Brandon Saad #22 – LW, 6’2″, 211

The American-born winger for the Saginaw Spirit possesses tremendous size and is expected to be a top 10 pick, with a good shot of getting selected a fair bit earlier depending on the needs of the teams picking.  Saad can easily get himself into scoring positions around the net by using his great speed, which is above average for any skater and not just for a kid of his size.  What was evident during this game, however, is that he is not using his size nearly enough.  With his speed and skating abilities, he has the potential to be a truly dominating player at the next level if he begins to assert himself more in the physical department.  At the OHL level, he has proven capable of skating past defenders with his speed.  This will not happen at the pro level for this player, unless he starts using his body more to gain control of loose pucks.  With his size, he should rarely lose a puck battle along the boards, but this occurred on at least 2 occasions in the Majors zone tonight.

Obviously, the positive aspects of his game more than make up for this single deficiency that many have noticed.  He has a hard and accurate shot and is capable of playing in all situations, including on the penalty kill.  He projects to be more of a goal scorer than playmaker, and he certainly has a nose for the net.

Vincent Trocheck – #89 – Centre, 5’11″, 180

Some project this player as an early round draft pick in the 2011 draft, but there are some who feel his size will keep many teams away.   He did show very well tonight, and has found decent chemistry with Saad and John McFarland, who was the best player on the ice for the Spirit tonight.  He is a solid, if unspectacular, two-way forward, who can win faceoffs and is good in transition due to above average speed.  Trocheck is solid in  his own end, and does a lot of the little things that NHL General Managers should notice.  He will block shots and is always anticipating the opposing teams passes by getting in the right place at the right time.  He is a shifty stickhandler and his speed makes him a threat.

Stuart Percy – #5 – Defense – 6’01, 186

Without question, Percy was the best player on the ice for the Majors tonight.  He showed great two-capabilities, and was excellent in leading many rushes up the ice.  His first pass is always on the tape, and he has a natural ability in the transition game.  He positions himself very well in the defensive zone, and uses his average size extremely well.  Percy has an extremely accurate point shot, getting it through screens on most of his shot attempts and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.  He likely projects as a power play QB and minute eater, as he never seemed to tire.  He should see his name called in the first couple of rounds without question.

Dylan DeMelo – #2 – Defense – 6’1″, 193

This player appears to have a solid offensive skill set and awareness.  He gets a lot of powerplay time and has a very good point shot, one that is both hard and accurate.  Dylan is often caught trying to force the pass to a teammate, and this resulted in a handful of turnovers tonight.   His average size does not lend itself to winning puck battles, which was something that was illustrated often against a big and strong Saginaw squad.  He, nevertheless, is an aggressive player and does not shy away from physical play.  He should see his name called at some point in the upcoming draft, especially with the opportunity for added exposure in the Memorial Cup.

Wes O’Neil, a second overall draft pick to the Kingston Frontenac’s in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection, is an example of someone who damaged his hockey career by making the wrong decision. The former midget star decided against the OHL, and committed to Notre Dame. This proved costly as O’Neil’s stock continuously slipped until he was a fourth round selection to the New York Islanders in 2004. Since his graduation to professional hockey, O’Neil has played in three NHL games notching zero points, and 105 AHL games totaling twelve points in two campaigns. For a player who had so much potential, his career has been diminished to nothing more than a career AHL player.

On the other hand players can succeed through NCAA. Nick Petrecki, of Boston College, and Brendan Smith, of Wisconsin, were high selections in the OHL, but decided on the college route. Both players have had successful careers in college and have reaped the rewards of being first round selections in the NHL Drafts. Brendan Smith is a highly touted point man for Detroit, while Petrecki is a defenseman of the future in San Jose. With those examples in mind, we’ll take a look at three tier two players who all have important decisions to make in regards to which development path they will elect to pursue.

D – Luke Juha

5’10, 175lbs.
Mississauga, ON
Burlington Cougars (CCHL)

When Luke Juha was scouted for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, the scouts said that he is a defenseman will tremendous offensive upside, will not over complicate the game and always makes the smart pass. Juha has been said to make passes that other players his age would not attempt, which supports the fact that the Mississauga native, has outstanding vision.

So far Juha’s play has done nothing but support that fact that this kid may be an offensive genius on the blue line. Playing in the Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL) for the Burlington Cougars, Juha has already notched twelve points in only seven games this season, six of them coming on the power play. His vision on the ice is uncharacteristic for a player of his age, and means nothing but good things for the Toronto Marlboro graduate. Through these seven games, there have only been two where Juha has not registered a point, and had a tremendous six point game against the Dixie Beehives. The numbers that Juha has put up are outstanding, and not only for a defenseman, but for a 1993 defenseman.

A fifth round pick of the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, Juha attended training camp, but left before his NCAA grace period was over. He is still contemplating playing NCAA hockey and it has always been his and his parents’ agreement that he would play a year of Teir II Jr. A hockey, then assess his options.

D – Dylan DeMelo

6’0, 187 lbs.
London, ON
Mississauga Chargers (OHJL)

Dylan DeMelo’s, of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Mississauga Charges, play can be compared to that of Luke Juha. He is an offensive minded defenseman, who has great vision and rarely make’s poor decisions with the puck. Overall he is an offensive force for the Chargers. A 2^nd round draft choice of the St. Michael’s Majors, was signed by Mississauga in the off-season. The London native was sent down to Mississauga to work on his overall game and adapt to playing with people who are older and stronger than him.

DeMelo never second guessed his decision to play in the OHL, and is adapting well in the OJHL. Currently he sits with two points in four games for the Chargers, and has missed six games with an undisclosed injury. It will be expected that Dylan DeMelo will suit up for the St. Micheal’s Majors next season, while the fans have every reason to get excited for the offensive blue liner.

LW – Lucas Lessio

6’0, 170 lbs.
Woodbridge, ON
St. Michael’s Buzzers

Lucas Lessio, a first round pick of the Niagara Ice Dogs, had a very unconventional start to his professional career. Due to his commitment with the Michigan Wolverines NCAA program, Lessio left Niagara’s training camp before his 48 hours was up. With concern of Lessio never playing in the OHL, the Niagara Ice Dogs dealt Lessio to the Oshawa Generals with conditional picks based on how long he plays in the OHL. This is but another situation where a player has a very tough decision to make.

The 6’0, 170 pound Lessio was the seventh overall pick in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection, and with good reasoning. Lessio is a power forward with a lot of offensive potential. He plays a very strong board game, while being able to make space in tight situations. Along with his finesse game, there is a gritty-side to him that makes him such an asset. Oshawa may have given up a lot of assets for Lessio if he decides to report in the 2010-11 season, but for a player of his stature the benefits should warrant the cost. Along with Boone Jenner, and Kevin Bailie the team could be poised for a run in a couple seasons.

As much attention as this topic deserves, and receives, it is a tough decision for a fifteen or sixteen year old to make. The decision of whether to receive an education or focus solely on your hockey career for four years is something parents and players spent hours upon hours discussing.

Of course the OHL wants to limit the amount of players that claim to be going NCAA just to play where they want to in the OHL, but it is a tough issue to crack down on. The league continues to make small rule changes to avoid players cheating the system, but it comes at a risk. The OHL could potentially lose a lot of talent if they made players play where they are drafted. Sam Gagner, Patrick Kane, Cam Fowler, Jeremy Morin, and John Moore are recent players that have tasted the United States hockey, but have opted to play in Ontario later in their careers. While both paths will continue to be a viable option, every year brings new life to this issue, and ponders the question in hindsight if the right decision was made.

For TSR, I’m Mike Kloepfer.

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