OHL: Major Mayer

The Mississauga organization made several moves at the trade deadline making them younger and better and gave up very little to secure their franchise. The deal that sent Caria to Sault Ste.Marie for Mayer gives them the best 1-2 punch for 1991-born forwards. The backend, while inexperienced, is slowly starting to take shape and boasts size, skill and toughness. Combined with the emergence of Chris Corazzi, a highly ranked goaltender for the NHL draft, the Majors are quickly establishing themselves as contenders for many years to come. McKeen's was on hand for several recent Majors games and files notes on the several NHL-draft-eligible prospects and next year players.

Chris Carrozzi (2008), G, Mississauga

Has backstopped the Majors to respectability with impressive statistics that include top-five in league G.A.A and save percentage .. has no particular style but is quick to get across and has great gliding ability on his pads .. his lateral movement helps him make many saves .. he has a rather unorthodox style .. not overly fluent playing the butterfly or the stand-up .. needs to come out of the paint more to make a save .. has a tendency to play deep into his net and often gives shooters more net to shoot at but has the reflexes to stop shots .. he uses his stick well to deflect shots and direct rebounds into the corner .. overall, his rebound control is very good .. stick ,handles the puck ok but will often leave it for his defenseman, as he is more comfortable in that regard .. at times, he struggles to read the plays and once again, relies heavily on his quick reflexes .. Corazzi has all but assumed the starting role and gets the bulk of the games against stiffer competition .. with his skill and healthy frame (6-2, 185) he is sure to draw favorable reviews from NHL scouts.

Tim Billingsley (2008), D, Mississauga

With the departure of Kwiet, the Majors lean heavily on Billinglsey to pick up the offensive slack .. this is not too suggest that Kwiet was an offensive dynamo however, the trade opens up room for Billinglsey on the PP .. a swift and agile defender who is gaining confidence with each passing game .. his calm and relaxed demeanor allows him to see the ice extraordinarily well and is exercising more creativity in his overall play .. his skating is very crisp and fluid .. he does not have a very polished defensive game but works hard at keeping his man to the outside .. needs to step up on his man earlier in the neutral zone, as he can be caught flat-footed at times in between making a decision .. he does a good job of controlling the puck out of the zone while showing no real panic with it .. not overly physical, he still needs to add muscle to his lean frame .. his confidence should grow once he puts on some much-needed strength, as he is unable to fend off a player with one hand and move forward .. patience and poised with the puck, his play has improved leaps and bounds under the direction of coach Cameron .. NHL draft aspirations may be a tad lofty at this point but he will not fly under the radar next season.

Cameron Gaunce (2008), D, Mississauga

Another key building block to the Majors backend, Gaunce brings a healthy offensive game with a defensive conscious .. he struggles out of the gate, as his high-end speed and footwork are not up to par in terms of a pro prospect .. blistering shot from the point, which he does not hesitate to use .. he plays a power game, as he uses his brute force in every facet of his game .. he shows uncompromising strength, as he is able to muscle guys down low and plays with sandpaper .. becoming more disciplined in his play and not taking poor penalties that would cripple his team .. he is smart and effective on the PP because he mixes up his play, including employing fakes and shot selection .. emerging as a physical specimen who is capable of intimidating players and forcing them to make a play quicker with the puck .. can never be faulted for his lack of effort, as he competes every shift.

Michael Pelech (2008), F, Mississauga

Perhaps no other player had more to prove than Pelech at the beginning of the season and thus fa,r he has yet to live up to his billing .. a tall, super athletic player whose hand and puck skills are among the elite in the OHL or NHL draft class .. for all his positives there are ample shortcomings, as he refuses to get involved and does not play big .. he coasts far too much and is not proactive in puck pursuits and engaging in physical confrontations .. he has been flip flopped between a set of different linemates in an attempt to ignite his play .. too easily knocked off the puck and rarely shows the effort or aggression to want it back .. he does not understand or recognize changes in plays and on a few occasions did not know where to go in the offensive zone .. he teases you with his skill set one shift and then shows a complete lack of intensity the next, which frustrates scouts .. the deal that sent Halischuk to Kitchener for Pelech has to be viewed as completely lop-sided at this point.

Justin Larson (2008), LW, Mississauga

Has been somewhat of a bust for the Majors since being acquired in the Donati deal last season .. big, yet slow winger has decent hands however, he cannot get to the puck first to capitalize on his chances .. shows quick hands in the slot and all the goals he has scored have been garbage goals from in close .. did score on a wristshot in the slot, which the goalie should have stopped .. size and presence but painfully slow feet and an awkward skater .. he has a swaying motion in his stride, which removes any type of acceleration his long legs would generate .. his wide stance does not serve him well in terms of overall speed and quickness .. has failed to live up to his potential but has time on his side, as he is still growing, nonetheless, many aspects of his game need improvement.

Zac Rinaldo (2008), LW, Mississauga

Rinaldo is a fan favorite because he is a good middleweight fighter that will not hesitate to drop the gloves .. he leads the team in fighting majors and PIM's .. Rinaldo is not just a one-dimensional player, he has a good offensive skill set too .. he skates very well, as he explodes out of the gate and is constantly moving his feet .. he is everywhere on the ice and approaches the game like a hungry dog looking in every corner for scraps .. well balanced and strong coupled with his mean streak makes him competitive down low .. usually controls the boards and wins loose puck battles .. solid work ethic on both ends of the ice .. he factors to be a big part of this Majors team, as he plays at such a high intensity level .. could also be good trade bate, as a player of his make-up is always in demand.

Kaspars Daugavins (Ott), LW, Mississauga

A streaky scorer, Daugavins has already surpassed his goal total from last year .. the most talented player on this Majors team but sometimes plays like it too, as he does not show the same enthusiasm to retrieve pucks compared to last season .. not engaging or hurling his body in high-traffic areas .. this can be viewed as both a positive and a negative .. stickhandles exceptionally well and can still get defenseman to bite on his moves .. still has not resolved his penchant for making no-look passes and limiting his mistakes with careless plays .. great shot in the slot .. speed and overall skating should not hold him back from being an AHL pro next season .. his desire tends to wane, which can be a tad unsettling however, Daugavins might be ready for a new challenge.

Brett Flemming (2009), D, Mississauga

Not used much in the Under 17 but still managed to collect a gold medal for his efforts .. being instructed to hold back and concentrate more on the defensive side of the puck .. his mobility and sheer skating ability could be the best among 1991-born, OHL-playing defenseman .. capable of making crisp, short passes to exit the zone and create instant offence the other way .. his vision and overall on-ice awareness are positive attributes but he needs to exhibit more confidence in his play .. can be too passive at times and it stunts his game defensively .. he is not too proud and will always ice the puck if there is pressure .. his offensive game should continue to mature, as he shows outstanding puck skills and could be the number one PP specialist as early as next season.

Jordan Mayer (2009), C, Mississauga

After refusing to report, the Sault Greyhounds dealt their first round selection (13th overall in 2006) to the Majors for hometown boy Matt Caria .. the move is good for both parties, as it allows the Greyhounds to stock up for their Memorial Cup run and makes the Majors younger .. was the leading scorer among 1991 births in the OPJHL prior to joining the Majors .. an ultra slick and talented player whose only downfall at this point is lack of experience and size .. his wristshot is very hard and accurate and once he adds some strength, he could very well score 40-plus goals in the OHL .. never shies away from using it and will shoot in between two defenseman .. a cerebral player, as he uses his uncanny sense in the offensive zone to get into proper positioning .. his timing is slightly off but this can be attributed too him being a rookie .. second gear propels him forward but he lacks the strength to push defensemen back .. can be caught in too deep, as he needs to learn when to bail out on a play and retreat back defensively .. he shows all the skill to be a potential top-PP-unit player and a solid top-six forward.

Casey Cizikas (2009), C, Mississauga

Cizikas is putting together a Rookie-of-the-Year-type-of campaign, as he is the second leading scorer of the Majors and in the top-six in league-rookie scoring .. what makes his accomplishments that much more eye opening is he does not boast the type of surrounding talent that others ahead of him in the rookie-scoring race do .. has earned his PP time due to his unrelenting desire to get to the net and stay there .. not an overly big player but incredibly strong for his size .. his down-low game is what sets him apart .. not afraid to get his nose dirty or take a hit .. he uses his snapshot and his hands in close to produce .. he has a Mike Bossy-type-of attribute in which he will stay with his coverage and then roll off them at the last possible second to position himself perfectly for a shot .. when he is within 15 feet of the goal line he makes things happen .. his natural finishing skills, competitive nature and sheer strength make him a player that the organization can build around.