USHL: Count of Monte Kristo

Montreal Canadiens' second-round pick Danny Kristo has averaged a point per game with the Omaha Lancers so far in his first and only season in the USHL. However, the Lancers will need the speedster to turn it up even more to help them escape from the prison of a difficult February, plot their revenge down the stretch, make a triumphant return to the playoffs, and defend their 2008 Clark Cup championship. The Count of Monte Kristo won't need the sage wisdom of an Italian priest to accomplish all that, though. Instead, he'll rely on the help of French-Canadian ace prospect Louis LeBlanc, who's positioning himself to lead the Lancers in scoring in 2008-09.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to see the Omaha Lancers in both January and February and enters notes on Kristo, LeBlanc, Pat Mullane, Ryan Daugherty, and a few other Omaha prospects.

Danny Kristo (Mtl), RW, Omaha

So fast and handles so well he should be on the Autobahn .. elite top-end speed .. able to dump the puck, thwart any obstruction with agility, and still get to the puck first .. able to stop on a dime (figuratively) with the puck .. has very good agility and can make tight switchback's to avoid checks and then make plays or drive the net himself .. doesn't just watch his passes, but will instead turn on the speed to drive the net .. an adept stickhandler who has some dangle to make flashy moves, but relies on his speed more so .. 6-foot-0, 184-pound forward finishes his checks .. uses his speed on the forecheck and the backcheck .. plays on Omaha's second powerplay unit .. played for Team Reebok (West) at USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. committed to North Dakota .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 35 games.

Louis LeBlanc (2009), C, Omaha

Speed, skating, and stick skills have all improved a notch over the course of the season .. has good cruising speed and shows it with the puck, too .. has good acceleration .. decent separation with the puck .. agility with the puck is improving, and he is able to make tight switchbacks .. stickhandling improving to evade checkers and is challenging himself in this area, too .. also has soft hands and agility to catch difficult passes .. has a fairly hard wristshot and slapshot, as his shot power is also improving .. still playing his committed defensive game .. F1 on the forecheck often, also backchecks hard, and is always seen helping defensemen down low .. stays back for pinching defensemen .. finishes his checks .. plays on both the powerplay and penalty kill .. wins more than his share of faceoffs, many of them cleanly .. won't be surprised if he passes Mullane for team lead in scoring before the end of the season .. with his improvement, he should be considered a 31st to 45th overall pick in 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. played for Team Reebok (West) at the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. committed to Harvard .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 19 goals and 24 assists in 45 games.

Patrick Mullane (2009), LW, Omaha

Omaha's leading scorer at the 45-game mark, but in an offensive funk in February .. has a hard wrister and slapper, and a decent one-timer .. needs to shoot the puck more often, as he barely averages over two per game despite receiving a lot of icetime .. able to get a quick slapshot off with little wind-up .. although modest height at 5-foot-11, he is able to shield the puck with his 190-pound frame .. able to make tight switchbacks with the puck and is dangerous doing so from behind the net or along the half boards to then make a play .. able to make crisp, accurate passes, but some shifts his calibration appears off .. however, he is still a playmaker for the Lancers .. able to make quick stickhandling moves across his body .. plays on both the powerplay and penalty kill .. typically skates in all situations with Louis LeBlanc .. shows a commitment to the defensive game on the forecheck and backcheck and creates some chances doing so .. second-year eligible player looking like a fifth or (probably) sixth-round pick, but could drop if he doesn't break his funk .. played for Team Reebok (West) at the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. committed to Boston College .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 21 goals and 24 assists in 43 games.

Ryan Daugherty (2009), LW, Omaha

Left leg still looking weaker than right leg, but far better than in previous report .. not a lot of knee bench skating forward, but does show good knee bend in tight turns .. crossovers have little power .. shows some length to his stride, but still needs considerably more muscle on his gazelle-like legs .. shows good hustle off faceoffs and tries to finish his checks .. due for knee surgery at the end of the season .. has only been playing ice hockey since age 10 and is not as far along in his development curve as many other USHLers .. a possibility for selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft as a project pick if you're confident the knee surgery will go well and you think he can add the necessary lower body strength over time .. played for Team Reekok (West) at the USHL Prospects/All-Star game .. committed to Northern Michigan in 2010 .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 6 goals and 7 assists in 36 games. Click the link for a recent interview with Ryan Daugherty

Jeff Teglia (2009), G, Omaha

Omaha keeps bringing in other, older goalies, but none have been able to supplant Teglia .. hasn't made any changes to his old-school and/or Hasek-like style .. equally as unorthodox in shootouts .. still common for him to be all over the place making saves and creating odd rebounds in the process .. does execute classic double-pad stack well .. has quick reflexes .. one definite positive is confidence coming out of the crease to stop pucks .. able to launch pucks and is confident handling the puck .. does not over handle the puck and does not leave his crease an excessive amount, but shows poise when he does .. 6-foot-0, 182-pound frame doesn't disqualify him from draft consideration .. if Teglia had Mike Lee's stats, his unorthodox style might be forgiven come the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but they're not .. currently a long shot for the 2009 Draft .. uncommitted to a college program .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had played over 35 games, with a 18-7-7 record, a 2.87 goals-against average, and .897 save percentage.

Ian Ruel (2009), D, Omaha

Big defensive defenseman has more pucks skills than stats show .. plays a physical game and can lay down big shoulder and hip checks .. also able to muscle players down .. able to angle even speedy USHL opponents to the boards .. makes, crisp, hard, and generally accurate passes .. passing game should translate better at higher levels, where more teammates will be able to handle them .. has a hard shot from the point that becomes booming if he's skating it .. has long strides skating the puck and good speed .. will join the play if he's one of the first three in and will drive the net hard .. decent at protecting the puck down low if he's down with the attack .. displays good lateral mobility with the puck in his own zone .. also able to evade forecheckers with switchbacks .. a regular on the Omaha PK .. if an NHL team is actively looking for a defensive defenseman in the later rounds, they should consider Ruel .. committed to Bowling Green .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 1 goal and 4 assists in 39 games.

Seth Ambroz (2011), RW, Omaha

Continuing to show steady improvement .. now showing a little speed with the puck and in defending .. able to generate some power in his strides .. still a bit upright in his turns .. shows good defensive hustle and finishes his checks .. able to make "Hit of the Night" checks, which should only get better as he fills out his 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame .. has a decent wristshot .. sees some time on both the powerplay and the penalty kill .. on his way to becoming a dominating USHL power forward by his draft year .. committed to University of Minnesota in 2011 .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 9 goals and 15 assists in 45 games.

Drew Olson (CBJ), D, Omaha

Showing improvement .. reduces crossovers past the redline, keeps a wide track backwards, and lets gap shrink .. 6-foot-0, 206-pound blueliner able to thrust into checks and make some hard hits .. also a physical presence along the boards down low .. displays nice lateral movement to get loose pucks .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. will pinch in from the point at times, but primary contribution this season is physical play .. committed to Minnesota-Duluth .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 1 goal and 5 assists in 30 games.

Joseph Lavin (Chi), D, Omaha

Left Providence College after the first semester and is probably Lancers' top defenseman .. 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman minimizes crossovers backwards and lets his gaps close .. able to stop and start quickly .. will play the body and is also adept at absorbing body checks .. has decent acceleration and a fairly smooth, long stride, including with the puck .. plays on both the powerplay and the penalty kill .. generally makes crisp, accurate passes .. has a hard slapper and one-timer from the point .. relied upon as a quarterback on the powerplay at the top of the umbrella .. an important midseason pick-up for Omaha that gives them a legitimate USHL number one defenseman .. currently uncommitted to a college program .. at Omaha's 45-game mark, he had 4 goals and 7 assists in 19 games .. had 1 assist in 12 games with Providence College before leaving the Friars midway through his sophomore season.