QMJHL: Champagne Wishes

The P.E.I. Rockets have had an up and down season, but with their aggressiveness and size, they may surprise a few teams in the postseason. One of the best decisions they made was picking up center Joel Champagne from Shawinigan. Champagne has stepped up as the No. 1 center and has found great chemistry with Benjamin Casavant. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti looks at several Rockets looking to explode in the playoffs.

Joel Champagne (Tor), C, P.E.I.

Big, strong center who is starting to use his size more effectively .. excels in the faceoff circle with a 61 percent success rate .. while skating is still an issue, he has shown some improvement in that area .. seems to have grown into his body a little and that has improved his dexterity and coordination .. stickhandling is very underrated .. very effective passing skills, as long as he keeps them short .. average shot on the net, although he will need to work on his release .. does well defensively, as long as he is not matched up against very quick players .. starting to get more consistent with his effort level and concentration.

Jordon Southorn (Buf), D, P.E.I.

Very fluid and effective skating stride .. moves the puck very well .. finds the open spaces quickly on the ice when carrying the puck .. stretches out opposing team with effective long passes that are usually right on the stick .. not much power behind his shot, but he does generally hit the net .. not afraid of the rough stuff, but should cut down on some lazy penalties .. is effective along the boards when he uses his legs to project his body .. will not miss the opportunity to hit an opposing player if he has his head down .. defensively, he tends to run around a lot in his own end, leading him to be out of position and causing confusion for his own teammates

Chris Doyle (NYR), C, P.E.I.

Starting to use his teammates more efficiently this season .. still loves to shoot the puck every chance he gets .. not always a bad idea for him, as he has a very hard and heavy shot that he can get off without warning .. skating is only average in terms of speed .. sneaks in and out of the slot quickly but would like to see him go to the net harder and stay there as he still stays a little too much on the perimeter .. has a lot of work to do on his defence .. does not backcheck hard enough .. also tends to take some risks in the offensive zone that lead to scoring chances for the opposition.

Benjamin Casavant (2009), LW, P.E.I.

Fantastic ability to be at the right place at the right time for scoring opportunities and does not miss many as his 39 goals will attest .. hockey IQ is very good .. not only does he make smart plays with the puck but also without the puck by either drawing players to him to free up a teammate, to make a play, or get himself open at just the right time .. likes to sneak up to the crease when opponents least expect him to .. gets his shot off very quickly without much warning .. has a wide variety of options in the shot, as not only are his wristshot and slapshot very effective, his backhand is also dangerous .. very average skater with a choppy stride .. thinks offense a little too much at times, leaving his teammates vulnerable but that is improving as the season wears on .. not a physical player by any means but will take the abuse in front of the net.

Brandon MacLean (2009), RW, P.E.I.

Difficult player to go up against, as he always seems to be in the opponents face .. effective on the forecheck due to his willingness to go get the puck along the boards .. finishes his checks every time .. very choppy skater who just does not seem to pick up much speed, which lead to too many interference calls .. has a good enough shot to surprise goaltenders, just needs to find open spaces quicker.

Ben Duffy (2010), C. P.E.I.

Great at drawing opposing players to him and then making a play .. does this due to his ability to keep his head up at all times .. not a very tall player but stocky for his size .. stays too much on the perimeter .. sees some powerplay time on the second unit .. very good skater in terms of style .. speed is only average but that should improve as he gains some strength .. does surprisingly well in the defensive side of the game considering his age .. very good hand-eye coordination. .. could use some improvement in the faceoff circle.