AHL: Iowa Chops Prospect Report

McKeen's correspondent Max Giese recently had the chance to see the Iowa Chops, an AHL expansion franchise and the affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. The chops will have some strong prospects to kick-off their first season with the like of Brendan Mikkelson and second overall pick from the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Bobby Ryan.

Bobby Ryan (Ana), RW, Iowa Chops

Drafted second overall at the 2005 Entry Draft, Ryan was supposed to make the jump to the NHL full-time this season, but because of cap restraints in Anaheim and his gradual development, Ryan finds himself back in the AHL once again .. a natural scorer that can dangle with some special moves to the net .. his bread and butter is his ability to manufacture offense on the powerplay and from below the hash marks .. marries his spacious frame with velvety hands and an elongated reach to supply himself with ample puck-protection .. displays exceptional patience and vision when delivering his skillful passes .. a lazy defensive player that takes wide turns or stops moving his feet all together when away from the puck .. needs to upgrade his conditioning and balance, as he's an inefficient physical presence considering his size.

Brendan Mikkelson (Ana), D, Iowa Chops

Entering his sophomore professional season, Mikkelson is receiving lots of icetime on the penalty-kill and is the perfect complementary partner to an offensive defenseman .. an elegant and powerful skater with exceptional range and recovery speed .. proactively joins the rush and his encompassing mobility allows him to swiftly evade oncoming pressure and skate the puck out of trouble .. possesses strong wrists that stimulate his crisp passes and shot that he keeps low and gets on net .. a sizable defender that loves to pressure the puckcarrier and suffocate their options .. overzealous at times in his own-end and must do a better job at upholding his defensive positioning around his own net.

Petteri Wirtanen (Ana), C, Iowa Chops

Viewed in the mold of a Samuel Pahlsson, Wirtanen doesn't possess dynamic offensive skill, but is a defensive centerman that is relied upon to check the opponents top-line .. wins a lot of pucks because of the astute skating angles he takes on the forecheck .. a savvy and defensively conscientious pivot that activates himself well in space and always provides his teammates with defensive support .. effective in the faceoff circle and is an asset to the penalty-kill .. adequately moves the puck up ice and is willing to go to the net, however he doesn't receive time on the powerplay .. has some weight to his frame and is strong in physical confrontations.

Brian Salcido (Ana), D, Iowa Chops

An offensive defenseman that amassed 53 points in 71 games last-season .. shines on the powerplay where he displays his impressive on-ice vision and talented puck-movement .. possesses soft hands with quick in-close puck control .. innately pinches into developing seams and gets his quick and accurate shot on net consistently .. ever-involved offensively and even jumps into the rush while killing a penalty .. effectively angles his man off while defending the rush, however his lack of strength leaves him getting beaten off the wall too easily and his defensive coverage around his net is poor.

John deGray (Ana), D, Iowa Chops

This gangly stay-at-home defenseman enters his rookie season after spending the last four in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion .. being eased into the lineup while receiving third-paring minutes .. a quick-step skater with fluent pivots and lateral mobility .. keeps his gaps tight and utilizes his long-reach to disrupt the options of the puckcarrier .. lacks the ability to create plays with the puck, although he makes calculated decisions and doesn't cough up the puck .. seeing some time on the penalty-kill where he does an adequate job handling large forwards in front of his net and effectively utilizes his lengthy reach to congest opponent passing lanes.

Drew Miller (Ana), LW, Iowa Chops

Split last season playing in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and in the AHL where he averaged over a point a game .. fast skater with long and fluid strides that utilizes his speed well both with and without the puck .. can beat opponents wide carrying the puck and win foot races on the forecheck .. lacks high-end offensive skill, but does an adequate job cycling and distributing the puck to the pointmen .. killing penalties and is a stabilizing defensive presence on the wing that provides Anaheim with good depth up-front.

Joakim Lindstrom (Ana), LW, Iowa Chops

Former Columbus Blue Jackets' second rounder that occupies the Chops' first-line center position and is a key member of the teams powerplay .. quick and agile skater that maneuvers well with the puck on his blade .. a talented playmaker that possesses skilled hands with a flashy assortment of moves .. has a nice release on his shot, but he is guilty of overhandling the puck and is ineffective at manufacturing offense in traffic .. anticipates the play well away from the puck and does an effective job aiding in defensive coverage and using his quick stick to strip opponents off the puck .. might be a tweener.