OHL Report: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

After starting the season with consecutive wins, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds found themselves marred in a six-game losing streak. Still a young team up front, the Hounds will lean heavily on a cast of 1993-born players including their first two picks from last year's draft, Daniel Catenacci (1st overall) and Nick Cousins (21st overall). Mckeen's Director of Scouting, David Burstyn looks at a handful of NHL draft eligible players including Catenacci and Cousins.

Ryan Sproul (2011), D, Sault Ste. Marie

Had a falling out with Bramalea before catching on with Vaughan of the OPJHL .. played a bulk of his games last season with the Vaughan Midget Triple A program, but ended the year on a high seeing action in some OPJHL playoff games .. shrugged off numerous school options to play in the OHL this season .. tall and lanky, he desperately needs to add weight to his growing 6-foot-2 frame .. a quick and agile skater, he moves swiftly and has good footwork .. needs work on balance and strength on skates .. tries to hit but bounces off players and cannot time his hits accordingly .. known more for his offensive skills, he does not see any PP time and is situated on the third defensive pairing, which limits the development of his offensive game .. defensively, he struggles .. he is constantly out of position, on the opposite side of the puck and consistently gets caught up ice when the play is transitioning the other way .. considering where he came from and the lack of competition he faced in his brief OPJHL season he has shown that he can play at this level but simply needs time to get comfortable with his surroundings .. has the capacity to be another Reid McNeil.

Daniel Catenacci (2011), C/W, Sault Ste. Marie

Returns to the Greyhounds with heavy expectations thrust on him, as he centres the top line .. has faltered out of the gate in terms of production even though he is a slightly better than a point a game player .. he does however, get double shifted .. creative and a deft passer, he keeps the puck close to his body, protecting it well .. has a high compete level, as he is always pumping his feet and moving to get into better positions .. darts in and out of the slot with very little trepidation of getting hit .. ok on draws .. wears a letter this season .. has good puck skills .. he can be guilty of holding onto it for too long but in fairness to his skill set, he does hit his players with alarming accuracy .. cannot handle when bigger players lean on him, as they force him off the puck when they catch him along the boards .. thrives in the open ice, especially on the PP where he can control the play similar to what Bryan Little did in Barrie .. Catenacci is playing up the middle and may be a better winger at the pro level .. there are still several question marks about his game.

Nick Cousins (2011), C,W, Sault Ste. Marie

Cousins enjoyed a fruitful OHL rookie season, scoring double digits in goals and cracking the third line .. was experimented on the wing (played both sides), as opposed to his natural centre position, which robbed him of his creativity .. routinely threw away the puck and showed little to no confidence in making a play .. did not excel on the defensive side of the puck either, as he did not assert himself on the boards and was angled off regularly .. lack of speed also cripples his game, as he simply cannot keep up and looses too many foot races .. he has good strength and balance but lacks a separation gear .. coupled with his modest size (5-11, 170), he does not bring the type of dynamic at this point that is NHL calibre.

Egor Omelyanenko (2011), LW, Sault Ste. Marie

A budding power forward, Omelyanenko has had to compete for his icetime and has not always been partnered up with the linemates to bring out his skill .. plays better with a creative centre who can get him the puck, as he is a shooter not a playmaker .. has a good shot and can get it off fairly quickly .. strong and bullies his way into the offensive zone with his expansive frame .. has decent speed but is not a blinding skater .. once he gets some momentum due to his sheer size he is difficult to contain .. creates by stepping off the boards and going hard to the net .. does not see options, he tends to see the play only in straight lines .. has adjusted well to the OHL, as he plays more of a North American-brand-of-hockey .. has shades of Telegin in his game but less skilled.

Gianluca Curcuruto (2012), D, Sault Ste. Marie

The first round selection has played impressive hockey and warranted icetime on the PP as a result .. crafty and slick with the puck, he shows good patience with the puck and does not panic when pressured .. cognoscente of not holding onto the puck too long, as he recognizes pressure and makes swift adjustments .. good at keeping the puck in the zone .. solid, wide skating base, which allows him to cover the ice efficiently .. lacks strength in his stride but can pull away from fore checkers .. gap control needs work .. will throw a puck away if he hears footsteps, as he avoided physical contact along the boards at points in the game .. nonetheless, he gives the Hounds backend an offensive dynamic, one which is currently lacking.