Entry Draft: Great Danes

Notes on six top Danish draft-eligible prospects.

Morten Madsen, F, Frolunda (SWE), 6-1, 175 lbs., L, 2005 eligible

Lanky forward is a solid skater with above-average acceleration and impressive agility .. well-balanced on skates, but not sufficiently strong and gets knocked down due to a lack of lower-body strength .. does not shy away from traffic .. sees the ice very well, plays instinctively and knows how to find the wide open lanes .. a smooth puckhandler, crisp and crafty, although not accordingly consistent with his shooting .. anticipates well and is creative with the puck .. needs to bulk up but can handle his man along the boards .. good forechecker, gets to loose pucks.

Tobias Kisum, F, Leksand (SWE), 5-10, 170 lbs., R, 2004 eligible

An impressive skater with a good burst of speed and agility .. not very balanced .. smallish as vitals indicate and not surprisingly gets victimized by bigger opposing players, gets knocked off his feet a lot .. slick stickhandler who is able to execute at high speeds .. has a solid writer with a crisp, fast release, but lacking in accuracy .. not impressive defensively, doesn't play afraid, but is non-physical and at most times unaware of his positional duties .. must refine his play along the boards.

Kasper Weis, F, Rundsted (DEN), 6-1, 175 lbs., L, 2004 eligible

Elusive skater with good top-end speed .. solid agility, but lacks balance .. strong on the puck, and takes care of it well at full flight .. sees the ice well and does not panic around physical opposition .. very raw defensively, but looks willing to expand his all-around knowledge .. Throws the occasional hit, but is a non-factor along the boards .. Can bury the puck, due to accurate shooting skills, but must add power to his shots .. must bulk up and develop poise in order to limit a somewhat erratic playmaking game.

Christian Olsen, F, Herlev (DEN), 6-2, 200 lbs., L, 2006 eligible

Big forward is a smooth skater with good balance, but lacks agility and first-step quickness .. hockey sense is only average .. has a big reach with slick stick handling skills .. plays solid in traffic .. uses his body well, isn't afraid of battling for the puck along the boards .. adequate defensively, struggles to tie up his man effectively .. doesn't have great hands and struggles to finish up close.

Mats Schaarup, D, Herning (DEN), 6-0, 165 lbs., R, 2005 eligible

Mobile rearguard moves swiftly side-to-side with above-average top speed .. a smooth back skater .. positionally sound, stays with his man well and recovers well to cover defensive holes .. sees the ice well, makes smart and informed playmaking decisions .. needs to improve puckhandling skills, but makes a crisp first pass out of the zone, but rarely takes a chance on a long-lead .. lacks physical strength at this point and has trouble with handling hulking opponents and clearing them away from the crease .. does not play afraid, but needs to bulk up and add a mean streak .. average shooting skills, lacks accuracy and struggles to get most of his shots through traffic.

Simon Nielsen, G, Herning (DEN), 6-0, 160 lbs., L, 2005 eligible

Butterfly netminder .. good skater moves well laterally within the crease .. covers shots well and redirects hard ones effectively to the side .. loves to come out of the crease and challenge the shooter .. great athleticism and dexterity .. excellent reflexes and adjusts well to change of pace .. plays the angles well, but has only an average glove hand .. puckmoving abilities are below average, struggles out of the crease .. must improve poise with heavy traffic near the net.