OHL: Petes Spoon-Fed

Adrian Robertson (2009), D, Peterborough

After spending a year with the Mississauga Chargers of the OPJHL, the 2006, 6th round selection has managed to crack the Petes roster .. gives the organization a big body (which is how they tend to draft on the backend) whose mobility is average but reach manages to bail him out .. has a stutter in his stride which limits his speed .. his footwork needs to be upgraded as players tend to be able to get behind him .. shows decent polish with the puck as he can make a decent first pass and shelters the puck down low to buy time for the forwards to come back to support the back check .. if he can't make a play, he instinctively throws it up the ice or off the glass .. his wingspan helps him be a regular in the line up and despite some of his obvious defensive flaws he is still a + player .. his stop and starts and overall involvement with the puck will need further maturation.

Chad Lowry (2009), D, Peterborough

The physical rearguard returns for his second season after appearing in more than half of the team's contests last season .. not known for his offensive ability, it took Lowry 50 OHL games to score his first goal .. his shot is ok but he has a difficult time handling the puck and getting it off .. .. he also struggles with one-timers .. it appears at times if he is not playing with tape on the stick as the puck habitually bounces off his blade.. he does skate well and does a good job of minimizing scoring chances .. he has a natural mean streak in him, will block shots and take away passing lanes .. most of what he brings to the table will be in his own zone .. he needs a specific role to succeed as he has a hard time processing the game .. at this point he has to be on the outside looking in for the NHL entry draft.

Derek Holden (2009), D, Peterborough

Holden is like an untamed Bronco in the way he approaches the offensive zone .. known more for his offensive acumen, Holden failed to record healthy point totals in the OPJHL as a member of the Peterborough Stars (their affiliate) .. the same has held true in his brief OHL career as he looks dazzling with the puck but accomplishes very little .. he willingly jumps into the play with no recourse to his overall position .. he does an admirable job of keeping the puck in his feet and his skating base is low to the ice making it harder for players to reach around him and pry him off the puck .. he accelerates quickly and has good straight ahead speed .. he still needs to improve his overall sturdiness and balance .. his shot is average but to his credit he can shoot off either foot .. Holden needs to approach the game better, while he brings a myriad of offensive ability to the table he must be conscious that he does not cost his team more goals than he helps create.

Adam Sedlak (2010), D, Peterborough

Sedlak the 13th overall pick in the Import Draft misses this year's NHL entry draft by six days .. the adjustment to the league has been a steady one however increased strength and conditioning would benefit him greatly .. fortunately he has time on his side .. he thrives in his ability to make smart, subtle plays up the ice which help the Petes faster forwards such as Spooner and Bastien generate scoring chances .. a coordinated and athletic player whose finesse skills certainly out weight his physical attributes .. he is not physical by any means and while that is not an immediate concern he will need to learn how to eliminate his man and time a well placed hit as that will be expected from him at higher levels of competition .. he is a smart player who recognizes pressure and reacts accordingly .. his defensive game is a liability when he doesn't have the puck .. he steps up on guys too much on the blue line and does not always see the back door option or anticipate a player's speed or gauge his hunger to beat him to the outside or down low .. Sedlak needs to play with more urgency .. certainly has adapted well thus far but improvements to his defensive awareness and shot are necessary.

Joey West (2009), C, Peterborough

A series of deals has essentially bumped West down to the third line and has all but labelled him as a checking line centre .. this role is one that West thrives in however his offensive ability has yet to be fully developed and given more responsibility West could impress .. his skating is still an issue, balanced and strong on his skates, his speed and first step explosiveness is simply not there .. nonetheless he is used as the F1 and forces the opposition to hurry their break outs .. works hard in all areas of the ice and despite not being big in stature he is thick and once again his balance helps him compete against bigger players .. not a difference maker yet, West could emerge next season as a go-to-guy for the Petes as they loose players to graduation.

Zach Tatrn (2009), C, Peterborough

Slowed down by an upper body injury that cost him 34 games (half of the season) Tatrn is slowly recovering as he is being eased into the line up .. his best assets are his skating and natural offensive skills .. his decision making and positioning allow help the overall transition game .. his skating also helps him as he consistently gets a step on the opposition .. his hand skills are very fast and marry well with his foot speed .. he can make plays under pressure and can stick handle by players while standing still .. he is an opportunistic scorer who follows plays intently but refuses to get his nose dirty in traffic areas .. he is not physically imposing by any means which is even more disheartening considering his 6'2, 205 frame .. Tatrn will need to put up some points and show a willingness to compete in all areas of the ice for his stock to jump.

Zack Kassian (2009), RW, Peterborough

Kassian is averaging a point-a-game and this newly found offensive success has him mentioned in the first round of the NHL entry draft .. a great winger as he plays his side well .. not blessed with much creativity or overwhelming hockey sense he does use his size effectively .. he is playing with much more confidence with the puck .. he is not afraid to make a mistake and consistently looks to shoot and goes to the slot .. his shot accuracy still needs to be worked on but it encouraging that he wants to use it more .. he is more known for generating offence with his surprising passing skills in traffic .. an excellent skater for a player his size, he can move quickly in a straight line but his lateral quickness and change of direction still needs upgrades .. Kassian has learned to use his size to his advantage .. he routinely takes a hit to advance the puck .. he eagerly chases the puck and actively engages in the cycle .. he has the size to slide the puck behind or around players and dance from just outside the half boards .. he has learned to curb his aggression which is both an asset and a liability .. in former times he would take poor penalties but his 'playing-on-the-edge' approach also added an element of unpredictability to his game .. this year, following a five game suspension (hit from behind) he has learned that he is more valuable on the ice than in the box .. he still needs to bring out that aggression to make him effective .. coached to press high on the blue line, Kassian is always the first in the offensive zone .. blessed with an NHL frame since he was 15, Kassian is starting to build on a very productive season that has NHL scouts comparing him to another Colton Gillies.

Ryan Spooner (2010), C, Peterborough

Spooner is putting together a Rookie-of-the-Year type of season with 32 points at the Christmas break .. a sensationally smart player blessed with an abundance of offensive skills .. he can shelter the puck down low and make a series of moves to get him into prime scoring positions .. he creates scoring opportunities every time he touches the puck .. he passes well because he sees the open man .. his shot is wickedly accurate even though it is not overly powerful, it does explode off his stick with surprising velocity .. he has a long stride, fully extending his stride coupled with a deep knee bend to get the most out of his small legs .. he can easily break into the clear and uses his speed regularly in the offensive zone which already has him as a fixture on the PP as a 16 year old rookie .. he is shifty, draws guys to him and successfully executes a pass to the open man .. Spooner has yet to capitalize on his skating ability and puck handling skills to headman plays from his own zone, that should come in due time though .. he has the talent to break out like an offensively minded defenseman.. his defensive game needs work as he simply does not know where to go .. Spooner will represent Team Ontario at the Under 17's and should be an offensive threat as he is currently the leading point producer amongst '92 born forwards in the OHL .. Spooner is a cross between Martin St.Louis and Patrick Kane as he is simply that good and should already compete for scoring titles as early as next season.