USA Hockey: Top 1992 New England Prospects Part 2

McKeen's correspondent Vincent Montalbano has notes on the top 1992-born defensemen from New England. These players all have Division I talent and some could be considered on a short list of potential 2010 NHL Draft lists. Top goaltender Brian Billett is also listed.

Top Defensemen

Brandon Russo (2010) D, Salisbury

1992 DOB .. lacks size (5-8, 170) .. very strong skater forwards and backwards .. moves the puck very well and can skate the puck if needed .. poised .. very offensive and excellent offensive instincts and ability .. good pinch-in .. solid on the PK/ PP .. strong shot from the point and hits the net .. has a tendency to get caught up ice but gets back faster .. showed good mobility .. likes the puck on his stick but it can lead to some turnovers .. very vocal on the ice and his leadership qualities shine on the ice .. has a strong shot and good hands .. he can battle in the corners .. looks to be another gem from Salisbury .. invited to the NTDP U-17 tryout .. excellent prospect .. so dominant with the puck and so much poise .. controls the puck and pace of the play .. makes smart decisions with the puck .. strong shot .. smart defenseman .. had 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists).

Mike Reardon (2010) D, Nobles

1992 DOB (May) .. size (6-0, 170) .. extremely high potential and seems to get better every time I see him .. has a strong shot and is very offensive .. plays tough down low in the corners .. got some PP time, but a few games, he did not receive the playing time I expected .. still needs to get stronger .. moves the puck well .. one of his best assets is his puck skating ability .. likes to move the puck and jump into the offense .. invited to try-out for the NTDP U-17 team .. more notes to come from the Jr. Chowder Cup .. had eight assists during the prep season and expect him to make a big jump in terms of offensive output next year.

Derek Henderson (2010) D, Tabor Academy

1992 DOB (June) .. size (6-0, 185) .. tough, hard-nosed defenseman .. needs more poise with the puck, especially in offensive zone .. had a bad pinch that almost cost his team a goal against .. moves the puck well in the defensive zone and displayed solid outlet passes .. physical in the corners .. solid 1-on-1 .. has a long stride and overall a good skater .. at times, he can be overly aggressive .. had eight assists during the season .. overall, he needs to learn to play a simple game and embrace the role as a tough, stay-at-home defenseman.

Danny Federico (2010) D, Jr. Bruins (Empire)

1992 DOB (June) .. size (6-0, 185) .. solid, consistent and strong all-around game .. good step-up on 1-on-1 situations .. poise at the point .. as steady as they come in terms of simple defensive plays .. can go unnoticed because he does not do much to standout .. showed good anticipation in the neutral zone picking off passes .. strong shot that he keeps low and on net - always on net and never the big wind-up .. crisp outlet passes that are tape-to-tape .. vocal .. good upper strength .. defensively, he has good positioning and is smart, while offensively, he has a good shot, but does not seem like the player who will put up huge points .. overall, not many holes in his game and he is the type of player you put out on the ice when you are protecting a lead and even when you need a goal and need someone to get the puck up ice .. in 43 games he had 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists).

Jonathan Mleczko (2010) F/D, Milton Academy

1992 DOB (Apr) .. decent size (5-10, 165) .. Mleczko has recently been moved to defense and has been drawing rave reviews, especially at the recent select festival .. previous notes are from him playing forward .. inside the offensive zone with the puck, he is smart and moves the puck well but his play away from the puck is questionable .. he needs to get stronger, as he easily gets bumped off the puck .. has very good poise and moves with the puck .. showed very good speed with the puck and has a very good stride .. has very good vision … likes to go wide then cut back and fire a shot low .. willing to go to the net and bang away at rebounds .. on defense, he is very offensive and extremely quick to get up ice with the puck .. more notes to follow from the Jr. Chowder Cup, but he may have found his calling on defense .. had 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists).

Thomas Shannon (2010) D, Eaglebrook Prep

1992 DOB .. decent size (5-11, 160) .. at the Eaglebrook tournament, he was one of the three top players .. skates the puck well .. has a decent shot from the point that he keeps low for tips and rebounds .. solid at the point in keeping the puck in .. needs to improve on moving the puck quicker in the neutral zone .. at the tournament, the level of play seems to allow him to do things that may cause bad habits at a higher level, like not moving the puck quicker, but look forward to continuing to watch his progress.

Mike Novella (2010) D, Jr. Wolfpack (Atlantic Junior Hockey League)

1992 DOB … decent size (5-11, 190) .. a bit of a man-child, as he has a strong build and physically looks stronger than a lot of players his age .. tough defensively and physical in front and in the corners .. has decent offensive ability along with a decent shot .. solid one-timer .. vocal in the defensive zone .. needs to work on his defensive positioning, as he runs around a bit .. moves the puck well with strong passes .. overall, he is solid, but needs some work to round out his game .. played 40 games for Jr. Wolfpack and had six points (1 goal, 5 assists).

Ben Kaplan (2010) D, Green Mountain Glades (Empire)

1992 DOB (Jan) .. decent size (5-11, 160) .. very aggressive in joining the rush and moving in from the point in the offensive zone .. strong skater with speed that allows him to join the rush and get back on defense if needed .. possesses a nice shot from the point .. one concern is how he thinks the game and the risks he takes in the offensive zone – would like to see him pick better times when to move in from the point and when not to .. his defensive zone coverage is decent and may need to work on his positioning a bit, as he gets caught watching the puck while in front .. overall, his offensive upside makes him an intriguing prospect .. played 19 games for the Green Mt. Glades Empire team and had four points (1 goal, 3 assists).

Reed Kennedy (2010) D, Eaglebrook Prep

1992 DOB .. good size (6-0, 175) .. at the Eaglebrook tournament, he was one of the top ten players .. participated in the hardest shot competition and registered 72/ 72/ 73 mph .. he plays a solid and consistent game from the backend .. never really asserts himself offensively, except for a strong shot from the point .. even when his team was running up the score on Mill City, Kennedy continued to play strong in his own end and continued to push the puck up ice, instead of trying to take it himself .. strong in the corners and good positioning in the defensive zone .. captain of the Eaglebrook team and plays within himself and a player you put on the ice when protecting a lead.

Top Goalie

Brian Billett (2010) G, North Yarmouth Academy

1992 DOB (Mar) .. good size (6-1, 171) .. only have seen him in tournament action .. looks solid down low and has quick reflexes but at one tournament, he was not challenged enough .. plays at the top of his crease .. at another tournament, he had one goal-against on nine shots .. at times, he scrambles a bit after the first shot .. strong post-to-post .. needs work on handling the puck and getting out of the net quicker to play the puck .. will be playing for the NH Monarchs (Empire) team next year and will monitor his progress during the season.