04-5 Online Prospect Magazine - A

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Ari Ahonen, NJ, G, (Rating: 3.0), Albany (AHL) - Reliability continued to elude Finnish first-rounder in his third AHL campaign, as he oscillated between spectacular and suspect, while winning just five of thirty decisions after assuming the starter's job upon Scott Clemmensen's promotion to New Jersey (5-20-5, 3.22, .897) .. A tall, dexterous goalie with superb athleticism, reflexes, and lower-body quickness, Ahonen is learning to economize his movements, while exhibiting better patience one-on-one with shooters, but still suffers positional breakdowns that lead to soft goals, particularly short-side .. Still on the right path.

Andrew Alberts, Bos, D, (Rating: 3.0), Boston College (HE) - Arguably the fastest-rising blueliner in the B's organization is this hard-nosed Minnesota native, who was a tower of power during his junior year, leading the Eagles to the Frozen Four and earning First Team All-American honours .. A rangy, agile blueliner with tremendous upper-body strength, Alberts loves to initiate body contact, and can alter the tone of a game with his mean, wipe-out hits, however, he can get over-zealous at times, and must continue to focus on improving the accuracy of his booming shot .. Coming fast.

Sergei Anshakov, Pit, RW, (Rating: 3.0), CSKA (Rus) - Lanky Russian overcame early groin problems to sparkle at the World Juniors, where he tied for the team scoring lead (6-5-2-7), but lost his way back in the Super League, which coincided with a season-ending injury to centerman Alexander Polushin .. A fast, agile winger with excellent stick skills and a quick, lively shot, Anshakov knows how to control the puck along the offensive walls and has a nose for getting open around the net, though he still defers too much defensive responsibility onto his linemates .. Former Kings second-rounder acquired in the Martin Straka deal, projects as a nice future fit alongside former national junior linemate Evgeny Malkin.

Alex Auld, Van, G, (Rating: 3.5), Manitoba (AHL) - Lanky former Florida second-rounder spent most of his third pro term as Manitoba's starter with only limited NHL relief duty, but got his big break in the playoffs as he was surprisingly inserted for Game 5 and, despite allowing nine goals in three games, held the Canucks in the series, highlighted by a spectacular triple-overtime win in Game 6 .. Auld is a poised, stay-at-home goalie who relies on his excellent leg speed and massive frame to effectively cover the net, but has a tendency to drop into his butterfly too often, and can lose his shape after making the initial save .. Has demonstrated the resiliency to rebound strongly from poor outings.

Jared Aulin, Wsh, C, (Rating: 3.0), Portland (AHL) - It was a lost season for gifted former Kamloops captain, who underwent shoulder surgery in September and was sidelined for close to six months before making his Portland debut in March, two weeks after his rights were acquired from the Kings for Anson Carter .. A smart, imaginative playmaker, Aulin, a former Colorado second-rounder, is a deft puckhandler and lethal shooter with an explosive and well-disguised release, but must continue to elevate his defense and foot speed, which is below NHL standards .. Needs to get back on track after a pair of injury-plagued seasons.