USA: Leftover Notes

Future Minnesota rearguard Derek Peltier is a wildcard for the 2004 draft - we have in-depth notes on him and select other US-based players.

Derek Peltier (2004), D

An interesting potential mid-round pick .. a calming influence defensively and with the puck .. does not stand out with any kind of gusto; just a very solid but unspectacular player .. quietly plays a mistake-free game .. very thorough and does the little things well .. an above-average skater with good quickness .. has a surprisingly strong shot from the point with a snappy release .. very smart with the puck; has good head on his shoulders which is seen through his efficient, low-maintenance movement of the puck .. on the small size and that hurts his stock a little bit .. handles the puck smoothly .. very confident and exhibits excellent poise .. moves his feet very well .. a strong positional player .. will play for the University of Minnesota next season.

Mike Bartlett (2004), RW

Scrappy winger who pays the price .. sacrifices his body crashing the net and dishing out punishing hits .. solid frame .. wide skating stance and a nice balanced stride .. smooth in his turns .. very tough to knock off his skates .. fearless .. parks in front of the net .. gritty, do-anything-for-team player blocks shots, dives to make or break up plays .. agility and turns are very strong .. not a puck-control player .. creates turnovers with his strong physical skills, ability to win the board battles and can make a pass .. has good quickness in tight situations and can spin out of trouble while keeping hold of the puck .. has the skating and physical tools to be a more feared offensive weapon if he gets quicker.

Casey Borer (2004), D

His skating has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past few seasons .. now a strong, solid skater .. nice long stride and showed good speed in open ice .. balance and strength on skates are both excellent .. makes safe outlet plays .. maintains puck control intelligently, will look for short pass to a teammate rather than rimming it when in trouble .. adept at taking a hit and making a play .. physical, likes to throw his weight around, takes his checks out cleanly and efficiently .. solid hitter .. reads and times his play exceptionally well, breaking up plays, shutting down passing lanes, blocking shots and knowing when to tie up his man .. agility, mobility both strong suits .. solid frame and strength .. displays impressive poise and decision-making ability under physical forechecking pressure .. low panic threshold .. never appears to be rushed into a bad decision .. level-headed, stay-at-home mindset .. unspectacular but always gets the job done.

Matt Hunwick (2004), D

Good outlet passer .. heads-up, savvy player .. Don Sweeney-like; smaller player with good skating mechanics, can play in all game situations .. reads the game at both ends well .. just a solid, all-around defender who competes and seldom costs his team .. rarely caught out of position or making bad pinches .. strong overall skater although does not possess elite top-end speed .. rather relies on smarts, solid physical skills and quick first stride to protect and clear his zone

Jacob Dowell (2004), C

Just a solid player from stem to stern .. no stand-out weaknesses .. strong, sturdy skater with deceptive top-end gear .. uses his different paces/gears to keep checkers off-guard .. intelligent use of speed and space .. does all the little things .. strong and smart skater with quick acceleration and great presence of mind .. knows when to carry the puck and releases his passes at just the right time .. exerts excellent forechecking pressure; chooses ideal paths to force puckcarriers into desired lanes .. tight positionally .. heads-up puckcarrier .. keeps feet moving away from puck .. meshes and uses linemates superbly .. holds puck just long enough (to buy space) for wingers to sneak behind D and then threads nice soft deliveries.

Robbie Earl (2004), LW

Very light and graceful on his skates .. needs to be more aware of what his linemates are doing .. gaining better understanding of when to pass, when to shoot it in and when to carry it himself .. fearless and courageous in traffic .. likes to use his speed to beat defenders to the net in hopes of getting the final touch .. can be locked out by bigger, stronger defenders so gaining mass and upper-body strength are paramount .. fluid skater with an extra gear.

Adam Pineault (2004), RW

Smooth, deceptively-quick first few strides .. understated quickness and acceleration for a big man .. has a bit of Lupul in terms of his skating; there are times when he appears to be losing balance only to scoot by a defender with a quick, unexpected burst .. more of a shiftier skater than a straight-ahead power skater like Stafford .. uses that Ulf Dahlen stutter-step move to freeze defenders off the rush, opening up space to use his soft hands and excellent passing skills .. sucks pucks up and makes nice soft passes .. somewhat unique skating stride makes it appear that he is sluggish, but he is an underrated skater whose acceleration and change of pace can catch defenders off-guard .. really knows how to use his body to disrupt puckcarriers .. powerful hitter who maintains strong positioning after he commits to making body contact.

Drew Stafford (2004), C

Excellent balance and a wide, powerful stride .. able to power through checks and control the puck at top speed .. looks like Nieuwendyk at times .. smart passer in traffic .. fast feet for a big man .. nifty one-on-one skills .. knows how to take his excellent speed at defenders and force them to respond to his challenge .. then dishes off nice lateral passes to linemates after creating the space with his speed .. unselfish player .. very smart with and without the puck .. not a flashy puckhandler but very solid and can surprise with top-shelf moves .. understated skillwise in a Ron Francis type of way .. very aware of d-zone duties and covering for pinching d-men.