USHL: Des Moines’ Amazing Denezhkin

It has been a difficult year for the Des Moines Buccaneers, as they are currently rebuilding around a young core of players after being blessed with veteran, top-end prospects on their rosters in years past. McKeen's looks at their up and coming youngsters such as Russian winger Alexander Denezhkin, as well as Chicago Steel's Switzerland import Luca Cunti.

Luca Cunti (TB), C, Chicago Steel

Enigma with NHL talent but discouraging immaturity .. graceful skater that effortlessly accelerates, as he glides faster than most guys skate .. possesses great hand skill with sick in-close puck control and the ability to execute some slick-touch passes .. naturally instinctive offensively with good poise on the puck and quickness in the faceoff circle .. his strong core strength makes him sturdy on his feet in traffic, although he needs to show some urgency to his competitiveness .. he is a flake and is soft as they come, as he is a perimeter player that turtles when the opposition plays the body and is not willing to pay the price to score .. mostly floats around, as he easily becomes disinterested in competing if a scoring opportunity is not there .. not a team player with bad body language and is already getting on his new teammates for their mistakes even though he stops moving his feet once he makes his own .. St. Cloud State recruit that has all the talent but he will need to grow up and learn the team game.

Taylor Matson (Van), C, Des Moines Buccaneers

Hardworking, two-way center with tremendous speed .. NHL-caliber skater with a powerful stride giving him instant acceleration and a vigorous top gear .. flies up and down the ice, as he never stops moving his feet .. uses his speed and hustle effectively on the forecheck where he is tireless in pursuit and takes away the proper lanes .. has okay offensive ability and awareness, as he knows to break to the open ice, he makes all the passes he should, and he uses his strong lateral bursts to be elusive one-on-one in the open ice .. not the biggest or most physical player but he is sturdy on his feet in traffic and can win one-on-one battles for loose pucks .. plays on the penalty kill, as he will come down low to help and uses his superior speed to effectively backcheck .. Vancouver should be pleased with his progress because despite his lack of a finisher's offensive touch, he projects well as an effective checker at higher levels of play.

Austin Handley (2008), D, Des Moines Buccaneers

Steady and tough stay-at-home defenseman with limited puck skills .. upright and sturdy skater that is actually faster and more efficient moving backwards and laterally than he is while skating forwards, meaning he lacks recovery speed but he can skate with his man step for step while defending if he has established positioning .. despite seeing time on the powerplay, he is not a skilled and productive puck moving type, although he does not fumble the puck while handling it and makes safe decisions while moving the puck in all three zones .. above average physical presence with good lower body strength that he uses to neutralize his man along the wall and to effectively stand up his man inside the blueline .. smart defensive player that uses his long stick to take away passing lanes effectively and he likes to play in the face of the opposition with his high pressure and physical style .. could be a solid late round pick for a team targeting a reliable defensive defenseman.

Andrew Panzarella (2008), D, Des Moines Buccaneers

Tenacious and mobile stay-at-home defenseman that is limited by his lack of hockey sense .. rangy and athletic skater with swift all-access mobility that can skate with his man while defending and win important foot races .. isn't a threat skating the puck up the ice because he's slow to process the game mentally when the puck is on his stick, as he coughs up the puck coming out of his own end while trying to make the first pass .. abrasive defender that is difficult to beat one-on-one, as he likes to play the body hard, although he can take himself out of position at times chasing the hit .. owns a projectable frame and a long reach that he uses adequately to strip the opposition off the puck .. courageous and tough kid that never hesitates to stand up for his teammates or himself, as he has thrown down with some of the leagues heavy weights .. long shot to be drafted because of his lack of smarts, his style of play is better suited for Major Junior.

Rocco Carzo (2008), RW, Des Moines Buccaneers

A scorer that is playing for a team that struggles to score .. not an explosive burner but he skates smoothly in all directions and skates especially well with the puck .. one of the few players on the Buccaneers that can finish with a quick and accurate shot from inside the top of the slot .. displays the instincts of a scorer and an opportunistic sense of timing around the net .. rather small and his legs need to be strengthened to improve his balance, leaving him ineffective in traffic against larger opponents .. inconsistent defensively, as at times he willingly helps down low or will sacrifice his body to block a shot, but than at other times, he shies away from his defensive assignments .. transitioned well to the USHL coming from Eastern junior but he does not project as a checker and he is struggling to produce without talented linemates around him leaving him a long shot to be drafted come June.

Brad Walch (2009), D, Des Moines Buccaneers

Young but savvy two-way defenseman with impressive puck skills .. technically efficient skater with impressive escape ability that just needs to add more strength to his stride to give him a burst of acceleration .. displays exceptional poise, patience, and decision-making breaking the puck out of his own end for such a young player .. already playing on the powerplay thanks to his ability to see the ice and the offensive awareness to know when to jump and pinch down low to aide the offensive attack .. smart defender that displays mature gap control with a well constructed frame that helps in his ability to neutralize his man one-on-one .. definite player to watch when his draft year approaches.

Alexander Denezhkin (2010), LW, Des Moines Buccaneers

Highly skilled and competitive young Russian winger .. strong skater with a lively first step, swift acceleration, and a fast top gear .. utilizes his speed as a weapon both without the puck while in pursuit and when in possession when screaming down the wing .. sturdy on his feet and slippery in traffic with quick and soft hands that stimulate his deceptive release .. not a selfish player, as he sees the ice naturally and makes quick, tape-to-tape passes in all three zones .. has a great motor and competitive streak, as he is a physical kid that plays with an edge while getting his nose dirty at every opportunity .. despite the effort being there, he needs to improve his defensive awareness, as he makes bad reads in his own end and his marking skills leave much to be desired .. should blossom into a legitimate prospect with age and more skilled linemates.

Matt White (2010), C, Des Moines Buccaneers

Big and strong blossoming two-way power forward .. bit of a clunky skater right now, as he is still growing into his body, although his skating should be an asset down the road, as he displays good stride length and quick start-up strides with a non-stop motor .. owns a blossoming power game, as he agitates the opposition by bulling his way through traffic areas .. strong on the puck with good puck protection and a hard shot .. sparks his team and linemates with his great work rate and hustle shift-after-shift .. decent on draws and displays the defensive awareness to play center .. not a creative offensive threat and he does not see the ice naturally, as he will fail to spot the open man in prime scoring areas .. young and raw with a long ways to go but he's a blossoming power forward in the making if he develops properly.