OHL: Bull Tipping

Despite losing many of their key contributors to graduation, this year's edition of the Belleville Bulls should challenge for the East Division crown. They still boast tremendous depth given the success of their 1989 draft, which featured NHL drafted players such as Bryan Cameron, Eric Tangradi and OHL Goalie-of-the-Year Mike Murphy. Matt Tipoff has emerged as an offensive force, already scoring more in his first half dozen games than he did in a full season last year. Coupled with the fact that the roster includes many hungry1991-born players looking to establish themselves in the league it is obvious why the Bulls will be strong contenders to come out of the East this season.

Tyler Randell (2009), RW, Belleville

Randell established himself last season as one of the few 1991-born players to stick the entire season .. he did not play many minutes but soaking up a long playoff drive and a trip to the Memorial Cup in his first season will certainly better prepare him as a player when one day he is asked to assume more of a leadership role .. currently on the third line and does not play with the type of linemates that will bring out his skill set .. shows impressive size, as he has a pro-like frame and is at his best when he asserts himself down low and is involved physically .. the problem is that too often, he looks lost and is not consistent enough in his play .. his defensive game is almost non-existent and his positioning without the puck is very immature .. he does a good job cutting to the outside to protect the puck and drive to the net .. he is more of a straight-ahead-brute-strength-type-of-player with modest puck skills .. he needs to improve his stickhandling and add an element of creativity to his game, as he can be easy to predict and defend .. tall, upright skater with an elongated stride which is crisp and manufactures adequate levels of speed .. Randell is going to need to assert himself much more away from the puck if he hopes to move up the depth chart and get a spot in the top six.

Brett Mackie (2009), LW, Belleville

The former Bowmanville Eagle (OPJHL) landed a spot on the roster due to his tireless work ethic and uncompromising puck pursuit game .. not blessed with great hands and will never be a scorer, his role is more of a shutdown/match-up guy .. he shows gumption in his play and goes hard to the net, battles in the corner and plays the role of an agitator .. a healthy skater but not a strong one .. his upper body strength is in desperate need of an upgrade considering the type of game he wants to play at this level .. fourth-line winger is slowly learning the ropes but is getting rewarded due his determination away from the puck.

Matthew Tipoff (2009), LW, Belleville

What a difference a set of linemates can make, as the confidence instilled in Tipoff's game playing with Cameron has already led to his best offensive totals in only his sixth game .. was never given a chance to play with high-end-skilled-players, despite the fact that he was Stamkos' linemate in minor for several seasons .. makes plays with his quick wrists and strong stick in traffic .. he is able to sneak out of the corner with stealth-like shiftiness, as his body contorts to the opening down low .. strong on the puck and is difficult to knock off it .. is more of a blueline-in player due to his hand skills and decision-making .. very average skater, he is choppy on his turns, as he does not know how to use his edges overly well and his backwards skating is very suspect .. limited to no foot speed or quickness .. based on his wingers and PP time, he should be able to produce strong offensive totals, however there are many discrepancies in his game that will have him overlooked come NHL draft time.

Andy Bathgate (2009), C, Belleville

Played a large role on the Georgetown Raiders (OPJHL) and saw a handful of games with the parent club .. still trying to find his game at the OHL level but is establishing himself as a good forechecker who prides himself on being the first man in the zone to apply it .. shows good hockey IQ but still adjusting to making faster decisions and moving his feet quicker in the neutral zone to spark any type of offence .. excellent, smooth skater with strong acceleration and multiple levels of quickness .. not overly physical, as this has always been the knock on him .. lacks an offensive touch around the goal and is more adept at seeing the ice than he is at taking the shot .. slowly coming along but needs to step up his physical intensity if he is not going to score on the third line.

Robert Stellick (2009), D, Belleville

Had a great season last year that resulted in a brief 12 game audition including another two contests in the playoffs for the Bulls .. scored 37 points including 9 goals for the North York Rangers (OPJHL) last season .. has assumed more of a defensive approach on the backend for the Bulls, as his offensive skills are very mediocre .. telegraphs his passes and is easy to read coming out of the zone .. will not hurt you with his decisions, however he is a bland player with limited upside .. decent skater coupled with mobility but gets drawn out of position at times trying to do too much .. he relies more on his stick than his body positioning as a result .. continues to provide stability on the backend and should assume more responsibility but lack of scoring and lack of size will hurt his draft stock.

Eric Tangradi (Ana), LW, Belleville

Named team captain to start the season, Tangradi has the size and skill to potentially replace Matthias .. he plays a very similar game and can dominate a game just like his former teammate .. makes sensational plays in traffic and has velvety, soft hands .. needs to use his size on a more consistent basis and drive the net hard .. he has a strong presence in front and opponents usually back off from him, which allows his teammates to get into positions to score .. great wristshot, he has a pro shot already .. needs to move his feet more away from the puck .. Tangradi has all the tools to be one of the better players in the OHL this season and is a great addition to the Anaheim Ducks who prefer size and skilled players .. appears well on his way to becoming an NHL player.

Stephen Silas (2010), D, Belleville

First round selection has been partnered with seasoned veteran Nick Pageau .. Pageau has been a calming influence and has helped educate the young blueliner on when to push forward for offensive opportunities .. decent skater, not blinding in terms of speed, he makes the most out of his stride .. he is quick to adjust to changes in the game, his hockey sense and play-reading ability help him in that regard .. playing a mature game and is not coaxed out of position .. shows the patience in the neutral zone to not over commit and stays true to his defensive responsibilities .. handles the puck well and makes a crisp first pass .. improvements on his foot speed, lateral agility and first step are necessary to establish himself as a top-tier prospect rather than an ordinary one.

Philipp Grubauer (2010), G, Belleville

Belleville's first round Import selection was a starter and a standout for many of Germany's National teams .. has grown three inches since playing in the Under 17, just seven short months ago .. an exceptional skater who moves swiftly in his crease and comes out to challenge aggressively .. very quick with his blocker hand .. a hybrid goalie, who likes the butterfly but does not always drop down to it .. technically sound in all areas .. plays with ultimate composure and makes many key saves and successive saves .. appears thicker and is covering more of the net .. always watching the puck but has the presence of mind to watch the play too and as such, is always in position .. has all the making to be a high NHL draft pick and should get plenty of playing time this season but also assume the starter's role next year.