OHL: Doughty Skates Up A Storm

If defence truly wins championships then the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Strom and Sarnia Sting are headed in the right direction. The Storm, backed by NHL first round pick Ryan Parent (Nsh), also boast young talents in draft eligible Michael Caruso and the fifth overall selection in this years OHL draft, Drew Doughty. The Sting are represented by Mark Katic, drafted second overall in this year's OHL draft, while additions of Harrison Reed and Tomas Pospisil (Atl) up front provide firepower.

Ryan Parent (Nsh), D, Guelph

Safe rearguard is first used in all special teams situations .. cool under pressure, making safe, cautious players; shipping pucks forwards and tying up his man .. extremely confident with the puck, able to recover fast should a break in the neutral zone occur .. now contributing in increasingly offensive roles .. has rushed plays deep into offensive territory which would be somewhat uncharacteristic for him last season .. took four minors, one the result of shaky positional play .. came to the aid of goaltender in front of the net, but must be mindful to not take himself out of the action as opposition will target him .. made a risky play when trying to be too fancy with the puck while the last man back; a move that may have been costly.

Michael Caruso (2006), D, Guelph

One of few left handed shots on the Storm's defensive crops .. solid reverse and lateral movement for a player of his stature .. had a bit of difficulty in PK situations, unable to clear the zone .. not flashy but effective in his play .. size enables him to cover a lot of the ice and push forwards to the side hence breaking up a play .. his size coupled with his position intimidate, not many players in the OHL can get around his large frame and make a move in the process .. waits patiently for forwards to commit and positions himself accordingly; rarely does he make the first move .. should improve considerably on his point totals this season, however he loses PP time to hotshot rookie Doughty.

Drew Doughty (2008), D, Guelph

Storm first rounder is an extremely gifted skater .. slick and mobile, he is able to recognize an aggressive forecheck and spins out to clear the puck off the glass .. aware not to overplay the puck and has a keen eye for offensive opportunities .. shows remarkable poise with the puck for a 15-year old .. played in all situations; partnered with Parent on several occasions, especially on the PP .. made a sensational two-line pass and can make a great first pass out of the zone and is equally adept at head-manning the puck himself .. finesse defender is not physical, yet is still in the early stages .. uses his stick and speed to defend .. will need to add more muscle to upper body as he was knocked off his feet and puck on occasion .. doesn't utilize his slap shot rather just flicks the puck towards the net for easy tips .. rule changes should help a player of his calibre.

Jamie Arniel (2008), C, Guelph

Doing everything one could ask of a fourth line rookie centre .. displays a willingness to compete by finishing his checks at all times and keeping his feet moving .. a fast skater with quick legs; speed is his best asset .. attention to defensive detail also scores him high marks, often picking up a man and hustling back .. strong on faceoffs, winning over 50% of his draws against experienced OHL players; gets down low and uses his lower body well .. size limits his ability to carry the puck in deep, however it is not without trying .. he should get an opportunity later in the year to play with some of the better skilled players as linemates .. certainly a player the organization can build around.

Mark Katic (2007), D, Sarnia

Second overall pick is a short, stalky defender with incredibly quick feet and a flair for offence .. better open ice defender as his small size (for the time being) has difficulty containing stronger forwards on the half boards .. effortless skater who joins the rush freely and has the speed and know-how to get back .. his vision is impressive; makes crisp passes out of the zone with pinpoint accuracy .. his shot could use a little work as far as accuracy, power and one-timers are concerned .. defensively, at times he seems to be a step behind .. anticipates well, however still getting acclimatized to the league and changes in speed and pace; not foreseen being a problem for too long.

Tomas Pospisil (Atl), RW, Sarnia

Played on the top unit with Clune and Reed .. the finisher on this line .. modest size with a complementary skill set .. keeps feet moving; long reach makes him effective down low in minimal cycling role .. protects the puck well .. goes to the slot and looks to bury the one timer .. not quite a perimeter player, but not overly eager to go in front either .. strong play on the puck but does not possess breakaway speed that would enable him to capitalize on loose pucks should they become available .. strong on his skates and has good hand/eye coordination .. able to draw penalties as he attacks the offensive zone with his strong play on the puck .. joins the offensive rush freely, however needs to be more mindful in defensive situations, supporting defenders by identifying the high man in the slot better.

Harrison Reed (2006), W, Sarnia

A tall player with decent size .. needs to be stronger on his feet as he fell down several times .. nice fluid stride with speed .. displays offensive potential with passes and a shot with zip to it .. needs work on getting the puck off his stick faster .. goes into corner and battles but not very successfully .. decent one-on-one skills .. shows some lazy habits by not moving his feet .. if he continues to pay attention to detail he should be able to contribute at this level.

Daniel Lombardi (2007), LW, Sarnia

A sparkplug of a player who works hard on the PK .. small in size but plays a big game .. a checker but has offensive ability; did not look out of place when skating alongside some of the better offense minded Sting players .. has quick feet and cuts the ice well; able to capitalize on his speed with good scoring chances .. speed allows him to recover in defensive situations as he is often the first forechecker in the zone .. benefits from the two line pass as he is often found hanging around the line .. no problems so far adjusting to the speed of the league.