OHL: Goodbye Mr. Donati

The Oshawa Generals rolled into St. Mike's arena this January 28th. The two basement dwellers met for the first time since shaking up both their rosters recently, with both sides exchanging youngsters (Justin and Tyler Donati went to Toronto in exchange for Cal Clutterbuck). Read on for notes on Tyler Donati, Clutterbuck and other eligibles participating in the match.

Tyler Donati (2005) RW, St.Mikes

Firmly planted on the top line .. nice skating stride and deceptive movements .. quick release on his wrist shot .. slick playmaker makes nifty moves in traffic and is able to create space for himself .. effective on the power play when ice is provided for him but is less impressive when traffic is at a premium .. frequently cherry picks, looking for break out passes .. a perimeter players; likes to cut into the offensive zone and unleash a wrist shot, using the defender as a screen .. does not finish his checks .. often the last man back on defense .. shows no intensity nor willingness to grind in the corners .. passive and one-dimensional.

Ryan Wilson (2005) D, St.Mikes

Overall consistency and stability are quite raw .. good skater but does not generate much speed on the first few strides but makes surprisingly good cuts laterally .. shows sound decision-making at open ice and is frequently used on the power play where he does respectable work .. makes a crisp first pass out of the zone .. good low hard shot from the point and is willing to let it go quite often .. defensively he's struggling and is currently worst on the team with a -20 .. made an effort to get back and tie up Oshawa's Brandon McBride to negate a scoring opportunity .. missed some passing lanes and wound up overhandling the puck .. vision is not a strength.

Peter Franchin (2005) LW, St.Mikes

Tall but not sufficiently filled out .. continues developing and is a nice combo of size and skill .. has really developed a fine wrist shot with a quick release .. shows the ability to create his own opportunities by driving the net and fighting for the puck ... protects the puck well .. skating is a little awkward but his large frame allows him to cover a lot of ice on defensive coverage .. confidence has grown by leaps and bounds since his trade from Saginaw (5 goals in 10 games with the Majors) .. attacks the net.

Cal Clutterbuck (2006) RW, Oshawa

Stocky winger has been a good fit on the first line since joining Oshawa since coming over from St. Mike's .. plays in all game situations .. five goals and eight points in 10 games with the Generals .. has a sharp, oft-used wrist shot .. always finishes his check; just the type of guy who is not afraid to get involved .. fluid skater but does not possess great breakaway speed .. typically tries to beat the defender to the outside and does it to fair success in the league .. cycles the puck down low well .. very comfortable along the boards and on defensive duties .. went down to block a shot on the pk .. leads by example, works hard; has earned his new teammates' respect early.

James DeLory (2006) D, Oshawa

As tall as a Californian Redwood and still growing .. has seen limited ice time on an experienced defensive corps .. nice low, hard shot; but not using it often .. very mean, aggressive; tries to get his opponents off their game early .. must improve his speed and overall bulk .. must be careful not to over commit to the forward .. puck skills need work; bobbled the puck on several occasions .. coordination must catch up to the rest of his body .. good size, good approach; he's definitely on the radar for next year's draft.