April: UNDER THE RADAR

Aleksis Ahlqvist - G (JYP)

- Although considered to be the top Finnish eligible netminder, Ahlqvist was surprisingly not named to the Finnish squad for the under-18 tournament. While not on the level of Toivonen nor Ahonen, Ahlqvist is yet another solid product from the splendid Finnish goalie school. A calm and composed netminder, he makes his living by perfecting positional play to a tee - cutting down the angles and eating up the net with his size, despite a moderate frame. According to our Finnish scout: “He’s very mentally strong; I like his composure. I like that he doesn’t flop around - he anticipates passes so well, that he doesn’t always seem very quick, but he is. His legs are very quick, and I like his glove and blocker. He’s a mid-round guy, who is pretty unproven, but he has untapped upside.”

Mitch Carefoot - LW (Cornell)

- The Dauphin, Manitoba native made tremendous strides as a freshman for the Big Red, stepping up impressively with a strong showing in the playoffs. He showed surprising grit and skill in pressure situations down the stretch, and, as always, played attentively in his own end. His determination was a real eye-opener. Though his stride appears a bit casual at first glance, this is deceiving. Carefoot has a lively stride as well as excellent pickup quickness. He is also very adept at carrying the puck while accelerating, successfully keeping control and protecting the puck effectively from checkers. He also possesses a nice change of pace to get a step on defenders and is very effective in getting his shots on net from both the backhand and forehand side. His speed is illusive - he’s graceful, keeps his feet moving, and knows how to utilize that spring in his step. Overall, we see a character player with strong puck-pursuit skills and a maturing offensive side. Gotta like that.

Josh Disher - G (Erie)

- ’85-born goalie emerged as a workhorse in Erie this season, logging a league-high 3,524 minutes, before standing on his head in the first round of the playoffs against the Sarnia Sting, stealing one game for the Otters by himself. Says our OHL scout: “He’s an outstanding athlete with superb quickness and a penchant for game-saving stops. His leg quickness is outstanding and he moves very well laterally. He plays the angles effectively and gets on and off his feet quickly and smoothly. Plays very square to the shooter. I’d like to see someone take a chance on him in the mid-to-late rounds. He didn’t fare as well against London, however, his overall improvement since the start of this season, especially considering he was just a 12th-round OHL pick, is exactly the kind of progress that NHL scouts are looking for.”

Robbie Drummond - RW (London)

- We like his raw set of skills and consistent work ethic. Drummond has been a regular viewer from the press box on a very deep London team, but when he gets out on the ice, he makes the best of his opportunities. “He has excellent puck control abilities,” says our OHL scout, “Robbie skates like the wind and is aggressive out on the ice, utilizing that mobility to his advantage. This guy is pure energy, but he needs to work on his playmaking and his vision usually limits him. I really like him - he’s tough, hard-working and provides endless spunk and competitiveness.” However, at just 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, it’s a stretch to imagine his game translating to NHL success.

Jordan Foote - LW (Nanaimo)

- Helping the Nanaimo Clippers win the BCHL Championship has helped get the word out about Foote, though he continues to be overshadowed by his linemate Raymond Sawada who will no doubt be drafted much higher. Foote possesses a few attributes that should put him on a few team’s radar come draft day including superior speed and above average size. “I love the way he sacrifices his body and drives to the net,” says our WHL scout, “he attacks the crease and is very strong on his feet. He’s smart, sees the ice well and helps out in his own end.”

Derek Merlini - D (Erie)

- The final rounds are prime opportunity for later-bloomers such as this massive, 6-foot-6, 240-pound rearguard. Merlini has drawn plenty of interest and it’s little wonder. He’s a punishing physical presence on the blueline with a nasty edge and the ability to throw bone-crushing hits. Says our scout: “He made life miserable for Sarnia forwards in the first round of the playoffs. He played aggressively; he’s got some jam on his checks and times them well. First step quickness needs major work, though, as he’s a little awkward with his turns and quicker opposition take advantage of that. I was surprised by the confidence he showed with the puck; he is poised and efficient with his passes. In addition, his stride is smooth and when he gets to full speed, he’s not at all slow.”

Fredrik Naslund - RW (Vasteras)

- This mammoth, skilled Swede put himself on the first-day map with a solid showing at the Five Nations tournie in Finland. One of those kids still growing into his spacious body and getting accustomed to expanding size and mass (now 6-foot-4, 205 pounds), Naslund is starting to show signs of controlling the play, at times dominating. His powerful arms and wide wingspan give him an inherent edge, however, he’s also crafty with good, fast hands and a bullet shot. His strength on the puck makes him a force going to the net, and he displays determination and sharp instincts in the offensive zone. What holds him back at this stage, however, is his skating. He accelerates well and is a decent skater, yet still needs to refine his balance and overall lower-body strength to fully maximize his intriguing offensive skill-set. We’d also like to see him make better use of his size advantage, especially in the defensive zone. A potential power winger and a true draft wildcard.

Bobby Selden - D (Northern Michigan)

- Has slid below the radar for the most part, yet the brainy rearguard from Negaunee, Michigan has quietly made a seamless collegiate transition. Selden is a solid, upright skater with a smooth and effortless stride. His pickup speed is deceptive due to the ease of his skating. A strong positional player, he shows impressive maturity while defending in one-on-one confrontations, and is a responsible and defense-minded asset. Selden always looks to make the safe play, however, he also possesses the skills and skating to rush the puck out, a side to his game that looks to flourish as a sophomore. He doesn’t back down physically either and is quite competitive, but he has the size to play tougher and more physical meanness around the defensive zone wouldn’t hurt, as he passes up chances to nail guys at times. Nevertheless, his defensive savvy and works habits are impressive. A very efficient and solid prospect.

Lubomir Stach - D (Vsetin)

- Smallish defensemen scare NHL teams off and Stach is a shrimp - at 5-8, 178, he has a lot of hurdles to overcome. Our Czech scout says that Stach is a good one, despite the size disadvantage: “He’s a wonderful skater with nifty lateral moves and pivots, and he changes pace flawlessly. He’s magnificent with the puck; smooth, effortless and composed. He’s a great passer; can really thread the needle. The first step for him will be to improve his shooting arsenal a tad and learn not to overhandle the puck, which he tends to do at times. Lack of toughness is an obstacle, but he’s fairly solid on his skates and can get his frame up to a respectable 190 eventually. Powerplay is his forte; he makes things happen there. He’s worth a look - he works hard and strives to beat the odds.”

Alexander Tang - D (Vastra Frolunda)

- Caught the eye of our Swedish scout for his maturity, poise and rugged play. “I like the look of this guy - he’s smart, stable and composed. Reminds me a bit of Kasparaitis. A nice, fluid skater, he plays all the key minutes. His outlet passing is strong and he’s a poised puckmover and a balanced skater. A smart decision-maker, Tang knows when to skate with the puck and when to give it up; his sense of danger is very good, although he could still be more proactive when it comes to supporting the attack. He takes care of defensive duties first and is aggressive physically. He pins opposing forwards along the boards and will engage crease clearers. Moves well to all sides with good agility and lateral quickness. Would be a worthy investment on day two of the draft.”

Dan Turple - G (Oshawa)

- Was a rock for the Generals down the stretch shortly following his acquisition from Kingston in late October. Turple was passed up after a miserable 12-game stint with the Frontenacs last season, where he posted a 6.00 goals-against average. After finishing the season with a .923 save percentage this year, Turple established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the league. He was magnificent in game six (of the first round), making 51 saves in a 3-2 victory and, although the Gens lost in game six, kept them in the game and was the last line of defense all game long. He covers a lot of the net with his 6-5 frame, controls rebounds very well, and uses his lively glove hand to his advantage. Very solid late-round gem.