OHL: Staaling For Time

Last season, the Sudbury Wolves were a surprise story in the OHL after clinching a berth in the OHL finals. With several key players gone, the Wolves will not make the playoffs this season and are battling the Erie Otters for exclusive rights to the first pick at the upcoming OHL entry draft. McKeen's has notes on several Wolves including Jared Staal the younger brother to Eric, Marc and Jordan.

Jared Staal (2008), RW, Sudbury

Last season was a learning experience for Staal, as he rarely saw the ice due to a rash of older players in the lineup and the team making a run for the Memorial Cup .. this year there is a completely different dynamic and Staal has been thrust into the spotlight given ample time to shine on the top line .. his point totals have increased considerably, as Staal is a fixture on the PP .. blessed with good vision and a mediocre offensive skill set, Staal scores the majority of his goals in close .. surprisingly, he is able to hit his man with pinpoint accuracy when being covered, as he is a better than average passer .. he has not filled out and still is bumped around a lot .. due to his lack of physical development, it is rather unlikely to see him go into the corners or play an aggressive game .. his defensive game is not up to par, as he is way too lazy on the backcheck and would prefer others to get the puck for him .. his wide stance and hunched-over skating style do not serve him well in terms of speed due to his gangly disposition .. this may be a result of his body growing too fast for his coordination .. he is very passive in his approach to the game and his skill set is not good enough for him to play like that .. Staal remains the ultimate project and due to his pedigree, some teams may be very intrigued by what he brings to the table nonetheless, he needs to be more assertive and make plays happen not just be a bystander.

Dean Howard (2008), C, Sudbury

Acquired at the trading deadline from Oshawa in exchange for Baker .. a smart, two-way centre whose offensive game is starting to mature .. he struggles with the puck at times and needs to make quicker plays .. overall stickhandling is ok but needs work ..he lacks originality and at times, does not know where to go .. this may be a direct result of his new environment and teammates though, which needs to be further evaluated .. strength and conditioning are also glaring concerns, as he is not strong enough to fend off guys and too often, he is muscled off the puck .. skating is average .. his first few steps prohibit him from jumping into the rush, so he has learned to curb his efforts in this regard and elects to hang back and trail the play .. his on-ice awareness is his best asset .. he quickly identifies his man down low and positions himself very well in the neutral and defensive zone .. the loss of such talented linemates as Tavares and MacLean has been a setback for him and the expectations of him being a No. 1 centre might be too much pressure for him at this point.

Eric O'Dell (2008), C, Sudbury

Packaged alongside Howard, the crafty hard-working centre is already situated on the second line .. has grown considerably since his draft year, approximately four inches but still needs to fill-out physically, as he is painfully skinny .. he does many little things to be noticed, as he never gives up on a play .. his skills are average but his determination and commitment to stay with the play are critical to his success .. he goes hard to the net without the puck .. when he does have the puck, he drives wide instead of directly to the net, often taking himself out of the play .. he does not have the speed to beat defenseman out wide but even more so, lacks the strength to beat them via the direct route .. he still struggles with this part of his game .. he is constantly moving his feet in the defensive zone and his play has been recognized by coach Foligno, as he plays the PK often .. has the makeup to be a good OHL player and perhaps play in the ECHL in a few short seasons .. a good depth player acquisition.

J.K. Gill (2008), RW, Sudbury

Yet another big and tall gangly player who has yet to fill out into his body .. Gill is placed on the third line and plays with energy and gusto .. he is difficult to contain along the boards .. he enjoys going down low and fighting for loose pucks .. not flashy but effective, as he understands how to use his body to win battles .. has seen sometime on the PP because of his hard work and has posted decent offensive totals considering his lack of prime-time minutes .. upright skater, he has a long stride but is not overly quick .. at times, he over exerts himself and runs completely out of energy .. developing into a good role player that fits in well with the overall direction of the team.

Brandon Greenside (2008), D, Sudbury

Greenside has come a long way from where he was playing last season .. he played Jr.B for Chatham before joining the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL for a brief nine-game stint .. he was signed this season by the Guelph Storm but due to a surplus of defensemen, he was shipped to Sudbury where he now plays a regular shift ..anchors the PP, as he has good puck moving skills .. his shot is nice and low but he needs to be more selective as to when he uses it .. too often, he shoots right into the goalies breadbasket .. he shows remarkable composure at the line .. playing in all situations .. uses a short stick, which helps his offensive game but stagnates his defensive game .. he does not do a good job of stick sweeping and physically has to get to a player in order to contain them, as he is very small in stature .. he tries to do too much in all areas of the ice .. he has handled the pressure well for the most part but ideally, he is a No. 3 defenseman that is being thrust into a No. 1 role.

Peter Hemenegildo (2009), D, Sudbury

Third round pick has stepped in and performed well considering the circumstances surrounding this rebuilding team .. has adjusted nicely on the backend, as he has provided valuable scoring .. is being groomed to be the PP QB, as his puck rushing skills and more importantly his confidence with the puck is a healthy trait .. can skate out of his own zone uncontested due to his quick hands and sizeable frame .. he is a tad on the heavy side but does not show slowness in his mobility .. highly athletic player .. he is strong down low and can keep players to the outside, as he can push them away with one hand .. is slowly starting to display his potential at both sides of the ice .. played an active role in Team Ontario's Under 17 gold medal victory .. his play is not unlike PK Subban in his rookie year, so expect to see a different player next year.

Daniel Maggio (2009), D, Sudbury

First round selection is a towering defenseman who hits to hurt and can smother a forward defensively ..lacks the puck skills to be a true PP QB but he does provide a calming influence in the defensive zone .. he lacks hockey sense but due to his massive frame, he can cover the ice effectively with minimal effort .. he can be drawn out of position and needs to be more aware of staying in his box .. he holds his hands too high on his stick and therefore has a hard time handling the puck .. he would benefit from moving his feet more in the defensive zone .. his hand/eye coordination serves him to bat down loose pucks and catch errant ones .. he also displayed good use of his feet, as it is obvious he played soccer at a young age .. he played well at the Under 17 in Team Ontario's gold medal win .. overall, his play has been acceptable, as he is a tall, rookie defenseman, which sometimes takes longer to develop.