CHL Top Prospects Game - Team Orr

Fresh off a standout performance at the WJC, Swiss prospect Nino Niederreiter continues to add to his draft stock with another strong effort amongst his peers. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn completes his review of the CHL's Top Prospects Game with a look at Niederreiter and several other players from Team Orr.

Louis Domingue (2010), G, Quebec

Traded earlier this season from one powerhouse (Moncton) to another (Quebec), Domingue is looking to play in his first playoff game and lead the Remparts deep into the playoffs this season .. a sizeable goalie that remains square to the shooter and takes up a large portion of the goal just by standing in the centre .. very smooth when moving laterally as his movements are crisp .. butterfly goalie that goes down a tad early on his shots but his size compensates, as it covers the top portion of the goal .. overplays shots and can slide too far wide .. average blocker side, it was targeted several times in the contest .. boasts NHL size and has good fundamentals.

Brandon Gormley (2010), D, Moncton

Gormley is enjoying a fine campaign with the Wildcats and enters his draft year as McKeen's highest rated prospect hailing from the QMJHL (4th overall) .. an incredibly sound and dependable defender who excels in both the offensive and defensive zone .. poised and intelligent in his reads whether it be with or without the puck .. at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he has already grown two inches and added 25 pounds onto his frame since being the first overall selection in 2008 QMJHL draft .. has great size to fill in and possibly grow an extra inch .. he is calm under pressure and makes quick and accurate passes out of the zone .. not a natural puck rusher, he has bouts where he carries the puck to the redline only to dump it into the zone .. opens up the ice when he has the puck, as the opposition has a great degree of respect for him, thus allowing his linemates to get into better position .. not an over powering shot but he does not hesitate to get it off and it has very little back swing .. shot always tends to get on goal and placed low for easy deflections .. mature offensive instincts, as he will carefully drop down low, giving his forward an additional option but never at the risk of position or getting caught up ice .. defensively, he is not physical but relies more on his lateral mobility and angling .. still needs to work on his lateral movement, as he does not always seem overly confident to chase down players side-to-side rather cheating slightly and chasing them down in a straight away .. an assistant captain on this squad, his mature approach to the game provided a calming influence on Team Orr .. a premier defenseman in this year's draft.

Mark Pysyk (2010), D, Edmonton

Pysyk struggled in this game despite being partnered with Gormley for the bulk of the game .. a lack of natural aggression was not exhibited and Taylor Hall in particular took liberties challenging him and intimidating him with his speed .. tall and rangy defender who has yet to fill out .. defends admirably by getting into shooting lanes and staying with guys with his wide skating base .. a generous skater with supple strides and improving mobility and agility .. shows a desire to rush the puck up but is better when he limits his play with it .. a capable puck distributor on the PP but has a weak shot .. in 5-5 situations he can get caught up ice and needs to play a more conservative game .. he needs to keep forwards in check by employing a nastier side, slashing and cross checking players if they remotely come close to his crease .. at this point, he seems to have many tools but needs to put it all together.

Stephen Silas (2010), D, Belleville

Silas, in his second season is already considered the go-to-guy on a rebuilding Belleville team that leans on him in all situations .. despite a minus-2 rating in this game, Silas played exceptionally well in a defensive role .. routinely boxed out his man and won corner battles against the likes of Spooner .. positionally sound, he is not a big player but is very intelligent and anticipates plays quicker than his peers .. considered more of a defensive defenseman, his puck skills are formidable, as he can make a good first pass and does not panic with it .. not flashy but effective, as he makes quick plays with the puck to keep pressure in the offensive zone .. Silas has done a good job of adding upper body strength to his frame, which has helped him in defensive situations to not only contain his man but also play him tight .. his skating still has a slight hiccup that prevents high-end speed .. Silas is a nice mixture of both offensive and defensive elements to his game making him a perfect complementary defenseman .. he supports his partner, giving him passing outs and moving in and out of position to receive a pass .. a low maintenance player who understands his role in game situations and does not try and play outside his limits, which should make him a safe pick come NHL draft day.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (2010), D, Rouyn-Noranda

Leduc has shown that he can generate offence, as he came into the game with the most goals scored among all the defensemen in the TP game this season with 14, which is a staggering seven more than Rutkowski and Pysyk .. employed more in a defensive-defenseman mold throughout the game, as he made simple plays to advance the puck up the ice and did not showcase his offensive capabilities .. a healthy skater, not a particularly strong one but he does have good mobility .. was caught flatfooted in defensive situations and struggled with quicker players, as he did not make adjustments fast enough .. Leduc appeared tentative at times to rush the puck up the ice and was always looking to rid himself of it as opposed to making a play with it .. this game may not have been the best measuring stick for his true game.

Dylan McIlrath (2010), D, Moose Jaw

Mcllrath's game has marked such a considerable improvement from last year as a member of the last place Warriors .. in particular his plus/minus totals have gone from minus-22 last year to a plus-21 this season, meaning he has been on the ice for 40 more goals this year .. his confidence in the defensive zone has enabled him to become more involved in the play .. naturally aggressive and a heavyweight fighter, as he stands at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and looks as if he could easily gain 35 pounds before he joins the NHL .. easily took down Petrovic in a fight and already has 13 fighting majors in the WHL this year .. at times, he loses his man along the boards but never without trying to take a player's head off .. he intimidates forwards, as he loves to hit and make players pay the price .. raw puck skills, he handles it as if it were a grenade .. despite his lack of stick skills, he does bring important intangibles (size, aggression and a powerful right) and those qualities will add a premium to his draft stock.

Tyler Seguin (2010), C, Plymouth

Both coaches made it a point to match up both Seguin's line with Hall's, as the rivalry between the top two prospects continues to grow .. named team captain, Seguin was an explosive player every time he touched the puck .. confused defenders with a patent move where he stickhandles with the tip of his blade, carefully flicking it in front of the defender only to quickly pull it back .. wanted to do too much in this game and at times, over handled the puck .. has started to show a penchant for not wanting to chase down loose pucks and avoiding hits when he can .. disappeared after a hit from Beukeboom, which raises some concerns .. a natural playmaker whose skill set is already pro-like.

Alexander Burmistrov (2010), C, W, Barrie

Burmistrov recorded the fastest time in the skating relay, edging out Hall by .02 fractions of a second .. played the wing in this game and his true skill set did not shine through .. best when given time and space to operate but was not opposed to bullying his way into the zone .. good down-low ability, as he continues to play a solid North American game, cycling and protecting the puck down low while getting into position .. his speed and quickness out of the gate make him a highly sought after pick whose stock continues to increase .. he does not appear intimidated when games get more physical, which also bodes well for his NHL/pro success.

Quinton Howden (2010), RW, Moose Jaw

A key offensive catalyst for the resurging Warriors, Howden leads the team in scoring and remarkably has recorded only four of his 50 points with the man advantage .. very accomplished around the goal, as he has quick hands to bury his chances .. not a savvy stickhandler, his game is more about getting the puck and himself to the goal .. not a graceful skater, he takes a while to get moving, as he has very heavy feet .. he is solid down low, as he is impossible to knock-off the puck and protects the puck very well .. not a good breakout player, as he cannot handle a pass out of the zone and is usually caught flatfooted in the neutral zone if he cannot coral the puck .. Howden's game is good at the junior level an upgrade to his skating is a perquisite to survive at the NHL level.

Nino Niederreiter (2010), RW, Portland

Niederreiter could be the best prospect to hail from Switzerland .. at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he already possesses NHL size and played the most complete pro game amongst all the players participating in the TP game .. poised, mature and smart in all three zones, he is an excellent package of speed, skill and hockey sense .. his stock continues to grow, as he single handily eliminated Team Russia from WJC competition and is averaging over a point a game in the CHL .. his understanding of the game coupled with his strong work ethic gives his game consistency .. he is a strong skater who explodes into the offensive zone and can make things happen due to his shot and passing skills .. constantly competes for loose pucks and will hit even though he does not drive through guys .. shot and release are also a weapon .. Niederreiter has adjusted well to the North American game and understands that moving his feet and being involved physically are calling cards that will complement his above-average skill set.

Michael Bournival (2010), C, W, Shawinigan

Bournival has managed to add to his offensive repertoire this season with Shawinigan while not compromising his two-way game that scouts gravitate toward .. the increase in offence this year is important for a player like Bournival who most likely would have success on the third and fourth line of an NHL hockey club .. a conscious forechecking forward who was employed as an F1 during this game .. constantly badgered the opposition off the puck or forced them to create a turnover or an icing deep in the defensive zone .. he does many little things well and is always in position for turnovers .. disappeared at times in this contest and needs to be playing with urgency on every shift to be noticed .. a good support/role player who can play on the wing or center.

Petr Straka (2010), RW, Rimouski

Straka has been terrorizing the Czech Jr. leagues for several seasons before joining the Oceanic this season (22nd overall in the Import draft) .. had a poor U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament but has made up for it in the eyes of NHL scouts with his ability to adapt to the North American game and play in the TP game .. a strong offensive player who likes to shoot more than he does pass .. his game is dependant on his ability to get behind defenders in the neutral zone .. he relies on his quick first step to get a jump into the offensive zone .. the problem is that his stride lacks explosiveness and he is easily caught making his game very one dimensional .. he shows very little effort to backcheck unless he thinks he can pickpocket a forward and turn the play the other direction .. very opportunistic in his play and does not seem to want to pay the price .. got hit and manhandled in the slot and did not care to return to that spot later in the contest .. his game has many holes but he could become a good project for a team that is patient and will make him accountable for his mistakes.