AHL: Rough Waters in Norfolk

In its first year as the Tampa Bay Lightning AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals finished the 2007-08 season at the bottom of the East Division. However, with a core group of players back and some fresh faces to complement them, Norfolk hopes to be more competitive in 2008-09. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson has notes on several Admirals players including former WHL-standout Ty Wishart.

Paul Szczechura (TB), C, Norfolk Admirals

Acquired from the Iowa Stars midway through the 2007-08 season, Szczechura has been a changed man since coming to Norfolk .. in his 24 games with the Admirals last season, Szczechura recorded 26 points and posted a plus-10 rating .. through four games this year, he is one of the league leaders in assists (4), points (7) and plus/minus rating (+4) .. some scouts have observed a slight hiccup in Szczechura's stride but he tends to be a fluid skater for the most part .. while failing to possess drag racing wheels, Szczechura does enjoy above-average mobility via his sound lateral movement and deceivingly quick straight-ahead speed .. owns flexible hands and displays his quality stickwork by handling the puck in tight quarters and delivering skillful passes from the half boards .. persistent in his pursuit of the puck and plays a diligent two-way game .. talented enough offensively to contribute on the man advantage, while his responsible play and awareness in the defensive end can land time on the penalty kill .. overall, an effective player in both ends.

Ty Wishart (TB), D, Norfolk Admirals

Acquired from San Jose during the summer, Wishart has become a staple on the Admirals' top powerplay unit .. owns a booming slapshot, which he utilizes significantly when given the chance .. solid skater who is capable of bringing the puck up ice but does not exude confidence when trying to gain the opponent's blueline .. instead, he feels more comfortable passing the puck in transition or dumping the rubber once he crosses center ice .. defensively, Wishart possesses the size and mobility to shut down opposing forwards on a consistent basis .. maintains a healthy gap and can force opponents outside with his long reach .. just as proficient at rubbing out players along the boards, as he can effectively separate opponents from the puck .. however, Wishart will sometimes give up too much space in the open ice, at which point he would be better suited to close the gap and play his man .. could be more aggressive, both offensively and defensively, given his skill-set but this may come in time.

Blair Jones (TB), C, Norfolk Admirals

A checking forward with worthy offensive abilities .. does not own breakaway speed so he has to rely on his size, hands and vision to be effective in the attacking zone .. assertive on the forecheck and uses his muscle to win pucks along the boards .. possesses the necessary stickhandling skills, though inconsistent to evade opponents and go on the offensive .. demonstrates clear on-ice vision and can hit teammates with precise passes as they crash the net .. despite his well-built frame, Jones is surprisingly weak on his feet .. he can be knocked-off the puck and goes down quite frequently, which is something he still needs to improve on from last year .. also an aggressive backchecker but has not proven yet that his defensive play warrants time on the penalty kill.

Radek Smolenak (TB), LW, Norfolk Admirals

Smolenak is similar to Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta in the sense that he loves to get under the skin of opponents .. when push comes to shove, Smolenak will rarely drop the gloves but he will do everything in his power to draw penalties and get opposing players riled up .. he will bark at players and mix it up after every whistle, almost like a broken record .. however, he does serve another purpose .. Smolenak uses his aggressive style of play to bang opponents on the forecheck and labor them off the puck .. meanwhile, his physical mass and elastic hands allow him to operate in the trenches and also be productive around the net .. there is room for improvement with Smolenak's skating, as he can do better by keeping his feet moving.

Vladimir Mihalik (TB), D, Norfolk Admirals

Mihalik spent the early part of the season with the Tampa Bay Lightning before recently being assigned to Norfolk .. at 6-foot-8 and 241 pounds, he is an impressive human specimen .. unfortunately, much like last year, Mihalik refuses to take advantage of his size .. instead of pounding away in the defensive end, he prefers to use his huge wing span and stickchecking skills to play opposing forwards .. though successful via this method, he could bring an intimidation factor to the game by being more physical .. currently anchors Norfolk's top PK unit given his dependable defensive play .. also capable on the man advantage, as he owns a heavy and accurate slapshot, though his slow wind-up can be problematic when he does not have the time and space to work with .. as one would guess, Mihalik's skating is an issue but he still manages to get from point A to point B remarkably well .. for example, he is competent at handling the puck and can gain the opponent's blueline when necessary.