OHL: Sarnias Winning Ways

The Sting has transformed themselves into a Western contender. Quite a contrast from last year when the Sting had difficulty scoring goals this year they have been scoring at will. Led by super phenom Steven Stamkos and a healthy cast of offensive contributors, the Sting are positioning themselves strongly for the future.

Mark Katic (2007), D, Sarnia

Could be the best skater available in this year's draft as he possesses world class speed with his swift fluid stride and tremendous first step quickness .. his speed and lateral movement work well in getting him put of trouble as he simply can not be boxed in and always finds an option .. several times he made a half spin move to elude forwards a move that Brian Campbell has perfected in the NHL .. his offensive game is very good, his vision and accurate passing skills allow him to make a strong first pass out of the zone .. defensively he can angle off well and can keep up with any player stride for stride in the league however too often he gets out muscled and pushed aside as his size is a glaring weakness .. does not go into the corners, as he elects to stay in front of the net thus reducing the options of his defensive partner when he looks to make a pass, however it is undetermined if he is instructed to do so .. could make a better forward, a centre .. a Kris Russell comparison is very fitting ..

Steven Stamkos (2008), C, Sarnia

Exceptional status should have been made for Stamkos as he is tearing up the league in his rookie season .. already at 30 plus goals by the All Star break, he is the highest scoring 90 born player in the league and in the top ten in scoring, if not for the dynamic duo in London (Kane and Gagner) he would be a shoe in for rookie-of-the-year honours .. keen anticipation and a natural finish that simply can not be taught .. he is aware and has great offensive instincts .. always thinking, he is a smart player who sees the ice well and protects with his ever growing 6'0, 170 pound frame .. his release is great but he will need to work on it to be dominant at this level so he can fully prepare himself for the NHL .. face off skills need a little work .. no doubt Stamkos has a future in the NHL as his play this year has him being mentioned as a top three pick for next year's NHL draft .. he plays a very similar game to that of Dany Heatley ..

Steve Ferry (2007), D, Sarnia

When you do not notice Ferry that means he is doing his job as he is the type of player that will be a plus two at the end of the game .. a complimentary defender on this Sting team, he does many little things right as he is very practical in the way he approaches the game .. he blocks shooting lanes, has a quick stick and decent mobility .. he quickly tries to establish position in the paint when he is defending .. his play in PK situations helps the team as he adopts a no-nonsense approach to clearing the zone by any means necessary .. offensively he is very poor, he never jumps into the play and his puck skills are simply not there as the puck is on and off of his stick in an instant ..

Steve Reese (2007), C, Sarnia

Has created quite a niche for himself on this team as a third line centre .. plays a steady, smart game and is seeing his ice time increase as a result .. good at winning draws in key zones, he has a good face off technique .. defensively responsible, he is very aware of where he needs to be and his defensive game has been keeping him in the line up .. offensively his skills and confidence are improving .. goes to the net, and can make strong plays however he needs to keep his stick on the ice at all times as on a few occasions he missed a pass as a result ..

Kyle Tront (2007), LW, Sarnia

Second round pick is playing in his second season in the OHL .. has really failed to assert himself into the line up and make a difference .. long stride, with average speed he struggles to keep up with the pace and speed of the game .. generates very little in terms of offence and is constantly in and out of the line up or simply not getting the ice time needed to develop .. may have been rushed into the OHL too fast ..

Justin DiBenedetto (2007), LW, Sarnia

A change of scenery and confidence can do wonders for a player's career and this holds very true to DiBenedetto as he has finally reached his scoring touch that made him a first overall pick three seasons ago with the Majors .. an average puck handler he registers the majority of his points from his shot which he is constantly working on .. he is often set up in front as his snap and wrist shots are often used .. he is an average skater, with limited first step quickness .. he gets caught flat footed at times in the neutral zone when there are break outs the other way .. he can get to where he needs to be with ok speed and does a decent job fore checking in deep to create turn overs .. still very raw but putting up numbers, enough to get noticed ..

Brandon Mashinter (2007), LW, Sarnia

Is not renowned for his offensive flair .. big, physical forward creates with his size and adds a presence on the ice that opens up room for his line mates .. not a great stride, his mobility is average however he gets decent acceleration within a few strides .. goes straight to the goal and is fearless in the corners .. a good third line checking winger who should be able to provide grit come playoff time ..

Harrison Reed (Car), C, Sarnia

The third round pick of the Canes is starting to put his game together .. improving on his defensive efforts as he was a woeful -31 last season however he has a tendency to want to do too much, confusing his team mates as he does not play positionally rather he is everywhere.. playing with some aggression, he tries to open up space by playing physical .. good skater, fluid in his movements, he displays good agility .. great shot from the top of the point but average puck skills, he is more of a finisher than a passer .. he will still need to work on his release to get to the next level ..

Dalton Prout (2008), D, Sarnia

Has not registered the amount of ice time needed to work on his game as he is lucky to see more than half a dozen shifts a game .. with the addition of Tuzzolino he has seen even less action however this season should be a good learning experience for him but you have to wonder if his development would not be better served in Jr. B if a card was available .. buying into concepts and playing within his limits .. plays down low and protects the net, his mobility could still improve so he could defend better ..