AHL: IceHogs display Skille

Jack Skille the 7th overall selection at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, remains the jewel of the Chicago Blackhawks' development system and has recently become a dominant player in the AHL. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese files notes on Skille, as well as a few of his teammates, including AHL All-Star Petri Kontiola.

Jack Skille (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

A potent goal scorer coming down the wing that boasts the type of shot that can put fear in a goaltender, as it's heavy, precisely accurate, and is propelled by an explosive release .. defenders at this level can no longer contain him in one-on-one situations because he owns the powerful skating to pull away from opponents in the open ice, the dangle to finesse it through them, and brawn to cap it all off with a forceful drive to the net .. previously knocked for being one-dimensional with the puck, Skille's game is beginning to evolve, as both his vision and awareness with the puck have matured recently .. he now displays the ability to make plays through the passing game from both sides of his stick .. appears to have become physically larger and stronger this season .. he's more dialed in away from the puck and subsequently is a more opportunistic player now that he can transition defense into offensive opportunities .. has upgraded his puck-protection and his newly discovered agility on the puck allows him to evade defenders down-low .. still prone to the occasional night of invisibility, yet even in those games he will still drop your jaw once.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (Chi), D, Rockford IceHogs

Projects as a serviceable two-way defenseman in the NHL .. can motor sharply in all directions thanks to the balance and strength he displays on his feet .. manipulates the puck fluently on his lively stick and can finesse a low, accurate shot on net .. does a nice job leading his man while making the first pass so they can receive and take it in at full stride .. not the creative playmaking, powerplay-quarterback-type, although he won't be forced into committing errors either .. defensively, he covers his crease area well and commits hard plays both with and without the puck in his own zone .. his gap control is exceptional and he does a proper job of setting up the tripod and maintaining an active stick while defending one-on-one situations .. owns a lean, athletic frame and is a competitive defenseman that never backs down .. once in awhile his physicality will ramp up and he will lay guys out.

Corey Crawford (Chi), G, Rockford IceHogs

A positional Quebec-style, butterfly goaltender that makes most of his saves by getting square to the puck and blocking the net with his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame .. has recently become more capable of making some athletic saves thanks to his improved reactionary quickness and the appropriate way he leans into the stops he makes, which has provided him with an extended range of motion .. employees a wide stance and often plays the middle of the net .. angles his pads well to deflect rebounds into the corners .. hits the butterfly on nearly every shot and will fight off pucks up high with his shoulders if he has too .. calm and doesn't like to waste movement, as he's cautious about accelerating into saves, however he is beginning to proactively cut down the angles more .. focus still dips at times, but his mental toughness appears to be stronger this year .. was recently named the Reebok/AHL player of the week.

Petri Kontiola (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

His vision and passing skills are the highlight of his play and have punched his ticket to the AHL All-Star game .. still lacks the requisite power in his skating out of the gate, although he does settle into a nice glide on his edges .. skillfully handles the puck, but he is guilty of overhandling it and coughing it over because he becomes too cute with it .. his strength on his feet and ability to shield the puck away from opponents while down low in the offensive zone have improved .. Kontiola used to always want to slow the game down while in possession, however he now likes to attack nearly as much and this has benefited his game a good deal .. utilized on the point during the powerplay for his playmaking ability .. still needs to work on his faceoffs and defensive play if he is going to play center in the NHL.