Greyhounds Slowing Down

After flying out of the gate with seven straight wins, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds have fallen flat with five straight losses. The future looks bright with first overall selection Daniel Catenacci and second round selection Nick Cousins. The backend appears to also be in good shape as a trio of young defenders patrol the line including Brock Beukeboom, David Mead and Brandon Archibald. Key off-season acquisition Vern Cooper looks completely revitalized since coming over in a trade and Robin Lehner has adapted nicely to the CHL since coming over from Sweden.

McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn, profiles several players whose success should dictate whether the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds make the playoffs. Brock Beukeboom, Brandon Archibald, David Mead, Vern Cooper, Robin Lehner, Daniel Catenacci and Nick Cousins are featured.

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

Beukeboom has already matched his offensive totals this season in 11 games that took him 55 games to accomplish in his rookie season .. with two goals and eight assists, Beukeboom finds himself being more directly involved on the offensive side of things .. playing valuable PP time has given him a chance to improve on his puckhandling skills, allotting him the liberty of extra time and space to make a play .. he has shown a low panic point with the puck in his possession and generally looks more comfortable with it, not willing to easily dispose of it as was the case for much of last season .. boasts a good low, strong pointshot, however he has been exercising his puck distribution skills more often than not .. showing more composure in the defensive side of the ice as well .. can be guilty of taking foolish infractions and will need to curb his aggression slightly as not to get called, but that is only because he feels he has to do too much physically .. Beukeboom is an accomplished skater with a nice stride and more importantly he is balanced .. he has learned to stay and play well within his limits and not chase guys down, however he has had a few blemishes this season and needs to be reeled in from time-to-time .. does not make many low percentage plays with the puck despite his lack of finesse skills .. being partnered off with overage defender Quesnele has helped in his overall development .... might go higher than expected in this year's NHL entry draft, as teams such as the Flyers tend to put a premium on the type of game and skills he displays.

Brandon Archibald (2010), D, Sault Ste. Marie

Another player cut from the mould of a defensive defensemen, Archibald's game grew substantially following his participation at the U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament .. playing on the first defensive pairing alongside former Pittsburgh draft pick Jacob Muzzin .. the duo has formed a nice shutdown unit using both elements of size and physical toughness to stymie the opposition .. has excelled in PK situations where he uses his reach, size and mobility to block shooting lanes, block shots and guiding forwards to the outside where he can neutralize them along the glass .. his backwards mobility is very impressive and he does not usually get beaten to the outside as a result .. slowly starting to become more involved in offensive situations but the strides he has made in his defensive game is what will be his calling card to the NHL .. plays a very simple, yet effective game, as he understands his limits and does not try to push the envelope in any area of the ice .. not a 'sexy' pick but a safe one as he is already 6-foot-3, over 200 pounds and skates very competently.

David Mead (2010), D, Sault Ste. Marie

Mead saw action, albeit sparingly in 40-plus contests last season and is looking to make a bigger impact on the overall success of the club in his draft year .. a decent-sized defender (6-0, 225), he could stand to shed some weight but remarkably shows good overall mobility .. his defensive game is littered with some errors and it is largely due to his lack of experience in the league .. he misses assignments and does not close the gap quickly enough .. in his defence if an opponent gets close to the goal he will not hesitate to defend his crease and will be physical .. his puck play and decision making with the puck leaves little to be desired .. Mead needs time to adjust and develop into a primetime top-four role, a luxury he most likely will not get this year considering the depth, (including two overagers) on the backend.

Vern Cooper (2010), C, Sault Ste. Marie

A change of scenery has proved to be exactly what Cooper needed, as an off-season trade from Plymouth to the Sault has given the Sudbury native new life .. playing in all situations, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound centre has improved his play without the puck - an area in which he has suffered with since joining the league .. he is aware on the ice and sees plays unfolding before his peers, especially in the offensive zone, as he possesses natural instincts that simply cannot be taught .. he is strong and balanced on his skates .. fluid in all directions and has a few levels of speed .. considering his somewhat diminutive stature this is essential for him to be a producer in the league .. makes plays in all areas of the ice and is adept at retrieving loose pucks along the wall and then making a dash to the net or patiently waiting for his linemates to get into position .. overlooked in previous drafts, Cooper may suffer the same fate but in all likelihood, could generate enough interest as a possible free agent/camp invite.

Robin Lehner (Ott), D, Sault Ste. Marie

After an incredible Toronto Maple Leaf rookie camp it is astonishing that Lehner started the season in Major Junior and not the AHL .. the ninth overall selection in this year's CHL Import draft gives the Greyhounds depth in goaltending .. has a losing record thus far this season (8-3-4-1), but has given his team a chance to win every game, yet has not gotten the support back in terms of goals .. great size, he covers a bulk of the net .. he is very swift in his movements and has great reflexes .. his butterfly is also very quick, as he is up and down in an instant and due to his size (6-4, 205), his shoulders are touching the crossbar when he goes down .. he literally gives shooters no room and on top of his athletic ability he is equally adept at the art of the poke check, a signature move he likes to use .. his down low coverage is sensational as once again he offers very little space for a puck to squeeze thru .. rebound control and positioning as far as staying square to the shooter are also top notch.. his mechanics and overall competitive nature round out the package and he has all the making of a future NHL pro .. this year should be the ultimate test mentally and should the Greyhounds fall out of contention they may use him as trade bait to lure prospects and picks to the right contender, namely Windsor.

Daniel Catenacci (2011), C, Sault Ste. Marie

The Jack Ferguson award winner for the 1st overall OHL pick is a big piece in the rebuilding program of the Greyhounds .. a virtuoso with the puck, he can dangle and shift his weight instantly to get into better positions .. while not as dynamic (yet) as a goal scorer his game mirrors Bryan Little .. he could stand to be more selfish and use his shot more, as he has yet to develop a natural finisher's mentality despite being touted as a goal scorer in his draft year .. able to make solid plays on the half boards using his low centre of gravity and marrying it with his balance to win battles .. stays with plays, he shows great maturity for his age in his direct involvement with the offence .. can still be a tad apprehensive, as he does not push the boundaries for offensive chances like he did in minor .. size, or lack thereof is a determining factor in this and once he gains some additional weight he should be more fearless in his approach .. he is not confident at this stage in his junior career to spearhead the offence but that should come as he has the skills .. a slippery competitor who twists off players and is always ready to take or receive a pass .. Catenacci should lead the charge for Team Ontario U17 team as their first line centre, it is not inconceivable to see him play both on the PK and PP on that team and dominate the tournament as a whole.

Nick Cousins (2011), C, Sault Ste. Marie

The first pick of the second round, Cousins is an immensely talented forward with a plethora of offensive ability when he wants to play .. off-ice rumours resulted in him slipping into the second round and the gamble from GM Torrie and his scouting staff could pay huge dividends should the duo of Catenacci and Cousins flourish (they notoriously have been rivals since their days of Pee-Wee hockey) .. exploded out of the gate with points in his first three games and has since laboured with a mere one assist in his last 11 contests .. appeared to not be skating at full throttle and going through the motions in recent games .. has not been given the same opportunity as Catenacci to produce but is still centring the third line .. has had difficulty making plays, as his undersized body (5-9, 155), has found him on the losing end of many 1-1 battles .. he also needs to do a better job protecting the puck, as too often he is stripped or poke checked off it .. coming back defensively, as he is trying to contribute in other areas .. has yet to play with his usual bravado and 'Sean Avery' type of demeanour, but once again his junior career is just starting.