Bochenski Excels In Preseason

We scout some of the younger Ottawa Senators' pre-season participants, fill in with some further insight on Sidney Crosby's play, Marc-Andre Fleury's demotion and a few thoughts on some of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Anton Volchenkov (Ott), D

Thick beefcake shows fine poise with and without the puck; looks like he is ready to take on increased puck moving duties .. heavy slap shot could be kept a bit lower to the ice .. made Alex Steen look silly on one shift when Steen was entering Ottawa's end, taking the body, stripping him off the puck and feeding the puck to a rushing forward for a break the other way .. has occasional moments of awkwardness such as when he tries to move too fast and loses balance .. some minor polishing required.

Andrej Meszaros (Ott), D

Looks like he's a year away unless the Sens decide to rush him into duty .. occasionally seen trying to do too much with the puck .. not yet assessing offensive schemes like a professional .. clearly still a kid, though physically he looks ready .. strong lower body and made several hard checks .. shows some rough episodes in terms of positional coverage and had a few struggles keeping the puck in his own zone, though nerves are definitely playing a part here .. faster and more agile than in years past but will still need to learn to better harness his speed.

Brandon Bochenski (Ott), RW

Not fast but sneaky scheming-quick, such when he stealthily found his way to the net, finishing a Spezza feed with a precise backhand against Toronto .. at his best when moving his feet and getting involved physically but is inconsistent in this regard .. sometimes shows a lack of giddyup as his feet become static .. impresses with quick finisher's hands and keen mind .. a well-built kid who makes his living around the net .. underwhelming passing skills .. recipient of some gifts all preseason long on behalf of linemates' Spezza and Heatley, although scoring ability has been a valuable part of the line's equation .. still has to strengthen his upper body in order to excel on the cycle .. good reach and extension .. an excellent complementary player with nice patience when the puck is on his stick.

Christoph Schubert (Ott), D

Impressive poise .. sure-handed and smooth .. never seems to lose rhythm with soft, steady hands and veteran-like makeup .. distributes the puck crisply in PP situations .. paired with the more offensively aggressive Brian Pothier on a very solid third pairing .. love his sharp, low slapper from the point .. never forces the issue .. balance has improved dramatically.

Antoine Vermette (Ott), C

Aggressive backchecker with blazing wheels .. all over the ice with relentless work on the backcheck and fearless puck pursuit, but every now and then he will get caught out of position by trying to do too much .. versatile enough to play on any line because of his speed and all-around diligence .. a gem of a player.

Patrick Eaves (Ott), RW

Showed impressive forechecking pressure .. good balance, exceptional calmness and steady hands when receiving and moving the puck .. surprises every time with just how natural he is with the puck.

Ray Emery (Ott), G

Clear improvement fundamentally .. impresses with how lively and agile he is on his feet .. has economized and smoothed out all of his movements and extensions .. quick, nimble legs .. fewer unnecessary movements; shows patience and focus.

ICE CHIPS

Super prospect Sidney Crosby's fantasy value may have taken a bit of a dive, as he is not playing on the line with Mario Lemieux as originally anticipated, due to the Pens' shortage of centermen. Crosby exhibited some growing pains this pre-season with natural rookie butterflies and youthful eagerness. He has not yet shown great playmaking patience when at full speed, which will no doubt be there with added experience. On one play this pre-season Crosby put on a stickhandling clinic entering the opponent's end, but overhandled the puck despite still managing to bounce off two opposing players before getting neutralized by the third. He will learn very soon that he will no longer be able to simply undress guys on his way to the net.

Toronto's Alexander Steen is ready to contribute in an all-purpose role for the Maple Leafs. He is surprisingly strong and determined on the puck, but still needs to develop his balance. He brings a lot of energy and great foot speed.

Carlo Colaiacovo had a disappointing pre-season and has been sent down to the Toronto Marlies. Andy Wozniewski got the upper hand, impressing with consistent physical play. Despite his soft pair of hands, Colaiacovo had passing misadventures that would make Patrice Brisebois blush.

Some eyebrows were raised when Marc-Andre Fleury was reassigned to the minors by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but improved competition at camp with Sebastien Caron playing well and some minor struggles sealed his immediate fate. Fleury is a tremendously gifted goalie, but is still scrambly and all-reflexes. His arms and legs fly all over the place when he makes a save or moves laterally. He will have to further economize his post-to-post movement in the AHL.

Expect a huge season from Jason Spezza and not just due to his chemistry with Dany Heatley and Bochenski. The most amazing improvement to his game has been his skating. Although always blessed with fine top speed, Spezza added considerable power to his stride which provides him with excellent extension and quickness. He gets to places faster than other players and his soft, quick hands do the rest. He is a candidate to finish in the top-10 in scoring if he maintains consistency.