USHL Fall Classic: Des Moines Buccaneers

The Des Moines Buccaneers finished with the worst record in the USHL West Division in 2007-08, but 2008-09 looks to be a different story after the Buccaneers went undefeated at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic and decimated the Tri-City Storm 8-3 on opening night. With new head coach and general manager J.P. Parise, comes a new style of speed and puck movement that Des Moines fans have not seen in a while, and the Bucs have the roster to execute it. A core of mobile defensemen, led by NHL draft picks Joe Gleason and Nick Pryor, start the attack while a speedy group at forward should ensure that the play moves forward. Des Moines' puck-moving style should ensure that talented first-year draft-eligible forwards Alex Chiasson, Ryan Walters, and J.P. Burkemper all put up numbers to get them noticed and ensure that a strong core of second-year eligible players are re-considered by NHL clubs. McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese both had the opportunity to watch the Buccaneers at the Fall Classic and enter notes on several players including 2008 NHL draft picks Joe Gleason and Nick Pryor (pictured).

Joe Gleason (Chi), D, Des Moines

Has excellent speed, can go end to end with the puck and can also drive the net .. skating stride has good power and extension .. also has good agility to evade checkers and side-step opponents while carrying the puck .. has excellent mobility backwards and can use it to angle opponents into the boards or to line up an open-ice hit .. 5-foot-9, 175-pound defenseman plays bigger than his size and hits with some force .. an accurate passer, but is more noted for his ability to skate the puck .. will have to gain weight to be effective physically at higher levels of hockey, but it does not look like it'll be much of an issue in the USHL .. in 2007-08, he scored 9 goals and 33 assists in 31 games for Edina High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League and 6 goals and 14 assists for Team Southwest in the Upper Midwest Elite Hockey League prior to the high school season .. committed to the University of North Dakota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1

Additional notes from Max Giese

His mobility is his top asset, as he possesses quick and powerful strides with nimble mobility in all directions .. fairly skilled with impressive escape ability .. not a natural puck-moving type and excels more at lugging the puck himself than distributing it up ice through the passing game .. went coast-to-coast a few occasions and likes to jump .. always looking for opportunities to activate himself offensively .. defends well in space, using his lateral mobility to close lanes well .. small but actively plays the body in the corners .. needs to get stronger, as his lack of size is the glaring issue here.

Nick Pryor (Ana), D, Des Moines

Skilled defenseman that needs to improve his defensive awareness .. has good backwards mobility, utilizes a wide stance for maximum lateral movement, does not rely on crossovers, and can angle opponents into the boards .. 5-foot-10, 185-pound blueliner is undersized, but still engages physically .. makes crisp breakout passes and tends to assess the breakout well .. more than capable of connecting on long-distance passes to spring teammates .. has a good, crisp wristshot from the point and very hard slapshot .. defensively, he can play the attack fairly well, but his decision-making becomes suspect when the opposition establishes themselves in the zone, as he occasionally goes into the same corner as his d-partner when he should have stayed around the net .. in 2007-08, he scored 3 goals and 11 assists in 53 games for the USNTDP U-18 team .. recently de-committed from the University of Wisconsin .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1, 4 pim.

Additional notes from Max Giese

An encompassing skater with strong strides and quick feet .. has a nice shot and is receiving time on the powerplay, although his decision-making and vision with the puck remain questionable .. struggles to move the puck when pressured, although he does a nice job in the open-ice and with time from the point .. defensively, he can skate with anyone, yet he still gives vicious gaps and his defensive reads need to be better .. heavily utilized on the penalty-kill, including when down 5-on-3 .. smallish and overmatched at times, yet he's fairly sturdy and competes physically .. needs to add more strength and improve on his decision-making at both ends.

Alex Chiasson (2009), RW/C, Des Moines

Despite skating deficiencies, he could be one of the premier power forwards in the USHL before the 2008-09 season is over .. led Des Moines in scoring at 2008 USHL Fall Classic .. has some speed, but is upright in his skating and must add more lower body strength .. displays good speed bursts from time to time .. skating already looks improved over tryout camps in Des Moines over the summer .. fairly upright in his acceleration, but can get some momentum going and drive the net .. adept at using defensemen as his screen and firing hard, low shots through their legs .. has a hard snapshot and a heavy slapshot .. his hands are his primary asset, and he has a natural goal-scoring touch .. leave him unattended or allow him to get in behind the defense at your own risk .. 6-foot-3, 182-pounder plays with some physicality in finishing his checks but also uses his size to protect the puck .. looks set to be one of the top draft-eligible prospects in this USHL in 2008-09 and could become very good once he improves his skating .. in 2007-08, he played for Northwood Prep .. taken by Val-d'Or in the third round of the 2007 QMJHL Draft with the 52nd overall pick .. uncommitted to a college program of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-2-4, 2 pim

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Additional notes from Max Giese

Possibly the next Teddy Purcell .. a lanky offensive forward with a deft touch around the net .. still has some coordination issues with his skating and hasn't fully grown into his body yet .. his foot speed is fine, however he needs to get lower in his stride and add strength to his thin legs .. has a nice glide once in full flight and handles the puck well at top speeds .. his hand-eye coordination is stupendous and his ability to adjust to pucks and corral them in with his engulfing reach is astounding .. a rangy puckhandler with a gangly reach and skilled hands, Chiasson displays a scorers touch around the net with a tricky release .. a natural in the offensive zone that uses defenders as screens and innately activates himself to manufacture give and go's .. his defensive posturing needs work, but he did see some time on the penalty kill .. there is a natural thirst for body contact inside, as he will hit and use his spacious frame to shield the puck .. still rail thin and needs to add strength .. oozes upside, as his main issues are his overall coordination into his body and lack of strength, both of which can be solved with time.

Ryan Walters (2009), LW, Des Moines

Has represented Team USA on Select teams for some time and put up great numbers at a young age in Minnesota high school hockey, but is finally starting to show that talent at the USHL level after an underwhelming split season in 2007-08 .. has good speed with the puck and now appears confident with the puck at the USHL level .. makes crisp passes and is especially adept at connecting on cross-zone passes, but still adjusting a little bit to the speed of the USHL and ensuring passes don't lead just a bit too far or are just a bit behind .. has good acceleration and is quick to loose pucks .. demonstrates a good effort on the forecheck and backcheck and will strip unsuspecting opponents of the puck with his stick or a check .. smooth stickhandler with a fairly hard wristshot .. 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward that plays the body some and will attempt to fight through checks, but must improve his ability to maintain puck through checks at the USHL level .. looks so much better than his USHL stint in split season in 2007-08 and looks like the "A Prospect" that he was touted to be .. played for the Team USA Select 18 Team at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and was held without a point in four games .. in 2007-08, he scored 36 goals and 39 assists in 31 games for St. Thomas Academy in the Minnesota High School Hockey League and tallied 3 assists in 16 games for Des Moines .. committed to the University of Minnesota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-2-3, 6 pim.

Additional notes from Max Giese

A smooth skater that is light on his feet with deceptive speed .. skates well with the puck, although he lacks explosiveness .. skilled and receives pucks fluently in full flight .. owns a quick shot, but doesn't finish consistently .. executes catchable tape-to-tape passes .. sees the ice well in possession and is effective at pulling the puck off the wall and attacking the slot area to create scoring opportunities .. a sloppy defensive player that nonetheless saw time on the penalty kill for his knack of creating turnovers .. undersized and needs to get tougher.

James Burkemper (2009), LW, Des Moines

Has good speed and agility and can beat opponents wide, by cutting or circling back quickly, or by side-stepping them .. able to shield the puck along the boards with his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, his agility, and his stickhandling prowess .. offensive awareness is still a work in progress, because he occasionally paints himself into corners or fails to see the space he has to drive the net .. has both a hard wristshot and snapshot .. has soft hands for making slick stickhandling moves and crisp passes .. ability to protect the puck and size makes him a potential power forward .. appears to be adjusting fairly well to the USHL and has a legitimate shot at selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he played for the St. Louis Jr. Blues of the Central States Hockey League (Tier III Junior A) and scored 10 goals and 23 assists in 42 games and scored 22 goals and 19 assists for Christian Brothers College High School (a St. Louis-area high school team) .. uncommitted to a college program thus far .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-3-3

Additional notes from Max Giese

Sturdy on his feet with decent maneuverability out of crossovers .. most effective when he gains a head of steam and attacks the offensive zone with the puck on his stick .. his puck protection is his most standout quality, as he can hold onto the puck for ridiculously long stretches of time, a trait that also exposes his questionable vision and limitations in the decision-making department .. has good size and goes to the net looking to receive the puck .. could be quicker, must get better at involving his linemates, and needs to improve on his play away from the puck.

Rocco Carzo (2009), C, Des Moines

Unranked entering the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and was undrafted despite being one of Des Moines' better forwards in 2007-08 .. has very good speed, which he can use for beating opponents wide and driving the net .. adept at fending-off checkers and maintaining control of the puck .. also uses speed to split the defense .. not only has speed, but demonstrates a consistently high effort and work ethic .. 6-foot-1, 190-pound center shows dedication to the defensive game, plays on the penalty kill, and plays with some physicality .. all shots in his arsenal are fairly hard, and will stop at the net for his own rebounds .. could put up impressive numbers with Des Moines' new style in 2008-09 and establish himself as worthy of selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he scored 10 goals and 8 assists in 41 games for Des Moines after starting the season with the Philadelphia Little Flyers of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and scoring 44 points in 19 games .. committed to UMass .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-1-0-1, 6 pim.

Jake Youso (2009), C, Des Moines

Ranked 152nd amongst North American skaters by CSS entering the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected .. stood out on a lesser Green Bay team at the 2007 USHL Fall Classic, but was almost lost in the crowd on a talented Buccaneers roster .. has good speed and very quick feet, but could afford to add more power to his stride, as his million-strides-per-minute-skating-style sometimes makes it difficult for him to maintain a handle of the puck .. does have fairly quick hands, though, and can handle the puck at speed better than most players .. speed is a bit surprising given that Youso skates somewhat upright and makes many of his skating maneuvers in a fairly upright position .. has some quickness and separation, but would have even more if his strides under acceleration were not so short .. has the speed to drive opponents wide, but has not shown any finishing ability at the USHL level yet .. in 2007-08, he scored 34 goals and 35 assists in 27 games for the International Falls High School in the Minnesota High School Hockey League and scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 15 games for Green Bay .. committed to the University of Minnesota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1, 4 pim.

Austin Handley (2009), D, Des Moines

Ranked 192nd amongst North American skaters by CSS entering the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected .. still appears to be the same defensive defenseman he was in 2007-08 .. able to angle opponents to the boards and uses his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame to lay out big hits .. able to execute leg drags backwards at speed .. tough opponent in front of his net or in the corners .. willing to drop the gloves when called for .. able to connect on crisp passes, notably saucer passes, but still must improve the consistency of the accuracy of his first pass .. has a hard shot from the point .. has average speed and stickhandling skills, so he must be careful not to get stripped of the puck down low .. playing under J.P. Parise's game of speed and puck movement is exposing weaknesses in Handley's game early this season, but he has the potential of helping the blueliner round out his game in the end .. in 2007-08, he scored 4 goals and 5 assists in 58 games .. committed to Michigan State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-1-1, 9 pim.

Matt White (2010), C/RW, Des Moines

Looks much more comfortable in the USHL early this season than all of last season .. appears more confident handling the puck, whether in open ice or in using his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame and stick skills to protect the puck along the boards .. has good speed and can beat opponents wide and drive the net .. passes are generally crisp and most passes are now on the tape .. puts forth a good effort defensively, be it on the forecheck, the backcheck, or when established in his own zone .. willing to play with some physicality and even drop the gloves .. wins his share of draws in the faceoff circle .. should have a bit of a breakout year that puts him in a good position entering his draft year in 2009-10 .. in 2007-08, he scored 1 goal and 7 assists in 50 games for Des Moines .. not committed to college program thus far .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-1-3, 4 pim.

Additional notes from Max Giese

Two-way power forward with good size and strength for his age .. a bull-legged skater with a crisp stride that still needs a more influential first step .. still fights the puck at times and isn't blessed with a lot of finesse .. manufactures a number of subtle offensive plays thanks to his active feet and attentive mind .. a mature two-way player that positions himself properly in the defensive zone and maintains an active stick .. sees time on the penalty kill and is like a young bull that is still growing in his embryonic power game .. already has good size and can hit hard with the ability to stay strong along the wall and is even solid when he decides to drop the gloves .. a detailed player that does the little things, such as being a strength in the faceoff circle.