QMJHL: Simon Says First Round

Although the Saint John Sea Dogs are in the thick of things with a 21-15-2-1 record, there is a feeling around the QJMHL that the team may be looking to retool. Christopher DiDomenico could be off to Drummondville and captain Alex Grant may be the next to go. McKeen's contributor Rick Springhetti looks at several Sea Dogs, including defenseman Simon Despres, a possible first round selection.for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Chris DiDomenico (Tor), D, Saint John

Very feisty player, he always seems to be involved in the play when he is on the ice .. aggressive player, he can frustrate an opponent leading them to take penalties against him .. not the most graceful skater, but he gets where he wants to go quickly enough .. average strength behind his shot but he does get it on the net with good accuracy .. has an underrated backhand shot .. supports his defensemen well when he is on the ice.

Alex Grant (Pit), D, Saint John

Team captain, he is a very difficult player to contain once he starts picking up speed .. very heavy shot, he usually gets it where he wants .. he also has the ability to get a hard shot off his back leg, which catches opposing goaltenders off guard .. regularly pinches in on the play in the offensive zone but not always at the right time leading to scoring chances for the opposing team .. still prone to mistakes in his own zone but can usually get himself back in the play quickly.

Robert Mayer (Mtl), G, Saint John

Reflex goaltender, he possess quick feet around the net .. very strong puckhandler, he can get the puck to a teammate in a hurry .. tends to go down a little too quickly at times .. needs better control absorbing the puck as he gives up too many rebounds .. when he is on, he is very effective, but consistency is still a problem for him.

Yann Sauve (Van), D, Saint John

Big defenseman, he is not known for his physical play, but for his vision and skating .. excellent skater, he can pick up speed rather quickly .. sees the ice well and is very aware of where his teammates are .. strong passer, he can make a tape to tape pass from long distances .. has a habit of taking some dangerous chances in his own zone .. still coughs up the puck at the wrong time defensively .. is working hard at trying to shore up his game in his own end .. would like see him lean into opposing players more instead of always playing the puck.

Simon Despres (2009), D, Saint John

Excellent all-around defenseman, he does many things very well .. solid skater for a player of his size, he can pick up speed in just a few strides .. great stickhandler, he can get through opponents with some quick moves or by using his frame to protect the puck .. seems to know where everyone is on the ice at all times .. very heavy slapshot, he could get it off a little quicker, though .. very hard to contain along the boards .. positional play is a strength, as opponents don't often get through him when trying to get to the net .. has to be careful not to do too much on his own.

Steven Anthony (2009), C, Saint John

Tenacious player with good size, he can be a handful for opposing players .. does some very good work along the boards .. average vision, he has trouble spotting his teammates on the ice .. has some decent strength behind his wristshot, but his windup is too slow .. has trouble corralling passes .. decent skater for his size .. works hard in his own zone, as he could use some improvement in terms of position, but this is not a major problem.

Kevin Gagne (2010), D, Saint John

Young defenseman, he has confidence in his offensive skills to try to create opportunities for himself .. hard snapshot, he manages to keep it low and regularly hits the net .. has to be careful to make the right play when being pressured in his own zone, as he still has a tendency to cough up the puck .. can be effective when he uses his body to shield the puck and spin around to avoid the opponent, as he is a quick skater that can turn on a dime .. his positional game is generally good.

Stephen MacAulay (2010), LW, Saint John

Not a very imaginative player, he basically plays a north-south game .. tries to play a physical game around the boards, but lack of strength does not always make him effective .. has a decent wristshot, but does not shoot the puck very often .. plays a very effective cycling game .. will backcheck and try to support his defensemen.