GUELPH STORM V. KITCHENER RANGERS

September 26^th, 2010 – Sleeman Center

OVERVIEW:

It is always a highly competitive game when the Kitchener Rangers and Guelph Storm meet.  Generally both teams are competitive in the Western Conference and wear their hearts on the sleeves when they match up.  Tensions were high in the game, where the Rangers were able to comeback in the third period after some undisciplined 3^rd period hockey.  Below are short bios on the 2011 NHL eligible prospects and the top picks from the 2010 Ontario Priority Selection.

GUELPH STORM:

3. LD Andrey Pedan | 6.04, 196 lbs. | July 3^rd, 1993 | Moscow, Russia | 2011 Draft Eligible

Andrey Pedan was Guelph’s first round selection in this past season’s CHL Import Draft and he appears to be the first great selection they have made in a few years. At the current time it would appear that Pedan would slot somewhere in the middle rounds of this season’s NHL draft, but that stock could rise or drop depending on his progression this season.  Pedan is an offensive minded defenseman with a good stride to go along with his 6.04 frame.  He does not shy away from the physical game and is willing to drop the gloves if necessary. The import player enjoys playing a high risk – high reward game as he will sometimes plays the risky pinch or make the risky pass.  If Pedan adapts well to the North American game and simplifies his game, he could make a real impact for the Storm this season.

4. LD Matt Finn | 6.00, 197 lbs. | February 24^th, 1994 | Toronto, Ontario | 2012 Draft Eligible

Matt Finn was Guelph’s first round selection in the OHL Priority and has the potential to become a top talent in the OHL.  In minor midget Finn was a two-way defenseman, but moving forward in the OHL he will be relied upon to play more of a shutdown role.  Already possessing decent size for this level, he could use another couple inches and a few more pounds to really solidify himself as a dominant presence. Finn is clearly in a adjustment period as he is getting used to the speed of the OHL. Moving forward there is no question he will need to work on his foot speed in order to keep up to the pace of the new league.

22. RW Cody McNaughton | 5.10, 180 lbs. | October 16^th, 1992 | Petawawa, Ontario | 2011 Draft Eligible

Cody McNaughton is a wildcard of sorts right now.  He is not someone that is touted to get drafted, but he may be on some team’s radars come the 6^th or 7^th round.  Being listed at 5.10 is likely generous, but he plays as though he is 6.02.  He is not afraid to throw the body, defend a teammate by dropping the gloves, and has a tireless work ethic.  A major issue is that he does not possess the speed to offset his size to be a legit NHL prospect.  If he can find some of the offensive flair he possessed in minor midget this season, he could find his name being called in June 2011.

23. RW Zack Mitchell | 6.00, 174 lbs. | January 7^th, 1991 | Caledon, Ontario | 2011 Draft Eligible

Like McNaughton, Zack Mitchell is a bit of a question mark.  I had high hopes for Mitchell coming into the 2010-2011 season, but it doesn’t appear as though he put on the necessary strength to be a threat in the OHL this season. In his rookie year he put up 10 points in 59 games, and 2 goals in 5 playoff games.  He has the potential to be a dynamic goal scorer, but he needs to add the necessary strength to his frame, and work on his first two steps in his stride to reach his potential.

25. LW Carter Sandlak | 6.02, 190 lbs. | May 18^th, 1993 | London, Ontario | 2011 Eligible

Carter Sandlak likely has the most potential out of any Guelph Storm player eligible for the coming 2011 NHL Draft.  After a modest 15-point rookie season that saw him play for the Ontario U-17 team, the sophomore is looking to have a break out season.  Sandlak possess all the tools to play a complete game of hockey.  With size, a decent stride, and the ability to read the play in the offensive zone he could really become a threat at both ends of the ice. In an interview in the summer, Sandlak mentioned that he was looking to work on the quickness of his shot in order to become a greater offensive threat.

KITCHENER RANGERS:

9. RW Tobias Rieder | 5.10, 172 lbs. | January 10^th, 1993 | Landshut, Germany  | 2011 Draft Eligible

Tobias Rieder will need to have a strong showing this season in the OHL in order to prove to NHL clubs that he can be a top prospect at the next level. At the next level Rieder will be considered a small forward, but he does have top offensive skills and instincts. He scored a goal in this game from just inside in the blue-line with a shot that handcuffed Brandon Foote of the Storm.  The shot went bar in, the quickness of the release was elite.  As long as Rieder is able to make the adjustment to North Americian hockey there is no reason why he wont excel and have his name listed under the top 20 scorers.

24. RD Ryan Murphy | 5.11, 178 lbs. | March 31^st, 1993 | Aurora, Ontario | 2011 Draft Eligible

Ryan Murphy is a top fledged offensive minded defenseman in the OHL at the young age of 17. He is already able to quarterback a power play at the OHL level and will be relied upon heavily in Kitchener this season.  There are only two real set backs to his game at this time. His size and strength will be a cause for concern moving forward sitting at 5.11, 178-pounds he can be overpowered in his own end against larger opponents.  Also Murphy will need to improve the velocity of his slap shot which will allow him to be more flexible on the power play.  Murphy will be a “wanted” player come June, and will likely hear his name called early in the first round.

91. RC Matia Marcantuoni | 6.00, 189 lbs. | February 22^nd, 1994 | Toronto, Ontario | 2012 Eligible

There will be a lot of pressure and attention on the 16 year-old Toronto native.  After being hyped to be a top 3 pick in the OHL Priority selection, he slipped to the end of the first because of NCAA concerns.  After eventually landing in Kitchener, he will join a supporting of one of the most dynamic offensive corps in the league.  Marcantuoni has top speed, a quick release and great offensive instincts.  Marcantuoni seems to lack the ability to “finish” and will need to find that touch in order to live up to his high expectations.

92. RW Gabriel Landeskog | 6.01, 207 lbs. | November 23^rd, 1992 | Stockholm, Sweden | 2011 Eligible

Gabriel Landeskog is touted to go in the top 10 of this season’s NHL Draft and with good reason.  The 6.01, 207 pound winger already has molded a game suited for North America.  Possessing good offensive talent, tireless work ethic, not to mention his gritty style will have most NHL general managers licking their lips, there is no question Landeskog’s position in the draft is his to relish or lose. Landeskog will not be the prototypical goal scorer at the next level but will be a safe pick to play a solid two-way game and add energy to a 2^nd line.

LW David Broll | 6.01 | 225 lbs | 01/04/93

2009/10 (Erie OHL) - 64GP 9G 9A 18P -19 42PIM

Broll was Erie’s first round pick back in 2009 and put together a very productive freshman campaign with the Otters. He saw some quality minutes and was a part of Ontario’s entry at the Under 17 Challenge, where he had two assists in a predominantly depth role. Broll is a massive player on the ice and many have labeled him as being a “man-child” due to his sheer presence on the ice. His physicality and ability to lay huge hits are two of the main elements to Broll’s game, but he also has some offensive upside. He’s a great guy to plant in front of the net on the powerplay and does a great job generating offense off the low cycle. His skating stride is long and awkward, which will hinder him at the draft, but he will definitely be selected and could go around the early third.

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LW Carter Sandlak | 6.01 | 190 lbs | 05/18/93

2009/10 (Guelph OHL) - 61GP 7G 8A 15P +1 61PIM

Another first round pick from the 2009 OHL Priority Selection, Sandlak’s sophomore season has actually been delayed after he was assessed a five game suspension for a hit on Brampton’s Jordan Auld. Sandlak struggled to find an offensive game early last season, but his role at the next level won’t be as a scorer. He’s a real hard nosed player who can really change the pace of a game with his physical play. He skates well and will likely develop into a real solid penalty killer as well. If he can put together a solid year on the score-sheet, a team might be inclined to scoop him up in the second round, but he’ll probably end up as a mid-round selection.

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RW Tobias Rieder | 5.10 | 172 lbs | 01/10/93

2009/10 (Landshut Ger D2) - 45GP 10G 13A 23P 28PIM

Rieder isn’t exactly a house-hold name in the North American prospects scene, but he has certainly raised more then a few eyebrows with this meteoric rise in Germany over the past few seasons. Rieder lacks quality size, but he’s used to playing a physical game having played professionally last season, which should help his transition to the Ontario Hockey League. He’s got an explosive first few steps but is particularly dangerous with the puck on his stick. He’s got very good puck handling skills and good vision as well as a very accurate shot. He could be a dark-horse player to challenge for the first round in 2011.

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RW Seth Griffith | 5.10 | 187 lbs | 01/04/93

2009/10 (London OHL) - 17GP 2G 1A 3P -5 2PIM

The Knights draft eligibles lack a lot of depth this year beyond Scott Harrington and Vladislav Namestnikov, but Seth Griffith could be a player that makes a name for himself this season. He had a very impressive showing in the playoffs last season, where he notched 4 goals and 7 points in only 10 games, and has translated that into a larger role on a Knights roster that will largely consist of a scoring by committee mantra this year. Griffith has shown the ability to put himself into good positions and be effective offensively, so it will be intriguing to see what type of numbers he can produce this year in London.

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G Jordan Binnington | 6.02 | 160 lbs | 07/11/93

2009/10 (Owen Sound OHL) - 6-10-1 4.38GAA .889SV% 0SO

Binnington is another one of the goalies in the OHL’s 93 crop that will be a player to watch this season to see how they fare as a 17 year old in the OHL. He’s still pretty lanky and his strength in goal and ability to go post to post and maintain good positioning needs some improvement, but he does have the ability to make acrobatic saves and has shown on a few occasions as a 16 year old, that he can single handily keep his team in the game. He’ll likely see more then a few starts this year, as Mark Reeds does like to utilize both goaltenders.

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G Matt Mahalak | 6.03 | 180 lbs | 01/22/93

2009/10 (Youngstown USHL) - 9-17-3 4.24GAA .868SV% 0SO

Another 93′ goalie is Matt Mahalak who joins the Plymouth Whalers after being a rookie a season ago with the Youngstown Phantoms. He saw a lot of quality minutes last season with the USHL’s expansion franchise, and his numbers are fairly indicative of the quality of the team. Mahalak got roughed up in his first start, but he does have the caliber to be a very good goalie in the OHL and a quality NHL prospect as he has good mechanics and a big frame to cover a lot of net. He’ll battle for starts with 18 year old Scott Wedgewood this season in net for the Whalers.

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RC Vincent Trocheck | 5.11 | 180 lbs | 07/11/93

2009/10 (Saginaw OHL) - 68GP 15G 28A 43P +5 56PIM

While Trocheck will likely end up playing second fiddle to 18 year old rookie Brandon Saad this season, the 17 year old Pittsburgh native will be a very good player to watch in his own right. He’s added on some strength this year by bulking up a bit which should help him improve his ability to deal with the physical grind of the OHL. Offensively, he’s a guy that will definitely be capable of a PPG pace as he will be expected to be one of the offensive catalysts for the Spirit this season.

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LW Brandon Francisco | 5.10 | 155 lbs | 02/11/93

2009/10 (Sarnia OHL) - 65GP 12G 20A 32P -30 14PIM

The first thing you’ll notice about Francisco is that he is an extremely slight player who really gets knocked around quite a bit in the corners. There’s no doubt that his size is the paramount concern about his value as an NHL prospect, but he does have a lot of skill to make scouts think twice. Despite his lack of strength, he is competing more for pucks and does have the ability to work the puck against bigger defensemen. He’s a very creative player who makes great seam passes and is very good on the powerplay. He’ll likely be overshadowed by some of the bigger name forwards on the Sting, but expect him to quietly put up some very good offensive numbers and generate some late round interest.

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LW Justin Thomas | 6.02 | 207 lbs | 01/25/93

2009/10 (Sault Ste. Marie OHL) - 8GP 1G 0A 1P E 13PIM

Thomas spent most of the season last year playing in the NOJHL with Sault Ste Marie, but saw a bit of action with the Greyhounds. This year, however, the hulking winger is going to get a good opportunity to be a contributor as he looks to take the next step. He’s a big guy that plays a real nasty style of game but also has a good scoring touch. He’ll need to show some consistency in both regards this year if he wants to establish himself as a real power forward in the eyes of NHL scouts.

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RD Craig Duininck | 6.00 | 201 lbs | 04/29/93

2009/10 (Windsor OHL) - 57GP 1G 11A 12P +14 30PIM

Managed to stick the entire season with the Memorial Cup Champions on one of the deepest blue lines in the CHL. This year he’ll have a much more prominent role with the Spits, especially if they don’t get Ryan Ellis or Cam Fowler back from the NHL. The 17 year old will see more powerplay time this year and should have more of an opportunity to chip in offensively, but he’ll need to continue to show the steady defensive play that his game is accustomed towards.

I had my first opportunity to check out OHL hockey this season on September 9th at the Barrie Molson Centre as the hometown Colts played host to the Guelph Storm in their third pre-season game of the year. While I generally don’t like to put too much stock into pre-season games, here’s a recap of how things went in Guelph’s convincing 6-1 victory.

From the outset it’s clear to see that this will be a long year for the Colts, as even considering the absence of Kyle Clifford, Taylor Carnvevale, Peter Di Salvo and potential overagers Darren Archibald and Dalton Prout, this team is a shell of its 2009/2010 edition. While Barrie managed to outshoot Guelph in the game, the Storm dominated the scoring chances category and looked superior the entire game.

Garrett Sparks (1993) played the full game for Guelph but wasn’t really tested often throughout the game. He’s a big guy, but you could see he was fighting the puck out there as he faced OHL shooters after playing AAA last year in Chicago. The game was dominated by the Guelph trio of Michael Latta (1991 – Nashville 3rd 09), Peter Holland (1991 – Anaheim 1st 09) and Taylor Beck (1991 – Nashville 3rd 09). After each of them scored at a higher clip last year, they simply dominated this game, combining for 5 goals, with three being of the highlight variety. While the competition was pretty weak out there, this line has to be an early favourite to be among the most dominant in the league and all three of these guys will likely find their way to the top of the OHL Scoring Leaders.

Aside from the big line, it was a good opportunity to see some of Guelph’s 93s and 94s in action with a chance to log some ice. Carter Sandlak (1993), was Guelph’s first round pick in 2010, and looks like he’s added a lot of muscle to his 6’2″ frame. He was skating well out there and made some things happen driving the puck to the net. He’s certainly not the most talented player, but his willingness to battle and play a physical game should garner some attention as a mid to late round pick. I was hoping for more from Zack Mitchell (1993) as he definitely has some skill but he still looks weak out there. He had a couple of nice plays, but a few times he was caught trying to do too much and turned the puck over including one very poor turnover at the Barrie blue-line that resulted in an odd man rush the other way. Russian Import Andrei Pedan (1993L) had a decent showing, as the 6’4″ blueliner showed some good speed and willingness to play physically, he’ll be a guy worth following this year to see how he progresses as he’s still very raw.

Of Guelph’s 94′s, first round pick Matt Finn was definitely the best. He looked reliable out there and made some great decisions moving the puck. You could tell the speed of the game got to him a couple of times, but those are adjustments you expect out of any rookie. Scott Kosmachuk and Brock McGinn both had a couple of good opportunities but look a lot like Zack Mitchell from a year ago. They’ll both likely crack the opening night lineup but will see reduced roles this year as Guelph looks to ride their veterans towards a deep playoff run as there are high expectations for the Storm this season.

On the Barrie side, the team is definitely lacking the offensive prowess from last season and the defense is very inexperienced. Goaltender Clint Windsor, the team’s 4th round pick in 2009, played the whole game which was certainly one to forget. While a couple of the Storm’s goals were no doubters, Windsor looked like he was struggling with his lateral movement and wasn’t seeing the puck well. His rebound control was also below average and he was really fighting the puck out there. It will be interesting to see how Barrie handles their goaltending situation with Di Salvo, McGrath and Windsor all in the mix.

As I alluded to, the team is lacking a lot of skill, but there were a couple of players who stood out and will be bright spots for the Colts this season. Recently acquired winger Steven Beyers (1992) was definitely the most dangerous player in blue. After spending the last two seasons battling injuries in Orangeville, Beyers elected to pass up the NCAA route after he was dealt to Barrie by the Sudbury Wolves. While he still needs to add some strength, there were a lot of great things that Beyers did. You could tell he was more than willing to fight for the puck down low, and his agility and stick handling allowed him to elude Storm defenders. He was very creative off the rush and made a couple of real nice heads up passes to set up his linemates. While there was times where he showed some rust, it was a real good showing for him and I think he’s a player that will definitely be one of the go-to players for the Colts this season.

The Colts also have a couple of 93′s who look to get much bigger roles in the OHL this year as well. Center Zach Hall who lit up Jr. A last year in Couchiching and managed a few games with the Colts was very dangerous all night. He’s got a wide skating style that might remind you of Alexander Burmistrov and there are even similarities to their games. He’s got a quick release and had a few real nice chances. He still needs to bulk up, but he could be a guy that scores at a solid clip this year. Center Mark Scheifele who was just brought in from Saginaw was another 17 year old that really impressed. He was strong on the puck and did a god job of taking it to the traffic areas and generated a couple of good chances in the high slot by himself. He took a few big hits and he’ll need to fill out his 6’3″ frame, but he’s a guy that will certainly make his way onto the NHL radar. Dylan Smoskowitz is another fairly touted player for the Colts, coming off a 62 point season in Jr. A as a 16 year old, but he wasn’t much of a factor at all in this game.

Players that made the cut: Brassard, Catenacci, Curtis, Danault, Jenner, Lessio, Meurs, Nugent-Hopkins, Broll, Huberdeau, Puempel, Quine, Ritchie

Adam Lowry | LW | LH | Swift Current (WHL) | 03/29/1993 | 6’4 184lbs | 2011 Eligible

I thought Lowry played well enough that he had a shot to make the team.  He has a nice blend of size and skill.  He played well along the boards and was willing to use his size to his advantage.  For being such a big player at his age, his hands and skating are decent and he doesn’t look clumsy or awkward like many players adjusting to their growth spurts.  Lowry is also smart (2009/10 WHL Scholastic Player of the Year) and has good genes as his father (Dave) is a former NHLer who now is an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames.  Power forwards usually take a little longer to develop and he remains an interesting player to follow for this upcoming season.

Alan Quine | C | LH | Kingston (OHL) | 02/25/1993 | 5’11 179lbs | 2011 Eligible

Quine was the fastest player in camp.  He mishandled the puck a few times while at full speed both in the neutral zone and his own end resulting in some good scoring chances for his opponents.  His hands were there in spurts as he was able to make a nice play by knocking a clearing attempt out of the air and he also made a few nice passes, but his hands were hot and cold in this regard.  He seemed to shy away from the physical play a little bit.

Boone Jenner | C | LH | Oshawa (OHL) | 06/15/1993 | 6’1.5 197lbs | 2011 Eligible

It took a little while for Jenner to get going, but once he did he was one of the very best players at camp.  He’s big and competes hard.  Constantly going to the tough areas, Jenner both gave and received some big hits and wasn’t deterred by the physical play.   At the same time, Jenner has a lot of skill and created more offense than the majority of players in camp.  He had an accurate shot, showed good awareness of his teammates and used his long reach very well.

Brent Andrews | C | LH | Halifax (QMJHL) | 01/19/1993 | 6’1.5 199lbs | 2011 Eligible

Looking over my notes after the camp, I realized I didn’t get a good viewing of him as I had next to nothing written on him.  He was not very noticeable through two days of camp.

Brett Ritchie | RW | RH | Sarnia (OHL) | 07/01/1993 | 6’3 204lbs | 2011 Eligible

Ritchie was another big, strong winger at the camp.  He was very strong on the puck, good along the boards and won a lot of puck battles.

Sarnia's Brett Ritchie had a productive rookie season with the Sting last year, notching 13 goals and 29 points.

Austen Brassard | RW | RH | Belleville (OHL) | 01/14/1993 | 6’2 192lbs | 2011 Eligible

Nice combination of size and skill.  Not overly dominant in any one area, but had a solid camp.

Bryce Milson| LW | LH | Acadie-Bathhurst (QMJHL) | 01/25/1993 | 5’11 181lbs | 2011 Eligible

Milson played okay at the camp, but didn’t excel in any one area.  He just wasn’t at the same caliber of some of the skilled guys that made the team and he didn’t find a niche where he would be of some value to the team.

Carter Sandlak | LW | LH | Guelph (OHL) | 05/18/1993 | 6’1.5 199lbs | 2011 Eligible

Sandlak didn’t boast the strongest first impression by taking a bad penalty and displaying some weak skating on the first day.  He had a much better final day where he played both a little smarter and more physically.  Like Lowry, Sandlak also has NHL bloodlines as his father is former Vancouver Canuck Jim Sandlak.

Colin Smith | C | RH | Kamloops (WHL) | 06/20/1993 | 5’10.5 165lbs | 2011 Eligible

Smith worked very hard at the camp, but was very much overmatched physically.  He spent a fair amount of his ice time in his own end.  He was willing to get into the shooting lanes to block shots, but he was not aggressively challenging the shooters.

Daniel Catenacci | LW | LH | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) | 03/09/1993 | 5’10 180lbs | 2011 Eligible

Catenacci had an average day on my first viewing and was much better on the 2^nd day.  He was very quick and shifty and was able to make some plays.  For a small guy, he wasn’t afraid to go to the tough areas.  He put up some points but seemed to be fighting the puck from time to time.

David Broll | LW | LH | Erie (OHL) | 01/04/1993 | 6’1.5 221lbs | 2011 Eligible

Broll was the oldest and biggest player in camp.  He was by far the most physical player at camp and had several massive hits.  He didn’t handle the puck too well, his skating was poor, and his acceleration even worse, but he made everyone aware of when he was on the ice with his big checks.  He may not have the skills to be an NHL player, but some teams are going to absolutely love his physical presence as a bottom 6 forward if he can improve his skating.

Garrett Meurs | RW | RH | Plymouth (OHL) | 01/12/1993 | 5’10.5 171lbs | 2011 Eligible

Meurs showed a lot of energy and hustle.  He isn’t the biggest player, but he gave everything he had.  Meurs needs to get stronger as he was knocked around a lot at the camp, but he fought for the puck and showed some decent hands.

Jonathon Huberdeau | LW | RH | Saint John (QMJHL) | 06/04/1993 | 6’1 166lbs | 2011 Eligible

Huberdeau is a small, smart, and skilled player.  He wasn’t flashy, but he played a little more of a complete game than some of the other comparable small, skill forwards.

Lucas Lessio | LW | LH | Oshawa (OHL) | 01/23/1993 | 6’1 195lbs | 2011 Eligible

Lessio was one of the best forwards at the camp.  He was good at creating space for himself and anticipating the play.  This left Lessio on the receiving end of a few top-notch passes both that he managed to capitalize on.  Like Puempel, he definitely benefitted from playing with Nugent-Hopkins.  He showed better vision and playmaking ability on the final day than during the previous game.  He was good along the boards despite just average strength.  He will be an interesting player to follow this season and will now be making the jump to the OHL to play with Oshawa.

Lucas Lessio will be joining the Oshawa Generals this year after spending last season in the CCHL with St. Michael's.

Mark McNeill | RW | RH | Prince Albert (WHL) | 02/22/1993 | 6’1.5 209lbs | 2011 Eligible

McNeill was another one of the hard-working, but lesser skilled player at camp. McNeill was hard on the forecheck, but lost his edges a few times allowing the defenseman ample time to make a play and get the puck heading up the ice.

Matt Puempel | RW | LH | Peterborough (OHL) | 01/24/1993 | 6’0.5 201lbs | 2011 Eligible

For being the reigning CHL rookie of the year, Puempel was very average for me.  He knew how to get open in front of the net, but he really didn’t generate any chances himself.  Puempel was the beneficiary of some nice plays by two of the best forwards in camp: Nugent-Hopkins and Lessio.  He seemed to skate alright, but his positioning was not very good at times.

Michael Curtis | LW | LH | Belleville (OHL) | 01/26/1993 | 6’0 184lbs | 2011 Eligible

Curtis wasn’t the most skilled player on the ice, but he was able to pot a couple nice one-timer goals by going to front of the net and getting a shot off just before the nearest defenseman could get to him.  He had good speed but didn’t have great balance and was knocked around a bit because of it.

Michael St. Croix | C | RH | Edmonton (WHL) | 04/10/1993 | 5’11 178lbs | 2011 Eligible

On the first day St. Croix was used quite a bit for the PK and didn’t seem to have a lot of opportunity to showcase what he can do offensively.  He made a few nice passes including one off his backhand that hit his teammate in stride for an odd man rush.  On the second day St. Croix was sitting next to me in the stands instead of playing.  I don’t know whether it had to do with an injury (he looked fine walking around the stands) or a precaution or something else, but he wasn’t playing anyways.  St. Croix is a quick skater, but his lateral movements were a bit choppy.

Olivier Archambault | RW | LH | Val d’Or (QMJHL) | 02/16/1993 | 6’1.5 203lbs | 2011 Eligible

Was ok at the camp, but I didn’t get a real good feel for him one way or another.

Phillip Danault | C | LH | Victoriaville (QMJHL) | 02/24/1993 | 6’0 173lbs | 2011 Eligible

I really enjoyed watching Danault play.  He is another small player but he was really tenacious in all aspects of his game.  He is a very good skater and was relentless on the forecheck.  He looks to be a good energy player that has a little skill to boot.

Jean-Francois Leblanc | C | LH | Val d’Or (QMJHL) | 03/03/1993 | 6’3.5 197lbs | 2011 Eligible

Leblanc has great size and competitiveness.  He was also very good on the dot.

Raphael Bussieres | LW | RH | Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) | 11/05/1993 | 6’1 189lbs | 2012 Eligible

Bussieres looked to be a little bigger than listed and had some skill to go with his size.  He has a late birthday so he still has a couple years to round out his game.  He is worth watching for 2012.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | C | LH | Red Deer (WHL) | 04/12/1993 | 6’0 166lbs | 2011 Eligible

Nugent-Hopkins is one of the very few players that really stood out at the camp.  He was one of the best skaters at the camp and had very good speed and elusiveness.  Nugent-Hopkins showed off his incredible skill level and vision by saucering some beautiful passes through traffic.  He made some difficult passes with ease.  While he is primarily a playmaker, he showed a willingness to shoot the puck.  He was consistently a threat when he had the puck and he also excelled in the faceoff circle.  He is still very thin and will need to put on some weight if he hopes to be a lottery pick this year.

Ty Rattie | RW | RH | Portland (WHL) | 02/05/1993 | 5’11 167lbs | 2011 Eligible

Rattie generated some good scoring chances and looked good for the most part.  He has some very good offensive tools, but is not the most complete two-way player.  You’d like to see him become a more explosive skater for his size and he needs to get stronger.  Rattie looks to have grown a bit since I saw him last although he still is a small player.  He looks to have lost out in the numbers game for the small forwards that were able to make U18 team.

The 2011 Draftees in the OHL almost have half of their rookie campaign’s under their belts, leaving everyone curious as to how things will eventually shake out for this crop. With over a year and a half until the 2011 Draft, there will still be a lot of movement in the rankings but we’ll take a look at how the picture is looking right now. TSR has ranked the Top 15 skaters available for the 2011 Draft from the OHL thus far, as well as the Top 3 Goalies, which follows the skaters. As always, we’d love to hear some feedback either through a comment or an email!

Skaters

Goaltenders