Moving Forwards

McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn profiles several high-end forwards from the OHL that are eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Steven Shipley, Jeffrey Skinner, Devante Smith-Pelly, Gregg Sutch, Riley Brace, Greg McKegg and Andrew Yogan are featured.

Steven Shipley (2010), C, Owen Sound

Injuries to Joey Hishon have thrust Shipley into the offensive spotlight .. has done ok in his absence but still does not have the game breaking ability as other prospects in the OHL .. healthy size (6'2, 205), but does not play a physical game, nonetheless he has good presence in the offensive zone .. smart in terms of knowing where to go for tips but other times he can get caught running around in his own zone .. plays the PK but is far from a defensive specialist .. his size compensates as does his hockey IQ, but his woeful plus/minus totals raise some concerns .. skating continues to be an immediate issue .. his first step is non-existent and his balance is not overly strong, as he tends to get knocked over a fair bit .. Shipley is an ok prospect but far from complete and his role at the NHL level has yet to be determined.

Jeff Skinner (2010), C, Kitchener

Neither Mike Richards nor Derek Roy accomplished what Skinner is on pace for - 50 goals in a Rangers uniform .. Skinner flat out scores and does it in a multitude of ways .. he simply has the intuition in the offensive zone to know where the puck is going to be .. his wristshot explodes off his blade .. Skinner needs to be given duties as his concentration can wane .. Coach Spott has done a good job of developing him by making sure he understands both sides of the ice and is constantly challenging him .. at times, he can try and show off just how good he is and he needs to curb such behaviour .. he has the presence to draw defenders to open up ice for himself, but he does not always utilize his linemates .. still resorts to flopping on the ice to draw penalties .. needs to focus more on playing a complete game and to utilize his speed to the outside more and be a tad less selfish .. nonetheless, he is one of the best natural finisher's available in this draft and he should sneak into the first round.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010), RW, Mississauga

Smith-Pelly has shown coach Cameron this season with his offensive outburst that he can play outside his checking role on one of the top two lines .. this has been a blessing for his development and also a curse, as Smith-Pelly does not always exhibit the traits that put him into a scoring role to begin with .. needs to play a punishing-style-of-game at all times .. loves to hit and display how strong he is .. will actually slow down and allow a defender to close the gap on him so he can collide with him .. has a fullback's-type-of-mentality, as he creates his own holes with his expansive frame .. needs to work on his conditioning, as he looks gassed on some shifts .. carrying too much weight .. can muster good speed and looks to drive guys out of the rink when he lines someone up .. knows to come back in the defensive zone but has no structure in terms of where to be other than shadow his man .. needs to do less with the puck .. can get into trouble when he over handles it and is best to keep his game down low and inside, using his frame to shield the puck .. Smith-Pelly needs to get into a game early to become effective and needs to push himself to be an impact player each shift .. he offers a dynamic that most prospects do not offer in this draft, which makes him an appealing candidate to most NHL teams.

Gregg Sutch (2010), RW, Mississauga

Coach Cameron has tried to ignite Sutch's game with a revolving set of linemates to find some chemistry for the 6-foot-2, 190-pound winger .. Sutch appears a step behind and still extremely tentative to make a mistake therefore he is not fully exerting himself .. injuries have robbed him of a productive season as well .. Sutch tends to skate aimlessly in all three zones with very little purpose .. he has very little feel for the game and does not always see his options .. cannot do multiple things at once .. has been used as a screen in front of the goal on the PP but does not have the hands to bury chances created by rebounds .. thrives down low where he uses his body but his lack of creativity makes him rather ordinary .. Sutch needs to rebound in the playoffs, as his confidence is all but gone.

Riley Brace (2010), LW, Mississauga

Brace has become a favourite option for coach Cameron due to his ability to produce and his high hockey sense .. Brace continues to flourish offensively and with a rotating set of linemates, he has been forced to adjust and adapt .. undersized, Brace is strong on his skates and with his stick .. he can battle down low and often comes away with the puck or holds of a guy off long enough until a teammate comes to help .. a slick skater, he is not a burner but his hockey sense makes him that much quicker, as he is never out of position .. has quick hands and operates well in traffic .. what makes Brace so effective is that he makes others around him better and backs it up with a solid work ethic .. Brace should get drafted but his lack of size will hold him back from being a top-four round pick.

Greg McKegg (2010), LW, Erie

McKegg has quietly put up a solid season, as he appears poised to hit the 40-goal mark in his second season of the OHL .. Coach Ftorek has done an excellent job taking advantage of his finishing skills by putting him on a line with overage sensation Zack Torquato .. coupled with Cazzola on the right side, the line offers a little bit of everything and is one of the stronger ones in the league .. close to half of his goals have come with the man advantage .. with additional time and space, McKegg can cleverly sneak into the offensive zone and pick his spots better .. he has a good stick and knows where to go .. he is strong enough to free himself from coverage and separate his stick from checkers to tip or deflect a puck on goal .. tends to cheat defensively, as he is always pushing up and rarely drops back below his own blueline .. will watch plays unfold as opposed to architecting them .. McKegg needs good linemates to bring out his skill set, as he can not carry a line, rather support it .. his finishing skills along with his speed should see him be a top-100 pick come NHL draft day.

Andrew Yogan (2010), LW, Erie

Yogan possesses all the attributes that an NHL scout would look for .. size, reach, skating and a natural ability to score .. the problem is Yogan simply does not compete hard enough and there is no engine to start up the motor .. too often, he will simply give up on plays, as he gets easily discouraged .. has a surprising first step, which he employs and even drops the shoulder to get to the net but he relies too much on his first step and the fact that he is not already in flight to accept a pass lets the opposition catch up to him fairly easily .. has a good one timer and shot and is extremely effective below the dots if a cycle game has been formed, as he uses his reach to assist with plays .. still has awkwardness in his stride but is still growing .. there are some evenings where it appears Yogan does not even know which goalie is starting for him because he never comes back .. Yogan will need to change his work habits for NHL scouts to take him seriously.