April: TAKING A FALL

Dane Byers - LW (Prince Albert)

- After amassing five goals in the first 11 games of the season, Byers got injured and subsequently his production declined, with only four markers in the final 40 matches. Still, the package is intriguing, as Byers has many pro-like qualities. His skating stride is smooth and powerful and he has a solid frame with excellent balance. He dishes out hard bodychecks, and can also make plays while absorbing hits as checkers can’t handle him - they just bounce off. Add in some nasty stickwork - he uses his lumber as a weapon out there - and there’s plenty of bravado all around. But the problem with Byers is that he plays the ‘tough guy’ role way too much and will go out of his way to finish checks and settle vendettas. Too often we see him go for a hit when he would have been better served to just back off and contain the puckrusher. He does too much unnecessary skating as well - his wide turns away from the puck are wasteful. We see a player who is primed to bust out once he gains confidence in his offensive abilities. All the tools are there to take over a game, yet he’s still unsure of how to work all the controls.

Petr Chaloupka - D (Pardubice)

- Struggled in the final month of the regular season and failed to crack the Czech under-18 team evaluation camp. Although Chaloupka logged solid playing minutes on his Pardubice junior team, he did not show significant progress despite an initially promising start to the season. Says our Czech scout: “He’s a tough cookie and isn’t afraid to use his body in corner battles. He’s also a solid crease-clearer. I like his good hard slap shot that he can fire with some jam and accuracy. Unfortunately, his hands aren’t much to write home about - he’s not strong enough on the puck either and hockey sense has been questioned. An average skater, Chaloupka struggles with his balance and straightaway speed, although he is decent laterally.”

Alexander Plyuschev - C (Spartak Moscow)

- Skated with Enver Lisin at the latest 5-Nations tourney and neither did enough to truly impress. Although an excellent offensive talent, Plyuschev hasn’t shown the kind of jump we expected. According to our scout: “This guy is at the top of his game when he attacks the net with consistency and currently he is not doing that. Defensively, he’s mostly a non-factor although I am less worried about this part. His speed and his vision impress me greatly - when given some space, he can really exploit opposing defenses with his agility and creativity. However, I am not completely sold on him - there are guys we have rated roughly in the same 50-60 overall category who have shown more spunk and dedication, and this hurts his stock in our book.” We’ll keep a close eye on his development in Minsk.

Andy Rogers - D (Calgary)

- We love his speed and skating, and he’s shown very good toughness at times, but Rogers has yet to breakthrough offensively. Overall, including this year’s playoffs, Andy has only amassed seven points in 96 WHL games. One reason is a lack of specialty teams work, however, his play has hardly warranted it. Rogers has had a rough year with the loss of his mother undoubtedly affecting his play. Interestingly, he has looked more comfortable in the third pairing and tends to get into trouble when afforded a bigger role. Rogers is at his best when he keeps his game simple and doesn’t try to do too much, however, we’d still like to see him take greater charge and utilize his speed to support the attack more. As one of the best-skating D-men available in the draft, he’ll likely go in the first two rounds, yet, after extensive viewings, we can’t help but wonder how much upside there really is.

Jakub Stepanek - G (Sareza Ostrava)

- Faded into obscurity after a decent three quarters to begin his season. Coping with a heavy workload, the netminder battled consistency problems. Says our Czech scout: “he has a good, though somewhat lanky, frame and displays solid reflexes and athleticism. Jakub’s dexterity is improving, but his leg speed is only average. An adequate skater, he moves effectively in the crease and plays square to the shooter. I like his hybrid style and poise, but he must improve his glovehand and focus, as he tends to give up the odd soft goal. Looks overworked lately.”

Dominic Vicari - G (Michigan State)

- So, what have you done for us lately? Vicari enjoyed a sensational freshman campaign, claiming the starter’s role from junior Matt Migliaccio a month into the season and posting a nation-leading seven shutouts to earn CCHA All-Rookie honors. However, the wheels came off in the playoffs, as he struggled uncharacteristically with both his confidence and positioning over the final four games, including a 5-0 pasting from Minn-Duluth in the Midwest Regional (Vicari was pulled after the fourth goal). Was it just nerves or did he wear down? A springy, agile goalie with excellent technical skills, Vicari is normally very sound in the nets, retaining his shape as he moves and effectively utilizing his lightning-quick lower limbs and solid paddle-down technique. He compensates for his slighter frame (5-10/185) with speed and exceptional upper-body control, making him appear bigger than life in the nets. Take his playoff swoon as just a blip on what may well be a five-year path to the NHL. Great value for a mid-round pick still in our opinion.