OHL: Torquato Adjusting Slowly

The Saginaw Spirit are finally getting on the right track this season after a long rebuilding phase. Through several drafts and numerous acquisitions, the Spirit have assembled a skilled, youthful club, impressing early this season with wins against London and Kitchener. David Bustyn was on hand to catch the latter contest and files notes on the club's recent top picks Matt Corrente, Zack Torquato and Anthony Soboczynski, along with details on the progress of New York Rangers prospect Tom Pyatt, the newly acquired Ryan McDonough and former Ranger Jack Combs.

Matt Corrente (2006), D

An extremely agile and mobile defender .. possesses great skating skills with sound reverse movement .. an offensive defenseman who rushes the play liberally and certainly does not hesitate to shoot .. shot power is solid and release is quick .. qbs the PP .. defensively he struggles as he is prone to making mistakes .. gets caught standing still and lacks the physical strength to effectively remove players in front .. constantly hacking and whacking away at the opposition, he takes needless penalties at times due to his inability to contain his man .. lack of proper defensive decisions resulted in many quick changes the other way.

Zack Torquato (2007), C

Has had to tweak his game a bit to make the appropriate adjustments to the OHL .. still relied on in offensive situations, he constantly patrols the line looking for a breakout pass .. first step could use a little work as he was unable to join the attack at times .. overall his skating is not an area of concern as he is smooth but could stand to cut the ice a little bit better, shortening his turns in the process enabling him to help out with his defensive duties .. shows his offensive flair on occasion as he is able to make backhand tips, plays through the legs and nice touch passes .. took lazy penalties throughout the contest .. as he plays with skilled linemates his game should elevate, however he needs to be more involved and play a smarter positional game .. 16 year old rookie should and will be a pillar for Saginaw for many years to come.

Anthony Soboczynski (2007), LW

Played primarily on the third unit and saw many minutes in PK situations .. excellent skater who anticipates extremely well, especially in the offensive zone .. causes many turnovers by opposing defensemen due to his active stick, long reach, strong positional player and deceptive speed that throws off experienced OHL'ers .. smart player who uses the boards to make plays .. play without the puck is top notch .. always mobile and annoying, which resulted in him playing the PK in the dying minutes off a close game; it is impressive for a rookie to log such big minutes .. still trying to beat defenders one-on-one to the outside, a move that worked with success in minor midget but failed to garner the same results in the OHL .. should be able to adjust and simplify his game and gain confidence in no time, and realize what he is capable of getting away with.

Tom Pyatt (NYR), C

Assistant captain showcases his leadership abilities at all times .. wears his heart on his sleeve and is always battling for loose pucks and trying to throw his weight around .. effective skater who is fast .. plays the top point in PK situations with aggressive forecheck; looks to create breakdowns and capitalize on them .. able to rid the zone of puck when pressured and makes quick, sound decisions with the puck; does not panic .. very successful at winning his draws .. younger brother of Taylor Pyatt of the Buffalo Sabres.

Ryan McDonough (2006), C

Newly acquired talent injects speed and creative playmaking into the line up .. strong, balanced lower body and quick feet allow him break out opportunities in re-vamped OHL .. solid hand-eye coordination .. able to make moves at top speed but has a tendency at times to be a little too flashy .. endorses the two line pass as he constantly circles the line .. exhibits a beautiful backhand; got it up but was unable to beat Dan Turple .. displays great chemistry with Michal Birner and made a sensational behind-the-back pass for the game-winning goal .. second best faceoff player on the, and, like Pyatt, won a majority of his draws in all three zones.

Jack Combs (2006), LW

St.Louis native plays a hard nosed game .. competing against his former team brought out competitive juices in him as he was aggressive and took the body every opportunity he got .. fierce competitor battled through checks to make plays .. soft touch around the net .. renewed confidence has resulted in him potting three goals few games into the season already .. showed his stamina by playing a long shift (one in which he could not get off) by taking abuse, administering checks and going hard to the net .. muscles players off the puck on the boards .. skating is average but he bore down hard to really create speed for himself.

NHL PROSPECT WATCH

The Kitchener Rangers boast the most NHL drafted players in the league. With the likes of Dan Turple in goal, Jakub Kindl, Matt Lashoff, Boris Valabik and Mark Fraser on defence, and Evan McGrath and Patrick Davis up front, the Rangers are early Memorial Cup contenders.

The most impressive of the bunch has been Patrick Davis – an electric player with highlight-reel moves. Davis is effortless in his movements and stickhandling, all with a bulked up 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame to complement the skill set. He was able to recognize defensive breakdowns and attack the net consistently. Davis impressively positioned himself to score two goals against Saginaw, and could have had three if not for tremendous goaltending by Francois Thuot.

Davis is difficult to contain and drew several penalties by moving his feet and pressuring opposing defensemen into making bad decisions. A permanent fixture in front of the net, an approach accented by new crackdowns on obstruction, Davis will reap the benefits this season in what promises to be a breakthrough campaign. The kid shows true pro potential.