USA Hockey: Jr. Sharks in Draft Waters

Every year there is a diamond in the rough that NHL teams discover in a developmental league that doesn't match the prestige of playing in the CHL or NCAA. This year San Jose Jr. Sharks' defenseman Daniel Senkbeil could be that player. McKeen's director of scouting Max Giese recently took in a handful of Jr. Sharks games and files notes on Senkbeil and teammate Ben Paulides.

Daniel Senkbeil (2009), D, San Jose Jr. Sharks

A diamond in the rough waiting to be a home run for any team that selects him, Senkbeil is a raw and gangly defenseman with enormous potential .. type of defenseman that can go end-to-end with the puck or make two opponents miss before stretching the ice with a brilliant pass .. lively and rangy skater that will see his mobility blossom beautifully once he physically matures .. moves fluently in all-directions with clean pivots and can speedily accelerate past multiple waves of opponents while carrying the puck .. boasts rangy puck skills and a strong stick that enables him to softly maneuver the puck around legs and sticks .. owns a big slapshot that he unleashes with a quick and full wind-up .. needs to activate himself more while without the puck on the point and pinch into the open seams .. displays quick vision and he makes a great first pass .. his terrific poise allows him to make plays with the puck under pressure .. uses an enormous stick, which magnifies his elongated reach .. looks like a 2-D cartoon character and needs to fill out badly .. tends to push the offense too much, but head coach Tony Zasowski is encouraging him to do so because he's their top offensive threat .. coachable and is receptive to instruction after every shift .. off the ice, he's your typical laid back, Californian kid but on the ice he's a competitive game changer.

Ben Paulides (2009), D, San Jose Jr. Sharks

Character player that had his best game of the weekend in which he scored a crucial goal and assisted on the game-winner, despite suffering from an upper body injury .. even more impressive was the toughness and passion for the game he showed by continuing to play a brash, physical game .. strong skater with textbook skating form, although he still can be beaten by speed in transition at times .. not as dynamic as Senkbeil in terms of offensive upside and at times struggles to see the ice, but he does occasionally show you a flash by scoring a big goal or executing a multi-zone pass .. defensively, he maintains tight gaps and physically strands his ground while doing a nice job clearing his crease ..while Senkbeil is thin as a rail, Paulides is already a thick 210 pounds and has the character, passion, and toughness that NHL teams covet on draft day.