UMHSEL Report: Team Northeast

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey enters notes on top prospects from Team Northeast eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and one of Minnesota's top young goaltenders eligible for the 2012 Draft.

Max Birkinbine (2011), RW, White Bear Lake/Team Northeast

One of Team Northeast's top generators of offense .. possesses decent speed with the puck and displays some nice speed bursts .. makes smooth passes on the attack .. able to fire hard, crisp passes off the boards .. has a decent wristshot .. slapshot is smooth and hard .. does a good job of maintaining possession of the puck along the boards .. able to shield the puck down low with his quick hands and swivels .. strong on the puck and often emerges with the puck off the half boards or out of the corners .. does a good job of cycling the puck and filling holes .. adequate size at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds .. selected to Minnesota Red for the Elite League National Invitational Tournament .. plays Minnesota high school hockey for White Bear Lake and is a senior .. scored 22 goals and 15 assists in 27 games in 2009-10 .. selected to skate at the 2009 USNTDP Evaluation Camp .. no college commitment of yet.

Ben Bahe (2011), LW, Hill-Murray/Team Northeast

Team Northeast's top playmaker .. has good cruising speed with the puck .. able to build considerable speed without the puck and displays nice speed bursts .. makes smooth turns and gets down fairly low .. possesses a fluid stride .. able to make tight cuts to stick with opponents on the forecheck .. uses his speed and agility on the forecheck to stifle the opponent's breakout and create turnovers .. fairly stout 185 pounds and just under 5-foot-10 and thrusts up into his checks .. displays good offensive vision .. is patient with the puck and can assess his options and spot open teammates in his periphery .. displays some playmaking prowess off the half boards and out of the corners .. able to drag the puck around opponents .. also able to make nice spin moves .. selected to Minnesota White for the Elite League NIT .. plays Minnesota high school hockey for Hill-Murray and is a senior .. in 2009-10 scored 15 goals and 23 assists in 31 games .. selected to the 2009 U.S. Under-17 Select Team and played for Team USA at the 2009 Five Nations Tournament in Germany .. no college commitment of yet.

J.D. Cotroneo (2011), D, Hill-Murray/Team Northeast

One of the more impressive all-around defensemen in the Elite League .. smooth skater with good all-compass mobility .. maintains a wide base backwards and eliminates crossovers .. steps up on opponents at or near the blueline .. engages physically and can thrust into opponents .. makes hard, crisp passes .. has decent cruising speed with the puck .. displays good speed joining the attack .. possesses a hard wristshot .. able to drag the puck around opponents with quick lateral stickhandling moves .. adequate size at 6-foot-0, 195 pounds .. plays Minnesota high school hockey for Hill-Murray and is a senior .. despite skating and offensive tools, doesn't have a history of putting up impressive offensive numbers at the high school ranks .. selected to skate at the 2009 USNTDP Evaluation Camp .. no college commitment of yet.

Neal Goff (2011), D, Stillwater/Team Northeast

Big defenseman shows some raw talent .. lanky at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds .. able to build decent speed with the puck .. displays good stride extension from time to time, but his stride isn't very fluid .. .. stride is also a bit lacking in power .. passing game needs honing .. capable of firing crisp, accurate passes, but too many of his passes are off target or to no one in particular .. decent one-touch passer .. has a decent wristshot from the point and does a good job of keeping it low .. also sports a decent slapshot .. started showing more poise with the puck at the point toward late October .. upright accelerating backward and thus does not generate much power or speed .. also upright backward out of acceleration and relies on crossovers too much .. upright in his pivots from backward to forward .. plays with some physicality, but upright skating stride (particularly without the puck) takes him out of a power position to be maximally effective .. utilizes leg drags well .. a prospect of some intrigue because of his size and the player he could become with additional lower body strength .. if born a day later, he'd be eligible for the 2012 Draft .. plays high school hockey for Stillwater and is a junior .. no college commitment of yet.

Blake Cates (2012), G, Stillwater/Team Northeast

One of the top Minnesota-born goaltenders eligible for the 2012 Draft .. maintains a compact butterfly and eliminates rebounds to his chest protector .. able to go down and up quickly .. able to get up two pads at a time .. resets quickly .. fairly strong pushoffs and can load up mid-slide, but isn't real quick across his crease with his pad slides .. good extension on his kick saves .. tracks the puck well on the opponent's stick and off of rebounds .. typically plays a composed game in net .. maintains his calm on point-blank shots and dangerous shots .. rebound control off of pads is inconsistent .. decent rebound control in some viewings, but put a lot out front in others .. makes crisp glove saves .. does a good job of keeping his glove up when going down into the butterfly .. directs blocker saves into the corners .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds .. plays Minnesota high school hockey for Stillwater and is a junior .. invited to 2010 Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp in May .. no college commitment of yet.