AHL: Ideal Weber Conditions

The pro incubation of Milwaukee Admirals rearguard Shea Weber appears to nearing hatching stage. With five goals in his past seven games, Weber is now the top-scoring rookie blueliner in the American Hockey League. We have recent game notes on key Nashville prospects such as Weber, Kevin Klein, Timofei Shishkanov and up-and-coming Finnish rookie goalie Pekka Rinne.

Shea Weber (Nsh), D

An adequate skater who doesn't take long getting from point A to B due to nice powerful stride .. agility is strong, makes smooth lateral cuts to stay with his man, and can transition from forwards to backwards without losing a step .. footspeed is fine, though he tends to be a bit lethargic at times and stops moving his feet, especially when carrying the puck .. everything is fine when his feet keep moving .. very sturdy - never pushed around .. steady as a puckmover - makes safe strong plays out of his own end and will ring it off the glass when needed .. quick decisions, finds his man fast and gets it there tape to tape .. will sporadically step up on offense .. boasts a big, hard shot from the point .. won't break a game open with his creativity, but can stretch the ice from his own zone with a strong lead pass .. his bread and butter is defense though .. physically imposing, gets great leverage from his upper body and powerful limbs .. pushes opponents away from the net with authority and success .. good crease-clearer - doesn't just tie up his man, he removes them .. adept at forcing the puckcarrier to the outside and then making a strong lateral cut to ride them out along the boards .. displays impressive defensive sense - smart with his stick and body positioning .. a shutdown defender in his own zone with untapped offensive potential.

Kevin Klein (Nsh), D

Overly conservative and lacking confidence as a rookie last season, but looks like a completely different player as a sophomore - noticeable every shift .. starting to take charge and exploit his strong offensive talents .. an accomplished skater - really uses it as a weapon .. all-compass mobility - light on his feet and strong in all directions with superb acceleration .. can explode end-to-end .. slithers by checkers 1-on-1 utilizing his decent hands and quick moves .. not a pure dangler, but has the quickness and agility to take it the distance .. his defensive game needs further work .. makes instinctive reads and maintains good gaps and body positioning .. will take a hit and defend his crease, however he relies more on his stick and skating than physical play .. not great in any specific defensive discipline, though not exactly a liability either .. doesn't overhandle the puck which helps minimize turnovers .. fairly intuitive puckmover, makes quick reads and accurate one-touch outlet feeds, or will simply carry it out himself if given an open laneway .. as a powerplay QB, he lacks a big slapshot but is still a threat from the point as he loves to sneak down below the circles, and possesses a quick wristshot that often lands on target .. almost too aggressive at times though and can get caught pinching, especially on the PP could stand to bulk up as he's still on the wiry side and needs to get more physically involved at times .. made significant overall strides in his game this year and coming into his own.

Timofei Shishkanov (Nsh), RW

Rebounding strongly this season in Milwaukee, sitting second on the Admirals with 13 goals (34-13-12-25) .. a shifty playmaker who is very hard to knock off his feet due to exceptional lower-body strength and balance .. noticeably more physical this year and shows a greater willingness to lean on players and drive to the net with the puck .. less of a perimeter player .. blessed with a thick frame which he's finally exploiting - is finishing hits with vigor now .. a shifty, agile skater who excels in tight spaces, though not particularly fast end-to-end or going outside .. at his best from the blueline in .. can be a dangerous scorer in-close .. boasts a quick, sneaky wristshot that he can pick spots with .. soft hands, makes slick 1-on-1 moves and has excellent puck-protection skills .. draws more than his share of penalties by being strong on the puck .. excels behind the net .. showing a creative side this year and sharing more with linemates - sent a sweet cross-net feed from behind that even his linemate wasn't expecting .. compares somewhat favourably to Joffrey Lupul .. still a streaky contributor however - went nine games without a goal before potting four in his last five .. overall, is developing and playing with a sense of purpose, and it won't be long before he gets another NHL crack.

Pekka Rinne (Nsh), G

Fast-rising ninth-rounder has outplayed former sixth-overall pick Brian Finley .. very athletic with impressive dexterity and recovery speed .. his game is a bit scrambled though as he jumps and flops around the crease a lot - almost an 'old school' approach .. very lively with fast lateral movements .. aggressive by nature, likes to challenge shooters .. agile and flexible, though awkward in his overall mechanics.. tends to overplay the puck and has an unorthodox style to most of his saves .. seems to open up holes when moving, in particular laterally .. on one sequence, he was beat on a shot that found a big gap between his chest and blocker .. cat-quick legs, absolutely stoned a shorthanded breakaway by flashing out his left leg .. conversely, his overall leg extensions and down-low coverage are somewhat spotty .. prone to weak goals - got impatient and tried to jump out but was burned five-hole after initially having this area covered .. blocker is bit of a weak side for him, especially compared to his glove which is fast and flashy and used effectively to control low rebounds .. strong stickhandler and puckmover, likes to play the puck and is unusually aggressive for a European .. very adept at pokechecks, which he uses often .. overall, his athleticism, competitiveness and never-quit attitude are strong suits, along with his pure reflexes and puckhandling abilities .. however, he's a bit too wild for the NHL and needs instruction on how to minimize movements, play angles better, and on refining a few mechanical pieces .. but there's definitely some raw tools worth molding at this stage.

Libor Pivko (Nsh), C

Lanky pivot packs a nice rangy frame but is still slight and easily pushed around .. the fact he's not that physical a player doesn't help .. even avoids hits at times and won't go through dense traffic if it means heavy contact is in order .. didn't finish checks and fell to the ice rather easily when hit .. opponents had no trouble separating him from the puck either .. strong skater with good acceleration .. first step gets him going fast - closes gaps quickly .. over long ranges though he doesn't have special top-end speed, instead it's that quick burst out of the gate that makes him effective .. demonstrates a sound defensive mind and is a staple on Admirals top penalty-kill unit .. exploits his acceleration and stop-and-go agility to clog lanes quickly, aided by a long reach and impressive anticipation as he shows an instinctive ability to intercept a play .. works hard on the backcheck and always takes the correct man .. offensively however, he's a mixed bag .. displays soft hands and quick moves to be effective one-on-one, and knows how to exploit his reach advantage to protect the puck .. a solid passer with good playmaking vision .. displays a creative flare to his game as he can make crisp, tape-to-tape passes .. quarterbacks the second powerplay unit .. sneaky shooter - doesn't pack great power but releases it quickly and likes to catch goalies off-guard and create rebounds, which he achieves fairly regularly .. his biggest deficiency however is physical play as strong defensemen push him off the puck fairly effortlessly .. there's room for a skilled playmaker with a solid two way game, but time might be running out to add the necessary bulk and strength to his repertoire .. should receive an NHL audition at some point though could be a 'tweener.

Brandon Segal (Nsh), RW

A brash, physical winger who relies on brute strength more than soft touch .. boasts a solid first step, not explosive but has good closing speed on the forecheck and gets to loose pucks quickly .. seems to lacks some top gear as he struggles to get outside defenders, and always keeping pace on the backcheck despite putting fourth a decent effort .. protects puck adequately well, however overall his hands are rough .. struggles to control in close at times, but is fine when the puck is out front - perhaps just lacks elite coordination .. main weapon is a heavy shot, likes to hover in the slot and just unload, though will fire from the outside as well .. his release is merely average, however pucks absolutely explode off his stick and he's fairly accurate - scores some goals simply by overpowering the goalie .. physical and competes hard every shift, loves to finish checks with authority .. hits for power and brings a mean edge to his game .. relentless in traffic, especially in the corners, and battles aggressively for position in front of the goalie .. his defense is a tad suspect however as his effort and interest level waver in his own zone .. looked noticeably disinterested at times .. big, tough player with a heck of a shot, though lacking some touch and a bit slow for some tastes .. unlikely to get past the fourth line if he makes the NHL even though his game possesses intangibles some coaches look for.