Prospect Roundup: American Candidates

Americans Jeremy Morin and Drew Shore have a couple of things in common. Not only do the two of them play together on the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) U-18 squad, but they are also potential first-round picks in next year's NHL Entry Draft.

Prior to his days with the NTDP, Morin played for the Syracuse Stars of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL), which has a history of developing players for USA Hockey. As of September 26, Morin led the U-18 team in goals and points-per-game. He is an extremely gifted offensive player who draws a lot of attention because of his scoring abilities.

"Jeremy has always had a good eye around the net, and he seemed to score the all-important first goal in a game," said Syracuse Stars head coach Don Kirnan in response to Morin's playing days in the EJHL.

Even though Morin is considered to be more of a goal scorer than a set-up man, he possesses the necessary skills to be both. For example, he can create time and space with the puck, go one-on-one with defenders, find the seams in the attacking zone and locate the sweet spot on net. As a result, Morin has the potential to balance his game if he is matched with the right line mates .

"Jeremy can do both but his success as a set-up man will depend on who he plays with," Kirnan said. "Players will be better suited to get open and finish in the same fashion Jeremy does."

Despite being known for his offensive prowess, Morin has proven to be a weapon on the penalty kill as well. His aggressive forechecking game helps disrupt opposing powerplays, while his counterattacking abilities can lead to short-handed scoring opportunities.

"Jeremy is a great forechecker and he reads the play very well. Penalty killing is about speed and the ability to read plays, which are two things Jeremy possesses. Of course, this will also create many two-on-one rushes, which he is great at," Kirnan said.

Shore, on the other hand, graduated from the prestigious HoneyBaked Midget Minor (AAA) program before moving on to the NTDP. There are six former HoneyBaked players on this year's U-18 team, which is unprecedented, so it speaks volumes about the type of foundation Shore came from. As of September 26, Shore led the U-18 team in assists and total points.

One thing scouts tend to notice when they first see Shore is his size. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, he already possesses an NHL-type build. Coupled with his willingness to work down low and scrap along the boards, Shore possesses power-forward potential. However, Shore's build is just icing on the cake, according to HoneyBaked Midget Major head coach Rob Krohl, who is also a member of the United States Hockey League's (USHL's) Central Scouting Bureau.

"Size certainly helps," Krohl said. "I don't think it's his best asset though…just a bonus. When he played for me, his hockey sense and hands were what made him great. He was one of the smartest players on the team. For example, he knew where everyone was on the ice and would find them."

Shore's ability to locate teammates can also be attributed to his shrewd vision on the ice. Shore has a knack for finding the passing lanes, which makes him a dangerous playmaker. This has been evident the past two years, as he led his respective teams (HoneyBaked Midget Minor and USNTDP U-17) in assists.

"He led our team in assists during the 2006-07 season," Krohl said. "His astute vision and quality hands were what made him special. We had some big names on that HoneyBaked team and I felt he was one of the more underrated players."

One of Shore's knocks, however, is his skating. Shore is a decent skater who shows good hustle but he does not possess great speed or a flowing stride. According to Krohl, Shore's other qualities more than compensate for this.

"He may not be the most fluid or quickest skater, but he still gets from point A to point B," Krohl said. "He also makes up for any skating weaknesses with his hockey sense, vision, hands and size. I would take a player with his sense for the game over a speedster any day. He has proven he can adapt at any level based on the numbers he has put up. He definitely has the tools to have a career beyond college."