Grading the 2011 Draft Part 2

We're back with team grades for the NHL's 11-20 for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Big winner is Edmonton, with the only A+ grade so far.

We'll start off on the right foot with the Oilers, who had a tremendous two days in St. Paul.

Edmonton Oilers
Grade: A+
Potential franchise center in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Check. (We heard all year that 2011 didn't have top talent at the top, but several scouts said RNH was an exception) Potential top-two defenseman with upside and charisma in Oscar Klefbom? Check. Excellent value shutdown D in David Musil? Check. Goaltending depth in Samu Perhonen? Check. Upside and depth the rest of the way with Travis Ewanyk, Dillon Simpson, Tobias Rieder and Martin Gernat? Absolutely. Don't know anything about goalie Frans Tuohimaa, but with a class that strong, who cares? We don't think Steve Tambellini could have set the board up any better in his wildest dreams.

Florida Panthers
Grade: A
Panthers GM Dale Tallon has built quite a war chest in just two drafts. From the looks of it, the 2011 draft upgraded Florida's system even more after what looked like a strong 2010 showing. The Panthers get two high-end offensive players in Jonathan Huberdeau and Rocco Grimaldi with their first two selections. At the end of the second round, they landed intriguing Swedish d-man Rasmus Bengtsson. With a pair of third-round picks, the Panthers grabbed more help up front getting the big and skilled but needing to get more physical Logan Shaw from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and small, but fiery Vincent Trocheck out of Saginaw. They went to Minnesota for two later picks, grabbing Mr. Hockey Kyle Rau, a highly skilled forward out of Eden Prairie High and Burnsville's Eddie Wittchow. All in all, this is another solid draft in year 2 for Tallon and Co.

Los Angeles Kings
Grade: B
The draft grade is closer to a C, but in landing Mike Richards, the Kings get a full letter grade boost. After trading their first-rounder to Edmonton for Dustin Penner, Lombardi and company picked up goalie help with Christopher Gibson, a talented and good kid who had a strong season with Chicoutimi, but who also has some holes in his technique he'll need to address. They grabbed overage forward and 33-goal man Andy Andreoff from Oshawa and then got some nice value with utility forward Nick Shore at Denver University. They got some raw, but interesting picks later with Mike Mersch, Joel Lowry and Michael Schumacher, but not a great deal of upside here. They are no doubt hoping to make a splash by landing Brad Richards via free agency.

Minnesota Wild
Grade: A-
Some wheeling and dealing boosts Minnesota's grade from the B+ range. Jonas Brodin is one of the smartest defenders in the draft and will need to get a lot stronger, but could prove to be a very good puck mover and power play QB in time. After acquiring San Jose's first-rounder (along with Charlie Coyle) for Brent Burns, they snagged natural scorer Zack Phillips- no issues there- this kid can put the puck in the net. The Wild got nice value late in the second with Minnesota high school sensation Mario Lucia- the heat is on. They got another local product in Nick Seeler and then grabbed the busiest high school goalie in the country in Steve Michalek, who is going to Harvard next season. Closing out with big checking pivot Tyler Graovac out of Ottawa makes it a pretty solid class overall.

Montreal Canadiens
Grade: B+
The Habs got nice value with a player they clearly wanted in Nathan Beaulieu, who surprisingly fell to them. They then lacked picks until the fourth round, grabbing intriguing defense prospect with size, skill out of the USHL in Josiah Didier, whose stock was on the rise in the second half of the season. Olivier Archambault is nothing to get excited about (one source cited character concerns with him as well), but Magnus Nygren is a skilled offensive-minded Swedish defenseman and overager who was at the top of Red Line's European draft eligibles list. After picking Darren Dietz out of Saskatoon in the fifth round, the Habs closed strong with two very good value picks in Czech winger Daniel Pribyl and U.S. prep defender Colin Sullivan.

Nashville Predators
Grade: B-
We love the Magnus Hellberg pick, even if he was a bit of a surprise at 39. He's huge and pretty close to competing for an NHL job. That said, not as sold on Miikka Salomaki's upside. Josh Shalla has great hands but can't skate. Garrett Noonan was a reach (in our view) in the fourth round, while Simon Karlsson, Chase Balisy and Brent Andrews on the whole are not enough to make this an exciting class. It's lacking in value and upside.

New Jersey Devils
Grade: B+
Getting Adam Larsson at fourth overall was a steal for the team that might have taken him first overall, which is where they were for much of the year until putting together a laudable late-season run. The Devils traded its second-rounder to Nashville a year ago for Jason Arnott (Hellberg) and forfeited its own third as part of the Kovalchuk signing fiasco, but picked up Dallas' third-rounder and used it on USHL scoring ace Blake Coleman. The Devs then got a value pick with Team USA sniper Reid Boucher, a steal at 99th overall after helping his team to the gold medal at the U-18s. The Devils got some solid value guys with Blake Pietila, Reece Scarlett and Patrick Daly.

New York Islanders
Grade: A
The Islanders landed a legitimate scoring force with character in Ryan Strome with the fifth overall pick. The, they added excellent value with raw but highly promising Scotty Mayfield early in the second. Not as high on Johan Sundstrom at 50th overall, but if he moves out of center (lack of creativity) he could be a horse of a wing and two-way guy. The Isles got more value with Andrey Pedan and Robbie Russo in the third and fourth rounds. Their Western scout got into the act with a pair of picks in the Dub: Red Deer's John Persson and Brenden Kichton of Spokane was a nice steal for them in the fifth. Mitchell Theoret was a nice way to finish out what looks like a quality and deep draft for the Isles.

New York Rangers
Grade: B+
The Rangers got a skilled centerman in J.T. Miller, but we're concerned with his up-and-down season. He pulled it together at the right team for Team USA in the U-18s, but his overall performance was uneven. Steven Fogarty is a raw but interesting playmaking center project who is quite a few years away. Mike St. Croix was a good value pick, but we've never been huge on him based on reports about a lack of work ethic. Shane McColgan is another value pick- once thought of as a potential first-rounder, but who dropped after a slow start. Small, but feisty and skilled- the question is- can he bring the offensive element with him at the NHL level? He's Brad Marchand-type, so it could happen for him. Rangers went tough late with nasty d-man Samuel Noreau and then added a big shutdown guy in Slovak Peter Ceresnak who underachieved in his draft season, but could play one day.

Ottawa Senators
Grade: A
Ottawa went wild with forwards in this draft class, which could get the sad-sack Sense back into contention in short order. Bryan Murray grabbed a gem with Swede Mika Zibanejad, but followed it up with two more promising players up front out of the OHL in Stefan "Tex" Noesen, a hard-nosed but productive forward out of Plymouth and Matt Puempel could be one of the most natural scoring wings available. They grabbed local 67's player Shane Prince with the Chris Kelly 2nd-rounder from Boston, then got mighty mite Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who had a tremendous playoff run with Gatineau. Fredrik Claesson was a bit of a head scratcher, but he has good wheels and could blossom as an offensive-minded guy when he gets a little more development. The rest of the picks didn't as much for us, but those first five are the types of players who could do big things one day.

NHL Combine video: Goalies Gibson check in

John and Christopher Gibson aren't related, but they are brothers in arms when it comes to enduring the slings and arrows (and pucks) of hockey's most demanding position.

One's an American and one is from Finland.

The two share surnames and are considered to be the No. 1-2 goalies available in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

John Gibson secured his spot atop the food chain with an outstanding performance in Germany, named the Under-18 tournament's top netminder and playing with a great deal of poise and technical perfection.




Both have size, athleticism and the ability to make big stops when the game is on the line working in their favor. They're also likeable guys who don't seem to let the pressure get to them. Especially liked Christopher's reaction to the banter about his friend and fellow Finn Samu Perhonen.



Taking goalies high may or may not be en vogue this year, but the two Gibsons won't have long to wait in any case. They are the best in this group.

The Hockey News Draft Preview: Top 30

The Hockey News released its annual draft preview this week (its out in Canada but those of us in the U.S. will have to wait until later this week or next to get it) and their rankings continue the debate that started when Central Scouting released their final list earlier this month.

THN's list was compiled with the help of a survey done by a dozen or so NHL scouts according to the magazine, so there is some basis in reality with this list. At the same time, it just underscores how crazy this draft is going to be in terms of the way it breaks after the first two or three picks.

Thanks to blog friend Dom, B2011DW has the top-100, but we're just going to focus on the first round list for now. Would be interested in any reader comments as to what they think.

Here is the first round as THN has published:

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C
2. Adam Larsson, D
3. Gabriel Landeskog, LW
4. Sean Couturier, C
5. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW
6. Ryan Strome, C
7. Ryan Murphy, D
8. Sven Bartschi, RW
9. Zack Phillips, RW
10. Dougie Hamilton, D
11. Mika Zibanejad, C
12. Duncan Siemens, D
13. Alexander Khokhlachev, C
14. Brandon Saad, RW
15. Joel Armia, LW
16. Mark McNeill, C
17. Jamie Oleksiak, D
18. Nathan Beaulieu, D
19. Nicklas Jensen, LW
20. Tyler Biggs, RW
21. Matt Puempel, RW
22. Jonas Brodin, D
23. David Musil, D
24. Scott Mayfield, D
25. Rickard Rakell, RW
26. Mario Lucia, RW
27. John Gibson , G
28. Tomas Jurco, LW
29. Christopher Gibson, G
30. Dmitri Jaskin, RW

Zack Phillips in the top-10 is the biggest surprise, but given his pure scoring ability, there could be some NHL clubs out there who are intrigued enough with his lethal hands and smarts even without the great skating ability to pick him much earlier than most conventional lists have him to date.

Dougie Hamilton seems too low at 10, but we have heard some things through the grapevine that could lend to his falling off a bit. How he does at the draft combine in terms of his testing and interviews will be important for him.

Sven Bartschi is also pretty high in our view, but there is no denying his offensive talent. Still, he's not a great skater considering he's undersized and there is some risk with him there. Some team would have to just love him for Bartschi to go top-10 in our estimation.

John Gibson in the first round is not a surprise. He's a first-round talent and our only feeling about him sliding out of the top-30 would be as a result of NHL teams not wanting to spend top picks on goalies. That said, he was so good at the U18s this month that he deserves to be a first-rounder.

Christopher Gibson, on the other hand, we don't see making the cut. He put up excellent numbers for Chicoutimi, but has some holes in his game and is probably a solid early second rounder.

Central North American final rankings: Goalies and sleepers

We're not going to spend a great deal of time on the goaltenders in this post, because this blog has covered the key netminders in detail just last month.

The Gibsons- John and Christopher- top the list, with the American who compares to Jack Campbell getting the edge. He's big, quick and has the composure under fire that NHL teams love. His fundamentals are sound, and he's put up impressive numbers in the USHL this season and in international tournaments. The Under18 tournament is going to be a major factor in where he goes- whether he can slip into the first round, or is a solid early second-round pick in our view.

"(John) Gibson's the most talented goalie in this class," one NHL scout told B2011DW recently. "But I think he'll take a hit in terms of where he goes because of the struggles (Jack) Campbell had making the jump to the OHL. There are a lot of top goalies in the NHL who weren't first- or second-round picks, and I think you're going to see a trend where clubs spend the early picks on skill position players and find some project guys later on."

We've talked before about how teams are figuring out that they don't need to spend high draft picks on goalies given the risk these players pose as teens and how they develop later.

Christopher Gibson also put up excellent numbers with a pretty average to below average team in Chicoutimi, but Red Line Report had him in the April "overrated" section and picked apart his game, namely his lack of smooth, economical lateral movement and a weak glove hand. It will be interesting to see if NHL teams share this view and the Finnish native drops a bit lower than expected.

The Owen Sound (OHL) Attack's Jordan Binnington rounds out the top-three for North American goalies. He's been fairly mediocre in the OHL playoffs thus far, posting a 2-2 record, 3.91 GAA and .864 save percentage. Scott Stajcer is back in action from injury and playing well for the Attack who lead their second-round series over Plymouth, 3-0.

J. Gibson's backup at the NTDP, Matt McNeely is No. 4 on Central's list and this makes sense. Even though he doesn't see a ton of playing time, he's big, athletic and has a lot of raw potential in time. The University of Minnesota-Duluth recruit isn't as refined a product as Gibson is at this stage, but brings similar attributes to the table. Not quite the technician, he nevertheless should develop into a pretty nice prospect in the next several years.

B2011DW favorite Steve Michalek rounds out the top-five. He confirmed to us Monday that he has been invited to the NHL's draft combine and is looking forward to the challenge of proving to NHL teams that he's an excellent athlete and goaltender at the testing portion. He saw more rubber than just about anyone last season, averaging nearly 50 shots on goal per contest, and still managed to stop nearly 92 percent of them. He's tall, has quick pads and takes up a lot of the net. He played very well for Team USA in August, leading them to a silver medal at the Ivan Hlinka. Some criticize his tendency to overcommit on shots and leave the backdoor open, but he has some serious mental toughness and is a highly competitive and intelligent kid. He'll be at Harvard next season.

Liam Liston (9) Matej Matovsky (11) and David Honzik (13) took big dives down the Central rankings- Matovsky from 3, Liston from 4 and Honzik from 5 at mid-season- and we're not sure why. Honzik has been terrific in the QMJHL playoffs and had a solid season after struggling a bit early with the transition, while Matovsky is seen as a pretty underrated goalie with all the physical tools. He reversed his fortunes after getting traded to Brampton and finished strong.

Edmonton goalie Laurent Brossoit moved up six spots from 13 at halfway point and is another big, athletic netminder with upside. Though we'll admit we're not sure how he leapfrogged the aforementioned Liston, Matovsky and Honzik. And based on what we've been told from NHL scouts out west, they're not sure about Central's reasoning either.

One curious omission from the final list: Robert Steeves of the QMJHL who didn't see a lot of action, but probably should be on there based on his raw upside and potential, even though he didn't see a lot of action playing for the Bathurst Titan this year.

Sleepers

We'll come back with a few more later once we've covered Europe and had some time to digest the list in more detail, but here are a few sleepers we think Central has pretty low who might get a call in June.

Jim Vesey, LW Belmont Hill (High-MA)- We've done some research, and Vesey's numbers are more like: 28 goals, 49 points in 32 games and not the 23, 35 points Central has for him. The problem is that the team made a decision not to turn in scoresheets after games so that guys weren't focused on their stats, but the downside is that the team's most productive player is getting shorted and given the view on competition level, that hurts Vesey a bit. He has nice size, hands and excellent hockey sense. His dad, Jim Sr., is from Charlestown, Mass. and was a legend at Merrimack College in the mid-80's when he racked up goals and points in bunches. His son is a better skater than he was, and the senior Vesey tallied 126 goals in three seasons with the IHL's Peoria Rivermen when he was a Blues farmhand in the late 80's. Jimmy is proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and has some real potential for an NHL team that can look past the competition level and envision him as a long-term prospect worth investing a pick on. We think 150 is too low for this player, but also recognize that Vesey is not a sure bet to be drafted.

Troy Vance, D Victoriaville (QMJHL)- Gigantic 6-6 defenseman joined les Tigres at mid-season and was a revelation as a hard-nosed shutdown defender with some decent mobility and better skills than his statistics might indicate. The New York native who grew up in Pennsylvania needs to improve his footwork and get a little stronger on his skates, but he has some potential as a sleeper and poor man's Jamie Oleksiak at least. His size can't be taught, and while extremely raw, has the kind of projectable tools NHL clubs are willing to take a chance on.

Dylan Willick, LW Kamloops (WHL)- After getting snubbed on Central's mid-term rankings, Willick makes his debut at 164. We talked about him recently as a guy you should know, and after doing more looking into him, feel he is a promising mid-round draft option because he is more than the sum of his parts. He may not be all that big at 5-10, but he's a solid 191-pounds can really skate, has a nonstop motor and is an intelligent player. We like the way he closed out the season and is a character player- we have yet to find anyone who will say a bad word about his attitude or compete level. When we look at Willick, we keep thinking of the old scouting adage that says those who want to be a player badly enough, usually get there.

Joakim Ryan, D Dubuque (USHL)- New Jersey-born and raised defender has some raw potential and excellent bloodlines as son of Swedish tennish pro Catherine Lindqvist. He's small at 5-10, but skates very well and moves the puck effectively. He tallied 3 goals and 32 points in 53 points with the Fighting Saints as a rookie. He needs to get stronger and work on adding velocity to his shot, but he's a smart, hard-working player. He was snubbed by Team USA, so accepted an invite from Team Sweden to play for them in the Ivan Hlinka in August.

QMJHL 2010-11 regular season roundup

It has been a pretty good year for the QMJHL in terms of draft eligible talents.

We saw the cream rise to the top, and although Sean Couturier has fallen down some of the lists out there, we're not buying that he'll make too much of a free-fall on draft day. He could possibly fall out of the top-three, sure- but beyond that, he shouldn't last long.

The big winner in the QMJHL regular season in 2010-11 was the Saint John Sea Dogs, who boast a plethora of draft eligible talent, headlined by Jonathan Huberdeau, who we made a case for Boston drafting on this blog space last month. You can check it out here if you haven't read it. The Sea Dogs ran away with the regular season title and are Memorial Cup frontrunners given their impressive depth. They are also a playoff-tested team, having advanced all the way to the President's Cup championship last spring before bowing out to the Moncton Wildcats. Barring a major upset, the 'Dogs should be Mississauga-bound in May.

You can go all the way back to August and look at who was on our QMJHL watch list before the season and see that Jonathan Huberdeau was the big winner. He really came on this year and had a tremendous performance. Conversely, what the hell happened to Andrei Makarov? In fairness, he had a rough transition and played much better for Lewiston at the end of the year- he may have done enough to get a mid- or late-round call, but the big winner for Q goalies this season was Christopher Gibson.

Here's a quick look at some of the top QMJHL draft eligibles and where they sit going into the postseason. If you see a lot of Saint John guys on the list, your eyes do not deceive you.

1. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW Saint John- We knew this guy was a talented playmaker coming into the season, but what we didn't know was just how good he would be at putting the puck in the net. Huberdeau led all 2011 draft eligibles in the CHL in goal scoring this season with 43 markers. He finished the year third overall in league scoring with 105 points in 67 games. He's the complete package of physical tools, hockey skills and sense with a natural knack for scoring. Versatile; spent most of the season on the left wing, but is a natural center. NHL teams like multi-taskers. He's also a mature kid who carries himself well and exudes professionalism. There is no reason to think that Huberdeau can't crack the top-5 in June when all is said and done, but if he doesn't he's gone no later than 6 or 7. He reminds us a lot of Luc Robitaille in the way he comes off during interviews, and we can't imagine he's going to drop much if at all when the draft comes.
Stock watch: Blue-chip; only a complete dud of a playoff performance is going to hurt Huberdeau's draft prospects, and frankly, we don't see that happening. If Saint John makes its expected deep run, Huberdeau could be the Taylor Hall of the 2011 postseason in terms of a guy who scouts see well into May and therefore leaves a fresh and lasting impression leading into the draft.
Here's an interview with Huberdeau and Beaulieu at CHL Top Prospects Game

2. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville- Every year there seems to be a player at or near the top who falls off for whatever reason. Couturier is that guy, even thoughhe finished just behind Huberdeau in league scoring at the fourth spot. He's got a nice 6-4, 195-pound frame and has the hands and instincts to be a scorer at the next level. What is hurting him most are his heavy feet, but you can expect that he will spend a lot of time with power skating instructors between now and whenever he's knocking on the NHL door to remedy that shortcoming. We're not buying the argument that because his father was a journeyman, Couturier might be bound for the same NHL fate- just look at Sidney Crosby. NHL teams aren't spending much time using that as a major sticking point as to whether to draft Couturier or not. Two straight years of 96 points should be convincing enough evidence that this kid can get it done offensively.
Stock Watch: We wouldn't say he's falling as much as other guys around him have played so well that Couturier's star has lost its luster a bit. A strong postseason would go a long way toward quieting the critics and re-establishing himself as one of the top players in class.
For more on Couturier, you can catch this video on him done for the CHL Top Prospects Game in January.

3. Nathan Beaulieu, D Saint John- Superb two-way defenseman may be the one guy not being talked about with Dougie Hamilton and Duncan Siemens, but could crack the top-10 of the draft if a team likes him enough. The Ontario-born, Maritimes-raised Beaulieu is not quite as big as Hamilton, but is a good skater who can hit, pass and shoot. He's got a real nasty edge to him, too. He'll fight, but doesn't do it all that often after creating some space for himself in some one-sided bouts. Smart player and son of a London Knights assistant coach, his 12 goals and 45 points and a plus-44 are numbers that may be inflated given how good his team was this season, but this guy has some legitimate potential and should be off the board by pick 15 at the latest. Of course, you never know- we would have never believed that both of Brandon Gormley and Cam Fowler would drop as far as he did?
Stock Watch: So long as Saint John is playing, Beaulieu's got a nice chance of raising his profile and moving up in the draft. Like Huberdeau, the playoffs could be this guy's big moment to make a push to be the second d-man off the board after Adam Larsson.
Here's an NHL-produced video on Beaulieu with some interesting background.


4. Zack Phillips, C Saint John- With 38 goals and 95 points, Phillips was one of the surprises to come out of the Quebec league this season. Although he's not a great skater, Phillips is the classic guy who has that "nose for the net" and just finds ways to finish even without the blazing speed. He and Huberdeau were a deadly duo this season, and pure scorers like Phillips always find a way to get it done. The question with a guy like him is whether his numbers are more a product of the superior club he was on, or a reflection of his own superior offensive instincts and quick release. We think it's the latter- he's going to produce no matter who you put him with.
Stock Watch: With his production, it's up, but like Huberdeau and Beaulieu, he needs a strong playoff performance to stay foremost in scouts' minds.
Here's an Open Ice interview of Phillips from the CHL Top Prospects Game. Sharp kid and former Deerfield Academy product.

5. Tomas Jurco, RW Saint John- This puck wizard's exploits are well-documented on YouTube, but this has been a bit of a disappointing campaign for the Slovak. Expected to be a top-five pick in 2011 in some circles after his impressive rookie season a year ago, his production was up-and-down. He finished with 31 goals and 56 points, but was a streaky player in doing so, getting off to a hot start, fading in the late fall/early winter before heating up again in February. His hands could be without peer in this draft, and we liked what we saw in flashes from him at the WJC. He may not crack the first round, but if he isn't a top-30 pick, he shouldn't last much into the second.
Here's a video on Jurco produced during CHL Top Prospects Game where you'll see his puck and stick sleight-of-hand for yourself

6. Phillip Danault, C/LW Victoriaville- Speedy and versatile forward has a high compete level that has become his calling card this season despite some pretty average size. At only 6-0 and about 170 he doesn't have the functional strength right now, and some are concerned about his frame and how much more room he has to grow. Still, he's been pretty productive with 23 goals and 66 points this season. He's kind of like the little engine that could and if he goes in the top-60 picks, then you'll have your answer as to whether an NHL team thinks he projects as a legitimate pro. If he slips, then the wildcard element of this prospect will be more in play. His skating, hands and creativity are impressive, so don't bet against this guy.
Here's a nice video on Danault from John Moore, who does very good work in Q

7. Christopher Gibson, G Chicoutimi-Finnish goaltender put up some nice numbers on a pretty mediocre club this season. He posted a 14-14-3-5 record with 2.41 GAA, .920 save percentage and 4 shutouts. He's about 6-1, 200 pounds and plays that classic butterfly style, blotting out a large portion of the net and daring shooters to find holes through his coverage. Gibson is a driven kid who came to Canada two years ago to play for the Notre Dame Hounds in Saskatchewan (where he won a minor midget national title) and has stuck around to gain the trust of NHL scouts. We think he'll be one of the first three goalies taken in this draft, and our gut feel is he'll be three behind American John Gibson and countryman Samu Perhonen.
Here's another nice John Moore video on Gibson for your review

8. Ryan Tesink, C Saint John- The very average-sized hometown player has some interesting upside. Tesink's numbers are nothing to write home about- he scored just 8 goals on the season, with two of them coming in the team's final game of the year against PEI (went 37 previous games without one before breaking out). More of a playmaker (27 assists in 59 games playing on the third line), he's got good speed and is an intelligent two-way player. It's hard to stand out when you play on a stacked team like he does, but when he gets stronger (he's about 6-0, and only 160 pounds or so) and more experienced, you could see a jump in the production. He's even willing to drop the gloves and fight, though because of his size, he's not exactly suited for such endeavors. Still, you have to admire his willingness- he's one of those "whatever it takes to win" guys. Interesting player who gets lost in the shuffle of Saint John's galaxy of stars, but could be a real good one soon.

9. Logan Shaw, RW Cape Breton- Big hometown kid makes his B2011DW debut today, surprisingly enough. The skilled right winger has quietly impressed playing in one of the league's backwaters. He's got a long, powerful stride and while he needs to upgrade his first couple of steps, he's got nice speed when he gets going and really came on after December, scoring 26 goals and 46 points in 68 games for the Screaming Eagles. Guys with his 6-3 frame and quick hands usually end up being in pretty high demand. It will be interesting to see if he can crack the top-three rounds in June.
Here's Shaw's QMHJL draft video from 2008

10. David Honzik, G Victoriaville- Big, athletic Czech goalie has had an up-and-down season for les Tigres, but he's got some tools to be a good one down the road. He's got very good size at 6-3, 195 and has extremely quick pads. He's working on his rebound control and overall consistency, but so long as a team is patient and willing to put in the time to develop him, he's got the skill to make it as a big league puck stopper eventually.
Here's another John Moore vid on David Honzik

11. Xavier Ouellet, D Montreal- Average-sized defenseman isn't a great skater, but sees the ice well and has a good head on his shoulders. A strong passer and puck-mover, the risk for Ouellet, who started the season like a house on fire, is that he just doesn't have the size or feet to be a defenseman at the highest level. Evidence to support that belief amongst some in the scouting community was his poor performance in the CHL Top Prospects Game.
Thanks to Jerome B for providing a vid of a Ouellet goal via his NHLDraftVideo blog

Late riser:

Troy Vance, D Victoriaville- American defender is 6-5, 205 and kind of came out of nowhere after starting the season in Rouyn-Noranda. He's a big hitter, meat-and-potatoes type who will drop the gloves. From what we've seen, he reminds us a lot of Bruins rookie Adam McQuaid, but with a little better mobility than Quaider at the same stage of his junior career.

Overagers worth a look:

Marek Hrivik, LW Moncton- Yes, again. We'll ring the bell on this Slovak, who scored 38 for the Wildcats this season for the second straight season. He's a '91 and in his final year of eligibility for the draft. We liked what we saw from him at the WJC this past winter, and although he has a reputation for being soft and not being willing to go into traffic, we saw none of that from him in Buffalo. He has a bomb of a shot, even if his feet are a bit heavy.

Tomas Filippi, RW Quebec- Passed over last year because of perceived indifference and inconsistency issues, this Czech forward has had a better time of stringing effective shifts and games together in the Q. He's a speedster who creates offense and plays a high tempo game. Why not?

Alex Saulnier, C Moncton- Undersized, but ultra-skilled and creative pivot is out with a concussion suffered recently, so durability concerns are raised with him off the bat. But prior to the hit, he was one of the QMJHL's top scorers (85 points in 65 games) and had really impressed by stepping up his game to another level this season.

2011 draft Goalie roundup: J. Gibson, Perhonen headline class

Earlier, we talked about what the acquisition of Anton Khudobin by the Boston Bruins on trade deadline day might mean for the team's approach to the goaltending position at the 2011 NHL Draft.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the better options available in the draft. Given that the Bruins have a strongly-established tandem in Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, getting help at the position is not a pressing need. That said, the system lacked a dependable option for the immediacy, should the Bruins have any injury issues in net, which thankfully, they have not. Khudobin appears to address that need between now and the end of the season, but his future with Boston is very much up in the air if in fact he is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent.

Our belief is that the Bruins won't be inclined to take a goaltender in the first three, maybe four rounds of the 2011 unless they simply cannot pass on the value available to them. One caveat to this theory is Finnish goalie Samu Perhonen, who could be a goalie the B's will try to get for several reasons not the least of which is the cooperation agreement they have with his senior team Jyvaskyla JYP of the Finnish SM-Liiga. Perhonen has played very well for JYP's Under-20 junior team, posting a 2.57 GAA and .927 save percentage. He was Finland's third goalie at the 2011 WJC, and though he didn't play, looked good in practices as a Rask clone- tall (6-3), lean (170), extremely quick and fundamentally sound.The problem with the Bruins getting Perhonen is that the proverbial cat is out of the bag with this kid. If the B's were hoping that their close relationship and knowledge of him might be more of a secret that would give them an edge at draft time, that theory is out the window, as Perhonen has played well for Finland in the international tourneys this season and will likely further elevate his profile at the World Under-18s next month. If the Bruins are going to land him, they would probably need to do so in the second round, and the value of that pick may not warrant it being spent on yet another developmental goalie project albeit with the kind of promise Perhonen brings.

Here is a look at some of the rest of the options for the 2011 as far as goalies go:

John Gibson, U.S. NTDP (USHL)-- The Pennsylvania native has played excellent hockey this year for Team USA and will attend University of Michigan. He's very similar in style and substance to Jack Campbell, and like USA's international star, has the ability to play a very composed game when the pressure is highest. Gibson is big, athletic and refined; the prototypical modern netminder, but Campbell's OHL struggles could serve to hurt Gibson's chances of being picked in the top-20 of this class. More and more, teams are becoming disenchanted with taking goalies so high when that position is becoming such a wildcard in terms of player development and timelines- with late-round picks flourishing more and more while high-profile kids at 18 flameout. Gibson could go in the bottom 10 picks of the opening round, but is a solid second-round bet at the very least. He was Central Scouting's No. 1 North American goalie in their midterm rankings.

Samu Perhonen, JYP Jyvaskyla (Finland- Jr.)-- Central's top European netminder at midterm has been covered above, but he's got perhaps the greatest upside of any goaltender in this class. One NHL scout very familiar with him oozed about his technical excellence, mental toughness and mature game despite being a few days short of 18. Don't expect him to be on the board very long in June. His last name translates into the word 'butterfly' so like Swede Jesper Fasth last year, this kid is the most appropriately named prospect in the 2011 class.

Magnus Hellberg, Almtuna (SWE-2)-- At 6-5, 185 pounds, this Swede blots out the sun when he's in full gear standing in between the pipes. That said, he's as intriguing a prospect as any in this solid, if unheralded group. He's playing in Sweden's second division or Allsvenskan, and put up hellacious numbers- a 2.01 GAA and .936 save percentage this season with 5 whitewashes. Don't be surprised if this netminder, who goes side-to-side extremely well, ends up being a darkhorse who pushes into the second round and challenges Gibson and Perhonen for supremacy, because his ceiling is extremely high. We've been slow to come around on him here at B2011DW, but no longer. This guy is the real deal and rising rapidly.

Christopher Gibson, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)-- Another native of Finland who is the son of a British father and Finnish mother came to North America several years ago to play for the Notre Dame Hounds of Saskatchewan, playing on the midget national championship team alongside Jaden Schwartz. Like his American counterpart with the same last name, he's got a big frame and moves extremely well. He struggled in the CHL Top Prospects Game, but has played some real good hockey for one of the Q's weaker clubs this season.

David Honzik, Victoriaville (QMJHL)-- Another European who left the Czech Republic for North American major junior, Honzik has played well enough for the Tigres to be a factor on draft day, though he's a bit of a wildcard who could slip down a round or two. It's not that he doesn't possess upside, it's just that when all is said and done, he could get lost in the shuffle a bit from the players ahead of him in the rankings. He takes up a large portion of the net and is a solid butterfly goalie, but needs to work on keeping himself upright when he goes down and making sure his stick is flush and pads level. He's been beaten on pucks that go through him when he's in position to make the save. He has a lot of raw potential, though.


Matej Machovsky, Brampton (OHL)-- This 17-year-old Czech was originally taken by the Guelph Storm in last summer's CHL Import Draft, but was playing sparingly and moved over to Brampton, where his game has propelled him into serious draft discussions. He didn't get into the Top Prospects Game, but probably should have been there given how well he's played since joining Brampton. The rangy netminder is cat-quick and brings excellent quickness and athleticism to the mix.

Jaroslav Pavelka, Hradec Kralove (Czech Jr.)-- The best of the Czech goalies to stay home for his draft season, Pavelka is extremely raw at this stage but has the size (6-2), athleticism and upside to be a solid mid-round pick in the draft with long-term developmental potential. His technique needs a considerable amount of work, but he's extremely competitive, according to Red Line Report European scout Radim Jelinek, who has watched him closely this season. He has all the tools to be an NHL goaltender so long as the team that drafts him is willing to invest patience and a lot of work in teasing out the best in him. With his willingness to work, he may be one of the more promising, yet stealthy options in this class of goalies. It will be interesting to see where he goes. He has a .926 save percentage and 2.60 GAA as Hradec Kralove Under-18's workhorse puckstopper.

Richard Ullberg, HIFK Helsinki (Finland Jr.)-- What happened? Ullberg was considered Finland's best in class coming into the season, and after a solid start, his play has hit the skids. Eclipsed by Perhonen, Ullberg's development has hit a rough patch, falling to the bottom of Central's midseason Euro goalie list. He's a typical product of the Finnish goalie factory- big, skilled, technical butterfly goalie who squares up to the shooter and doesn't give up much of the net. But, he's struggled mightily and dropping like a stone. Could be one of those later round picks who rebounds in a big way and becomes one of those ubiquitous "steals" you're always hearing about.

Michael Houser, London (OHL)-- Passed over last season, Houser will likely get a call on draft day this time around given how well he's played this season for the young, rebuilding Knights. He was only two days away from being the youngest player in the 2010 NHL Draft with a September 13 1992 birthdate, so drafting him would not be a major roll of the dice. His GAA is high because of the amount of goals his team gives up, but his save percentage of .905 is solid and he's a battler who probably should have at least gotten a seventh-round call last June. Given Boston's familiarity with London in terms of keeping tabs on Jared Knight, might Houser be a late-round option for the B's?

We believe that his play has earned him serious consideration this time around as London's starter, beating out Anaheim prospect Igor Bobkov. He did get invited to the Vancouver Canucks rookie camp in the fall, but didn't get a contract offer, so like Boston's Craig Cunningham, who attended Rangers camp in 2009, Houser could be a guy who ends up with someone else on draft day. He's from Pennsylvania- the Pittsburgh area- and grew up a Penguins and Steelers fan. He is a great story as a young man who overcame 16 surgeries as a youngster to repair bilateral club feet. You can read one account of Houser's inspiring journey here in the London Free Press. We're not sure how high a pick Houser will end up being, but he's spent a season proving himself as a starter by battling hard, making the tough saves and keeping his team, which underwent huge changes via trades, in the OHL playoff picture.

While by no means a comprehensive list of available goalies, this list should at least whet the appetite, and you can rest assured that the draft watch will be back with updates and more in-depth profiles on other goaltenders not mentioned here. In the coming weeks, we'll revisit the list and add some of the guys who didn't make this first cut likke Max Lagace, Tadeas Galansky , Steve Michalek and Matt McNeely to name a few.

CHL Top Prospects Game Analysis: Team Cherry

I've only watched the game once, but this was quite the one-sided affair despite the way the matchup looked on paper for Don Cherry's boys.

But that's the great thing about sports: the games aren't played on paper!

Team Orr took advantage of mediocre goaltending from Christopher Gibson and David Honzik, and also made plays that the Team Cherry netminders had no chance on. But at the end of the day, the Doug Gilmour-coached squad found the back of the net to the tune of seven goals. Three in three minutes to start the third period opened up a 6-1 lead for Team Orr and Dougie Hamilton closed it out with a late power play blast, ending the 16th iteration of the CHL's draft showcase with a 7-1 final.

Here are some observations on the one viewing I had watching the game on tape delay this afternoon on NHL Network. Keeping in mind that video leaves so much out that you get seeing a player in person, here are some observations of Team Cherry, who had some real talent and took the initial advantage, but were unable to solve Liam Liston and ended up not getting much going against Jordan Binnington, either. Will follow up with Team Orr later tonight, which will have far more detail and commentary given that the white team had quite an offensive display and got some pretty good defense, too.

Team Cherry (Red sweaters)

Goalies

Christopher Gibson, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)-- The CHL's leader in save percentage (.888) had a rough time, and as a former goalie I empathized with what Gibson went through. He watched Liston stand on his head on the other end and get some real favorable bounces, while seeing very little action, only to see Daniel Catenacci blazing down the ice on a breakaway after a busted play with the man advantage. Just like that, it was 1-0 and Team Orr never looked back. Gibson saw fewer than 10 shots in his 30 minutes and gave up three goals. He's got nice size and athleticism, but the book on the Finnish native is to force him to move laterally, and Orr did that on two of the strikes. Give the Orr shooters credit-- they buried their chances, but Gibson could have lifted his club with just one save-- probably the one he didn't make on Catenacci. Didn't get it done.

David Honzik, Victoriaville (QMJHL)-- Another European playing in the Quebec league, this Czech takes up a lot of net with his big frame, but he spent far too much time down in the butterfly and it cost him on a couple of shots. Again, Orr was buzzing his net hard early in the third period, but Honzik faltered, playing deeper and deeper in his net and dropping to the ice on just about every shot. In his defense, he didn't get much help from his 'D' and he did come out on Hamilton to cut down the angle- the Niagara defender put home a perfect slapper off the far post. But, Honzik didn't impress on the whole and like Gibson, was pretty mediocre. He didn't give his team any reason to believe that they could get back into this one, and that was it in a nutshell.

Defense

Ryan Murphy, D Kitchener (OHL)-- Clearly the most visible of any of Cherry's defensemen, and arguably, on the entire team, Murphy showed off why he has 17 goals and 52 points as the top-scoring defender available in the entire draft. He's an explosive, dynamic skater (you've heard this ad nauseum, I realize) and was apparently playing last night's game on a bad ankle, which made his rushes all the more remarkable. Even hindered, the Orr skaters could do little to stop him when he revved it up just past his own blue line and accelerated effortlessly through the neutral zone. Unfortunately for Murphy, he wasn't able to finish off any of his rushes nor were his teammates able to capitalize on them. But, you saw what he's capable of offensively. Murphy played a chippy, physical game, hitting Jonathan Huberdeau near his own blue line in the second period and later drilling Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the neutral zone, getting tagged with the interference call that led to the Hamilton power play tally. He took a stick in the mouth from Lucas Lessio that drew blood (but no call) and was clearly riled and peeved with the lack of offense from his team. You could see the frustration boiling over with him at the end, but despite the seven goals surrendered by Cherry, Murphy lived up to the hype.

Scott Harrington, D London (OHL)-- Murphy's d-partner blew a tire on the Catenacci goal, allowing the fastest skater to break away from everyone and score the first goal of the game, a shortie. He had some good moments, too, but his stock has fallen off this season because the offensive element of his game that was expected coming into the year hasn't been there. He's not exactly a shutdown guy either, so what are you left with. Losing the edge and giving up the goal when Cherry was dominating play turned the momentum of the game and it was a tough break for Harrington.

Myles Bell, D Regina (WHL)-- If Murphy showed something to the NHL scouts and GMs in attendance, Bell probably hurt his case. Early in the game, he was rushing the puck effectively and with abandon and was involved, but he disappeared as the game went on, and that doesn't play to Bell's favor. He's not an explosive, fast skater like Murphy is and relies more on guile and his offensive instincts to generate scoring chances. However, he's not very strong defensively, and as the game went on, you saw him exposed a little bit with some bad decision-making and by being out of position. He was caught sleeping on the Vince Trocheck goal in the 3rd period, making a lazy play to allow the Saginaw standout to get behind him and leaving Honzik out to dry. He did try to goad Huberdeau into a fight, but by then, it was too late. Someone will certainly draft Bell for his offensive potential, but he's got a lot of work to do on his defensive play and lackadaisical attitude, which has been relayed to me by several NHL scouts out West. You saw that on primetime with the Trocheck goal-- there's no way it should have happened. He's a hard-shooter who won the event with a 98 mph shot, so Bell has some potential to get the goals in the NHL one day, but he's got to improve the all-around game.

Duncan Siemens, D Saskatoon (WHL)-- Siemens showed off his mobility and hard-nosed game, but like his scouting report, didn't do a great deal to stand out beyond his fight with David Musil. Siemens will likely play in the NHL, but I don't get why he's so highly rated in some circles. Top-10? Not based on what we saw in the prospects game. Tough nut for sure, but upside is limited. I would have no problem with Siemens closer to 20-25, but I think any team grabbing him closer to 10th will be disappointed in the long run.

Joe Morrow, D Portland (WHL)-- The puck-mover didn't do a great deal to stand out either way. He was involved earlier in the game when Cherry had a string of power plays, but when the offense tilted the other way, Morrow was largely invisible. You can see the size and skill, but this wasn't a great game for him.

Tyler Wotherspoon, D Portland (WHL)-- Paired with Morrow, Wotherspoon was the meat-and-potatoes player on the pairing. Haven't heard great things about his potential at the next level, and while he appears to be an honest banger type, he might be limited when not playing against junior players. Time will tell, but he's a no-frills guy who doesn't belong in the conversation when it comes to the first two, maybe three rounds of the draft.

Forwards

Shane Prince, LW Ottawa (OHL)-- The team's lone goal scorer finished off a nice give-and-go with Ty Rattie to beat Binnington through the five-hole and make it a 3-1 game in the second period. He's quick and opportunistic, who seems to see the ice pretty well and smartly picks his spots. You can see that he's more of a playmaking winger who distributes, but his goal was a nice example of a player who has a pretty good shot and made it count, finding the twine from the high slot after Rattie got it to him with the shooting lane wide open.

Ty Rattie, RW Portland (WHL)-- Arguably Cherry's best forward, Rattie showed off the hands and creativity that has seen him be a going concern for the Winterhawks this season. He's one of those slippery forwards who doesn't have a lot of size, but manages to snake his way through defenses, using his wheels and quick stick to find the seams and exploit the space his opponents tend to give him. He did ring a shot off the post in the third period, and was in on a frustrating 3-on-1 rush with Ryan Strome and Nicklas Jensen that did not result in a shot on net. Impressive player and one of the few Cherry players who got a point, but ultimately, not much to see in this one game. His strong WHL play will have to do the talking come draft time.

Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL)-- Like the rest of his team, Couturier started strong making some visible offensive plays and initiating contact in and around the net. But, he tailed off and was not able to mount much of a consistent presence as the game went on and Orr started to take control. This is the concern that scouts have with Couturier-- he's a very good player, but not dominant to the point that he's taking control of a game like this. He wasn't able to do it in the WJC, which you can understand, but given the setting amongst his draft peers, more was expected to be honest.

Ryan Strome, C Niagara (OHL)-- The guy can skate and is highly creative. He had some good rushes up the ice and tried to make plays, hit the open teammates, but again, there just wasn't much doing for Team Cherry in this one. His 19th overall ranking by Central among North Americans is way too low based on what you can see from him, but like most, disappointed that we didn't get to see some finished plays from Strome.

Tomas Jurco, LW Saint John (QMJHL)-- Puckhandler extraordinaire had some chances early, but either couldn't get the bouncing puck to settle or wasn't able to get his shots past Liston. As the game went on, like many of his teammates, Jurco was less and less visible. The winner of the breakaway event in the skills competition is one of those guys who can electrify with one shot and shift, but when he's out of the play, he's really out of it.

Rickard Rakell, RW Plymouth (OHL)-- Skilled Swede has been on the hot list of late after having a five-goal outburst for the Whalers in two games last week. He had his moments, and if you paid attention to his scouting report, he did what he does best: finish his checks along the walls, create a few turnovers, and even got the puck to open ice on a power play in the third period. Philip Danault couldn't finish off one of Rakell's good passes, but the Whaler fought for loose pucks and did the little things that often go unnoticed. He's not a flashy offensive player but is smart and gets the job done.

Mark McNeill, C Prince Albert (WHL)-- The big, powerful Raiders thoroughbred came in third in the fastest skater competition, which sent ripples through the scouts in attendance yesterday. He's already got the size, skill and toughness to be an intriguing prospect and darkhorse top-15 selection, so the speed is sure to have more teams going out West to get more looks. Unfortunately, this game didn't really play to his strengths...puck possession, using his big body to cycle and come off the walls and get the puck to the net. He did a few things of note, but once Orr broke it open, McNeill wasn't very visible.

Mark Scheifele, C Barrie (OHL)-- Another player who was active, but ultimately came up short because of the one goal scored. He did anticipate a poor breakout pass, pick it off at the blue line and skate in on Binnington on a breakaway in the third period, but the Owen Sound goalie stopped the shot and turned the rebound away from danger. I've heard some pretty polarizing opinions on this particular player, so rather than rehash them here, will just say that this game didn't do a lot to persuade either way. More information is required for further evaluation.

Phillip Danault, LW Victoriaville (QMJHL)-- The Tigres' captain showed off his nice wheels, but couldn't get much going offensively. Like much of his team, you saw some flashes, but Team Cherry stopped generating sustained offensive pressure in the second period, and players like Danault fell by the wayside on video, with not much to see when they weren't playing the puck.

Tobias Rieder, LW Kitchener (OHL)-- Like the WJC, didn't see anything beyond flashes of the skilled German's talent and offensive potential. He'll go long stretches where you don;t notice him, and then he'll impress with a little burst through traffic or an honest effort down behind the net or along the boards.

Nicklas Jensen, LW Oshawa (OHL)-- He was a horse in the one live viewing I got of the Danish winger earlier this month, but this wasn't Jensen's time to shine. He got off a few shots and did some solid work at times, but like Rieder and Danault, we just didn't see enough offensive sustainment/play from Cherry to get much of a read. His size, skating ability and shot are a plus, but without being able to look at his play away from the puck, it was not much of a sample to go off of.

Matt Puempel, LW Peterborough (OHL)-- Did he play? Heard his name a few times, but to be honest, this wasn't much of a showing for the CHL Rookie of the Year who has picked his game up considerably over the last 60 days. I need to watch the game a few more times to try and get a better read, because to the first look, he didn't accomplish much if at all.

That's a wrap on Cherry. Will be back later to recap the victorious Team Orr. I'll watch the game a few more times and reserve the right to revise my opinion if I notice something new or different. :) But this post is based on one viewing only, and there are likely some things I missed the first time around.

Central Scouting's mid-season rankings: North American skaters pt. 3; risers, fallers and sleepers + goalies

Back with the final installment of the Central Scouting mid-season rankings initial analysis. Will try to track down a couple of Central Scouting contacts in the coming days and try to drill down on some of the players.

Looking at the risers, fallers and sleepers here for North Americans. Will also take a quick look at the NA goalies, too.

Risers

32nd Rickard Rakell, RW Plymouth (OHL)-- This guy was kind of like Gabriel Landeskog-lite at the WJC once Landeskog went out with the high ankle sprain. He skates well, has an active stick and is an abrasive cuss who agitates a bit and is effective at drawing penalty calls. He's another Swede who left his home country for the smaller ice and more rough-and-tumble game of the OHL and has adapted well. Don't be surprised if he ends up going somewhere between 20-30 on draft day.

43rd Daniel Catenacci, C Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)-- This small, but ultra-skilled player was the top OHL pick a few years back, but coming into this season, hadn't done a great deal to establish himself as a top-round NHL draft prospect. He's having a very good year and making NHL scouts re-think their positions on him coming into it.

58th Scott Oke, LW Saint John (QMJHL)-- Oke has had a strong first half given the expectations, but 58th? Really? Big, lanky guy, but does he project as a top-three round pick? More data required.

63rd Mike Mersch, LW University of Wisconsin (WCHA)-- This NTDP grad didn't have a lot of buzz coming into the 10-11 season, though scouts liked him. But, Redline Report's Max Giese has weighed in on why he likes Mersch so much on this blog earlier this season. You can read it here. But Mersch looks to be rewarded by Central for his work in Madison. And, while he doesn't project as a high-end guy in the NHL, he's one of those guys you win with.

Fallers

44th Lucas Lessio, LW Oshawa Generals (OHL)-- This player has first-round size and skills with the ability to be a difference maker every shift, but has been knocked for his wavering compete levels. Saw that firsthand last week against Kitchener, so there's something to that. He'll fall lower than he should if he doesn't figure out how to dial it up better.

61st Adam Clendening, D Boston University (HE)-- Have to admit that this ranking threw me. I've seen Clendening a few times and thought he's been pretty good for a freshman player competing in the Hockey East. I certainly feel he's handled the transition better than Matt Nieto, who is five six slots higher at 55th. But, Central obviously disagrees and I've had some Twitter traffic from at least one BU fan who has not been impressed with Clendening. Will have to give him a closer look in future viewings.

74th Tobias Rieder, C Kitchener Rangers (OHL)-- If this ranking is based on the WJC, I can understand it. Rieder just wasn't very good in Buffalo. But in fairness, neither was his team. From what I understand, Rieder has been a better player in the OHL than he was in the IIHF competition, so is this another too-low CS ranking like Jeff Skinner last year? Could be.

75th Andrei Pedan, D Guelph Storm (OHL)-- A lot expected of this big, mobile and promising Russian, but he has yet to really show much in the OHL this year based on information from my contacts. He was a final cut on Team Russia, who went exclusively with a 1991-born team with the exception of Evgeni Kuznetsov at the WJC. He has the ability to control the play from the back end as he reportedly showed at last spring's Under-18s, but has been pretty mediocre in Guelph.

102nd Shane McColgan, RW Kelowna Rockets (WHL)-- Youch! What happened? Size matters and McColgan doesn't have it. But sluggish play after tonsils removed seems to have dropped him like a rock. Going to be tough sledding for the Californian who doesn't appear to have any growth spurt left to prove he has the skill to play in the NHL.

Sleepers

35th Shane Prince, C Ottawa 67's (OHL)-- OK- the Rochester-area native is not really a classic sleeper in that everyone knows him now after what he's been doing in the OHL scoring race. But having him at 35 doesn't make him a riser, and I don't want to call him a faller either. So, the speedy little scorer is a sleeper until further notice.

120th Charles Orzetti, LW NJ Hitmen (EJHL)-- This power forward was a 2010 prospect, but missed all of last season with an injury, so he's back in the pool. Skates pretty well for a big man (6-4, 210) and has good hands. Very raw and not all that instinctive, but could have an NHL future as a third liner.

128th Joakim Ryan, D Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)-- New Jersey-born and raised, but plays for Sweden because of mother's (and tennis pro) heritage. This kid is small, but fast and skilled. He's got excellent athletic bloodlines and will be a project but is someone with some upside so long as patience taken with him.

LV Connor Murphy, D USA U-18 (USHL)-- Gord Murphy's son can't seem to stay healthy. He's on the shelf again this season after missing most of last year with a wonky back. But, out of sight, out mind applies and he could be a later-round steal. He's got dad's size and brings more of an offensive upside than old No. 28 for the Bruins did.

Goalies

John Gibson deserves his spot atop the NA goalie rankings. At 6-2 and 205, he has the big frame and athleticism NHL teams demand of their netminders. He's also very calm, cool and collected. Unfortunately, he's just a year behind IIHF legend Jack Campbell, which means Gibson won't get his shot to shine on the world stage as much. So, it will be critical for the NTDP star from Pennsylvania to get it done in tournaments like the Four Nations in Feb. and of course, the Under-18 Championship in Apr.

Christopher Gibson sounds North American, but he's all European from Finland. The son of a British ex-pat father and Finnish mother, Gibson came over to play in the Notre Dame Hounds program in Wilcox, Sask. before ending up in QMJHL frontier outpost Chicoutimi. Gibson has been very good on a not so great team- the typical butterfly goalie with a 6-1 frame. Very nice prospect.

Matt McNeely is Gibson's Team USA backup in Ann Arbor, a similar goalie in terms of style and substance from Minnesota, but playing time for him will be tougher to come by and he's more raw than Gibson.

I'm also liking Steve Michalek of Loomis-Chaffee who had a great Ivan Hlinka for Team USA and has been beseiged at the prep level but has posted very respectable numbers. He's more of a sleeper than most goalies on the list, but at 6, it's nice to see Central has noticed.

I'll get some better insights on some of the other goalies on the list and be back at some point to shed some better light on them.

Tomorrow, we'll get a closer look at some of the key Europeans.

A closer look at the QMJHL top-five (Mid-season edition)

Was told that I spend too much time on the OHL and not enough on the QMJHL and WHL on this blog, so here's an attempt to remedy that situation. (Appreciate the feedback, btw- always looking to make this blog better and more appealing to the readership, so please continue to post comments direct to the blog here or email me or PM me over at HFBoards username Kirk- NEHJ or hit me up at Twitter @kluedeke29 if there is something in particular you are looking for)

Also- I'm crafting a new exclusive prospect info. series here on B2011DW called the "Case For" where I will profile one player in-depth every month with detailed analysis on strengths, weaknesses, where that player projects in the NHL, how long before making an impact, scout quotes, etc. Even if you aren't a Bruins fan but read this blog, you're sure to find the series informative, as much of what NHL teams look for in the draft tend to be similar, so you can draw logic lines between what I write and what your team is seeking as you read.

First up in the series is Kitchener Rangers' captain and all-star winger Gabriel Landeskog, whom I will be checking out at the WJC in Buffalo next week. How awesome is that going to be?

In the meantime, though-- I owe you a QMJHL update, so here are some notes on the top 'Q' draft eligibles as we roll into the holiday break and WJC.

1. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville-- Still the odds-on fave to be the top overall selection in June's entry draft. It is rare for players to have the size, skill, instincts package that Couturier does. Like Sidney Crosby, who incidentally, Couturier is linked to as the best prospect to come out of the 'Q' since Crosby did it with Rimouski in 2005, Couturier is the son of a journeyman pro hockey player who never really did much. Their progenies are special players who (in Couturier's case-- Crosby is obviously already there) seem destined for stardom. Couturier is an excellent puckhandler who can do it all- make moves in open ice or in tight traffic, rip off a rocket shot or soft-touch it to teammates for the easy score. His vision and offensive hockey sense are elite right now-- he can do pretty much whatever he wants to dictate the tempo/flow at this level. His skating is only average, however. He has a lumbering first few steps and lacks the explosion/suddenness that scouts would love to see. That said, he's still such a physical and instinctive specimen that it's hard to imagine that he'll lose his top billing between now and June.

Scout's take: "What else do you want to see from him? Led the league in scoring last year at 17; great size, hands. Great hockey IQ, strong as an ox and plays a good game without the puck. He's really hitting his stride now, and I think the WJC will be an excellent test for him. I expect him to demonstrate his worth, even if he may not see as much ice time as some of the more senior/experienced players on Team Canada."- NHL scout, Western Conf. team

2. Jonathan Huberdeau, C Saint John-- He's actually got more points than Couturier does (54 to 52 but in 34 GP as opposed to 32 for Couturier), but this ultra-talented center is moving on up the draft boards and is going to be a high pick in Minnesota. Huberdeau came into the season with the reputation as being more of a playmaker than finisher, but he's annihilated that perception with 24 goals so far to go with his 30 helpers. His vision and creativity allow him to give opposing teams fits, and after a slow start, the Sea Dogs, who are just sickeningly loaded with 2011 draft eligible talent, have really come on. He's tall but extremely lanky, and even with his terrific skill set, Huberdeau is going to be a longer-term project for whichever NHL team drafts him because he's only around 160 pounds and has a ton of off-ice work to do before he'll be ready to make a run at an NHL job. Defensive game is only average and he'll have to work on that, but he's so good with the puck in the offensive zone, that the overall game is barely a blip on the radar for him.

Scout's take: "I really liked Huberdeau coming into the year, but had no idea he was going to score as much as he has. This is a kid who just naturally gravitates to the areas of the ice where he can either put the puck in the net or get it to a teammate who finishes off the play. I like what he and Zack Phillips are doing and really think Huberdeau is primed for a big second half."- NHL scout, Western Conf. team

3. Nathan Beaulieu, D Saint John-- Excellent two-way defenseman who didn't have a great start, but has pulled it together over the last couple of months. Very good size, but fine skater with solid footwork and the ability to get the puck up the ice quickly and lead the rush. Solid defensively; it isn't his strong suit-- transition game and getting the puck up ice/generating offense from the blue line is. But, he's not a liability in his own end and uses his active stick to take away passing lanes and force turnovers. His six goals and 22 points in 34 games is solid production, but he's capable of doing more in the second half. His +25 rating is indicative of his ability to start the attack and his supremely talented forwards have been able to get it into the net at the other end. Even though you can make the case that Tomas Jurco should be No. 3, I tend to value that potential high-end PMD, which is what Beaulieu is, a little more than the super stickhandling Slovak forward. But, the margin between the two is very close and you can go either way.

Scout's take: "He's the best puck-moving defenseman in the Quebec League, and I think he's underrated when it comes to talking about the best guys in the draft overall in that category. He's got the size, skating and strength to be very effective. His puck distribution is very good and his shot is improving. He still needs to get it off a little faster, but is coming along. He's pretty tough, too-- will fight to defend his teammates and does the little things to win. Smart player."- NHL scout, Eastern Conf. team

4. Tomas Jurco, RW Saint John-- Yes, dear, we're talking about another Saint John Sea Dog here. Jurco has been a big story in draft discussions since last season, when he came over to Saint John and demonstrated his sublime puckhandling talents. Not an explosive skater, but pretty good speed and agility-- one of those more quick/elusive than fast players who turns defenders one way and the other before taking the puck to the net. Good character kid who learned English quickly and made a seamless transition. Creative and absolutely unreal with the slick puck moves in close/traffic while playing the off-wing. Doesn't have a big shot, but qets it off quickly and with nice accuracy-- can pick the corners. Only OK defensively-- not a liability, but you can definitely tell that the effort level in his own end isn't quite what it is when on the attack. But, he'll get better at it...has a solid feel for his responsibilities and has the work ethic to get the job done as he matures.

Scout's take: "Intelligent and competitive Slovak winger. Tenacious and persistent on the forecheck. Smooth skater with power in his stride. Good set-up man who is unselfish to a fault; does the hard work digging loose pucks free and getting it to linemates in good scoring territory. "- Red Line Report, December issue

5. Zack Phillips, RW Saint John-- Former New England prep player's offense has skyrocketed over the past 45 days...went from being an up-and-down scoring presence to a dynamic, lethal, consistent killer with Huberdeau. He has 25 goals, 51 points in 34 games-- eight goals more than Jurco does. At only 6-0, 180 his size is average as is the skating, but when it comes to being in the right place at the right time, Phillips has that down pat-- a real knack for the offensive aspects of hockey. Keeps his stick on the ice and is very opportunistic around the net. Showing that he made the right move by leaving Lawrence Academy for the Quebec League, Phillips is tearing it up. Just think of the sick stats he would have put up for the Spartans had he stuck around...but the level of competition would have dinged him. The size and lack of dynamic skating will bring his draft stock down a bit, but if Phillips keeps putting up the big points, he seems destined for second-round draft status at least.

Scout's take-- "The first few times I saw him, Phillips didn't do much, but he definitely grewon me. You look at him and he's not as obvious a player as Huberdeau and Jurco, but at the end of the night, you look at the scoresheet and he's got a couple of goals. He plays an honest game and is one of those players who just seems to get it done when the puck is on his stick around the net."- NHL scout, Eastern conf. team

Other QMJHL players to watch:

David Honzik, G Victoriaville-- Czech goalie has size and lots of talent. Pretty focused kid with long limbs/athleticism. Stops the puck well, but needs work on the other aspects of the game like puckhandling/slowing down end-arounds.

Phillip Danault, LW- Victoriaville-- Little winger has some real offensive hockey tools and is making them work this season. Some (RLR) have questioned how well his small size and overall skill level will translate in the pros, but can't argue with the production: 13G, 40 points in 34 games for the Tigres. Like old NHL coach Michel Bergeron, Danault's nickname should be: Le Petit Tigre

Xavier Ouellet, D Montreal-- Another skilled puck-mover, this one doesn't have the size, skating or pure upside of Bealieu. Still Ouellet is underrated. He has terrific vision and the ability to distribute the puck extremely well on the PP. Someone will fall in love with him for the draft, but how high he goes is up for debate because he's much stronger in the intangibles than the measurables.

Christopher Gibson, G Chicoutimi-- Another import goalie, Gibson is the Finnish son of a British ex-pat who helped the Notre Dame Hounds to the Midget AAA championship (with Jaden Schwartz) before taking his talents to Chicoutimi. Like most Finns, he's tall, athletic butterfly goalie who takes up a lot of the net. His .928 save percentage on a bad team is a true testament to this kid's talent and upside.

Olivier Archambault, LW Val-d'Or-- Skilled winger has a lot of offensive potential, but is small and may have trouble translating that upside in the pro ranks much like Danault. He's got some real pluck and hard not to notice him, but doesn't have the top-shelf skills to say that he'll be a draft pick for sure.

Anton Zlobin, LW Shawinigan-- Wrote skilled Russian and breakaway ace up in a recent edition of "A Guy You Should Know" so check it out-- see labels over the the right.

Jimmy Appleby, G Quebec-- The tiny goalie is nowhere on anyone's draft radar, but he's extremely quick and has played well as the Remparts' backup. 2 shutouts in six games and he reminds me of Mike Vernon. Not saying he'll get drafted, but keep an eye on him nonetheless.

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Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings: The QMJHL

E.J. Maguire and his Central Scouting staff have made public their preliminary lists for all of the major junior leagues and USHL, as well as Europe today, and not surprisingly, there is no shortage of controversy and disagreement.

Bruins2011DraftWatch kicks off the analysis of the rankings with the QMJHL and will look at each league separately so as not to create an unreadable mishmash of comments and draft thoughts.

It's no surprise that Sean Couturier sits atop the 'Q' ranking, as he's been on scouts' radars for quite some time now. The big, skilled center just got an audition for scouts during the Subway Super Series against Team Russia and the reviews on his performance were mixed.

"He showed off his impressive size and potential at times," one NHL scout who covers the Quebec and the Maritimes for a Western Conference team told B2011DW via email today. "But he didn't control the play as often or with the consistency that I've come to expect. I still think he's the best player to come out of the (QMJHL) since Sidney Crosby, but his average footspeed got exposed a bit against the quicker, faster Russian squad."

Couturier is still a heck of a talent and draft prospect-- he'll be at the top of the debate all year without a doubt. But, perhaps the Subway Series is the first inkling that the gulf between him and other contenders for the top spot such as Adam Larsson and even Gabriel Landeskog is not as wide as many would think.

A pair of Saint John (New Brunswick) Sea Dogs follow Couturier on the list-- center Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman Nathan Beaulieu. Huberdeau is a tall, skinny playmaker who has had an excellent offensive campaign thus far, leading the team ins scoring with 15 goals and 30 points in 23 games. Coming into the season, Huberdeau was known for his high-end hockey sense as more of a setup man, but he's found the back of the net as often, and players who show balance between goals and assists are always coveted commodities.

"We knew he had the offense prior to the season," the scout said when asked about Huberdeau. "But the goal scoring has been a bonus. He's a very smart, instinctive player. I think he's still learning and needs to improve his complete game, but he's on the rise with the kind of start he's had."

Beaulieu has struggled to live up to the expectations that preceded him after an outstanding summer Team Canada WJC Evaluation Camp. His three goals and 12 points are OK, but looking beyond the stats, you have a nice blend of size (6-3, 191), skating and passion. He may not have elite puck skills, but he's better than his numbers indicate and could develop into an excellent NHL defenseman in time.

"Beaulieu is a very good skater," the scout said. "He didn't get off to a great start, but he's done better over the last month or so, and has the skills to be a fine NHL prospect. I'm not sure of his upside, but with his size and mobility, he's up there."

Rounding out the top-five of Quebec players are a couple of offensively talented wingers in Phillip Danault (Victoriaville) and Olivier Archambault (Vald-d'Or). Neither possesses blazing speed, but have a keen offensive intellect that keeps them in the middle of the action at all times.

"They're smaller guys who know how to score," said the scout. "I'm a little less impressed with their overall defensive efforts and they need to get a lot stronger. But at least in the Quebec League, they are pretty effective."

One player who fell further than expected was Saint John's Tomas Jurco, the third draft prospect from a loaded team that had seven- count 'em- SEVEN players in Central's QMJHL top-25 list.

Jurco is a late-'92 from Slovakia who came over to the Sea Dogs last year and made the adjustment to the North American game pretty readily. He's a puckhandling wizard/freak who is highly effective in traffic and in front of the net. At 6-2, 193 pounds (and he's probably closer to 185 when all is said and done), he's slight and needs to get stronger, but his 12 goals are a little less than half of what he put up all of last season, so he should have 35-40 if all goes well.

"I'm surprised he's lower than Danault and Archambault," the scout said. "It may have to do with his defensive game, which is not as strong, but he does have so much potential offensively. We have him higher than that."

Montreal Juniors defenseman Xavier Ouellet got off to a blazing start offensively and has come down to earth, but is still scoring at about a point-per-game clip (2 goals, 21 points- 23 games) for the club known formerly as the Fog Devils. Ouellet could be one of those prospects who is a better hockey player than an athlete. He doesn't possess great size, or speed and mobility or even an overpowering shot, but he still manages to make the effective first pass and distribute the puck well from the point.

"Every time I've gone to see him, I wanted to grade him down for something but so far it hasn't happened," the scout said. "He's not an explosive skater, but he gets where he needs to go. He doesn't have any real skills that jump out at you, but then he'll make a nice pass and the puck is in the net. He's smart positionally and takes good angles to compensate for the smaller size."

Rounding out the top-10 is Shawinigan power winger Maximilien Le Sieur who is second behind Michael Bournival on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 24 points. Although not tall, Le Sieur is built like a bowling ball and brings some toughness to the table.

"He's got some heavy feet but there's some interesting potential there," the scout said.

Another pair of Sea Dogs in Scott Oke and Ryan Tesink are 9th and 10th-- just ahead of teammate Zack Phillips who was surprisingly not in the top-10. Oke is a lanky winger with very raw, projectable potential, but his three goals and four points in 20 games for Saint John makes his presence in the top-10 is intriguing to say the least. Tesink and Phillips are higher on the depth chart and have been much more involved in the offense, posting 15 points and 24 points respectively. Phillips has already admitted disappointment in where he was ranked, so it will be interesting to see how he responds to the slight.

Moving on to the goaltenders, Finnish netminder Christopher Gibson (the son of a British ex-pat father and mother from Finland) tops the list. He's outperformed fellow draft eligible Robin Gusse in Chicoutimi, posting an outstanding .928 save percentage and 7-6-3 record with 2.20 GAA on a poor team.

"Gibson is that prototype butterfly goalie with size and athleticism from Finland," said the scout. "He came from the Notre Dame Hounds program and won a championship for them there, so he's very accomplished and proving himself in the Quebec league on a team that doesn't score a lot."

Also in the mix for top-two round consideration is Czech goalie David Honzik, who left Europe to play for the Victoriaville Tigres this season. He's struggled a bit with the transition this season, but with a 6-3 frame and terrific athleticism, Honzik is a long-term project who could pay big dividends along the lines of a Jaroslav Halak down the road so long as the team that drafts him is willing to be patient and develop him. Long-limbed and instinctive, he has nice potential so long as you get past the pedestrian stats.

While there are certainly some interesting prospects in the QMJHL this season, Central it appears that got their top-three right. In terms of pure talent and pro potential, Couturier, Huberdeau and Beaulieu are the best that league has to offer. This blog would have Jurco at four, but that's certainly up for debate.

One thing to remember with the CSS preliminary rankings is that they have less to do with performance and more to do with getting names out there for the NHL teams to consider. Of course, that's the party line. (wink wink, nod nod)

Christopher Gibson: A guy you should know

After being named the CHL Goaltender of the Week for 4-11 October, Finland native Christopher Gibson isn't going to be flying under the radar much longer. Some might argue that he was not flying under the radar at all, but when at least one scouting source doesn't even have the player ranked, then you can make the case that he's underexposed.

I got a tip on Gibson (who is a December '92 birthdate), because to be honest-- I wasn't tracking him all that closely, but the outstanding Chicoutimi Sagueneens stopper has clearly outplayed another 2011 draft-eligible in more diminutive but quick teammate Robin Gusse.

The 6-1, 198-pound Gibson has a 4-3-1 record with a 2.28 GAA, .924 save percentage and 2 shutouts for the Sagueneens (I always think of Felix Potvin when I see those black, blue and white jerseys). The 16th overall pick in the 2009 CHL Import Draft got his 1st QMJHL whitewash against the Montreal Juniors and more are likely to come given his big frame, athleticism and the fact that he plays that butterfly technique that is the norm in hockey right now. If you look at him, he resembles Tuukka Rask in terms of his stance and playing style.

He's from the Espoo Blues developmental system in Finland, but came over to North America a few years ago and also an alumnus of the storied Notre Dame Hounds AAA program, for whom he was a part of the 2009 midget championship.

He's got the size and reflexes to play that butterfly style effectively, and there are vids out there that you can access to see for yourself (h/t nhldraftvideo). This prototypical goalie specimen with the quick glove and interesting backstory should be garnering more attention as the season goes on.