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.

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.

Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings: The USHL Pt. 2

Good Sunday morning!

B2011DW is back with the second part of the USHL and final part in our Central Scouting preliminary breakdown. I previously brought you the top-five and I'll review the guys from 6-25 plus a few of the goalies. I won't hit all of the players, as several scouts have told me that a good number of these guys don't belong and aren't legitimate pro prospects. Once again, I want to thank my sources for providing so many good insights on players who aren't as easy to see. Red Line Report's Max Giese is one of the best young talent hounds out there with a tremendous work ethic and keen eye for hockey, while my NHL scouts are proven over time. I just wish sometimes that I could name them in these reports because they deserve credit for their many hits over the years. Giese, a former goaltender from Janesville, Wisconsin, is like a lot of goalies out there-- he spent a lot of time watching the game and gaining insights that many skaters don't get because of the fast-paced nature of hockey. And, like all NHL scouts out there, he's logging countless miles on his car traveling to far-flung midwestern hockey outlets.

So, getting going, we'll kick off with a player I'm pretty familiar with in former Choate Rosemary Hall standout Mike Paliotta, who is the one player from New England (Westport, Conn.) who has a legitimate shot at being a first-round draft pick in June. The Wild Boars' loss was the U.S. NTDP's gain when Paliotta went out to Ann Arbor a year ago, and the University of Vermont recruit may not be flashy or spectacular, but he has the size and mobility to get the job done in the NHL. He has solid No. 2/3 upside and is working as the U.S. Under-18 team's triggerman on the power play.

"He's shown a lot of improvement (since September)," Giese said. "He's really committed to his role. He's a big kid (6-3, 196) who moves pretty well on his feet. I'd say he's above average for his size (as a skater) and has taken his physical game up a notch. He's trying to play that same kind of role for the Under-18 team that Jarred Tinordi did last year."

Giese was quick to point out that Paliotta doesn't have Tinordi's intimidating physical presence, but he may have more skill when it comes to skating and moving the puck than the Montreal first-rounder.

"He makes a good first pass," said Giese. "He gets into a little bit of trouble when he gets the puck and stops moving his feet; those passing windows tend to close up. So, Paliotta is going to need to keep moving his feet. Overall, though, these are things he'll improve with good coaching and experience. I'd say that he's rising up (the various) lists."

Paliotta's teammate, Adam Reid, is seventh on the Central list for the USHL and makes his debut on Bruins2011DraftWatch on this post. Here is what was published in Red Line Report's November issue recap of the U.S. NTDP draft eligible players:

Rangy and industrious two-way winger. Stronger on his feet with improved balance and top-end speed, but still has some awkward moments and needs to get quicker out of the gate... Tall and needs to fill out. Not a malicious hitter, though he uses his size well doing the dirty jobs along the boards.

Not a complete report, as the information RLR publishes is proprietary, but you get the picture. Reid has some interesting, if raw potential.

At eight, Central has Michigander Sean Kuraly, who skates for the Indianapolis Ice on the list. Here's where some of the divergence of opinions comes in. Although Kuraly skated for the silver medal U.S. squad at the Ivan Hlinka a few months ago, he's not exactly a favorite among scouts B2011DW has spoken to.

"I don't see much upside with Kuraly," said an NHL scout familiar with him from international competition. 'He skates well enough, but I don't think he's got the hands and puck skills to get the job done at the NHL level."

Giese concurred.

"He's nothing more than a checker in my view and one who's high maintenance," he said. "Not sure how he ends up higher than some of the other players on the list."

Fargo Force winger Colten St. Clair is another low-upside, two-way forward who has been uneven in his performance thus far.

"He can skate and has good defensive awareness," said the NHL scout. "But he kills his teams with undisciplined penalties and has got to figure out how to maintain the compete levels over a full game. I just don't see that from him-- the consistency and intensity given the style of hockey he plays."

St. Clair has a gritty element to his game, but at the same time, it's not to the degree that would see him drafted a lot higher than his skill level would warrant.

"(St. Clair) is good, but he's not Connor Brickley tough," Giese said. Brickley, a former Belmont Hill standout before going to the USHL last year, was a second-round pick by the Florida Panthers.

Rounding out the top-10 is U.S. NTDP defenseman Robbie Russo, who has been the PP quarterback for the Under-18 team this year and is respected for his solid all-around play and character. He's heading to Notre Dame and should be an excellent addition for the Fighting Irish.

"He's playing well and I'd expect him to be an early second-rounder," said Giese of Russo. "He reminds me a lot of Matt Carle-- he's not the biggest (5-11, 190), most explosive defenseman out there, but he's very intelligent and calculated with his puck movement."

Yes, Russo is an adept puck-mover, which should pick up the antennae of Bruins fans who know their team desperately needs players on the back-end who can jumpstart the attack with clean breakout leads. Unfortunately, Russo's lack of size works against him as a Boston option, given the multiple sub-six footers they have in their system right now.

"I like him OK," Giese said. "But he doesn't really light a fire under me. I would imagine that NHL teams like him, but if I were with a team, he wouldn't be my guy. Not taking anything away from him as a player, but he just doesn't have the kind of dynamic game that I would want to spend a second-round pick on."

For the most part, this covers the high-enders coming out of the USHL, although B2011DW fave Joakim Ryan gets a mention here. The son of a Swedish tennis pro mother and sports agent dad who is a dual U.S.-Swedish citizen, Ryan grew up in N.J. and is now scouting for Dubuque.

"He's an interesting kid," said an NHL scout. "He's coming out of New Jersey high school hockey and midget AAA, so he's pretty raw right now. He's lean and lacking in functional strength, but he's a fine skater and sees the ice well. I'm still surprised that he didn't get a better look for Team USA."

The scout is referring to the fact that Ryan was cut from Team USA Ivan Hlinka tryout evaluations and was subsequently added to Team Sweden. He could still technically play for USA because Hlinka isn't a sanctioned IIHF event, but it appears that Ryan found himself a home with the Tri-Kronor and will stick with his mother's country even though he's a Jersey boy. Don't expect a high draft flyer on Ryan, but he's got some interesting potential and is one to keep an eye on.

25th-ranked Cason Hohmann is bound for Boston University next season and was one of the USA's most noticeable forwards at the Hlinka, but he's so small that in the eyes of some, is not a legitimate NHL prospect.

"His playmaking skill is legit, but he's so small and won't go into traffic," Giese said. "I think he'll be a great college player and may even have a nice AHL career, but he's been too soft and is too small for me to be comfortable with his long-term NHL potential."

Limited viewing players who have missed time because of injuries are a pair of U.S. NTDP guys in forward Zac Larraza and defenseman Connor Murphy. Larraza has nice size and skills, but hasn't been able to put it together yet and remains a potential high upside wildcard who has not delivered. Murphy is the son of former Bruins defenseman and current Florida Panthers assistant Gord Murphy (he played for the Panthers as well). Murphy has very good size and two-way potential; he was one of the best defenders at the Hlinka in August, but he can't stay healthy. Last year, he ruptured his spleen and missed most of the season. This year, it's been a wonky back, so teams will be risking a high pick on a fragile player who simply hasn't had a lot of viewings. Watch for him to slip unless he can come back and reassure scouts with strong play.

As far as goalies go, U.S. NTDP star John Gibson is at the top and is undisputed in that regard according to multiple scouts.

At 6-3, 200 pounds, the Pennsylvanian is highly athletic and takes up a lot of the net. He has outstanding technique and is mentally tough, about as good a combination as you can have when it comes to projecting goalies.

"He makes it look so easy," said Giese. "But he's got to do it on the big stage. Yes, he won gold at the Under-17 (tournament), but with Jack Campbell ahead of him, he hasn't been able to do it in the bigger international tourneys. I think that he's proven himself in the USHL, but until scouts see him do it at a higher level, his ranking is going to be down a bit."

Campbell's stranglehold on the playing time for the big international competitions is both a blessing and curse for the other fine young American goalies in the chute, but Gibson should get his chance this season, even if it isn't going to be at the WJC in Buffalo. If he performs to expectations, then watch for him to entrench himself in the top-30. Gibson has a verbal commitment to Ohio State, but watch for him to possibly jump to the OHL like Campbell did depending on the kind of advice he gets.

Virginia native Jay Williams of the Waterloo Black Hawks is No. 2, and the former prep star got a chance to play a bit at the Hlinka before getting supplanted by Loomis-Chaffee's Steve Michalek. Williams isn't huge, but is very quick, positionally-sound player who is a throwback to the days of Mike Vernon and Andy Moog being among the top netminders in the NHL.

"He's an interesting guy, but very, very raw," said an NHL scout who attended the Ivan Hlinka in Slovakia. "He had a chance to take the ball and run with it (in August) and lost the job to Michalek, so I think that set him back a bit."

He's not been great in the early going of the USHL: in six games, he has just a 3.87 GAA, .858 save percentage and 2-3 record for the Black Hawks.

Gibson's backup, Matt McNeely rounds out the goalie top-three and should be ranked ahead of Williams. Like Gibson, McNeely is big (6-3) and fills the net, but his technique is not as strong. The Minnesota-Duluth recruit has a lot of raw potential, but rebound control is weak and he's not going to get the kind of playing time this season to make a big move up the rankings.

Well, that's a wrap on this series. I hope this has served its purpose to bring you up to speed on some of the players you should be tracking as we start to head into the winter stretch. B2011DW will return with the same kind of analysis and updates when Central releases their mid-term and final rankings.

As always, comments are welcome and if there is anyone you'd like to learn more about, shoot me a note and I'll see what I can do.

USHL notes: Ambroz held scoreless in Omaha win

Seth Ambroz is the prohibitive favorite to be the top player out of the USHL to be taken in the 2011 draft, but the big, skilled power forward from New Prague, Minnesota was held off the scoresheet in his team's 3-2 win over the expansion Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Justin Crandall (a '92 from Lakeville, Minnesota) had two of Omaha's goals (he scored on both of his shots), and Dubuque defenseman Joakim Ryan is a player of interest. The son of a Swedish tennis pro, but born in the USA and a native of the Garden State, Joakim was snubbed by the U.S. NTDP, so Team Sweden grabbed him. He had an assist in the loss. He's a pretty slick two-way defenseman who is a product of the N.J. High School and N.J. Jr. Devils AAA program, but I like him as a prospect. He's worth keeping tabs on as a mid-rounder in the draft.

But the real story of the game was Latvian forward Zemgus Girgensons, who figured in both of his teams goals: tallying a goal and assisting on John Gaudreau's score. I saw him when he was with the Green Mountain Glades of the EJHL last year and he's a beast- big (6-1), fast and skilled. The plan is for him to play in Iowa this year, accelerate and be at the University of Vermont next year. As a '94 birthdate, he's not eligible until 2012, but put this kid on your watch list now, because you'll be hearing his name quite a bit over the next 18 months.

Gaudreau is very skilled, but tiny. Like Cedar Rapids forward Cason Hohmann, he really played well at the Ivan Hlinka for Team USA (and like Ryan is from Jersey) but when you're about 5-6 and less than 150 pounds, it's a real tough sell to get drafted.

You won't see Ambroz held scoreless much this season with his size, talent and experience/superior physical maturity, so take a snapshot of this and save it. I'm sure we'll be talking a lot about his scoring exploits a lot this year.

Ivan Hlinka: The 2010-11 hockey season begins today

The annual under-18 extravaganza in Piestany, Slovakia, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament (named for the star Czech forward, IIHF Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Penguins coach who was killed in a car accident in 2004) gets underway today and the annual competition has become a who's who of the upcoming draft class.

The tournament, originally known as the Pacific Cup and Nations Cup , it differs from the April IIHF Under-18 World Championship tournament in that the Ivan Hlinka is not an official IIHF-sanctioned event. That said, it's usually a tournament that brings much more higher-end talent to the mix especially on Team Canada, because the CHL season is not yet underway and therefore the playoffs in the three major junior leagues do not conflict. As an example, Tyler Seguin led Team Canada's Ivan Hlinka squad (who won gold) in scoring last August, but did not play for the Under-18 championship team because Plymouth was in the process of getting swept by Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires. Ryan Spooner was also on the Canada squad that took gold in '09.

Last year, Jeff Skinner used the Hlinka tourney as a springboard for his impressive run from being considered a non-1st-round pick in the preseason by many public scouting sources, to top-10 selection with what was a tremendous performance offensively.

Just to underscore Canada's dominance in the tourney since its inception in 1991, they've come away with the gold 14 times and have 17 total medals (failing to earn a medal just twice-- in 2003 and 2007). Russia/USSR (3), the United States (1) and Sweden (1) are the only other countries to capture gold.

This year, Canada looks stronger than ever, with a formidable roster lacking only in potential top pick Sean Couturier, who as a late '92 birthdate, is not eligible (Hall did not play for Canada last year for the same reason-- his late '91 status). Couturier did play in the '09 Hlinka, so he's at least gotten a taste of the storied competition.

Guys to watch up front for Canada as top-10 candidates in 2011 include: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels, WHL) not all that big (6-0, 166) but is tremendous with the puck and can create offense on the fly with his superior hockey sense and vision. He lost out on CHL Rookie of the Year honors to Matt Puempel of the Peterborough Petes, who followed Spooner as only the second 16-year-old in Petes history to score 30 goals in a season. Boone Jenner has a great name, and at almost 6-2, 197 pounds is a big man in the middle for the Oshawa Generals with skill and a knack for offense, not to mention the character and leadership that wins you hockey games. Phillip Danault of the Victoriaville Tigres is another player to watch in this tourney-- he could pull a Skinner and elevate his stock if he can keep putting the puck in the net, as he had quite a productive evaluation camp. Don't forget about tall, lanky center Jonathan Huberdeau, who had an excellent QMJHL playoffs for Saint John last spring. He's a stringbean at 6-2, 166 pounds, but has the skill level to make a run at a top-30 selection in June. I also like the look of Sarnia Sting power winger Brett Ritchie, who is already about 6-3 and tipping the scales at over 200 pounds. He's a decent skater who works hard and be a handful at this tourney with his big frame and willingness to do the dirty work along the walls and in front of the net. One forward who could generate some buzz this year is former St. Michael's (CCHL) winger Lucas Lessio. Originally committed to the University of Michigan, Lessio opted instead for the OHL and the Oshawa Generals (who acquired his draft rights from the Niagara Ice Dogs) and folks will get to see what kind of chemistry he can put together with Jenner in Slovakia. At 6-1, 195 he has good size, wheels and scored 30 goals and 72 points in 41 games last season for the Buzzers, so he's got some offensive pop, bringing Canada a real embarrassment of riches up front (so what else is new, eh?).

On defense, Canada left the small but ultra-skilled Kitchener Rangers star Ryan Murphy at home, which is a curious decision, as he has evoked a lot of comparisons to another player with the same first name and similar game in '09 top-rounder Ryan Ellis. It seems that Murphy is the kind of player tailor-made for this competition, so for him to be left off the Canada roster is an ongoing source of debate. If Canada wins it all as expected, there won't be an issue, but if they don't, then expect a lot of second-guessing to occur.

I like Mississauga defender Stuart Percy and am intrigued with him and how his season will unfold. He was the 15th overall pick by the St. Mike's in the '09 OHL priority selection and has nice size and skills, to go along with some toughness. Check out video of his two fights last season if you can find it on the web-- he can throw 'em. I got a tip from one of my Ontario sources that he could be a guy who shoots up the various draft boards between now and June because he has all the tools to do it. And, he'll be appealing to Boston because he's got some size (although he's not a monster at about 6-1) which would put him in a different category from the midget brigade the B's have assembled in their prospect stable thus far at the position. London Knights defenseman Scott Harrington is another two-way defenseman with some real skill and given Boston's time spent scouting Jared Knight and keeping tabs on Mike Hutchinson, expect that he's already on their radar in the first round.

Team USA will have their hands full in this tourney. The U.S. NTDP doesn't send the cream of their crop, giving players who come from other developmental programs a chance to compete. There aren't a lot of big-name players on this roster outside of Minnesota power forward Seth Ambroz, but there are several sons of former NHLers who could make names for themselves: Connor Murphy (son of former Bruin Gord Murphy), Lukas Sutter (Rich Sutter's boy, born in St. Louis when his dad played for the Blues) and Keegan Lowe (Edmonton Oilers president and 6-time Stanley Cup champion Kevin Lowe's son) are all on the squad. Ambroz is the top draft candidate on the USA roster at present, a big body who has the size, shot and edge to be a true power forward in the NHL someday.

For the Americans to have a chance, they're going to need great goaltending, and they don't ge the luxury of going to the well to use Jack Campbell this year. Connecticut native Steven Michalek and Jay Williams (from the hockey hotbed of Virginia) will have to shoulder the load. The team's medal hopes took a big body blow when skilled forwards Shane McColgan and Alex Gacek had to bow out because of injuries.

Team Sweden has a few interesting players on the roster, namely Mika Zibanejad and Victor Rask, who is big, skates very well and brings a high energy level with him. Rask was impressive in international play last season and could see some playing time with Leksands this year given his nice size (6-1, 195), skill level and maturity. He's definitely one to watch. Unfortunately for Sweden, Adam Larsson and Kitchener forward Gabriel Landeskog aren't playing by virtue of their late '92 birthdates. But fear not, you'll get to see Larsson and probably Landeskog as well in Buffalo this winter, skating for Team Sweden's WJC (Under-20) squad. Zibanejad has a high-end skill level to go with good size (6-1) and the kind of natural hockey sense and offensive creativity that could see him earn a first-round grade in the 2011 NHL draft. Zibanejad, who is a member of the Djurgården hockey club, opened a lot of eyes at the World Under-17 Challenge last year in Timmins, Ont. and he brings the kind of swagger to go with a very high upside that you normally don't see from the Scandinavian ranks.

On defense, the New Jersey-born Joakim Ryan is an interesting draft story for 2011. The son of Swedish tennis pro Catarina Lindqvist and agent Bill Ryan was cut by the U.S. NTDP, so Sweden grabbed the lanky, but skilled rearguard and added him to their national team. He's got nice wheels and good puck-moving ability; he can lead the rush or play a sound positional defense. He'll play this season in the USHL for the expansion Dubuque Fighting Saints and is headed to Cornell University next fall. He aappears to be one who got away for the Americans. Ryan's been a prolific scorer from the blue line over the past two seasons skating with the New Jersey Jr. Devils (midget AAA) and Christian Brothers Academy in his native Garden State.

The Czechs are more known for who isn't playing for them than who is. Lukáš Králík is a big, right-shooting forward who plays for HC Olomouc has shown some nice offensive potential, and is expected to carry much of the team's scoring duties. Also, keep an eye on Matěj Beran of HC Karlovy Vary, who has the tools and upside to break out in this, his draft season.

Czech skill forward Martin Frk is not playing (due to commitment to the Halifax Mooseheads), nor is huge defenseman David Musil (due to injury). Musil is already considered a top-five selection this season because of his size (6-5) and athleticism/upside. He is the son of former NHL rearguard (and current Edmonton scout) Frantisek Musil and Bobby Holik's sister, Andrea Holikova, who was a world-class tennis player. Holikova, you may not recall, actually attended the 1989 NHL Draft in her younger brother's stead to receive Holik's Hartford Whalers jersey when the team took him with the 10th overall pick (he was unable to travel to the U.S. back then because Czechoslovakia was still behind the Iron Curtain). With those bloodlines, the younger Musil is a raw, but very intriguing prospect with a very high ceiling.

I don't have a lot of detailed insight on Team Russia, Slovakia or Finland, but Markus Granlund, Mikael's younger brother, is skating in this tournament for Team Suomi. He doesn't have his older brother's sublime hockey sense and playmaking ability, but is still considered a player to watch this season.

Canada kicks off the play today with a match against Sweden, while USA takes on the Czech Republic, Slovakia versus Switzerland and Russia against Finland in four games split in two venues of Piestany and Breclav.

UPDATE: Canada defeated Sweden by a 6-3 score in the opening contest today-- no surprise. Also not surprisng was the fact that Nugent-Hopkins, Puempel and Lessio scored. Sault Ste. Marie forward Daniel Catenacci scored twice. Joachim Nemark had a goal and a helper in the loss.