Huberdeau and Jurco shine in win over Acadie-Bathurst

The Saint John Sea Dogs added to their sublime 2010-11 hockey season with a win Wednesday night over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan by a 7-2 score.

2011 draft eligibles Jonathan Huberdeau and Tomas Jurco each fired home a pair of goals.

Huberdeau's tallies pushed him over the 30-goal plateau, and he now has 31 markers and 75 points in just 49 games. Not bad for a 17-year-old! If he goes back to the'Q' next season and beyond, he could really tear it up as he continues to develop. Of course, playing on such an outstanding offensive club has boosted Huberdeau's production, but he appears to have the goods and will almost certainly be a top-10 pick in June.

Jurco's season has been a bit of a disappointment given the expectations coming in, but there is no denying the Slovak's puck wizardry. He now has 22 goals and 42 points in 41 games and even though he got some very limited ice time, I thought he looked every bit the skill winger he's been touted as at the WJC in Buffalo. I would imagine that an NHL club will jump on him somewhere in the 1st round given his enormous potential offensively.

One player who has gotten nary a mention, but is quietly working his way into draft discussions was Bathurst goalie Robert Steeves, a Moncton native who is a Jan. 1993 birthdate and eligible for 2011. He's not gotten a ton of playing time this season (18 games) but his numbers are respectable, even after last night's drubbing. He gave up seven goals on 43 shots by the Sea Dogs, but is sitting at a .915 save percentage and 2.65 GAA with a 10-3 record. It's not easy playing behind Olivier Roy, but Steeves has made the most of his opportunities and it was an interesting call to have him in the net against the CHL juggernaut last night-- a vote of confidence from coach Real Paiment. Steeves is under 6-feet and extremely slight in build, but he's looking like a legit mid-round draft pick at this stage of the game and could be an interesting developmental project for any team who takes him.