OHL: Wolves Den

It is rather surprising that the Sudbury Wolves, expected to challenge for an OHL title, sit in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. The one positive has been the insertion of many rookies into the lineup, although some 1990-born players have only received limited icetime under coach and GM Mike Foligno. McKeen's reviews several Wolves who have made an impact this season.

Akim Aliu (2007), RW, Sudbury

The big Nigerian born winger brings size and skill to the line up .. known more for his off-ice antics, he is still a very effective player who is capable of filling many roles .. has a nice touch for a big man .. his skating is top notch, he can turn well and is very athletic .. he is better in down-low situations, his massive size can usually bump or at the very least angle off players and separate them from the puck .. his hockey sense suffers, he makes plays that are not usually the best ones and that is a major area of concern as far as his development is concerned .. he does not always drive and challenge players at times and chooses when he wants to engage in battles, though he may be able to fake it at this level but not in the NHL .. nevertheless, he is a prime candidate for the NHL draft.

Patrik Lusnak (2007), LW, Sudbury

Plays on the top line with Donati and Foligno .. has been producing much more since the arrival of Donati .. a swift and agile winger, he can create and has outstanding vision .. he suffers at times by not moving his feet and almost expects plays to come to him .. while he is very shifty when handling the puck he is often stripped due to his lack of protection skills .. strong on his skates and appears to be thicker than he was at the beginning of the year .. will go to the net but is a better playmaker from the outside .. shows potential, and his ability to play on the first line for such a demanding coach is very impressive .. has an outside chance of being drafted, as he is the type of player some teams would lean towards in the new NHL.

Marc Staal (NYR), D, Sudbury

Has an impressive international resume being a two-time WJC gold medal winner .. such a calming presence on the back end, his approach to the game is very simple and effective .. one has to wonder if he can learn anything more at this level .. not overly physical but is effective in that he is a massive player and forwards are afraid to challenge him as he does have meanness to his game .. his shot is hard and low but his release is a tad off as far as the pro level is concerned .. he will not be employed for his offensive skills and it is doubtful that he would see considerable or any PP time in Hartford next year.

Nick Foligno (Ott), C, Sudbury

Put forth a better effort in this game as he actually applied himself with his play away from the puck .. very sneaky, he managed to get behind the defenders often and create chances .. his one-on-one skill set is impressive, he has a wide array of moves .. he shows quick bursts of speed but cannot sustain it for prolonged periods .. is very methodical when chasing pucks as not to expend all his energy .. quick wrist shot and good stick preparation in the slot make him a regular on the Wolves score sheet .. very opportunistic in terms of offence, he seems to be at the right place at the right time and manages to get a stick on the puck .. will be relied upon heavily in the Wolves playoff hopes as last year he failed to contribute .. more will be expected, and demanded this year ..

Jared Staal (2008), RW, Sudbury

The Wolves first rounder has done very little to contribute this season .. making the adjustment to the OHL game slowly he was unable to find his groove as he sat down for long stretches at a time and saw only four shifts all game .. awkward, long stride and is still having problems with his coordination, which does not help his balance .. needs to move his feet more and at times looks like he is skating in quick sand when he tries to get moving .. he has not fully developed physically but has decent size and ok strength but too often, he is behind the play to make a difference .. very limited ice time makes it hard to assess what he is truly capable of and perhaps next year we will get a better indication of his true potential.