Switzerland: One Mean Luca

A peak at the top Swiss performers on the under-16 national team led by belligerent pivot Luca Cunti.

Yannick Blaser (2007), D, 5-11/170

A decent skater with adequate lateral movement and balance, however his straightaway speed is a drawback .. solid at supporting the offense and is a decent stickhandler .. can move the puck out of his own end or make a crisp pass .. doesn't panic with the puck, waiting for plays to develop before distributing .. good at quarterbacking powerplays .. likes to jump in from the blueline often on the powerplay to battle in the slot .. possesses an above-average snapshot with a quick release, though he needs to develop more velocity in his slapper .. doesn't play soft, but relies more on finesse than on toughness .. would benefit from playing the body more frequently and by being meaner when clearing the crease .. the only Swiss defenseman who was a valuable force on both ends of the ice.

Patrick Schommer (2007), 5-10/165

A solid skater who displays strong wheels when accelerating .. decent top-end speed, agility and balance .. above-average stickhandling skills .. can maneuver with the puck in traffic .. solid in one-on-one situations .. an observant player who knows where his linemates are on the ice .. solid passing skills .. uses all types of shots, including a chippy slapshot with a decent release .. displays average play off the puck and holes in his defensive awareness .. not a very intense backchecker .. needs to limit the options of opposing players in his own zone more effectively .. not the toughest cookie and is more of a finesse forward who doesn't initiate physical contact .. thrives in puck possession, but pulled off more of an one-dimensional showing.

Luca Cunti (2007), C, 5-10/170

A decent skater with a fluid stride .. solid acceleration and balance .. could use bigger top-end speed .. deceptive stickhandling skills .. can play the puck in traffic and even go end-to-end when the opportunity arises .. able to succeed in one-on-one situations .. above-average playmaking skills, makes crisp and accurate passes .. needs to upgrade on his finishing skills and shoot the puck more often .. boasts a decent snapshot .. drives the net hard and shows solid belligerence along the boards .. battles tenaciously for the puck in the corners and isn't afraid to hit despite a modest frame .. a good mean streak .. adequate defensive awareness .. returns to his own end quickly, but is still raw in his defensive positioning .. played an all-round game and had numerous good moments when given proper ice time.

Cedric Zbinden (2007), LW, 5-8.5/155

A good skater .. uses a quick choppy stride and keeps his feet moving .. strong agility and acceleration .. light on his feet, but needs to improve his lower-body strength .. very offensive minded .. solid stickhandling skills .. uses a short stick which enables him to make many dekes through traffic .. intensity rises in the offensive zone .. boasts a quick release on his accurate wrist shot, though his slapper needs to be harder .. sub-par defensive awareness .. doesn't stay with his man in his own end .. diminutive frame prevents him from being an effective physical presence .. his speed enables him to avoid many hits, however he gets outmuscled by bigger opponents .. waterbug played a slick game, very comparable to his older brother Pascal.

Gianni Donati (2007), RW, 5-9/165

A solid skater who takes advantage of his strong footspeed .. capable of sharp turns .. needs to upgrade on his balance and lower-body strength .. smooth stickhandling skills .. decent hand-eye coordination .. solid playmaking ability, can find the open man quickly and is a good asset to a scorer .. has to upgrade on his finishing skills .. keeps his slapshot hidden and uses his snapper primarily .. willing to play defensively, but doesn't keep the same level of defensive awareness all game long .. can block opposing passing lanes and is solid on penalty killing units .. stood out on some shifts, but was also invisible for long periods.