USHL: Bucs Need to Right Ship

For the third season in a row, the Des Moines Buccaneers finished last in their division, the East in 2008-09, the West in 2007-08, and the West again in 2006-07, although the team was well above .500 that season. Despite having some considerable talent in 2008-09, such as the 2009 Draft-eligible Alex Chiasson, Ryan Walters, and Rocco Carzo, the Bucs never really gelled as a team and often appeared to be players in the same uniform as opposed to a team. However, as with the Chicago Cubs in baseball every year, there is hope for the Bucs next season, as Walters has one more year of USHL hockey to play before heading up to the University of Minnesota. 2010 Draft-eligible Michael Houser could expand the bounds of where USHL goaltenders are selected in an NHL Entry Draft, and 2010 Draft-eligible Yasin Cisse may require joint Canadian and American government funding as a super collider.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to see the Buccaneers in action nearly a dozen times during the second half of the 2008-09 season and, after careful consideration, enters notes on several players. Alex Chiasson, Ryan Walters, Rocco Carzo, Michael Houser, Yasin Cisse, and a few other Des Moines prospects worth watching are featured.

Alex Chiasson (2009), RW, Des Moines

Started the season as more of a puck protection power forward, but ended the season with a distinct physical presence .. still a bit upright in his skating, but now showing more power in his strides and is able to build considerable speed .. uses his speed on the forecheck and is becoming a nightmare for defensemen, as he finishes his checks with considerable force .. will also step up to make some big hits in the neutral zone .. commitment to defense improved over the course of the season and he became one of Des Moines' most effective, and feared, forecheckers .. started dropping to block shots and passes .. saw some time on the penalty kill .. had a very good plus/minus (minus-9) compared to his Buccaneer teammates, particularly those who saw his level of icetime .. used his 6-foot-4, 188-pound frame to drive the net off the half boards or from behind the net, even with checkers on his back .. able to shield the puck with stickhandling prowess, long reach, positioning, and sheer effort of fighting through checks and sticks .. does a good job of absorbing punishment from even the biggest USHL defensemen .. a threat to skate through much of the opposition in the neutral zone after building considerable speed .. does need more acceleration with the puck for better separation in tight places, which his size currently overcomes to ensure success at higher levels (read AHL and NHL) .. confident stickhandler who is patient with the puck and can handle it across his body well or bring it in with toe drags and such .. also able to shield the puck one-handed a la Jaromir Jagr .. has a hard wristshot and a heavy slapshot .. makes crisp, accurate passes and is dangerous along the half boards and end boards with centering passes .. is effective everywhere on the powerplay, around the net, along the boards, and even at the point .. at times, the frustration of losing much of the year seemed to flip a switch and he'd take the team on his back and drive the net come hell or high water or release his frustrations through a gigantic check .. additional lower body strength will give him the power and low center of gravity to become almost unstoppable .. quite possibly a prospect who skates only two years in college and then is signed to a contract .. the most upside of any USHL prospect forward in the 2009 Draft .. will not be surprised if he goes in the first half of the second round, and maybe someone takes him near the end of the first round .. definite NHL top-six potential .. named to Center Trophy USHL All-Rookie Team .. named Buccaneers Rookie of the Year .. finished the regular season with 17 goals and 33 assists in 56 games, first in Bucs scoring .. committed to Boston University for 2009-10 season.

Ryan Walters (2009), LW, Des Moines

Was developing into Des Moines' top playmaker near Christmas break, but then icetime was reduced the final third of the season, particularly on the powerplay .. had been showing some chemistry with Alex Chiasson and Brett Bruneteau .. puts in a good effort on the forecheck and finishes his checks .. additional lower body and core strength would help him make harder hits through thrust .. has deceptive speed, which shows up on the backcheck .. opposition might think they're past Walters, but next thing you know, he's right on the puckcarrier on the backcheck and has stripped the puck, despite average acceleration .. has good top speed, with or without the puck .. able to get out on his edges for agility in the neutral zone or in switchbacks and tight turns at speed .. can stickhandle in a phone booth and protects the puck well by shielding it using his hands and through positioning .. has good offensive vision to make centering passes off the half boards .. inexplicable why his powerplay time was reduced .. makes crisp, accurate passes and can execute some slick saucer passes, including on the rush .. able to unleash a hard wristshot .. displays some hand-eye coordination to knock pucks down, or in the net, from mid-air .. needs to continue to fill out his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame, particularly for more explosive power in his skating, which is the next step for Walters .. dropped the gloves a bit this season .. had only 4 goals and 7 assists in his final 23 games after 14 goals and 19 assists in first 37 games, but this came down largely to the unexplained reduction in icetime .. has one more year of high school and thus one more year of USHL hockey .. with potentially five years of development after the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, it'd be hard to believe that an NHL team won't give Walters a shot in the late rounds .. when one considers what additional strength did for Mike Cichy's game this season, it's not difficult to envision Walters having similar potential .. finished the regular season with 18 goals and 26 assists in 60 games .. committed to Minnesota for 2010-11 season .. slated to return to Des Moines in 2009-10.

Rocco Carzo (2009), LW, Des Moines

Despite missing the final month of the season after suffering a wrist injury in early March, Carzo still led the Bucs in goal scoring .. top speed is in the same class as Danny Kristo, Josh Birkholz, etc., and can blow by and undress the USHL's best along the alley and then drive the net .. also uses his impressive speed on the forecheck or to apply significant pressure on the backcheck .. doesn't only have top speed, also has good acceleration .. offensively, dangerous with his speed down the wing and then is a threat with a very hard wristshot that he can snipe .. will fight through checks, too, if he can't beat the opponent cleanly .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. was a regular on both the powerplay and the penalty kill .. plays a solid two-way game and is a bit unsung and under-recognized .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds .. second year of draft eligibility .. may be a long shot to be drafted, but has some similarities to ex-NHLer Paul Ranheim with his speed, wristshot, and the possibility of turning him into a skilled defensive specialist at higher levels of hockey if it becomes a must .. played for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge and scored 0 goals and 1 assists in 5 games .. finished the regular season with 20 goals and 13 assists in 45 games, top in Bucs goal scoring .. committed to UMass for 2009-10 season.

James Burkemper (2009), LW, Des Moines

Burkemper's development took a similar track as Chiasson's, but a bit later in each area .. toward the end of the season, Burkemper had added a physical presence and was laying out some nice hits on the forecheck and in the neutral zone .. showed promise as a puck protection forward throughout the season .. flashes some nifty moves and dangle and can use his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame to shield the puck, but lost handle of the puck too often or was knocked off the puck too easily, although this started to improve toward the end of the season .. has decent acceleration and is able to build some good cruising speed with the puck .. able to shield the puck with his reach and through swivels and switchbacks, as well as one-armed stickhandling out wide .. displays some agility and quickness with the puck and can side-step opponents .. has developed a fairly powerful stride, but sometimes resorts to old skating habits .. saw semi-regular time on the powerplay .. makes some nice plays at times, but sometimes his offensive awareness is questionable .. has the tools to be a decent power forward, but needs to continue to become stronger on the puck .. if he does, his production should go way up and at least match Waterloo's Jordan Samuels-Thomas .. hopefully more experience at the USHL level will hone his hockey sense to a higher level .. an extreme long shot to be selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, his first year of eligibility, but a distinct possibility of garnering consideration in his second season with the improvements mentioned above .. finished the regular season with 6 goals and 16 assists in 55 games .. no commitment to a college program yet .. likely to return to Des Moines in 2009-10.

Michael Fink (2009), C, Des Moines

Showed flashes of skill in his time with Des Moines, making him a prime candidate to give them the second-line center they needed, but the production fell a bit short .. showed some chemistry with Ryan Walters and Yasin Cisse, but their icetime wasn't commensurate with a second line .. has quick hands to give him some dangle to his game .. has decent speed and good quickness to emerge off the boards .. displays some offensive vision from down low or from the half boards and also saw some time on the point on the powerplay .. seemed to be at his best at even strength down low from the corners and behind the net, setting up teammates with centering passes .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. definite threat to pounce on loose pucks around the net .. development may have been a season behind what Des Moines needed to solve their problems after acquiring him near the roster freeze in early February, but would be a likely candidate to return to the USHL as a top-six forward next year .. second year of draft eligibility and very little chance of being selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but worth further monitoring .. finished the regular season with 7 goals and 3 assists in 24 games for Des Moines after scoring 3 goals and 6 assists in 25 games for Waterloo .. committed to North Dakota, possibly for 2009-10 season, but may wait until 2010-11 season.

Jake Youso (2009), LW/D, Des Moines

Switched from forward to defense in February, and showed some promise from the blueline .. seemed unable to process the game fast enough at forward at the USHL pace, but being able to see more of the play from the backend seemed to help him, and he skated the puck well .. able to build good top speed and was able to make more happen once he got it into the offensive zone than teammate Joe Gleason, who is known for his blazing speed and for going end-to-end .. needs to add lower body strength .. is an upright skater accelerating and at speed .. needs to get lower and lengthen his stride .. backwards, he relied on crossovers too much and had a narrow base .. quick feet laterally, but needs to cover more ground with each lateral step .. forward crossovers often involve a lot of small steps instead of powerful crossing over .. did engage physically, but needs to reduce the number of opponents who fight through his checks .. will step up to make hits, and additional power would make him pretty good at this .. able to make crisp, hard passes, and he adjusted to being the one making the first pass .. saw time on Des Moines' point on the powerplay .. hard to know if Youso will stay at defense, but he might have a future at the position if he gains lower body strength and becomes a more powerful skater .. virtually no shot at being selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but you never know when the next Jason Garrison may be in the works .. finished the regular season with 1 goal and 4 assists in 54 games .. committed to Minnesota for 2010-11 season .. likely to return to Des Moines in 2009-10.

Michael Houser (2010), G, Des Moines

Joined Des Moines full-time after Christmas and established himself as number one goalie .. if Des Moines de-stabilizes Houser like they have recently done with Fredrik Bergman and Aaron Crandall, it would be another mistake .. if he were born three days later, he'd be eligible for the 2011 draft .. has every bit the potential to match and surpass what Mike Lee did this season with Fargo, assuming Houser returns to the USHL .. technically sound goalie who remains very calm in net .. smooth, composed pad slides .. 6-foot-2, 175-pound goalie keeps his torso upright in the butterfly .. keeps his butterfly compact and does a good job covering rebounds or directing them away from the net with his pads or his blocker .. able to go down and up quickly and can reset quickly after getting up, or smoothly reset with a pad slide .. can make nice splits saves, but rarely uses them .. unlike Lee, Houser also handles the puck well .. able to make crisp saucers to clear the zone or to make a pass to spring a teammate .. isn't a Martin Brodeur at this point, but puckhandling is pretty developed for his young age .. seemingly has two brains, one in his head for intense concentration and poise, and perhaps another in his lumbar spine for separately controlling his body .. if he returns to the Bucs in 2009-10, instead of playing major juniors, they will be lucky .. has future Team USA World Junior Championship member written all over him .. sky is the limit with proper coaching and development .. finished the regular season with a 5-18-0 record, a 4.02 G.AA and a .902 save percentage in over 32 games .. had a 6-3-0 record, 2.74 G.AA, and a .886 save percentage in 11 games with Little Caesar's midget major team before joining the Buccaneers .. definitely will be invited back to Des Moines in 2009-10 after being named the Fan Favorite for 2008-09.

Yasin Cisse (2010), RW, Des Moines

Another Des Moines 2010-eligible player with significant potential especially if and when Cisse corrects his skating stride .. stride is more akin to running on his skates, most especially under acceleration, but still able to build some considerable speed .. despite being a fairly upright skater, he can lay out some devastating hits on the forecheck or in open ice .. plays with some aggressiveness and isn't immune from adding extra shots, punches, or jabs .. able to build some good speed with the puck, but improving his skating stride would help give him better balance and make him more successful driving the net .. has a decent set of hands for toe drags and the like .. has a hard wristshot .. saw fairly regular time on the second powerplay unit .. may have the potential to become a dominating power forward in the (perhaps), Jarome Iginla mold, or the Owen Nolan mold (assuming the skating is corrected) .. like Owen Nolan throughout the latter stages of his career, Cisse had injury problems during the season, first with a hamstring at the beginning of the season and then a foot injury midseason .. already has significant size at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds .. if forward doesn't work out, defense might .. Cisse actually looks very good backwards, with good lateral mobility, and he can stand up opponents very well, having done so staying back for pinching defensemen .. if Cisse's production approaches, or surpasses, a point per game in the USHL next season, he's a first rounder .. finished regular season with 2 goals and 6 assists in 31 games .. committed to Boston University for 2010-11 season .. slated to return to Des Moines in 2009-10.

Matthew White (2010), LW/C, Des Moines

Started to receive more icetime down the stretch, even playing on the top line with Alex Chiasson and Brett Bruneteau, and his production increased accordingly .. scored 3 goals and 3 assists in his final 10 games of the season .. a bit upright in his skating, although showing some long strides at times .. still needs to power out of crossovers more, using his toes to generate more speed crossing over .. showing some speed bursts forwards down low and on the forecheck and backcheck .. doing a little better making plays from out of the corners down low .. finishes his checks on the forecheck and makes the occasional open-ice hit .. Bucs needed White to step up more in 2008-09, but perhaps White can emerge as a second-line center in 2009-10 .. at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, scouts are just waiting for White to break out and make a consistent impact in the USHL .. not a guarantee to be selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but has a good chance if he does make a consistent impact in 2009-10 and isn't largely invisible during games .. played for Team USA at World Junior A Challenge and had 0 goals and 1 assist in 5 games .. finished the regular season with 10 goals and 9 assists in 53 games .. committed to North Dakota for 2010-11 season .. slated to return to Des Moines for third season in 2009-10.

Joe Gleason (Chi), D, Des Moines

Debatable whether Gleason improved or developed a great deal in 2008-09 .. the standout feature on Gleason is, of course, his speed .. has almost unbelievable speed with the puck and can go end to end .. doesn't always make a lot happen in his end-to-end rushes, as he doesn't always get a shot off or isn't always able to drive the net with complete success .. not even certain how well he can pass the puck on the rush, as it rarely happened .. combines his elite speed with strong agility to evade checkers both down low in the defensive zone and through the neutral zone .. also quite mobile backwards, as he can angle opponents for a nice shoulder check along the boards or a hard hip check .. 5-foot-9, 175-pound defenseman does play with some physicality and steps up for hits .. makes crisp breakout passes, when he doesn't skate the puck .. has a very hard shot from the point .. also has a very hard shot skating the puck, which is probably a better option than reducing his own angle or painting himself into a corner .. was a regular on the second powerplay unit .. also saw regular time on the penalty kill .. small defenseman has elite speed and plays a successful physical game, just needs to utilize his teammates better .. finished the regular season with 5 goals and 16 assists in 59 games .. committed to North Dakota for 2009-10 season.