USHL: Chiasson the Dream

As a team, the Des Moines Buccaneers are not worth the price of admission, as their defensive corps is shaky and the squad lacks depth. However, they are a team that attracts a great deal of interest from NHL scouts, mostly because of their talented right-winger Alex Chiasson. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on Chiasson and several other Buccaneers' prospects.

Alex Chiasson (2009), RW, Des Moines

Tall and skillful goal scorer that can lean on defenders down low .. his velvety hands and strong stick enable him to control the puck fluently at full extension before suddenly pulling it in tight for a shot .. his release is fast and he owns a hard shot that he is accurate with .. admirably creates space for his shot while finding the open ice near the goal .. initiates give and go's and patiently awaits for teammates to break free before putting the puck on their blades with authority .. plants himself in front of the net and is a pillar of strength once there .. unshakable while cycling thanks to his shielding of the puck .. slightly knock-kneed skater that is a bit heavy on his feet and lacks quickness out of the gate, although he has no problem picking up a head of steam carrying the puck through the neutral zone .. most of his skating deficiencies stem from him still developing into his body .. dissects evolving plays well and heads to where the puck is going instead of where it currently is .. occasionally slow to get back covering his defensive assignments and his body language sags at times .. however, he received a shift on the penalty kill where he used his reach well and overpowered an opponent in the corner to win a puck battle, showcasing that two-way potential lies within.

Ryan Walters (2009), LW, Des Moines

His on-ice performance isn't as impressive as his statistics would indicate .. he's not a timid player, but he is definitely limited by his lack of size .. isn't an explosive skater, however he's deceptively quick and balanced on his feet with the ability to swiftly pull the puck off the wall and get an accurate shot on net .. his strength lies in his vision and passing ability in transition .. his effectiveness distributing the puck from the half-wall has him being relied upon to be the playmaker on the top powerplay unit and first line .. will need to progress his game further in the second-half to warrant being drafted. Click the link for a recent interview with Ryan Walters from McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey.

Yasin Cisse (2010), RW, Des Moines

Already boasting a nice frame with decent strength, Cisse plays with a healthy dose of jam .. currently on the Buccaneers fourth-line and isn't expected to contribute much offensively, however he slowly worked his way onto a secondary powerplay unit .. his strides are fast and aggressive, which gives him decent acceleratory strength, although he skates with a low base and a slight forward lean that mildly stunts the work of his relentless motor .. boasts the athleticism to adjust to pucks around his body .. not playing with much finesse right now and would rather go through opponents than around them .. employs a North/South approach offensively in which he takes the puck to the middle of the ice and drives the net .. gives an honest defensive effort and covers his defensive zone assignments adequately.

Matt White (2010), C, Des Moines

Once a prospect that seemed to be filled with potential, White's play has been disappointing this season and his development has stalled .. his lack of quickness and agility suffocates his game, as he skates overly upright with a wide base .. looks like he's chopping wood out there while handling the biscuit and his puck protection is terrible for a player of his size .. his hands are made of stone and he can't cradle the puck when receiving a pass .. he boasts above-average size, however he needs to get stronger because he's too easily pushed around right now .. used on the penalty-kill and does a good job activating his stick to clog passing lanes.

Michael Houser (2010), G, Des Moines

A butterfly goaltender that does a good job keeping his shoulders erect and square to the puck, which aides in his ability to cover the upper portion of the net .. tends to open holes while moving laterally and will need to improve on his pad control to correct this flaw .. recovers quickly from the butterfly back to his stance and he doesn't like to stay down for too long, instead he insists on popping back up at the first possible moment .. boasts a soft chest that sucks in rebounds well .. still guilty of kicking out some juicy rebounds down low .. likes to advertise the five-hole and challenge shooters before collapsing into his butterfly in a hurry .. tends to bite on dekes during breakaway situations and can be inclined to leave the post early, exposing the short side in the process .. should be advised to work on his skating outside of the crease area, however he displayed enough here to be worth monitoring.

Joe Gleason (Chi), D, Des Moines

The strength in his game is his exceptional skating ability, as he boasts fast feet and powerful strides .. his stop and start quickness is outstanding, plus he can turn on a dime .. quarterbacking the Buccaneer's first powerplay unit and does a nice job getting his right-handed shot on net .. effectively evades oncoming pressure while breaking the puck out of his own zone, all the while surveying his options quickly and making a good head man pass .. defensively, he maintains healthy gaps and can angle opponents off to the boards, although he can also be overaggressive and get sucked out of position .. his lack of size is the major drawback to his game right now, as he's too easily boxed out by larger opponents.