QMJHL: Jakubs Ladder

QMJHL: Jakub's Ladder (posted 12.23.06)

by Steve Gionet

Jakub Voracek (2007), RW, Halifax

Boasts deceptive speed and agility, displays different gears to beat his man .. still needs to a bit on his acceleration .. a slick puckhandler and rarely ever panics with the puck, thanks to quick hands and a good knowledge of how to protect it .. works well in crowded spaces and in one-on-one situations .. creates open ice for himself and is able to find the holes .. one of the better playmakers in the QMJHL, Voracek displays excellent vision and IQ to go along with great patience with the puck .. needs little to work with to create scoring chances .. sports the ability to thread the needle and makes passes some players could only dream of making, however he sometimes passes too much .. able to put the puck in the net, he has a hard shot, but he must work on accuracy .. works well around the goal crease and has a good one-timer from the point .. plays gritty along the boards and is terrific at controlling the play in the corners .. not hesitant to crash the net .. plays with poise in all situations and never shows frustration on the ice .. his defense is decent as he is still learning to play better in his own end .. is fighting it out with Esposito as the number one ranked player for the 2007 NHL draft.

Logan MacMillan (2007), C, Halifax

Arguably the best two-way 2007 eligible player from the QMJHL .. a north-south type of skater with good strength and decent speed on his skates .. he gets into position in the offensive zone and finds open ice .. works really hard and has no fear of going into traffic and doing his job .. blessed with a quick release and is good at getting it off in tight situations .. crashes the net and works well in front banging for rebounds and finding loose pucks .. is a good passer who moves the puck around well and is able to make some nice plays from behind the net and is very good at feeding the puck to the open man .. tenacious in the dirty areas and feels comfortable cycling the puck along the boards .. not hesitant to dish out hits though not of the bonecrushing variety .. usually one of the first men back to help out on defense .. he ties up sticks, blocks passing lanes and generally works hard at preventing a goal.

Ruslan Bashkirov (2007), RW, Quebec

A very exciting player who makes you take notice, very fast on his skates with excellent agility, speed and acceleration to go along with a smooth stride. He uses his speed to beat opponents along the boards and in open ice .. a slick puck handler, he has very quick hands and reaction with the puck .. he might try too much from time to time but he is a very good puck handler at high speed .. loves to shoot the puck, Bashkirov has a hard slap shot and a tricky wrist shot to add to his arsenal of offense .. Bashkirov is able to feed the puck recognizing his teammates in traffic and seeing passing lanes .. on a down note Bashkirov's hockey sense is questionable with all the ability in the world to play he needs to start learning on how to move on the ice to make better use of his offensive prowess.

Kelsey Tessier (2008), C, Quebec

A small, spark plug type of player with a very high skill set and he is a smart player on the ice .. Tessier reads and anticipates the play well and he puts himself in right place at the right time .. very good vision and passing ability on the ice, Tessier sees his teammates through traffic and recognizes who is in the best scoring position .. he makes quick use of his teammates and is very good at getting them open on the ice .. he takes his open shot on goal and is great at following up on his own shots and gobbling up rebounds around the crease .. for his size he plays very gritty and is not scared to take a hit in the corner or along the boards to make a play .. very good puck handling and the ability to control the play when coming down the ice make Tessier a very dangerous player at all times in the offensive end .. looks to be a top prospect for next years NHL draft, his all around play, character and skill level set him apart on the ice from most.

Joey Ryan (LA) D, Quebec

Big, physical and mobile; Ryan has improved his skating this year .. he plays in the defensive zone very well using his physical attributes to set a tone to the game and to intimidate his opponents .. Ryan mucks it up keeping his net clear, he will leave bumps and bruises on his opponents and makes sure they pay the price .. very good at keeping his man to the sides and out of scoring position .. Ryan uses his big body to limit passing lanes and his tick to poke the puck away .. he takes his man out along the boards very well and also looks for the open ice hit and generally maintains position .. makes decent passes out of his own zone, works the puck around on the point and though isn't overly offensive he will take his shot when open. He could project into a dependable physical d-man who is making a lot of strides.

Nicola Riopel (2007), G, Moncton

An underrated goalie for the 2007 NHL draft .. Riopel has excellent positioning in net and is always square to the shooter .. moves quickly in the crease to react to plays and rebounds .. stays very focused and does not let a bad goal take him off his game and he stays very calm and collective in all pressure situations .. he has an average glove hand but his game is mostly positional play and reading the opposing teams plays to a tee .. not a flashy goalie but he gets the job done and keeps his team in the game .. needs to improve his rebound control .. he makes a large work load for himself having to make three times as many saves as he should .. Rising up the board for the NHL draft and has the talent to be just as good as any goalie in the draft .. extremely skilled and able to win games himself at times but is still a little raw in some aspects but is very coachable.

Randy Cameron (2007), C, Moncton

A very hard working two-way player who excels along the boards and the corners cycling the puck .. has a knack for making those centering passes in front of the net that are easily capitalized on by his teammates .. he takes the body and does what he has to and what is asked of him on the ice .. Cameron has good speed and keeps his feet moving .. has good puck control and makes accurate passes .. takes his shots on goal, not a flashy player, grit and hard work are his game .. he has very good hockey sense and works well in front of the net .. is very good at knocking pucks away and getting in front of shots .. he should garnish some looks by NHL teams come draft time.