NCAA: Alex the GR8 - Bulldog

Even with the loss of Matt Niskanen and Mason Raymond to the pro-game, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are a nationally ranked team and one of the top in the WCHA thanks to their strong team defense led by the exceptional goaltending of San Jose Sharks prospect, Alex Stalock. Along with Stalock, McKeen's has notes on several Bulldogs that have already been drafted into the NHL.

Alex Stalock (SJ), G, Minnesota Duluth

Fiery competitor with a certain swagger to his game has emerged as the top goaltender in the WCHA this season by keeping his offensively starved team in every game and winning a few on his own .. Stalock's gaudy statistics are not inflated, as he is forced to make several difficult saves every night by stoning some of the top scorers in College Hockey .. flexible with quick and lively limbs that stimulate his fast glove hand and ability to make jaw dropping outstretched saves .. relaxed and calm with traffic around him, Stalcok is more patient in his approach this season and is doing a better job at just letting the puck hit him by getting square and playing big .. great skater that is quick laterally and maintains form by not opening holes when moving side-to-side .. does a fine job sucking in most shots up high into his mid-section .. plays the puck very well with the ability to breakdown the opposition's forecheck and springboard offensive opportunities for his teammates by sending the puck up ice .. already a natural athlete, Stalock committed himself over the summer to get himself into prime physical condition and now is definitely one of the top goaltending prospects in the NCAA that is dominating and carrying his team on his back.

Josh Meyers (LA), D, Minnesota Duluth

Skilled puck-moving-two-way defenseman that has helped pick up the slack that the departure of Matt Niskanen has left .. routinely double shifted by playing with multiple-defensive partners this year, Meyers brings a certain level of calm to the Bulldogs backend .. has inherited the role of quarterbacking the first powerplay where he displays his above-average skill set including a quick shot, good on-ice vision, and crisp puck movement .. not the type of skater that can go coast-to-coast but he routinely makes a clean first pass to transition the puck out of his own end .. skates well in a defensive sense, as he is a smooth skater for a big kid with fluid pivots allowing him to skate with his man in the open ice .. likes to initiate defensively and pressure the puckcarrier by aggressively utilizing his good reach and long first stride, however he can still be sucked out of position and fail to seal his man off at the wall when defending one-on-one .. two-way Junior defenseman that has sacrificed a bit of the offensive flare to develop his defensive game.

Michael Gergen (Pit), LW, Minnesota Duluth

One of the rare offensive threats for the Bulldogs, Gergen is a speedy goal scorer that effectively plays bigger than his size .. fast skater with a smooth stride and quick feet that propel his very good agility and top gear .. goal scorer with a quick snapshot and great release that he can pick corners with coming down the wing at full speed .. has quick hands but isn't the type of player that makes those around him better, as he either doesn't spot the open man or can be selfish at times and over handle the puck .. never fully commits himself defensively and could use more urgency coming back, however he does possess the speed to effectively come back and break up a play on the backcheck .. effective in traffic thanks to his sturdy feet and willingness to get his nose dirty by throwing the odd bodycheck .. cannot play the scoring role at the next level that he is asked to be here, but there are the tools necessary to be a checker here if he commits to bringing energy away from the puck every shift.

Jordan Fulton (Cal), C, Minnesota Duluth

A heady and competitive center, Fulton has developed well since last season but has failed to spark the offense as much as the Bulldogs would have liked .. an adequate skater in tight spaces, Fulton is accelerating quicker this season but he still lacks that extra gear to gain separation .. capable of finishing his own chances with a quick release in traffic and the resiliency to drive the net hard .. displays the vision and offensive awareness to create give and go's and execute crisp passes while working the powerplay .. has an endearing work ethic that is shown by his willingness to come back hard and the competitive drive to draw penalties when competing in one-on-one situations .. smart player with good hockey sense that continues to add little details to his game, such as winning key faceoffs and playing on the penalty kill .. much better all-around this year in his sophomore season but is also still a long ways away.

Mike Curry (LA), RW, Minnesota Duluth

Big defensive-minded winger that is at his best when utilizing his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame to be a physical menace on the ice .. an okay skater in appearance with momentum heading in a straight line because he's fairly coordinated for a big man, however he ultimately gets skated around because he gets caught flat footed when changing directions .. lacks an offensive touch and does not see any time on the powerplay, as he simply likes to dump the puck down low and do the dirty work in the corners .. makes good defensive reads and aggressively uses his long reach and big frame to be strong along the wall to aide in getting pucks out of the defensive zone .. his size and work ethic are his intriguing intangibles but his poor skating leaves his future in the Kings organization in doubt.

Travis Gawryletz (Phi), D, Minnesota Duluth

Character stay-at-home defenseman that effectively shuts down his man one-on-one .. sharp all-access skater with the strong backwards mobility to allow him to control his gaps and angle his man to the wall before neutralizing him with a stiff jolt .. effective one-on-one defender that astutely clogs lanes and sacrifices his body to block shots .. type of standup defenseman that gets in the oppositions face in the trenches and protects his goaltender with authority .. does not commit unforced errors with the puck and does get his shot through while working the point, however he lacks the vision and skill to generate offense from the backend .. not naturally blessed with NHL skill, Gawryletz still stands a chance at making it at the next level because of his rock-solid defensive game and character.

Matt Greer (CBJ), RW, Minnesota Duluth

Gritty spark plug that grows on you with repeated viewings because of his polished defensive game and tremendous work rate .. the type of player that all coaches love to have on their team, Greer is a physical winger that can play on the penalty kill and effectively check the opposition's top line .. offensively limited with rocks for hands and the inability to skate with the puck .. does not possess great speed and can struggle with his agility at times, however Greer does show a decent straight-line burst when pursuing the puck .. does not see the ice well and at times, clearly misses the open man leaving him a non-factor offensively .. does compete well and is most effective playing a suffocating role where his relentless forecheck and ability to cycle the puck makes it difficult for the opposition to break the puck out .. to take the next step in development, Greer needs to get himself off the fourth line and begin to improve on his skill.