USHL Fall Classic: Lincoln Stars Prospects

A quick glance at the Lincoln Stars' roster might lead one to believe the Stars have little in the way of prospects for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but that belief would be false. First-year eligible forwards David Gerths, Garrett Peterson, Brett Chartier all have a shot at selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and will be given the opportunity to play significant roles in their rookie USHL seasons. Gigantic left-winger Richard Manley is out to prove his non-selection in the 2008 Draft after a solid season in the BCHL was a mistake.

McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese had the opportunity to watch Lincoln at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic and enter notes on several Stars worth watching this season.

David Gerths (2009), RW/C, Lincoln

Well-rounded hockey play that plays a two-way game .. 6-foot-0, 195-pound forward displayed a knack for fighting through checks and maintaining possession of the puck .. also able to protect the puck using his agility with swivels and switchbacks .. confident stickhandler who makes crisp passes and has hard wristshot .. given his ability to fight through checks, it's no surprise he creates chances crashing the net .. has decent acceleration and good speed for use in crashing the net or driving wide, but does need to improve in these areas .. defensively, he anticipates the play well and can intercept passes and transition the puck .. willing to block shots and doesn't give up on the puck defensively .. appears to have a solid chance at being selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, because he's just too well-rounded not to .. in 2007-08, he played for Culver Academy .. committed to University of Notre Dame .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-1-0-1 0 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Multi-faceted centerman that may be one of the top draft-eligible forwards out of the USHL this year .. wide-tracked skater with sturdy balance and his superb anticipation helps compensate for his lack of explosiveness .. his foot speed and acceleration has improved since last viewed with Culver, although he needs to tighten up his turn radius .. has impressive hand-eye coordination with an accurate shot in tight .. greasy to defend because he finds the quiet ice and consistently escapes out of traffic with the puck on his stick in position to attack the net .. has a high hockey IQ with the ability to see the ice and distribute skillfully .. a smart two-way player that the puck just seems to be magnetic to .. utilized on the penalty kill for his active stick and sound defensive positioning .. competes and involved in traffic areas, Gerths covers the puck in traffic well for a player his size.

Garrett Peterson (2009), RW, Lincoln

Displays good speed and can force defensemen to open up when going wide and then driving the net .. does a very good job of staying open to the play on the breakout, on the attack, and in the offensive zone .. tendency to stay open to the play gives him good offensive awareness for moving the puck to open teammates or to spring teammates for breakaways .. stickhandling may need improving, as he lost handle of the puck at times, or misfired on opportunities down low .. 5-foot-11, 185-pound right-winger willing to engage physically, finishes his checks, and can win one-on-one battles down low .. has a knack defensively for dumping in the puck just hard enough to get it out but soft enough to avoid icing and thus maximize time for line changes .. played for Team USA U-18 Select Team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August and went without a point in four games .. in 2007-08, he played Midget AAA for Team Illinois of the Midwest Elite Hockey League and scored 8 goals and 12 assists in 25 MWEHL regular season games .. committed to University of Notre Dame .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-0-0-0

Brett Chartier (2009), LW, Lincoln

Winnipeg native may not be as good as former Lincoln Star Jason Gregoire, but is not too far behind .. has good speed and acceleration, but not game-breaking speed .. has quick feet and can pivot in tight circles .. a regular around the net and will take shots from all angles .. makes crisp passes and shows some playmaking ability off the half-boards .. 5-foot-9, 175-pound left-winger plays with some grit .. puts forth a good effort and finishes his checks . hustles into the corners and will engage physically to get the puck .. able to lay out some decent hits .. even gets a little dirty from time to time .. plays bigger than his size and looks likely to put up some numbers in the USHL, but it's possible it won't be enough come draft day .. in 2007-08, he played for the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and scored 20 goals and 24 assists in 56 games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-3-5, 4 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Quick and agile with the ability to execute some nice passes on the power-play .. small, but combative player that can even get dirty at times.

Richard Manley (2009), LW, Lincoln

Gigantic 6-foot-5, 220-pound left winger is exceptionally mobile for a big man .. has a fairly smooth stride but demonstrates quick feet when necessary .. his quick feet come in handy when moving laterally beside the net to get open or to adjust to incoming passes .. able to use size to establish position over opponents to get the puck along the boards or in open ice .. able to play big-man-in-front and create opportunities .. demonstrated good stickhandling ability in bringing it into his body and also stickhandling out wide, but also lost control of the puck at times .. played with some physicality but was not punishing .. ranked 163rd amongst all North American skaters by CSS entering the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected, which is surprising given his combination of size and mobility .. in 2007-08, he played for Burnaby Express of the British Columbia Hockey League and scored 16 goals and 35 assists in 58 games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 2-2-2-4, 2 pim.

Ross Henry (2009), D, Lincoln

Has established himself as one of the better defensemen in the USHL in terms of defense and is now playing a larger offensive role .. looked more comfortable skating the puck than last season, even side-stepped some opponents .. makes crisp, accurate breakout passes .. defensively, 5-foot-10, 190-pound blueliner has a low center of gravity and can stand up opponents and level them or rub them out along the boards with hip checks .. can level players trying to check him .. skating form backwards is good, as he has a wide base and does not rely on crossovers, giving him maximum mobility while reading the play .. also adept at poke checks, but would rather play the body .. small in height, but not during the game .. invited to Columbus Blue Jackets' summer development camp last summer .. still a long shot to be drafted, but the Columbus invite shows he's on the radar, and he deserves to be .. in 2007-08, he played for the Lincoln Stars and scored 3 goals and 6 assists in 59 games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0, 2 pim.

Mike Dalhuisen (2009), D, Lincoln

Dutch defenseman has most anything one would want out of a defensive defenseman .. physical attitude is that of a professional player, as he does many things better than many minor pro defensemen .. 6-foot-3, 210-pound blueliner has a fairly low skating stride, giving him powerful strides, a low center of gravity, and the ability to explode into hits, even as a tall player .. keeps a low stance and a wide base skating backwards, giving him good all-compass mobility and ability to angle opponents into the boards or stand them up .. has a hard shot from the point .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. a willing fighter that will stand up for teammates and can pummel opponents .. if Stu Bickel can translate his USHL (and NAHL) career and a year at Minnesota into a two-way NHL contract, then there's little reason why the solid Mike Dalhuisen shouldn't warrant some attention or at least potentially earn an NHL contract after college (assuming he goes to college) .. in 2007-08, he played for the Lincoln Stars and collected 8 assists in 41 games .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-2-3, 5 pim.

Garrett Vermeersch RW, (2009), Lincoln

Released by Cedar Rapids early in the off-season, but still a decent player .. has good speed and is often the first one in on the forecheck .. forechecking is more controlled and positional than last season, but would actually prefer to see a little more of the old exceptional hustle .. conscientious backchecker who has the speed to catch opponents and strip the puck or at least prevent shots or passes .. played the point some and demonstrated a hard shot from the point .. has a fairly hard wristshot, although he must improve accuracy .. demonstrates some skill and effort, but offensive awareness is suspect at times .. second-year-eligible player appears to be an extreme long shot to be taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but shows flashes from time to time .. in 2007-08, he played for Cedar Rapids and scored 2 goals and 8 assists in 42 games .. no college commitment of yet.