AHL: Admirals tame Wolves

The Atlanta Thrashers and Nashville Predators traded away prospects at the deadline looking to win now. McKeen's was on hand for a recent contest between their respective AHL affiliates in which the Milwaukee Admirals roared back from a three-goal deficit to win 6-4 over the Chicago Wolves.

Cal O'Reilly (Nsh), C, Milwaukee Admirals

An agile skater with nimble feet who has added a bit more burst to his stride since January .. hands are soft and he creatively uses twists and turns to be elusive one-on-one .. crafty playmaker but still lacks finish .. is not shy of traffic areas but tends to be less effective in physical contests .. still a couple of years away.

Pekka Rinne (Nsh), G, Milwaukee Admirals

Beginning to find his form after a rusty start coming back from a shoulder injury .. is blessed with a lanky yet thick frame taking away the net by challenging the shooter .. guilty of over committing to the puckcarrier and was left out to dry when there was a rebound or pass to his periphery ..did a good job with his glove to control rebounds and has a decent blocker side .. plays a bit unorthodox and will resort to flopping .. good skater for a big man and does a good job playing the puck .. capable NHL backup once Chris Mason moves on from Nashville.

Ville Koistinen (Nsh), D, Milwaukee Admirals

The type of smaller but mobile defenseman who can now excel in the NHL .. has exceptional all compass mobility with superb agility and quickness .. light on his feet and can pivot without losing a step .. keeps his head on a swivel and sees the ice very well as his mature puck movement is his best asset .. hands are soft and although he does not have a powerful shot, he does a good job finding shooting lanes and getting the puck to the net accurately .. is smallish which hinders his ability to handle larger opposition but he's stocky and smart allowing him to do an adequate job in his own end with strong positioning.

Brandon Segal (Nsh), LW, Milwaukee Admirals

Plays like a poor mans Bill Guerin as a big physical winger with good speed and a long reach, but does not have the offensive upside despite a heavy, but inaccurate shot .. lacks vision and offensive instincts .. finishes his checks and brings a competitive spirit every time he is viewed.

Kevin Klein (Nsh), D, Milwaukee Admirals

Is still not the dominant puck rushing defenseman he was last season but his defensive game has solidified since the beginning of the season and he seems to have filled out some .. mobility as usual was impressive in all directions .. sees the ice well and makes a strong break out pass .. no longer cheats on defensive assignments and does a better job staying in position and finishing his man physically as of late .. has NHL potential but has taken a step backward after his breakout year last season.

Nathan Oystrick (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

He does not do any one thing exceptionally well but is adequate in every department of the game .. for a smaller defenseman, he is sturdy on his feet and has a decent physical edge .. despite possessing some offensive upside his power play time was cut recently because of the influx of veteran defenseman.

Brett Sterling (Atl), RW, Chicago Wolves

Leads all AHL rookies with 40 goals including a league leading 20 on the power play .. short but very stocky with great balance .. has a knack for slipping off checks .. possesses the uncanny ability to disappear near the net and finish his chances thanks to a quick release and exceptional accuracy .. having a great season but it should be noted that playing with Darren Haydar and Jason Krog has benefited him greatly.

Boris Valabik (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Struggles to defend in the open ice as he was caught flatfooted a few times and was beaten with speed, as his lateral quickness needs to be upgraded .. once he gets beat, he will take a bad penalty with his stick .. does not turn the puck over but struggles to make a tape-to-tape outlet pass .. he will play in the NHL but will never turn out to be a stud like Zdeno Chara, which Atlanta hoped to be getting when they took him 10th overall in 2004.

Jordan LaVallee (Atl), RW, Chicago Wolves

Was rewarded for his strong play with a call up to the NHL earlier in the season .. he is tall with a thick trunk and has the build of a power forward .. possesses a quick release on his snapshot producing a heavy shot with decent accuracy .. is almost unstoppable when he drives the net but needs to do it with greater frequency .. the way he uses his body to shield the puck is NHL caliber .. he could be a third-liner in the near future in the NHL.