AHL: Rockford IceHogs Prospect Report

McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several IceHogs eager to make an impact with newly appointed head coach Joel Quenneville now running the show in Chicago. The third overall selection of the 2004 Entry Draft, Cam Barker is currently in the IceHogs lineup, but the story so far has been the play of rookie goaltender Antti Niemi and forward Troy Brouwer.

Cam Barker (Chi), D, Rockford

The third overall selection from the 2004 Entry Draft, Barker has 81 NHL games under his belt, but once again finds himself starting the season in the AHL .. Barker is physically ready for the NHL with a supreme skill package in a big frame .. receiving ample time on the powerplay where his collective puck-movement shines and his fast and accurate shot is a weapon .. more physically assertive than last-year and is proactively standing his own blueline .. his poised and relax nature is a double-edged sword, as it serves him well when making the first-pass but also comes back to haunt him with his passive play in the defensive zone .. still prone to committing brain-cramps at in opportune times both with and without the puck .. has a lazy nature to his game and is not dominating at this level as expected, disappointingly just blending in.

Troy Brouwer (Chi), RW, Rockford

One of the last cuts from the Blackhawks' training-camp, Brouwer has the NHL frame of mind to try to get better with each shift .. owns a special shot even by NHL standards, as it explodes off his stick with fatal accuracy .. powerful and skilled carrying the puck with sick hands and a sturdy frame .. feet appear to be quicker this year and this has stimulated an improvement in his acceleration with the puck .. has been the IceHogs most dangerous offensive threat early in the season and is manning the point on the powerplay .. competing with more tenacity during puck battles and continues to add polish to his defensive game with noticeable upgrades in his defensive positioning.

Antti Niemi (Chi), G, Rockford

This Vantaam, Finland native outlasted incumbent starter Corey Crawford at the Blackhawks training-camp and impressed during the preseason .. an unorthodox butterfly goaltender with exceptional athleticism .. does a fantastic job taking away the lower portion of the net with his airtight butterfly and wide V .. most goaltenders struggle to make saves when opponents get them moving, not Niemi, as he does a tremendous job tracking the puck while moving side-to-side before unleashing his cat-like reflexes to take away a sure goal .. appears overly relaxed at times and a step behind the play before suddenly summoning a furiously quick burst to rob the opponent .. flexible, has fast lateral movement, and is quick in and out of his butterfly .. uses his hands well to aide in his superb rebound control .. capable of stealing games on his own and could rapidly ascend the Hawks depth chart.

Corey Crawford (Chi), G, Rockford

Played in five NHL games last season and posted a sparkling .929 save percentage, but is now in a fight for goaltending supremacy amongst Blackhawks prospects – among them Finnish import Antti Niemi .. classically trained Quebec-style-butterfly goaltender that is remarkably similar to J.S. Giguere in terms of technique .. calm and economical in his movements .. struggling mightily to control his rebounds and has been guilty of kicking out some atrocious ones into the slot .. terrible handling the puck and his skating outside of the crease remains clunky .. appears to be lacking the focus that he had last season and has been guilty of playing too deep in his crease, exposing the top-shelf corners in the process.

Petri Kontiola (Chi), C, Rockford

Has yet to score his first NHL career goal, although he did amass 5 assists in 12 games last year with Chicago .. the IceHogs first-line center and is one of the better playmaking pivots in the AHL .. a creative playmaker that is unselfish to a fault, Kontiola's bread and butter remains his ability to see the ice and create through the passing game .. needs to complement his skilled passing with an enhanced element of goal scoring .. either mans the point or the half-wall on the first powerplay unit and is asked to spearhead the attack by carrying the puck out his own zone .. lacks proper defensive energy and needs to be stronger on his man in one-on-one situations.

Evan Brophey (Chi), C, Rockford

Chicago's management is going to give Brophey every chance to succeed this year .. seeing more time in offensive situations and will be an anchor on the powerplay this year .. an athletic skater and skilled passer, Brophey is physically gifted and distributes the puck well on the powerplay from the half-wall .. a key penalty killer for the IceHogs, as he was the first forward over the boards during 5-on-3 situations .. still inefficient utilizing his big frame to become a force, as he is guilty of staying to the perimeter and needs to show more toughness by driving the net .. potential NHL checking-line center in the making with his size, speed, and defensive conscious.

Adam Berti (Chi), LW, Rockford

An enigmatic forward that sandwiched his time in the AHL last-season with two NHL games for Chicago and four ECHL games for the Pensacola Pilots .. a big and bulky winger with freight-train like speed .. excels when given a defined role by his coach, as Berti has been an effective penalty killer and has been difficult for defenders to handle in front of the net when on the powerplay .. on the flipside, Berti struggles with his hockey sense and can be a complete non-factor in most games.

Bryan Bickell (Chi), LW, Rockford

Enters this season with 2 goals in 7 NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks to his credit .. noticeably trying to expand his offensive repertoire and is showing more confidence distributing the puck on the powerplay .. a physical presence that can deliver bone-rattling bodychecks on the forecheck and will stand up for his teammates by dropping the gloves .. for such a big and mobile winger, Bickell remains a defensive liability at times and is prone to going invisible for shifts and even games at a time.

Michael Blunden (Chi), RW, Rockford

This 2005 second round pick already has 10 NHL career games under his belt with the Chicago Blackhawks .. continuing where he left off at the end of the 2007-2008 season and is struggling to contribute offensively .. has been unsuccessful in getting off his heavy shot and isn't driving the net as hard or with as much frequency as he used to .. strictly a north/south-type-of winger that can run guys over with his strength, however he lacks finesse skills and struggles in the lateral game .. appears quicker on his feet this season and seeing the ice more fluently with the puck, but he still lacks the touch to accurately deliver it to his teammates.

Mike Brennan (Chi), D, Rockford

A first year pro that finished last season by captaining the Boston College Eagles to a National Championship .. a tough and competitive stay-at home defenseman .. isn't a pretty skater, but he gets around well enough with adequate agility and foot-speed .. still can struggle at times to contain speedy opponents in his own zone because of his penchant for taking inefficient skating routes .. has no offensive presence to his game and really struggles on the point, although he does make smart and safe decisions with the puck while managing the first pass.

Nate Davis (Chi), C, Rockford

Enters his rookie-professional season after amassing 132 points during his career with Miami Ohio of the CCHA .. currently stuck on the fourth-line and noticeably needs to physically mature .. his soft hands and deceptive lateral cuts enable him to elude defenders in the open ice .. smart player that makes good decisions with the puck in all three zones .. does the little things that makes a team successful such as effectively digging pucks out of the corners and gets them to the points .. has added depth to the IceHogs lineup and should blossom once he adds requisite strength and earns an increase in icetime.

Jake Dowell(Chi), C, Rockford

Played in 19 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, compiling 2 goals and 3 points .. a matured two-way pivot that excels at killing penalties .. boasts unshakable balance, however he still needs to upgrade his quickness, as he can be skated around in transition .. the type of forward that can grind out offensive opportunities with his willingness to drive the middle to the net and his strength on the cycle.

Adam Hobson (Chi), C, Rockford

Early returns have been favorable and Hobson looks like a different player this season .. knock-kneed skater that has made noticeable gains in his mobility, stimulated by his quicker feet and more influential acceleration .. never going to be a top-six forward in the NHL, however his presence with the puck has improved and he appears more in control carrying it .. a physical presence that can spark his team with a big hit or a fight .. fairly smart defensively and can seal-off opponent puck carriers with his stout positioning .. his progression must continue to cement his spot in the lineup.

Dan Bertram (Chi), RW, Rockford

A second round selection at the 2005 Entry Draft, Bertram is in his rookie-professional season after spending the last four years at Boston College .. was hyped to have dynamic speed entering his draft year, however it appears more and more ordinary with each higher level of hockey he enters .. gritty and is willing to grind it out on the fourth line .. pint-sized and has struggled mightily early in his first pro-term, and may need to spend the season in the ECHL.

Joe Fallon (Chi), G, Rockford

This former Vermont standout enters his rookie season destined to spend the majority of the year in the ECHL .. a big positional butterfly shot blocker .. fundamentally sound between the crease and relies on his technique to make the saves for him, as he doesn't track the puck well and lacks the reactionary quickness to make athletic saves .. difficult to beat on first shot from the outside, however he isn't patient with shooters in tight and often commits the first-move .. doing a better job challenging shooters and maximizing his net coverage, although he still loses his angles at times .. his footwork is coming along, however it remains a weakness and his first move is always down.