OHL: Blunden Otter Delight

The Erie Otters are impressing this OHL season with a 19-12-4-4 record despite a youthful roster that boasts only one NHL pick (goaltender Josh Disher) and a bundle of draft-eligible talent. With Ryan O'Marra sidelined in our latest viewing, we review Michael Blunden and several other promising Otters.

Michael Blunden (2005), RW

Does not have a pure scorer's hands to dominate on the scoreboard, but is nonetheless a kid who possesses undoubtable pro range and approach .. made a nice strong body check on the first shift of the game to set the tone early .. a key player on the pk .. stocky, thick and well-balanced on his feet .. gets a guy in his sights and just mows him down .. skates with a hunched-down, east-west style .. moves with long strides with a good top speed; not a textbook skater .. shows swift cuts in quickness when he needs to get to a loose puck or make a big hit .. with Ryan O'Marra out of the lineup due to a precaution (minor upper body injury in the pre-game skate) he stepped up and logged big minutes of all-around time .. has a deceptive short-spurt step, effective on the cycle or on moves in behind the net .. an intense forechecker .. showed a very good reach on a wraparound move; excellent lower body strength with a low centre of gravity .. used his quick hands to rob Ottawa's Brad Staubitz off the puck at the opponent's blueline .. was all over the ice in Ottawa's end in a key late-game situation, getting to loose pucks, moving his feet, using his long arms to gather the puck and cycle .. on a steady upward climb.

Sean O'Connor (2005), RW/C

Versatile small forward has a lot of work ahead of him .. plays both pivot and wing positions and gets icetime as a pointman on the pp .. needs to get stronger on faceoffs .. a creative forward .. not very strong on the puck and has no edge to his game .. has a keen eye for developing plays, soft hands and accurate passing abilities .. not at all strong on the puck; consistently gets it knocked off his stick .. took his punishment along the boards and mucked hard .. has a sharp wrister but uses it mostly from the point where he can create some space .. good wheels, quick feet, short strides .. slap shot is underwhelming .. doesn't possess enough intangibles to compensate for the lack in size.

Brett MacLean (2007), RW

Green 16-year old shows his age .. needs to bulk up, especially his upper body and react quicker with the puck .. turned the puck over near his own faceoff circle, leading to a scoring chance for an opposing attacker .. hasn't really yet adjusted to the league's overall game pace .. raw and stops moving his feet .. take-off speed is mediocre .. about as agile as a wounded bear .. slow to react to changes in pace and loose pucks .. often looked overwhelmed and tired .. doesn't separate himself effectively on offense .. will improve but kids his age show much better instincts and know-how.

Derek Merlini (2005), D

A huge hulk of a kid .. freight-trained Matt Lahey at open ice .. decision making is seldom long-range but crisp, quick and on-the-money .. deceptively quick for a big man .. has a booming slapshot but accuracy needs work .. very calm, very composed but should be much meaner than he is .. stay-at-home and very comfortable with his role .. his decision making is sound but he shows little jam and intensity .. not making his man pay .. a guy with his mammoth-frame should be worth a late-round flyer.

Eric Regan (2006), D

Sound positionally .. an above-average skater .. sharp puck distribution skills .. reads the play well .. not much of a reach .. has good hands and made some savvy short feeds but is still learning the intricacies .. slap shot is decent; keeps it low and accurate but shot power is so-so .. willing to join the rush .. nothing bad; nothing great.

Josh Disher (NJ), G

You can see why he was drafted (New Jersey 185th in 2004); he is very fundamentally sound .. poise, quickness are high points .. sharp, dexterous and does not make low percentage moves between the pipes .. just reads and reacts .. in good hands under the tutelage of assistant coach Peter Sidorkiewicz .. gave up a couple of five-hole goals, though both resulted from poor defensive plays and were scored from the slot .. rebound control is a bit of an issue at times; some pucks went back into the slot .. very quick, flexible legs.

Chad Loikets (2005), D

Very good body for a rearguard, fluid movements, good confidence .. played the man effectively against an onrushing attacker - stayed in front of him and used his reach smartly to knock the puck off the forward's stick .. adept at clearing his end effectively .. ran around a little bit on a long shift where he was not able to firmly tie up his man along the boards .. not afraid to jump in on the rush .. we'll keep an eye out on him