Lincoln Has Hidden Gem in Dzingel

If the typical Lincoln Stars season were equated to diamond, platinum, gold, or even silver, then the 2009-10 season was right around tin. In fact, it was the worst season in franchise history. The team finished with a league-worst 16-36-8 record and it had its first truly poor season in its 14-year history, with its 27-29-4 record in 2003-04 being the previous low. However, amidst the flat luster in Lincoln this past season, forward Ryan Dzingel still shone bright for the Stars and provided a glimmer of hope for the future. Dzingel's impressive skill set, his offensive vision, and his decent defensive effort helped propel him to 11 goals and 15 assists in 36 games for the Stars, which included a hot streak of 19 points in 19 games from late January through mid-March. Projecting those totals across an entire 60-game USHL season, Dzingel would have scored 43 points and led the Stars in team scoring, as well as place himself fourth in league scoring amongst USHL prospects in their first year of draft eligibility, behind only Jaden Schwartz (USHL Forward of the Year), T.J. Tynan (USHL All-Rookie Team member), and Connor Brickley (played for Team USA at the World Under-18 Championships).

Dzingel may not have made Central Scouting's final list, but he still proved to be one of the top young talents in the USHL in 2009-10 and is poised to put up big numbers in 2010-11, and is also one of the USHL's brightest hidden gems for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to catch Lincoln in action multiple times down the stretch and enters notes on Dzingel and the rest of Lincoln's prospects in the first year of draft eligibility, which includes a budding power forward who's made significant improvements and a gigantic goalie with big-time potential.

Ryan Dzingel (2010), LW, Lincoln

One of the hidden gems from the USHL for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft .. possesses a strong skating stride with good knee bend and extension .. able to build good cruising speed with the puck and can make some impressive stickhandling maneuvers .. confident with the puck and can handle the puck well away from his body .. maintains poise with the puck when pressured .. has good shot power .. possesses a particularly hard slapshot .. executes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. has good offensive vision and displays playmaking prowess from the half boards .. considers himself an offensive player, but has put in a good defensive effort in the USHL all season .. able to strip opponents of the puck on the forecheck .. listed at a slight 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, but he plays strong .. in person in street clothes, he appears to be 6-foot, though .. able to thrust into his hits and make some big ones .. plays with some competitiveness and will stick up for himself or his teammates .. one of the most talented USHL forwards in his first year of draft eligibility and is poised to put up big numbers in 2010-11 for Lincoln .. Dzingel's numbers, projected over 60 games, puts him close to approaching Des Moines' Connor Brickley and right with Fargo's Garrett Allen, despite an inferior supporting cast offensively .. if I were at an NHL table come draft day, I'd seriously start considering Dzingel in the fifth round of the draft .. committed to Ohio State (2011) .. scored 11 goals and 15 assists in 36 games for Lincoln .. scored 9 goals and 10 assists in 19 games from Jan. 29 through March 20 .. prior to joining Lincoln full time for the second half of the season, he scored 19 goals and 27 assists in 31 Tier 1 Elite League games with Team Illinois' midget major team.

John McCarron (2010), C, Lincoln

Known for his size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and physical game, McCarron has made marked improvement in his puck skills in 2009-10 .. starting to show some quickness with the puck coming off the half boards .. also displaying more confidence and poise with the puck .. touches with the puck are now longer and he appears comfortable with the puck on his stick at the USHL level now .. displaying some poise with the puck along the boards, assessing his options, and this has translated to McCarron seeing time at center .. passing game has improved with this newfound confidence with the puck .. able to make some smooth passes and is now connecting through traffic .. has a crisp wristshot and fairly hard slapshot .. still plays his physical game .. comes crashing in on the forecheck and will crunch opposing defensemen .. willing to drop the gloves .. was particularly impressive in a fight against USA U-18's Stephen Johns, where McCarron demonstrated he had the strength on his skates to wrestle the big defenseman .. really came on toward the end of the season, where he scored 8 points in his final 10 games of the season (2 goals and 6 assists) .. didn't put up the numbers that Green Bay's Christopher Crane did over the course of 2009-10, but McCarron is certainly right with him now and may project better due to his superior size .. McCarron is only a potential late-round pick for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but that potential for selection is legitimate, and he'll be someone to watch in 2010-11 if he goes unselected .. no college commitment of yet .. scored 7 goals and 19 assists in 58 games for Lincoln and added 114 penalty minutes.

Dax Lauwers (2010), D, Lincoln

Lacked an identity early in the season, but made the decision to become a physical defenseman and it worked for him .. has decent size at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and played an aggressive physical game as the season went on .. able to make some big open-ice hits .. saw one big hit on USA's Matthew Nieto near the hash marks to prevent a shot in one viewing .. very physical in the corners and was probably as aggressive in the corners as any USHL defenseman toward the end of the season .. willing to pinch in from the point and play the body to disrupt the opponent's breakout .. maintains a wide base backwards, eliminates crossovers .. getting much better at backing in less and engaging physically near the blueline more .. willing to drop the gloves and can hold his own .. Lauwers really developed over the course of 2009-10 and I would like to see him return for one more season before heading to West Point .. very unlikely to be selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft due to his commitment to Army, and would still be a fairly long shot regardless, but he has some potential, both as a hockey player and a soldier .. had 4 assists in 54 games for Lincoln and added 88 penalty minutes.

Chris DelMauro (2010), LW, Lincoln

Comfortable in his physical/fighting role, but needs to improve his puck skills .. auditioned around New Year's for three games and joined Lincoln full-time after the USHL roster freeze February 6 .. shows some cruising speed on the forecheck and will finish his check .. willing to get physical and chippy with anyone, regardless of their status in the hockey prospect world .. displays good hustle .. a threat to play the body on the forecheck or the backcheck .. fought USA's Jarred Tinordi in one viewing and took some blows, but managed to get the takedown despite giving up significant size at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds .. poor puck skills hold him back .. isn't confident with the puck and seems to want it off his stick quickly .. loses handle of the puck and mishandles passes .. needs to work on his hands over the summer so that he can play a larger role in the USHL before moving to college in 2011-12 .. has virtually no shot of selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to UMass (2011) .. scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 22 games for Lincoln and added 64 penalty minutes .. prior to playing for Lincoln, he played for the New Jersey Rocket of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and scored 2 goals and 8 assists in17 games, and compiled 44 penalty minutes.

Jared Coreau (2010), G, Lincoln

Unfortunately, limited viewing of Coreau despite multiple viewings of Lincoln .. was pulled in the lone viewing of Coreau down the stretch .. still, despite sub-standard statistics and an up-and down season, Coreau's potential, like his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame, is huge as USHL goalies go (see previous scouting reports from this season) .. it's very possible Coreau goes unselected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but it's also possible an NHL team has also marveled at Coreau when he's at the top of his game .. won't be surprised if one of the 30 teams pulls the trigger on Coreau in the sixth or seventh round .. committed to Northern Michigan (2010) .. played 1988:57 minutes over 38 games for Lincoln and had a 7-22-4 record, 1 shutout, a 3.26 goals-against average, and a .882 save percentage.