QMJHL: 5-on-5 NHL Draft Picks Compete

The last two NHL drafts were well represented in a two-game set between the Halifax Mooseheads and the St. John's Fog Devils at Mile One Center with 10 drafted players on display including a pair of first-rounders in Jakub Voracek (CBJ) and Logan MacMillan (Ana). McKeen's was on hand and files this report on the 10 prospects.

Halifax Mooseheads

Andrew Bodnarchuk (Bos), D, Halifax

The Boston Bruins selected the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Drumheller, AB native in the fifth round, 128th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft .. started both games paired on the first defense unit with Guillaume Monast .. logged a ton of icetime .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay and penalty kill .. a strong skater .. smooth and mobile .. excellent decision-making and recognition .. solid outlet passes .. displayed willingness to lead and join the rush on a consistent basis .. impressive 1-on-1 coverage .. extremely calm with the puck under pressure .. demonstrated ability to read the ice and sees the play develop - great anticipation .. communicated with teammates, directed traffic both verbally and by using his hands and stick .. more involved offensively in Game 1 .. played solid defensively in both games .. definitely a leader on the blueline for the Mooseheads .. finished the two-game set with one goal, one assist, a plus-two rating, four PIM's and three shots on goal.

Logan MacMillan (Ana), LW, Halifax

The Anaheim Ducks selected the 6-foot-2, 189-pound Charlottetown, PEI native in the first round, 19th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. the big left-winger skated on the second line with center Tomas Knotek and RW Jakub Voracek in both games .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay and penalty kill .. not a pretty skater by any means, but manages to find open ice .. displayed soft hands on a number of occasions .. displayed strength with the puck (puck protection and ability to create space) .. worked hard and second efforts were clearly visible .. used his size effectively .. involved offensively the entire series .. passes were crisp and moved the puck extremely well .. provided screens in front of the net and is hard to move .. puck seemed to follow the forward all over the ice .. involved physically, but expected more of a bang-and-crash game .. would like to see him near the 200-pound mark, as it would be interesting to see his game with extra weight to throw around .. finished the set with one goal, three assists, a plus-two rating, two PIM's and five shots on goal.

Bryce Swan (Ana), RW, Halifax

The Anaheim Ducks selected the 6-foot-2, 198-pound North Sydney, NS native in the second round, 38th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft .. started both games skating on the second line with center Peter-James Corsi and LW Ryan Hillier .. played in all situations: RS, PP and PK .. skates well, able to change speeds when necessary .. had a quiet series offensively, but did display good vision and demonstrated passing ability and creativity on a few occasions .. played solid defensively overall .. sacrificed his body to make plays .. was on the receiving end of a couple of big hits, but bounced up right away .. competed each shift .. uses his size to his advantage, but would like to see it done on a more consistent basis .. finished the two-game series with a pair of helpers, an even rating, two PIM's and four shots on goal.

Ryan Hillier (NYR), LW, Halifax

The New York Rangers selected the 6-foot, 198-pound Halifax, NS native in the third round, 84th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft .. started both games on the first line with fellow draft pick Bryce Swan and center Peter-James Corsi .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay and penalty kill (was a key on the PK in both games) .. good skater who has speed speed .. worked hard and competed for his ice .. showed patience with the puck .. made simple plays .. strong on the forecheck, continued pressure .. solid defensively .. an energy player who is not caught standing still .. uses his size effectively .. battled hard along the boards and in traffic .. demonstrated a quick release .. finished the two-game set with one goal, one assist and five shots on goal.

Jakub Voracek (CBJ), RW, Halifax

The Columbus Blue Jackets selected the Kladno, Czech Republic native in the first round, seventh overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. the 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-winger skated on the second line with center Tomas Knotek and fellow 2007 draft pick Logan MacMillan in both games .. played a ton and logged significant minutes .. played at even strength and quarterbacked the powerplay along with Bodnarchuk from the point .. interesting to note that he never played on the penalty kill in either game .. solid skater who has both speed and strength .. uses his size effectively .. strong with the puck, and has good puck protection skills .. demonstrated stickhandling ability .. displayed great vision and creativity .. showed ability to pass the puck with accuracy and shoot the puck with ease, either on the move or standing still .. a smart heads-up player .. forced play at times and tried to be too fancy at other times, but overall solid play .. finished the series with one goal, three assists, a plus-three rating, two PIM's and six shots on goal.

St. John's Fog Devils

Jean-Simon Allard (Buf), C, St. John's

The Buffalo Sabres selected the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Alma, QC native in the fifth round, 147th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. centered the second line with Olivier Guilbault and Mario Kempe in Game 1 .. started and centered the first line with Ryan Graham and Kempe in Game 2 .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay (point on powerplay as well) and penalty kill .. skated extremely well .. competed hard in both games, as increased strength is evident .. displayed vision and passing ability .. demonstrated strong puckhandling ability .. soft hands and touch hard to ignore .. strong play with and without the puck .. involved offensively, sparking the offense at times .. more involved physically .. confidence evident throughout the series .. made smart decisions .. created room for himself and teammates .. still looks to pass first, shoot second, but being a playmaker is his game, although he can score as well and should do so on a more consistent basis this season .. finished the two-game set with a goal, three helpers, two PIM's, five shots on goal and was strong in the faceoff circle (56%).

Mario Kempe (Phi), RW, St. John's

The Philadelphia Flyers selected the Kramfors, Sweden native in the fifth round, 122nd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. the speedy right-winger skated on the second line in Game 1 and on the first line in Game 2 .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay and penalty kill .. fast skater, great speed to the outside .. provided his team with energy .. battled and competed each shift .. is sometimes reckless in his approach (crashing the net, etc), but that is a part of his game that is not going to change anytime soon .. displayed skating ability (up-and-down, quick side-to-side) .. able to change speeds and gains speed with very few strides .. usually a shoot first approach and distributed the puck well in both games .. demonstrated ability to find open ice .. does not possess an overly hard shot, but does have a quick release .. was active on special teams - aggressive on the penalty kill .. looks stronger on his skates .. anticipated the play extremely well .. despite dangerous scoring chances, he is still unable to finish on a more consistent basis .. would have to expect the scoring to come if he continues to bang, crash and skate .. finished the two-games with one goal, two assists and seven shots on goal.

T.J. Brennan (Buf), D, St. John's

The Buffalo Sabres selected the 6-foot, 205-pound Willingbord, NJ native in the second round, 31st overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. started both games, paired on the first defense unit with Maxime Dubuc .. played in all situations, but struggled overall .. was ineffective in Game 1, played better in the second game .. never skated in the series .. looked to be out of sorts both offensively and defensively (hangover from NHL training camp or just a slow start) .. indecision was his main problem .. did display glimpses of his game from a year ago, but not enough .. seemed to be trying to keep the game simple .. struggled getting involved offensively and was overmatched at times defensively .. 1-on-1 coverage and positioning not where it needs to be .. displayed ability to shoot the puck, both skating into it and off his back foot and demonstrated a quick release .. finished his checks and rubs outs .. frustration was evident, as he slapped his stick on the ice and glass on more than one occasion .. looked more comfortable in Game 2, but still searching for his 'A' game .. finished the series with a goal, a minus-two rating, two PIM's and just three shots on goal (not many for a rearguard who is considered to be an offensive defenseman).

Matt Fillier (LA), LW, St. John's

The Los Angeles Kings selected the 6-foot, 185-pound New Glasgow, NS native in the seventh round, 188th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. skated on the third line in both contests .. played in all situations - regular shift, powerplay (increased time on PP) and penalty kill (one of the better Fog Devils' penalty killers) .. works extremely hard each shift .. lunch pail approach for the Fog Devils captain .. good skater, quick on the forecheck .. takes a direct line approach .. finished his checks .. second efforts, determination and physical play are the norm .. strong work along the boards, down low and willing to pay the price in front of the net .. makes simple and safe plays .. leadership is evident as he communicates well on the ice and on the bench with teammates .. was snake bitten in the series with respect to scoring chances, as he missed a couple of easy chances .. solid defensively, good coverage down low and up high .. solid positional play .. blocks shots and involved in scrums .. played an agitator role in this series .. finished with no points, a minus-one rating, two shots on goal and six PIM's.

Timo Pielmeier (SJ), G, St. John's

The St. John's Fog Devils rolled the dice and took a gamble on the Deggendorf, Germany native when they selected the 6-foot, 180-pound puckstopper in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2007 CHL draft .. the San Jose Sharks liked what they saw and selected the German goaltender in the third round, 83rd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. started both games against Halifax .. struggled in Game1 giving up three goals on just nine shots and was replaced by Jake Allen in the first period .. was caught too deep in his net .. never challenged shooters .. let in weak goals .. picked up his game and the win in Game 2 .. gave up one goal on 20 shots, many considered dangerous .. butterfly style, flop style at times .. challenged shooters more in Game 2 as he was sharper and more focused .. anticipated the play and his rebound control was solid .. aggressive playing the puck .. covered the low area of net extremely well .. active glove, block and stick .. definitely taking time to adjust to the new team, league and style of play.