TOURNAMENTS: Team USA U17 Report

(posted 3.15.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Scouting & reviews for Team USA U-17's at the U-18 4-Nations Tournament in Slovakia

Top Performers

Brad Phillips (2007), G

Notes: served as the backup goaltender in the first two games against Switzerland and Germany .. found himself between the pipes in the third game against Slovakia .. left an above-average impression and kept all Slovak shooters off the scoresheet en route to the deserved shutout .. frustrated the shooters with his patience and very efficient moves for a player of his size .. allowed the odd rebound but the USA defensemen didn't allow the Slovak forwards to make use of them .. named USA 'Player of the game' .. the one tournament test revealed a solid potential, but would be judged better if he would play at least two games.

Scouting: a big goalie who covers a lot of the net with his body .. moves efficiently in the crease and stays square to the shooter .. decent side-to-side movement for a big man .. could pick up on his lateral movement .. above-average footspeed for a player of his size .. decent reflexes and anticipation of plays .. okay resilience and athleticism but relies on his fundamentals rather than on acrobatic saves .. very calm .. doesn't seem to feel any noticeable pressure .. possesses above-average fundamentals and doesn't flop around in the crease .. stays square to the shooter .. patient on the scoring chances .. waits for the opponent to make the first move .. okay leg quickness .. hard to beat down low .. gets back up quickly .. okay orientation in the crease .. tough to beat on the initial shot .. cuts the angles adequately well .. willing to go out of the crease to limit the options of the shooter .. plays an active game despite lying on his back .. a penchant for regularly allowing unnecessary rebounds emerges as the biggest weakness .. adequate handling of the rebounds .. a decent glove hand .. doesn't show trouble with shots aiming at his blocker .. a solid stickhandler .. often goes behind the net to play the puck and is eventually capable of making the outlet pass.

Cade Fairchild (2007), D

Notes: an alternate captain .. filled a two-way role on the first USA defensive pairing in the game against Switzerland .. joined the rush very often and showed a solid ability to make plays .. his skating enabled him to make up for occasional lapses when he rushed too deep into the offensive zone .. quick and smooth on his skates which generated problems to the Swiss defense .. emerged as the most dangerous USA defenseman in the second game against Germany .. scored a nice goal after deking a German defenseman and lifting the puck over the falling goaltender .. regularly generated offense and was a factor on the powerplay units .. distributed accurate hard passes on both short and long distance .. handled the big German forwards adequately well despite modest size .. met the expectations in the third game against Slovakia .. gave the Slovak defense a tough time with his offensive raids and smooth puckhandling but was less offensive as the game went on .. took a more defensive role than in the previous contests .. focused on making the safe play when the USA players just controlled their lead .. showed occasional problems with his shooting as he twice hit the opposing player with his slap shot .. corrals difficult passes smoothly using his skates and stick .. pulled off an above-average offensive performance.

Scouting: a good skater with a smooth acceleration .. blessed with solid top-end speed and a short quick stride .. solid lateral movement and pivots .. above-average backwards speed .. doesn't get beaten by speedy opponents .. makes use of his mobility in the defensive zone .. an offensive-minded defenseman .. is frequently willing to jump into the play and support offense .. effective when paired with a stay-at-homer .. can move the puck out of his own end under pressure thanks to his smooth stickhandling skills but occasionally tends to overplay it .. solid hand-eye coordination .. corrals difficult passes smoothly using his skates and stick .. solid hard accurate passes .. uses his above-average offensive vision to spot possible passing lanes quickly .. aware of the positioning of his linemates on the ice .. a good asset to the powerplay units .. performs in the opposing slot when playing on the powerplay units .. okay in-close finishing skills .. fires an accurate slap shot .. okay hard snap shot .. slap shot could be harder and faster released so that it can't be easily blocked by the opponents .. could improve on his positional play and stay with his man all the way .. particularly makes for his positional mistakes with his speed .. needs to add some pounds to his smallish frame to avoid getting outpowered .. throws the occasional solid hit and shows decent toughness, but could use more of a mean streak.

Teddy Ruth (2007), D

Notes: the USA captain .. got better as the tournament opener against Switzerland went on .. served as an all-weather blueliner and added solid competitiveness to the mix .. took advantage of his sound positioning to break up the Swiss passes .. played an unspectacular game in the second contest against Germany .. displayed okay positioning and played with a bigger mean streak than in the first game .. wasn't able to recognize passing lanes quickly which hurt his effectiveness on the attacks but made regular accurate passes when choosing the obvious passing lane .. occasionally rushed the puck .. showed okay balance .. added composure to the play of the USA defense in the third game against Slovakia .. arguably the best USA blueliner in this game .. read the plays well before they happened and reacted properly .. made steady decisions with the puck and avoided possible risky plays .. avoided takeaways with quick moves .. patrolled the defensive zone smoothly .. played with maturity beyond his age .. registered a solid showing on the tournament.

Scouting: an okay skater .. uses a smooth and powerful stride .. shows a solid balance .. okay lateral movement and agility .. decent top-end speed .. okay backwards speed .. still could use further improvement on his first-step quickness .. works hard down low and shows solid reliability .. shows solid effectiveness when he keeps things simple .. okay defensive awareness .. doesn't join the rush too often but shows a regular offensive flair .. a decent stickhandler who possesses solid defensive stickhandling .. okay puck-distributor who prefers the safe plays but doesn't stand out with his creativity .. solid patience and a low panic point with the puck .. mostly chooses the obvious passing lane .. reads the developing plays quickly and reacts properly to the situation .. plays an above-average play positionally .. takes his man out of the play .. plays a safe game in one-on-one situations .. solid intensity and determination .. plays bigger than his size .. mucks in the corners .. a decent crease-clearer despite the size deficiency .. can avoid big hits with his smarts .. unleashes a hard shot from the point but could improve on accuracy .. okay snap shot .. can be used as a powerplay pointman well .. solid leadership skills and competitiveness .. a right-shooting defenseman.

Carter Camper (2006), C

Notes: put on display slick skating skills and an ability to set up solid plays during the first game against Switzerland .. often challenged the Swiss defensemen in one-on-one with adequate success rate .. useful at making fast passes across the zone when playing on the powerplay units .. emerged as the most dangerous USA forward in the second matchup against Germany .. fed his wingers with crisp accurate passes on both short and long distance and was a force when playing in the opponent's slot .. scored one goal after tipping home a loose puck in the slot .. proved that he is a good asset to a scorer .. drove the net hard .. maintained puck-possession in tight spaces .. took home the USA 'Player of the game' honors for his strong effort .. played a good game also in the third contest against Slovakia .. distributed crisp passes from both sides of the stick .. controlled the play of the whole line .. willing to fire the puck using a screened wrist shot .. limited the passing options of the Slovak defensemen with his quick forechecking .. returned back to his own end but didn't show an outstanding defensive awareness .. named 'Top forward' of the tournament .. pulled off a good showing and upgraded his draft stock with his quality play.

Scouting: a solid skater with a fluid acceleration .. possesses a sharp agility .. changes direction in quick sharp turns .. solid bursts of speed and stride effectiveness .. upgraded on his lower-body strength and balance, but still gets knocked off his skates by bigger opponents .. strong puckhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. tricky with his stick in tight spaces which enables him to maintain possession of the puck .. corrals difficult passes smoothly .. often challenges the opponents in one-on-one situations with a decent success rate .. very solid vision and hockey sense .. able to control the play of the whole line with his creativity .. prefers setting up plays rather than shooting the puck .. a good asset to the powerplay units .. hides his intentions well .. a smart passer from the corners or when setting up plays from behind the net .. fast-released wrist shot .. decent accuracy of the snap shot .. could develop a better variety of shots .. slap shot should be more hard and accurate .. returns to his own end, but his intensity wanders in his own end .. uses his quickness to limit the options of the opposing players as he approaches them quickly .. not small, but bulking up is essential .. drives the net hard despite the size deficiency .. battles on the forecheck .. doesn't play a tough style but doesn't get rattled when the opponents play his body and works hard .. a right-shooting forward .. an '88 born.

Ryan Hayes (2007), RW

Notes: played an above-average showing in the opener against Switzerland before receiving a misconduct penalty for a dirty foul on the opponent's knee .. explosive on his skates and patient with the puck .. a threat in the offensive zone with his passing and finishing ability .. virtually invisible for most of the second contest against Germany .. didn't find a way how to be effective with his play and didn't remind of the player from the first game in any way .. was prone to erratic passing and lackluster finishing skills in this game .. didn't look interested to initiate physical contact .. lacked intensity and determination .. picked up on his play in the third contest against Slovakia but didn't fully regain the impressive shape from the first game .. corrals difficult passes smoothly using his skates and stick .. made a number of quick puck moves to gain free space for himself .. scored two goals with the first being a nice goal after a smooth move to lift the puck right under the crossbar .. made a number of accurate passes .. occasionally floating in the defensive zone .. delighted with his assets but would need to avoid the off-game in the second matchup to get a top-notch rating.

Scouting: an effortless skater with a solid acceleration and footspeed .. reaches top-speed quickly .. okay explosiveness .. possesses above-average first-step quickness and solid agility .. okay top-end speed .. adequate lower-body strength and balance .. doesn't quit moving his feet when making the puck moves and possesses a strong hand-eye coordination .. a tricky puckhandler with decent soft hands .. uses his skates well when controlling a difficult pass .. should upgrade on his ability to cover the puck as he is prone to relatively easy giveaways .. can maintain possession of the puck in traffic .. can undress the opposition with his moves .. an okay force in one-on-one situations .. sneaks elusively around the opponents in traffic .. a tenacious forechecker .. okay vision and hockey sense .. an accurate passer who finds the open man effectively .. distributes accurate passes from both sides of the stick .. plays bigger than his size and can get along with the rough going without problems .. shows a hot temper and is prone to the odd dirty foul .. solid in traffic but still should bulk up .. a threat in the offensive zone of the opponent .. smooth in-close finishing skills .. patient on the scoring chance, waiting for the move of the goaltender .. fires an accurate wrist shot with a fast release .. decent hard slap shot .. okay on the powerplay units .. should further develop on his defensive awareness .. should mark his man faster and upgrade on defensive positioning .. occasionally floating in his own zone and when playing off the puck .. a right-shooting forward.

John Albert (2007), C

Notes: pulled off a good showing in the opener against Switzerland .. arguably the top USA performer in this game .. became even more dominant when Ryan Hayes stepped down with the penalty .. presented a mix of diligence, explosiveness and accurate passing skills .. a solid force in the offensive zone .. took a step down in the second contest against Germany .. didn't find a way how to be effective with his play and didn't distribute accurate passes to his wingers .. was floating in both the offensive and defensive zone .. was prone to precipitous finishing in this game .. didn't battle for the loose pucks and left the dirty work up to his wingers .. improved on his play in the third contest against Slovakia but wasn't such a dominant factor as in the first contest .. showed that he thrives in open space .. impressed with his flashy stick moves .. distributed accurate passes from both sides of the stick .. fired a quick slap shot .. occasionally reacted slowly when performing in the defensive zone .. pulled off an above-average showing and only a lack of consistency prevented him from being a standout.

Scouting: a solid skater with an okay acceleration .. possesses an effortless stride and an above-average agility .. above-average footspeed .. okay balance for a smallish player .. deceptive puckhandling skills .. can dangle his way out of tight spaces and maintains puck-possession in traffic .. able to succeed in one-on-one situations with his quick stick moves .. covers the puck adequately well .. corrals difficult passes smoothly .. possesses okay vision and hockey sense .. capable of accurate and well-timed passes from both sides of the stick .. aware of his linemates .. patient with the puck, waiting for the plays to develop .. often looks for breakaway chances .. a very effective player in open space but his effectiveness drops down a bit in tight spaces given his obvious size deficiency .. doesn't play afraid and battles for the loose pucks in the corners .. uses a fast-released wrist shot .. unleashes a quick snap shot with solid hardness .. slap shot is of an okay release and accuracy .. possesses tricky in-close finishing skills .. an offensive forward who plays with lots of energy and is less effective on the backcheck .. a tight forechecker .. shows some defensive awareness but could be more responsible when returning back .. willing to block the opposing passing lanes occasionally .. a good asset to the powerplay units .. prone to inconsistent showings.

Other Players

Colby Cohen (2007), D

Notes: caught flat-footed on a number of his shifts during the opener against Switzerland but was more effective with the puck as the game went on .. scored a nice goal off an accurate slap shot from the blue line .. looked a bit careless in the defensive end but caught fire once on the puck .. showed crisp puckhandling skills and regular accurate feeds during the first period of the second game against Germany before breaking down in the second and third period .. looked lazy in the defensive zone and got outskated by some of the quicker German forwards as a result of a late reaction .. his offensive output took a dive .. prone to falling back behind plays .. an average factor in the third game against Slovakia .. played an active game on the powerplay units .. made less mistakes in the defensive zone than in the second game but reliability still turned out to be an issue as he occasionally fell back behind the developing plays .. fooled the forechecking Slovaks with a quick move .. solid on the offensive side, but lack of defensive prowess cost him a good tournament rating.

Scouting: an okay skater for a player of his size .. decent acceleration and first-step quickness .. could pick up a bit on his backwards skating .. okay lateral movement .. decent turns and agility .. okay top-end speed .. possesses decent lower-body strength and balance .. should keep his feet moving to be more effective with his propulsion .. decent stickhandling skills .. capable of a quick fooling move .. a poised puckhandler who distributes passes from both sides of the stick .. distributes quick accurate passes which can fasten the pace of the play .. displays a solid poise when jumping into the rush .. okay offensive creativity .. prone to falling back behind the plays occasionally when focusing on offense too much .. willing to use his slap shot with a solid hardness but should unleash it more quickly .. fires an accurate snap shot .. useful as a powerplay pointman .. plays an active game on the powerplay units .. prone to slower reactions and careless defensive play in the neutral zone .. gets caught flat-footed which limits his defensive effectiveness .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. doesn't make glaring mistakes when solving an one-on-one situation but often gets beaten .. shows adequate aggressiveness in his own zone, but relies more on his above-average smarts and vision .. average at clearing the crease .. a right-shooting defenseman.

Ian Cole (2007), D

Notes: impressed with his two-way savvy during the first half of the opener against Switzerland .. poised and composed in puck-possession .. distributed accurate feeds and also took care of his own end without noticeable problems .. played only an average game in the second contest against Germany .. failed to be useful on the attack .. didn't recognize passing lanes as quick as it would be needed .. didn't play a physically intimidating style .. should step up with more assets of his play against the weak Germans .. was adequately reliable on the defensive side .. went unnoticed on the majority of his shifts in the third game against Slovakia but didn't make costly defensive mistakes .. was used on the powerplay units as a pointman but didn't get all his shots through .. stayed back more often than in the previous two games .. spotted his man quickly and stayed with him .. took less possible risks when it was asked to keep the plays simple .. occasionally got outmuscled in the corner battles .. impressed early on the tournament but wasn't more than an ordinary blueliner in the following games.

Scouting: an above-average skater .. solid straightaway speed and agility .. uses an effective quick stride .. solid turns .. possesses an okay lateral movement .. okay explosiveness and backwards speed .. still could upgrade on his balance and lower-body strength .. an offensive-minded blueliner .. solid stickhandling skills .. uses both sides of the blade and can maneuver with the puck in traffic .. active play and tricky moves enable him to avoid giveaways .. likes to jump into developing plays and generate offense .. good passing skills .. patient with the puck, waiting for the plays to develop .. hard and accurate passes on both short and long distance .. a smart player who can surprise the opposition with his offensive imagination .. over-offensive at times .. useful as a powerplay quarterback .. stays adequately calm under pressure .. possesses okay smarts and hockey sense .. fires a decent slap shot but should upgrade on release in order to get them through regularly .. doesn't tend to take odd shifts off but needs to be more conscientious in the defensive end .. doesn't make glaring mistakes but is prone to the odd positional mistake .. shows adequate toughness and doesn't play afraid against bigger opponents but isn't a physically intimidating player .. can throw a decent hit when inspired to play physical .. adequate tenacity .. should improve on his crease-clearing ability.

Doug Leaverton (2007), D

Notes: filled a conservative defensive role in the tournament opener against Switzerland .. focused on making the safe play but occasionally dumped the puck too quickly which hurt his effectiveness on the offensive side .. repeated the same defensive showing also in the second game against Germany .. didn't make glaring mistakes in the defensive end .. wasn't patient in puck-possession .. should take a bigger advantage of his impressive size tools and hit more often .. played as a 'friendly giant' .. was hesitant to shoot the puck .. didn't see much playing time on the special units .. didn't upgrade on his offensive output during the third game against Slovakia and stuck to his defense-first style .. fell back behind the plays when rushing because of wrong timing and subsequently immediately returned to his stay-at-home style .. showed an okay reliability but wasn't at his best against the quick waterbugs who could make him moving .. saw a limited role on the powerplay units but played a number of shifts on the penalty kill .. filled his role adequately well but didn't show much past his defensive savvy.

Scouting: blessed with a massive frame .. a decent skater for a player of his size .. would be more effective if he would keep his feet moving .. could use a more explosive first step and a faster acceleration but those assets are acceptable for a big man .. decent agility .. adequate backwards skating and lateral movement .. decent balance but needs more strength to his thin lower-body .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. reads the developing plays well but mostly chooses the most safe play when moving the puck .. prefers risky-low plays and plays a simple game in his own end .. plays with decent smarts but dumps the puck under heavy pressure .. doesn't rush forward very often and usually isn't able to return back in time when rushing the puck .. isn't beautiful when moving the puck, but shows decent stickhandling skills .. uses a long stick and can be an effective pincher .. willing to use his shot from the point with a decent hardness but should pick up on accuracy .. shows decent aggressiveness in his own end .. works adequately hard down low .. is able to throw a decent hit but bulking up is still a need .. solid at clearing the crease, but isn't an all-time physical presence .. decent safe positional play .. a reliable in the defensive zone who is adequately aware of his limits .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. shoots right.

Joseph Lavin (2007), D

Notes: didn't stand out with his play in the USA tournament opener against Switzerland .. focused on making the risky-low play and was limited on the offensive support .. the Swiss forwards didn't give him a tough test as he could control their offensive raids with his proper reading of unfolding plays .. occasionally dumped the puck when pressed and kept his shot hidden in this game .. added a bigger offensive flair to his performance in the second game against Germany .. didn't make glaring mistakes in the defensive end and moved the puck out of his zone regularly .. played a feisty game against the bigger German forwards who attacked the USA crease .. succeeded in traffic battles with his stickhandling and was more willing to create when the USA lead was significant .. repeated his offensive output during the third game against Slovakia and was the second-most effective USA offensive blueliner after Cade Fairchild in this game .. fell back behind the plays when rushing because of wrong timing and subsequently immediately returned to his stay-at-home style .. showed an okay reliability in the defensive zone and an ability to dish out a quick outlet pass .. saw a limited role on the penalty killing units but played a regular shift on the powerplay units .. registered an average start into the tournament but steadily picked up on his play to get a decent overall rating.

Scouting: an okay skater but a middle-sized defenseman like him still should improve on his propulsion .. decent acceleration and agility on his skates .. okay first-step quickness .. acceptable turns and lateral movement .. decent balance but still could use more lower-body strength .. could upgrade on his top-end speed to be more effective on the transitional plays .. solid stickhandling skills .. can make a quick move to avoid a giveaway .. can maneuver with the puck in traffic .. could only corral difficult passes more smoothly .. decent passing skills .. uses both sides of the stick when making passes .. hard and accurate passes on short distance .. decent long passes, but should recognize long passing lanes a bit more quicker .. useful as a powerplay quarterback but doesn't always play a smart game on the offensive blue line .. decent slap shot with a good release and adequate accuracy, but needs to unleash it more often .. okay release on the snap shot .. plays on the penalty killing units with adequate reliability thanks to his ability to read the developing opponent plays well .. positional gaffes which hurt his defensive effectiveness are his main defensive drawback .. plays with decent toughness when willing to play physical .. can throw a decent hit and play bigger than his size when the play gets physical but isn't a regular physical force .. able to lay smart hits which surprise the receiver .. can punish the players in front of his own net with a solid intensity.

C.J. Severyn (2007), LW

Notes: visited tight spaces regularly during the first game against Switzerland, utilizing on his smooth stick moves to maneuver with the puck .. showed that he needs to pick up on the hardness of his shooting skills as none of his attempts was a hard shot .. returned back to help out but didn't stand out in his defensive awareness .. didn't look fully determined during the second game against Germany but still found a way how to be useful thanks to his strong ability to move the puck out of the corner and maintain possession .. distributed accurate passes to his linemates .. would be more effective if he would drive the net harder and play with a bigger fire along the boards .. registered the least impressive performance on the tournament in the third contest against Slovakia .. didn't play with an impressive intensity and determination and couldn't make quality use of his smooth stickhandling ability .. didn't show a consistent hustle which limited his effectiveness .. was reluctant to shoot the puck and didn't battle himself into the final position to shoot very often .. showed impressive assets but lacked intensity and consistency to get a good tournament rating.

Scouting: an okay skater with a fast change of pace and deceptive quickness .. shows a solid agility on his skates .. blessed with decent acceleration but still could improve on first-step quickness .. adequate top-end speed .. possesses above-average lower-body strength and balance .. emerges as a swift puckhandler with soft hands .. likes to penetrate into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick and create plays .. doesn't loose puck-possession when deking his way out of the corners .. effective once gaining possession of the puck .. a solid asset in one-on-one situations .. blessed with decent smarts and offensive instincts .. more of a playmaker than sniper .. capable of solid accurate tape-on-tape passes .. unleashes an accurate wrist shot with a fast release but could improve on hardness .. accurate snap shot could be harder .. doesn't use his slap shot very often .. is willing to return to his own end to help out the defense, but needs to upgrade his defensive awareness .. inconsistent in his defensive determination .. average quickness of marking his man .. should improve on defensive positioning .. should be occasionally more competitive when playing off the puck .. doesn't play afraid and sticks his nose into traffic areas but isn't a physically intimidating force .. willing to crash the net and perform in the slot.

Brennan Vargas (2007), RW

Notes: the playmaking forward of the first USA line .. distributed accurate passes .. played a solid game on the powerplay units as the set-up player in the corner .. recognized even long passing lanes quickly and utilized on his hand-eye coordination to make plays .. didn't show accurate shooting skills and focused on passing .. continued in his playmaking role also in the second game against Germany but this time he dished out a lesser number of accurate feeds .. fired the puck more often than in the first game and showed a quick release on his hard snap shot .. couldn't avoid off-shifts .. occasionally floating in the defensive end .. wasn't a noticeable factor during the third matchup against Slovakia .. tried to distribute accurate passes to his linemates but accuracy of his feeds was an issue with him in this game .. snake-bitten on the scoring chances .. didn't pay regular attention to defense .. should use his body to a bigger extent .. showed a solid passing ability but the unimpressive finish negatively affects his ranking.

Scouting: an okay skater with a solid footspeed .. solid acceleration .. decent agility .. okay top-end speed .. should upgrade on his adequate balance and lower-body strength .. shows a penchant to slow down a bit when making his moves with the puck .. capable of quick puck moves .. doesn't show noticeable trouble when having to handle a difficult pass .. more of a playmaker than sniper .. can make a quick accurate feed .. dishes out tape-on-tape passes on all distances .. an okay passer from the half-board area when performing on the powerplay unit .. decent creativity and awareness of his linemates .. can fire the puck with a solid accuracy when using the wrist or snap shot .. fires a wrist shot with a sharp release .. unleashes a hard snap shot .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent and pick up on accuracy .. displays occasional trouble with penetrating to the scoring chances through heavy traffic .. needs to bulk up .. doesn't play afraid but also doesn't show a very physical style and is hampered by his smallish frame .. often used on the powerplay units as a playmaker .. a solid forechecker .. should upgrade on his defensive awareness and mark his man faster .. needs to work on his defensive positioning and limit the options of the opposition more effectively .. a right-shooting forward.

Barry Almeida (2007), LW

Notes: a non-factor in the early stages of the first game against Switzerland .. picked up on his play from the second period and was more effective in the offensive zone with his hustle and diligence .. paid the physical price along the boards .. declared USA 'Player of the game' because of his productivity but didn't really put up the best effort .. filled the role of an energetic disturber also in the second game against Germany .. gave a tough time to the German defensemen with his rapid change of pace .. played a feisty style in the opposing slot .. looked for the rebounds and battled for the loose pucks along the boards but occasionally got outpowered by bigger opponents .. played bigger than his size .. added spirit to the USA forward corps also in the third contest against Slovakia .. hustled regularly and wreaked havoc among the Slovak defense with his forechecking but his fatigue became visible as the game went on .. was less disturbing in the late stages of the game when it was asked just to control the lead .. prone to occasional defensive mistake but the Slovak forwards couldn't make use of it .. was useful to the team with his all-out style and energy.

Scouting: a solid skater with a good acceleration .. uses a quick choppy stride which enables him to reach top speed in a short time .. possesses above-average agility .. solid top-end speed .. keeps his feet moving .. adequate balance and lower-body strength .. likes to look for breakaway chances .. plays a hi-octane style with lots of energy, filling the role of a diligent waterbug .. wreaks havoc among the opponents with his forechecking .. an okay puckhandler .. distributes passes from both sides of the stick .. willing to finish his checks despite not being blessed with giant frame .. possesses solid in-close finishing skills .. adequately smooth when challenging the opponent in one-on-one situations .. willing to fire the pucks often .. fires a hard accurate slap shot .. unleashes a quick wrist shot with decent accuracy .. adequate vision and hockey sense, but won't ever be one of the smartest players on the team .. returns back to his own zone .. shows adequate defensive awareness but should spot his man more quickly .. decent defensive positioning .. plays bigger than his size .. willing to abuse his body in the trench battles .. digs for the loose pucks in the corners .. looks for rebounds in the slot .. a late '88 born forward.

Justin Vaive (2007), LW

Notes: hampered by a lack of elite skating skills in the opener against Switzerland .. dug for the loose pucks along the boards but wasn't very effective in the offensive zone .. sluggish skating became evident during his shifts .. filled the role of a grinder during the second game against Germany but the rest of his game was missing .. his lackluster skating ability hurt him on transitions and he couldn't keep up with the fast plays .. went for the big hit a number of times but occasionally timed his attempt badly and the German opponents could avoid it .. filled the defensive duties with adequate conscientiousness .. didn't improve on his play also in the third game against Slovakia .. showed an ability to lay a hit on the opponent and was decent in filling his defensive duties but the rest of his game was missing .. the larger ice surface further exposed his lack of elite first-step quickness and acceleration .. looked completely overwhelmed when asked to create scoring chances in the offensive zone .. didn't impress with his play on the tournament.

Scouting: an average skater .. needs to improve on the effectiveness of his stride and upgrade on the power and length of his stride .. should further develop on his acceleration and top-end speed .. decent footspeed for a big man .. adequate agility .. possesses above-average lower-body strength and balance .. decent stickhandling skills .. doesn't make many nifty dekes, but his puck skills aren't really hurting him .. should cover the puck better .. works adequately hard in the offensive zone either to make a pass or shoot the puck but isn't a lethal playmaker or scorer .. can make an accurate feed but could be more creative with the puck .. could use a better variety of shots .. fires a hard slap shot with average accuracy .. a solid physical presence .. willing to throw hits and show up in traffic on a regular basis .. prone to losing position when going for the big hit .. looks for rebounds in front of the opposing net .. an adequate factor in the defensive zone .. occasionally looks disinterested in the defensive going and marks his man too slowly but can be an adequate factor when on his game .. average defensive positioning .. would be more effective if he would approach the opponents more quickly .. needs to gain more bulk to his massive frame to be more effective .. will need patience in his development.

Mike Cieslak (2007), RW

Notes: drove the net hard and forechecked tenaciously during the opening game against Switzerland but a not overly effective stride prevented him from dominancy as he couldn't outskate the Swiss defensemen .. cycled the puck well in the corners .. showed a solid passing ability and vision .. focused on playing an offensive style during the second contest against Germany .. cycled the puck well in the corner .. lack of elite skating skills hurt his effectiveness .. used primarily his quick snap shot when finishing the scoring chances .. floated in the defensive end and was prone to positional mistakes in his own zone .. returned to the defensive end more often in the third game against Slovak but lacked a defensive determination for much of his shifts .. filled more of a playmaking role .. distributed accurate passes on a short distance but didn't make long passes on a regular basis .. lack of top-notch acceleration hurt him on the larger ice surface .. should take less off-shifts in his traffic awareness .. didn't battle for the loose pucks when not adequately inspired .. impressed early in the tournament despite his suspect skating but didn't show the needed consistency to get a good rating.

Scouting: an adequate skater .. a gangly first step limits his propulsion .. blessed only with adequate acceleration .. possesses average balance .. should add more strength and bulk to his thin lower-body .. could use more explosiveness and agility in his play .. a decent puckhandler, but can't dangle the puck in heavy traffic .. okay portion of vision and hockey sense but doesn't take advantage of it all the time .. more of a playmaking forward .. dishes out hard accurate passes but could upgrade on timing to create more dangerous scoring chances .. cycles the puck in the corner well .. a decent factor as a playmaker on the powerplay units .. should fire the puck more often .. solid wrist shot with an okay accuracy .. uses primarily his wrist or snap shot .. snap shot with a fast release .. his slap shot needs to be more accurate .. decent in-close finishing skills .. adequate defensive awareness .. returns back quickly but lacks defensive intensity and determination .. should limit the options of the opposing forwards better .. needs to show a regular mean streak to complement his size .. prone to shifts where he isn't a noticeable factor when playing off the puck .. occasionally willing to crash the net with a decent authority .. forechecks with adequate tenaciousness .. willing to sacrifice his body to block the opposing shots.

Ryan Schnell (2007), LW

Notes: was an inconsistent factor during the opener against Switzerland .. battled along the boards and hit the Swiss opponents a number of times but failed to be a strong factor in the offensive zone .. didn't show any appealing assets past his size during the second contest against Germany .. threw two hits but weren't useful to his team in any other way .. prone to losing position when hitting .. looked overwhelmed when asked to create in the offensive zone .. returned back to the defensive end but needed a long time to spot his man .. took regular off-shifts .. faded for much of his shifts during the third game against Slovakia .. didn't perform in the offensive end precisely and failed to become a quality playmaker .. stuck to a defensive role .. threw the occasional hit but wasn't such an intimidating physical presence where it would be particularly possible to overlook his lack of offensive prowess .. the larger ice surface further exposed his lack of elite first-step quickness and acceleration .. played a disappointing tournament as he didn't find a way how to be effective in his role.

Scouting: a decent skater for a player of his size but could still use a more explosive first-step and work on his acceleration .. average footspeed .. a solid agility for a big man .. possesses solid balance and lower-body strength .. a decent puckhandler who isn't a whooping dipsy-doodler but can play the puck in traffic adequately well .. covers the puck with his body .. handles heavy traffic well thanks to his frame and is difficult to stop when deciding to crash the net but often lacks the needed fire and determination to be a quality factor .. can park himself in front of the opposing slot and look for rebounds .. can score garbage goals .. adequate in-close finishing skills but still should be smoother when finishing the scoring chance .. fires a quick accurate wrist and snap shot .. could use the hard slapper more often .. is blessed with average smarts and understanding of the game .. an adequate playmaker .. could be more aware of his linemates and dish out the passes with a better timing .. distributes hard passes through traffic .. relies on his strength more than on finesse .. a hard-nosed warrior with a solid mean streak .. often throws hits .. prone to losing position when going for the big hit .. willing to execute regularly in his own end, but should limit the options of the opposing players more effectively .. adequate defensive positioning .. a decent factor on the penalty killing units .. takes off-shifts where he is virtually invisible which seriously spoils his effectiveness.

Matt Rust (2007), C

Notes: an alternate captain .. impressed with his forechecking ability in the opener against Switzerland .. hustled and forced the Swiss defensemen to mistakes with his propulsion .. drove the net hard and showed a very spirited style .. always looked for a position to shoot .. took a step down in the second matchup against Germany .. wasn't as quick and agile as in the first game and was neutralized by the German defensemen on many of his shifts .. showed solid stick moves and an ability to corral passes adequately well .. didn't stand out on his shifts and occasionally looked disinterested .. didn't initiate significant physical contact against the bigger German players .. registered an average game in the third contest against Slovakia .. could burst into scoring chances with his speed but should finish them with a bigger prowess .. too predictable for the Slovak defensemen .. easy to push out of the scoring lanes thanks to a lack of strength .. took occasional off-shifts where he wasn't a factor at any end of the ice .. should become more conscientious in the defensive end .. lack of consistency and offensive productivity cost him a better tournament rating.

Scouting: an above-average skater with solid footspeed and acceleration .. possesses a fluid stride .. okay agility and turns .. a decent balance for a diminutive player but still could improve on lower-body strength .. can carry the puck without having to slow down significantly .. solid stickhandling skills .. okay with the puck in open space but is prone to losing possession of the puck in heavy traffic .. able to succeed in one-on-one situations thanks to his quick moves but should challenge the opponents to those situations more often .. a decent passer who can find the open man but should be more patient with the puck .. adequate vision and hockey sense .. displays good in-close finishing skills .. possesses a solid variety of shots including an accurate snap shot with a fast release .. solid quick wrist shot .. slap shot should be more accurate .. sticks his nose into traffic and plays bigger than his size .. willing to drive the net adequately hard .. a tenacious forechecker .. doesn't take off-shifts and plays with above-average energy .. a solid asset to the special units .. backchecks diligently but still needs to pick up his defensive game .. should stay with his player all the way .. still raw in closing the passing lanes of the opponent.

Richard Manley (2008), RW

Notes: pulled off an average showing in the opener against Switzerland .. looked a bit overwhelmed by the larger ice surface .. neutralized three times in an one-on-one situation by the Swiss defenseman .. improved on his performance a bit during the second outing against Germany .. could fasten the plays with an accurate one-timed pass .. drove the net with a bigger determination than in the first game but average first-step quickness and acceleration hurt his effectiveness .. still should be more patient on the scoring chances .. pulled off an unimpressive performance during the third matchup against Slovakia .. didn't cover the puck well with his body which led to giveaways .. returned back quickly when the opponents gained possession of the puck .. the larger ice surface didn't suit him very well as his first-step quickness still has a way to go .. hampered by unimpressive play in one-on-one again .. possesses the intangibles but the tournament revealed that he will need a longer time to put them together.

Scouting: an adequate skater for a big man .. should improve on his acceleration and footspeed .. adequate top-end speed .. decent agility for a player of his size but still could make sharper turns .. should pick up on his first-step quickness .. solid balance .. decent lower-body strength but skating is likely to improve a bit with more strength in lower-body .. an adequate stickhandler who doesn't stand out with his hands .. should upgrade on his play in one-on-one situations and cover the puck better .. an average factor with the puck in tight space given his inability to make quick stick dekes .. more of a playmaker than a sniper .. decent vision and awareness of his linemates .. decent creativity with the puck .. can fasten the pace of the shift with a quick one-timed pass .. unleashes a heavy wrist shot with a fast release .. needs to develop smoother in-close finishing skills .. a hardworking player with a decent mean streak .. inconsistent aggressiveness but can finish his checks .. a solid hitter along the boards ..performs in the opposing slot and looks for the loose rebounds .. willing to return back but should become a better defensive player who understands the play in his own zone more quickly .. should stay with his man and work on his defensive positioning to be more effective in his own end .. a late '89 born forward.

Team Slovakia U18 Report (posted 3.6.06)

by Robert Neuhauser

Scouting & reviews for Team Slovakia at the U18 4-Nations Tournament in Slovakia

Top Performers

Marek Simko (2006), G

Notes: started the Slovak tournament opener against Germany .. played a decent game, neutralizing a number of quality chances of the opponents .. was very communicative with his defense .. the key factor in the Slovak win .. a deserving winner of the 'Player of the game' honors against Germany .. repeated his showing also in the second game against Switzerland .. made important saves throughout the whole game .. showed a solid glove hand with two difficult glove saves .. relied on his quickness and athleticism .. occasionally challenged the shooter .. none of the three goals he allowed was really his fault .. allowed four goals in the third game against USA, but still played a solid game .. showed an ability to not allow rebounds off the initial shots .. made once strong glove save .. made up for his size deficiency with his quickness .. earned the tournament's 'Top goaltender' award for his good performances .. severe lack of size hurts his pro potential, though.

Scouting: smallish in stature .. plays more of a butterfly style .. a quick skater with a fast movement in the crease .. quick side-to-side movement .. adequate lateral movement .. quick to recover after dropping to a butterfly .. doesn't cover lots of the net with his size .. goes down early and relies on his solid quickness and athleticism to make unorthodox saves .. should learn how to stay up for an extra moment to cover the upper shelf more effectively .. solid leg quickness .. challenges the shooter .. above-average dexterity .. tough to beat on the initial shot, but lets the odd goal in through his five-hole .. could upgrade on his handling of rebounds .. solid reflexes .. tends to be speculative and wild at times .. should further work on his fundamentals .. decent anticipation of the developing plays .. very communicative with his defensemen .. solid fast glove hand .. willing to go behind the net to move the puck and is capable even of long outlet passes .. still needs to show progress on his stickhandling.

Milan Balis (2006), D

Notes: an alternate captain .. one of the very few Slovak defenseman who could support the offense on a regular basis in the tournament opener against Germany .. delivered accurate passes but was hesitant to take a chance on a long outlet pass .. scored the game-winning goal off an accurate snap shot from the point which went through a screen .. wasn't very physical in the first game .. registered a solid start into the second game against Switzerland with a number of one-timed passes .. regularly supported the offense but showed that he is less of an offensive factor when pressed .. wasn't as quick on his skates as usual .. didn't fire the puck very often .. served as the most prolific Slovak offensive blueliner also in the third game against USA but showed holes in his game as he needed a longer time to think about the developing plays occasionally and wasn't keeping his feet moving as fast as needed .. played an adequate game on the powerplay units .. earned the 'Top defenseman' honor for his play, but in fact wasn't a tournament standout.

Scouting: a solid skater for a player of his size .. okay agility and lateral movement .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. okay acceleration .. average first step quickness .. decent backwards speed and overall mobility .. still should improve on his top-end speed .. doesn't fall behind the plays .. decent offensive upside .. okay stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. uses both sides of the stick to make passes .. corrals the pucks adequately well .. tries to support the offense with quick passes .. capable of effective one-timed passes .. doesn't make long outlet passes very often and prefers to pass the puck to the nearby teammate .. recognizes passing lanes quickly but tends to be occasionally hesitant with the puck .. plays an adequately aggressive game on the offensive blue line .. an adequately reliable player in his own zone .. stays with his man and spots him quickly .. doesn't make glaring positional mistakes but is prone to odd little gaffes .. decent instincts and hockey sense .. willing to let his slap shot go often, but accuracy is an issue .. unleashes a quick snap shot a solid player on the special units .. plays both quarterback and pointman on the powerplay units .. plays with a decent edge .. throws okay hits .. can be effective along the boards and when clearing the crease.

Juraj Valach (2007), D

Notes: in the first game against Germany proved that he possesses okay mobility for a player of his size .. was willing to occasionally move the puck but was prone to odd mistakes .. the most frequent Slovak shooter in the first game .. his slap shots were too telegraphed in the first game .. wasn't very nasty in the first game and relied on mobility .. played a good game in the second showing against Switzerland, earning Slovak 'Player of the game' honors for his two-goal showing .. made one beautiful long outlet pass but doesn't have the offensive vision to emerge as a two-way force .. scored both of his goal off accurate snap shots into the upper shelf .. should punish the Swiss opponents more often .. stuck to a more defensive style in the third contest against USA .. struggled with passing accuracy as many of his passes missed the stick of the receiver .. threw two relatively mild hits and should make use of his impressive size tools more often, but coped with the play of the more physical opponent adequately well .. showed a solid defensive reliability in his own end .. proved that he will be a quality prospect for the 2007 draft, but areas of concern still exist.

Scouting: a decent skater for a player of his size .. could use a more explosive first step and a faster acceleration but should be okay once he gains more bulk to lower-body .. decent agility .. okay backwards skating and lateral movement .. decent balance but still needs more lower-body strength .. could use a bigger top-end speed .. a stay-at-homer .. reads the developing plays well and mostly chooses the most safe play when moving the puck .. prefers risky-low plays but tends to make fuzzy decisions with the puck when hard-pressed .. occasionally dishes out a long outlet pass but doesn't have the hockey sense and creativity to be an effective passer .. shows average stickhandling skills .. uses a long stick and can be an effective pincher but can't handle the puck smoothly when asked to do so .. willing to use his shot from the point with a solid hardness and adequate accuracy .. slap shot should be less telegraphed .. useful as a powerplay pointman using a solid variety of shots .. could use more smarts when playing on the offensive blue line .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. works adequately hard down low .. is able to throw a solid hit but isn't a steady physical presence .. bulking up is essential .. adequate at clearing the crease .. okay safe positional play .. a solid force in the defensive zone .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. shoots right.

Tomas Marcinko (2006), C

Notes: sacrificed for defensive duty in the first game against Germany .. prevented one breakaway when he returned back in time when a defenseman rushed forward .. failed to score on a breakaway of his own .. distributed nice feeds when making a pass, but wasn't a regular playmaking force and his offensive contribution was very limited .. proved that he picked up on his skating skills during the recent months and is now smoother and faster on his skates .. stuck to the same defense-first style also in the second game against Switzerland but dished out more passes in this game .. failed to drive the net hard and often ended up in the corner .. played the most offensive game of the tournament in the third contest against USA but still was sacrificed for the defensive duties on the majority of his shifts .. showed a quality defensive awareness .. fired just two wrist shots on the USA goaltender .. adept at gaining the offensive zone for his team but as usual was reluctant to drive the net hard .. took key draws .. played a diligent game on the penalty killing units .. proved a progress in his skating and his undisputable defensive prowess but should step up with more offense.

Scouting: an okay skater for a player of his size .. progressed on his acceleration and first-step quickness .. uses a more fluid stride which enables him to gain speed smoothly .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. okay agility .. decent top-end speed .. sacrifices his offensive upside for playing a defensive style with defensive maturity beyond his age .. effective at both ends of the ice when on his game .. a decent vision and hockey sense but creativity wanders .. can think smart plays just like only dump the puck .. strong at gaining offensive zone for his team .. solid puckhandling skills .. can make passes from both sides of the stick .. capable of quick takeaways and quick moves to sneak past defenders .. capable of playing the role of the powerplay quarterback .. should upgrade on his dealing with difficult passes .. uses his hard accurate slap shot, but tends to looking for a passing lane instead of firing the puck .. solid wrist shot .. should improve on his in-close finishing skills .. should be more patient once on a scoring chance .. an above-average defensive awareness .. conscientious in returning back and a good asset to the penalty killing units .. plays well in position in his own zone and stays with his man .. could dish out more hard hits along the boards .. battles traffic effectively with his size, but should drive the net harder .. often ends up in the corner instead of going straight to the goal .. should upgrade on his consistency .. takes key draws but still should improve on his faceoff ability .. a right-shooting forward.

Ivan Rohac (2006), RW

Notes: a limited factor in the opener against Germany .. won two one-on-one situations but looked too fuzzy in the offensive zone .. didn't use his linemates properly and buried the scoring chances .. floated in the defensive zone and didn't show spirit and determination .. stepped up his play during the second game against Switzerland .. played with offensive determination and quickness .. kept his feet moving and forechecked tenaciously .. didn't play afraid and showed up in traffic often .. dished out quick long passes .. prone to occasional off-shifts when playing in the defensive zone .. pulled off a decent showing in the third game against USA .. distributed accurate passes to his linemates and made up for the breakdown of Patrik Lusnak and was more of a valuable contributor as Andrej Themar was .. took Slovak 'Player of the game' honors in the third game .. battled for the loose pucks along the boards but wasn't a regular physical force .. showed that he still needs to pick up on his defensive awareness .. started the tournament on an unimpressive note but saved his rating with the upgraded performances in the two final contests.

Scouting: an above-average skater with decent explosiveness .. okay first-step quickness .. possesses a solid agility to go along with decent lower-body strength .. okay top-end speed .. shows solid puckhandling skills .. can succeed in one-on-one situations .. likes to have the puck on his stick .. can set up his linemates for scoring chances just like finish the scoring chances, but doesn't have elite vision and misses the odd passing lane .. can make a long accurate outlet pass .. prone to occasional positional mistakes which send him off the deflection lanes of the puck .. blessed with decent finishing skills .. uses primarily the wrist or snap shot .. could use a better accuracy of his shots .. boasts solid intensity and determination .. doesn't tend to take the odd shift off .. a tenacious forechecker who limits the options of the opposing defensemen .. should further develop on his average defensive awareness as his intensity in his own zone drops off .. plays a sneaky game in traffic and is willing to perform where it hurts ..is willing to use his body and is a solid hitter .. digs for the pucks in the corners .. prone to odd dumb fouls.

Other Players

Martin Dulak (2007), D

Notes: played a conservative defensive showing in the first game against Germany .. focused on returning back quickly and making a safe play .. was prone to the odd positional mistake .. showed upgraded acceleration and a smoother stride .. lacked creativity .. repeated his unspectacular defensive showing also in the second game against Switzerland .. played a solid game on the penalty killing units and showed positional prowess .. should sweep the crease with a bigger determination .. proved that he isn't very effective on the offensive blue line as he got most of his shooting attempts easily blocked .. lacked quality offensive support and stuck to the stay-at-home style .. registered his best showing on the tournament in the third game against USA .. made use of his solid straightaway speed .. played a belligerent style along the boards and hit the USA players often .. was reliable in the defensive zone and didn't suffer from many positional breakdowns .. made one dirty foul on the opponent's knee .. limited on the offensive side as he dumped the puck too quickly and failed to support the attack .. the tournament indicated that his progress takes an upward path, but his upside is only as a defensive defenseman.

Scouting: an okay skater with a shorter stride .. progressed on his stride effectiveness .. okay acceleration and first-step quickness .. solid balance and lower-body strength .. decent top-end speed still could be upgraded .. adequate agility and backwards skating .. plays more of a stay-at-home style .. a reliable player in one-on-one situations .. plays a safe positional game when performing on the penalty killing units but occasionally loses position when playing five-on-five .. spots his man quickly and stays with him .. works hard down low and wins battles in the trenches with his strength .. very limited offensive upside .. tends to be too overwhelmed when having to make a quick decision with the puck .. dumps the puck quickly under pressure .. average passing accuracy .. needs to upgrade on the timing and accuracy of his passes .. should handle the puck smoother and upgrade on his backhand passing .. doesn't have the needed vision to be an effective powerplay quarterback .. tends to loose possession of the zone for his team as a result of inappropriate reaction on the play of the opposing penalty killing unit .. shot from the point is adequately accurate .. fires a hard snap shot .. tends to be too precipitous with his shot thus often hitting an opposing player with the shot .. a safe penalty-killer who reacts to the opposing plays adequately well .. a decent crease-clearer .. willing to drop the gloves .. a late '88 born defenseman.

Marek Zukal (2006), D

Notes: got a lion's portion of playing time on the first defensive pairing .. served as the two-way blueliner to the defensive-minded Juraj Mikus .. his first step isn't at a good level, but tried hard not to be outskated .. occasionally caught flat-footed especially against the first German line .. confident enough to make long outlet passes but some of them missed the stick of the receiver .. spoiled his tournament showing with a sub-par performance in the second game against Switzerland .. looked fuzzy and overwhelmed when asked to generate offense and failed to become a factor in his own end as well .. needed a long time to spot his man .. virtually a non-factor on the powerplay units with inaccurate passes .. prone to fouls .. didn't pick up on his play in the third contest against USA and faded for the vast majority of his shifts .. didn't find a way how to be effective when supporting the offense and looked overwhelmed in the defensive zone when the opposing forwards cycled the puck .. prone to occasional positional mistakes and takeaways .. clearly lost one one-on-one situation .. registered a disappointing showing.

Scouting: possesses decent skating skills for a player of his size .. first-step quickness is an area of concern .. an adequately fluid stride will enable him to pick up on his skating .. possesses a solid lateral movement .. okay lower-body strength .. possesses decent agility .. should improve on his top-end speed .. capable of playing a two-way game .. lacks creativity to be effective on his rushes .. prone to fuzzy decisions which hurt his team .. possesses decent stickhandling skills for a defenseman but can't cover the puck with his body effectively which leads to giveaways .. corrals the puck by using both the forehand and backhand side of the stick .. can use his stick well when pinching the pucks off the opponent .. average powerplay quarterback .. lacks offensive creativity .. can't control the play of the powerplay unit from the point .. slap shot lacks accuracy .. didn't show any determination to hold the offensive blue line in an aggressive way .. gives up on a number of chances where he would gain possession of the loose puck if he would show a bigger courage .. tends to think about offense too much and doesn't return back in time which leads to penalties .. an average factor in one-on-one situations .. tends to be flat-footed in the neutral zone .. lacks aggressiveness and hardly makes use of his size .. should sweep the crease with a bigger determination .. shoots right.

Patrik Bakos (2006), D

Notes: played a very unspectacular game on the fourth line in the opener against Germany .. didn't get much playing time .. played a conservative defensive game and showed that he still needs to pick up on his acceleration and mobility in general .. was falling back behind quick plays .. seriously lacked playing time in the second game against Switzerland .. usually played just two or three shifts in each period and was benched midway through the third period .. stuck to a defensive style .. didn't rush the puck .. didn't make any mistakes and wasn't burned by speed but didn't get the chance to prove himself and possibly reveal the downsides .. received the biggest ice time in the tournament in the third game against USA .. was aware of his limits and focused on playing a stay-at-home style .. was too soft and didn't show any willingness to make use of his impressive size .. occasionally fuzzy when spotting his man .. played a team-orientated style and sacrificed his body to block the shots .. slower reactions on the opposing plays hurt his effectiveness .. didn't show noticeable pro potential past his size.

Scouting: a decent skater for a player of his size .. adequate lateral movement and agility .. decent acceleration and first step quickness, even if his skating still needs further polishing .. solid balance .. should improve on his backwards skating .. tends to stay back in his own end not to be outskated on the transitional play .. average positional play and reading of opponent's plays .. unimpressive puckhandling skills .. needs to develop softer hands .. tends to slow down once gaining possession of the puck .. focuses on playing a risky-low style .. limited passing skills .. doesn't support the offense a lot, dishing off the puck rather than looking for a passing lane instead .. should fire his adequately accurate shot from the point more often and upgrade on the pep .. aware of his downsides and tries to play a style which suits him the most without trying to impress with offensive upside .. slower reactions hurt him on fast-paced shifts .. takes his man out of the play and stays with him but is occasionally fuzzy in spotting his man .. still prone to boneheaded mistakes .. should punish the opposing players more often .. average crease-clearer .. solid reach and wingspan .. plays a diligent game but doesn't make use of his massive frame .. sacrifices his body to block the shots .. will need patience in his development.

Juraj Mikus (2007), D

Notes: played his first international game this season against Germany on the first line .. stuck to a defensive role .. revealed existing holes in his first-step quickness and hockey sense .. played an adequate game on powerplay units .. played as a 'friendly giant' against the Germans .. repeated his showing also in the second game against Switzerland .. his slower thinking of developing plays was exposed in this game .. didn't make glaring mistakes with the puck and focused on choosing the obvious passing lane .. should make a bigger advantage of his above-average size tools .. a limited factor on the powerplay units .. had to compensate for several lapses of his defensive partner Marek Zukal .. played a disappointing game in the third contest against USA .. tried to add an offensive side to his play but didn't succeed .. prone to erratic passes and blocked shots when firing the puck from the point .. played a diligent style but lack of hockey sense limited his effectiveness .. refused to use his size and used his stick instead of his body .. showed that he still has a long way to go to a legitimate NHL prospect.

Scouting: an average skater .. possesses an adequate acceleration but only average first-step quickness .. could upgrade on his turns and lateral movement .. average agility .. okay lower-body strength and balance .. should upgrade on top-end speed .. should keep his feet moving .. a defensive-minded blueliner .. possesses adequate stickhandling skills .. uses a long stick to make pinches .. hands aren't soft enough to make quick dekes when occasionally moving the puck out of his own end .. can corral the pucks adequately well .. possesses impressive size tools but should become more of a diligent combatant along the boards and in front of the crease .. doesn't make his body to his advantage and should hit more often .. plays a reliable style, but is hampered by slower thinking of developing plays .. shows a limited offensive upside thanks to an average offensive vision .. prone to naive mistakes when passing the puck on a long distance .. tends to pass the puck to a nearby teammate .. adequate positionally .. unleashes a decent slap shot with okay accuracy but should improve on hardness in order to get his shots through .. slap shot is too telegraphed .. useful as a powerplay pointman .. doesn't have the needed vision to quarterback powerplays effectively .. a decent force on the penalty killing units .. should sweep the crease with a bigger determination .. a late '88 born defenseman.

Julius Sinkovic (2006), RW

Notes: a non-factor for most of the tournament opener against Germany .. failed to score on a penalty shot as his wrister went above the crossbar .. didn't battle traffic on a regular basis .. didn't show up in the offensive zone and wasn't a factor when playing off the puck .. looked lost on his shifts also in the second game against Switzerland .. didn't generate any valuable offense and floated on the periphery regularly .. didn't pay serious attention to defense and didn't find a way how to be effective with his play .. didn't show a visible effort to gain possession of the loose pucks .. did nothing to get a better tournament rating also in the third contest against USA .. floated on the periphery and failed to generate quality offense .. didn't battle himself into the final position to shoot .. returned back to help out the defense more often than in the previous two games but clearly indicated that he lacks a quality defensive awareness .. hurt his draft stock with this sub-par tournament showing.

Scouting: a solid skater with a good acceleration and agility .. okay first-step quickness and footspeed .. still should upgrade on his top-end speed should make a better use of his quickness .. average lower-body strength and balance .. crafty puckhandler with an above-average hand-eye coordination .. can shoot the puck well .. utilizes on his good accurate wrist shot with a sharp release .. fast snap shot .. a solid player in one-on-one situations .. a cool head once on a scoring chance .. solid sniper instincts .. shows considerable problems with battling himself into the scoring chances .. tends to take regular off-shifts .. useful as a defenseman on the powerplay units .. tends to misread the plays on the powerplay units .. reluctant to play through pain .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent .. doesn't play a physically intimidating style even if he doesn't play afraid .. isn't a feared force in heavy traffic thanks to his smallish frame .. shows a tendency to use his stick instead of his body .. his speed enables him to return to his own zone in time, but needs to play in position better .. raw at limiting the options of the opponent and prone to occasional floating .. should play a better positional game in the defensive zone.

Erik Caladi (2006), LW

Notes: the Slovak captain was largely invisible for most of the tournament opener against Germany .. wasn't effective in his two-way role as he lacked both offensive effort and defensive awareness .. didn't make use of his quick acceleration to sneak past the German defense .. invisible during the second game against Switzerland .. broke down along with both of his other linemates Sinkovic and Rehus .. wasn't effective at either generating offense or playing conscientiously on defense .. floated on the periphery and didn't show any spirit or effort .. didn't step up with his play when the team needed it .. registered the only noticeable moment in the third game against USA when he fired an accurate wrist shot on the USA goaltender but was hidden on the vast majority of his other shifts .. took off-shifts and needed a long time to spot his man when performing in the defensive zone .. physical play was a regular issue in the game .. didn't impress with any assets .. a large disappointment on the tournament.

Scouting: a decent skater for a big man .. shows okay agility and solid first-step quickness .. could use a better top-end speed .. can execute without having to slow down significantly .. doesn't make a good use of his decent quickness and should hide his intentions better .. adequate stickhandling skills but should be capable of a bigger number of elusive moves to sneak past the opposing defensemen .. a decent passer with accurate feeds, but should be more aware of his linemates .. average smarts .. tends to play with his head down .. decent in-close finishing skills .. uses his primarily his quick hard wrist shot .. hard slap shot lacks accuracy .. can make okay use of his size, but should play gritty on a more regular basis .. tough to get moved when he decides to perform in front of the opposing net .. very inconsistent in his traffic awareness .. a decent forechecker .. willing to return back to help out the defense, but is raw in his defensive awareness .. takes regular off-shifts .. a complete non-factor when off his game .. should spot his man faster and block the opposing passing lanes more conscientiously.

Rastislav Konecny (2006), LW

Notes: showed that traffic play is a serious issue with him in the tournament opener against Germany .. was afraid of performing in the corners .. impressed only with the odd sharp turn or a quick stick move but wasn't effective with his play .. the Germans could neutralize him well .. didn't pick up on his play in the second showing against Switzerland .. showed his usual moves but would be more effective if he would be willing to perform where it hurts .. wasn't very effective when finishing the scoring chances .. scored one goal off a quick backhand deke but didn't stand out with any asset of his play .. lacked regular defensive awareness .. registered his worst showing on the tournament with a sub-par play against USA .. didn't show his sharp moves and didn't drive the net hard .. hardly involved in any traffic battles .. would be more effective if he would shoot the puck more often .. reacted angrily on his linemates when they didn't make a pin-point pass on his stick .. was inconsistent on his shifts and didn't show an outstanding asset .. one of the better Slovak forwards not due to a quality play, but due to the overall lack of talent among the Slovak forward corps.

Scouting: blessed with decent skating skills .. uses a long stride .. adequate agility .. should make sharper curves .. solid lower-body strength and balance .. decent first-step quickness .. decent top-end speed .. solid stickhandler, but should further upgrade on his dealing with difficult passes .. can be sneaky with the puck in traffic but isn't a top-notch dangler .. can bring the opposing defensemen out of position with a quick move but doesn't succeed often when asked to maneuver in tight spaces .. can use the backhand side of his stick well when unleashing a shot .. adequate playmaking ability .. makes quick passes but should avoid risky decisions with the puck .. fires a hard accurate slap shot .. adequate in one-on-one situations, but still could use a better prowess in this asset .. okay in-close finishing skills .. willing to forecheck .. returns back to his own end to help out the defense .. still raw in his defensive positioning .. doesn't play afraid, but given his size should crash the net with a bigger authority and determination .. a lesser factor in traffic .. tends to be hesitant to use his size and occasionally avoids the physical contact .. tends to float on his shifts when the game gets more physical .. should be more meaner along the boards .. reacts angrily at his linemates when they miss his stick with a pass .. shoots right.

Patrik Lusnak (2007), RW

Notes: added some spirit to the fourth Slovak line but wasn't a strong factor on a regular basis .. was too predictable for the German defensemen who could control his moves .. wasn't a strong factor in the opposing slot .. proved that he can accelerate well but was hesitant to perform along the boards .. took an off-game in the second contest against Switzerland and was overshadowed by both of his linemates Themar and Rohac .. didn't take advantage of his quickness and failed to keep his feet moving .. looked lost when asked to create in the offensive zone .. didn't initiate physical contact and avoided tight traffic areas .. battled inconsistency on his shifts during the third game against USA .. prone to occasional 'blind' passes which missed the stick of the receiver .. overshadowed by his linemate Andrej Themar in this game .. showed only the odd sharp move but was floating on the majority of his shifts .. didn't show a significant willingness to get involved in the traffic areas .. was asked to emerge as one of the Slovak offensive leaders but failed to meet the expectations.

Scouting: possesses slick skating skills .. blessed with a strong footspeed and acceleration .. above-average agility and speed .. can outskate the defenders, but could use a better balance on his skates as he tends to get knocked off balance by bigger opponents .. can bring opponents out of position with his flashy moves .. good skill set .. crafty puckhandler with a solid hand-eye coordination .. succeeds in one-on-one situations thanks to his elusive stick moves .. likes to carry the puck into the offensive zone and then pass it to a linemate .. okay passing skills on a short distance .. occasionally dishes out a long pass but limited hockey sense hurts his effectiveness .. should develop a better awareness of his linemates .. occasionally willing to shoot the puck, using primarily his wrist shot .. his slap shot needs to be fired more harder .. snap shot with average accuracy .. isn't very effective in traffic thanks to his size deficiency .. doesn't play soft and visits the slot, but shows trouble when dealing with bigger opponents .. needs to improve on his defensive play .. doesn't seem overly inspired in his own end and marks his man slowly .. prone to taking off-shifts .. a late '88 born forward.

Branislav Rehus (2007), C

Notes: an alternate captain .. the top Slovak offensive performer in the opener against Germany despite still feeling pains from a recent back injury .. scored the first goal off an accurate wrist shot into the upper shelf .. played a hit-and-pass style with energy along the boards and a solid awareness of his linemates .. became a lesser factor as the game went on especially in the third period .. was far away from his solid showing in the first game during the second outing against Switzerland .. hampered by inconsistency on his shifts .. failed to generate valuable offense and didn't battle himself into the final position to shoot .. didn't show his usual belligerent effort along the boards .. was only so-so in the defensive zone .. didn't repeat the solid showing from the first game and faded for the majority of his shifts during the third game against USA .. dished out only a handful of accurate passes and failed to become a regular playmaking force .. unusually soft in this game .. returned back to his own end but was nowhere the defensive prowess of Tomas Marcinko .. hesitant to fire the puck .. started the tournament on a promising note but registered a cold finish.

Scouting: a decent skater .. uses a short quick stride .. okay agility .. adequate first-step quickness .. could use further upgrading on his explosiveness and top-end speed .. progressed on his decent balance and lower-body strength .. a solid stickhandler who uses both sides of the stick blade .. capable of a surprising move .. above-average passing accuracy .. could deal with difficult passes more effortlessly .. decent hand-eye coordination .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic .. okay patience with the puck .. decent vision and hockey sense .. an useful player on the powerplay units as the set-up man from the corner .. adequate in-close finishing skills .. fires a hard accurate snap shot .. slap shot of adequate accuracy could be upgraded in terms of hardness .. willing to return to defense quickly .. is still raw in his defensive awareness despite the obvious effort .. should mark his man more quickly .. decent defensive positioning .. can be sneaky in traffic .. doesn't shy away from traffic and is willing to get dirty when the play gets physical .. regularly performs in traffic .. capable of laying hard hits on the opponents but still should get stronger .. willing to play through pain .. a late '88 born forward.

Marko Hucko (2007), LW

Notes: tried hard to impress in the opening game against Germany .. played a spirited style with lots of skating and agility but should be more effective with his propulsion .. the knock against him was the tendency to slow down in puck-possession .. was hesitant to shoot the puck and didn't battle traffic on a regular basis .. revealed a lack of hockey sense during the second game against Switzerland .. looked stiff when asked to corral a difficult pass and didn't generate quality offense once gaining possession .. switched to a dump-and-chase style .. occasionally stuck his nose into traffic but wasn't a noticeable factor in tight space .. registered only an average performance in the third contest against USA .. didn't separate himself from his struggling linemates and was easy to keep under control for the USA defensemen .. dumped the puck instead of creating offense on many shifts .. didn't show noticeable pro potential with his unimpressive play on the tournament.

Scouting: a decent skater who uses a short stride .. okay acceleration and first-step quickness .. adequate agility .. top-end speed still could be upgraded .. average balance and lower-body strength .. tends to slow down once gaining possession of the puck .. should upgrade on the smoothness of his stickhandling skills .. unimpressive with the puck in heavy traffic .. needs to corral difficult passes more smoothly .. more of a playmaker than sniper .. limited hockey sense hurts his effectiveness .. wrist shot with a quick release .. can one-time passes by using his fast snap shot .. displays trouble with penetrating to the scoring chances .. willing to play dump-and-chase .. should use his slap shot to a bigger extent .. isn't a noticeable force in heavy traffic thanks to his skinny frame .. a decent forechecker .. tends to take odd shifts off .. willing to return back but should upgrade on his defensive awareness and mark his man faster .. an average asset to the penalty killing units .. needs to work on his defensive positioning .. bulking up and improving on conditioning is essential .. a late '88 born forward.

Matej Cesik (2006), C

Notes: impulsiveness hurt his showing in the opener against Germany .. could bring some slower German defensemen out of position but looked overwhelmed in the offensive zone and was too impatient with the puck to be effective .. was willing to shoot and pass, but lacked a strong offensive prowess .. was precipitous during the second game against Switzerland .. took off-shifts and was knocked off his feet by the bigger opponents .. showed his decent acceleration but failed to read the unfolding plays properly which limited his effectiveness .. hampered by a lack of chemistry within his line .. a non-factor during the third game against USA .. occasionally broke up the passes of the opponent but was completely overwhelmed when asked to show up in the defensive zone .. occasionally battled along the boards but got outpowered by the stronger opponents regularly .. showed that he isn't a player who would be a valuable contributor on the international level.

Scouting: a decent skater but a player of his size still could use better wheels .. uses a short stride .. okay agility and footspeed .. adequate first-step quickness and acceleration .. decent top-end speed .. average balance on his skates .. a decent stickhandler .. eager to gain possession of the puck .. can deal with difficult passes adequately well .. uses both sides of the stick but doesn't make accurate passes on the backhand side .. could make better puck moves when pressed in heavy traffic and be a better force in one-on-one situations .. is precipitous once on a scoring chance which hurts his effectiveness .. doesn't stand out with his smarts .. should be more creative when performing on powerplay units .. slap shot of adequate accuracy could be upgraded in terms of hardness .. willing to return to the defensive zone, but is still raw in his defensive awareness .. doesn't shy away from traffic, but isn't a player who would thrive under the physical style .. gets pushed around by bigger opponents .. doesn't lay many hits on the opponents .. needs to get stronger .. should crash the net with a bigger determination .. should bulk up so that he can't be pushed out of scoring lanes so easily .. prone to taking off-shifts.

Andrej Themar (2006), LW

Notes: was asked to complement the shifty Patrik Lusnak on the fourth line and create a spirited duo, but was hardly effective in the opener against Germany .. made use of his speed only on one shift where he sneaked past the defense .. floated in the defensive zone and didn't show spirit and determination .. stepped up his play during the second game against Switzerland .. played with spirit and quickness .. kept his feet moving and brought the Swiss defensemen out of position with his moves .. didn't play afraid .. made one beautiful play on the powerplay to set up a very good scoring chance but odds are it wasn't on purpose .. fired one-timed shots .. pulled off a spirited performance in the third game against USA .. kept his feet moving and tried to sneak through the opposing defense .. dished out accurate passes to his linemates .. approached the opposing defensemen quickly to limit their options when making an outlet pass .. performed where it hurts but was inconsistent in his traffic awareness .. turned out to be a pleasant surprise of the tournament but his pro potential remains limited.

Scouting: possesses okay skating skills .. above-average acceleration enables him to gain the extra inch .. possesses a solid footspeed and agility but should use his propulsion in a more effective way when attacking .. limits the option of the opposing defensemen when passing with his quickness .. still needs to pick up on balance and add more lower-body strength to his smallish frame .. should be more willing to challenge opponents in one-on-one .. dishes out quick hard passes on a short distance .. less prone to selfish plays with the puck .. occasionally precipitous with the puck .. should consider firing the pucks more often .. one-timed snap shots are his most dangerous offensive weapon .. should make bigger use of his quick accurate wrist shot .. slap shot should be harder .. okay in-close finishing skills .. willing to forecheck .. a decent factor on the powerplay units .. very limited in defensive awareness .. needs a long time to spot his man .. should improve on his defensive positioning .. isn't soft and occasionally performs along the boards .. sticks his nose into traffic areas but should hit the opposing players more often .. drives the net adequately hard .. occasionally left the dirty work up to his linemates .. possesses only an average attitude and work ethic.