NHL Draft: OHL Overview Part VIII

McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn continues his look at the OHL prospects selected in the fifth and sixth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. In part eight, Matt Martin, Justin Azevedo, Chris Carrozzi, Anthony Nigro and Nick Crawford are featured.

Matt Martin (NYI), RW

Martin was originally undrafted into the OHL but a 25-goal campaign this season helped him to be an NHL draft pick. Martin was a walk on two years ago after successful campaigns with the Jr.C Blenheim Blades and was known more for his toughness than his hands. A beneficiary of playing with Stamkos on the top line, Martin had enough sense to power his way to the net and bang away rebounds. He played with grit and a physical dimension that often bought him additional space on the ice, as his 155 PIM can attest too. Martin is only an average skater and it is hard to imagine him in anything more than a third-line capacity for the Islanders given the rash of offensively gifted forwards they selected in this draft alone. He does fill a role with the club, as players who will get their nose dirty are always in demand. Martin's biggest challenge will be to equal or greater his offensive totals next season, as it is doubtful that he will be able to ride shotgun to Stamkos.

Justin Azevedo (LA), C

The OHL and CHL Player-of-the-Year, Azevedo improved his point totals by a whopping 68 from his previous season. Playing on a line with Matt Halischuk and Nick Spaling, the trio all finished in the top five in playoff scoring with Azevedo leading the league in playoff points with 36 in 20 games. Azevedo was equally brilliant in the Memorial Cup, as he once again led his team in scoring and came within a game of leading his team to a Memorial Cup. Azevedo was overlooked in the previous two drafts and the knock had always been his size. Given the new landscape of the NHL, Azevedo may have a chance, as he can manufacture offence and carries the puck with confidence. The Kings are very loaded up front, as they boast tremendous depth with the likes of Kopitar, Brown and Frolov, however the addition of Azevedo especially in the sixth round was a high value pick. It is highly unlikely that Azevedo will return to junior and a spot in the ECHL seems all but determined, but given Azevedo's knack for defying the odds, he may even surprise Kings Management and wind up in Manchester, LA's AHL affiliate.

Chris Carrozzi (Atl), G

Carrozzi's poor playoff was ultimately the reason he fell so far on draft day. Carrozzi, like most of his teammates appeared gassed and packed it in during their opening round playoff loss, in which they were swept by the IceDogs. Carrozzi had a chance to redeem his sub-par performance in the playoffs, as he was named to the Under 18 team, however he did not see a single minute of play, as he was usurped by Jake Allen (St.Louis 34th) and relegated to the backup role the entire tournament. Statistically, Carrozzi had a great regular season, as he finished in the top eight in most categories including G.A.A., save percentage and shutouts. He was not blessed with an outstanding defense in front of him, as the Majors are still a rebuilding hockey club. Nonetheless, he played exceptionally well given both the offensive and defensive support he had. Carrozzi boasts good size and does have good technique but he is prone to playing too deep into his net and giving up rebounds. Carrozzi will be given every opportunity to build on last year's regular season success and given the maturing team in front of him, he should be able to redeem himself in the playoffs.

Anthony Nigro (StL), C

What a difference a year can make, as last season Nigro struggled to get three or four shifts a game in contrast to this season where he was the second highest goal scorer on the team with 24. Early in the season, Nigro was thrust into a scoring role and produced. Coach Barr (now with Colorado) was desperately trying to role his lines and get an offensive spark from some of his players, as goals were difficult to come by this season for the Storm. Nigro rewarded his coach with not only a modest scoring touch but with commitment to his defensive play, as well as engaging physically in all areas of the ice. Nigro was the fourth player chosen by the Blues who hails from the OHL and ironically enough, he has played with each one of them on various teams before joining the OHL. Nigro gives the Blues a competitive player with emerging offensive skills. His skating out of the gate needs considerable work but considering he added over 20 pounds of muscle this season alone, he has shown a commitment to become a better hockey player. Expect Nigro to be the key centrepiece of the Storm's attack next season and if coupled with Holland, he should be able to match if not better his offensive totals from last season.

Nick Crawford (Buf), D

Crawford has quietly put together two fine seasons in the OHL for the Saginaw Spirit. An original first round OHL selection, Crawford plays a very intelligent game and showed remarkable poise in even his first season in the league. He was often partnered up with offensive maverick Nigel Williams and constantly had to recover for his mistakes, all the while being a rookie in a league where players were inches taller and up to 40 pounds heavier. Crawford is relied upon more in a defensive-defenseman capacity and although his offensive totals improved this season, he will never be called upon to produce. He still needs to put on more muscle mass but has a great frame to work with at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. He is a character player who has always put the team first and conducted himself with maturity well beyond his years. The Sabres wisely plucked Crawford, (a player who was not even on NHL Central's final list) in the sixth round and given their track record of successfully developing defenseman from the OHL, it is quite conceivable that he could play for the Sabres one day.