AHL: Evolving Grossman

Dallas second-rounder Nicklas Grossman isn't exactly making the smoothest transition to North America. Correspondent Max Giese examines the play of Grossman and three of his Iowa teammates: B.J. Crombeen, Mario Scalzo Jr and Edmonton farmhand Yan Stastny.

Nicklas Grossman (Dal), D, Iowa

Tall defenseman is having some struggles making the transition to North America at this point .. mediocre skater, agile and skates fine in all directions, but isn't a fast defenseman .. relies more on positioning, which he excels at .. always seems to be in the mix of things defensively, knows where to be at all times .. broke up a 2-on-1 out of the corner by taking away the pass with an

interception .. physical player, likes to hit, can throw around smaller players, though struggles versus bigger stronger foes .. average build, lanky frame .. added upper-body strength would help his game immensely .. still, maintains good body control and positioning, always having the inside .. at times is over-aggressive, especially with the stickwork, and takes bad penalties .. struggles with obstruction calls .. displays good work habits, plays hard every shift .. will likely never be an offensive force .. panics with the puck, not as calm and poised yet .. early jitters perhaps .. too eager to get rid of the puck yet somehow seems to move puck effectively still .. overall willingness to use his good size and reach combined with his defensive awareness and work ethic, should help compensate for average skating and lacking offensive touch .. potentially a third-pairing guy down the road but has more development ahead than expected.

B.J. Crombeen (Dal), RW, Iowa

A big powerforward who keeps his feet moving at all times .. hard player to contain because of his prodigious size and non-stop motor .. his stride and footspeed are fine though adding lower-body strength would make his skating more explosive .. draws a lot of penalties by keeping his feet driving .. a dangerous player in one-on-one situations as he possesses slick hands and deceptive agility .. doesn't mind bulling his way right through a player .. effective in the corners, hard to contain in traffic .. plays the brash kind of game expected of a power forward .. defensively he could work harder though as his effort level is higher in the offensive zone .. likes to use his stick and tries to get away with hooks and slashes, but is getting burned by the new obstruction rules .. also seems to lack some vision and playmaking savvy on the whole .. like a football player, just seems to rush full steam into things, seemingly incapable of patiently making a play or setting a linemate up .. still, if his development continues upward, could be a grinding checker who brings size and some limited skill to one of the two backlines.

Mario Scalzo Jr (Dal), D, Iowa

Tiny but elusive rookie defenseman .. gets tremendous propulsion from bow-legged stride and a very low center of gravity .. explosive first step, superb agility, can really fly skimming over the ice like a waterbug .. changes directions quickly and has a strong lateral push, an asset his uses to advantage when defending 1-on1 .. possesses impressive puckmoving abilities as he sees the ice exceptionally well and has the skill to hit tape-to-tape stretch passes .. cunning player when the puck is on his stick .. however he struggles with defensive zone coverage and can be a liability at times .. is simply far too small to handle big muscular players physically and doesn't seem to have the means to compensate .. thinks offense first and at times will skip out early on defensive assignments in order to gain an attacking advantage .. should probably get a shot at playing forward .. definitely shows the tools to be a prime contributor at the AHL level but is likely too small to translate that to NHL success .. at this point, the answer appears to be evident.

Yan Stastny (Edm), C/W, Iowa

Not contributing as much as was hoped for yet .. scored a pair of goals against the Chicago Wolves but has been held scoreless in his other 9 AHL games .. blessed with some good wheels, can manuever in tight, and really knows how to exploit his open-ice quickness to get outside defenders .. gaining respect for his top gear capabilities .. skating is definitely his best asset .. agile, smooth, nice acceleration and top speed .. doesn't possess the same handskills as younger brother Paul .. not a dangler but protects the puck well and can make plays while moving .. shows a quick release on his wristshot, though better accuracy would help .. makes safe decisions moving the puck .. not a deadly playmaker as his vision isn't where it needs to be .. but he makes plays that doesn't hurt his team .. sound two-way instincts, backchecks hard and tends to defensive responsibilities .. uses his body, skating and active stick in his own zone never coasts .. isn't shy about being hit and will take a hit to make the play though isn't the biggest player around .. overall a good combination of skating, hockey sense, and the ability to handle physical aspects .. will get a shot at the next level but staying there will depend on whether he can find more ways to harness his speed and use his shot more effectively.