QMJHL Report: P.E.I Rocket

After a few seasons of being stuck between rebuilding and contending, President and GM Serge Savard Jr. decided that the P.E.I Rocket needed to start from scratch with a team full of younger players and a new coach in Gordie Dwyer. The short-term results have not been great but this team could contend in the long run. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti has notes on several young Rockets eager to make an impact.

Matej Beran (2012) C/RW, P.E.I

Not the most fluid skater but he has a powerful lower-body that helps him generate decent speed .. does take him a few strides to really get going though .. opponents have a difficult time knocking him off the puck .. shows good anticipation in the offensive zone and works hard to gain position especially near the crease .. shot is released quickly and while he simply looks at getting it to the net, he generally gets good velocity on his wristshot in particular .. not a very imaginative puck distributor but he's smart and will not turnover the puck very often .. doesn't mind taking a hit to make a play and will give a hit if the opportunity is present .. backchecks diligently and gives a solid effort defensively .. play in the faceoff circle could be better.

Antoine Bibeau (2012), G, P.E.I

Played a few games for Lewiston last season .. picked-up by Gatineau at the dispersal draft during the off-season but traded to the Rockets at the start of this season .. positional goaltender who stays back in his crease .. lateral mobility could be improved .. covers lower part of the ice well when going down to make a save and is quick to get back into position .. balance should be a little better though, as he has a tendency to fall forward .. reliable glove hand .. doesn't handle the puck very much at all .. able to handle many shots on net .. can show some frustration after a bad goal but quickly gets refocused.

Louick Marcotte (2012) RW, P.E.I

Fluid skating stride .. turns are smooth and he holds his balance well .. not afraid to pay the price physically to help his team .. is often the one on his line who is battling along the boards or in the corners when needed .. will go right to the net the moment his team gets possession of the puck in the offensive zone .. puckhandling is very choppy .. doesn't have a very hard shot on net .. has difficulty quickly corralling passes .. plays a disciplined game in his own zone .. very solid work ethic has gotten some quality icetime this season.

Ryan Graves (2013), D, P.E.I

Drafted 9th overall at the 2011 QMJHL entry draft .. large frame for such a young player, but more surprising than his sheer size is his capacity to log a lot of minutes or play for long shifts without tiring .. not a very graceful or agile skater .. needs quite a few strides to hit his top speed .. lack of mobility is exploited by opponents who try to beat him on the outside on a regular basis .. mature in his understanding of positioning and use of his wide wingspan .. seeing a lot of 5-on-5 minutes but little in special team situations .. very much a work in progress but maturity and confidence are evident, he just needs to gain experience .. hard to tell what his offensive upside is but he does have the tools to be a reliable shutdown defenseman.