OHL: Storm on the Horizon

Featuring the highly touted, 2008 NHL draft prospect Drew Doughty, the Guelph Storm is a young team but boast a considerable amount of depth. Players such as the undrafted Luke Pither and towering forward Leigh Salters will be relied upon to shoulder the offensive load. McKeen's reviews several Storm players looking to make an impact this season.

Drew Doughty (2008), D, Guelph

It is impossible to talk about Guelph and not mention Drew Doughty .. after a sensational performance during the Super Series, Doughty has vaulted himself into a top-two candidate for the upcoming NHL entry draft .. his flair for offence and creating off the rush are paramount to the success of the Storm .. his first pass is excellent but he is just as capable to single handily launch an attack on his own .. the entire PP evolves around him, as the other four skaters work in unison to get him the puck .. he does not force things with the puck, he examines his options and usually makes the right decision with the puck .. he has the ability to slow down a game to his level .. his skating has improved substantially .. his stride has gotten longer and he is more graceful .. he oozes agility and confidence with the puck, as he is able to twist away from forwards with a spin-o-rama-type maneuver similar to that of Buffalo's Brian Campbell .. he has a hard, heavy shot but too many times his shots land square on the chest of the goalie .. will need to work on overall consistency and accuracy of his shot .. he could benefit by putting less pace on it .. he has made vast strides in his defensive game, as he is strong on his skates and along the boards .. he can keep up stride for stride with most skaters in the league and his big frame forces guys to the outside .. Doughty's numbers will only get better this season, as he has earned the respect of the league and in most cases, inside the offensive zone he is awarded better scoring opportunities as a result.

Jamie Arniel (2008), C, Guelph

Arniel once again will be counted upon to be the key offensive contributor on this squad .. has not compromised his speed, as he appears slightly taller and thicker .. has actually improved his overall quickness by a hair .. equally adept at finishing, as he is hitting his man with a pass .. he is effective in all areas of the ice especially in the offensive zone where his skills down low add to his many layers .. he garners good speed coming down the wing and has above average puck skills .. he does not get pushed around and plays with some jam .. he is strong PK player, as he plays on special teams with regularity .. he can pick off passes and is a threat to score shorthanded .. Arniel must work on his overall consistency and be able to bury his chances down low to prove that he can improve on his point totals from last season .. Arniel conducted himself well last season leading the team in goals however, with the added pressure of the NHL entry draft it will be interesting to see how he performs.

Thomas McCollum (2008), G, Guelph

McCollum struggled in the opener and pulled after allowing two poor goals in a span of 30 seconds .. he sat the next two games before recording his first win of the season in the Storm's fourth game against Owen Sound .. has filled his 6-foot-2 frame by adding over 12 pounds during the summer .. he is smooth when moving side-to-side .. he has a great concentration level down low, as he always remains with plays .. his five-hole and shots down low appear to be an area of concern .. he needs to move his body more especially his head to survey the entire ice surface .. he can makes saves that just seem to hit him .. he communicates well with his teammates .. he does not play the puck overly well and will need to address this area .. consistency will be the key this season, as the Storm will rely on their top netminder to keep them in games as they struggle to find their offence.

Denis Hollenstein (2008), LW, Guelph

The Storms' first and only pick in the Import draft .. a tall, lanky, yet smart Swiss-born player .. has already earned the respect of coach Barr as he plays on both the PP and the PK .. great transition game, as his intelligent approach to the game serves him well .. he recognizes changes in the play and makes quick adjustments .. he has nice stickhandling moves, as he executed a toe drag at full speed that opened up additional ice .. he has a sizzling wristshot .. as he continues to adjust to the league, he will need to do a better job of protecting himself .. he learned the hard way after sustaining a shoulder injury in his second game that players are considerably stronger in this league.

Anthony Nigro (2008), C, Guelph

A year wiser, an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier, Nigro enters his draft year with heavy expectations .. buried on the fourth line for the most part last season, Nigro already finds himself in a top-six forward position to start the season .. his increased strength has lead to some quality scoring chances already this season, as last year he was on the losing end of most corner battles .. competes down low and tries to assert a physical tempo to the game .. surprisingly has fast fists and has already gotten into a fight this season .. playing with a more physical dimension, he looks to finish his checks .. he has average speed but above average hockey sense .. he can make creative plays with the puck however, his lack of speed forces him to rush plays .. coming along slowly but he will need to score to improve his confidence in the league.

Patrick Moran (2008), D, Guelph

The physical rear-guard comes into this season ready to assume the defensive-defenseman role .. playing with an edge, he looks to eliminate his man from the play .. oddly enough, he does not always show the same courage when attempting to rid the puck out of the zone as he shies away from being hit .. he needs to shift his body to learn to make plays on his back end .. he needs to establish better pivoting on both feet .. he has very limited puck skills and his first pass ability is non-existent .. he is an athletic player who despite his flaws, can still give you quality minutes at the OHL level.

Cody St.Jacques (2008), G, Guelph

Hoped to capture more starts last season however the outstanding play of fellow rookie McCollum squashed that notion .. came into replace a struggling McCollum to start the season and then recorded back-to-back starts .. agile goalie who adopts a hybrid-style-of play .. quick legs and highly athletic .. good skater helps him push off and command the crease down low .. his lateral movement helps him to set-up for the next shot .. his relies on his reflexes primarily to make a save .. he is constantly twitching and moving which at times leads him to overplay a shot and put himself out of position .. he is an erratic stickhandler, as he can make a decent play at times but is too inconsistent when handling it .. should McCollum falter, he may be able to make a name for himself and play his way onto NHL scouting lists.

Luke Pither (2008), C, Guelph

More is expected of Pither this season and rightfully so .. the former fourth overall pick has failed to live up to his potential and was by passed in last year's NHL entry draft .. he is playing with more intensity this season something that he did not exhibit in his first two seasons in the league .. like most players entering their third year, he has matured physically .. he is stronger in his upper body and as a result, is more confident asserting himself .. a strong skater with elusive and shifty puck skills to avoid checkers .. Pither has a sensational shot but needs to position himself to use it .. he is becoming more patient and not rushing plays .. his dedication to both sides of the puck has improved but he needs to show more attention to detail .. should be given every opportunity to score this season.

Leigh Salters (2008), LW, Guelph

The biggest player on the Storm suffered considerable setbacks with lingering injuries that plagued his draft season .. after a rigorous training regime in the off-season, Salters comes into camp in his best shape yet and has already assumed more of a scoring role, as opposed to a support role with this team .. big, industrious winger uses his size down low and along the boards to dictate the play .. looks more comfortable in the role he is put into, as he is relied upon to go to the net and cause a disturbance .. swift and agile skater, which has always been his strength .. needs to intimidate more with his size to create offensive chances .. he will need to focus on identifying and staying with his man more in the defensive zone .. should be able to put last season behind him and work at potentially being drafted this season if he is able to establish a niche for himself.

Peter Holland (2009), C, Guelph

The Storm was lucky to pluck Holland at 11th overall, as he combines a healthy scoring touch with elements of grit .. good all-around skater in all directions however, his stride has an awkward appearance in the first few steps .. gets involved but was cautious not to over commit in the offensive zone.. finished checks and at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, he is already one of the bigger players on this team .. concentrated on doing one thing right on every shift, as his attention to detail is very astute especially away from the puck .. did manage to bully his way into the offensive zone keeping the opposition honest and afraid at times .. his hockey sense coupled with his natural finishing abilities should be able to land him a roster spot on Ontario's Under-17 team this Christmas.

Taylor Beck (2009), LW, Guelph

Another player the Strom was fortunate to have fallen on their laps in the second round .. Beck was a scoring machine for his Niagara Falls Midget team and showed a renewed commitment to conditioning, as he managed to shed a surplus of pounds prior to the draft .. a power forward in the making, as he has a big lower body and uses it in tight to muscle his opponents off the puck .. he struggled to keep pace with the speed of the game .. his skating holds him back, as he has limited quickness and his turns are very choppy .. when the play shifts, he is often the last player up front to recognize and react to the change .. he has maturing puck skills and can finish in close, as he has strong wrists and can fire a puck .. he needs to treat this year as a learning curve and work on improving his skating.