OHL: Elegantly Productive

After losing the core nucleus of their team and essentially unloading a handful of their veterans at last year's trade deadline, it was presumed that the Barrie Colts would be in rebuilding mode this season. A formidable cast of players equipped with a strong work ethic however, has launched the Colts into first place in the Central division. McKeen's looks at several Colts eager to make an impact this season.

Stefan DellaRovere (2008), W, Barrie

Named assistant captain in only his second season .. a mature hard-working winger who intimidates with size and forces defenders into making mistakes .. an average skater, his first steps are still painfully slow .. his game is better suited down low, as he maneuvers and shifts his body to gain positional advantage .. he is strong on the puck and has the presence of mind to keep his head up when battling down low .. average puck skills, he lacks creativity with the puck but can make things happen due to his better-than-average vision .. what he lacks in imagination he makes up for in brute strength, as Della Rovere will beeline to the net .. needs to be constantly pumping his feet so he can draw his share of penalties because he is hard to handle once he gets some speed .. a defensive forward who sees second unit PP time .. with added experience, he should get considerably smarter in his ability to read plays better and pick-off errand passes .. his play is similar to that of Mike Grier.

Andrew Cloutier (2008), LW, Barrie

Acquired early in the season in exchange for Joe Pleckaitis from the Saginaw Spirit .. massive winger with good range .. he has been used minimally thus far but is very coachable and does what is expected of him, which is too crash and bang and cause a general disturbance on the ice .. he has good straight-ahead speed however, he does not turn overly well .. his speed is propelled by his long stride but he is not explosive .. offensively, he brings little to the table .. his anticipation and hockey sense are somewhat lacking and at times, he has a hard time following the play .. his size and determination will make him a favorite amongst the coaching staff, as will his penchant for fighting.

Matt Stanisz (2008), D, Barrie

One of only a selected few to have played Major Midget hockey last season and make the jump to the OHL .. has played amicably in a defensive defenseman's role .. he is not offensively savvy but he does understand his game and plays well within it .. he makes simple plays, never drawing himself out of position and never over handling the puck .. he is smart in locating his outlets .. modest speed backed by a long stride that shows bursts of sudden quickness .. limited puck skills, he can make an ok first pass .. at times, Stanisz can lose focus and can make mistakes, as they tend to snowball if he does .. he plays with a physical dimension and is not afraid to engage in physical confrontations if need be .. has fulfilled a role and played well within the team system thus far.

Brian Lashoff (2008), D, Barrie

Hampered by injuries this season, Lashoff has missed half of his team's games .. an offensive-minded defenseman whose game is full of unnecessary risks and gambles .. has learned to curb his affinity for spearheading an attack .. he is learning to see amber on the traffic light, as he is not as full throttle like in the past .. he has ok straight-ahead speed but is not agile .. he plays the point on the PP due to his shot and distribution skills .. too early to formulate a strong opinion of his play, as he has not been healthy this season however, he may be handicapped by the way he processes the game.

Michael Hutchinson (2008), G, Barrie

Has been used often, as Barrie has been rotating their goalies this season .. still struggling with overall consistency, as his efforts and stats are an accurate reflection .. he played horrendous against the Knights and was subsequently pulled at the midway mark of the game .. he was caught scrambling and allowed two weak goals .. lacked concentration down low and surrendered far too many rebounds .. has size but still needs to add some weight to his frame if not for stamina purposes but for overall net coverage, as he looks incredibly thin .. butterfly goalie that still goes down early but is learning to make adjustments and read shooters better .. will continue to monitor his progress.

Alex Hutchings (2009), RW, Barrie

Hutchings found himself in and out of the lineup last season however, this year with the graduation of Clune, Little, and Tremblay, the forum has been set for the former second round selection to play in a second-line scoring role .. a speedy player with sharp offensive instincts and finishing skills .. he plays the game at a very high tempo and goes into traffic with or without the puck .. his speed helps him conquer the offensive zone but his lack of sense is a detriment .. at times, he can be over zealous and wants to do too much .. he operates at such a fast pace that he often over skates a puck or takes himself out of position by moving around too much .. he does not do a great job shielding the puck .. he is easily knocked off it .. his wristshot and release have been critical to his point totals this season .. still finding his game, he is a second-line player with the potential to be a first line PP player by next season.

Mitch Lebar (2009), C, Barrie

Originally slated to go the school route, Lebar changed his mind prior to the draft and as a result, slipped to 17th overall .. the former Toronto Young Nats Midget scoring sensation is all offense .. he has yet to understand or adapt to the play away from the puck .. he can be caught watching plays unfold in the defensive zone .. he has a great set of wheels that he uses to force the opposition back .. opponents already respect his speed .. his transition game in the neutral zone allots the team with many chances, as he is able to stop and start on a dime .. .. he is shifty and handles the puck well, the problem is that he does not always compete to get it back .. he shies away from physical play and shows a limited willingness to get involved in traffic .. Lebar will undoubtedly learn the hard way that the OHL is a completely different game and that goals will not come easy this season, this should hopefully have a positive effect on him next year, as should his omission from the Under-17 team.

Kyle Clifford (2009), LW, Barrie

If the Colts drafted Lebar for his offensive abilities, then their second round pick in Clifford was drafted for his versatility .. a big, strong, hulking forward who can skate .. competes on every shift and is such a big body that opponents find it hard to play against him .. sensational acceleration coupled with unrivalled hockey sense, he is always around the puck or in a position to defend .. not afraid to get physical, throws hits and shows no fear in his approach to the game .. he adopts a very safe, economical approach to defending, as he is not fooled by flashy players and stays with his man stride-for-stride before he has an opportunity to eliminate the body from play .. has matured considerably and has terrific potential.