Couturier not being made available until after Christmas?

Saw a tweet yesterday from a pretty good source that Sean Couturier's agent, Gilles Lupien, is not making available to scouts and media for interviews until after Christmas.

If true, I don't understand this. Couturier certainly has the English skills to pull any engagement off, and if it's to "protect" him, it could be well-intentioned and smacks of bad business by the agent. It's certainly not a good way to give an NHL team the kind of confidence you want in investing the top selection in a player who might be held too much in the sway of his agent before he's even been drafted.

I hope that this is not accurate or a misunderstanding on my source's part, because there is a lot of hockey to be played between now and late December. Young Couturier should be getting ready to deal with the glaring spotlight rather than being sheltered from it.

One of the things Tyler Seguin told me after the draft was that being exposed to so many demands by the media and the mega-attention he got last season really prepared him for what he was going through in Boston.

Again-- this could be a misinterpretation of Lupien's intentions, so I'm going to confirm, but it's a situation that warrants watching.

Bergeron's extension the right move at right time for Bruins

The Boston Bruins announced that center Patrice Bergeron has agreed to a three-year extension that will pay him $15 million.

Regardless of whether you think the cap hit is a little high given his production, it's the right move because Bergeron's contributions go well beyond a myopic focus on numbers alone. He plays a lot of minutes and with Marc Savard out, he's more than capable of being a solid second-line center for the team. Bergeron is one of the most unheralded defensive forwards in the game, and his high-end hockey sense and passing ability doesn't garner him enough credit because he hasn't put up huge numbers over his career. This could be a year more in line with his 70-point production, however, which would be huge for Boston.

It's hard for me to fathom that it's already been seven years since the B's drafted the relative unknown in the second round of the '03 draft with the compensation pick they got for Bill Guerin signing with Dallas.

I lucked out in that I was staying at the same hotel with Patrice, and spent a Sunday afternoon with him after seeing him hanging out in the hotel lobby, using the one lobby computer to surf the net. He was an earnest, mature-beyond-his-years kid back then, and in hindsight, it wasn't tough to predict that he would have the immediate NHL success he did. I'm happy to say that the Bergeron I got to know that day is the same guy he is today-- success never spoiled him or went to his head. Establishing a strong personal relationship with Bergeron was one of the first real breaks I got covering the Bruins, and I'm glad to say that I've had a front-row seat for his continued growth and maturation as an NHL player over the past seven years.

It's a shame that his progress was derailed by the Randy Jones hit that cost him much of the '07-08 season, but he appears to be getting stronger as we go, and people sometimes forget that he's only coming into his prime at age 25.

Bergeron is one of those players winning teams possess in spades, and Peter Chiarelli knew that. It's why the team won't leave Prague without the modern "Mr. Bruin" in the fold for three more years.

Now, if they can get Zdeno Chara to lock in at a reduced rate for the next few seasons, the GM's to-do list will be about complete.

Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Strome: Two guys from Niagara you should know

The latest edition of my "Guy you should know" series is a two-fer from the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs.

Huge and skilled but raw defenseman Dougie Hamilton you already know a bit about if you read my OHL preseason watch list. He was No. 7 there and if you don't remember it, here's the link for a quick refresher.

However, center Ryan Strome is a player who has come out of nowhere early this season to capture the attention of NHL scouts with his size, skill level and productive play-- he briefly led the league in scoring with nine points in five games (actually tied with Ryan Murphy at the time)until a pair of Sarnia Sting players in Nail Yakupov (Oct. '93 birthdate- not eligible until 2012) and Tyler Peters (overager) eclipsed him with 10 points to move to the top of the scoring list.

Strome has nice size, is a good skater and is emerging as yet another potential high-end prospect to come out of the OHL this season. One of my sources has seen him and had this to say about Strome last night:

"He's legit; nice size, nice skills and is really playing well right now," he said when asked if the early production might be a fluke, given that he only produced 14 points in 34 games last year with Barrie. "I'd say that right now, he looks like a solid early second-rounder, but if he keeps it up, then he'll move up into the first, somewhere in the early twenties, I would think."

Hamilton, already well established on the radars of most NHL scouts working the OHL beat, appears to have taken his development and overall game to the next level and is clearly trending upward as that "complete package" of size, mobility and offensive upside. Watch him this season: he's got one goal and three points in the early going, and at 6-4, 193 pounds, has that natural size that every team covets.

"This is a guy who already looks like a solid No. 2 for the NHL and it's still early," the scout said. "He's got a very nice upside and I think is only starting to show what he's capable of."

So, there you have it-- Hamilton and Strome. Two players on the same team, but who are just a pair of latest examples of how strong a league the OHL is in terms of being a pipeline of talent to the NHL.

The verdict on Seguin

With Boston wrapping up the exhibition season with a 7-1 win over Liberec of the Czech Extraliga in Prague on Tuesday, the 2010-11 NHL season is upon us, and it looks like Tyler Seguin has passed his audition and will be in the big show at the tender age of 18.

He scored four goals in the preseason, albeit three of them coming against the Belfast Giants and Liberec Tigers. However, his snipe against Florida shows just how skilled and offensively savvy he is. The goals, while have to be taken in context, have no doubt done well to instill some confidence going into the season openers this weekend against Phoenix.

If you followed Seguin closely last season and in leading up to the draft where he was the second overall selection, then you already know that many scouts/watchers/observers did not predict instant stardom from him at the NHL level. And, although we've seen his elite skill level on display at times in the summer development camp, rookie games against the Islanders and main camp/preseason, I believe that he's made it known that there will be a learning curve for him. Now, I also said last year that he's a more mature and NHL-ready player than Joe Thornton was 13 years ago and I stand by that.

Seguin doesn't have the crushing, outrageous expectations that Thornton faced coming in, and I think it's a pretty good bet that barring anything unforseen, he'll rack up more than the pittance of seven points Thornton did as an NHL rookie. As long as he can play responsibly in all zones and learn from the mistakes he's bound to make, he'll be fine. And, if his rookie year is more Matt Duchene than Thornton, then so much the better. But, at this point, most B's fans would take a Steven Stamkos-like start as long as it means he progresses and develops.

Seguin also has the luxury of being on a pretty strong, balanced team that has been just one goal away from the conference semi-finals in each of the last two seasons. He comes into Boston with the opportunity to have his ice time controlled until he can better adapt and handle the challenges (read peaks and valleys) he's sure to face in his first campaign. And, don't forget that he got off to a rocky start in his first OHL season before getting comfortable and really turning it on over the last 1.5 years.

This kid is a winner, and I believe the B's got a player they will one day build around. That time is not now, but eventually, Seguin will justify his lofty draft position and be the kind of competitor and leader the team envisions.

So, on that note, the Seguin era in Boston has officially begun.

Carl Söderberg sighting

This is one of those non-2011 draft posts that I'll occasionally indulge in here on this blog space, and for that, I apologize.

I must admit that following hockey prospects is a borderline obsession with me, so even though my head tells me sometimes that certain players simply aren't going to pan out in the NHL, I still go through the process of watching them nonetheless. I did this about six years ago with Slovak goalie Peter Hamerlik when he was playing in the ECHL, and I bought tickets and drove several hours just to see him play when he was with the Augusta Lynx. That endeavor proved to be a waste of time and energy.

So it was yesterday that I found myself tuning into the exhibition game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Swedish Allsvneskan club the Malmö Redhawks. Hardcore Bruins prospects followers are well versed with Malmö because that is the team that Carl Söderberg has repeatedly spurned Boston in favor of playing for since Peter Chiarelli acquired his rights more than three years ago for Hannu Toivonen.

The former second-round pick in 2004 didn't make a splash offensively, but even in a limited viewing of an admittedly poor quality feed, I could see why he's been a relatively hot topic of debate and certainly a polarizing figure over the last two seasons. Alas, I didn't see anything that would really lead me to believe that he's a difference-maker at the NHL level.

Often times, there is a tendency for fans and hockey followers to get hung up on skill/talent when discussing whether players are going to go the distance and justify their draft positions or projections for them based on ability alone. Being a pro hockey player has a lot to do with ability, but that's not the only driving force that will determine a player's success or failure, and perhaps more importantly, whether that individual will ever get the maximum out of his natural physical gifts that enable him to do what 95% of the rest of us can't.

Söderberg is an NHL talent. But, I'd be surprised if the league ever sees more than 100 games from him.

It isn't a maturity or character thing with the Swede, he's simply a player who appears to be settled in his hometown and has perhaps reconciled himself to the fact that being in North America is not a top priority.

It's a shame, too, because talent-wise, he certainly can skate in the NHL and carve a niche for himself as a third-liner at the very least. However, he just seems content to stay at home and play there as opposed to doing what it takes to commit to the NHL and have to work his way into a job in the world's top hockey league. It certainly isn't a crime that he's declined to sign and come over, but after having watched him, I can honestly say that the team has in all likelihood moved on and unless he comes to them and really wants to make a go of it, we're not going to see him darkening the doorsteps of NHL arenas anytime soon, at least not in a Bruins sweater.

So, the beat goes on. Söderberg is a lot like that girl (or guy) that was so much better looking and popular than you were used to dating in high school who for a fleeting moment expressed interest in you and maybe even gave you her number. You saw what could be and spent hours on one or more evenings waiting for her to call, only to be disappointed, because at the end of the day, she simply wasn't into you enough to make much of an effort to get past small talk phase of your relationship. At some point, you moved on.

And so it is with the Bruins' courtship of Söderberg. They tried to get him on board before, when there were spots for the taking but for reasons known only to him, it wasn't enticing enough to cross the Atlantic and give it a shot.

There are always a variety of reasons for a prospect's inability to become a legitimate NHL player, but in the end, the lack of commitment and/or desire is the biggest showstopper of them all.

And that's where we appear to be with Söderberg.

THN publishes top-10 for 2011 Draft online

For those of you like me with a subscription to the Hockey News, you've seen their major junior/2011 draft eligibles preview issue, which deals with the top-10 players in each of the major junior leagues in the CHL.

Now, Ryan Kennedy has taken it a step further with THN's top-10 for the entire draft, which takes all leagues and the European pool into account.

You can read the story here.

A few observations:

This is a solid top-10...as with any list, especially one this early in the season, there are going to be quibbles about where the players are ranked, but the top dogs are all here, and if you look over to the right, B2011DW has a little something on every single one of them. Some more than others, but as the season progresses, the goal is to provide information overload. After all, that's what I do.

Sean Couturier is at the head of the class right now, and he's done little to dissuade the notion that he could be the first top overall pick out of the QMJHL since Sidney Crosby in 2005, and the first player of French Canadian heritage to get the call since Marc-Andre Fleury in 2003 (both interestingly enough to the Pittsburgh Penguins). The scout's quote is interesting-- he characterizes Couturier as a "smooth skater." Based on what I have heard and seen in limited viewings on TV (Memorial Cup, video) his skating is what needs to be addressed the most in his game. Of course, it's a minor flaw in the grand scheme when you consider that his hockey sense is off the charts and that he has the size/hands to be a danger to score every time he's out on the ice. But "smooth" skater? I would reserve that comment for the guys who are effortless and truly adept at the mobility aspect of the game. This just goes to show that everyone has a different opinion when scouting and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You hate to level the kind of expectations that comparing Nicklas Lidstrom to any 18-year-old kid will generate, but Adam Larsson has the similar tools package and Nik's grace under fire. As the No. 2 overall candidate right now according to THN, I'm just going to say that by the time June, 2011 rolls around, Larsson will be the top pick in the draft. He's playing against men for the second consecutive year and was Sweden's best defenseman on their WJC Under-20 team last year...at age 17. I just feel that in the end, barring a total collapse or severe injury, NHL scouts for whichever club is the bottom-dweller in 2011 are going to see having a franchise-caliber/cornerstone defender as being a better value than a big, skilled center. This is going to be one great race-- much like the Taylor/Tyler competition was last year.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a pure scorer who may be on the slight side, but with his explosiveness, high-end offensive hockey IQ and dynamic, game-breaking ability, he's going to be in the mix for top consideration all year. The Red Deer Rebel put on a clinic in Slovakia last August, outperforming the CHL Rookie of the Year Matt Puempel by a pretty significant margin according to a couple of NHL scouts I spoke to in attendance there.

Pennsylvania power forward Brandon Saad is in the top-four thanks to a solid start in the OHL with Saginaw this year. He was studly last year in the USHL with the U.S. NTDP, and his developmental curve seems to be almost vertical. With his natural size, excellent skating ability, hands and work ethic, he's going to go off the board high in Minnesota.

Omaha Lancers power forward Seth Ambroz rounds out the top-five, and the giant Minnesotan and Golden Gophers recruit is an interesting pick here, because I've gotten more mixed reviews and assessments of this player than any other. He's been a physically dominant player for three years now, and some are concerned that he might have plateau'd in that regard, but at the same time, he had a pretty strong Ivan Hlinka, in helping Team USA to the silver medal, so he's a winner. He's off to a slow start offensively in the USHL season after one week, but rest assured-- the scoring drought won't last long. He could get 50-60 goals in that league given that this is his third year there.

I like the trio of forwards that are 6-8-- Puempel, Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener) and Tomas Jurco (Saint John). All of these players are pretty well known in hockey circles and Landeskog, especially, is a fun guy to watch because he's such an atypical player from Sweden. Imagine a cross between Mats Sundin and Brendan Shanahan, and you'll start to gain an idea of how coveted this player will be on draft day. I think he'll move into the top-five when all is said and done, and whomever lands him will be getting one heck of a talent with some real snarl.

A pair of defenders round out the top-10, and if you're a Bruins fan hoping for a defenseman and believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs will have another bottom-10 finish in 2011, then one of these two may be the player to key on for Boston's draft.

David Musil is your prototype NHL defenseman of the modern era: big, skilled with athletic bloodlines and all the physical attributes you want in a player. But, and I'll be honest here-- he concerns me a little bit from the standpoint that what I've heard about his intensity and effort levels isn't ideal. Maybe it's a case of a kid needing to mature or that things have simply come much too easy for him up to now, but it will be real interesting to see how he progresses this year and what Vancouver coach Don Hay tells NHL scouts about Musil off the record. Hay is one of the most able and respected coaches in amateur hockey and he's not going to brook any lack of effort from anyone on his Giants squad...this may be the best possible thing for Musil, as good coaching can often make a player's draft year. Musil is without question a top-end talent on defense with the natural instincts to go with the size and skills. If he goes out and proves he can bring it with consistency, then he'll go in the top-five. I'd say that Kennedy's ranking of him reflects the same kinds of whispers I've been hearing.

Finally, there's the little big man on 'D'-- Kitchener offensive dynamo Ryan Murphy, whose blistering start to the OHL season is making believers out of a lot of people, some of whom knew he had tremendous scoring potential, but weren't sold on his defense. Thus far, he's been on the ice for only one goal allowed and is playing an effective game in all zones. Although only 5-11 and needing to get a lot stronger, you simply cannot argue with this kids blazing wheels, powerful shot, feather-touch on the puck and this preternatural ability to find chinks in opposing defenses and move the puck through bodies at will.

Although the Bruins have an abundance of defenders who stand under 6-feet, Murphy is going to energize the team's war room all season during their mid-season meetings and all the work they do leading up to the draft. He's such a prolific talent offensively, which is the one true dimension in their organization that the Bruins lack. On the face of it, you'd think that Murphy's size would scare them off, but if that Toronto pick puts them in the position to select this player, it would be hard to imagine them passing purely based on the size aspect. The key question Murphy has to answer is whether he can project as a No. 1 in the NHL.

So far, he's doing it.

Kennedy has done good work and it certainly helps to get the juices flowing on this young hockey season. The NHL regular season start is just around the corner and before we know it, we'll be having the standings updates and begin the 2011 draft watch in earnest.

Climb on board and join me for what should be a fun ride!

Weekend WHL roundup: Bartschi helping ease loss of Niederreiter in Portland

Nino Niederreiter he's not, but Swiss forward Sven Bartschi is doing his best to make the Portland Winterhawks and their fans forget that their star winger from a year ago and the fifth overall pick in 2010 looks like he'll be seeing full-time NHL employment with the New York Islanders this season.

The small, but dynamic little forward had his first two-goal game (he also added an assist) in Portland's 6-2 win over Lethbridge on Sunday. That gives him six points in five games as a left winger. At 5-10, 177-pounds, he doesn't have the size or snarl to play Niederreiter's power game, but he can really scoot and has terrific hands. Bartschi is the 77th-ranked prospect in Red Line Report's September issue and could be on the rise if he can keep producing in the skilled, but physical WHL.

Bartschi is being overshadowed a bit right now by fellow 2011 draft-eligible Ty Rattie (who has three goals, eight points to lead Portland), but his six points are good enough for a tie in second place (with Toronto second-rounder Brad Ross) . Between Rattie and Bartschi, it looks as if Portland will once again be a destination du'jour for scouts this season after years of being largely ignored.

Vancouver's Marek Tvrdon is also off to a good start, with four goals in six games for the B.C Division-leading Giants (that's not saying much-- they're 3-3). The Slovak was one of the best players for his country in the international tournaments last year and has jumped off nicely under Don Hay in what is also another impressive import crop in the WHL (much like the OHL). Having a coach like Hay will only be good for a player like Tvrdon who certainly has the size and skill level, but who has been knocked for his uneven performance/compete levels. Hay won't let him off the hook with that kind of showing in Vancouver, so watch for this guy to move up the boards if he keeps producing.