OHL: Meidl Plymouth Rock

Exclusive scouting notes on a trio of Plymouth Whalers eligible for next summer’s draft, including fast-rising Czech Vaclav Meidl.

The Sarnia Sting hosted two key Western Conference rivals this past weekend as the Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers arrived in town, featuring a number of the OHL’s top draft prospects.

McKeen’s correspondent Dave Fortier reviews the notable Whalers today, and returns tomorrow with a look at Kitchener’s best offerings including Evan McGrath and Boris Valabik.

Vaclav Meidl C, (2004)

A very tall, lanky player … displayed an impressive set of gears, including above-average top speed … covers a lot of ice thanks to an extremely long stride, that can appear languid at first glance … his pickup speed is quite deceptive and, even though he looks to be barely putting any effort into his skating, only needs a couple of strides to reach top speed … displayed good agility in the lower gears and controlled himself quite well at full speed, although he took some corners fairly wide and struggled to maintain his balance at times … the balance issues are not that alarming given that he is still growing into his impressively-sized frame … tough to knock off the puck and can be a handful due to the size/speed factor … also showed a strong physical side to his game, delivering a couple of hard hits … a patient and skilled puckhandler, he made accurate passes and showed off some nice individual moves with the puck … impressed with his instincts and hockey sense, as he made several smart decisions while under heavy checking pressure … meshed well with his linemates, John Mitchell and Jonas Fiedler, who played together for the majority of the game.

Gino Pisellini RW, (2004)

A strong physical presence who loves to hang around the net ... displayed very good balance and excellent strength on the puck ... a solid puckhandler, he also showed a quick release on his wrist shot ... accelerates well, but demonstrated only average top speed and agility … lack of foot speed was more pronounced down low when forced to suddenly change directions … displayed good hand-eye coordination and was constantly attempting to tip shots … gets his stick ready and his body in the right position quickly ... battled hard and was a solid physical presence all night … concentrated primarily on his physical play and scored an easy goal after being set up with an open net, but didn’t accomplish much else.

Craig Cescon D, (2004)

Skates very well and has a quick first step in all directions … displayed good lateral and backwards movement ... accelerates rapidly, reaching top gear in just a couple of steps … demonstrated above-average top speed ... made a couple of poor clearing attempts, firing the puck up the middle of the ice without really weighing the consequences … did, however, show that he can make a solid outlet pass when given the time ... played a very physical game and didn’t allow opponents much room around his goal area ... engaged in a spirited bout with Sting tough guy Marco Caprara ... played as a forward near the end of the game and showed excellent jump, throwing some solid forechecking hits.