AHL: Moose Hunting

Goaltender Cory Schneider has been dominant during the early stages of the AHL season and has stimulated the fast start of the Manitoba Moose. Fellow first-round selection Michael Grabner, who leads the team in scoring with five goals, and promising Dallas Stars' prospect Raymond Sawada are also off to impressive starts. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several Moose prospects.

Cory Schneider (Van), G, Manitoba Moose

Well-trained butterfly goaltender with superb technical ability and size at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds .. controls rebounds successfully by swallowing shots into his chest with his gloves or by angling his pads and stick properly to deflect pucks into the corners ..efficient in his footwork and swiftly moves side-to-side from the butterfly, although he needs to become more disciplined at keeping his stick home .. hits one knee when playing in-close, short side situations, as this technique allows him to quickly move laterally into his butterfly and stone one-timing shooters on the backdoor .. tracks the puck well and owns a nimble glove hand .. calm and economical in his movements, Schneider never panics or flops around, although he can summon his athleticism if he needs to scramble to make the save .. challenges appropriately and his positioning is flawless, making him appear very large in the net .. patient and doesn't over commit on shooters when in one-on-one situations and will utilize paddle-down techniques to defend wrap-arounds .. has been dominant early this season and remains a prized prospect in the Vancouver organization.

Michael Grabner (Van), LW, Manitoba Moose

Pure goal scorer with some wheels that is receiving top-six forward minutes and ample icetime on the powerplay .. lively skater with fast strides that enable him to gain separation in the open-ice .. simply can put the puck in the net, as he boasts a speedy release that allows him to unload his shot at full-stride or from congested areas .. oozes skill and makes tape-to-tape passes with ease .. not a perimeter player, but he tends to go in-and-out of traffic areas, as he will swoop in looking for the scoring opportunity but doesn't like to hang around for too long .. his play away from the puck is improving, as he's backchecking harder, finishing some of his checks, and marking his defensive assignments with a quicker pace compared to a year ago.. still scrawny and guilty of overhandling the puck, Grabner needs to get stronger in the trenches and utilize his linemates more in offensive situations to successfully make the jump to the NHL.

Raymond Sawada (Dal), RW, Manitoba Moose

A power forward that overwhelms opponents with his size and strength .. an upright skater with good feet for a player of his size that gets around fine with his short but strong strides .. nothing sexy, Sawada is strictly a north/south-type-of-winger that plays to his strengths .. employees his robust physique to send opponents flying off their feet with bone rattling bodychecks while retrieving the puck on the forecheck .. bread-and-butter offensively is to get the puck low in the opponents zone where he can shield it with his muscular frame before sending a hard pass to the open man in the slot area .. difficult for opponents to handle below the hash marks, as he's unshakable in front of the net and along the wall .. astutely positions himself defensively .. NHL ready now for a grinders role.

Trevor Ludwig (Dal), D, Manitoba Moose

Receiving icetime in all situations including on both special team units .. not the prettiest skater or blessed with the quickest of feet, but gets around adequately thanks to his strong legs and decent backwards mobility .. has serviceable puck skills, but his decision-making with the puck is robotic and his offensive upside is limited .. intelligently pinches into open seams from the point and isn't hesitant to carry the puck on his own if the situation calls for it .. physical stay-at-home-type-of-defender that quietly does an effective job without making any glaring mistakes .. successfully keeps his man within reach and closes gaps quickly to initiate stiff body contact, even using hip checks to short-circuit opponents rushes down the wing .. has a shot at making the NHL as a third-paring defenseman.

Mario Bliznak (Van), C, Manitoba Moose

Reliable defensive specialist .. has good balance and strength on the puck, but his hands and feet need work, as he lacks quickness in possession .. mature defensive performer with strong hockey sense that enables him to frequently be in the right place at the right time .. generates most of his opportunities through hard work on the cycle, but his shot is poor and he often sacrifices offensive opportunities to remain in safe defensive positions .. a valued penalty-killer that stands a chance at landing a role in the NHL in a defensive capacity.