March of the Baby Penguins
The Penguins rookies capped-off a fine week by defeating the Senators 5-1 in the championship game of the Kitchener Rookie Tournament. In the consolation game, the Maple Leafs defeated the Panthers 4-0 in the four-team competition. McKeen's correspondent Gus Katsaros was on hand for the event and reviews several players from each team.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
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With nine first round picks already developing in the NHL, many already of the star quality, the Penguins rookies could have been thinner than expected, but there is a nice contingent of talent to be slated to the baby Pens' affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Fluid skater, and primary puck rusher on the powerplay .. could be more selective in rushing through the neutral zone, as his teammates stood still at the blueline waiting for a pass that never seems to come .. very patient with the puck, but tends to make high-risk passes .. always looking at starting/supporting offense .. made plays in anticipation of teammate's position and sometimes missed the mark .. excellent recovery speed with excellent acceleration .. did not take many shots, preferring to dish the puck off .. gets good speed for a compact, short stride .. man at the top of the umbrella, with a good low, hard shot from the point .. knocked off the puck by an aggressive forecheck with a two-man advantage .. had a decent camp and should make an impression at the main camp.
Gianluca Caputi, LW
Always chasing the puck and takes abuse to look for open space .. cycles well and gets to the net bravely to set up without the puck .. not the most elegant skater but hard working .. short, quick strides give an image of lesser speed, as his legs work hard but it looks like he is skating in quicksand .. good hand/eye coordination, as exemplified by ability for tips in front of goal .. sneaky on the powerplay while looking for open space and constantly moving his feet .. showed more frustration at squandered opportunities than his teammates
Aaron Boogaard, LW
Enforcer had two scraps in the game against Ottawa and another versus the Panthers rookies .. may have the best shot at cracking the Pens' lineup due to a need for an enforcer, as Laraque can't do it all himself .. has decent hands but spent so much time in the penalty box, he could not show off any hockey skills .. inelegant skater.
Awkward skating stride that makes the six-foot-three, 196-pounder look slow and lumbering .. made a bad clearing attempt when rushed, and should consider his options more prior to making an outlet pass .. inelegant skater must improve as well as add a better sense of urgency to his game .. defensive defenseman that could become a horse on the backend if he tweaks his game, and fills out to the 210-220 range.
Was counted on to take important faceoffs in every situation .. was the go-to guy and leader among the rookies .. good checker and overall well developed defensively .. good sense of where he is on the ice, in relation to the situation .. reads the play and transitions very effectively.. seemed content to blend into the scenery at times and others pushed into the periphery as the game wore on
Ryan Stone, LW
A puck-hog, perhaps looking to make an impression but clearly missed the mark on some sketchy decisions .. has good hands and shifty stickhandling .. must use teammates better and utilize his excellent distribution skills .. above average skater with good straightaway speed .. could develop better urgency in his decisions.
Kyle Rank, C
Good distribution skills, decent skater and very vocal on the ice .. was an above average threat at times, while wilting into the background at others.
Tim Wallace, RW
Decent distribution skills, and good anticipation for the play on offense .. controlled the powerplay well for the Pens' before orchestrating the play for the first goal against the Panthers .. great pass through the zone to find Brine for Pittsburgh's first goal.
Performed way above other Pens' rookies, drawing on his AHL experience to skate circles around other rookies .. was instrumental in the comeback against the Florida Panthers during round robin.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Replenishing the prospect stock was one of the mandates implemented by Leafs GM, John Ferguson Jr. upon taking the helm four seasons ago. Although he did trade away the Leafs first and second round picks in a draft-day deal with San Jose to bring in immediate help in the form of Vesa Toskala, 2007 third round pick Dale Mitchell was an instrumental part of the Leafs rookie camp.
Defensively sound and positionally accurate .. did not do anything to standout but was good in all facets of the game .. fluid skater with a long stride and great push from a strong lower body .. controls the puck well at the point on the powerplay and has a good low, hard shot from the blueline .. he looked bored playing with rookies, as if a man among kids .. follows the puck well and makes players around him aware he is patrolling the blueline .. sets up just outside the faceoff circle on draws in the offensive, zone looking for a quick shot on goal .. could be more aggressive although, that could be an element of this being a rookie tourney and not going full out, saving it for the main camp .. uses his body well to fight off forwards making jaunts into the Leafs zone .. rubs out attackers to the outside well, but takes time to recover from rubbing out the man on the play .. all-round great skills, which he kept strangely hidden .. was diagnosed with bronchitis, which held him out of Leafs Blue/White game and could have affected his rookie tournament performance.
Robbie Earl, RW
Awkward skater with a wide stance but gets good speed after start up .. has a way of soaking up pucks, as they are always hitting him or he gets a stick or limb in the way creating turnovers due to his excellent positioning and aggressive forechecking .. his defensive game has matured, as his penalty-killing role at the end of the Marlies 2006-07 season served him well .. constantly working through his skating and quick feet .. has upgraded his skating, balance, and making more beelines to opponents .. has better first-step acceleration than last year .. upgraded his change of pace from last season and found the ability to shift into a higher gear when seemingly appearing to be going full out .. is easily knocked off the puck, as his 195-pound frame could use some beefing up .. revealed a newfound zeal to get to the net by going much more aggressively into the slot and to the net looking for rebounds .. could be make-or-break year in his development.
Jiri Tlusty, LW
Great awareness in the offensive zone as he is always moving his feet to get to open ice .. displayed quick hands on the rush with someone draped all over him .. strong for his size and poised above what a junior should be at this point of his development .. goes hard to the net at every opportunity looking for tip-ins and rebounds .. willing to get dirty in high-traffic areas and usually comes out with the puck .. physical and aggressive, always finishing his checks .. has quick hands that match quick feet .. uses good body positioning on defensive coverage instead of swinging his stick aimlessly trying to poke at the puck .. stays square to the man and gets in his way to knock him off the puck .. forces his man to hurry the play, or else rubs out opponents out into the boards.
Dale Mitchell, RW
Must keep moving his feet and not stop to pick up the play, as his diminutive size hampers his effectiveness versus bigger opponents .. good positioning and brave to get in front of the net on the powerplay .. exceptional core strength and low center of gravity makes it difficult to knock off the puck, especially when he is rushing with above average speed .. takes a physical beating at this level compared to his time with Oshawa, but keeps coming back, as he 'takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin' like a TIMEX watch.. good defensive positioning on turnovers .. does not skate around aimlessly but gets right back into the play swiftly, generally finding a man and covering him .. looks unbalanced and hunched over in his skating stride but utilizing a low center of gravity he gets to top speed swiftly.
Overextends himself looking for the big check often taking himself out of the play, and then scrambles to get back into position .. could use some skating lessons, as his big choppy stride is not capable of recovering for overextension .. skating must improve in the AHL to be considered a legitimate defensive prospect for Toronto .. finishes his checks but goes out his way to do so .. seemed to be a step behind the play on most occasions .. could make better outlet passes and increase the urgency in his game, and make better decisions when getting physical.
Reid Cashman, D
Too lackadaisical and should work on his state of urgency to progress at the pro level .. managed to register three assists in the consolation game, although he did not impress much in the tournament overall .. AHL bound and could develop into a sixth defenseman if he works on urgency and pacing issues .. will have to work hard to get to the NHL .. his rookie tournament pace was acceptable but the NHL is much faster and his reaction time is lacking.
Justin Pogge, G
Played in the consolation game picking up a shutout against the Panthers .. did not look out of place making some acrobatic stops .. showed better reaction time and better recovery from his knees in a butterfly position compared to last season with the Marlies .. quickly gets square to the shooter and showed a quick glove-hand .. will get the bulk of duties in the AHL this season
James Reimer, G
Slides across the crease well and is a technically capable goaltender .. Was left to fend for himself on two-of-three goals scored on him against the Sens in round robin .. needs work to be a better NHL prospect, but showed good signs of stability against similar level competition.
OTTAWA SENATORS
New GM Bryan Murray looked in with vested interest, as his job was two-fold when he put on the GM hat at the end of the postseason. He had a difficult role in his first off-season as GM with the Senators, having to maintain a competitive squad in Ottawa, while stocking up the AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators. The talent on display should have given him reason to smile, as players like Brian Lee and Ilya Zubov demonstrated NHL skills. Should Ottawa trade away defenseman Wade Redden, there is a substitute in Brian Lee in the near future.
Brian Lee, D
Started on the top powerplay and pk units .. could make better decisions when passing across the blueline with the man advantage .. good puck rusher and the lead defenseman when killing penalties .. nothing exceptional but hardly a negative .. takes the man in front aggressively and limits rebounds from goaltender .. positionally strong, rides out forwards to the outside effectively and finishes his checks .. looks comfortable in open ice, as he does in traffic .. controls pace and play at this level but could use a slightly faster reaction time to be able to play effectively in the NHL .. has the basics for an outstanding defenseman and an outside chance of cracking the Sens, but most likely Binghamton bound .. could adjust his urgency to play at the NHL level, otherwise a premiere offensive defenseman.
Ilya Zubov, C
Puts himself into good position to accept passes and always in open ice .. he gives his teammates a good passing option constantly on the sheet .. carries the puck through traffic efficiently, shielding it with a surprisingly long reach .. attracts opponents to him making more space for deft, quick, short passes .. can be slippery, and was hauled down many times in attempts to curb his offensive flair .. speedy winger and fleet of foot .. protects the puck well with his body while rushing .. good quick release, and hard shot for short wind up, and smacked a loose puck in the slot on goal .. smart puck possession and distribution skills .. physical, despite lanky size on a six-foot frame .. can look for the pretty play instead of getting it on net when he has the chance .. could bury more opportunities if he used his shooting ability better and more often.
Never out of position, as he is a good technical goalie who makes the initial saves and limits rebounds .. sets up in a wide stance, showing five-hole, only to take it away at the last second .. slides across the crease to go post-to-post instead of skating across .. strikes out aggressively at the puck to make a save and does not wait for the puck to arrive, he goes out to corral it .. Binghamton bound.
Ryan Daniels, G
Uses the same slide-through-the-crease as Elliott, probably due to the goaltending coach teaching this in coaching sessions .. very vocal, always shouting about holes in coverage, or who his man is .. covers the bottom part of the net economically, not wasting any movement .. cuts down the angles by coming out to the top of the crease quickly.
Showed exceptional speed and playmaking ability with the puck .. looked sluggish without the puck but has good defensive awareness to pick up stray opposition .. good balance on his skates, although not very fast .. exceptional hand and foot/eye coordination, kicking the puck up to his stick when the pass is not tape-to-tape .. protects the puck well along the wall using his body and reach .. goes hard to the net with his stick on the ice in anticipation of pass or a tip-in .. overall, had a good showing in the rookie tournament.
Nick Foligno, C
Was the obvious owner of #71 in camp, like father Mike in his days in the NHL .. was strong in the faceoff circle .. sported an 'A' on his sweater indicating strong leadership skills as in his Sudbury days, where he learned leadership from his father who coached the Wolves last season .. decent, low shot that is hard and accurate .. always driving the net and parks in the slot .. will try to do too much on his own, and must learn to use his teammates as outlets better and more consistently .. there was one play where two forwards waited on the offensive blueline while he rushed the puck through the neutral zone and his rush caused them to pause and stop skating at the blueline before he dumped it into the corner .. showed good hands stickhandling through two defenders, but was eventually caught and knocked off the puck .. could use his size more effectively at the pro levels.
Tyler Donati, RW
Despite scoring the opening goal against the Leafs (which he banked off a Leafs defender) he was virtually invisible .. quickly pounced on an outlet pass by Lee and blew into the offensive zone before feeding a pass to Nikulin streaking down the middle .. good vision, great anticipation and neat distribution and shooting skills .. sometimes gets into traffic areas, other times blends in with the scenery, yet keeps getting on the scoresheet .. was not moving his feet as much in the game against Pens rookies .. a puck magnet, he uses positioning, opposed to aggressive forechecking as the puck just finds him .. lackadaisical approach to defense, and stops moving his feet when not directly involved in the play .. looks lost defending and must rely on good hands and offensive vision to be effective .. scored the third goal for the Senators versus Penguins .. received an invite to the main camp, but needs some defensive work before he could be considered as an NHL talent.
Shawn Weller, LW
Is always moving his feet, but looks somewhat wild up the ice .. great straightaway speed once he builds up to his top gear .. displays solid positioning, as he manages to work into open areas on the rush .. tenacious forechecker, always looking to create a turnover.
Made a great pass on the second goal versus the Penguins, hard and crisp, and on target through traffic .. can seem invisible at times similar to Donati, but has good wheels and superb acceleration .. has good offensive instincts and goes to the net with zeal .. worked really well with Donati cycling the puck down low .. choppy skater who could develop better balance on his skates .. had his own Latvian cheering section sitting in the stands.
Cody Bass, C
Quiet leader wearing the 'C' for the rookies after playing last season in Binghamton .. fought Pens rookie after taking exception to shenanigans after the whistle .. a hard all-around player and is tough on his skates.. follows the man efficiently in defensive coverage and finds his mark quickly .. likely Binghamton-bound once again.
Good skater with nice cuts and turns .. can make better offensive decisions if he simplifies his approach to generating offense and outlet passes .. reliable defensive defenseman can be a presence on the backend with good size and defensive instincts .. not a flashy player but shows pro-level skills in his overall game .. great in man-on-man coverage in his own zone .. could be the last one making the Senators cut this season in the NHL.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Rich in prospects in some regard, the Panthers rookies took a beating in Kitchener, losing by a shutout in the consolation game to the Maple Leafs. A notable addition was David Brine, who was signed as a free agent after the 22-year-old split the 2006-07 season between the ECHL's Florida Everglades and AHL's Rochester Americans.
Stops skating to make his plays and does not move his feet until he gets the puck .. not an aggressive forechecker and looks lazy skating by himself .. was not involved in the play much without the puck .. could be more defensively aware as he tends to be sluggish on the backcheck .. began coming in from the perimeter in the second period versus the Penguins .. could disguise his intentions a little more efficiently and not telegraph where he is going to be on the ice, or where he is distributing the puck .. tends to stay in the perimeter seemingly looking for openings, but never ventured into the fray .. only looked involved on a couple of occasions.
Kenndal McArdle, LW
Awkward skater, though he does show good balance at high speed .. a physical presence, as he finishes checks with zeal .. looked frustrated, slow without the puck, and must process the game quicker .. has a good change of pace while shifting into a higher gear .. impressive dash/drive to the net with a good show of strength .. fast with good top-end speed .. must work on his overall skating and decision-making to be able to keep up with the play in the NHL.
David Brine, C
Six-foot-one, 200-pounder showed well in the tournament .. scored two first period goals versus the Penguins rookies with a high-spirited effort .. scored a nice tap-in while finding the puck along the ice from a nice cross-ice feed and using his long reach with the defender in the way .. good skater with a great change of pace and good outside speed.. cleverly found open ice under the radar .. displayed good mobility and reckless abandon standing in front of the net with the man advantage .. great awareness of where his position should be on the ice .. made a nice play to come in off the boards in traffic looking for the hat-trick goal .. likely to be a first call up from Rochester when required.
Great inside/outside move at high speed rushing into offensive zone .. protects the puck well and makes good outlet plays .. puck junkie, constantly bearing down on the puck .. Spezza-like along the boards with a long reach and ability to protect the puck before using proficient distribution skills to find men in the open .. made a good impression at the tournament, although not flashy, but generally hard working.