AHL: Garrisons Gadgets

McKeen's Chief correspondent David Burstyn looks at a handful of prospects playing for the Rochester Americans including Jason Garrison, Keaton Ellerby, Michal Repik, Janis Sprukts and Shawn Matthias.

Jason Garrison (Fla), D, Rochester

Has made quite a splash in his rookie-AHL campaign, producing 30 points through 63 games and leading all Amerks on the backend in scoring .. a swift and agile skater with great change of direction but could stand to upgrade his lateral movement .. his lack of lateral agility hurts him in defensive situations, as he relies too much on his size to defend .. at 6-foot-2, he can cover a large surface area of the ice, however at the NHL level when time and space is swallowed up in an instant, he will need to firm up position .. he is good at a stand still and when the play forces itself down low or against the boards, he does an admirable job of prying the puck out of the corners and skating up ice with it .. is improving his overall confidence with the puck and is spearheading more offensive rushes, as it appears he has been given free reign to do so by the coaching staff .. at times, he will be too aggressive with his first pass and it gets him in trouble .. QB's the PP and uses his puckhandling skills to get into the open and vision to execute a pass .. Garrison has developed in all likelihood faster than the Panthers organization had envisioned when they signed him to a tryout contract in the summer .. he has scored more points in 63 games in the AHL then he did during a three year career with Minnesota-Duluth .. there could be space on the Florida roster given his penchant to create offensively.

Keaton Ellerby (Fla), D, Rochester

It took Ellerby 60 games to record his first pro point, but considering his game is not based on producing offensively rather on playing staunch defence, the 20-year-old rookie is doing admirably and adjusting well .. boasts good size but has still not grown into his body, as he stands at 6-foot-4 but a mere 188 pounds .. good mobility, solid laterally but only ok reverse movement, which cripples his gap control .. lets guys get behind him .. does not handle the puck often and is at his best when he makes quick, simple plays .. can make ok passes and shows maturity with it by finding his man under pressure .. tends to over handle the puck on the PP and does not shoot enough .. plays more of a defensive role, as he does not excel in any particular area on the offensive side of the puck .. he could be an ideal stay-at-home punishing defenseman once he fills out and could be a poor man's Brent Seabrook.

Michal Repik (Fla), RW, Rochester

The youngest player on the roster, Repik has enjoyed a fine rookie campaign, as he is second in team scoring .. capable of shooting and passing, he succeeds down low due to his balance and surprising competitive desire to retrieve the puck .. he gets a lot on his shot and is not shy about shooting .. he is a streaky scorer whose confidence will play a big part to his overall development .. not overly big, he is strong and wiry and can carry defenders on him, as he is solid and sturdy on his skates .. likes to get involved but still needs to establish better position along the boards and make plays stepping off the half boards .. Repik is cognoscente of his size limitations and preserves himself rather well .. Repik is a skilled forward who could find himself on the top two lines, as he plays a very similar game to that of Richard Zednik.

Janis Sprukts (Fla), C, Rochester

After finishing second in Amerks scoring two seasons ago, Sprukts fled to play in Finland before returning this year, resigning for the Panthers for two seasons .. a rangy centre with strength and creativity .. he is a better finisher than playmaker and needs to be more selfish .. he has deceptively quick acceleration for a big man and explodes with short bursts of speed .. he excels at the transition game, although there are times defensively when he watches the play .. protects the puck ok, as he does a good job of shielding it away from defenders .. he has a keen sense of timing and pace to his game, he has become more patient in his offensive forays .. he is not overly fluid in his movements but is surprisingly agile, as he can weave in and out of tight spaces .. Sprukts has solid offensive skills but needs to get nastier and become better defensively to land a roster spot with the Panthers.

Shawn Matthias (Fla), RW, C, Rochester

It has been a disappointing year for Matthias, as he entered training camp with considerable fanfare only to be returned to the AHL .. has played 16 NHL games that have been spread over three months and has been recalled four times this season alone .. Matthias is guilty of trying to do too much in all areas of the ice .. defensively, he has struggled this season, posting a woeful minus-29, a team worst .. he looked out of sync defensively but made some adjustments to his game in the third period to rectify himself .. a shooter, he does not hesitate to shoot at all angles and puts himself in good positions to put away rebounds .. seems to have lost some speed, as his hunched-over skating technique (which he did not do in junior) has crippled his speed .. he hits but not out of necessity .. he plays an honest game with limited to no aggression in his game .. not dictating the play like he did in junior, as this is to be expected given his youthful age, but at the same time he is capable of much more .. Matthias lacks confidence but is being given every chance to succeed and is being thrown over the boards even if he makes a mistake .. this type of positive reinforcement should help him become a better pro and a productive member of the Panthers in two to three short seasons.