QMJHL Report: Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

After trying to make a run for the championship last season, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are now in a rebuilding phase which is never easy, especially in the competitive Atlantic division of the QJMHL. Mckeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti reports on several Cape Breton Screaming Eagles eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Vincent Boudreau-Plouffe (2011), RW, Cape Breton

Rookie was the teams choice for scholastic player of the month .. average skating ability .. not overly fast but turns are sharp .. can pick up decent speed after his first few strides but needs to get much better to compensate for his size (5-11, 174) .. good peripheral vision but has to be careful not to get too fancy with his cross-ice passes .. will move the puck out of danger if he is under too much pressure avoiding turnovers .. hard slapshot, he usually hits the net .. sees some time on special team, mostly on the PK ..has a habit of getting passive in the defensive zone but he is effective when focused .. too much of a peripheral player to be able to contribute much offense, yet not really a defensive player either.

Olivier Jodoin (2011), LW, Cape Breton

Forward who plays the body well .. initiates contact regularly .. uses his hips well to gain decent speed but his strides are rather short .. turns are a little shaky .. shows glimpses of being able to stickhandle quickly but not often enough .. tendency of keeping his head straight when he has the puck taking away any passing options .. needs to make better reads on the ice, as he is too slow to react to what is going on around him defensively.. doesn't have a very hard shot on net .. doesn't bring much creativity or offense but can contribute on the forecheck or the cycling game.

Logan Shaw (2011), RW, Cape Breton

Big forward has improved his footwork and his speed but he will never be known as a smooth skater .. very hard to contain when he is moving his feet due to his overall strength .. nasty wristshot that has some movement to it .. notices where the openings are on the ice and goes to them .. keeps his stick down defensively .. as he improves his skating, he may be able to use his long reach to cover more space .. has underrated passing skills .. has shown noticeable improvement in his stickhandling and shot release .. used in many situations by the Cape Breton coaching staff .. although he has good size at 6-foot-3, he is not particularly aggressive and won't initiate contact very much .. overall improvement is slow but steady.

Stephen Woodworth (2011), D, Cape Breton

Very coachable player who gives a good effort .. was named captain of team Atlantic at the 2009 World Under 17 Challenge .. young defenseman has been a plus player in the first few months of the season for a rebuilding season .. average speed straight-ahead and pivots well .. needs to fill-out to be able to win battles along the boards .. willing to block shots .. regularly gains the redline from the backend .. effective when he doesn't have to play too many minutes, but has a lot of problems if he is used too much .. starts running around losing track of his man and has a lot of trouble winning battles for the puck or position .. can try to do too much too quickly when pressured.