OHL: Matthias Leading the Charge

Following a series of trades, the Belleville Bulls positioned themselves to be the top team in the Eastern Conference. Blessed with an abundance of depth up front, the Bulls are led by recent NHL call-up Shawn Matthias. The emergence of Mike Murphy in goal has been a pleasant surprise, as he leads the league in save percentage and goals-against average. The backend is loaded with the likes of PK Subban and Nigel Williams - both second-round NHL draft picks. Given the Bulls ability to skate, they will be tough to beat in a seven game series due to their distinct home-ice advantage on the Olympic-sized ice.

McKeen's Chief Correspondent David Burstyn was on hand for a recent contest featuring the Eastern division leading Belleville Bulls and has notes on several key prospects.

Shawn Lalonde (2008), D, Belleville

It has been a confusing development path for Lalonde who was selected to play at the Under 18 but was recently snubbed at the Top Prospects game .. saw his game take a slight dive to start the season, as he has missed a game as a healthy scratch once this season .. slowly adjusting his game to play a more defensive role .. he does not take chances that found him out of position in previous times .. fluid skater who is a capable puckmover .. possesses the hand skills to effectively carry the puck up the ice .. sees PP time but only on the second unit, as Williams has swallowed up some of his time since his arrival .. does not shy from taking his man out or sticking a forward who comes too close to the net .. plays with sandpaper but desperately needs to add weight to his frame .. learning to play within his limits should make him a better draft commodity, as his skill set and potential are attractive for a mid-third or fourth-round selection.

Mike Murphy (2008), G, Belleville

Murphy was overlooked last year in the NHL Entry draft but the numbers he is putting up this season should get him noticed .. league leader in most statistical categories, the small ultra-athletic goalie has captured the starting role, as he forced GM Burnett to deal his best asset - backup goalie Pasquale to Saginaw for added depth to make a serious charge for the Memorial Cup .. small but super composed .. he is extremely quick, as he can kick out his pads in an instant .. gets down low to the ice to see the puck, as he has a hard time seeing over players when he is screened .. does not cover a lot of net but he is always in position .. he has lightning-quick reflexes .. he will not be beaten on a shot he can see, as he never surrenders a weak goal .. he will collapse down low and often finds himself on his back to make a save in close .. makes himself smaller and does not always cover a lot of the net .. gives shooters a lot to shoot at but usually takes it away .. reads plays well and comes out to challenge .. made many key saves early to keep his team in the contest .. struggles on when to come out and play the puck, as there appeared to be a lot of confusion with his defensive partner .. with a strong playoff, he may be able to hear his name in Ottawa come draft day.

Keaton Turkiewicz (2008), RW, Belleville

Another Bull that has been bypassed for the draft and will unlikely be drafted this year .. nonetheless, Turkiewicz has played exceptionally well this season improving on all facets of his game .. it would seem unlikely that Turkiewicz would play in a shutdown role considering his plus/minus totals with the Spitfires last season but that is exactly the role he has been thrust into .. a defensive-conscious forward with offensive upside, he lines up on the third line and concentrates on shutting down the opposition's top lines .. he plays with an edge, but is more selective and picks his battles better than in previous years when he hit anything that moved .. a healthy skater, whose speed is not blinding but it does allow him to jump into the rush especially in neutral zone turnovers .. mature approach to the game and team-first attitude to accept his new role outside of the top six should bode well for an NHL camp tryout.

Bryan Cameron (LA), RW, Belleville

Shifted from his original position of centre, Cameron has quietly surpassed his offensive totals of last year and for the second-straight year will surpass the 30-goal plateau .. elusive player who trails the play and uses his sense and hand skills to score on rebounds or shots in close .. does not find himself involved in the play and plays a more perimeter game .. can disappear from shift-to-shift but then have two goals and an assist on the game sheet .. smooth and fast skater, his skating is a large reason why he can play on the top unit .. comes back defensively but does not throw his weight around .. his speed does rush players off the puck and force turnovers .. recently named to the OHL All-Star game and is slowly emerging as a top player in this league.

Matt Beleskey (Ana), LW, Belleville

Team captain for the second-straight season, Beleskey continues to play his hard-nosed game and is producing his best offensive season to date .. skating is still an issue, as he struggles to get momentum within his first few strides .. thrives in the dirty areas of the ice, as he can charge the net and bang away down low .. stinging shot that he fires in screens often shooting in between coverage .. has developed sensational chemistry with Matthias, as the two feed off one another .. a fixture on special teams, he can play in any situation .. a character player who oozes leadership skills and will go hard to the wall to win .. his rambunctious style of play should pay huge dividends come playoff time.

Nigel Williams (Col), D, Belleville

The change of scenery might have been exactly what Williams needed to resurrect his career .. has been playing better since the trade from Saginaw but still suffers from mental breakdowns .. has a good supporting cast around him so he does not have to log as many minutes as he did in the past .. likes to throw the big hit when he can but will still skate away when the gloves are about to be dropped .. is using his stick more to defend .. is easily lured out of position, especially down low and has to be reeled back in by the coaching staff .. still guilty of making suspect plays in the offensive zone .. for each positive play he makes, he usually follows it up with a questionable one .. needs to minimize his mistakes .. first pass and vision help round out his game but he needs to be aware of stretching his pass too far .. should be a PP mainstay and will thrive on the big ice in Belleville come playoff time.

P.K. Subban (Mtl), D, Belleville

Played sparingly in Canada's WJC gold medal win .. great team player whose contagious personality and fearless style of play makes him endearing to not only his teammates but also amongst his peers, as he is widely respected in the league .. playing slightly laidback in contrast to his all-out kamikaze breakouts that made him so popular last season .. he is more selective on when to rush the play and headman the rush up ice .. he is a jerky stickhandler and his body moves too violently when he skates with it .. he is shifty but does not need to be all over the place when moving ..his vision and ability to look off and make a deadly accurate pass is instrumental in Belleville's breakouts .. defensively, his thick body and mobility make it very hard for the opposition to get around him .. he uses his body so well to knock guys off the puck .. despite the drop in goal production, because of not shooting as much, Subban is a vital cog in Belleville's overall success and their chances hinge on him to go deep in the playoffs.

Jan Mursak (Det), C, Belleville

The trade to bring Mursak over from Saginaw gives the Bulls the most offensive depth of all OHL teams .. generates instant offence, Mursak has averaged over a point a game since coming over in the trade .. stealth-like skater with blinding puck skills .. clever with the puck in his ability to curl, and keep the puck away .. patient and makes timely passes .. he has good speed and can control the puck at a high tempo, which allows him to back up defenseman off the blueline .. thrives in the open ice where he can display his creativity .. more of a playmaker than a shooter, he needs to shoot more because of his good hands .. tries to be too fancy with his shot selection when he is in a prime-scoring area .. he prefers to use a snapshot as opposed to a slap hot and can hit the net with fair accuracy 15 to 20 feet away .. Mursak is fit but not very physical, but he does not back down either and plays with some jam .. defensively, he is reliable and is being counted on in more PK situations .. shifted in between linemates to find chemistry and ignite offence .. Mursak is a huge coup for the Bulls and should be a top-three scorer in the playoffs.

Shawn Matthias (Flo), C, Belleville

It has been a roller coaster month for Matthias .. a week after his WJC gold medal win, where he assisted on the OT GWG, he found himself in the NHL scoring his first two goals in only his second pro game .. the smartest and most complete player in the OHL .. Matthias gingerly enters the offensive zone and commands instant respect .. his big wingspan coupled with his confidence make him a threat to score every time he crosses the blueline with the puck .. swift and extremely agile, his skating along with his frame allows him to shelter the puck and establish scoring positions down low .. swallows ice with his massive and long, elegant stride .. he keeps his body centered over his skates making it impossible for anyone to knock the puck off him .. he has a deep knee bend for quickness and power .. he is strong as well but not tough .. when he is driving to the net, he can easily fend off a forward with one hand and get a good shot off with the other .. Matthias is ready for the show and a Memorial Cup title would be the ultimate statement on a perfect season.