Plymouth Rocks

Led by the dynamic Tyler Seguin and the all-star goaltending of Matt Hackett, the Plymouth Whalers are once again a team to be reckoned with in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. They boast a decent support cast on the backend with the likes of Michal Jordan, Beau Schmitz and new comer Austin Levi. Decimated by injuries up front, first year forward Garrett Meurs has been given an opportunity to shine and is currently third in rookie point scorers.

McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn, profiles several Plymouth Whalers including potential first overall 2010 NHL Entry Draft selection Tyler Seguin, as well as Austin Levi, Michal Jordan, Beau Schmitz, Matt Hackett and Garrett Meurs

Tyler Seguin (2010), C, Plymouth

Tyler Seguin will undoubtedly join the likes of David Legwand and Stephen Weiss, as Whalers to be selected within the top-five selections of the NHL entry draft .. it is uncanny as to the rate Seguin has managed to develop .. he has grown close to three inches since his OHL draft year and added more than 22 pounds within that time .. he still needs to be filled but has a nice frame to add more weight and be physically stronger .. processes the game at a higher level than his peers and is easily the smartest and most gifted playmaker available in this year's NHL entry draft .. swift and calculated with the puck when entering the offensive zone, his passing skills are elite .. he always sees plays unfold one step ahead of everyone else and can completely embarrass a defender who thinks they have him covered only to thread the needle on a perfect pass .. he is a capable scorer but his game reading ability sets him apart .. he does not seem to shoot often and question marks arise to his overall confidence in his shot .. he has a good release but not much juice behind his shot .. goes hard to the net and can score points in a multitude of ways .. not afraid to get involved and is not a perimeter player .. he battles for pucks but not in a physical way, more in a positional sense, establishing the beat on defenders early because of his anticipation .. has a pro-like approach to the game and can switch to another level of speed when he chooses too .. can briskly skate by the first forechecker before employing a second and third level of speed .. needs to work on his faceoff technique, as he has struggled in the dot as of late .. has already worn the 'C' as a 17-year old and is respected by his teammates and feared by the league .. Seguin is a cross between Ales Hemsky and a Mike Modano.

Austin Levi (2010), D, Plymouth

The Farmington Hills, Michigan native not only changed his number from 18 to 7 to start the season but also his outlook this off-season with a concentrated effort to be more of a key contributor with the Whalers this season .. appeared in only 12 games last year, however graduations to both Bellemore and Fletcher have opened up a spot for him .. he has seized the opportunity with the addition of 15 pounds in the off-season to complement his 6-foot-4 frame .. the level of coordination that he displays in his footwork considering his maturing frame is alarming and quite possibly his best asset .. he is a qualified skater in all directions and has a Tyler Myers-like silkiness to his stride .. has been awarded icetime on both special teams but is still learning on the job .. his defensive awareness is lacking and too often, he misses assignments, cannot contain his man or simply gets drawn out of position .. his reach is good but he loses his man down low .. shows bouts of physicality and eagerly comes to the aid of his teammates, will fight if he has too .. has a great pointshot but too often, he cannot get it off .. his play with the puck is best served when he makes the simple play .. not going to dazzle with his first-pass ability, he relies more on his d-to-d passes .. looks tentative at this point to handle the puck .. oozes potential due to size and skating ability, NHL teams will give him strong consideration due to his upside, knowing full well that they will need to be patient with him.

Michal Jordan (Car), D, Plymouth

The defensive rock on the backend for the Whalers, his on-ice responsibilities increased with the departure of Bellemore .. more than capable to play both sides of the puck, Jordan actually thrives more in a defensive role and as such, appears to have curbed his offensive game .. steady and difficult to beat one-on-one, as his positioning is superb .. his lateral movement and footwork are pro-like .. he can easily keep up with flashy players, although he did struggle at times against the stickhandling mastery of Morin (Kitchener Rangers) .. makes a crisp and dependable first pass .. at times, he can suffer from defensive breakdowns and be lazy in his clearing attempts - not hard enough along the glass .. plays a very reliable game and should be an ideal depth defender at the AHL level as he is well over 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds.

Beau Schmitz (2010), D, Plymouth

Schmitz was given a free agent tryout and participated admirably in the Traverse Rookie tournament playing on a third defensive pairing for the Carolina Hurricanes .. went undrafted despite considerable fanfare heading into the league, Schmitz appears more focused and stronger to start his second OHL campaign .. plays a physical game, as his size and overall balance make him difficult to knock down.. not a tall player but very wide and can physically assert himself in the trenches, however he will not fight .. Schmitz struggles when he is forced with too many options, as he clearly over thinks the game .. if given a role and an assignment he can execute, however he plays outside his skill set and has to recover for his initial mistake .. his lack of hockey sense robs him of his natural ability, as he is an accomplished player in terms of skating .. his offensive reads are suspect at times as well .. Schmitz may get additional looks this season by NHL clubs but it is rather unlikely that he will be a draft - rather a free agent walk-on for a tryout basis like last year.

Matthew Hackett (Min), G, Plymouth

Hackett returns to the league after a successful rookie camp with the Wild as quite possibly the best goalie in the entire OHL from a mechanics and skill set perspective .. he has a formidable defence in front of him but Hackett single handily can steal games by himself, the mark of a true superstar .. his composure is second to none, as is his patience .. he simply out waits (talented) forwards and frustrates them with sensational stops .. he forces forwards to over think and makes them look for the perfect shot, thus eliminating any potential chances for additional shots .. great at cutting down the angles and is intelligent as to when to drop to the butterfly or standing tall to make a save .. he is a hybrid goaltender whose athleticism and coordination have improved vastly since he joined the league .. great glove and an ok puckhandler, he is not afraid to play the puck behind the goal .. rebound control is also tight, as he offers very little in terms of second chances .. at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, he still has considerable weight to put on but that should come in time .. the development he has taken in such a short period bodes well for his pro chances, as he should play close to 55 games this season and may even flirt with a roster spot for Canada at the WJC.

Garrett Meurs (2011), RW, Plymouth

The first round selection has immediately produced averaging close to a point a game through the first dozen games of the season .. a sensationally slick player with an abundance of stickhandling moves .. has presence with the puck in his possession, he does not panic with it and looks comfortable to make a play .. goes to the net, however doesn't stay there for too long .. his hand/eye coordination serve him well as he can deflect pointshots and capitalize on rebounds in front on account of his quick hands .. not a physical player, he is also not afraid to force the envelope and will take a hit to make a play .. his wiry frame absorbs hits, as he does not lose his balance .. uses his edges well and his shifty style of play makes him difficult to contain .. a natural finisher, he is always going to the net with his stick in the lane looking to receive a pass and wire it home .. undersized, he has good self-preservation skills, as his stealth-like demeanour allows him to sneak backdoor into many offensive plays .. has already earned the trust of coach Vellucci and is being employed on the second line and seeing some early PP time .. a trip to Timmins for the Under 17 is almost imminent.