USHL: East Division All-Star Prospects

McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several prospects who participated in the USHL All-Star game. In part one of a two part series, McKeen's features All-Stars from the East Division, including Indiana Ice defenseman John Carlson, currently ranked No. 15 on McKeen's Midterm Draft Rankings for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

John Carlson (2008), D, Indiana Ice

The top draft-eligible player out of the USHL, Carlson is an offensively gifted defenseman with good size and exceptional game-reading skills .. far above every other player in terms of pro-potential with his game-changing presence in all three zones .. few players anticipate the developing play as well as he does when the puck is on his stick .. an articulate first passer with a tremendous transition game, Carlson is one of the best pure passers in the league that hits his man in full-stride every time coming out of his own end .. creativity is there to quarterback the powerplay and create offense off the rush .. may own one of the best point shots in this year's draft, as he can unload some real bombs with precision and minimal wind-up .. anticipates the opening seams in the opposition's defenses exceptionally well .. beginning to utilize his size to effectively neutralize his man and is making more instinctive reads in his own end .. despite skating with adequate fluidity and strength in all-directions, Carlson does not possess the burst of speed to go coast-to-coast .. has a quiet demeanor but oozes confidence and a definite first-round talent.

Brady Hjelle (2008), G, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Textbook mechanical goaltender with impressive game-reading skills .. not an elite athlete but his hockey sense and anticipation more than make up for it ..well groomed with rock solid technical skills, Hjelle has a compact stance that allows him to close holes near his mid-section to eliminate soft goals .. likes to show five-hole and then take it away with his tight butterfly .. difficult to beat up high or down low on the first shot because his wide V and quick hands to make out stretched saves .. finds the puck well in traffic and always makes the first save .. his best attribute is his game-reading skills and anticipation, as though his footwork is efficient, he does lack above-average lateral power leading him exposed by diagonal and lateral passes .. plays in control at all times by being patient in one-on-one situations and always getting set for the first shot .. a light-hearted kid that has genuine fun with the game and could be the first goaltender drafted out of the USHL this season.

Nick Larson (2008), LW, Waterloo Black Hawks

Big winger with improving mobility and a solid all-around game, Larson is the type of forward that does everything well but nothing great .. skating has vastly improved since the beginning of the season, as he is now accelerating much quicker and is beginning to develop a separation gear .. feet are quick and he accelerates adequately out of his crossovers .. owns a good release that produces a heavy shot but he does not finish as well as he should, as he will get a clean breakaway and he still can't score .. at his best when he lowers his shoulders and powers his way to the net .. strong two-way player that is strong along the wall in the defensive zone and can make the all-important first pass to move the puck out of his own end quickly .. not a top line guy but will make a solid pick late in the draft.

Brock Montpetit (2008), RW, Waterloo Black Hawks

Flashed some brilliance early in the game with a highlight-reel goal but then disappeared, as he continues to give scouts headaches by teasing with his skill and disappointing with his weak play away from the puck .. still mentally just one-step behind, as you can see that he knows what to do with the puck but he hesitates that one extra second which leads to him being stripped off the puck .. stride looks stronger now than it did earlier in the season, as he utilized a nice lateral and straight-line burst to elude a few defenders .. can make things happen coming down the wing at full speed with his ability to make quick passes to the trailer and release his shot with precision in full flight .. does not perform well in his own end where his lack of strength is evident in the way he routinely is beaten one-on-one for loose pucks .. likely will not be drafted because he is small and too inconsistent.

Greg Pateryn (2008), D, Ohio Junior Blue Jackets

Big and strong defenseman that is still very raw but should be seeing his stock rise soon because of his intriguing upside .. when looking at Pateryn, it should be noted that only a year ago he was playing a low level of hockey in Michigan High School and has come a long way in a short amount of time .. dependable defender on an upward development curve with the strength to overpower the opposition .. astute defender that aggressively attacks the puckcarrier to utilize his reach and size to neutralize his man one-on-one .. Pateryn has strong legs with the flourishing backwards mobility to control his gaps and take away the middle of the ice, however he is a narrow skater with a hitch in his pivot, which will need to be corrected .. inconsistent with the puck, as at times, he will jump in the rush or make a crisp first pass, and than at other times, he will either just dump the puck to his partner or struggle to see the ice and cough up the puck .. very serious and focused young defenseman that should make a solid mid-round selection .

Max Cook (2008), RW, Green Bay Gamblers

Was added to the All-Star Game because of an injury to teammate Joe Schiller, not because his play warranted .. gangly playmaking winger with a good reach .. confident with the puck, Cook's bread and butter is using his long reach to buy himself time coming down the wing before displaying his deft touch and creativity generating offensive opportunities for his linemates with his strong passing game .. guilty of spending too much time on the perimeter and lacks the ability to finish .. he is not a bad skater considering his size, but he lacks a separation gear and can get lazy moving his feet in his own end .. very weak in traffic and routinely loses battles for the puck in his own zone .. creative playmaker with a lanky frame but there is not much else here and he likely will not be drafted.

Drew LeBlanc (2008), C, Chicago Steel

Crafty playmaking center with a more efficient skating stride and more of a muscular build compared to a year ago when he went undrafted .. makes the players around him better with his strong hockey sense and vision to create plays with his skilled passing game .. not an explosive player but he is elusive with soft hands .. not a great skater but he is in the right place at the right time with or without the puck .. character kid off the ice that is passionate about hockey and is always on the ice .. stands a chance at being drafted this year, as he resembles the type of player that will flourish with better linemates around him.

Tyler Thompson (2008), LW, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Strong and skilled goal-scoring winger that still must upgrade his speed .. owns magnetic hands with a creative arsenal of moves, however he does not share the puck well and is to one-dimensional at times .. owns a real dangerous shot that he can pick corners with in tight .. lacks explosiveness in his skating and is at his best below the hash marks or on the powerplay .. committed two-way player that does backcheck hard .. this season, he has married his height with more explosive strength .. one of the top goal scorers in the league, Thompson has progressed nicely since last season and may be drafted this time around.

Blake Kessel (NYI), D, Waterloo Black Hawks

Skilled puck-moving defenseman that still struggles in the skating department .. was jumping in every rush with reckless abandonment in this game displaying his impressive offensive skill-set and his habit of sacrificing defense for offense at times .. has the quick wristshot of a skilled forward with impressive offensive instincts .. if only he was the skater his brother is, as Blake's feet are quicker than they used to be but he's still a hunched-over skater with a lack of a third gear .. would like to see him become more physical and sturdy in the defensive zone .. outspoken and a much more bubbly personality in the locker-room than his brother .. sharp, late-round pickup by the Islanders that is heading to New Hampshire next fall.

Paul Carey (Col), LW, Indiana Ice

No prospect that has already been drafted was more impressive than Carey was early in the season, but he disappointed at this event with selfish and lazy play .. has great hands with the shot of a natural goal scorer but he's selfish with the puck and over handles it when he could have made a play by simply passing it to a teammate.. lazy defender that takes bad penalties, his lack of a top gear is especially evident on the defensive side of the puck .. blessed with the shot and instincts of a pure goal scorer, Carey should contribute immediately on the powerplay next fall for Boston College.