Draft Watch: Whos Hot/Whos Not
200-pound giant by the name of Hugh
Jessiman - a player who might as well have his picture beside the word
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'wildcard' in Webster's dictionary. The graduate of Brunswick School (Division
II prep in Connecticut), Jessiman is a big, raw talent with great range and
physical skills at this time unharnessed.
It is a rare sight when a kid as tall as a tree showcases such pure potential
- Jessiman is smooth, smart and coachable. His hands alone are top five-material
in the draft and although we have been unwilling to throw him into the first
round of our rankings right off the bat, we let Hugh earn his dues. As onlookers
expected a long awaited halt to his heroics, Jessiman has kept on scoring and
setting up his linemates - he has not lost his drive as the season has gone
on, but seemed to have built on the experience. Hugh looks stronger, he is showing
flashes of superstardom and a much needed savvy.
Jessiman's chances of going in the first round of the draft were solidified
when the sniper amassed four goals in the title game of the Auld Lang Syne Tournament
at Hanover late in December. Hugh showcased spectacular vision, anticipation
and a booming shot. Somewhat rough around the edges, Jessiman's defensive game
leaves something to be desired though, as the budding star grew up playing a
pure run-and-gun style at prep, without the slightest awareness for his own
end.
A natural winger, Jessiman plays an on-and-off style - now you see him, now
you don't. He can dominate a game at any crucial point, but tends to go into
long cold stretches of utter invisibility. This is the sign of a player who
has yet to figure out the ins and outs of the game - when the game gets tough
and defensive, his effectiveness is minimized, as Hugh is not known to use his
size as some would expect. But do not for a moment label Jessiman lazy - he
just lacks experience. He will face baptism by fire over the next couple of
years as he's paired up with bigger and faster opposition to deal with. So far,
he has passed with flying colours, despite a few fixable dents to his game.
Jessiman's ranking in the McKeen's March draft list (16th overall) is the reflection
of his upside. Nothing can stop this kid from becoming a star but himself. Patience
is a virtue and whichever team drafts Hugh better prepare itself for major blooming
time. Jessiman's skating, stickhandling and shooting is right up there with
the likes of Thomas Vanek and Zach Parise and the combination of size and skill
that he provides in unparalleled in this draft class. Do not be surprised if
Jessiman is picked up before you can say 'unbe-friggin'-lievable'. Once the
likes of Parises, Coburns and Nilssons don their respective team jerseys, the
name Hugh Jessiman will be at the tip of the GMs' tongues.
Rising
Bernier - Moncton (QMJHL) - We are believers - no doubts now, Steve
Bernier has power forward potential. After a decent, but unspectacular first
half to his season, Bernier has really took off lately and will just miss the
century mark for points. We already know he is big, but Steve has a booming
shot, creativity and a powerful skating stride in his repertoire. Smart, fearless
and a take-charge kind of a guy. Now 15th in the rankings.
Dmitri Chernykh - Khimik Voskresensk (Russia) - His technical skills
are inspiring. Not at all a physical player, but possesses good size (6-1, 170),
despite a lanky build. Excellent hands, can stickhandle through a crowd and
find the open man at any juncture. Already a Superleaguer (now this is saying
something), the right winger is a responsible defensive player. The only question
is, while he may handle the professional game on the large ice surface, how
will he fare on the smaller one?
Tobias Enstrom - MoDo (SEL) - Mark this down - Tobias Enstrom is 5-foot-11,
not 5-foot-9 as previously advertised around the scouting community. Still pretty
darn small for a rearguard, but do not be fooled, this is a terrific all-around
blueliner who would be a surefire first-rounder had he been a couple of inches
taller. Very smart, strong on his skates and is a magician with the puck. Makes
the safe play well and plays like he has eyes on the back of his head. A rookie
with MoDo in the Swedish Elite League, Enstrom has seen a faire share of playing
time with the Toronto drafteee Pierre Hedin. Very cool headed and crafty.
Hluchy - Kladno (Czech Juniors) - The Czech pool is a bit weak after
Michalek, Polak and Barinka, but here's a kid who has been pleasant to watch.
A diminutive winger (5-10, 178), Milan makes his living by playing a fearless,
mucking style with just the right mix of offense to stand out. Possesses a good
stride and quickness. Despite his work ethic, Hluchy isn't very strong, he gets
outmuscled despite his best efforts. A crafty puckhandler, Hluchy needs to shoot
the puck more to get to the next level. Nothing mind-blowing, but this is one
player who could make it largely due to his combativeness.
MacArthur - Medicine Hat (WHL) - Here's one of our favorites. Not a
big guy (5-11, 180), the left winger has been likened to Cliff Ronning due to
his shiftiness. MacArthur likes to stay to the perimeter, but has that extra
gear to back off defenses and terrific lateral quickness. Possesses a quick,
accurate wrist shot and a solid passing game.
Mitchell - Plymouth (OHL) - Became a shoo-in to make this list, when
he amassed 13 points in five games to end the month of February. Does not have
overpowering offensive skills, but works hard for his points and makes the best
of every shift. Good mobility and vision. Will be mainly a checker, but his
offensive exploits are encouraging.
Pesek - Sparta Praha (Cze) - The first thing to like about Pesek is
his good size (6-2, 200), Pesek is no push-over along the boards. He grinds
hard in traffic and his physical strength is impressive for his age. Despite
limited offensive upside and questionable finish, Michal backchecks when asked
and listens to coaches - the type of attitude that should get him to the next
level. Lacks good take-off speed and power on his shot. What you see is what
you get with Pesek - and we like what we see.
Petri Tiainen - SaiPa Jrs. (Fin) - A creative forward with a nose for
the net. After a slow start to his season, Tiainen showed some offensive prowess
with 3 goals and 7 points in 9 games. Good skater and finishes his checks -
should be there at the Under-18's in Yaroslavl.
Vanek - Minnesota (WCHA) - Vanek, quite simply, is not slowing down.
The 6-2, 207-pound forward leads the Golden Gophers with 51 points on 24 goals
in only 37 games. The big man has great strength on the puck, terrific mobility
and a sharp release. His all-around game is steadily improving, but the most
impressive factor has been his consistency - Thomas has played in every single
game and has not endured any lengthy slumps. Looks and plays very much like
a young Mats Sundin and will not fall past the top 10 at the draft.
Mike Vannelli - Sioux Falls (USHL) - After notching just five points
in his first year with the Stampede, the strong-skating Minnesota native has
blossomed into the USHL's top-scoring rearguard this season and currently sits
among the league's top-20 scorers. Vanelli, a Gophers' recruit out of little-known
Cretin-Derham Hall high school, has a nice blend of size, skill and toughness,
and plays a smart two-way game. His development over the past two years has
been nothing short of astronomical.
Stephen Werner - UMass-Amherst (HE) - the Rodney Dangerfield of this
year's collegiate crop, Werner was ranked just 173rd on Central Scouting's mid-term
list, despite leading all Hockey East freshman in scoring. The native of Chevy
Chase, Maryland, who spent the 2001-02 season with the US National Team Development
Program, continues to shine, capturing league 'Rookie-of-the-Week' honors after
his two-goal performance last week sparked the Minutemen to a 4-2 win over third-ranked
Maine. The smooth-skating Werner is a crafty puckhandler and quick thinker with
good size and excellent speed.
Falling
Brown - Guelph (OHL) - We don't want to be too harsh on this kid, after
all he'll be a good one, but, if it is any consolation, he can be even better.
Despite picking things up lately (Brown had a 4-goal game just recently), Dustin
went through a stretch right through most of the winter where his production
was simply unacceptable. A lackluster World Juniors was followed by an even
more lackluster month of January. Hopefully he has figured it out, but we're
tired of watching just stand around. Where is the Dustin Brown we saw sacrificing
his body going to the net early on in the season? For his sake, we hope he's
around. For now, Brown is out of the top 10 (11th overall in the March rankings).
Coleman - London (OHL) - Nothing new here… London fans will tell
you he should be on the list every single month. Of course, we're frustrated
to see him throw a promising season down the drain and exactly at the time when
he was supposed to put things together. A frustrating start was disappointing,
but typical of Major Junior newcomers - however, the agile Coleman has yet to
figure things out. A pure butterfly-style goaltender, Gerald has struggled all
season long with his rebound control. His technique has more flaws than a drunken
Fred Astaire impersonator. He might still figure things out, but the draft is
looming.
Fehr - Brandon (WHL) - He hasn't gotten things done as expected. With
Ryan Stone out with a hand injury, Fehr was counted on to pick up the slack
in the all-around department. This has not happened, however, as Fehr stumbled
through a six-game pointless streak late in December - all this despite playing
big minutes. Has good size and hands - despite his struggles he will not fall
much at draft time. He has been a bit unlucky, but the first round is out of
the question at the moment.
Leavitt - Wisconsin (WCHA) - It has been a frustrating year for Wisconsin's
talented sophomore, whose season has been mired by an early-season locker-room
altercation with Badgers' coach Mike Eaves. Leavitt publicly revealed earlier
this month that Eaves physically and verbally accosted him last November over
a curfew violation on a road trip, which subsequently earned Eaves a school
reprimand. For his part, Leavitt will not play for the remainder of the season,
even though he will remain with Wisconsin as a practice player and will retain
his scholarship, provided that he attends his classes.
Alexandre Picard- Halifax (QMJHL) - The promising rearguard has made
few strides since the start of the year and still looks like a rookie in his
sophomore season. Very mistake-prone - makes a lot of errant passes and just
does not play the body enough. Looked decent enough in the first half of the
season, but has regressed since the top prospects' game.
Seabrook - Lethbridge (WHL) - We don't care if he's 6-3, 222 (okay,
we do a little), but Seabrook's defensive lapses are killing his stock. Brent's
play in his own end was much better last year - his dedication and vision is
very questionable. There is more to this than simply draft butterflies - we
are starting to wonder whether Seabrook has the smarts to become a great pro,
as opposed to a depth player. Fortunately for Seabrook, his lapses will be overlooked
by many due to his rugged style and pure offensive capabilities. A very raw
project.
Tunik - Elemash Elektrostal (Rus) - What Tunik has shown us is that
he is not the hardest working guy. He is still scoring (though not at the same
clip as at the beginning of the season), but his dedication should be questioned.
Evgeni has the frame to be a banger, but he avoids the corners; he has the vision
to cover all bases, yet he's behind the play on many rushes. His creativity
is there and he has great soft hands, but so does Sergei Varlamov and look at
where he is.
Vondracek - Sparta Praha (Cze) - When you're 5-8, 175, the odds are
against you. Despite his efforts, the pint-sized winger is no longer a regular
with the senior Sparta Praha team, as he was loaned to Mlada Boleslav of the
Division II league. His lack of size is a glaring weakness, especially at the
Extraleague level, as Roman has had trouble battling alongside his bigger, bulkier
teammates. Vondracek deserved our attention due to ultra-intense style and tremendous
quickness, but NHL upside is a reach.
Draft Confidential
Sherbrooke's left winger Vladislav
is quite possibly the smoothest skater out of QMJHL's class. Possesses great
hands, a quick shot and an above-average passing game. Plays well in his own
end, takes the body and is rarely out of position. The problem with Balaz's
season has been playing time - the winger has languished on the third and fourth
lines for the better part of the year, putting up just 12 goals and 20 points
this season. We bet that once he breaks through, he'll be a big time point producer
in the Q …
Courchaine is a talent who just got out. Not ranked by the CSB's, the
5-11, 175 Vancouver Giants centerman is smart, gutsy, but somewhat undersized.
This guy is almost the complete package. He not only has breakaway speed and
excellent mobility, he can get reach top speed in just a few strides. His quickness
allows him to elude the deadliest of defensive defensemen. His arsenal of shots
is impressive - hard and accurate wrister. With 43 goals and 84 points in 69 games, Courchaine has shown nice finish, but his strength will have to improve
for the next season. He'll be a mid-round pick …
The Michigan Wolverines' (CCHA) diminutive freshman duo of Andrew Ebbett and Brandon Kaleniecki will certainly draw some late-round looks.
Ebbett (5-10/165) is a lively skater with excellent one-touch passing skills
and a knack for always being around the puck. The sturdy Kaleniecki (5-9/195),
aptly dubbed the 'Bulldog', was the NAHL's leading scorer and MVP in 2001-02.
He is a smart and fearless two-way forward with fast hands, although he needs
to upgrade his overall quickness …
Expect Christopher Heino-Lindberg to take on starting netminding duties
for Sweden at this spring's Under-18 World Junior Championships. A talented
young draft-eligible goalie, Christopher is the property of the 2nd-tier leage's
Hammarby. At 6-foot, 165 pounds, 'Heino' is an agile goalie who has been compared
to Stefan Liv of the Red Wings. He is comfortable playing a mixed standup-butterfly
game, and while he is calm and cool in clutch situations, he has a bit of a
mean streak to him. In a February 17th game with the rival Huddinge, a scrap
occurred whereby a bench-clearing brawl took place. Not only did 'Heino' join
in the action, he was apparently the culprit of the bunch, earning a 23-day
suspension …
Litvinov's little guy Jakub Petruzalek (5'9", 160 lbs) is the newest
addition to the Litvinov seniors lineup. The winger has found his way out of
junior hockey to the senior ranks. A tremendous skater with deceptive puckhandling
skills and sharp instincts, Petruzalek is lethal around the goal area. He is
dangerous in one-on-one situations, while his vision is one of his strengths.
Lacks strength and looks uninspired in his own end. Sure, the size is a concern,
but few can catch him they way he skates …
Speaking of lack of size, Colorado's (WCHA) little man Brett Sterling
is quietly enjoying a spectacular season. At just 5-foot-8, the talented Pasadena,
California native is proving in his freshman year that size is not an obstacle
at the collegiate level. A pure goal-scorer with excellent quickness, determination
and an explosive release, Sterling was sizzling hot in February, winning back-to-back
'WCHA Offensive Player of the Week' honors to move into a third-place tie (with
Zach Parise) among all Division 1 rookies with 22 goals, including nine in his
last six games.
Getting next to no press is Molot Prikamye’s Alexander Zhurun. Not only is this kid creative and aggressive, he is already a Superleague regular. An undersized right winger, Alex is a poor man’s Sergei Samsonov. Although he has yet to develop enough strength, Zhurun is fearless - he loves to mix it up and is a real pest at times. Has good vision and above-average puck skills. Will take a while to develop, but his style is refreshing, no doubt.