NHL Draft: Profiles 91-99
91. T.J. Brennan D, St. John's (QMJHL)
The Willingboro, NJ native
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was invited to camp on a tryout basis and ended the season logging
major minutes. His gap control defending the rush is above
average, he limits the opponent's options. He's agile in all directions,
moves well laterally, and is balanced on his skates, but he
lacks explosiveness. He can also really shoot the puck, and his
wrist shot is particularly dangerous, but he lacks creativity in the
offensive zone, often just blasting the puck at the net ineffectively.
His defensive-zone technique and physical one-on-one play
need refinement, but with increased quickness he has a chance
to develop into an effective two-way defenceman.
92. Denis Reul D, Heilbronn (Ger)
One scout called
him "a horse" and compared him to Calgary defenceman Alex
Plante, but with better skating speed. Very good forward mobility
for his size. He's slow playing the puck behind the net. He needs
to develop better patience. Handles the puck okay, but he rushes
into things, and gets beaten one-on-one, being left flat-footed
at times. He's powerful, and rugged. He's a nice looking skater,
with a big body. Has pretty good long-term upside, but he's a
projection. Reul competed for Germany at the Under-18's and
he was seventh in scoring for defencemen.
93. Jake Hansen C, White Bear Lake (USHS)
There's an elusive quality about
Minnesota high school center Jake Hansen that adds to an
already solid overall package. A fiery and passionate player with
good poise and puck sense, Hansen also displays a knack for
slipping by defenders. His ability to make neat body shifts to
avoid checkers is generated by excellent lateral agility. Like all
prospects at this stage, he needs to gain strength, however the
area which requires the most attention is his skating. Only an
okay skater, he pumps his legs hard but fails to generate great
acceleration and top speed.
94. Maxim Gratchev LW, Rimouski (QMJHL)
The scouting reports on
Gratchev early on weren't pretty. "I don't like him. He is in his
third year and he's still marginal, I'm not a fan. He's not my kind
of player...too much of a perimeter guy. I'm not the guy to talk to
about him because I have nothing positive to say about him."
Gratchev was already in his third QMJHL season, and after
notching only 11 goals in his first two seasons, Gratchev broke
out with 35 goals and 77 points. He also became much more
physical this season, showing a willingness to dish out bodychecks
with regularity. A decent skater and shooter, he is one of
the draft's wildcards as some teams like him and others don't.
95. Steven Kampfer D, Michigan (CCHA)
Steven Kampfer certainly
made a smooth transition to the collegiate level nonetheless,
even displaying the poise of an upperclassman while handling an
expanded role during Jack Johnson's absence at the WJC. A
skilled, undersized defender with impressive mobility and hockey
sense, Kampfer makes intelligent reads defensively and works
hard to maintain proper body positioning. He's doing a pretty
good job at the collegiate level, and that's impressive for his age.
He shoots the puck well.
96. Matt Marshall RW, Nobles (USHS)
No longer committed to
Northeastern. A relatively unknown name to many at the beginning
of the year, but really moved up on a lot of draft rankings.
His game is all about his tremendous speed and the havoc he
creates in the offensive zone. He is a high-energy player with a
good set of skills. Overall, he has speed, size, skill, and energy.
He brings a lot to the table, has patience with the puck and a
strong shot. A solid forechecker.
97. Ben Blood D, Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS)
With a powerful
6-3 frame, a physical presence and a booming point shot, it's
unlikely big Ben Blood will fall too far down the board on draft
day - even if his skating needs work. The Plymouth, Minn. native
has made encouraging gains at Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school
this season and should continue to develop at the University of
North Dakota, where he has committed to play as early as next
fall. He has tremendous strength and can be a dominant physical
presence at times. He keeps his shots low and gets plenty of
zip on them. Also does a decent job moving the puck around,
though he isn't a pure PP quarterback. On the downside, his
agility is just okay. It takes him a couple of steps to get going. His
stride is fine and he pivots well, but lacks startup speed and
quickness, both forward and backward. He has a solid foundation
to build on however, and it could be a strength if he puts time in
the gym to add power behind his stride."
98. Bryan Cameron C-RW, Belleville (OHL)
He's quite an instinctive
player, but he's probably the most bi-polar player in the draft.
One night he looks great, and the next night he looks completely
out of sync. He's an excellent finisher, he gets into scoring areas
and has a quick release. He's supposed to be a great skater and
some nights he is, others he's not. Cameron doesn't have a
nose for the puck some nights. Excellent in-tight skills, he can
be lazy away from the puck at times. Turns his back to the play
soemtimes, waving his stick instead of engaging himself physically.
He must increase his top speed. Needs to sustain his top
form thoughout the game to be consistent at the next level.
99. Christopher DiDomenico C, Saint John (QMJHL)
The diminutive center had
two major strikes against him in the eyes of scouts early in the
season. "Too small and too slow" was a popular refrain. The
'poor skater' whispers started to dissipate as he continued to produce
in his rookie season, finishing with 26 goals and 49 assists
in 70 games. Scouts like his competitiveness and skill. "He
strikes me as a kid who will get substantially better as he gets
stronger and faster," observed one scout. "His skating reminds
me of Gretzky's," noted another. "Not as quick obviously, but
he's not slow out there; darts into the play when you're not."