04-5 Online Prospect Magazine - R

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R

Alexander Radulov, Nsh, RW, (Rating: 3.5), Quebec (QMJHL) - The younger brother of Blackhawks’ Igor Radulov, Alexander astounded onlookers at the Five-Nations tournament in Finland and subsequently turned heads as the main attraction at Nashville’s summer rookie camp .. The enigmatic, moody Russian overwhelms with excellent quickness, fondness for spectacular highlight-reel plays and keen attacking instincts, but sometimes loses his energy level and interest in accordance with his lone wolf personality .. Must learn to channel his emotions properly.

Igor Radulov, Chi, LW, (Rating: 2.5), Norfolk (AHL) - Handed a spot in the opening lineup following a flashy NHL debut the previous spring (7-5-0-5), free-spirited Russian flopped badly, his subpar work habits openly criticized by teammates, before being exiled to Norfolk near mid-season .. A powerful though somewhat awkward skater, Radulov possesses dazzling one-on-one moves as well as keen attack instincts, but often lacked intensity last season, rarely willing to sacrifice himself physically in high-traffic areas .. Must make a much greater commitment away from the puck as 'lone wolf' act is wearing thin

Tim Ramholt, Cgy, D, (Rating: 3.0), ZSC Zurich (Sui) - Swiss-born second-rounder made an impressive North American debut that began with a strong showing at Calgary's camp and continued in Cape Breton, where he finished sixth in the league with a plus-37 rating, despite missing over a month while at the World Juniors .. A competitive, strong-skating rearguard with a big slapshot, Ramholt excels at the transition game due to his very good passing and puckcarrying abilities, and also showed a surprising physical edge to his game .. Would benefit from AHL grooming.

Mike Richards, Phi, C, (Rating: 3.5), Kitchener (OHL) - Last summer's other first-rounder finished seventh in OHL scoring with a career-best 89 points, and was also an impact contributor on Canada's silver-medalists at the World Juniors, tying for the tournament lead with a plus-11 rating (6-2-3-5) .. A gritty, two-way pivot with excellent playmaking skills, Richards reads the game effortlessly and is a consistently hard worker, however, he is also blessed with soft, strong hands and needs minimal space to unleash a probing wristshot .. Understated player will challenge for a spot at camp.

Danny Richmond, Car, D, (Rating: 3.0), Lowell (AHL) - Michigan dropout earned an extended stay at camp last fall before making an OHL debut that was an adventurous mix of highs and lows, surrounding a gold-medal win with Team USA at the World Juniors in January (6-0-4-4) .. The highly-skilled, offense-inclined Richmond looks like an NHLer going forward due to his smooth, explosive skating and excellent top speed, but, despite the occasional nasty flareup, served up a steady diet of low-percentage outlet passes, soft down-low coverage, and horrendous giveaways .. Must learn how to assess risk better.

Jani Rita, Edm, LW, (Rating: 2.5), HPK (Fin) - Finnish first-rounder sagged after failing to crack the Oilers for a third consecutive time last fall, and only showed brief flashes of dominance in the AHL, which was reflected in the nine total minutes of NHL icetime he earned .. Rita is a rugged, strong-skating winger with a powerful shot, but remains an enigmatic player who seems to lose urgency and stops moving his feet away from the puck, reserving his bursts for when scoring opportunities appear .. AHL production has been in steady decline since a 25-goal debut in `01-2, and needs to take bigger bites.

Derek Roy, Buf, C, (Rating: 3.5), Rochester (AHL) - Indomitable former Kitchener captain and Memorial Cup star progressed in leaps and bounds during his pro debut and, following an initial adjustment period upon promotion from Rochester in December, stepped up with a clutch seven-goal final quarter (19-7-3-10), finishing tied for second among NHL rookies with four game-winners, despite appearing in just 49 games .. A gutsy and tireless competitor with quick, soft hands, the pint-sized Roy slices through traffic, effortlessly plying his virtuoso stickhandling, extraordinary lateral speed and dexterity, and sense for instantly recognizing the most dangerous route to the net .. Brisk development made Curtis Brown expendable

Stefan Ruzicka, Phi, LW, (Rating: 3.0), Owen Sound (OHL) - The North American transition went smoother than anticipated for talented Slovak, who led all first-year OHLers with a club-high 72 points and was named to the league's Second All-Star Team, yet lost out in 'Top Rookie' voting to a younger Bryan Little .. A slick, determined goal-scorer, Ruzicka is a crafty passer and puckhandler adept at driving outside defenders using his excellent balance and brisk change of pace, and also boasts a quick, hard shot that he strives diligently to deploy .. One to watch.

Prestin Ryan, CBJ, D, (Rating: 2.5), Syracuse (AHL) - The Blue Jackets were quick to snap up feisty Maine senior, who registered a school-record 148 penalty minutes en route to leading the Black Bears to the NCAA championship game, while also earning Second Team All-American honours .. A rambunctious, physical blueliner who plays much bigger than his size, Ryan possesses great skating range, powered by an effortless stride and superb lateral agility, and is a skilled puckmover, though he gets careless at times and will go out of his way to settle vendettas .. Good prospect has NHL-worthy tools, but needs to play a more mature game.