AHL: Phoenix Prospects

McKeen's looks at several promising rookies from the San Antonio Rampage.

David Leneveu (Phx), G, San Antonio

Groomed as the goalie of the future for the Coyotes his season has been a rather frustrating one for him .. failing to register the wins, he does not get much support on a team loaded with rookie or second year defenseman .. aggressively challenges shooters often coming far out of the crease .. great rebound control, always kicking the puck into the corner or out in front when a player is there to receive a pass .. made many key saves to give his team a chance to win .. good agility and flexibility he is able to stretch across the crease and cover the bottom portion of the net .. sees the puck well, is always square to the shooter and focussed on plays developing in front of him .. is extremely strong in traffic where his big body is able to over power forwards in front when he is securing the puck .. has many tools but confidence is an issue as he plays on a team that has not been good for the past few seasons.

Keith Yandle (Phx), D, San Antonio

Literally came out of nowhere to earn all top honour awards for defenseman last season in the QMJHL and lead his Moncton Wildcats to within a win of the Memorial Cup .. earned a brief call up this season with the Coyotes before returning to the AHL where he successfully managed to play in the All-Star game replacing teammate Bill Thomas .. the young blue liner sees many minutes and put into many situations .. he showed flashes that he could play however, his game is still very raw as he made several mistakes i.e. stretching a pass over two lines and failing to make a simple play to clear the zone electing rather to carry it out himself, losing it in the process .. made adjustments throughout the game, which suggested that he is very coachable and wants to improve .. good agility however, his reverse movement could stand to improve slightly, he does a good job keeping forwards to the outside however not quite NHL calibre .. should be able to hone his skills at this level to become a regular on the Coyotes back end.

Logan Stephenson (Phx), D, San Antonio

The former second round draft pick has not developed as fast as he would have liked in his first pro season after a distinguished four-year junior career with Tri-City of the WHL .. very raw in all facets of his game as his speed is the biggest concern .. he gambled considerably at the line often jumping into the play when he had the puck in his possession .. his puck skills are not overly polished so he needs to pick his posts better .. average foot speed, it did not help him when he was caught playing deep, as he was unable to recover .. needs to cradle the puck and be gentler when making plays, too often he whipped a pass that was too hard to contain or control.

Randall Gelech (Phx), C, San Antonio

The Elfros Saskatchewan native has made tremendous strides in the pro game .. entering his third year the seventh round selection of the 2003 draft plays a smart two-way game .. not overly explosive he is a presence on the ice that is capable of eating up many minutes and not being a liability .. needs to work on his speed, as his skating is average .. despite his large stature, he needs to concentrate on adding core strength to make him more effective .. fails to move his feet at times and needs to be reminded every so often.. works very well down low, shielding the puck and playing a good possession game along the boards.

Joel Perrault (Phx), C, San Antonio

Blessed with sensational speed and quickness the Montreal native started the season with the Coyotes, was than waived and picked up by the Blues only to be waived again and return to San Antonio .. ultra skilled with the puck, his hockey sense is top notch .. he has great vision and makes plays that often teammates do not expect .. an average shot with not much velocity on it .. a tad soft, he does not openly engage in corner or sidewall battles .. left the game with a wrist injury and did not return .. he may be too fragile to play in the NHL.

Ryan Garlock (Phx), C, San Antonio

Still eligible to play in the OHL, Garlock has been making a name for himself in the AHL .. while the points have not come it certainly is not because he cannot produce or keep up, as he is very skilled and fast .. he has already been a fixture on the PK unit, as the coaching staff has noticed his mature approach to the game .. he picks his spots well and is not overly eager to engage in offensive situations if it loses his position in the defensive zone .. plays a good pro game .. offensively the pucks have not been going in for him but he does many little things to create .. accepts his role on the third line and plays with great pride.

Jakub Koreis (Phx), C, San Antonio

A first round selection in the 2002 draft has not performed up to expectations .. struggling to find his way in the pro game .. the Czech centre has an awkward skating style and expends too much energy in his movements and his change of direction could be smoother .. plays a more defensive minded game as he simply does not have the offensive ability to be a difference maker .. a constant on the PK he uses an active stick and can halt a play in the neutral zone .. not overly physical however he does try to assert himself.

Yanick Lehoux (Phx), C, San Antonio

A scoring sensation in the QMJHL, Lehoux was acquired last season from the L.A. Kings .. sensational stick handler, often beats players standing still however at times his decision making with the puck is not always the best and certainly not NHL calibre .. very agile and light on his skates, he glides on the ice effortlessly but when caught by an opposing defenseman, he is usually removed of the puck .. has great shot selection and power, his wrist shot is very accurate, and his shots usually sting goalies creating juicy rebounds .. can break out with his quick first step and often leads the charge up the ice for breakouts with his teammates often struggling to keep up .. it is now or never for him as a career in Europe seems to be his destiny.

Bill Thomas (Phx), RW, San Antonio

Enjoyed two successful seasons in the CCHA playing for the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he averaged over a point a game to join the Phoenix organization as an un-drafted winger .. a hard worker committed to team success, he comes back often supporting his defenseman and frequently play's the deepest in the defensive zone amongst forwards .. has a good feel for the game as he anticipates well and knows when to drive to the net to create .. sneaky player, he works the give and go well as he lacks true one-on-one skills .. can drive to the outside but also work it down low, very versatile in his offensive approach .. a player Coyotes management is keeping a close eye on as he has already garnered another call up, his second in as many seasons.