NCAA: Oshie Spearheads the Sioux

Dave Haskstol's North Dakota Fighting Sioux are one of the early season favorites to make a run at a National Championship despite losing star center Jonathan Toews to the NHL. North Dakota still boasts an impressive group of NHL prospects led by Hobey Baker Award candidate and St. Louis Blues first round pick T.J. Oshie.

T.J. Oshie (StL), RW, North Dakota

Electric and entertaining sniper with remarkable competitiveness and one-on-one ability .. despite absence of former linemate Jonathan Toews, he is still dominant .. owns a compact stride that produces impressive power and exceptional lateral range .. talented goal scorer with a dynamic release, as once he receives the puck it is instantly off his stick and often in the back of the net .. wizard with the puck who uses a long stick and yet still possesses amazing hands with exceptional in-close puck control .. creative set-up man that draws the opposition to him before using the toe-drag to get around the man and then dishes a crisp pass .. far from one-dimensional, as he works his tail off at both ends .. defensively aware and committed, as he stays back to cover for a pinching d-man and backchecks hard .. anticipates the play superbly and seems to always be on the puck or generating a turnover .. lacks height but he is very strong and a bull in the trenches that uses his powerful leg strength to land some devastating body checks, as he hits through people .. demonstrates great puck pursuit and a non-stop motor .... ready to compete in the NHL.

Joe Finley (Wsh), D, North Dakota

Colossal, athletic stay-at-home defenseman with improving mobility and a mean streak .. fluid skater for a player of his size with improved foot speed and improved lateral mobility .. does not cough the puck up the middle as he used to but he still struggles to connect with a tape-to-tape outlet pass when pressured .. rushing the puck up the ice more this year and if given time, he can execute a nice headman pass .. handling the puck better in his feet this season, as continues to steadily grow into his massive body .. owns a long reach and adequate hand skill, as he does a fine job shielding the puck before getting it out of the zone on the penalty kill .. utilizes his engulfing reach well defensively to clog what appears to be open lanes and to recover for his tactical errors ..physical presence that does a good job keeping the opposition honest with his mean play without going overboard and taking repetitive trips to the penalty box .. ready for his next test in the AHL.

Taylor Chorney (Edm), D, North Dakota

Exceptional two-way performer with great puck movement .. works the point well, as he does an exemplary job at utilizing his superior lateral agility to open up lanes for his quick wristshot .. sees the ice well and makes consistently smart outlet passes .. displays the creativity and savvy to look off the opposition before making a pass and uses head fakes to open lanes .. likes to jump and involve himself offensively .. effortless, all-access skater that accelerates to his decent top gear instantly .. poised and skilled puckcarrier that senses danger well .. lacks height and ideal strength but he is tough and competes hard in front of his net .. only major chink in the armor is that he is guilty of leaving his defensive assignments behind in favor of a potential offensive rush before possession is clearly established.

Derrick LaPoint (Fla), D, North Dakota

Gangly freshman that appears to be transitioning slowly to the pace of the NCAA .. makes a safe outlet pass, although he appears to be lacking confidence, as he is not the remarkable puck rusher he was in the USHL .. still rail thin and it's concerning to see him struggle to put on some weight, as he can be pushed around by larger forwards down low near his net .. needs to develop a physical edge, as he depends on his long reach and exemplary stick work too much defensively .. moves well for a big kid, as he is light on his feet, owns superb lateral movement, and fluid pivots .. still a legit prospect because of his mobility, skill, and smarts.

Matt Frattin (Tor), RW, North Dakota

Skilled and gritty winger that has a knack for generating offense below the hash marks .. a hunched-over skater with sub par foot speed that lacks a top gear, although he shows a nice hop to his step when the puck is around and can sneak behind the opposition .. competes hard on the puck and does a fine job keeping his feet moving to drive through checks .. uses a short stick, which aides his superb in-close puck control .. possesses a quick release and heavy shot that he is learning how to fully harness .. reads the play well and is in the right place at the right time, as the puck has a habit of following him .. sees the ice well and is an adequate passer that displays some creativity executing plays at full speed coming down the wing .. will need to improve on his top-end speed and defensive game, as he needs to take deeper-lying defensive zone positions.

Andrew Kozek (Atl), LW, North Dakota

Buzz saw that is at his best when competing hard, utilizing his speed, and getting pucks to the net .. quick and agile skater that generates most of his speed off crossovers and his rapid start-up strides .. sturdy with good core strength, as he competes well for a smallish player and goes to the net hard .. can land some major hits on the forecheck when he catches the opposition's defenseman sleeping while moving the puck out of the zone .. displays flashes of skill with the ability to undress a defender one-on-one with his slick moves if he catches them looking at the puck .. dangerous goal scorer that needs to continue getting pucks on the net, as he owns a dynamic release and precision accuracy .. not a penalty kill guy but he competes well away from the puck.

Chris VandeVelde (Edm), C, North Dakota

Two-way center with a subtle skill set that finds himself on the Sioux's first line centering T.J. Oshie and Ryan Duncan .. has a wide legged, long stride with an improved first step that has stimulated his upgraded acceleration and speed .. good in-close goal scorer that can pick corners in tight .. needs to display more urgency with the puck, as he is too easily stripped off the puck by backpressure.

Ryan Duncan (UFA), LW, North Dakota

The 2007 Hobey Baker Award Winner is a quick and skilled playmaker that needs to show scouts he can compete hard despite his diminutive size .. long stride with good foot speed .. possesses quick and skilled hands .. he reads the play well and does a fine job using his quickness to disrupt the oppositions offensive attack while on the penalty kill, although you would like to see him more involved in the trenches, as he tends to shy away from those areas .. underrated, two-way player that has a fine understanding for which angles to take to the puck and how to clog the oppositions passing lanes ..

Rylan Kaip (Atl), C, North Dakota

North Dakota's senior captain is a defensive-minded center that competes and can kill penalties .. displays good awareness on the defensive side of the puck, as he supports his defenseman well on the penalty kill and has a mature understanding for taking the proper angles to the puck and clogging passing lanes .. physical player that is not opposed to laying the body on the oppositions top players .. a lumbering skater at times in the open ice, although his skating looks improved this year, as there is more strength to his stride and his turning radius is adequate .. struggles to finish offensively and will need to prove he can perform the shutdown role at the AHL level to remain a viable prospect.

Matt Watkins (Dal), RW, North Dakota

Competitive, two-way player with good quickness and a non-stop motor .. plays the game at a frantic pace, although he does not see the ice incisively and you wish his hands would be as skilled as his feet .. small but feisty player that likes to be a thorn in the side of the oppositions top players, although his lack of strength leaves him mostly ineffective in the trenches .. does not have much for offense and his lack of size limits his hard work away from the puck.

Brad Malone (Col), LW, North Dakota

Freshman winger that has been in and out of the lineup in the early going .. big and thick kid that occasionally makes the opposition pay with a stiff jolt on the forecheck, although he needs to use his size more consistently .. choppy skater that needs to lengthen his stride to improve his sub-par top gear, although he owns deceptively good lateral agility .. committed to his defensive assignments and isn't a liability in his own zone .. currently is not doing anything in the offensive zone except the occasional nice cycle.