Roland McKeown – McKeen's Hockey

Carolina Hurricanes Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 20:22:51 +0000

Strong at the top and deep throughout, new Carolina owner Tom Dundon and the General Manager he settled on, Don Waddell, have inherited a team that seems certain to rise in the standings and soon break a postseason drought that is already nine seasons long.

We can leave it to other analysts, in other spaces to debate whether Waddell’s long track record of failure can be easily brushed aside. As General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers for all or parts of 12 seasons, the team made the postseason once despite the presence of Ilya Kovalchuk through most of that time period, as well as a few other supporting stars. As president of the Hurricanes before taking on the GM mantle, he took a direct part in over half of the Carolina drought.

It is probably also best to leave to others the task of sussing out Dundon’s apparent belief that his competitors in the NHL sphere are doling out far too much money to pay for managers, and hockey executives and he can experience the same level of success when buying suits from the bargain bin. There were more than a few stories over the past few months of young, bright executives passing over on the chance to be the new Hurricanes’ GM as the salary offered was reportedly less than they had been earning as assistant GMs in their current positions.

We could probably take a moment to note that the Hurricanes have always done a good job in their scouting, even though, prior to Dundon, they were known to have one of, if not the smallest scouting staffs in the game. The fact that they recently hired McKeen's alumnus Dave Burstyn as a pro scout should only fortify an organizational strength.

We can commend their change of course with regards to positional drafting. This team had built up a truly enviable young set of blueliners, largely through the draft, with career-long Hurricanes Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin, and Haydn Fleury forming five sixths of the defense corps last season, and with more, including 2016 first rounder Jake Bean, on the way.

In fact, since calling out Bean’s name, Carolina made eight more picks in 2016, eight in 2017, and six this summer. Of those 22 players added to the organization, only five were defensemen, just one more than the number of goalies they drafted in that same span.

The 13 forwards express much of the hope for the immediate and short-term future for this franchise. Five of them are among the top seven prospects listed below and another three are included in the top 20.

Scoring goals was only one of the Hurricanes’ recent problems. They also had problems stopping the puck. It is fair to note that they would have made the postseason at least once in the past nine years if they had average NHL goaltending, instead of the slowly decaying Cam Ward and, last year, an in-over-his-head Scott Darling.

We count six young netminders among Carolina’s prospect stash. We only list one in the top 20, but two others are very close and would be safely in the top 20 in many other organizations. We can be confident in their skaters being polished into a strong NHL lineup, but if at least one of the netminders doesn’t pan out, their playoff drought will continue.

Andrei Svechnikov

1 Andrei Svechnikov, RW (2^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) An elite scoring talent, in the USHL, OHL and during international play, Svechnikov would often do it all himself, because he could. His skating, puck skills and hockey sense all grade out as high end. His shot, particularly a lethal wrister that can find twine when taken from nearly anywhere in the offensive zone, is a near elite weapon. That said, he is equally comfortable creating for his linemates as he is in manufacturing his own chances. Beyond his skills, the winger is also physically mature. He can play a heavy game if needed. Opponents have to take the body hard to stop Svechnikov when he has a bead on the net, and even then, then can only force him to change direction. At his best, he is unstoppable. After dominating the USHL at age 16, and crushing the OHL at 17, he is ready for the NHL at 18.

Martin Necas

2 Martin Necas, C (12^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1^st) Although he started his year making his NHL debut, Necas was quickly loaned back to his Czech league team, where he excelled as a teenager in a men’s league, that is, when he wasn’t representing his homeland on the international stage. He is a tremendously exciting talent, with exceptional quickness and high end vision. He has a selection of subtle feints making him very hard to read, and that allow him to cut through the offensive zone, leaving defenders in his wake. Despite his obvious offensive gifts, he has also demonstrated a willingness and ability to take care of his own end. He is still filling out his immature frame, but he is ready for the NHL now, and his first line upside within a few years.

3 Aleksi Saarela, C (Trade: Feb. 28, 2016 [NY Rangers]. Last Year: 6^th) Less than 12 months after being selected by the Rangers in the third round, Saarela was traded to Carolina, along with two future second rounders, for franchise legend Eric Staal. While it would be very unfair to expect that he could replicate the presence of the man he was dealt for, his first full season in the AHL showed him as a very talented player in his own right. Both his shot and his puck skills grade out as high end. He also is a fine skater who plays with a constantly churning motor, helping him overcome to an extent his relatively undersized physique. Still only 21 years old, he may not win an NHL job to start this season, but is likely to earn his first callup as the year progresses.

4 Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016. Last Year: 5^th) Not flashy, Janne Kuokkanen is instead a versatile, mature forward who plays a structured, consistent game in all three zones. His tools all grade out well, with notable stress on his puck skills, as he is incredibly tough to strip of the puck once he has it in his possession. Capable of playing both at center and on the wing, his one soft spot is that he may not be overly tough to line up against. But he a very good skater, has a strong shot, works hard, and can be put on the ice in any situation. Considering that in the two years since coming over from Finland, he has spent one season in the OHL and the next in the AHL, an extra season to consolidate his gains and push his boundaries could show a player with a higher upside than is even suggested by this placement.

5 Adam Fox, D (Trade: Jun. 23, 2018 [Calgary]. Last Year: 2^nd [Calgary]) Part of the big Noah Hanifin-Dougie Hamilton trade the Hurricanes swing with Calgary on day two of the NHL draft this year, word is that the Flames were dismayed as they were not able to sway to sway Fox to leave Harvard after his sophomore season. That said, it is hard to see what more he has to learn (on the ice, that is) at the Ivy League school. Over two seasons, he has averaged more than a point per game and his puck skills and offensive vision are among the best in collegiate hockey. He makes up somewhat for his lack of high end skating with a very impressive sense of anticipation. His ability to quarterback the attack is so impressive and advanced that he could be ready to jump into the NHL right after his junior season ends, and the Hurricanes will do everything in their power to convince him to.

6 Julien Gauthier, RW (21^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) A bodybuilder who would probably be as safe without shoulder pads, Gauthier struggled to make an impact in his rookie pro season with AHL Charlotte. His high end shot still found the net at an acceptable rate, but the rest of his tools, as impressive as they may be in a vacuum, were not able to come to fruition with any consistency. He has ideal power forward size at 6-4”, 225, and is exceptionally strong, but is not a terribly aggressive player, and does not always recognize opportunities to strike. Considering his tremendous build, his fluid skating and soft hands are pleasantly surprising but he still needs to put a few more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together before he can be deemed ready for the NHL.

7 Eetu Luostarinen, C (42^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 10^th) A late bloomer who did not even get to Finland’s top junior level until his second year of draft eligibility, Luostarinen continued his rapid ascent last season, consolidating his status in Liiga, nearly doubling his scoring rate from the previous season. He is still rather lanky, but projects to have a big frame once he completes his physical maturity. Combined with his high end puck skills, above average skating ability and mature understanding of the game, a middle six outcome is within reach. There is an ongoing question of when that future will begin, at least in terms of the North American game. Luostarinen still has two seasons to run on his current contract with KalPa.

8 Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 2^nd) As productive as Bean was with a moribund Calgary Hitmen squad in the WHL, many assumed he would be able to get to another level after he was traded at mid-season to a strong Tri-City team. Unfortunately, Bean struggled in his half season with the Americans, before coming alive in the post-season. A second turn with Canada’s WJC entry did little to raise the bar either, as he was generally sued as the sixth or seventh defenseman on the international stage. He is a skilled blueliner, calm and composed on the puck whether getting it out of his own zone, or walking the blueline in the offensive end. He was adequate in his own zone at the junior level. Between the depth on defense in Carolina and Bean’s personal failure to take his game to new heights in two years since being drafted, the Hurricanes will be patient with him as he learns the professional game in Charlotte.

9 Lucas Wallmark, C (97^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 8^th) Among all skaters with at least 9 games played in the AHL last year, Wallmark led in points-per-game with 1.22. As gifted as he is with the puck – he was one of the most gifted with puck in the minor leagues – and as keen as his offensive instincts are, the former fourth rounder suffers from sub-par foot speed. It is certainly not fair to judge a player based on 19 NHL games over two seasons, but his paltry total of three points over that time did little to suggest that the rest of his game is good enough to overcome the aforementioned handicap. The fact that he is undersized and is susceptible to being manhandled (the ack of escapability hurts here again) also should bring a pause to his supporters. For as much as Carolina struggled to put the puck in the net over the last few years, he should receive an extended look, but Wallmark will have to both produce and improve his deficiencies to make his chance count.

Warren Foegele

10 Warren Foegele, LW (67^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 11^th) Rare is the player drafted directly out of a Canadian high school. While the rate of high end prospects attending elite Canadian schools is growing, they generally leave before their draft year. Warren Foegele was one unicorn who stuck around. Of course, he could not stay the course after enrolling at the University of New Hampshire, leaving early in his sophomore season and gaining some OHL experience before turning pro. After he completed his junior eligibility, he was thought to be a potential bottom six player, but turned those expectations on their head with a stellar AHL debut. He lacks any truly high end tools, but does everything at an above average level. His IQ and work rate also help him to maximize the tools that he does have. Although his two game NHL cameo exceeded everyone’s hopes, he will need to earn it once again, but is firmly on the radar for future contributions.

11 Valentin Zykov, RW (Trade: Feb. 29, 2016 [Los Angeles]. Last Year: not ranked]) Zykov took a bit step forward in his third pro year, second in the Carolina organization, finishing second in scoring for the AHL Checkers, and playing an impressive 10 games in the NHL. While his skating had previously held him back somewhat, he s now better at getting his plus-plus shot off, helped by a knack for finding soft spots in coverage and a solid ability to stickhandle his way free of stick checks. Part of the skating issue is related to a very wide frame (225 pounds on a 6-1” figure), but to his credit, he knows how to use his body effectively, while walking the line between physicality and discipline. The skating will limit his ultimate upside, but he has shown that he deserves a chance.

12 Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Don’t let Jack Drury’s point production in his draft year fool you. He lacks any truly dynamic elements to his game, but he has a lot of good ones to help make up for it. He gets to a good top speed, sees the ice well and demonstrates sound hockey intelligence. To his credit, his whole is greater than the sum of his parts. These are all good things, and they make Drury a fine prospect, but a good deal of his scoring came on the one of USHL’s best power plays (he led the league in both power play goals and assists) and a lot of those assists were secondary assists. Heading to Harvard, Carolina will have at least three years to track his development before they begin to pressure him to sign an ELC.

13 Saku Maenelanen, LW/RW (UFA: May 18, 2018. Last Year: IE) If this list were focused only on the likelihood of a player contributing this year and next year, Maenalanen would be a top three prospect in this system. Once upon a time a fifth round pick of the Predators, the rangy winger stayed in Finland, spending most of the past five seasons playing high level men’s hockey in Liiga, primarily with Karpat, winning two Liiga championships. He had kind of slipped off the radar after leading the WJC in goals in 2014 but re-emerged last season as one of the top players on a title winner, and earned a spot on Team Finland at the World Championships. He skates rather well for his size and shows a good commitment to the game in his own end. There are questions about how much offense he will be able to bring to the NHL level, but he will have a chance to play in the NHL right away.

14 Cliff Pu, RW (Trade: Aug. 2, 2018 [Buffalo]. Last Year: 9^th [Buffalo]) Lean but incredibly fast, Pu was the main return to Carolina from the long-dangled Jeff Skinner. While never a premier scorer in his OHL career, spent mostly with the London Knights, before moving to Kingston at mid-season last year, he has shown flashes of true puck skills since being drafted that hint that he can be more than just a straight line speedster. He has filled out his body nicely since being drafted as well, and while he is not a mean player, he can be effective in puck battles. His 200 foot game and ability to slot in on the penalty kill will be the key to a successful career for Pu as it is hard to see him being able to provide more than secondary scoring punch.

Roland McKeown

15 Roland McKeown, D (Trade: Feb. 25, 2015 [Los Angeles]. Last Year: not ranked) Acquired along with a first round pick from LA for Andrej Sekera a few years ago, McKeown s in the wrong organization to try to break through to a full time NHL role as a safe defenseman without high end offensive skills. To his credit, his second season in the AHL was far superior, at both end, to his first and his offensive game could be adequate at the next level. Adequate for this sense means that he could hold his own as a third pairing defender without putting his team in a bind. His strength is in his own zone work, whether it is filling up passing and shooting lanes and forcing his man to the outside. Also uses his stick well to keep gaps tight. He likely needs a new organization to be more than a seventh defenseman.

16 Stelio Mattheos, C (73^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 9^th) A look back at Mattheos’ first post draft year and his scouting profile is a reminder that a player can do everything right, producing at high end levels and even improving upon core skills projections, and still drop in a team’s prospect rankings. In this case, it was more a reflection upon how the Hurricanes, as an organization, have continued to stockpile quality prospects while numerous AHLers have also shown similar skills while being much closer to NHL readiness. Despite his production levels, Mattheos is a brawny forward, who makes up in smarts what he lacks in footspeed, the latter of which is just average. He does have a strong shot which should allow him to contribute once he is ready for the AHL, but his skills are not exceptionally dynamic.

17 Nicolas Roy, C (96^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 7^th) Between his size and production over the final two seasons of his QMJHL career – which included a strong performance in the 2017 WJC, expectations for Roy were high going into his rookie professional season. Even as their remain reasons for optimism, he did not live up to expectations. He is a smart center who can lean on opponents for positioning, has a nice shot and soft hands that belie his 6-4”, 207 pound stature, but his lack of foot speed held him back. That deficiency is not so damaging at his size, but still held him back. He is young enough to refine his skating technique and climb this list, but it is not something everyone can do.

18 Andrew Poturalski, C (UDFA: Mar. 8, 2016. Last Year: 14^th) On the small side and lacking the foot speed you usually see in the smaller guys who succeed at the highest levels, Poturalski has earned continued looks thanks to his consistent ability to impact a game offensively. More instinctive than reactive, he has great vision for creating scoring chances for his linemates, and showed an improved ability this past season at finishing his own chances. He is not a fancy dangler, but is a very clever passer, rapidly identifying soft spots in coverage for himself or his teammates. Focusing on what he can do earns him a chance. Focusing on what he cannot do means he will only get so many chances to capitalize on those chances. This year might be his last one.

19 Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 16^th) Despite leading Tri-City in scoring in his age 20 season, 2017-18 was a mild disappointment for Geekie, at least until the postseason arrived where he was one of the most prolific scorers in the league (27 points), despite only playing in 14 games. It would have been good to see him dominate for longer stretches during the regular season, but the main issue with Geekie’s chances of achieving professional success is that his tools are generally around average. He is tall and lanky, but not especially fast. It is hard to splice out how large a share of his production is due to his own play driving and how much a factor of playing on a strong team. He will likely have to prove himself lower down the lineup in Charlotte before he is considered for a potential NHL job.

20 Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) An extremely athletic goaltender who plays a composed game between the pipes, Makiniemi is a bit of a wild card, in that he has yet to play against men, or even in a prestigious international tournament. Tall and lean, he demonstrates a strong ability to read the game in front of him. Affiliated with Jokerit, the one Finnish club that is part of the KHL, presents a challenge in that the senior team has two goalies under contract with significant KHL experience. Makiniemi is still eligible to play at the U20 level, but may be better off being loaned to either a different Finnish organization where he can play senior hockey, perhaps even in the Finnish Mestis (second division).

Youngblood: The fab five – Ontario strong

Brendan Ross — Wed, 07 May 2014 12:15:02 +0000

Ontario hockey is as strong as ever with the long line of NHL stars emerging from the Ontario Hockey League. Each of the OHL’s 20 franchises contributed to the NHL landscape in some way or another. The London Knights have sent first round selections Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner and Nazem Kadri onto successful NHL careers. The Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds are best known for contributing Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey but have also added current stars Joe Thornton and Jeff Carter. Sarnia Sting gun slinger Steven Stamkos has relocated his ability of sniping goals to warm Tampa Bay. Windsor Spitfires’ alum Taylor Hall is electrifying fans in Edmonton with his blazing speed. On Long Island, former Oshawa Generals star John Tavares has emerged as one of the NHL’s newest superstars.

The OHL has routinely churned out all-star prospects and it’s a trend that won’t disappear anytime soon. The 2013 NHL Entry Draft featured a league high eight first round selections from the OHL, highlighted by the Calgary Flames’ 6^th overall selection of Ottawa 67’s pivot Sean Monahan. In total, 37 players were chosen in seven rounds at the 2013 draft, the most from any league. As players flock to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, it’s expected that even more OHL players will hear their names called in the opening round. With 20 of the 40 invitees, the OHL dominated the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game in Calgary in January. NHL Central Scouting lists 14 skaters from the OHL among its top 30 North American ranked players. The OHL bloodlines are as strong as ever in the National Hockey League.

As all eyes set on the draft eligible prospects from the Ontario League, let’s break down its top treasures starting with the top five and ending with some honourable mentions.

Ekblad defining exceptional

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Capping off a strong freshman season by winning the Emms Family Award as the OHL Rookie of the Year, Ekblad displayed considerable improvements in his skating and began to silence criticisms of his oft-debated “offensive limitations”.

Fast forward two seasons.

As his draft season draws to a close, Ekblad filled his trophy case with Ivan Hlinka gold and the 2013-14 Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. He’s the unanimous top defenseman in the 2014 draft in a class lacking top-end star defensemen and exemplifies leadership, poise and maturity. Offensively, Ekblad has launched his game to new levels showing improved confidence and puck skills that top-pairing defensemen require. He doesn’t possess the puck rushing ability of an Erik Karlsson or the intimidating physicality of Shea Weber but he’s proven to be above average in almost every facet of the game.

The gem of the OHL class is Barrie Colts’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has exceeded expectations in each of his three seasons dating back to his rookie year as a 15-year-old underage player. The Belle River native was the second player, and first defenseman, to be granted “exceptional status” by Hockey Canada and he has been on an upward trajectory ever since. It was Ekblad’s efficient point shot that has served as his offensive launching pad displaying an ability to get pucks through traffic on net, resulting in a league-leading 23 goals from the blueline. Ekblad also topped the OHL in power play goals (16) showing that his offensive game has some serious upside. Besides growing an caveman-like beard that grown men are envious of, Ekblad possesses the exceptional hockey sense, size and two-way skill set to draw interest right out of the gates at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He’s a potential cornerstone defender and a player who should be ready to step right into an NHL lineup.

The accomplished Ekblad doesn’t stand alone at the top of the OHL class, as pivot Sam Bennett has assembled loads of praise from the scouting community and will serve as Ekblad’s biggest challenger from the OHL.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Indicative by the sweater number 93 he wears, Sam Bennett grew up as a Maple Leafs’ fan idolizing Dougie Gilmour for the way he played the game with skill, grit and passion. Now as a young man, Sam Bennett is realizing a dream playing for Gilmour’s Kingston Frontenacs team as its star forward, in a similar mold as his idol. Although blessed with a dazzling offensive skillset featuring soft hands and an innate scoring ability, Sam Bennett receives the most praise for his intangibles that include an unmatched compete level, leadership services and in-game adaptability. He mixes it up in all four corners whether he’s attacking or defending and the big-game pivot will unquestionably be on the ice during the final minutes of close games after earning a reputation as a clutch player.

Bennett’s game starts with an exceptional skating stride that keeps opponents on their heels and uses his advanced hockey sense to gain ideal positioning in the attacking areas of the rink. He is a player who has become unpredictable, either unleashing a quick shot or utilizing creative vision and playmaking gifts as a setup man. In just his second season, Bennett was arguably the OHL’s most consistent player and his 25-game point streak that witnessed him tally 17 goals and 46 points was the second longest in the league. With a scrappy-in-your-face competitive style, the skilled Sam Bennett may be the most complete forward available, making him a worthy first overall selection.

Finding sophomore stardom

Common dialogue in hockey circles suggest the top pick from the OHL is a two horse race with Ekblad and Bennett as the heavy favourites but don’t overlook Oshawa Generals’ forward Michael Dal Colle. After an unexpected breakout rookie campaign that watched him collect an impressive 48 points, Dal Colle’s encore performance in his sophomore season was scoring a remarkable 39 goals and 95 points to lead all draft eligible skaters and finish top five in league scoring.

His game receives mixed reviews from analysts but he remains high on Youngblood’s list. Knocked for his effort at times in a similar way that Joe Thornton receives criticism, Dal Colle’s analytical and calculated approach often portrays his effort as lackadaisical but do not mistake that for him lacking a competitive drive because that would be drastically incorrect. Possessing creative vision and patience with the puck, Dal Colle’s playmaking skills are often understated. Particularly strong on the powerplay, Dal Colle dissects opposing defences quickly with creative back door blind passes for easy tap-ins. Equally impressive is the young man’s shooting arsenal as he possesses one of the best shots in the league. He has not perfected how to use his size and physicality efficiently but it’s an element that can easily be worked on. If he can add some snarl and pushback to his game, Dal Colle stands a good chance to tap into his star potential.

An old school prospect

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Next on the rankings is Peterborough’s intimidating power forward Nick Ritchie, the one OHL skater with the size, strength, skill set and pedigree to develop into a true superstar. Ritchie is far from a sure bet to reach superstar status but he’s got a chance. He is a massive physical presence who moves with ease hunting down pucks using great stick skills and crushing body checks. Willing to drop the mitts to defend a teammate, Ritchie plays on the edge, as evident by his 136 penalty minutes (5^th in the OHL), and it’s this bull-in-a-china-shop approach that is so appealing to NHL scouts. Questioned for his wavering effort, Ritchie hasn’t exactly performed with ideal consistency but he has also been on a struggling franchise his entire OHL career so stagnant periods can be normal.

The tide is turning in Peterborough as the future looks bright and the same can be said for Nick Ritchie. His brother, Brett, was a second round selection of the Dallas Stars and hit his stride later in his junior career. The potential is high for Nick Ritchie and when he’s on his game, few can dominate a game like this Orangeville native. That domination alone may be worth the high investment. He is cut from the same cloth as Milan Lucic and what NHL team wouldn’t want that throwback style of power forward.

A 'dog that lacks bite

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Rounding out the top five wasn’t an easy process as several OHLers received considering including Sault Ste. Marie’s Jared McCann, Guelph’s Robby Fabbri and Sarnia’s Nikolay Goldobin. In the end, Niagara’s Brendan Perlini’s size, intelligence and skating abilities edged out his draft mates. Stamping his place inside the Top 10 early in the season after coming out of the gates hot, Brendan Perlini impressed with a well-balanced puck possession game. He made a living shielding opponents from pucks along the boards and walking off the wall to unleash a deadly shot. Perlini uses his combination of speed and puck skills to back up defenders, and his net drive and hunger for the loose puck speaks volumes of his love for scoring goals. And boy, can this kid score goals. Perlini scored 16 goals with the man advantage tying Aaron Ekblad for the lead among draft eligible skaters in the Ontario league.

Had Perlini showed scouts that he can play a more consistent physical game, he may have moved up the rankings into the top 5. For teams looking to add a sizeable winger with poise and natural scoring instincts, Brendan Perlini will be a hot target.

The abovementioned five OHL prospects are great players with appealing upsides but the pool of talent doesn’t end there. The 2014 NHL Draft class has been deemed average by most analysts and it’s an accurate assessment given the lack of a sure-fire stud prospect. However, some of the drafts most talented prospects are those that have grown accustomed to being critiqued, for varying reasons. Opting to go outside of the box to select these prospects may prove worthwhile gambles down the road given that their offensive ceilings are similar to those previously mentioned.

Building a captain

Jared McCann is one of the safest OHL skaters in terms of eventually playing in the NHL as this mature two-way forward packs both skill and intelligence into a competitive personality. McCann’s best weapon is his shot but he’s become a desired commodity because of his projectable intangibles. McCann slowed down as the season progressed finishing just shy of point-per-game numbers but scouts are more infatuated with his overall two-way presence and contributions behind the scenes.

Fabbri-ulous finish

Enjoying a long successful playoff run to cap off a fantastic season has been the perfect scenario for undersized skilled forward Robby Fabbri. A Youngblood favourite dating back to his OHL draft season, Robby Fabbri is a tremendously gifted offensive talent that uses his elite hockey intelligence, poise and competitive drive to get the job done. He’s a big game player rising to the occasion and despite critics trying to knock him down because of his size, he continues to push on…rising higher, and higher with each passing game. Sure, Fabbri plays on a star-studded Guelph Storm roster and his 45 goals (leading all draft eligible) may have been inflated slightly but this youngster knows how to exploit the goal scoring areas. Despite playing in a smaller frame, Fabbri thrives around the blue paint using his creative passing abilities to feed quick tricky passes to waiting teammates. Adding strength will be a priority but it’s the only attribute that is keeping Robby Fabbri from being a sure-fire top 10 selection. Fabbri’s doing his best Jeff Skinner impersonation heading down the playoff stretch and don’t count out this hungry forward in his quest to exceed everyone’s expectations.

Gold’n hands

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Carrying a Russian passport never helps your case but Nikolay Goldobin has done all he could to abolish the traditional fleeing Russian stereotype. Finishing one point shy with 94 points of leading all draft eligible skaters in the OHL, Nikolay Goldobin was a dynamic offensive threat on every night for the Sarnia Sting. He enjoyed a 22-point game streak posting 21 goals and 43 games.

He’s the most creative and gifted puck handler in the OHL and is capable of highlight reel action every time he hits the ice. Defensively, Goldobin will require more coaching and while his work ethic gets questioned because he’s not an in-your-face attacker, he does play hard in traffic by using a strategical approach. Goldobin thrived on the OHL’s last place team but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was a true standout among his CHL draft peers at the Top Prospect game. Teams will weigh the risk-reward factors of selecting a fairly one-dimensional Russian in Nikolay Goldobin but his offensive talents are considered top 5 worthy and he is looking like he could be a steal if he slides outside of the top 20.

The fire of passion

Staying in Sarnia, Anthony DeAngelo led the OHL in points (71) and his 15 goals (3^rd), 56 assists (1^st among draft eligible skaters) and 30 powerplay assists (3^rd) were among the top. No one doubts DeAngelo’s offensive production as this undersized smooth-skating defenseman controls the game with ease from the back end. Tricky puck handling skills, creative vision and precise passing allows DeAngelo to push the pace with utmost confidence. He’s a passionate competitor who loves to win but his short temper and volatile attitude has been well documented, and resulted in several team and league induced suspensions. Based on talent alone, Anthony DeAngelo would be snatched up inside the top 15 but some teams have crossed him off their lists entirely. Look for the interview process at the NHL Combine to be an important element in determining DeAngelo’s ultimate draft fate as teams look for answers from this skilled defenseman.

Opening round curtain call

The dynamic skating Josh Ho-Sang, mobile two-way defender Roland McKeown, developing power forward Ryan MacInnis, raw skilled pivot Eric Cornel, athletic netminder Alex Nedeljkovic and skilled agitator Brendan Lemieux are just a few players to keep tabs on as potential first round selections.

Two months remain until the 2014 NHL Entry Draft commences on June 27^th at the Wells Fargo Center and it marks an event full of unpredictability but one thing is for certain, the Ontario Hockey League will be well represented on day one of the draft.

Be sure to follow the McKeen’s Hockey (@mckeenshockey) Youngblood series as Brendan Ross (@RossyYoungblood) continues to break down the happenings inside the hockey prospect world.

Disappointed Kingston Frontenacs still optimistic about future

Peter Harling — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:09:26 +0000

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

After a very successful regular season finish for the Kingston Frontenacs, the playoffs were extremely disappointing.

The third-seeded Fronts played the No. 6 seed Peterborough Petes in the first round and took a commanding three games to none series lead. It seemed as though Kingston’s 16-year drought of no playoff series victories was all but over.

But you have to tip your hat to the Petes as they never gave up and fought their way back one game at a time, including two overtime victories.

The series was very physical, and at times a little dirty as there were several fights, a suspension and plenty of hate right from the drop of the puck in game one. In the seventh game the trainers for both teams were rather busy tending to injured players in what was an extremely hard fought game in front of a full house at the K-Rock centre in Kingston.

The crowd was vocal and spirited as three busloads of Petes fans made the trip to watch their team complete the miraculous comeback when Nick Ritchie scored the series winning goal late in the first overtime period.

And just like that, the heavily favoured Kingston Frontenacs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs ending what had been a successful season and one that had some thinking possible Championship possibilities and a trip to the Memorial Cup. But Kingston is a young team, and while some playoff experience would have been great for the players and engaging for the fans, the future is still bright.

And just like that, the Fronts are out. Disappointing end , but remember, the team is built around 95 and 96s. Still loads of time.

— Sean Lafortune (@SeanLafortune) April 2, 2014

While it is assured the team will see turnover for next season, the core of talent such as Sam Bennett, Roland McKeown, and Spencer Watson will all be back. Overage players Matt Mahalak, Darcy Greenaway and Mike Moffat will all be moving on. It is also expected that the World Junior Gold Medal winners from Finland, Henri Ikonen and Mikko Vainonen will make their Pro debuts elsewhere next season as well. One or both could return as an overage but would also still use up an import card as well so it is doubtful. Both players have been drafted by an NHL team and will likely make their AHL debuts.

The playoffs were a bit of a coming out for Fronts rookie Lawson Crouse. Crouse had a successful rookie season and has been nominated for the league rookie of the year award, and was very good in the playoffs. Head Coach Todd Gill recognized his elevated performance as he was promoted from his regular third line role to playing on the first line with Sam Bennett and Henri Ikonen for the seventh game.

With the regular and post seasons both over in Kingston, focus will shift to the OHL Priority draft on Saturday April fifth. The Fronts own the 15^th pick overall and will likely pick a forward as it is a forward heavy draft. McKeens scout Sean Lafortune predicts they will select Logan Stanley of the Waterloo Wolves in his mock draft.

Following the Priority draft is the import draft. The Fronts will be busy here as well as t is expected the Fronts will use both picks on imports this year

Several Kingston players will have busy summers as Bennett, McKeown and Watson will all be invited to play for Canada at the under 18 tournament and will all be at the NHL Entry Draft in June as well.

It was a crushing defeat for the Kingston Frontenacs and their fans as their playoff drought seemed all but over before it all came crashing down. But the future is still bright and brimming with optimism and hope as their window of opportunity surrounds their 18 year old star players who will all be back next season to pursue a championship and fulfill the expectations.

Kingston Frontenacs and Peterborough Petes Playoff Match is a Slump Buster

Peter Harling — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:49:39 +0000

For the first time in 16 years, the Kingston Frontenacs are about to win a playoff series as they hold a commanding three games to none lead over the Peterborough Petes.

The series opened in Kingston in what was a convincing win for the Fronts. The Petes played a very chippy and physical style of game right out of the gate, taking liberties on the Fronts star players Sam Bennett and Roland McKeown.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Despite the physically aggressive style of the Petes, the Fronts badly out shot them in the first period and carried the play for the majority of the game. The Fronts won by a final score of four to one.

Peterborough got off to a much better start in game two, scoring on the first shift of the game and owning the lead for most of the game. Peterborough again played a hard physical game, but as a result found themselves killing several penalties which arguably cost them the game. The Fronts scored to tie it with the net empty, and went on to win in overtime by an exciting goal from McKeown.

The series then shifted to Peterborough and continued to be a physical affair. After Sam Bennett scored into the empty net to seal the third win in the series things got a little nasty. Peterborough forward Michael Clarke received a match penalty for cross checking and there were two line brawls in the final seconds of the game.

A suspension will be issued to Clarke as a result and he will miss game four for sure, and possibly more should the Pete’s extend the series.

Both teams are in a playoff drought so one team is assured to break a slump. Peterborough has not seen playoff action since 2010, while the Fronts have failed to win a playoff series in 16 years.

This series also features several prominent 2014 NHL draft eligible prospects lead by Kingston’s Sam Bennett. Bennett has been a factor in this series. In three games he has two goals, and three assists for five points and 14 minutes in penalties. In the McKeen's Hockey March draft rankings, Bennett topped the list at #1. Teammate Roland McKeown is ranked 24th overall and Peterborough’s Nick Ritchie is ranked 8th.

There are several players who have been standouts in this series. Sam Schutt of Kingston has three goals and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Henri Ikonen has a goal and three assists for the Fronts. The Petes offense has been mainly supplied by Greg Betzold who has two goals and an assist to pace the Pete’s with three points in three games.

Perhaps the biggest factor has been the solid goaltending from Kingston’s overage Matt Mahalak who has a 3-0 record with a GAA of 2.23 and a save % of 0.932. Mahalak came into the OHL as a highly ranked goalie prospect but has had struggles with consistency this season in Kingston. This is the final season for the Carolina Hurricanes draft pick.

The fourth and possibly final game of the series will be on Thursday March 27th in Peterborough. If the Petes avoid the sweep, Game 5 comes back to Kingston on Friday March 28th at the K-Rock centre

McKeen’s 2014 Top 30 NHL Draft Rankings (March, 2014)

Iain Morrell — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 20:40:18 +0000

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs has vaulted to the top of the McKeen's March rankings for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Bennett's game has grown steadily during a breakout sophomore season highlighted by a 25-game consecutive point streak from November to late January, the longest of the OHL season so far (17-29-46).

The Holland Landing, Ontario native sits sixth in league scoring and is now the one to catch in the race for the coveted first-overall pick.

There's nothing sewn up just yet, however, as Bennett's lead is certainly a modest one with no clear-cut consensus among the top group of three including Barrie Colts' blueliner Aaron Ekblad and Kootenay centre Sam Reinhart.

Reinhart has kept pace with his 'Sam' counterpart by posting the WHL's longest consecutive point streak of the season - a 22-game run (18-30-48).

The Kootenay Ice captain and Vancouver native saw his streak come to an end at the start of this month - in a game against Prince Albert and Leon Draisaitl, who trails closely behind Reinhart in the draft rankings in the No. 4 slot.

The German-born Draisaitl has also been scorching hot since disappointing showings at the World Juniors and Top Prospects Game. After going nine straight games without a goal in January, Draisaitl has 17 goals in his past 18 games (17-22-39) and has nudged past Reinhart into fourth among WHL scorers with 99 points.

The top four haven't pulled away from the pack either. If anything, the gap has been closed by the likes of Danish roadrunner Nikolaj Ehlers of the Halifax Mooseheads.

Like Draisaitl, Ehlers never got the engines ignited at the Top Prospects Game, but has been sensational otherwise in an incredible rookie year.

The native of Aalborg, Denmark is in the midst of an 11-game points streak in which he has scored 17 times including six multi-goal games (17-12-29). Ehlers has climbed up to third overall in QMJHL scoring with 100 points including 47 goals, fifth-most in the league. In fact, after an initial transition period, he has hit the back of the net 39 times in his last 41 games.

Ehlers is shooting to become the highest-drafted Danish-born NHLer in history, the honour currently belonging to Mikkel Boedker of the Phoenix Coyotes who was selected eighth overall in 2008.

The balance of an impressive top 10 are highlighted by a quartet of OHL forwards with Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals holding down the sixth spot, and followed closely by Jared McCann (Sault Ste Marie), Nick Ritchie (Peterborough), and Brendan Perlini (Niagara).

Haydn Fleury of the Red Deer Rebels fills out the top 10 - sitting in the No. 9 spot - and remains the only other defenceman besides Ekblad to hold down a top-ten place.

Other significant risers in the March rankings include William Nylander, the son of former NHLer Michael Nylander, and Czech-born forward David Pastrnak, playing together for Sodertalje in Sweden's second division Allsvenskan.

NHL scouts have seen a pair of 17-year-old's often standing out as the best players on their team - with Nylander flashing dominant form at times - and rebounding from a dreadful start to the season.

Kasperi Kapanen (KalPa), Jakub Vrana (Linkopings), Robby Fabbri (Guelph), and Roland McKeown (Kingston) also made noteworthy gains in the March rankings.

Despite plenty of movement among the top 30 however, it remained a rather exclusive group with the only new entrant being Swiss-born forward Kevin Fiala, playing for HV 71 in the Swedish J20 League, who makes his debut at No. 28.

RANK	LAST	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	3	Sam Bennett	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/180	20-Jun-96
2	2	Aaron Ekblad	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-3/215	7-Feb-96
3	1	Sam Reinhart	C	Kootenay (WHL)	6-1/185	6-Nov-95
4	5	Leon Draisaitl	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/210	27-Oct-95
5	8	Nikolaj Ehlers	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-11/165	13-Feb-96
6	4	Michael Dal Colle	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/180	20-Jun-96
7	7	Jared McCann	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-0/180	31-May-96
8	6	Nick Ritchie	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-2/230	5-Dec-95
9	10	Haydn Fleury	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	8-Jul-96
10	9	Brendan Perlini	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-2/205	27-Apr-96
11	11	Jake Virtanen	RW	Calgary (WHL)	6-1/205	17-Aug-96
12	16	William Nylander	C	Sodertalje (Swe)	5-11/175	1-May-96
13	12	Julius Honka	D	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/180	3-Dec-95
14	22	David Pastrnak	RW	Sodertalje (Swe)	6-0/170	25-May-96
15	25	Kasperi Kapanen	RW	KalPa (Fin)	6-0/180	23-Jul-96
16	13	Ivan Barbashev	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-1/185	14-Dec-95
17	23	Jakub Vrana	RW	Linkopings (Swe)	5-11/185	28-Feb-96
18	14	Adrian Kempe	LW	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	13-Sep-96
19	21	Alex Tuch	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	10-May-96
20	18	Joshua Ho-Sang	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-11/165	22-Jan-96
21	17	Dylan Larkin	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/190	30-Jul-96
22	15	Nick Schmaltz	C	Green Bay (USHL)	5-11/175	23-Feb-96
23	28	Robert Fabbri	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	22-Jan-96
24	30	Roland McKeown	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/195	20-Jan-96
25	19	Sonny Milano	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	12-May-96
26	24	Nikolai Goldobin	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	5-11/180	7-Oct-95
27	27	Jack Glover	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	17-May-96
28	NR	Kevin Fiala	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/185	22-Jul-96
29	29	Jack Dougherty	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/185	25-May-96
30	20	Anton Karlsson	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-1/190	3-Aug-96

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

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

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 Cherry Defence

Grant McCagg — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 17:14:36 +0000

Aaron Irving surprisingly emerged among the top performers at the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game played earlier this month in Calgary.

A former ninth-overall pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft, Irving is enjoying a breakthrough season with the Edmonton Oil Kings and is currently tied for second among WHL rookies with a plus-20 rating.

The Edmonton native continued to bolster his stock for the 2014 NHL Draft with a gritty all-around effort which has subsequently moved him into second-round territory.

Irving drew a grade of 8.0 (out of 10) to lead the blueline for Team Cherry, while Anthony DeAngelo of the Sarnia Sting had a night to forget and earned a failing grade as a result.

Here is a look at how the blueline performed for Team Cherry, who wound up falling 4-3 to Team Orr on a late goal from Jared McCann of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Team Cherry (RED) - Defence

Aaron Irving, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) - Game Grade: 8.0

Irving ended up being a great partner for Fleury as he had enough sense and mobility to back up his partner's tendency of being up the ice too much. He played a mistake-free game for the most part up until the last nine minutes, got beat to the outside by Virtanen once and a lucky bounce enabled Point to get around him. Other than that a solid game defensively, decent mobility, moved the puck well, anticipated the play well and played with an edge. Draft Ranking: 30-50

Photo By Aaron Bell, OHL Images

Jacob Middleton, D, Ottawa 67's (OHL) - Game Grade: 7.5

He helped his draft stock as much as any player in the game with possible exception of Irving, one of the more aggressive defencemen in the game without getting wildly out of position, got in a fight, challenged Lemieux to a fight, moved the puck adequately, defended okay, competed hard. Like McKeown he's prone to making errors, but he kept them to a minimum in this game even if he ended up a minus-2. Much of that was the product of having DeAngelo as his partner. Draft Ranking: 40-60

Photo by Rob Wallator

Haydn Fleury, D, Red Deer Rebels (WHL) - Game Grade: 7.0

Fleury had a bit of riverboat gambler in him, sometimes he seemingly forgot he's not supposed to be behind the opposing team's net looking for a pass, but he created offence and skated very well, so he usually got away with his soirees, and most of them came with his team looking for a goal. Needs to keep working on his decision making and positioning, but as he learns his craft better, you will have a pretty good package there with his size, skating, shot and offensive abilities. Draft Ranking: 5-10

Roland McKeown, D, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) - Game Grade: 6.5

He was one of the least noticeable rearguards in this game, which is good and bad for him. He's touted as an offensive defenceman, so it was bad in that respect, but it also means he wasn't making a lot of glaring mistakes as the game went on, which is perhaps even more important as he's been trying to do too much in Kingston. Considering his recent struggles he probably didn't hurt his ranking too much with those scouts that have seen him lately. Showed good skating skills and a hard shot, but did nothing that really stood out during the game. Draft Ranking: 20-30.

Alexis Vanier, D, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) - Game Grade: 6.5

Considering his skating issues I thought he'd get burned more than he did, and while he was beaten two or three times with speed, it was by the likes of Goldobin and Virtanen, and only once was it to the outside. He and Ritchie were the two oak trees in the game, when he hits someone they stop moving forward, rubbed out a few guys trying to go behind the net. His hockey sense is decent, usually played within his limitations. Needs to keep working on skating and puck moving. He has a bomb from the point but he didn't use his slapshot, preferring to wrist a few in on net. His skating is a concern, but if it improves you have to like the Sheldon Souray-type game he may be able to bring a few years down the road. Draft Ranking: 40-60

Anthony DeAngelo, D, Sarnia Sting (OHL) - Game Grade: 4.5

It was no coincidence that he was on the ice for most of Team Cherry's chances and goals - he had worrisome issues in his own end, including positioning, decision making, lack of size and effort. A lot easier to like his game with the puck than without it, but in this game the bad far outweighed the good. In his defence, he should never have been killing penalties, but it provided us with a glaring indication of just how weak he can be defensively. No denying his puck skills and power play effectiveness, but will he be able to play 5-on-5 in the show? Draft Ranking: 35-55

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings

2014 NHL Draft: McKeen’s Top 30 Midterm Rankings (Jan-2014)

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 22:53:41 +0000

The 2014 NHL Draft remains a very close race for number one overall. None of the top contenders have separated themselves definitively and the picture is becoming increasingly competitive as Kingston’s Sam Bennett continues his rapid rise in the rankings unseating Leon Draisaitl from Prince Albert to enter the top three. Draisaitl was on a torrid eight game burst (8-8-12-20) before a difficult World Junior tournament that saw him ejected for two games.

Brendan Perlini progresses from #12 to enter the top ten at number eight while climbing to fifth in goal scoring in the OHL with 28 in 44 games (44-28-32-60), 12 of them scored since December 13^th.

Michael Dal Colle holds his fourth place ranking while slightly edging Sam Bennett in OHL scoring. He currently ranks 5^th (46-29-38-67) while Bennett is 6^th (40-26-40-66). An impressive Top Prospects game in which he scored, and could have had more, solidified his status.

Sam Reinhart holds tenaciously to the number one spot despite a growing crowd of contenders. Captaining his squad in the Top Prospects game with a commanding performance highlighted his potential versus his peers.

Here are our Mid Term Rankings:

RANK	LAST	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Sam Reinhart	C	Kootenay (WHL)	6-1/185	06-Nov-95
2	2	Aaron Ekblad	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-3/215	07-Feb-96
3	5	Sam Bennett	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/180	20-Jun-96
4	4	Michael Dal Colle	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/180	20-Jun-96
5	3	Leon Draisaitl	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/210	27-Oct-95
6	6	Nick Ritchie	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-2/230	05-Dec-95
7	9	Jared McCann	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-0/180	31-May-96
8	10	Nikolaj Ehlers	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-11/165	13-Feb-96
9	12	Brendan Perlini	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-2/205	27-Apr-96
10	8	Haydn Fleury	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	08-Jul-96
11	7	Jake Virtanen	RW	Calgary (WHL)	6-1/205	17-Aug-96
12	13	Julius Honka	D	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/180	03-Dec-95
13	19	Ivan Barbashev	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-1/185	14-Dec-95
14	16	Adrian Kempe	C	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	13-Sep-96
15	15	Nick Schmaltz	C	Green Bay (USHL)	5-11/175	23-Feb-96
16	11	William Nylander	C	Rogle (Swe)	5-11/175	01-May-96
17	20	Dylan Larkin	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	30-Jul-96
18	21	Joshua Ho-Sang	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-11/165	22-Jan-96
19	25	Sonny Milano	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	12-May-96
20	24	Anton Karlsson	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-1/190	03-Aug-96
21	22	Alex Tuch	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	10-May-96
22	17	David Pastrnak	RW	Sodertalje (Swe)	6-0/170	25-May-96
23	26	Jakub Vrana	RW	Linkopings (Swe)	5-11/185	28-Feb-96
24	NR	Nikolai Goldobin	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	5-11/185	07-Oct-95
25	23	Kasperi Kapanen	RW	KalPa (Fin)	6-0/180	23-Jul-96
26	14	Brycen Martin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/185	09-May-96
27	NR	Jack Glover	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	17-May-96
28	29	Robert Fabbri	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	22-Jan-96
29	NR	Jack Dougherty	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/185	25-May-96
30	18	Roland McKeown	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/195	20-Jan-96

Blueprint: Putting Kingston Back in Front

Peter Harling — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:52:35 +0000

Doug Gilmour is in his third season as the General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs. When he began he had a blueprint for the franchise to help guide it out of the Ontario Hockey League basement and into a perennial contender. His vision would see Kingston become a desirable location to play, a beautiful city with a professional Frontenac’s club starting a long and proud traditions of excellence and winning.

Gilmour made his first impression on the team when they drafted Max Domi eighth overall in the 2011 OHL Priority draft. Knowing his friend Tie Domi’s son would only play for the London Knights, Domi refused to report to Kingston and the Fronts were compensated with a 2012 first round pick. The Frontenacs proceeded to trade Domi to London for two 2012 second round picks and a 2015 second round pick as well. Armed with five picks in the first two rounds of the 2012 Priority draft Gilmour was able to load the franchise up with fresh new talent and selected Roland McKeown second overall after Connor McDavid was granted exceptional status. Sam Bennett was selected with the second first round pick, ninth overall. McKeown and Bennett were teammates with the Toronto Marlboros Minor Midget AAA team. With the first two picks in the second round the Fronts added Dylan DiPerna and Spencer Watson. The future was indeed starting to look brighter for Kingston.

The fruits of that draft are ripe indeed as Sam Bennett is the number one North American ranked skater in the 2014 NHL draft class as ranked by NHL Central Scouting. Chris Edwards of Central Scouting had this to say of Bennett

"Bennett has not only been very noticeable but extremely effective every shift of every game so far this season, his puckhandling and playmaking are excellent and he has one of the best shots in this year's draft class.”

photo by Aaron Bell, OHL Images

Indeed it is a testament to the scouting staff Gilmour hired and the Coaching staff of Todd Gill and Darren Keily who have help develop Bennett into the top ranked player in his draft.

The Frontenacs also made two significant acquisitions at the 2012 import draft when they selected Mikko Vainonen and Henri Ikonen. Ikonen would lead the Fronts in scoring in 2012-13 and was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Together, the pair would win the Gold Medal for Finland at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Tournament.

Another major move Gilmour made early was to trade the team’s best player Ryan Spooner in his final season to the Sarnia Sting for Ryan Kujawinski. The Sting were loaded with stars Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk and had visions of a championship and Memorial Cup and felt the addition of Spooner would give them the push they needed. The cost was Kujawinski, who was selected fourth overall in 2011 ahead of Max Domi in the Priority draft. Spooner left Sarnia the following season to play pro in the AHL and Kujawinski has since been drafted by the New Jersey Devils and is still a key member of the Frontenacs.

The development of the young players acquired by Gilmour has been very successful. The team has improved and returned to the playoffs in 2013 but was summarily dismissed by the Barrie Colts in four games. The Fronts will again return to post season play with home ice in 2014 and look to make a deep run and challenge for a Championship as they currently reside in third in the Eastern Conference.

With star players and future NHLers Sam Bennett, Roland McKeown, Ryan Kujawinski, Henri Ikonen, and Spencer Watson all very likely to return for another season with the Frontenacs the best is still to come.

The OHL is a cyclical league typically where few teams are able to sustain long stretches of success because of the short playing career of the players. Turnover from year to year is significant and the best players graduate sooner than later. While Gilmour has succeeded in bringing a winning team back to Kingston in a short period of time with his blueprint, the true test will be if the team can maintain that success year after year.