Cab Continues the Drive in Indiana

The Indiana Ice is growing accustomed to top-notch USHL talent in net. Atlanta Thrashers draft pick Alex Kangas was acquired from Sioux Falls for the 2006-07 season after leading the Stampede to the Clark Cup and earning USHL All-Rookie Team honors in 2005-06. Although Kangas's season with the Ice wasn't as remarkable, he went on to supplant Jeff Frazee as the starter at the University of Minnesota his freshman year and still is such now in his junior year. Phoenix Coyotes draft pick Scott Darling was Indiana's number one in 2007-08 and finished with a USHL second-best 27 wins for the season and compiled a respectable .908 save percentage before becoming the University of Maine's starter during his freshman season, which he is again this year in his sophomore season. Fellow Phoenix pick Brett Bennett led the charge in net for the Ice in 2008-09 and led the USHL in wins (35), shutouts (4), and minutes played (3110), and was named to the All-USHL First Team and backstopped the team to the Clark Cup. In 2009-10, the Ice doesn't have a number one who's already drafted by an NHL team, but they have one in Cab Morris who could be. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound netminder has the size and is continuing Indiana's streak of excellence in net, as Morris was named to play in the USHL All-Star Game in January and was in position to lead the league in both save percentage and goals-against average, putting him in contention for USHL Goaltender of the Year and for late-round selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft if he finishes the year strong.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to see the Indiana Ice once in December and once in mid-January and enters notes on goaltender Cab Morris, two-way defenseman Nick Mattson, towering forward-turned-defenseman Adam Phillips, and a few other Indiana Ice prospects on the backend.

Cab Morris (2010), G, Indiana

One of the top goaltenders in the USHL statistically .. lateral movement is effective at USHL level, but needs some refining for future success .. tends to go down, then up, then over and rarely makes it one smooth motion .. when getting up to move to the opposite side, he often adds in a twisting motion before he moves across .. when he makes pad slides across the crease, he really butterflies his legs out, gets great extension, and covers a lot of the lower part of the net .. able to direct pad saves to the corners with kick-outs .. comes out to stop the puck a lot and can get there quickly, but puckhandling needs improvement .. doesn't seem able to make hard passes or clears with consistency .. takes up a lot of net at 6-foot-3, 196 pounds .. has a quick glove hand .. smoother lateral movement and demonstrating he can load up with one leg and get across would go a long way in raising my stock in him .. however, he missed the first two weeks after the Christmas break due to a hamstring injury suffered in practice and was still nursing it in January viewing .. as is, he is a possible pick to a long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in his second year of eligibility .. committed to Dartmouth .. as of Jan. 23, he had played 1089:46 min, over 20 games and compiled an 11-6-1 record, 3 shutouts, a 2.20 G.AA, and a .920 save percentage .. first in USHL save percentage and second in G.AA .. selected to play in the USHL All-Star Game but did not play, in order to rest his hamstring.

2010 Draft Grade: C-/D+ (possible pick to long shot)

Nick Mattson (2010), D, Indiana

Good two-way defenseman .. has fairly powerful backwards acceleration, good speed backwards, and maintains a wide base and reduces crossovers .. sometimes accelerates backwards toward the boards, when this generally should be toward center ice .. able to angle his man toward the boards .. does a good job of keeping his eye on the opponent's chest and doesn't fall for slick moves .. able to stick with speedy and agile opponents .. has a wide track to his skating stride but still shows decent stride extension .. adept at executing swivels at the blueline to receive passes, make passes, or get shots off .. likes to get involved offensively and will join the play deep .. has good vision from the point and generally makes smooth, crisp passes form the point ..also makes hard, crisp breakout passes and d-to-d passes .. has a crisp wristshot, but it can get a bit high .. pointshot could also use improved accuracy, too .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 189 pounds .. would consider him inferior to Nick Jensen at this point last season, who went in the fifth round last year .. I'd consider Mattson as a late fifth-round/early sixth-round pick, but he may well go higher .. committed to North Dakota .. as of Jan. 23, he had 4 goals and 4 assists in 26 games .. missed two weeks after the Christmas break .. played for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge and scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games, tied for ninth among all defensemen at the tournament .. played in USHL All-Star Game for Team East.

2010 Draft Grade: B-/ C+ (late fifth, early sixth round)

Adam Phillips (2010), D, Indiana

Project defenseman has some real potential thanks to history as a forward .. very tall at 6-foot-6, but still lanky at 185 pounds .. has good foot speed, particularly for a big man .. has good knee bend in his turns and in his stops and starts .. displays good quickness down low .. reduces his crossovers backwards and can angle his man to the boards, but could be a bit lower .. needs to be careful about not chasing his man too high in the defensive zone .. shows poise with the puck, as he'll remain calm and take the hit to make the breakout pass .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. able to connect on saucer passes .. generally makes the safe play, sometimes just banking it off the glass and out .. able to make some nice toe drags to evade forechecks when necessary .. Phillips has the potential to really be something when he fills out, as he already skates pretty well and has puck poise and stick skills .. is still learning the position after being a forward, and does still fill in at forward from time to time for Indy .. a long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his third year of draft eligibility but first as a defenseman .. no college commitment of yet .. as of Jan. 23, he had 1 goal and 5 assists in 23 games .. missed most of October due to injury.

2010 Draft Grade: D+ (long shot)

Anthony Bitetto (2010), D, Indiana

Indiana's second defenseman behind veteran Nick Bailen .. maintains a wide base backwards and eliminates crossovers by the blueline .. adjusts laterally with crossovers a lot .. can angle his man to the boards and has good size at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds to rub him out, but doesn't do this as often as I'd like to see .. plays a physical game down low and will get in extra shots with his stick .. willing to drop the gloves .. has decent speed with the puck .. heads-up stickhandler who shows a little poise with the puck, incorporating jukes now and again .. makes crisp passes that are generally on target .. has thinned down a lot since joining Indiana mid-season last year, when he was over 230 pounds .. a long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his third year of draft eligibility, but is worthy of some recognition .. committed to Northeastern .. as of Jan. 23, he had 4 goals and 11 assists in 34 games, as well as 71 penalty minutes.

2010 Draft Grade: D+ (long shot)

Justin Agosta (2010), D, Indiana

Moves the puck well .. stays calm with the puck under pressure and makes smooth breakout passes .. does a good job to not telegraph his intentions .. makes hard d-to-d passes to transition the puck .. mans the point well and can feather some saucer passes in the offensive zone .. will throw in some fakes from the point and occasionally skate it in .. does a good job of taking looks skating back for the puck .. still needs to work on skating .. takes quick strides forward but needs better stride extension, as it's typically truncated .. also needs better knee bend in his stride .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds .. an extreme long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his second year of eligibility, due to skating concerns .. committed to New Hampshire .. as of Jan. 23, he had 3 goals and 13 assists in 34 games.

2010 Draft Grade: D (extreme long shot)

Alexander Kuqali (2010), D, Indiana

Big defenseman only seventh on Indiana's depth chart .. not particularly fast backwards, but engages physically at the blueline .. can end up in all sorts of directions inside out against speedy and shifty opponents .. 6-foot-2, 225-pounder able to make some big hits .. shows some poise with the puck now and again, but doesn't get a lot of touches .. lateral movement walking the blueline is a little awkward .. given his place on the depth chart, he has virtually no chance of selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in his second year of eligibility .. no college commitment of yet .. as of Jan. 23, he had 3 assists in 27 games.

2010 Draft Grade: D- (virtually no chance)

Sean Logue (2010), LW, Indiana

Major physical forward at the Fall Classic received limited icetime with Indiana before going back to the EJHL .. limited viewing, as he received limited icetime in lone viewing in December .. still came crashing in on the forecheck .. also made big hits in the neutral zone, although he wasn't quite the physical force he was at the Fall Classic .. has decent separation and speed with the puck and is willing to battle through traffic with the puck .. putting up numbers in the EJHL, but is still an extreme long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in his second year of eligibility .. committed to St. Lawrence .. scored 3 goals and 1 assist in 23 games for Indiana prior to being "traded" to South Shore of the EJHL during the Christmas break .. as of Jan. 23, he had 2 goals and 3 assists in 5 games for South Shore .. also scored 2 goals and 1 assist in 2 games for South Shore at the EJHL Winter Showcase.

2010 Draft Grade: D (extreme long shot)