AHL: IceHogs Have Their Fill of Skille

The Chicago Blackhawks have to be giddy about their AHL affiliate in Rockford Illinois, as the Rockford IceHogs are in first place in the Western Division and boast the deepest group of talented prospects in the AHL. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese looks at several IceHogs eager to make an impact including Jack Skille who was recently promoted to the NHL.

Jack Skille (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

The most promising prospect in the Rockford lineup, Skille possesses the power, speed, and skill to be a prominent fixture in the Blackhawks lineup in the future .. looks to be a better pro than amateur, as he is really dominating and carrying his line with regularity .. a real terror to defend, as he owns the speed to blow past you and the power to bull right over you .. pulls you out of your seat when he carries the puck up the ice with his special ability to chip the puck off the boards around his defender .. uses his superior speed to skate around the defender to regain possession of the puck before using his size to bull his way to the net to unleash his explosive shot that he often shelves the puck with .. such a strong player on the puck that can carry guys with him to the net and does not need much space to unleash his booming shot with accuracy .. playing smart and hard away from the puck, as he has learned how to use his speed and size to be an effective torpedo on the forecheck .. the future may be now for Skille, as he has excelled in the NHL this season.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (Chi), D, Rockford IceHogs

Savvy and strong two-way defenseman that played well after coming back from an injury .. astute with the puck, as he skates with his head on a swivel at all times and makes a clean first pass while displaying good escape ability to elude the forecheck .. effective at jumping in the rush, as he moves the puck with some creativity while distributing from both sides of his stick .. works the point adequately and gets his quick shot on net .. above-average skater with quick, short, and strong strides that propel him around the ice with fluidity and speed .. size has been generously listed at 6-3, although size is a non-issue anyway because of his superior leg strength that allows him to win the majority of one-on-one battles he takes on with his good leverage .. difficult to beat off the rush, as his gap control is exceptional and his disruptive stick prevents his man from puckhandling comfortably .. very smooth and quietly effective two-way performer that is well on track to play in the NHL as arguably the top-defensive prospect in the Blackhawks system.

Troy Brouwer (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

Big and dangerous goal scorer that has impressed with his finesse skills and improving defensive game .. pure dynamite when the puck is on his stick around the net, as he owns an NHL-caliber release with a goal scorer's instincts and accuracy .. underrated playmaker that utilizes the space coming down the wing that is afforded to him because of his skill by hitting the trailer with a slick pass .. smooth and strong skater for a big kid that is beginning to move his feet more away from the puck, evidenced by him often being the one that saves a goal against with a vigorous backcheck .. just needs to become more physical and develop some consistency to complete the package .. talented big kid that is developing well and would be a top prospect on most team's depth charts.

Michael Blunden (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

Strong wall-to-net-type-of player that has become an effective power forward for Rockford .. a commanding physical package with great size and strength .. at his best when he is driving his feet and attacking the net with the puck, as he is nearly impossible to stop when he puts his mind to getting the puck on net .. strong on the puck with a long reach and okay hands that set up his heavy shot that he never hesitates to let go .. gets tunnel vision when in possession, as he does not see the ice well and bottlenecks his options while skating with the puck .. utilized on the penalty kill and his strength make him a commanding player without the puck if he decides to throw his weight around .. not as flashy or skilled as some of his teammates and projects more as a third-line type that can be counted for some physical play and the occasional scoring touch.

Bryan Bickell (Chi), LW, Rockford IceHogs

The Blackhawks patience could pay off, as this talented big man is developing and beginning to produce .. very attractive physical package that is finally beginning to put it all together to be a consistent force .. can barrel over defenders when attacking the net, as he is a purposeful skater that is difficult to contain in one-on-one situations .. displays impressive in-close skills and you would like him to become more selfish with the puck by shooting more .. strong and skilled down low, as he shields the puck well before delivering some nice feeds in tight around the net .. competing and using his strength to conquer his opponent one-on-one while competing for loose pucks in his own end .. still raw but he has all the physical gifts and teases you with a nightly flash of brilliance.

Corey Crawford (Chi), G, Rockford IceHogs

Few goaltenders have developed as rapidly this season as this bulky keeper that plays the classic Quebec-butterfly-style comparable to Anaheim Ducks J.S. Giguere .. has responded admirably to the heavier workload this season, as the IceHogs have relied heavily on Crawford this season and he has done nothing but consistently come up big in the clutch with key, game-saving saves ..a natural-born-puck stopper that relies on utilizing his big frame, decent reflexes, and positioning to make saves .. reading the play well and is more in control, as he is always set for the first shot and displays little panic .. does an exemplary job cutting down the angles using his size to challenge the shooter by playing on the top of his crease .. moves well laterally to his butterfly to give shooters in tight nothing to look at .. the most valuable player on the IceHogs this season and he should have the Blackhawks ecstatic with his development, as he is making a case to become the eventual starter in Chicago down the road.

Martin St.Pierre (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

An AHL All-Star and one of the leagues leading scorers, St. Pierre is a quick and creative playmaker that lacks size .. leads the team in scoring, as he is the type of player that makes those around him better with his gifted passing game .. willing to throw his diminutive frame around on the forecheck with surprisingly strong checks .. deceptively strong on the puck, as he is sturdy on his feet with good puck protection skills .. tricky to defend one-on-one because of his supple hands and quick lateral cuts .. the reason he's not in the NHL is because he picks his spots as to when he wants to play defense and gets to cute with his passes, making him a boom-or-bust type that would need to be in an offensive role to be effective .. a creative playmaker that will make either good trade bait or a powerplay specialist.

Petri Kontiola (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

Savvy and hard-working playmaking center that is nearly averaging a point a game while demonstrating his responsible two-way play .. not explosively fast but he skates well with the puck because he sees the ice so well that he can elude trouble before he runs into it .. his vision is a tremendous asset, as he is a creative playmaker with the poise to quarterback the IceHogs powerplay from the point .. strong along the wall with a stable center of gravity and the sturdy stickwork to maintain possession while in traffic .. an effective defender that anticipates the play well and is aware to maintain healthy defensive positioning at all times .. should be a long-term fixture on the Hawks third line possibly as soon as next season.

Adam Berti (Chi), LW, Rockford IceHogs

This enigma has all the physical tools to play in the NHL but is ultimately underwhelming because he does not chose to show up every night .. blessed with a big frame and natural athletic ability, Berti seemingly lacks the passion to play in the NHL, as he does not compete consistently and his hockey sense remains a question mark .. owns a long and strong stride that gets him around the ice with ease but he rarely gets on his horse to use his speed effectively .. has a hulking frame and heavy wristshot but he often elects to use neither, as he needs to drive the net harder, be more selfish with the puck, and just let his shot go at times .. has had his moments but they are excessively far and few in between.

Evan Brophey (Chi), LW, Rockford IceHogs

A tease of physical ability, Brophey has the size, vision, and mobility to play in the NHL but he rarely utilizes his gifts to be a force even at this level .. accelerates quickly and is at his best utilizing his creativity to manufacture offensive opportunities for his teammates by catching the opponents off guard with quick-strike passes while in transition .. has struggled to find the back of the net because of his unwillingness to pay the price to drive to the net, despite the fact that he is just as big if not bigger than most defenseman he takes on .. an intriguing prospect but one that must compete harder away from the puck and begin to become more physical using his size to play in the NHL.

Adam Hobson (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

Big and strong two-way center that has agitated the opponent with his brash, physical play .. his calling card is giving his team a physical presence by utilizing his superior strength to finish every check .. is not a dirty player but he keeps the opponent honest on the ice, as he will stand up for his teammates by dropping the gloves .. not much upside here, as he is offensively limited despite his okay foot speed and good strength on the puck while cycling the puck along the wall .. has not looked out of place but has not become a main fixture in the lineup either.

Danny Richmond (Chi), D/LW, Rockford IceHogs

Entering the pro game as a defenseman, Richmond was experimented at wing this season, a position that he is more suited to play in the NHL .. simply cannot cut it as a defenseman in the NHL, as he is a liability defensively because of his lack of strength and slow processing skills .. Richmond is naturally gifted with the skill and speed to play forward .. he is at his best when he decides to skate the puck up the ice because he is capable of making more than one defender look foolish one-on-one .. he brain cramps at times, when pressured in the defensive zone or while on the point, however he is more than adequate making decisions with the puck in the offensive zone when on the wing .. Hawks would be advised to keep the former Carolina second rounder at forward, as he just needs to improve on his finish and improve on his consistency in the competitiveness compartment to complete the cycle of becoming an effective checking-line winger in the NHL.