will have to keep working on his speed, positioning, and puck skills. Brought no special dimension to his game, but when he played smartly he was effective for Team Orr. Draft Ranking: 30-50

Aaron Haydon, D, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) - Game Grade: 5.0

Haydon showed up to play, working hard, throwing hits and fighting Middleton at the end of the first period, but the skill level overwhelmed him throughout the contest. One thing you don't want to see is Haydon with the puck trying to outrace a Reinhart in his own end while holding the puck, because it will invariably turn out bad. Initiated several costly turnovers in his own end through poor choices, clunky puck skills and a lack of quickness. Has to keep it simple with safe plays...no attempts to rush the puck, no dangling, no brave pinches. Draft Ranking: 50-80

Brycen Martin, D, Swift Current Broncos (WHL) - Game Grade: 4.0

Martin struggled more than any other defenceman to handle the speed and skill. He was caught pinching and flat-footed several times, leaving his team down a man on a dangerous rush. Lacked confidence as the game went on, hesitating and making the wrong decisions. Needs to work on his pivots and backwards skating, spends too much time chasing the play. Has to gain some weight and strength. Draft Ranking: 50-80

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings