CHL Top Prospects Game - Team Cherry

Team Cherry

Backstopped by the goaltending tandem of Calvin Pickard (pictured), and Maxime Clemont, Team Cherry defeated Team Orr 4-2 in the CHL Top Prospects Game. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn was on hand and has notes on Pickard, Clermont and several other players from Team Cherry.

Calvin Pickard (2010), G, Seattle

The younger brother of Nashville first round selection Chet has assumed the bulk of the duties for the Thunderbirds .. on a team that struggles to score, (114 third lowest in the league) Pickard has been a bright spot giving his club a chance to win each hockey game he starts .. sizeable goalie that relies heavily on his size as he is thick and covers a large portion of the goal .. more of a butterfly goalie he lacks any type of technique .. displays good movement across the crease but must be mindful to close his five-hole quicker .. rebound control was an issue this game, as he constantly kicked out fat rebounds in front, giving opponents second shot opportunities .. has a tendency to flop when he gets in trouble and needs to be more mindful of his position in goal.

Maxime Clermont (2010), G, Gatineau

Clermont has been rock solid for the Olympiques this season starting in all but four of their games .. Clermont allowed only one goal in this contest, a virtually unstoppable deflection by Skinner but closed the door and made many timely saves on a late 3-5 PK .. a highly athletic goaltender that is very patient and can out wait most shooters .. butterfly goalie whose movements are very crisp .. he is constantly moving his head, analyzing and reading the play .. quick to recover when he finds himself down .. good glove hand and outstanding rebound control .. Clermont has benefitted from his late birth date, as the extra year of playing Major Junior has helped his game mature.

Troy Rutkowski (2010), D, Portland

Rutkowski has flourished this season with the success of the Winterhawks, logging ample PP time and has been able to develop his offensive game .. it only took him only 17 games this season to surpass his rookie offensive totals from last year .. struggled in this game, as he was a minus-2 and simply could not move his feet quickly enough .. an average skater with ok mobility .. lacked focus, as he did not play with enough urgency and underestimated the opposition .. took far too long to make a play with the puck, which often led to costly turnovers .. was successful at times, in finding his outlets but did not always position himself well to execute a pass that would develop an offensive chance .. many facets of his game were exposed in this contest.

Brock Beukeboom (2010), D, Sault Ste. Marie

Beukeboom continues to thrive as he plays a simple, yet effective game due to his penchant for delivering timely hits and keeping forwards honest .. his puck skills are limited, however his game is appreciated for his play without the puck .. he routinely stands guys up at the line and forces them to throw the puck into the zone where his defence partner can quickly retrieve it .. administered a hit against Seguin where he was penalized but it took Seguin out of the game afterwards .. has the rare ability to change the complexion of a game with a hit and always looks to hit early to get himself involved.

Alexander Petrovic (2010), D, Red Deer

Petrovic was extremely useful in this contest both in the defensive and offensive zone .. at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he has the gangly frame to easily add another 30 pounds in the next few seasons, as he is far from physically developed .. agile for his size, as he can turn quickly and has a nice long stride that generates good speed .. he is more of a defensive defenseman, as he keeps guys to the outside and reads plays smartly .. he reacts and is always in defensive position .. can make a good first pass and handles the puck ok .. was able to record two assists in the game due to his head-up, long passes out of the zone .. a serviceable depth defenseman whose future looks good due to his size, firm understanding of the game and ability to play well in any game situation.

Austin Watson (2010), RW, Peterborough

A return to the WFCU Centre saw the Ann Arbour Michigan native receive a roaring applause, as he started on the first line with former teammate Taylor Hall .. played a solid two-way game, coming back to defend with regularity .. was instrumental in the win blocking two key shots late in the game on a 3-5 PK, which subsequently led to a broken ankle .. a healthy, strong skater whose presence and acute hockey sense makes him a valuable option on either the first or fourth line .. tried to generate offence by himself, often ignoring his teammates .. he has good instincts as far as where to go to score but is not a natural finisher and could not bury his chances .. could develop into a good third line, checking winger at the pro level.

Stanislav Galiev (2010), LW, Saint John

Playing on the No. 1 team in the CHL, Galiev has been able to produce modestly averaging close to a point a game and is fourth in team scoring with 43 points in 45 games .. played on the second line with Johansen and Etem to start the game but was shortly replaced and found himself with a revolving set of linemates .. Galiev tends to play more of an individualistic game and is dangerous within 15 feet of the net .. quick feet and a deft stickhandler, he is also equipped with decent vision when he wants to pass the puck .. can stop moving his feet at times in the neutral and defensive zone and watches plays more than being involved in them without the puck .. blessed with an above-average offensive game, his draft stock and pro potential will weigh heavily on him to make North American adjustments to his game and give up the puck rather than trying to beat players to gain the zone.

Ryan Johansen (2010), C, Portland

The key offensive catalyst for the Winterhawks on the all-draft line of Niederreiter and Ross .. Johansen took a backseat in this game and appeared very uninvolved, as he was unable to develop any type of chemistry with his linemates .. has an Eric Staal build and similar skating pattern .. his game eerily models that of Staal .. uses his size well in tight spaces to make quick, subtle passes .. down low is where he is most useful as he can architect plays using his vision and hockey sense .. needs to maintain his urgency levels, as his game sagged and he could be caught not moving his feet .. at this point, he is more of a project, as he boasts a unique skill package.

Emerson Etem (2010), RW, Medicine Hat

Etem joins a new wave of players hailing from the state of California .. the Long Beach native is enjoying a fine rookie season leading the league in rookie goal scoring with 31 goals through 50 games .. a one-dimensional player, he is very offensive-minded and a natural goal scorer .. his first-step quickness coupled with his multiple gears of acceleration make him very difficult to catch if he gets a step on the opposition .. Etem plays with blinders on when he has the puck, as he is a shoot-first-type-of-player .. he excels when he can use his speed and shot down the wing .. what makes him such an accomplished scorer is the fact that he can disguise his shot and he can confuse them with the angle of his blade .. without the puck, he is a step behind plays and seems to chase guys down rather than maintain firm positioning .. Etem needs to show more courage by charging the net, which in effect would make his play more unpredictable and also result in increased penalties drawn, as defenders would be forced to haul him down.

Jordan Weal (2010), C, Regina

Fourth in WHL scoring, as he has benefitted by playing with Jordan Eberle .. Weal is blessed with quickness and can do many things at a high rate of speed .. he goes hard to all areas of the ice including the net .. survives due to his speed but his lack of vision hurts his overall game .. plays in a bubble, as he does not see his options and tends to skate with his head down .. goes to the net but generally wants to do too much in the offensive zone and finds himself out of position because he does not hold his ground, but skates around violently in the offensive zone .. lacks hockey sense in that regard .. not an overly savvy defensive player either.

Jakub Culek (2010), LW, Rimouski

Culek has adjusted well to the QMJHL and is currently third in team scoring .. named an assistant captain on this roster .. a big body that has size and is considered more of a finesse playmaker .. silky smooth in his movements, he is a highly agile and athletic player who can stickhandle .. ok on the half boards but tends to hang onto the puck too long and does not protect it overly well .. has good size but he does not lean on players and use his size to gain additional ice .. will dart to the middle of the ice and try to set up but too often, he is knocked off the puck before he can locate his option .. does not drive to the net and can give up on plays when they diffuse .. Culek lacks quickness in his stride, which also prohibits him from being an effective defensive player.