Rocket set to re-launch

Coming into the 2009-2010 season, the P.E.I. Rocket felt ready to contend for the Presidents trophy, but things quickly went sour for them leading to the firing of head coach and Director of Hockey Operations Guy Chouinard. Not being able to contend in the powerful Atlantic division, the Rocket traded away top veterans for youngsters and draft picks. Mckeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti reports on some of the draft-eligible Rocket for both the 2010 and 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Adam Polasek (2010), D, P.E.I.

Draft-eligible last season, he is starting to get noticed a little this season .. smart defenseman who is not afraid to chip in offensively and understands when to do so .. average skater in terms of speed, but lateral movement is problematic for him .. does well moving forward though .. underrated upper-body strength, although he does not have the kind of mean streak that worry opponents too much .. will give a hard hit if the opportunity presents itself, but won't take himself out of the play to do so and keeps his elbows down avoiding unnecessary penalties .. tangles his man up well in front of his net .. gets the puck out of his own zone quickly, as long as he keeps the passes short and safe.. shot is not the hardest but he does get it through regularly.

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

Playmaking center who is at his best when he is moving his feet and distributing the puck .. seems to have taken a step back this season compared to last year in terms of offensive output .. for some reason, he is not trying to make plays as much, instead he is getting rid of the puck more often .. has the ability to hold on to the puck in traffic .. average skater in terms of speed, which is not an improvement from last season .. doesn't have a second gear needed for a player of 5-foot-10 to be real effective .. has a decent wristshot but he is not near the net enough to get the scoring chances he should be getting .. needs to improve his reads a little better defensively .. right now, he is leaving passing lanes too open for opponents .. not a very physical player, further cutting down on his effectiveness in his own zone.

Jordan Escott (2010), C, P.E.I.

Complete forward who does not excel in any one area of the game .. fluid skater with some jump on his first few steps .. can move comfortably in any direction .. mindful of his defense often supporting teammates well in the corners or along the boards for loose pucks, but won't often initiate contact .. cuts passing options for opposing players well but seems to be unsure of when to pressure the puckcarrier or be more passive .. can distribute the puck fairly well .. good vision on the ice but gets impatient when trying to make a play .. would like to see him draw opponents to him a little more to give linemates an extra second to make a play .. stickhandles the puck fairly well but must be careful, as he sometimes tries to do too much with the puck when a safer option is available to him .. some scoring chances are wasted with a weak shot net.

Cody Linteau (2011), LW, P.E.I.

Undersized forward is starting to see lots of time for PEI after the team traded away some of their forwards during the trade deadline .. pretty good skater with proper technique who should improve his speed once he gets stronger physically .. not afraid to battle for loose pucks but too often, opponents win the battles .. used on the PK at times due to his willingness to battle and block shots .. can be a handful on the forecheck, as he does not quit on the play and doesn't stop moving his feet .. doesn't possess great peripheral vision so he is usually looking to distribute the puck safely and quickly to his closest teammate.

Jimmy Oligny (2011), D, P.E.I.

Mobile defenseman who can move well in any direction .. skates backward well for such a young player and plays the angles properly .. passing skills are pretty good but he needs to move the puck with more authority .. currently, many passes are getting intercepted by opponents .. would like to see him use his underrated wristshot a little more, as that may give him some extra space on the offensive blueline .. should provide some solid offense from the backend once he gains size and experience.