OHL Report: Ceci, Yakupov and Prince

McKeen's has scouting reports on possible 2012 first rounder Cody Ceci, as well as Nail Yakupov, who has a strong chance at first overall selection in 2012. Recent Ottawa Senators draft pick Shane Prince is also featured.

Cody Ceci (2012), D, Ottawa

Ceci is a two-way defenceman who, at 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, already has NHL size .. he is a smart five-on-five player and is effective on both special teams .. has an excellent first pass to the wings and will use his skating abilities to find an open lane if it isn't given to him .. he joins the rush as the trailing man, but only if a forward falls back to play defence .. has a powerful slapshot he uses to shoot low for rebounds, making him valuable on the point .. he keeps his stick active to block passing and shooting lanes and almost never fails to cover his man or protect the crease .. he seldom gets beat one-on-one, as he uses his size to play the body and not the puck .. uses his seize effectively to win loose-puck battles .. overall, Ceci is a very responsible defender who can shut down top forwards and sometimes chip in offensively .. has a strong chance of being selected in the first round in 2012 based on early projections.

Nail Yakupov (2012), RW, Sarnia

In only his first OHL season Nail Yakupov quickly became the Sarnia Sting's most dangerous player .. his 49 goals broke the team's rookie record which was set by Steven Stamkos four years ago .. he earned both OHL and CHL Rookie of Year honours with his jaw-dropping offensive abilities .. very similar to Pavel Bure .. like Bure, Yakupov has explosive speed from the blueline and is able to separate himself from opposing defenders .. uses his acceleration to earn countless scoring chances .. when one-on-one, he likes to beat goalies with his accurate and powerful wristshot, but he prefers to put on a show with his deking abilities .. he can easily fool goaltenders into going way out of position, giving him large openings to shoot at .. he can also dangle his way through neutral ice and set up plays in the offensive zone, just as Bure used to do .. not only is Yakupov elusive when puckhandling around the opposition's net, but he knows how to properly shield it against other players .. even though he is under six feet and barely 170 pounds, he is not easily knocked off the puck .. his natural ability to keep possession, along with his high hockey IQ, creates lots of scoring chances .. he knows exactly when to pass or shoot and can easily read, set-up and finish plays .. he can also always find the open man when in the offensive zone, partly because he can draw defenders toward himself to create chances for his linemates .. without the puck, he finds ways to become available for a one-timer in the slot .. quite simply, Yakupov is a game-breaker and a threat to score whenever he is on the ice .. can sometimes get too fancy when stickhandling in neutral ice, putting his linemates offside .. has a tendency to do too much by himself in the neutral and defensive zones, leading to turnovers .. he needs to become more active with his stick when defending .. Yakupov has an entire season to improve defensively and dominate offensively before being drafted .. early projections indicate that Yakupov has a very strong chance of being selected first overall in 2012.

Shane Prince (Ott), LW, Ottawa

Prince's offensive abilities come from his speed, as he possesses a great first step, which allows him to fly through neutral ice and enter the offensive zone with relative ease .. he has great vision and is extremely elusive while handling the puck .. his talents have allowed him to emerge as one of the OHL's premier playmakers .. he also has an element of grit to his game and scores many of his goals directly in front of the net .. though only 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he is not afraid to look for rebounds by parking himself by the goalie and much larger defenders while his team cycles the puck .. he can also quickly crash the net using his explosive speed .. his competitive nature is obvious - he blocks shots, finishes his checks and does not shy away from dropping the gloves .. he is a confident penalty killer, as he effectively challenges and pressures players at the point .. he needs to utilize his speed to get back into a stronger defensive position after losing control in the offensive zone .. despite his natural playmaking tendencies, he needs to shoot more on the powerplay .. he may be eventually hindered by his size, since at the NHL-level he may be unable to keep position by the net and easily get knocked off the puck, hurting two important aspects of his offensive game.