Halifax Mooseheads – McKeen's Hockey

QMJHL: Alex D’Orio (Saint John Sea Dogs – Pittsburgh), Jocktain Chainey (Halifax Mooseheads – New Jersey)

Mike Sanderson — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:16:00 +0000

After going undrafted in 2017 after his rookie season in the QMJHL Alex D'Orio impressed at a Pittsburgh Penguins rookie camp in the summer and was subsequently signed to a 3 year contract entry level contract. After solid numbers as a rookie (19-2-1 record, 2.40 GAA, 0.904 SV%), poor stats to start the season are not indicative of his play. Mike Sanderson explains below. Apparently GM Shero asked his #1 pick in 2017 to provide a analysis of Moosehead teammate Nico Hischier before drafting him 191st. A detailed analysis of his game follows.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Alex D’Orio

Alex D'Orio	Undrafted (2017 FA, Pittsburgh Penguins)
Position: G, Catches: R	H/W: 6-2", 200 lbs
Stats to date (GP-GAA-SAV%)	Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (15-3.37-.899)

Alex D'Orio, Saint John Sea Dogs. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL

Athleticism/Quickness/Speed: D’Orio covers a lot of ground for a big goaltender. His movement post-to-post is among the best in the Q, and his reflexes are solid. He is a rare right-handed catching goalie, and his hands are both solid. He has great glove positioning and can make all the expected saves with the mitt. He does have the odd tendency of dropping his shoulders on shots off the rush, and can be beaten up high with a precise shot. Grade: 50

Compete/Temperament: Perhaps D’Orio’s biggest asset is that he never gives up on a play. Even if he is down and out he is still trying to make a save with any part of his body. His compete level is very strong, and his attitude has been good so far. His confidence level this season and last has wavered a bit, though. He is a goalie who normally plays with a lot of confidence, but he may be feeling a bit of an effect of his first year as the true number one goaltender. He can be prone to a bad goal every once in a while, a floater from the blue line or a stoppable shot off the rush. But when he is on, he is on. He just needs to harness the focus for every shot, which is not uncommon among QMJHL goaltenders. Grade: 55

Vision/Reading Play: D’Orio gets good reads off of screened shots and tracks the puck very well. He rarely loses the puck on a play, even in heavy traffic. Traffic does not scare him, and he plays well with bodies in his kitchen. His anticipation some nights can be his greatest asset, and some nights can burn him, as he can anticipate the play well on some sequences and others he is too quick, which might give off the impression that he is guessing, hoping for the quick shot and does not trust his abilities yet. If his anticipation and skills match up, he has got a pro future. Grade: 50

Technique/Style: D’Orio uses the butterfly often and it is his go-to move. Sometimes he can go to the butterfly too early in a sequence trying and anticipate the shot coming before it actually comes, and he has been burned on occasion as a result. His 6-3” frame helps protect him against that often enough, but not every time. He also challenges wide on shooters off the rush, a throwback to true butterfly goaltenders of the past. He could be better served to be more efficient. Grade: 50

Rebound Control: It can be tough to penalize D’Orio on second- or third-chance goals because he often-times made a great save originally and the defenders fail to bail him out, but at the same time, his rebound control needs some work. He has a tendency to kick pucks back out into the slot and it can hurt him. Grade: 45

Puck Handling: His puck handling is a good asset, as he likes to go out of his crease and get to pucks dumped into the zone. He even has the wherewithal to feed the puck up and strike the counterattack if a defending team is napping on the change. He will have the rare puck handling gaffe, but he makes up for it with good reads on passes up ice. Grade: 55

Summary: This will be a very trying year in Saint John, and Alex D’Orio is at the heart of it. His play this season has been much better than the stats have indicated, as he has been left out to dry on many occasions so far in 2017-18. Last year, he saw a lot of games from the bench, backing up Carolina draftee Callum Booth throughout the Sea Dogs run to the Memorial Cup semi-finals, and as a result he got a lot of practice time into May, which can only help his development. Despite starting in the CHL Top Prospects Game last season, he went undrafted in last June’s entry draft. The Pittsburgh Penguins pounced on the free agent goalkeeper, and signed him to an ELC later in the summer. This season is D’Orio’s first as a starter in the QMJHL, and he has looked very good at times despite his overall record. He will have to keep his composure and his temperament in check through the year as the young Sea Dogs defenders mature in front of him, as they only returned Bailey Webster from what was a solid defence corps last season. He is a raw talent, but shows some solid potential and has the size to develop into a good pro. His work ethic and his tendency to never give up on a play are his greatest assets.

Overall Future Projection (OFP):

Jocktan Chainey	2017 Draft (191st - New Jersey Devils)
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-0", 200 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL (19-2-11-13-10)

Skating: Chainey’s mobility is good on an overall scale. His speed is good enough to get him out of trouble, and his edges allow him to make good use of his energy. His agility is underrated, as he can turn well and pivot to cut down the effect of the speed of an oncoming attack, or to open up more space for him to read the setup as it happens. His transition game is a reflection of this, as he can shift from defence to offence quickly thanks to his feet. Grade: 50

Shot: Chainey uses a slap shot or a wrist shot from the left side with equal aplomb. He loves to take those shots on his strong side, all the way to the goalmouth. His slapshot is heavy and has good spin on it, as teammates can rely on it to tip or bang in rebounds. He has good accuracy with men in front to play this skill, and can also play the boards well on the missed-net-bounce-in-front play. Grade: 50

Skills: His passing is solid. He can hit an open teammate in any zone effectively. His puck skills are great for getting the puck out of the zone or dodging pressure. His poise with the puck and his skating has allowed him to read the play well with the puck, and distribute it in the most effective way. Chainey’s spot on the first powerplay unit was supplanted by Jared McIsaac, but he can also run a powerplay. Grade: 50

Smarts: Offensively, Chainey loves to creep into the zone for the back-door play and sneak behind the defence. He loves playing the trailer. He loves having the puck on his stick and controlling the play on the breakout, or being a support in moving the puck out of the zone. Offence is how his bread is buttered, and his ability to read the play for when to pinch in the zone has improved since playing in the junior ranks. As a result, he must be paired with a defensive-style blueliner to be effective at present. He has time to get better at his reads and become a better defensive blueliner, but he will have to put the work in. It is rare that he will be on the opposite side of his intended ice, as he tends to stick to the side he is meant to play, which is the left side, most of the time. Grade: 45

Physicality: Chainey has always been very strong for his size, but in midget he was one of the bigger players. He is not one of the bigger players anymore, and that has reduced his effectiveness with the body. Having said that, he still loves to line up players for the big hit, and can connect effectively. Unfortunately, that can end up with him out of the play and an odd-man rush toward the Mooseheads’ net. If he can pick his spots better, as his hockey sense develops, his physical game could be a bigger asset. He kills penalties well in front of the net. Grade: 50

Summary: The Mooseheads have three great defencemen from three consecutive birth-years in their lineup – Jocktan Chainey among the 1999-born players, Jared McIsaac among the 2000-born, and Justin Barron among the 2001-born. Chainey was billed as an offensive defender with defensive potential in midget, and has had his struggles with the Q game, but as he has gotten stronger, his game has flourished. Fundamentally, his game is very strong, in spite of middling hockey sense so far. His defensive game has come around, and his offensive game has made more of an impact. He has played with Nico Hischier, Filip Zadina, Benoît-Olivier Groulx, Max Fortier and Arnaud Durandeau in Halifax, which has really helped his offensive development. He is another defenceman who has seemingly finished growing early, as he has not grown an inch since midget, so players have gotten bigger around him and he has had to adapt to not being the big man on the playground anymore, but he has put in the work in the weight room to correct that.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 48.5

Timo Meier: Steady trajectory in draft charts for Swiss sniper

Scott Wheeler — Mon, 04 May 2015 21:35:02 +0000

Timo Meier has been on a steady trajectory throughout his draft year after entering the season as a top 40 draft pick to threaten the McKeen’s top ten rankings in March at #13. Bolstered his profile with a strong finish in the playoffs delivering on offence along with linemate Nikolaj Ehlers with 13 points in seven games (7-5-8-13) in the Mooseheads elimination in at the hands of the Moncton Wildcats in the quarter finals. Ehlers still remains in first place in playoff scoring with Meier in sixth place after the end of the semi-finals.

Enjoyed a huge leap in production from his rookie season (66-17-17-34) finishing sixth in league in goals scored and second in powerplay goals after improving his skating in the off-season. Strong, two-way play with an ability to finish earned him a spot alongside elite scorer Ehlers forming a dominating combination this season. He also impressed alongside Kevin Fiala on the Swiss national team in the World Junior tournament tying for second on the team with six points (6-2-4-6).

Would be held pointless in only four games from November 22^nd to the end of the season including a remarkable scoring streak of 28 games which was eclipsed only by linemate Ehlers with 33. Third place was shared with 18 games highlighting their consistency alongside their excellence.

Scott Wheeler provides a profile and scouting report:

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Timo Meier, (2015), Halifax Mooseheads

Meier joins a growing list of Swiss players to see meteoric rise in the profile in their draft-year .. talented forward exploded for 44 goals before impressing on an underdog Swiss team at the World Juniors tying for second in scoring (6-2-4-6) .. helped by playing on a line with the QMJHL’s most dynamic forward, Nikolaj Ehlers, who was the primary assist on many of his goals .. a gifted forward in his own right as well though .. excellent passer and shooter .. doesn’t have a hulking frame, but a heavy, strong kid at 210 pounds .. a strong skater who needs to continue to develop .. plays a physical, but not punishing game .. has progressed wonderfully and can play both centre and the wing .. shifts well laterally with the puck for a player of his size .. reads the play well and keeps constantly surveying defenders as he attacks them off the rush or on the cycle .. needs another year to dominate on his own when Ehlers makes the transition to the NHL .. possesses the potential to be an impact top-six scorer who can create in a multitude of ways.

Kats Krunch: Great Danes – Nikolaj Ehlers & Oliver Bjorkstrand

Gus Katsaros — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:43:37 +0000

Denmark sent a representative team to Toronto to compete in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships devoid of the star power and name recognition of some of the higher echelon teams.

There’s no Connor McDavid or jack Eichel’s for the draft eligible crowd to fawn over, and missing are a Sonny Milano, William Nylander or Sam Reinhart, drafted players that carry a high pedigree amongst their peers.

Six Danish players adorn CHL team silks in 2014-15, including two great Danes differentiated from the lunch-bucket crew, and the only players drafted by an NHL team.

Some notable players on the Denmark team include Nick Olesen, recognizable by the ‘flow’ and Seattle Thunderbirds pivot, Alexander True a draft eligible player in 2015. Another notable was defenseman Mads Larsen

The Winnipeg Jets are blessed with a plethora of drafted representation in this tournament, none better than the 2014 (9th overall) pick from the Halifax Mooseheads, Nikolai Ehlers. Partnered with linemate Oliver Bjorkstrand, the 2013 3rd pick by Columbus (89th overall) were the offensive catalysts for the Danes, having a hand in three of the country’s six goals scored in the preliminary round.

Nikolaj Ehlers, LW (Winnipeg), 2014

Electrifying with the puck whether it was from a long range rush, or quick bursts in the offensive zone, Jets pick in 2014 was the most dangerous Danish forward all tournament .. pushed back defenders with speed – although guilty of outside lanes and cutting to the goal .. capable of quick and efficient zone entries precipitated by speed through the neutral zone .. in the offensive zone, coupled change of pace with explosive first two-step acceleration in one-on-one situations, isolating a single defenseman to maneuver around .. elusive and tricky along the boards, using quick directional shifts with his feet, or toe drags and pull backs by lightning quick hands .. drove to the net with the puck .. could be forgiven for overhandling the puck at times with limited options without Bjorkstrand on the ice .. likely the fastest player on the sheet for any team he played against .. partnered marvelously with Bjorkstrand in the offensive zone, winning puck battles in tandem and setting each other up for shots on goal .. fired the puck much less versus Sweden, partly a reflection of the 5-1 romp in score, and retaining the puck instead of shooting in reasonable areas – similar to the final game versus the CzechRepublic .. if there’s one reason to be excited in Winnipeg, the Danish speedster is a bright starting point in their youth movement.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW (Columbus) 2013

Blue Jackets 1st rounder featured upgrades in skating and balance from his draft year, complimenting a high tempo offensive game featuring a sizzling wrist shot, where he fired from various locations – and close into his body .. more dangerous against Russia than Sweden, where he seemed to adopt a more stationary stance in a support role instead of attacking scrums and hunting for pucks (unclear if this was inherent or a coaching tweak) .. main shooter, lined up on the left side as a shooter on the PP looking for the one-timer set up .. was also the trigger man at even strength, often looked upon for teeing up feeds from linemate Ehlers .. scored tournament opening goal from this spot after a face off win .. dangerous with the puck versus Russia, determined to win every battle along the boards and in open space .. was more focused at attacking from an angle on rushes, forcing defenseman to pivot or make a directional change or shift in footing, less so versus Sweden, where he seemed to drive into the attack head on and through defesnemen .. hard wrist shot from a short wind up, exhibited periodically in the opening game .. fired the puck less, resolved on keeping it for better positioning or an opening, whereas he fired from prime real estate versus Russia .. similar to linemate Ehlers, where they created a lot of Denmark’s offense as a tandem, most of the prettiest efforts never ended up in the net .. lots to be excited about for Blue Jackets fans with this bargain 3rd round pick.

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Danish delight Nikolaj Ehlers a nightmare for oppostion

McKeen's Staff — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:22:06 +0000

Cam Russell answered a tall order by finding someone for Jonathan Drouin to play with.

Following the departure of Nathan MacKinnon, last year's first overall pick, came Danish rookie Nikolaj Ehlers. Russell, Halifax's GM, acquired Ehlers with the sixth overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League import draft and the newfound duo of Ehlers-Drouin took off immediately.

Ehlers played just one season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but already ammassed a rather large trophy case. He came within a goal of hitting the 50-goal plateau while his 104 points were more than any other player from the CHL in this draft class.

The Danish delight formed such chemistry with Drouin due to his sensational skating ability, creativity and vision offensively. They were a nightmarish task for QMJHL defenders to defend, and most were unsuccessful to the task.

Ehlers should go quite high in Friday's draft due to his skating ability and natural offensive skills. He's the type of player that can inject offence in a team lacking offence once he becomes a regular in the lineup.

Nikolaj Ehlers (2014), LW

Danish-born forward exploded in his debut QMJHL season registering 104 points (most among all CHL players eligible for the NHL draft) and captured both the RDS Cup (top QMJHL rookie) and the Mike Bossy Trophy (QMJHL Top Professional Prospect) .. formed a lethal 1-2 punch with Drouin on the powerplay as the two would literally destroy the opposition with bouts of creativity and crafty offensive zone entries .. easily the best skater in the entire draft class, the manner in which Ehlers can explode up ice and accelerate from a stand still is NHL caliber already .. changes directions while puck handling, making him extremely difficult to defend in 1 on 1 situations - especially when coming down the wing with speed .. wreaks havoc inside the offensive zone as his peripheral vision is highly tuned and coupled with an insatiable desire to constantly push the pace .. not a physical player he will need to get bigger to fend off checkers .. defensively his speed comes into play, getting into position quickly and deploying good angles to steal pucks .. Ehlers was instrumental in helping Denmark return to the top bracket of both the WJC and U18 World Championships .. every indication he will usurp Mikkel Boedker (8th/2008) as the highest drafted Dane in history.

2013 Draft Guide Preview – Jonathan Drouin

McKeen's Staff — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:53:24 +0000

What a whirlwind the past 24 months have been for Jonathan Drouin.

The second-overall pick in the 2011 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League first balked at an opportunity to join the Halifax Mooseheads, a team that also had the prospect taken ahead of him with first-overall pick, Nathan MacKinnon. It wasn’t until the second week of December, 2011 that Drouin had a change of heart and decided to join the team.

He may have laboured over the decision for a few months, but it didn’t take him long to see it was the right choice. Drouin joined the young and rising Mooseheads who would surprise many in the 2012 playoffs, including the Quebec Remparts, whom they beat in overtime of the seventh game of a second-round series after erasing a 3-0 series deficit.

Drouin only scored seven goals in his abbreviated rookie season, but would score nine in the playoffs – including the overtime-winner over Quebec in Game 7.

Once he gained confidence in his abilities, there was no looking back for Drouin. The silky-smooth skater seemingly made it a goal to show his exploits in the highlight reels on a weekly basis. He finished second in league scoring with 105 points in just 49 games, five points fewer than P.E.I.’s Ben Duffy, who played in 19 more games.

Drouin’s impressive season culminated in a MasterCard Memorial Cup championship, along with being named the CHL’s CCM Player of the Year. His ascension into stardom came so quickly and swiftly that his junior career may very well be done now as the NHL comes calling.

Here’s Jonathan Drouin’s scouting report from the 2013 McKeen’s Hockey Draft Guide:

Grabbed much of the attention during a dazzling season which landed three QMJHL awards including Most Valuable Player .. helped guide Halifax to a Memorial Cup berth, leading all Q playoff scorers (17-12-23-35) .. the Huberdeau, Quebec native almost claimed the regular-season crown as well - finishing runner-up by five points - in 19 fewer games played .. finished fourth with Team Canada at the U20 World Juniors, cracking the roster. Along with Nathan MacKinnon. as an underager (6-2-2-4) .. SCOUTING REPORT .. dynamic playmaker with elite vision and skills .. powered by a tireless engine and great determination - driven to be the best .. hands and feet are both lightning quick .. swiftly reaches a blistering top gear thanks to explosive first-step acceleration .. fast and effortless moving in all directions - aided by exceptional lateral agility and edge control .. smooth, polished puckhandler – shifty and sneaky 1-on-1 .. deftly masks his intentions .. able to process the game and execute skillful maneuvers at sonic speeds .. the tempo of his decision making sets him apart .. innovates on the fly - deploying different gears intelligently .. fires pinpoint accurate strikes - the sheer speed of execution and velocity of his delivery overwhelming goalies .. stands up for himself - and is steadily developing a harder ‘inside’ game - learning to utilize his body more aggressively to create space .. lethal killing penalties – tough to catch in a foot race if he gains a step leaving his zone .. guided by sharp anticipation and an innate sense for pressure - yet is still a smaller body in a big man’s game .. opponents will target his knees - and he accommodates at times - getting too fancy and over-handling the puck .. stubbornly tries to beat an opponent 1-on-1 - and leaves himself vulnerable .. the sky’s the limit otherwise .. showed another level during MacKinnon’s month-long injury absence (11-11-18-29).