OHL: A Whole Latta Love

The Guelph Storm continue to build on a strong first half of the season as they continue to sit in second place in the Midwest division. McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn looks at a trio of prospects eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft contributing to team success in Michael Latta, Ben Chiarot and Tyler Osborne.

Michael Latta (2009), C, Guelph

Acquired in a blockbuster trade that saw assistant captain and St.Louis draft pick Anthony Nigro, Travis Gibbons and a 2nd rounder go the other way for his services .. Latta is an offensive-minded player who has drawn comparisons to a young Steve Downie .. he is a raw skater, with an ineffective first step and a chunky stride that does not lend itself to speed .. he uses his body to shelter the puck and always has his head up to make a pass .. his centring feeds and cross-ice passes can be risky but he completes them with accuracy .. he still lacks quickness in his anticipation and as such, has to chase plays too often .. he is a force down low, as he has a menacing disposition to his game .. this allots him additional ice but it also costs him poor penalties, as he has developed a reputation in the league already .. he is incredibly strong for his size and age .. his strength helps his shot, as he can get it off rather quickly in traffic .. still on the small side to play the type of game he does at the NHL level .. Latta is already a first line centre and commands the respect of the room .. he must continue to mature both on and off the ice to reach his full potential

Ben Chiarot (2009), D, Guelph

Chiarot has stepped up his game in recent weeks and is becoming more of an option for coach Brooks .. a sizeable defender (6-3, 215), who has good straight-line speed but lacks agility in his turns .. he is playing with more confidence, as he is skating a regular shift, unlike last season .. he is strong along the boards and makes quick plays off the glass .. still not overly fluent with the puck, he needs to minimize his handling of it .. is best-suited when placed in a structured role, as he tends to make mistakes when he over thinks the game .. is cognoscente of his defensive positioning and is mindful not to over commit into the offensive zone .. he is developing an offensive element to his game, as he is slowly starting to inject more creativity in his plays .. he will sneak into the slot to get off his hard shot or handle the puck with more poise at the line rather than simply dumping it in .. he still needs to pick his head up when he shoots, as many of his shots got blocked by unseen defenders .. Chiarot must continue to improve in all facets of his game to be considered for the NHL draft.

Tyler Osborne (2009), D, Guelph

Though pointless in his OHL career to date (18 games), Osborne is seen as an offensive-minded defenseman, capable of architecting offensive plays or QB a PP .. a natural skater who is fluid and well-balanced on his skates .. he does not have a prevailing gear but the length of his stride maximizes his speed level .. he is a good skater in an efficient way .. he won't explode or fly up the ice but he is very comfortable handling the puck .. his poise this early in his rookie season is encouraging .. his vision and passing skills are quickly developing as is his icetime .. steady, calming influence on the backend, as he moves well laterally and is smart enough to play a positional game .. he reads the ice well but is still adjusting to the pace of the OHL game so increased foot speed would help .. he has shown that he can make the right plays under duress but increased foot speed would help him get there faster giving him more time to make a play .. Osborne uses his hockey sense and passing skills to create offensively .. he makes his plays successful by not forcing plays at the offensive blueline .. Osborne has good size and is rangy and has potential to move up in the draft.