AHL: Rockford Files

The Rockford IceHogs finished second in the AHL's West division and are currently battling the Houston Aeros in the first round of the playoffs. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has been on hand early in the series and files this report on a talented IceHogs team chalked full of promising Chicago Blackhawks prospects including goaltender Corey Crawford (pictured).

Corey Crawford (Chi), G, Rockford IceHogs

Prototypical Quebec-butterfly goaltender that cemented himself as the future in goal for Chicago with a splendid season .. one of the top goaltending prospects outside of the NHL .. lateral movement continues to strengthen, as he quickly moved side-to-side while maintaining form .. displayed great composure even with heavy traffic around him and was simply impossible to rattle .. kept his movements to a minimum and did not give the shooter much daylight .. his strong anticipation aides in his superior positioning .. healthy-sized goaltender that maximizes his net coverage, as his positioning is so sound that the puck often just hits him .. swallowed up the puck with his superb rebound control and displayed good reactionary quickness by quickly flashing the pads to make saves off tips and in-close shots .. oozing confidence right now and is flashing his lively glove hand with authority .. traffic must be present in front of him to beat him at this level, as if he can see it, he will stop it .. displayed quick recovery and he never resorted to flopping .. ready for NHL backup duty and projects as a future No. 1.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (Chi), D, Rockford IceHogs

Now an integral part of the IceHogs lineup and is used in all situations including both first special team units .. astute two-way defenseman that made savvy reads with or without the puck .. smooth skater with swift acceleration that did a tremendous job on the breakout .. a deceptively skilled puckhandler that made a good first pass and quarterbacked the IceHogs powerplay .. carrying the puck with a lot of confidence right now and his poise bellies his age .. jumping into the rush more and is no longer just making the safe decisions with the puck, but is now getting creative and faking shots on the point to open lanes .. utilized on the first penalty kill unit and did a strong job taking away passing lanes and maintaining proper positioning in front of his net .. made up for his lack of size with good gap control, tight positioning, and an active stick .. taking the body well and effectively controlled the opposition's top line all series .. dressed in 13 NHL games this season and will be ready for full time duty shortly.

David Bolland (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

Played in 39 games for the Chicago Blackhawks this season and his mature two-way game was instantly evident in the playoffs .. he is a dynamic penalty killer that was a chronic threat to score shorthanded goals .. an opportunistic offensive threat that is savvy with the puck, as he attacked the opposition to draw a man to him before dishing off a pass to a teammate .. lacked a separation gear in the open ice but he creatively used influential head and stick fakes to get around opposing defenseman .. crafty and able to protect the puck well, Bolland patiently out waited his opponents to allow open seams to develop in their defenses before striking with his skilled passing game .. combative in puck battles and is ready to resume the role of the third-line center next year in Chicago.

Jack Skille (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

After dressing in 16 games for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, Skille returned to the IceHogs lineup playing with a little more nasty to his game .. did not back down after whistles and was more assertive with his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame in physical scrums than in previous viewings .. starting to develop his lower gears by displaying the ability to find the quiet ice in the offensive zone .. his speed and power allowed him to dominate outside the dots however, he still tends to run out of ideas if a clear shooting lane does not present itself .. guilty of being too one-dimensional with the puck at times and more seasoning in the AHL next year would not hurt despite him being physically ready to assume a third or fourth-line role in the NHL.

Jake Dowell (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

Combative two-way center that can kill penalties and do the grunt work on the checking line in the NHL .. returned to the IceHogs lineup after dressing in 19 NHL games this season and provided Rockford with a lot of energy and a strong presence down low in the opposition's zone while on the cycle .. a good penalty killer that effectively took away lanes with his stick and body .. his skating continues to improve, as his speed has notably been upgraded throughout the year .. his contributions to the team go far beyond what the score sheet would tell you and he is ready for more time in the NHL next season.

Bryan Bickell (Chi), LW, Rockford IceHogs

A big man that now plays a big mans game and has really discovered his niche as an energetic, physical presence capable of playing a bottom-six role in the NHL .. provided the IceHogs with a lot of energy and hustle on the forecheck throwing his big frame around .. moves very well for a big winger and was able to protect the puck down low on the cycle before showing a good touch in close by sending passes from behind the net into the slot area .. stood up for his teammate Jack Skille after the whistle and willingly fought the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Jake Scott .. working hard in the defensive zone battling to win puck possession along the wall and pressuring the point man well with his long reach .. dressed in four NHL games this season and is poised for more NHL duty next season.

Kris Versteeg (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

Would be invisible for long stretches at a time and then breakout with an end-to-end rush and some of the more glorious scoring opportunities for the IceHogs .. possesses the coast-to-coast-type-of speed and electrifying moves to make more than a few defenders miss in the open ice .. used his speed well to create plays both with and without the puck .. did a fine job killing penalties but was also guilty of getting too fancy at times with the puck .. just needs to learn how to pick his spots better and he could become a full time NHLer after playing in 11 games this season.

Troy Brouwer (Chi), LW, Rockford IceHogs

After really coming on late in the season and receiving a fully deserved two-game NHL call-up, Brouwer went fairly invisible in the first round of the playoffs .. played on the penalty kill but likely will not in the NHL, as he was caught running around once the Aeros established good puck movement .. a pure finisher that works well with playmaking center Martin St. Pierre .. needs to rediscover the intensity he was playing with down the stretch.

Michael Blunden (Chi), RW, Rockford IceHogs

Big power forward that excelled in the playoff environment .. provided the IceHogs with big body checks and a strong presence in front of the opponents net .. was very difficult for the opposition to contain when he pulled the puck off the wall and drove hard to the net .. played in one NHL game this season and while his offensive skill did not progress as hoped over the year, he is still a good prospect with a powerful two-way game.

Petri Kontiola (Chi), C, Rockford IceHogs

Creative playmaker that was utilized on the point for the powerplay .. noticeably more physical in the playoffs and his stride appears to have gained more power recently, which has stimulated an improved top gear in the open ice .. if he continues to round out his game, he will be in the NHL full time soon after playing in 12 games this season.