OHL: Painchaud In Sarnia

Mired in the basement of the OHL Western Conference, the Sarnia Sting have underachieved terribly thus far in '05-6 - except that is for Atlanta draftee Chad Painchaud who sits among the league's top 20 scorers. Chief Ontario correspondent David Burstyn reviews the play of Painchaud, Richard Clune (Dal), Nicholas Tuzzolino (NYI), plus a number of quality draft-eligibles such as Ryan McInerney, Harrison Reed, and wondrous-skating blueliner Mark Katic.

Chad Painchaud (Atl), LW

A big strong forward with solid skating skills .. battles and is physically strong, not afraid to get involved as he readily mixes it up with anyone including hard- nosed Brampton defender Phil Oreskovic .. strong on his skates and can go in the corners and recover the puck .. stick handles effectively in the zone and protects the puck well, at times has a tendency to get a little flashy with the puck and will suffer against better defending teams .. he plays on both the PP and PK and was on the ice for a 5 on 3 against, blocking shots, diving and maintaining an active stick .. leads the team in points and should be able to elevate his game and participate at higher levels of competition as early as next season.

Richard Clune (Dal), LW

Has been named co-captain along with Michael Haley .. hard- nosed player who does everything that is expected of him .. never takes a shift off .. aggressive on the forecheck at all times .. strong work ethic rubs off on some teammates .. goes to the net hard and always tries to assert himself in the danger areas .. is capable of making some fine passes that spring his linemates into the clear .. can create chances for himself as he has soft hands and on occasion is under estimated by defenders giving him more room to drive to the net .. given the economics of the game and his skill set it is possible for Clune to make the NHL and compete, consider him a poor man's Steve Ott.

Daniel Lombardi (2007), LW

A sparkplug of a player .. hurls his pint sized frame at larger opponents making them look foolish if they try to retaliate .. follows and sets up plays, always buzzing around the net and has soft enough hands to capitalize on many of his chances .. very intense and refuses to give up on plays or the game no matter what the score .. solid combatant who creates chances with his quick feet and speed .. keeps the puck close to his body, protecting it well and due to his low centre of gravity he is very hard to knock off the puck .. supports the defence as he stays in the zone for a quick pass before he charges through the neutral zone .. if he was a few inches taller he would be considered a very bright prospect for next year's draft.

Ryan McInerney (2006), C

Performed admirably for the Sting considering his hockey career was in limbo after walking away from the Greyhounds earlier in the season .. has blinding speed and cuts the ice very well with a great first step and outstanding acceleration .. looks lost in his own zone and/or when he doesn't have the puck on his stick .. he lacks a defensive game and is a team worst in the plus/minus category as was the case last year in Sault Ste. Marie .. shies away from traffic areas and will quickly dish off the puck when he sees a hit coming .. stick handles with ease as he can maintain top speed and control the puck always keeping his head up to make a crisp pass .. a PP specialist as he thrives with more ice open to him .. should be able to contribute on the score sheet however he must try to keep the puck out of his own net as well to be worth a mid-round selection for the upcoming NHL draft.

Harrison Reed (2006), RW

An extremely strong skater .. boasts a large body and he can cover much of the ice surface with his quick effortless stride .. very active in puck pursuit as he often pesters defenseman to cough up the puck, however he loses his willingness to compete once the play enters the defensive zone .. he lacks enthusiasm in the defensive zone and is often the last man back and rarely if ever picks up his man .. can rush plays when the puck squirts out to him but he must be more cognoscente of his environment, making sure he does not go offside, keeping his head up to find a better option .. with his skill set, size and speed, he should be capable of doing much more, but this is his first full season in the OHL and due to his potential an NHL team will surely take a chance on him.

Kody Musselman (2006), RW

A hard worker with considerable size .. plays the PK as his big frame blocks passing lanes and he is diligent enough to remove bodies from the crease .. initiates hits and physical play .. will readily come to the aid of his team mates and fight when necessary .. long stride and powerful legs enable him to move around quite nicely for a player of his size .. will do whatever is needed to win as he competes, however he does not have much offensive ability or upside.

Kyle Tront (2007), LW

An injury has hampered his progress thus far as he has only skated in 10 games this season .. still getting adjusted to the speed of the OHL game as he looks lost at times in the defensive zone .. attempts to pick up a man or battle in the corner for loose pucks .. his balance is questionable and it remains to be seen if he has fully recovered from his ankle injury .. long legs and healthy stride but not much if any top gear speed .. will need to add much needed upper body strength as he is close to 6-foot-2, yet only weighs 170 pounds.

Mark Katic (2007), D

If there is a better skating rookie in the OHL amongst defenders, please point him out to us .. his skating is sublime as his first step is explosive .. has been given free reign to charge the offensive zone as his partner Tuzzolino protects the back end .. didn't return after the first period where his play was spotty at best as too many times he tried to be too cute behind his net, making bad passes that were intercepted in front or trying to spin off a forward to once again lose the puck this time behind the goal .. needs to take the risk factor out of his game .. would like to see him shoot more .. can make a nice cross ice pass on the PP however it has become a predictable option for him so he must learn to vary his game .. a complete stud in terms of skill, he will need more exposure/experience in the league but is certainly considered a strong prospect for next season's NHL draft.

Nick Tuzzolino (NYI), D

A towering defenseman who is not easily beaten one-on-one as he effectively stays with a player .. eliminates players with his amazing reach and strength along the boards .. long legs coupled with a likewise healthy stride allows him to cover much of the ice with minimal effort .. he is your typical stay at home defender who does not excel in one particular area .. offensively he keeps his shots down low and it has resulted in his best point totals to date in his young OHL career .. not as physical or nasty as he should be considering his 6'6 frame .. he is capable of making the AHL in the next few seasons .. his play is reminiscent of Andrew Archer a former Guelph Storm player currently is honing his trade for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL).