CHL Top Prospects Game

Team Cherry

Taylor Hall/LW- Windsor- Was a bit quiet here, showed off his excellent skating speed and lateral agility but mainly on one-on-one occasions, lots of twists and turns but little accomplished. Was hard to contain down low due to elusiveness, as usual in scoring zones looked for his shot first. Made a tremendous play late in the game, drawing three defenders to him on a short-handed rush before saucering a perfect pass to Ryan Spooner for a goal.

Ryan Spooner/LC- Peterborough- Smallish but creative pivot showed some slick hands but struggled to sustain anything over long stretches. Quick release and showed excellent hand-eye coordination. Showed good finish off Hall’s perfect pass for a SHG.

Austin Watson/RW- Peterborough- Had as strong a two-way game as anyone here. Big, raw and gangly but brings an excellent work ethic to every shift. Responsible play in all three zones. Was strong on the puck especially in forecheck situations. Gets a bit tunnel-visioned with the puck. Huge on the PK blocking numerous shots. However, one of those blocks broke his ankle and he’s expected to miss between six and eight weeks.

Emerson Etem/RW-L- Medicine Hat- Played the off-wing here and showed versatility. Has a bit of an ugly hunched over stride but generates outstanding speed and explosive quickness. Prime-time shot already, pinpointed one blast bar-down for a goal. Very hard on the puck with solid work in his own end. Good overall vision and hockey sense, willing to drive hard to the net.

Ryan Johansen/RC- Portland- Lanky centre showed lots of grit and tenacity early but faded a bit as the game progressed. Tended to overhandle the puck a bit, tried doing too much on his own. Got pucks to the net consistently.

Brad Ross/LW- Portland- Nasty little prick was tough to play against. In-your-face style and consistently physical despite lack of size. Drove hard to the cage with his stick on the ice prepared for anything. Gutsy and agitating.

Stanislav Galiev/LW-R- St. John- Rangy winger showcased his explosive quickness but struggled to make things happen consistently, mainly due to a lack of hockey sense and finishing ability. Twice created glorious chances for himself in prime scoring zones but failed to hit the net either time.

Jakub Culek/LW- Rimouski- Big, strong power winger rumbled all over the ice. Seemed to thrive on physical contact and showed a bit of puck/stick skill as well. Drove hard to the net with and without the puck. Hockey sense was good and showed good leadership by example.

Devante Smith-Pelly/RW- Mississauga- Struggled mightily early on but got a bit stronger in the third period. Didn’t seem to work very hard early on and had trouble reading off his linemates. As the game progressed, went back to what he does best by getting in on the forecheck and disrupting the breakout. Was passive early on but much harder on the puck in the third.

Andrew Yogan/LC- Erie- Big cat has excellent personal skill but struggled to translate that here. Doesn’t see the ice at all, complete tunnel-vision. Has a heavy shot and a quick release, along with solid footwork for a big man. Would seem his future is on the wing but is not the same player since getting a concussion a year ago. Got into a scrap with Matt McKenzie but wanted no part of it, holding him off and looking to the liners to get involved. Can’t handle the rough going now.

Louis-Marc Aubrey/RW-L- Montreal- Lanky winger is a very smooth skater but lacks strength- cannot force his will in any situation. Lacks drive in legs. Showed a quick shot release.

Alexander Petrovic/RD- Red Deer- Big and physical stay-at-home bruiser was impressive here. Didn’t try anything beyond himself, stuck to what he does best- take care of business in his own end. Uses the body very well and plays with an edge. Good scrap with Moose Jaw tough guy Dylan McIlrath. Puck skills are just ok, good enough when he keeps it simple.

Cam Fowler/LD- Windsor- Was very quiet here. Only a couple times tried pushing the action. Skating is excellent and makes the stretch pass as well as anyone. Not very physical but possesses a very active stick defensively.

Brock Beukeboom/RD- Sault Ste. Marie- Big boy played very nasty here, with two big step-up open ice hits and another in the third running Tyler Seguin hard from behind. Ran around quite a bit and didn’t seem to show good own-zone smarts. Big shot from the point.

Brandon Archibald/LD- Sault Ste. Marie- Seemed a bit overwhelmed at times. Skating not his strongest suit but it is passable. Played it ultra-safe, but was too passive. Must keep his feet engaged more often. Has to make better first passes.

Chet Pickard/G- Seattle- Big goaltender played with loads of confidence and a bit of swagger. Tight butterfly and was consistently square to the shooters. Uses his legs/pads well, excellent athletically. Played calm and poised even under heat. Effortlessly directs rebounds away though tends to lose them in his feet/pads at times. Top-end prospect.

Maxime Clermont/G- Gatineau- Seemed a bit jittery early on, lost an easy rebound on his first shot faced. Overcommits at times and plays very deep in his net. Atletically is top-notch.

TEAM ORR

Tyler Seguin/RC- Plymouth- Just average for us here. Showed his lateral agility, has the ability to avoid contact with quick moves at top speed. Lacking a breakaway gear but his first two steps are good. Has the ability to make something out of nothing. Maintains puck possession after first contact.

Jeff Skinner/LC- Kitchener- Did well for himself. Competed hard and consistently, showed good tenacity around the puck. Pressured the opposition in corners and won most 50/50 battles, one of which led to goal by Niederreiter. Found good scoring position all the time. Hard and strong on his stick but showed soft hands on nifty redirect goal.

Nino Niederreiter/RW-L- Portland- One of the most exciting and dynamic prospects in this draft. Played with enthusiasm and passion. Went hard to the net with his stick on the ice and was rewarded getting a goal. Quick hands and lateral moves. Excellent offensive instincts. Skating isn’t his strongest suit but it’s good enough.

Alexander Burmistrov/LW- Barrie- Spent much of his time on the wing despite playing centre most of the year. One of the top two-way players available. Showed great hockey sense and a complete understanding of defensive concepts. Made a couple very good touch passes. Excellent face-off technique.

Quinton Howden/RW- Moose Jaw- A bit of a disappointment. Didn’t insert himself into many situations and tended to sit back, waiting for the play to come to him. Did show a willingness to use his big body but left us wanting more.

John McFarland/LW- Sudbury- His usual enigmatic self. Showed zero d-zone commitment. Explosive separation speed but did little with it. Had a breakaway but was stoned after using one quick move.

Tyler Toffoli/RW- Ottawa- Not big, nor particularly quick, compete level here was well below sub-par. Minimal defensive commitment and stayed away from the dirty zones all night. Has to insert himself into tough situations rather than sitting on the outside waiting for the play to come his way.

Joey Hishon/LC- Owen Sound- Smallish speedster did some good things, like a quick stick, good offensive moves and fast feet. However, tended to attack constantly from the outside and never tried to drive toward the net. Too many low percentage plays.

Michael Bournival/LW- Shawinigan- Good work ethic and showed a couple creative moves. Mostly spun his wheels and got little accomplished.

Petr Straka/RW-L- Rimouski- Smallish forward showed good quickness but competed almost exclusively on the perimeter and got little accomplished.

Ryan Martindale/LC- Ottawa- Until he rang a quick release snap shot off the crossbar in the third period, you could have told us he wasn’t dressed at all.

Steven Shipley/LW- Owen Sound- One of the biggest dogs here. Has a lot of tools to like- good size, adequate skating with strong stride and some puck skills but compete level is near-zero.

Brandon Gormely/LD- Moncton- Wasn’t at his best here. Served up a terrible giveaway early on and struggled much of the night with the puck. Showed a willingness to challenge the rush. Did back up all the way into his goaltender’s lap on a 1v1 situation in the second which resulted in a short-handed goal.

Mark Psysk/RD- Edmonton- Another prospect with great tools but played this one with no passion or determination. Too easy-going and never layed the body on anyone. Got caught running around in his own end, and served up several outlets to no one. Poor shot quality.

Matt McKenzie/RD- Calgary- Good sized blueliner showcased his physicality here. Never turned down a chance to make a hit and didn’t get out of position defensively looking for it. Busted his ass to get back and break up a short-handed scoring chance. A willing scrapper but had a couple questions about his lateral.

Dylan McIlrath/RD- Moose Jaw- Big monster is legit tough and loves to get involved. Willing and always looking to hit. Great scrap with Petrovic at the end of the second. Puck skills are pretty basic and must improve first pass. Skating needs work, especially pivots and lateral.

Stephen Silas/LD- Belleville- Smooth striding defenseman was in over his head here. Could not contain anyone defensively and was exposed several times. Gacks up the puck when pressured. Bad gap control and guesses using his stick rather than maintaining good 1v1 position. Bad decisions all game in both ends of the ice.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc/RD- Rouyn-Noranda- Paired with Silas, and this twosome was a complete adventure. Struggled to contain, constantly backing in deep when pressured. Not physically strong enough and didn’t show much dynamic offensive game to overcome his defensive shortcomings.

Mark Visentin/G- Niagara- Looked a bit nervous early on but steadied his ship as the game progressed to post a shutout in his half. Doesn’t wow you with spectacular saves, rather uses excellent positioning and technique to take away the net. Does have good athleticism and recoverability.

Louis Domingue/G- Quebec- Big lefty goalie is a bit of a mess. All over the place, constantly wanting to play the puck rather than picking his spots. Drops down early and gets beat high glove. Did show athletic ability and quick pads stopping Hall’s SH breakaway. Overplays glove side and it cost him.