AHL: Tollway to the Future

The Chicago Blackhawks moved their AHL affiliate from Norfolk, Va., to Rockford, Il., just down the road from the Windy City on Interstate 90. A call up to Chicago is now just over 80 miles away for a talented group of eager prospects such as Jack Skille. McKeen's recently had the opportunity to catch the Rockford IceHogs in action against the Iowa Stars and reviews some of the Blackhawks' top AHL prospects.

Cam Barker (Chi), D, Rockford

Smooth skater with good all-compass mobility and good speed .. has a decent slapshot, but not overpowering .. takes a number a wristshots from the point, which is good for deflection and re-direction purposes .. operates the point well and is a good puckmoving defenseman who is patient when handling the puck .. makes crisp, accurate-outlet passes, including long-distance ones .. does finish his checks when the opportunity presents itself, but is not particularly aggressive and can lose positioning around the net to an aggressive forward.

Jack Skille (Chi), RW, Rockford

Powerful skater who has good speed, who is able to stop, start, and change directions quickly or make a very tight turn .. has a fairly long skating stride, although he does occasionally show wasted movement .. typically uses his long stride, especially down the wings to beat opponents wide but also has quick feet when necessary .. does not over handle the puck but can make some impressive moves coming off the boards and toward the net .. has a powerful wristshot with a quick release, which he can also roof at an impressive slope from in close at high speed .. an accurate passer who has some playmaking ability .. size, skating, reach, and hockey sense make him effective in cycling the puck .. conscientious defensively on the forecheck and the backcheck and finishes his checks.

Petri Kontiola (Chi), C, Rockford

A lot to like and very little to dislike .. a speedy pivot with a powerful stride with good agility and quick feet when necessary .. hustles to the puck, whether it is on the forecheck, the backcheck, or keeping the puck in the zone .. also shows good speed while handling the puck .. has good offensive awareness and makes accurate, crisp passes .. plays the point on the powerplay and does so well, as he has the skating, passing, and two-way awareness to do so .. not afraid to venture into traffic for the puck or lay down a hit himself with his sturdy 6-foot-0, 200-pound frame .. definitely proved why he averaged almost a point-per-game for Tappara Tampere of the Sm-Liiga in 2006-07.

David Bolland (Chi), C, Rockford

Forward with decent speed who shows a good amount of hustle on the forecheck, backcheck, the penalty kill, or on offense .. does not give up on the puck around the net and puts in multiple efforts to score a goal .. an accurate passer who moves the puck well through the neutral zone or in the offensive zone, especially on the powerplay .. also has a hard, accurate shot for scoring goals around the perimeter.

Kris Versteeg (Chi), RW, Rockford

A 5-foot-11, 185-pound winger who plays much larger than his size .. has good speed, quickness, agility, and forces defensemen to take obstruction penalties .. has a quick wristshot, a hard slapshot, and an even harder one-timer .. has soft hands and can lay down some nice stickhandling moves, including a dangerous toe drag .. plays a scrappy game, finishing his checks and venturing into traffic without hesitation .. a good bet to become an energy-line player in the NHL.

Michael Blunden (Chi), RW, Rockford

Big forward with a long reach for intercepting passes or causing turnovers .. speed and skating are only average .. puts himself into scoring positions often but unlike previous scouting reports, his shot was only average and his release was not particularly fast, as the sweep on his wristshot took a while .. offensive positioning and size make him effective in screening the goalie and deflecting the puck .. cycles the puck fairly well .. does a good job helping his center win the faceoff when the center ties up his man .. missed the bulk of 2006-07 with a shoulder injury suffered Dec. 10, 2006, which set his development back.

Troy Brouwer (Chi), LW, Rockford

Can show a little speed, but generally looks slow and coasts often .. an upright skater who circles too often, instead of stopping and starting, and whose circles are not tight enough at that .. a lower center of gravity in his skating might help in improving balance and in tight turns while battling for the puck on the forecheck, as he loses more than his share of battles .. can stiff-arm opponents when handling the puck, but would be even more effective as a power forward if he kept his feet moving .. can make some nice passes and move the puck off the boards well but occasionally passes to no one in particular .. decent stickhandler, as he can make some nice moves but can also look awkward at times .. solid positioning in front and very effective at drawing penalties while screening goalies.

Evan Brophey (Chi), C, Rockford

invisible at times, but is able to strike, as demonstrated by the speed shown on catching a homerun pass and splitting the defense for a backhand goal top-shelf .. makes accurate passes and moves the puck well on the rush and on the powerplay.