NCAA: Gophers Still Golden

Even after losing Kyle Okposo to the pro game, the Minnesota Gophers lineup is an impressive one with 14 NHL draft picks on their roster, including three former first picks in Blake Wheeler, David Fischer and Patrick White. McKeen's has notes on these three players plus several other Gophers making an impact this season.

Blake Wheeler (Phx), C, Minnesota Gophers

The Gophers first-line center and go-to-offensive threat since Okposo left for the pro game .. all the talent is here to be a good one, as Wheeler is nearly impossible to contain when he puts his mind to it, however he is still guilty of taking to many shifts off .. has good feet for such a big kid with a strong acceleration .. blessed with a gigantic reach and magnetic hands that can dangle while blitzing the defense at full speed .. displays sound offensive instincts by moving his feet to find the open seams in the offensive zone .. sees the ice well while moving his feet with decent creativity and touch passing the puck .. handles the puck well in tight with a quick, snap release .. has okay habits away from the puck, as he moves his feet in pursuit and extends his long reach to clog lanes effectively .. has great finesse but he spends too much time in the perimeter .. can break the game open at any time but he goes in and out to regularly.

David Fischer (Mtl), D, Minnesota Gophers

Sophomore defenseman that has taken a solid step forward in his development while receiving a lot more icetime this season .. rangy and lively skater with a spider-like stride that is wide-tracked and can be utilized to effectively skate the puck up the ice or pressure the opposing puckcarrier .. first step and top gear could still stand to be upgraded but both should come with added strength .. much more confident and in control this year, as he is now skating with a purpose and is beginning to play more instinctive .. not a powerplay-quarterback type but he is skilled with a long reach and can make a good first pass .. jumps into the offensive rush at appropriate times to create the odd-man rush .. despite his size, he is not a skilled defender, as he tends to rely on his swift mobility and an active stick more than sound positioning .. gangly and is still growing into his body, as he's not sturdy on his feet, his in-close control is suspect, and he tends to easily tire on long shifts .. much better this season and if he can repeat the same step in development he took this year the next, he will emerge as a promising player.

Patrick White (Van), C, Minnesota Gophers

Former high school scoring sensation has had a trying freshman season where he has been stuck on the fourth line and struggling to score .. standout quality is his lively release that produces the impressive touch of a natural goal scorer .. a sluggish skater that looks like he is stuck in quick sand when he is attempting to accelerate .. probably should be playing in the USHL this season, as the natural raw ability is evident but he is physically not ready to be a difference maker at this level and is being beaten in every facet of the game including in the faceoff circle .. the hockey sense is there, as he's a solid two-way center that understands to clog the middle of the ice while forechecking .. has been besieged in this learning season and next year will be a big one for his development and confidence.

Tony Lucia (SJ), C/W, Minnesota Gophers

The son of coach Don Lucia, Tony is a shrewd two-way defenseman with endearing grit .. his hockey sense and tenacity is what makes him standout, as he is the ultimate competitor that hates to lose .. an adequate skater with decent acceleration and the lateral burst of speed to retain possession while gaining the zone coming down the wing .. skates the puck up ice effectively .. nothing flashy or creative here with the puck, Lucia keeps things simple and likes to either get the puck on net or dump it deep to do his work down low .. has a deceiving shot but he scores most of his goals through his sheer hard work and willingness to get pucks on net .. defensively smart forward that competes hard on the defensive side of the puck .. strong penalty killer that knows when to hang in position and when to attack to strip the sleeping defender of the puck .. gritty and tough grinder that has a shot of playing in the NHL some day as a third or fourth liner.

Ryan Flynn (Nsh), LW, Minnesota Gophers

Healthy sized, two-way winger with an adequate power game .. strong along the wall and on his feet, as he is at his best when bulling his way through the traffic before getting pucks on net .. not a high-end-offensive threat, although he is effective in front of the net on the powerplay and displayed adequate poise while handling the puck on the half-wall .. not a lazy player, as he does move his feet, however skating is the main concern, as he lacks the burst to separate despite his recently improved first step .. plays on the penalty kill where his upgraded initial quickness aides in his ability to pressure the pointmen .. his blossoming two-way-power game is encouraging but he will remain a long shot until he improves his skating.

Cade Fairchild (StL), D, Minnesota Gophers

Diminutive but highly skilled offensive defenseman that excels with the puck but struggles without it .. quarterbacks the Gophers powerplay that can generate offense while in transition by hitting the home run pass to send his teammates in free behind the opposition's defenses .. has great hands and skates really well with the puck, as he can make quick, no-look feeds while gaining the offensive zone at full-speed .. lacks a great top gear but he is a quick and compact skater .. a defensive liability that allows his man to get a step on him and go in clean to the net with scary regularity .. lack of strength is most evident around his net, as he's easily out-muscled for position .. can look like a deer caught in headlights in his own end, as he struggles to pick up the proper man .. does display good self-preservation skills, as he is slippery while eluding the oncoming forecheck .. has the ability with the puck that you cannot teach but he will need to bulk up and improve defensively to take the next step.

Alex Kangas (Atl), G, Minnesota Gophers

Big standup goaltender that relies on his exceptional positioning and angles to give the shooter little net to look at .. effectively keeps his movements to a minimum, as he does not resort to flopping and will stay on his feet to make a save .. technically sound with strong net coverage by keeping his shoulders upright in his compact butterfly .. flexible and can extend his long limbs to get big in the net .. just average laterally but the point is often moot, as he does not have to move much to cover his crease .. struggles with shooters in tight and can be caught guessing one-on-one at times .. struggles to regain composure after a bad goal and he is often shy to play the puck .. does not find the puck well in traffic, as he either gets beat by a sloppy goal or struggles to control the rebound .. has had his moments this year by wrestling away minutes from Frazee and is impressing with a strong freshman campaign.

Jay Barriball (StL), LW, Minnesota Gophers

Do not let his pint-sized stature fool you, Barriball is a player with dynamic offensive ability and impressive play in traffic .. dangerous one-on-one with the quick feet and exceptional in-close puck control to allow him to perform a spin-o-rama while retaining possession of the puck to elude defenders .. has a great feel for the game when the puck is on his stick, as he likes to gain the offensive zone and attack laterally to open seams in the defense .. a rare throwback threat with his heavy and precisely accurate slapshot that is let go quickly thanks to its minimal wind up .. creative passer with great poise and anticipation .. solid defensively, as he comes back to help and can create turnovers .. feisty and surprisingly strong on his feet for a player of his size thanks to his great balance .. battles hard one-on-one, as he likes to go into traffic areas and often comes out of the scrums with the puck .. as long as size continues to be a non-issue, he has a chance at playing in the NHL in a few years.

Mike Hoeffel (NJ), C, Minnesota Gophers

Big and strong wall-to-net-type-of-two-way center .. sturdy and effective in front of the net with the hand-eye coordination to make some nice tips while maintaining his balance despite being harassed by the oppositions defenders .. good in-close scorer that is capable of scoring in traffic with a quick release that produces a heavy and accurate shot .. can stickhandle around defenders despite not having much speed to force them back with, as he has a long reach with good hands .. stiff and heavy-footed skater that gets around just okay thanks to his strong legs .. will be defensively sound once he improves his mobility, as he sticks to his man like glue on defense .. development took off midway through the year once he received more icetime with the departure of Okposo.

R.J. Anderson (Phi), D, Minnesota Gophers

Junior stay-at-home defenseman that has become better with the puck this season .. reliable defenseman that partners well with an offensive-minded type .. defends and controls gaps well thanks to his fluid all-compass mobility and deceiving recovery speed .. you do not notice him much on the ice because he is quietly effective .. not mean but also no softy, as he can be tough when the situation calls for it .. playing on the powerplay at times this season because he makes good decisions while under duress .. makes a good first pass but his hands are not soft enough to allow him to skate the puck up the ice .. heady defensive defenseman that is coming a long soundly.

Mike Carman (Col), C, Minnesota Gophers

Energetic checking-line center that is at his best away from the puck .. a spark plug that uses his quickness to be the first man in on the forecheck and to generate turnovers by pressuring the opposition's puckcarrier into mistakes .. exceptional on draws, as he's always the first center over the boards when the Gophers face an important faceoff .. competitive with a sound defensive IQ, as he takes good angles to the puck .. buzzes around the net a lot but does not display much of an offensive touch, as he will need to fill the role of a checker at the next level.

Derek Peltier (Col), D, Minnesota Gophers

Senior captain that is a tough and smart two-way defenseman .. plays on both special team units and is on the top pairing while guiding the green David Fischer .. heaven forbid anyone coming near his goalie, as he gets down right nasty around his crease while protecting his keeper with a chip on his shoulder .. tough standup guy that sticks up for his teammates and loves to scrap for every inch of the ice .. savvy defensively in a positioning sense, as he effectively boxes his man out thanks to his strong legs .. crisp all-access skater that is not a natural with the puck, however he contributes by staying calm and making the correct decision distributing the puck to the open man .. makes good reads all over the ice and is the key stabilizing presence on the Gophers backend.