AHL: Putting on the Reitz

McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn recently had the chance to catch the Houston Aeros in action and has notes on some prospects who have impressed this season like Erik Reitz and Cal Clutterbuck, and some that have not, such as former first-round selections Benoit Pouliot and Shawn Belle.

Barry Brust (Min), G, Houston

Backup goalie has been taking advantage of his starts this season posting modest numbers in all statistical categories .. large goalie that carries a lot of weight, which cripples his movement and overall agility .. comes out far to challenge making himself bigger .. his lateral movement is rigid and he struggles down low .. can be drawn out of position easily and cheats on the short side .. when sliding across, he leaves his five-hole exposed, as his stick is not always positioned correctly .. he needs work pushing off, as he is weak when he is forced to move .. relies solely on his positioning, as his reflexes are not overly nimble .. his big frame allows him to take many shots off the top of his body .. rebound control is not a big issue but could be improved.

Paul Albers (Min), D, Houston

First pro season was a monumental success, as he was named to the ECHL All-Rookie team and played in the All-Star game after an impressive 43-point season .. first-year AHL pro is trusted in many situations and plays in excess of 25 minutes per game .. still adjusting to his coordination and overall athleticism, he appears awkward at times .. puck skills need refinement but he shows a comfort level in playing the puck .. plays up high in PP situations, as he maintains pressure down low .. footwork needs work in the defensive zone but he does not give up on plays and uses his stick to his advantage .. needs to develop more of a mean streak .. showing great signs of improvement in all game situations, as the experience at the AHL level is paying immediate dividends .. could follow a similar path as Elder on the Canucks.

Shawn Belle (Min), D, Houston

Former first-round selection and gold medal Canadian (WJC) is entering his third-pro season and has already been traded two times .. decent agility but is carrying too much weight and can be rather chunky in his footwork .. has no confidence with the puck .. will readily surrender it to his partner or throw it away, as he seems incapable of making a play with it on his own .. when he has the puck in his possession, he thinks too much .. can get undressed, as he still plays the body in one-on-one situations .. was danced around on a few different occasions that ultimately led to limited icetime .. he will need to keep things very simple to be effective .. has a long road ahead of him.

Erik Reitz (Min), D, Houston

Reitz is finally starting to put it together in his sixth-pro season, as he was named to the AHL All-Star game on account of his impressive season to date .. the captain is a smart, methodical player who will not blow you away with speed or puck handling skills, rather his ability to process the game .. positionally sound and strong along the boards .. he has a mean streak in him that comes out every so often, which makes the opposition think twice .. very strong and balanced on his skates .. does not chase plays, as the time he has spent in the AHL has made him more mature and patient .. does not elect to rush the play, rather he makes a quick first pass and follows the play gingerly .. he can always find his outlets and his passes are crisp and hard, which makes him effective on the backend .. very composed with the puck on the PP .. hands are quicker than his feet, as he anticipates plays rapidly with the puck on his blade .. appears to be ready to capture a depth position at the NHL level, however he will need to improve his reverse skating.

Cal Clutterbuck (Min), RW, Houston

After two consecutive 35-goal seasons to end his OHL career, the first-year winger is the youngest on his team and the hardest worker .. hungry every time he steps onto the ice, his desire and work ethic cannot be taught and was a large reason Wild management rewarded him with a brief two-game call up this season .. not a burner but a strong skater who cuts the ice well and pushes off for extra quickness .. does not have multiple levels of speed but his penchant for moving his feet allows him to be the first forechecker up high to sustain pressure .. does not quit on plays and if he is beaten, he will always recover and mark a man to be part of the play .. not a great stickhandler, he is a little choppy when handling the puck .. Clutterbuck is smart enough to dish the puck off to faster players and let them carry it up ice while he bolts for the net .. he distributes the puck well but also has a great shot on his off wing .. has decent finish and his shot is slowly improving and getting faster .. has all the tools to be a perfect third/fourth-line winger, as he buys into team concepts and will push everyone to be better with his non-stop motor.

Adrian Foster (Min), C, Houston

Injuries have plagued Foster's career in the AHL to this point .. this season playing in all Aeros games, he is successfully leading the team in scoring .. has not scored more than 30 points in a season including his junior career .. picks and chooses when he will battle, as he does not always compete .. not overly physical, his finesse skills are his calling cards .. at times, his lack of physical involvement can be unsettling and he is relied more upon in PP situations where he has garnered a fair amount of his points .. good first step but has an awkward appearance when skating .. faceoff skills and playing the PK are other elements he brings to the table, however he appears to be destined to be an AHL player.

Benoit Pouliot (Min), LW, Houston

Has been a huge disappointment to date, as he shows no signs of intensity and is far too lazy away from the puck .. it is no surprise that he owns the worst plus/minus on this team among forwards .. he hardly moves his feet and while others are working, he takes small strides to slowly get himself into position .. weak physically and ten times out of ten, if he goes into the corner to get a puck he will lose the battle .. when he has the puck in his possession, he can make marvelous plays, as he always has his head up and finds his best options .. the problem lies that he does not want to work for the puck when he does not have it .. even when he does have the puck, he does not always make the best decisions, as he tries to beat guys one-on-one too much and as a result, loses the puck .. relies more on his hand skills than he does anything else .. his game is so far from complete and playing under the defensive-minded coach Constantine will either make him a better player or see him shipped out come contract renewal time.