Scout’s Corner: Choice Words

Here are a few random comments from our scouting staff on the progress of other draft eligibles (listed alphabetically by player):

Vitaly Anikeenko (Yaroslavl) - "He's never awful but he's not the dominating force people were expecting. Does the job defensively - has nice reach and size. Offensive upside is nothing exciting though. Shooting the puck more than he did before but had trouble corralling some passes that went his way parallel to the blueline."

Dan Bertram (Boston College) - "I would take Bobby Ryan ahead of him right now, plus some others. His hands are great and he has the mind for creating offense but lacks size and a Crosby separation gear."

Michael Blunden (Erie) - "I don't know why he was invited to team OHL ahead of teammate O'Marra - it makes no sense. He has great size and is a decent skater but is not quite ready to compete with the big boys. Good potential but O'Marra is a more impressive prospect to me."

Francois Bolduc (Rimouski) - "Very intriguing but very raw. A big, tall, tough rearguard. Needs to play smarter in his own end and is often wild with the puck. But he's physical, gargantuan and well-balanced. Not overly talented and has to improve his skating and speed."

Evan Brophey (Belleville) - "Looks to have more offensive upside than Steve Downey but is kind of lazy. A very skilled player with a hard, bullet wrister, but he stops moving his feet. Can be underwhelming."

Gilbert Brule (Vancouver) - "The way he's been promoted has given the wrong impression that he's the only one who could challenge Crosby at draft time which is simply not true. He doesn't make the players around him better by association like Crosby does. And lately he's been selfish with the puck and consistently taking stupid penalties."

Alexander Bumagin (Togliatti) - "One of the more explosive Russian forwards for the draft. A real threat when the puck is on his stick. Good offensive instincts, above-average burst of speed. Not very consistent though - he'll have a great game but in the next one you'll be wondering if he's even playing. Does nothing defensively."

Vyacheslav Buravchikov (Krylja Sovetov) - "He still has positional issues but he was the top Russian rearguard in Slovakia. His offensive upside is very good. Moving the puck is second nature - he distributes it with poise and made few mistakes. Gets back into play timely due to good quickness. Just not intimidating physically, but no pushover either."

Francis Charette (Rimouski) - "He's only 5-foot-6 but he's hard to ignore. A very hard working offensive-minded winger. Has a surprisingly strong lower body for a small guy. Puts in a great effort in his own end and attacks the net in the other zone."

Dan Collins (Plymouth) - "Not the most mobile grinder. He plays a good cycle game but I would like to see him be more aggressive physically than what he's shown me. He doesn't finish as much as he should and foot speed is questionable. He's still very solid, just nothing exciting."

Patrick Davis (Kitchener) - "Fading after a great start. Doesn't work hard enough and has been pretty soft at times. He really disappointed me in one game but then came back and created admirably again the next night. Exceptional skating range, however, he's often hard to figure out."

Chad Denny (Lewiston) - "Big kid is solid on his skates but appears to be slightly out of shape. There is a lack of footspeed and agility here and he gets beaten one-on-one easily. I like his frame and his physical game though. He's strong along the boards but tends to play the puck more than the man."

Steve Downie (Windsor) - "Feisty guy; hits hard and often. He's a real battler who likes to muck it up and recently has been showing improved puckcarrying confidence, attacking defenders. May not have the size or offensive weapons of others, but brings lots of intangibles."

Jakub Drabek (Trinec) - "Slovakian surprised at the November U-18 as he's been having such a hard time getting ice time on Trinec juniors. He hit everything in sight in the first game, creating offense. Unfortunately he hurt his ACL during a pre-game skate before game two. Was back for the third match but just floated on the periphery."

Martin Dudas (Ostrava) - "The U-18 tournament in Slovakia was his first such experience on the international stage and he didn't impress. His size (6-foot-3, 220 lbs) is what sells him but he lacks smarts and puck skills. He also plays survival hockey instead of letting his frame go."

Brodie Dupont (Calgary) - "A good-looking prospect on the surface. Has nice size and work habits and excellent quickness, but he doesn't always get the most out of his speed."

Philip Gogulla (Krefeld) - "All eyes are now on this guy. Along with Skorykh he was a major surprise in Slovakia. Played two excellent games before running out of gas. Big, smart, creative and physical. He was Germany's offensive weapon and is undoubtedly their top prospect for the draft. Lacks bulk at this point but impressed with his vision and offensive skills."

Martin Hanzal (Budejovice) - "Developing a reputation for following up good tournament showings with bad ones. Looked very tired in Slovakia and a step behind the pace of games. Struggled dealing with backhand feeds and couldn't create much space for himself in the offensive zone. I still like him - he's a good package. It was just one tournament and he's been solid since his return."

Denis Istomin (Traktor Chelyabinsk) - "Showed a one-dimensional game in Slovakia but he just flies all over the ice on offense. Great skater, very smooth. Dangerous one-on-one, explosive once he reaches the puck. Solid around the goal area. Just not physical and doesn't always try hard enough."

Petr Kalus (Vitkovice) - "Maybe the top Czech forward at the tourney in Slovakia. He's aggressive, offensively gifted and a fluid skater. He has good hands, plays opponents borderline dirty - take that how you will - and was greedy for puck possession. Doesn't pass though - his vision is limited."

Matt Kassian (Vancouver) - "A gutsy, 6-foot-6 mountain who takes no prisoners. Enforcer resembles Wade Brookbank a bit. Has improved exponentially since last season and is one of the toughest players around, though his offensive upside appears to be quite limited. Does not have the talent to rest on his laurels."

Jakub Kindl (Kitchener) - "Doesn't need to use the physical game as much at this level because he's smarter, quicker and more skilled than most. However, a bigger mean streak is certainly at the top of his 'to-do' list. He looked intimidated at times in those heated games late in London's record run."

Anton Krysanov (Togliatti) - "Size sells and he's got it. A force at both ends of the ice. He gets involved physically and works hard on the backcheck. Sees the ice well and will find the open man with a crisp pass. Skating skills are decent for his size but he's not explosive."

Matt Lashoff (Kitchener) - "A very staunch defender with upside. Returned from injury and has really bolstered Kitchener's defense. Plays both ways. Shows impressive instincts both with and without the puck, intelligently picks when to attack or throw a big hit. But he does need to strengthen up, as he tends to fall down a lot for a guy with such good mobility."

Chris Lawrence (Sault. Ste. Marie) - "Tall, rangy and has good skills, but he's too carefree and a little too deliberate for my tastes. Soft and not a battler. Gets hammered into the boards and just shrugs. Doesn't battle back, nor does he possess elite hands really. His speed is ok though also masked by non-intensity."

Ray Macias (Kamloops) - "He's falling - no doubt about that - however, it would be a mistake to let this guy slip too far as he is such an incredible skater. If he ever figures things out at either position he could be a very exciting player."

Jeff May (Prince Albert) - "There's plenty to work with here - impressive mix of speed and skills. He should benefit from adding more muscle, and might be a real diamond-in-the-rough if he can develop better offensive vision."

Vladimir Mihalik (Presov) - "He's huge and everyone's interested in him but he had a bad tournament in Slovakia. Had a strong previous month but all that confidence gradually went out the window. Skating isn't as awful as it looked before but he never got his size involved and didn't stand out. Too afraid to get involved with the puck as well."

Ryan Parent (Guelph) - "Slowly developing his offensive game to go alongside with ultra-mature defensive game. Defensive positioning is terrific. Solid, safe pick who looks like he could go in the second half of the first round."

Alexandre Picard-Hooper (Baie Comeau) - "Has good all-around skills for a sub-par team but skating is laboured. In terms of his stride he is one of the worst-looking skaters in the league - looks like he's hauling a backpack full of bricks."

Mattias Ritola (Leksands) - "Has come to an environment where he's feeling much more comfortable and has elevated his game. He's a key player offensively which should help his stock. He is very skilled and, for better or worse, quite high maintenance. His poor performance at the Four Nations could be attributed to his struggles getting out of his contract with Frolunda. We'll see if the peace of mind elevates his play."

Michael Sauer (Portland) - "If you're protecting a late lead he's the guy you want on the ice. One of those players that never really stands out - above-average in all areas but not outstanding in any one, except for his poise. I don't see an offensive juggernaut but he should make the big show. Further along than Mikkelson but without same upside - not flashy, just solid."

Justin Saulnier (Halifax) - "Should be traded. This guy has offensive potential but he's stuck on the fourth line. His discipline has been a problem which has landed him in trouble with the coaching staff. He loves the fisticuffs but it's not his forte. Could be a strong two-way player."

Anton Skorykh (Togliatti) - "This guy was a revelation at the U-18's in Slovakia. Hasn't shown he can produce at a high level yet but he has towering size and wonderfully soft hands. Probably the tourney's top puckhandler. Unfortunately he was also one of the softest players and totally avoided any physical contact. A pretty good skater, knows his way around positionally and can find the open man. Definite wildcard."

Alexei Sopin (Dynamo) - "Stock has taken a bit of a dive recently. Did not impress in Slovakia - focused solely on creating offense. He skates very well but gets totally outmuscled. Looks like a guy who'll have a fine career... in Europe."

Marc Staal (Sudbury) - "More aggressive and taking greater charge of the puck. Looks much more coordinated and in charge of his body. I've seen him make a couple of end-to-end rushes that really opened my eyes, something that he did not show before. Definitely more offensive upside than Parent, which may eventually get him drafted higher."

Tomas Svoboda (Slavia Praha) - "Had the best snap shot of all Czech forwards in the tourney in Slovakia. Has a tendency for invisible stretches but once a teammate sets him up for a scoring chance, he is lethal. Scored three goals there."

Bretton Stamler (Seattle) - "Good potential as an all-around rearguard given his skating and maturity. Still needs to add more muscle and a tougher physical presence and faces a steep learning curve, however, his upside is quite high."

Ben Street (Salmon Arm) - "Smallish dynamo may be able to overcome his lack of size and strength due to his amazing wheels and the ability to make plays at high speed. Could be a late-round pick."

Slava Trukhno (PEI) - "He'll get two or three guys defending him because they know he won't pass. This is especially prevalent in his neutral zone play. One-on-one he's not bad. Needs to learn how to use his teammates. A little more of this and he'll turn scouts off."

Jakub Vojta (Slavia Praha) - "His laziness and attitude really show in the junior Extraleague although his motivation improves on the national stage. He is adept at creating offense but isn't overly physical. I question his commitment to his own development."

Andrei Zubarev (Salavat Ufa) - "I see him as the safest bet out of all the eligible Russians. He holds his own with precise defensive duties. You usually see him taking care of stay-at-home duties but I've also seen this guy do a good job quarterbacking the power play. Very accurate passer. Aggressive with his body."

Ilya Zubov (Traktor Chelyabinsk) - "There are no doubts of his offensive skill set. Skates well, creates plays, is smooth on the puck, has finish. However, he floats on the periphery and avoids physical contact. It downgrades his stock."