OHL: Erie Otters - The OReilly Factor

For the third straight year, the Erie Otters finished out of the playoffs. During that time, they have managed to draft within the top four selections adding the likes of Ryan O'Reilly and most recently Greg McKegg. The Otters were dealt a huge blow when both Nick Palmieri and Jordan Skellett refused to report, essentially losing two of the Otter's top players. This year, the Otters could squeeze into a playoff spot but not because of their improvement, but by other teams getting worse. McKeen's was on hand for a recent contest featuring the Erie Otters and files these notes.

Ryan O'Reilly (2009), C, Erie

O'Reilly had an absolute monster rookie campaign, scoring 52 points good for sixth in rookie scoring and third amongst 1991-born players .. sensationally gifted with the puck, he is clever and always finds his outlets exhibiting the proper amount of patience to distribute a pass .. added size and is well over 200 pounds, as he is thicker and stronger in all areas of the ice .. does not physically assert himself but will go into the corners to get the puck and is successful in prying the puck off forwards due to his resounding strength on the boards and quick stick .. is lethal when he finds himself within 15 feet of the goal, as his hand skills can undress and mesmerize goalies .. he has improved on his shot but needs to work on his accuracy when he puts power behind it .. he still needs to be more selfish, as his linemates - Jones and Sydlowski - did not always get into the best position to exploit his passing skills, yet he continued to look for the pass .. speed and skating are still areas of concern, however his anticipation off sets this but he will need to improve on his quickness out of the blocks .. if O'Reilly is able to lead this team into the playoffs in his second OHL season it will do wonders for his draft stock .. he is a proven clutch performer, as witnessed at the Under 17 and Under 18's but his time to prove himself at the OHL stage is now.

David Shields (2009), D, Erie

Shields will assume more responsibility this season and is already being pencilled in as a top four due to the injury of Gaulton and uncertainty surrounding Josh Kidd's return .. a big, strapping defenseman who is better-suited on the offensive side of the game .. his footwork and overall mobility is still raw .. his first step is clunky, however his stride is long but unable to maintain healthy levels of speed and acceleration .. he often finds himself on the wrong side of the puck and is still confused by criss-crossing forwards .. he has limited gap control and often surrenders precious ice to on coming forward when a simple stickcheck or angled-off stride would help to throw the opposition off track .. he moves the puck ok, as his big body shields the puck but he skates with it too far ahead .. while it has not been exploited, yet, at this level the pace in which he carries the puck out of the zone is simply not quick enough .. not the smartest player, his decision-making with the puck is suspect .. at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he plays rather passive, struggles with his pivots and defensive assignments and lacks the offensive game to be a QB, which leaves him rather bare as a prospect.

Tyler Hostetter (2009), D, Erie

Thrust into the top defensive pairing is a blessing but also a curse for the young Pennsylvania native .. shows flashes of brilliance with the puck but follows them up with inconsistent efforts away from the puck .. is guilty of trying to do too much, as he feels the pressure to constantly make a play when he has the puck in his possession, rather than slowing the game down and making a better percentage play .. he would be better-suited if he iced the puck, as he tends to force passes that simply are not there and loses the puck as a result .. he has good mobility and skates well at this level .. he likes to jump into the play and of all the defensemen on this roster, he shows the most offensive potential, despite the fact that he lacks a pointshot .. there are many holes in his game and he is not blessed with size (5-11, 185), which certainly does not play into his favour .. given the inexperience of the backend, he has his work cut out for him this season.

Brian Shaw (2009), LW, Erie

Overlooked in last year's NHL entry draft, Shaw has since changed position this year, switching from defence to the left wing .. choppy skater who rarely gets to or touches the puck .. very limited offensive instincts and he struggles to play his new position but he gives the Otters much-needed size on the wings .. attempts to power his way to the front of the goal but he has very weak ankles and literally no explosiveness in his stride for him to be a factor .. a bit player that will once again warrant very little attention come the NHL draft.

Anthony Luciani (2009), RW, Erie

When Luciani's OHL and hockey career is over, he can take solace in the fact that he will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, as the first player to score two penalty shot goals in one period, a feat he accomplished in his second OHL game against 16-year-old Scott Wedgewood of Plymouth .. missed the better portion of last year with a broken leg as a member of the Georgetown Raiders (OPJHL) .. durable skater with some quickness but simply does not work hard enough to get into position to score .. he pretends to retrieve loose pucks but his commitment level is not there .. invisible in the defensive zone, he does not know where to go and lack of coaching is evident .. he is carrying far too much weight and does not assert himself at all to take advantage of his portly size .. at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds, he is obese by OHL standards .. for his shortcomings, he is a highly offensive player whose wristshot and finishing skills are exactly what the Otters need on their third line .. if Ftorek is able to get him on a conditioning program and get him to buy into concepts, he may be able to earn a career in the ECHL.

Shawn Szydlowski (2009), RW, Erie

Szydlowski is a throwback hockey player but too often the first-line winger does not put forth the type of effort to be successful at this level .. blessed with skill, he often takes the easy way out and is a very lazy player .. he tends to over handle the puck and although he has the vision to make a play, he simply does not which is even more frustrating .. his stride is very average and he gets very little from it in terms of speed .. he does himself no favours by not moving his feet into positions to score .. inherent skill but lack of work ethic will be his down fall.

Edgar Rybakov (2009), C, Erie

The Lithuanian-born centre was the fourth overall selection in the CHL Import draft after playing only a handful of games in Russia's Division 3 hockey with Pervaya Liga .. a slow and deliberate skater with limited to no speed .. failed to make a mark on this game, as he was constantly behind and chasing the play .. appeared completely lost in both the offensive and defensive zone .. in all fairness, he is struggling with a new language in a different country and he will need time to get acclimatized, however his natural and/or raw skill showed very poorly in his first outing considering the calibre of players selected behind him.

Justin Hodgman (FA), C, Erie

Hodgman returns for his final OHL season as quite possibly the best over age player in the league .. already an accomplished pro, as he guided the Fort Wayne Comets (IHL) into Turner Cup Champions .. was invited to the Traverse City tournament as a member of the Wild and scored a goal in four outings before being returned to the OHL at the conclusion of the tournament, failing to warrant an AHL tryout .. a determined and skilled hockey player .. has a nice skating stride, with a proper knee bend and strong levels of quickness .. a tireless worker, he competes, battles for loose pucks and asserts himself physically when needed .. plays both the PK and PP .. great offensive skill set, as his shot, especially his wrister is a go-to option for the Otters, as he wastes no time to release it .. commitment in all areas of the ice, he is a dogged forechecker and never gives up on a play .. Hodgman will be a valuable asset come trade deadline day and whether he gets moved all depends on how close the Otters are in capturing a playoff spot because his production is essential, as he is the Otters best game breaker.

Greg McKegg (2010), C, Erie

The scoring sensation for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs scored a whopping 73 goals last season in minor to become the second overall pick .. a lightning quick skater with great acceleration, balance, and agility .. he is an offensive-minded player who struggled to keep up to the pace of the league and played a very individual game as a result .. he still has minor hockey tendencies and he will need to eliminate them from his game .. his defensive zone coverage is non-existent and his decision-making cost his team a crucial goal, resulting in him being benched for over a period .. good offensive skill set but is very far from being complete.