Generals in Charge

The Oshawa Generals' hopes of making the playoffs were dashed last season quickly after they traded John Tavares. They went into a nosedive missing the playoffs by a single point after having over a 20-point cushion prior to the trade. The good news is that the Generals got to draft in the top four spots, the better news is that they selected Boone Jenner. Jenner and Calvin de Hann should lead this team in every offensive category especially since Brett Parnham is still sidelined with an injury he sustained at the Leafs Prospect camp. The maturation of Christian Thomas and goalie Kevin Baillie will be critical for team success. The addition of Jimmy McDowell is also paving the way for the future.

McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn, looks at several key performers for the Oshawa Generals this season including first round NHL draft pick Calvin de Haan, as well as Christian Thomas, Kevin Baillie, Jimmy McDowell, and Boone Jenner.

Calvin deHann (NYI), D, Oshawa

De Hann returned from NHL training camps scoring high grades with management but inevitably was returned to junior .. de Hann's play will be crucial for the Generals to taste any success this season, as he should log close to 35 minutes a game, significantly more than he would log as a 7th defenseman for the Islanders .. sensationally smooth and effortless with his decision making and skating ability .. he twists and turns off guys and finds his outlets with relative ease .. his ability to find the open man is NHL-calibre, as there is no panic point to his game .. subtly joins the attack and is more eager to join into the attack this year .. has the wherewithal to be able to return into a defensive mode and can easily thwart an offensive rush, as he is positionally sound .. de Hann will not likely improve on his skills, as his game is rather polished .. he is not the type to muscle a player off the puck, as his finesse skills serve him well and he is not likely to suddenly develop a mean streak .. he will play often, which is good for his overall development, but he has little else to prove at the junior level with the exception being a roster spot on Canada's WJC .. the ultimate test for him as a prospect will be when he plays against bigger, stronger competition.

Christian Thomas (2010), RW, Oshawa

Thomas is getting a chance to showcase his skills on the first line and is putting up the points accordingly with 14 through 9 games .. a quiet and stealth-like player who explodes out of nowhere with the puck .. he takes small steps to garner speed but cannot sustain his speed throughout an entire shift .. excels in the short game .. not the most natural of stickhandlers, as his strength lies in his shot .. his assists will generally come off shots that he has taken and the rebounds they create .. he is not selfish but he does have confidence in his shot and is encouraged to shoot by the coaching staff .. not a physical specimen, he does battle and plays bigger than his small stature (5-9, 170) .. slowly putting it together away from the puck and moving his feet quicker in transition and marking a man immediately .. Thomas has made positive strides in improving his overall game .. he should be able to put up the points this season, but will it be enough?

Kevin Bailie (2010), G, Oshawa

Remarkably, Bailie posted a winning record last year (5-4) on a team that finished 10 games under .500 .. the former first rounder is a tall, athletic goalie but surprisingly does not play to his size, as he rarely comes out of the blue paint .. he is a competitive goalie and rarely gives up on shots .. rebound control tends to be suspect, as he kicks shots generally to his right side and the opposition picked up on that tendency early and he had no answer .. handled the puck ok but does not appear to be all that comfortable with it .. plays more of a hybrid style, as his size helps him to make saves .. can be patient, out weighting shooters but also keeps his five hole too wide open when coming across .. his size will get him noticed and he does have enough raw ability for him to warrant draft consideration even though statistically he will suffer this season.

Jimmy McDowell (2011), D, Oshawa

A coup for the Generals, as they managed to score a solid defenseman (and entice him to play) in the 12th round .. played for the Detroit Little Caesars squad last year and was one of their better players alongside his twin brother Jacob .. a healthy skater who is strong in all directions .. will not blind you with a dazzling array of stickhandling skills, but keeps his game simple .. his offensive game is subtle and he contributes in many small ways .. defensively is where he thrives .. he is not the biggest player but he does a good job of neutralizing forwards with his positioning and smarts .. he must be mindful not to get exposed while skating backwards, as he does take too many steps .. slowly learning the ropes and should quickly be a quality depth option on a rebuilding backend.

Boone Jenner (2011), C, Oshawa

Has been put in the right environment to succeed, as the 4th overall pick of 2009 is already seeing a regular shift on the second line and scoring at a point a game clip through nine games .. boasts a strong offensive game, as he instinctively knows where to go below the blueline .. he reads plays well and as a centre he does a good job of coming back and spear heading the rush .. can be a tad selfish and needs to refine some of his on-ice habits .. while his enthusiasm is viewed as a positive, at times, he is too eager to line up at the faceoff dot completely oblivious to the positioning of his wingers or defenders .. this is maturity thing and surely will be addressed by the coaching staff .. nonetheless, his offensive game is mature and his defensive game is improving .. skating hinders him, as he is not quick off the mark .. mirrors a similar skating style to that of Ryan O'Reilly .. has smarts and good game reading ability to stay involved in the play without the puck .. not physical but he does have good balance to absorb hits and dish out the occasional one .. he should continue to manufacture offence and may even compete for the ROY award should he continue to produce at this level.