NCAA: Raising Their Stalock

San Jose Sharks draft pick Alex Stalock has been terrific for the often-overmatched Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs this season and gives them a chance to win every night. Stalock is the teams MVP, as he has progressed both as a goaltender and as a leader. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on Stalock along with impressive collegiate free agent Evan Oberg, who is elevating his stock this season and several other Bulldogs.

Alex Stalock (SJ), G, Minnesota Duluth

A skilled and daring puckhandling goaltender that plays a hybrid style in which he makes saves using both standup and butterfly techniques .. giving the Bulldogs a chance to win every night, Stalock is calm and oozes confidence which inspires his teammates to have the same .. brilliant in breakaway situations and doesn't flinch during the critical moments of a game .. does a terrific job playing the puck thanks to his swift skating and skillful hands for the position .. boasts the top pokecheck in college hockey and he uses his stick well to deflect rebounds to the corners .. displays a creative thought process to play big low with his yellow pads when he loses his stick .. tracks the puck from the shooters blade into his body while reacting and adjusting to deflections .. flexible and can rely upon his athleticism to scramble .. stance is mechanically sound and he remains vertical and compact when in the butterfly .. aggressively cuts down the angle and challenges shooters .. executes nice kick saves, plus he's fast and precise with both his glove and blocker .. doesn't commit prematurely, although he stills flails his limbs a bit wildly when the play breaks down in front of him .. cheats off the post and surrenders softies short side, he also needs to do a better job at finding the post when recovering back to his crease.

Evan Oberg (UFA), D, Minnesota Duluth

A mobile and sharp two-way defenseman that just needs to get stronger .. boasts smooth, encompassing mobility with a certain effortless quality to his skating, as he continuously activates his feet and appears to never stop carving along the ice .. cradles the puck softly and skillfully carries it with poise before stretching the ice with an accurate outlet pass .. has the patience to hold onto the puck until his teammates can shake free on the breakout .. works the point well on the powerplay with the ability to instinctively and accurately survey the ice .. defensively, Oberg maintains tight gaps and proactively short circuits the oppositions neutral zone rush .. his efficient skating allows him to join the offensive rush and still recover in time to get back into defensive position .. he has decent size at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, but he still needs to get stronger because the main weakness to his game right now is his physical play .. he struggles to contain larger forwards down low and his crease coverage suffers because of it .. attracting plenty of NHL interest.

MacGregor Sharp (UFA), C, Minnesota Duluth

Ranked 20th overall on McKeen's list of the best available collegiate free-agents .. a cumbersome skater with a hitch in his stride and heavy feet, Sharp will need to work on his foot speed to advance his mobility .. while working the puck down low on the cycle, he will attempt to slip away from opponents checks, although he can't because he lacks the first step quickness needed to do so .. an imaginative playmaker that is a skilled passer from both sides of his stick .. has decent size and strength at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, but his inadequate balance prevents him from being productive in the trenches .. will walk the puck to the net if the lane is there and he excels in the faceoff circle .. Sharp struggles to create when time and space are eliminated and his lack of speed jeopardizes his chances at an NHL career.

Justin Fontaine (UFA), RW, Minnesota Duluth

A small winger that lacks both height and weight at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Fontaine isn't dynamic enough right now to compensate for his lack of size to warrant an NHL contract .. fairly quick and agile skater, although he isn't explosive and there is nothing top-end about his speed .. a solid playmaker that disguises his intentions well, although he needs to quicken his release to progress his finishing ability.

Michael Gergen (Pit), LW, Minnesota Duluth

Speedy skater that is quick with the puck and boasts that pull-away gear to gain a step on an opponent defender .. boasts a strong shot that he fluently releases at full speed while streaking down the wing .. is more of a quick strike finisher than a playmaker, as he often defers the puck before trying to get open to set up the one-timer .. undersized, but he's stocky with a strong lower body and he competes .. stationed in the front of the net on the powerplay and finishes all of his checks .. guilty of trying to do too much on his own with the puck and he must eliminate the bad touches from his game, as his puck management is poor .. tends to go in and out shift to shift and must begin to bring it consistently.

Josh Meyers (LA), D, Minnesota Duluth

The team captain and the Bulldogs' most efficient defender, Meyers plays in all situations and quietly had a strong game in these recent viewings .. you wish he was a stronger skater, but it's not a huge concern and overall he's a smart player that competes and is positionally sound .. does a nice job evading defenders while working the point and walking into position to get his wristshot on net .. anchors the teams penalty kill and maintains an active stick, although his physicality could be ramped up a notch, especially considering his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame .. type of steady defenseman that quietly plays a sound game.

Jordan Fulton (Cgy), LW, Minnesota Duluth

Still needing to work on his skating, Fulton lacks an acceleratory burst because of his inefficient strides out of the gate .. his balance is fine and his puck-protection is decent, but he lacks the puck skills to get the puck on net or to teammates in scoring positions .. on the penalty kill because he works hard away from the puck and makes good defensive marks .. gritty player that does the dirty work down low and will take or give a hit to make a play.

Scott Kishel (Mtl), D, Minnesota Duluth

This infantile freshman is in survival mode and has yet to establish himself as a regular in the Bulldogs' lineup .. Kishel is a small 5-foot-11, 175-pound defenseman that is overmatched physically at this level of play .. while defending, he does not process the game well and often the game appears to be moving too quickly for him to process .. his tardy defensive reads are a recipe for disaster, as bad things happen when he's on the ice as a direct result of his miscues .. looks like he still should be in high-school and shamelessly gets walked in the neutral zone, which leads to opponents enjoying clear breakaways on his goaltender .. there is some hope for him because he does have noticeable offensive instincts and is playing on the powerplay when in the lineup .. moves fluently in all-directions and his foot speed is fine .. the puck skills are here and he generally moves the puck well, even when under pressure.