Can: The Good Sheppard

The last instalment in scouting of players participating at Team Canada's U-18 evaluation camp. David evaluates the likes of Ben Maxwell, John Armstrong and James Sheppard, amongst a deep forward crop of draft-eligible players for the coming draft.

Ben Maxwell (2006), F

Wonky skating style but has good balance and is strong on his skates .. smart puck moves and stickhandles beautifully .. able to spot the open man in offensive situations but acts more like a playmaker than a finisher .. needs to make quicker decisions and work on shot release.

Brad Marchand (2006), F

Workhorse never stops moving his feet .. competes hard on every shift .. slick skater is very fast and can hit full stride immediately .. offensively savvy, makes intelligent plays with the puck with keen on-ice vision .. shifty and elusive, rarely putting himself in position to get hit .. tough to contain despite small stature; lower body is strong and he's able to charge the net while dragging a defender with him .. guilty of over-staying his shifts .. has a tendency to overcommit in the neutral zone, attacking the puck carrier but missing an assignment on another skater .. does have presence of mind to recover.

Cory Emmerton (2006), F

Very good offensive potential .. nice fluid stride .. reads the play well and knows when to sneak in behind a player .. not much of a factor physically as he seems to shine away from the rough areas of the ice such as corners .. thrives on the perimeter, though will charge the net on occasion but not to stay in for long .. a finisher; benefits from playing with a savvy pivot who can feed him the puck .. can finish with a one-timer and a carefully placed wrist shot; really gets his weight behind the shot .. play without the puck needs some work, as he looks lost in the defensive end at times .. tends to be the last man out of the offensive zone .. must show a greater commitment and patience, as he is seen giving up on plays at times.

Ryan Mcdonough (2006), F

Pint-sized forward with unlimited offensive potential and fine wheels .. stays low to the ice and is very hard to knock off the puck .. generates top speed with short, quick bursts, crossing over well with a smooth stride .. anticipates extremely well, recognizing and creating offensive opportunities with strong positioning and vision .. always moving his feet and buzzing inside the offensive zone .. pesters forecheckers in the neutral zone for loose pucks, and looking to break up plays with speed .. not much size but is not afraid to get hit .. plays a safe game defensively, staying with his man and then looking to beat him with his quick feet when a play develops the other way.

John Armstrong (2006), F

Big, athletic kid is strong in all areas of the ice .. excels around the net where his size, coordination, long reach and bulk protect the puck well, as he is almost impossible to knock off possession, a little like Joe Thornton in the way he attacks down low .. able to fend off guys with one hand and move the puck forward with the other .. plays an effective cycle game, attacking the corners and usually retrieving the puck .. aggressive in puck pursuit, but not dirty by any means; he beats you with determination and sound positioning in the tight areas of the ice .. power game at all times .. limited speed but decent acceleration.

Blake Gallagher (2006), F

Probably the fastest skater at the U18 camp, with McDonough a close second .. tremendous first step and explosive foot speed, coupled with a smooth, effortless stride .. speed allows him to jump into the play and beat flat-footed defensemen, caught off guard .. rushes the offensive zone liberally, offensively conscious, with speed that helps him recover if he's out of position .. a smart player who is a catalyst down low, either when making a play to a streaking centre looking to crash the net, or play it back to a defender for a blast from the point; has the presence of mind to rush to the net looking for tips and rebounds when a shot arrives from the blueline .. stickhandles like he has a crton of eggs in traffic and doesn't break one .. small frame allows him to elude big defensemen and position himself better in all areas of the ice .. strong on his skates, as he braced himself for an oncoming hit, initiated by Shutron and actually knocked him off his skates.

Riley Holzapfel (2006), F

A last-minute addition to the U18 camp, he showed poise with the puck and displayed some offensive flair .. strong lower body allows for a good take-off, as he really swings his torso for additional speed .. able to generate offence by attacking the puck carrier and causing turnovers .. comfortable playing a cycle game or positioning himself in front.

James Sheppard (2006), F

Has the toolset to be a solid, full-time NHLer .. big, soft hands, defensively aware, hits hard and makes strong offensive plays .. makes the guys around him better due to uncanny offensive ability; i.e. very hard to read on two-on-ones, as he'll shoot or pass with nick-of-time decision making .. gritty and raises his game a few notches deeper into it .. dangerous once his confidence gets going and can really pick it up after a good shift and build on that momentum .. confidence flows from all facets of his game, especially his shot, which is not only hard and heavy, but also extremely accurate with a lightning-quick release .. has a bit of an awkward stride, but size and bullish determination allows him to power through guys and break into the offensive zone with ease .. looks to make hits and initiates and looks to be comfortable playing a physical game .. could be a top-five selection in the draft, right with the likes of Kessel and Frolik.