In a game between two Eastern conference rivals, each possessing more than a fair share of top end 2011 NHL draft prospects, it was the hometown Oshawa Generals who outplayed the Belleville Bulls and left the GM Centre with a 6-1 victory on Friday night.

While the competitiveness of this game was mostly lacking, it provided an opportunity for those in attendance to watch no fewer than five players who could hear their name called in the first 2 rounds of the upcoming 2011 NHL draft.  From the Generals, top prospects Boone Jenner and Lucas Lessio displayed their skills that have scouts talking about them both being selected in the 1st round.

Jenner, the more frequently discussed prospect, is a tireless worker who constantly shows a willingness to take the puck to the net in the offensive zone, in addition to being a gritty backchecker.  It was rare to witness Boone not finish a hit, as he is always looking to win puck battles through his tenacious forecheck.  His two-way potential was on full display tonight, and is surely one of the foremost reasons why his name is mentioned as a potential first round pick in this year’s draft.  He showed good penalty killing capabilities tonight, but will have to improve his faceoff skill set in order to offer an NHL club greater reliability in this area.  His skating stride is lacking as well, but it is his well-rounded game that will still make him an early selection in 2011.

Lucas Lessio is a player who appears to have less offensive upside than that of Jenner, but could potentially be equally as effective at the NHL level.  While he is still adjusting his game to the more competitive OHL after playing in the CCHL last season, his power game has allowed him to an efficient player for the Gens this season.  I would like to see Lucas use his size more frequently, as he lost puck battles along the boards tonight that a man of his size and skill level should not be losing.  Like Jenner, he has a great work ethic and backchecks well.  He displays solid playmaking skills and has a quick shot release.  It is these offensive instincts that should project him to play an important role for an NHL club in the near future.

On the Belleville side of things, it was certainly not a game worth remembering for top goalie prospect, Tyson Teichmann. A lazy stickhandling effort behind his net led to an embarrasing goal against, and this was not his only questionable puck playing decision on this night.  He was peppered with 43 shots by the Gens tonight, many of the high quality kind.  While it would be tough to sing the praises of a goalie who allowed 6 goals over the course of a single hockey game, there were some positives to take from Tyson’s game this evening.  He showed excellent positioning and his rebound control was mostly solid.  His defensemen’s inability to keep the forwards of the Generals away from the crease area, as well as conceding many odd-man rushes, were important factors in his difficult night between the pipes.

Austen Brassard, another forward who has been labeled as a possible 1st round pick in 2011, was extremely unimpressive tonight.  Aside from a spirited scrap towards the end of the game, Austen appeared to show an indifference to making an impact tonight for his club.  He displayed a low compete level for a player who should have sufficient motivation and ice-time to make an impression on NHL scouts and general managers. There were not many positives to take from his game tonight, other than to recognize his impressive size and skating ability for a bigger guy.

Brassard was overshadowed by three of his teammates, led by 2012 draft eligible forward and linemate – Brendan Gaunche.  I came away extremely impressed by this player.  After being selected with the 2nd overall pick in the most recent OHL draft, there has been a great deal of pressure on him to perform.  After seeing his impressive 2-way game on display tonight, I can easily assert that he is handling it well.  Playing on the 1st line and receiving both PP and PK duties, while taking a lot of important draws, Gaunce appears to be making important strides towards having a bright future.  He made very few mistakes tonight, and showed an incredible maturity and hockey sense for a player of his age and inexperience.  Brendan sees the ice extremely well, and rarely gets caught out of position.

Going back to the 2011 draft eligible players, there were impressive efforts from defender Alex Basso and centre Michael Curtis.  While neither are expected to be selected on the 1st day of the draft, they both appeared to possess solid attributes that could put them on the radars of NHL scouts.  Basso, a solid puck-moving defenseman, has teamed up with Bulls veteran d-man Stephen Silas to form a solid playmaking pairing.  Alex is a great skater, and seems to be trying to fill the void left by P.K. Subban through his end-to-end rushes.  This inevitably led to numerous turnovers, but also did show some impressive abilities that should allow him to be a solid puck-moving d-man.

Curtis had a solid game as well, using his great quickness and puck skills to be a threat nearly every time he touched the puck tonight.  Has terrific vision and playmaking ability were on display tonight, in spite of an unimpressive effort by the majority of his teammates.  On a weak and rebuilding squad such as the Bulls, this centre should have ample opportunity to showcase his skill set and hopefully get his name called at the 2011 draft.

Tags: Alex Basso, Austen Brassard, Boone Jenner, Brendan Gaunce, Lucas Lessio, Michael Curtis, Tyson Teichmann

About the Author: Josh Lieberman

Josh is entering his first year with TSR, and is looking forward to bringing his extensive knowledge of the OHL to the team. He has been scouting OHL games for the past three years, and has a tremendous passion for scouting hockey. He has a wealth of sports experience, having worked in the sports industry for the last eight years. Josh graduated from York University in 2004 with an Honours B.A. and a degree in Sports Administration. He resides in Toronto and his career ambition is to work in hockey operations.