USHL: Green Bays Jensen No Gamble

Green Bay Gamblers defenseman Nick Jensen didn't play at the World Junior A Challenge, and he didn't play at the USHL Prospects/All-Star Game, but that doesn't mean he isn't superior to some who did. Jensen, a USHL rookie and a 1990 DOB in his first year of draft eligibility, sees regular icetime, but doesn't see as much icetime as some other prospect USHL defensemen who have been ranked higher than him on some lists. Green Bay Gamblers' coaches Jon Cooper and Jon Rogger, who both coached the St. Louis Bandits to the NAHL's Robertson Cup in 2007-08, have given former Bandits David Makowski and Jeff Ceccacci plenty of (and deserving) icetime, as well as USHL veterans Taylor Johnson, Chris Saracino, and Robert Shea. On some USHL teams, Jensen would showcase his speed, skating, and impressive two-way abilities with top-four icetime every night. On Green Bay's underrated and well-coached blueline, Jensen doesn't see the icetime of a Patrick Wey or a Philip Samuelsson on a night-in, night-out basis. However, he may very well be the third defensemen taken out of the USHL in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft behind Chicago's John Moore and Sioux City's Seth Helgeson, especially if NHL scouts have been able to catch a Green Bay game where some of the vets were out of the lineup and Jensen received prime icetime.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to catch the Green Bay Gamblers in action twice in March and files notes on several players such as Nick Jensen, Atlanta Thrashers prospect Michael Forney, 2010-eligible Aaron Harstad, and a few other Gambler prospects.

Michael Forney (Atl), RW, Green Bay

Not as impressive as in October viewing, but still good showings .. able to generate nice speed bursts off the boards with the puck to drive the net or to suddenly get open .. an offensive presence around the net creating plays or finishing his chances .. makes crisp, accurate passes, but can also feather passes accurately, too .. also a threat with drop passes around the net .. a regular on the powerplay .. doesn't appear to be real comfortable on his edges in his turns .. listed at 6-foot-2, 191 pounds, but still looks lanky .. not a major physical presence, but does finish his checks and does lay out the odd big hit .. coming off two injury-plagued seasons with UND, getting his career back on track .. difficult to know how much his current skating deficiencies are the result of his ankle injury, the subsequent surgeries, and the lingering effects .. slated to return to UND for his junior season in 2009-10 .. at Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 25 goals and 30 assists in 49 games, leading the Gamblers in goals and points, powerplay goals (11), plus/minus (+32), and shots (152). Click the link to read a recent interview with Michael Forney

Nick Jensen (2009), D, Green Bay

One of the best-kept secrets in the USHL .. smooth skater with very good speed .. skates the puck effectively with his top speed thanks to a fairly long stride, but also has very good agility .. able to get well out on his edges with his skates well out from his center of gravity .. poised with the puck, smooth stickhandler, and has a knack for making forecheckers circle away from him .. quick acceleration allows him to be slippery in separating from forecheckers .. makes smooth, crisp passes .. pinches in from the point to add offensive pressure, but does so responsibly .. reads the play well offensively and defensively .. defensively, confident in his mobility, keeps his gaps short, no crossovers, and engages physically in the neutral zone or at least near the blueline .. able to stop backwards quickly to stick with opponents .. 6-foot-1, 187-pound defenseman plays a very good all-around game and should be an impact defenseman in USHL in 2009-10 when he's the veteran .. does see icetime in all situations, just not quite as much as the numerous veteran junior defensemen Green Bay has .. offensive skill becomes very apparent when he receives top-four minutes .. for a point of reference, he has the potential to surpass Cedar Rapids' Matt Donovan with his all-around game .. committed to St. Cloud State .. at Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 3 goals and 16 assists in 42 games and tied for the team lead in plus/minus (+32). Click the link to read a recent interview with Nick Jensen

Kevin Albers (2009), D, Green Bay

Defenseman decent at most everything .. makes fairly hard and crisp passes that are generally on the tape or require very little adjustment .. makes the simple passes but also a threat to spring forwards with a long pass .. wristshot in this viewing was only average, as opposed to Fall Classic .. speed was average in this viewing .. as all Green Bay defensemen do, he allows his gaps to shrink and engages physically, but sometimes his gap in the neutral zone starts out a bit to large .. able to step up and make a big hit .. willing to drop to a knee and block a shot .. 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame leaves him slightly undersized for NHL purposes .. if some veterans are out of the lineup, he sees time on both the powerplay and the penalty kill .. .. an extreme long shot to be selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. uncommitted to a college program .. at Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 5 assists in 38 games.

Robert Shea (2009), D, Green Bay

Playing a physical role and fighting some in 2008-09 .. consistently shows the same game .. lets his gaps shrink, engages physically in the neutral zone or the blueline, and can step up and make some big hits with his stout 5-foot-10, 195-pound frame .. has powerful stops and good lateral movement, which become readily evident on the penalty kill .. consistently gets the puck out of the zone when he clears it, even on the backhand .. generally makes crisp and accurate passes .. has more offensive awareness than stats show .. has decent vision to find teammates over his shoulder and connect with the pass .. will step up into the attack for give-and-goes or pinch if he's in position to be one of the first three attackers .. more than able skating the puck .. did a stand-up job helping a forward filling in at defense in a pinch in one viewing .. an extreme long shot to be taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but won't be surprised to see him emerge as a pro hockey player after college .. committed to Bowling Green .. at Green Bay's 50-game, he mark had 4 goals and 3 assists in 44 games and a team-leading 127 penalty minutes.

Ryan Furne (2009), C, Green Bay

Decent all-around center .. has good offensive vision to find teammates through traffic .. often plays the right point on the powerplay .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. good one-touch passer .. has decent speed and agility to gain zones with the puck .. has a little stickhandling prowess to maintain possession of the puck .. has a hard one-timer .. also has a pretty hard wristshot .. displays good hustle, particularly on the backcheck, where he intercepts passes or strips opponents of the puck .. will engage physically, but isn't aggressively physical .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds .. not amazing in any one area, but a well-rounded player .. late 1989 DOB is an extreme long shot to be taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but deserving of a little recognition .. uncommitted to a college program .. as of Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 16 goals and 19 assists in 49 games.

Michael Merrifield (2009), LW, Green Bay

Probably should have started 2008-09 in the USHL instead of going to Michigan State directly out of the NAHL as a 1990 DOB .. isn't a standout USHLer skill-wise, but uncanny in his ability to put himself in the right place both offensively and defensively .. plays on the both powerplay and the penalty kill .. demonstrates good quickness to loose pucks or on the forecheck .. doesn't have standout acceleration, but the results don't lie, as he's intelligent in the use of the speed he has .. positions himself to make it difficult for the opponent to break the puck out and reads the play well on both the forecheck and the backcheck .. an offensive threat to create plays with nice set-ups or in putting himself in the position to score or knock in a rebound .. able to execute a nice saucer pass .. listed at 5-foot-9, 181 pounds .. probably lulls opponents into a false sense of security .. not that he's slow, but additional speed and strength would help Merrifield fully utilize the hockey sense he appears to have .. an extreme long shot to be drafted due to size, but an intriguing prospect that's a major contributor for Green Bay .. played for Gamblers head coach Jon Cooper with St. Louis Bandits in 2007-08 .. committed to return to Michigan State .. as of Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 18 goals and 12 assists in 28 games .. was pointless in six games with Michigan State before joining Green Bay after the first semester.

Aaron Harstad (2010), D, Green Bay

Wisconsin high school defenseman added to the roster Feb. 6 and started playing for Gamblers in March .. offensive defenseman appears to be adjusting to the USHL fairly well .. makes crisp, hard passes on the tape .. able to make tight switchbacks at speed to evade attackers .. slippery along the boards to emerge with the puck .. adept stickhandler able to handle it wide and bring it across his body with ease .. has a decent slapshot .. able to get very low in his stops and can do so with his skates well out from his center of gravity .. steps up to make hits at the blueline .. also able to stand up opponent thrusting up while skating backwards .. lost his positioning at times and awareness of the play around him, and was absolutely leveled once because of it .. looks primed to be an impact defenseman in the USHL in 2009-10 and a promising prospect for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft .. committed to Colorado College .. as of Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 1 assist in 3 games .. had 23 goals and 21 assists in 24 games for SPASH prior to joining the Gamblers.

Christopher Crane (2010), LW/RW, Green Bay

Puck skills still need work, but looking better .. still loses handle of the puck at times, but now looking more confident with the puck at this pace, making some moves, taking looks, making some plays .. now making some nice switchbacks with the puck and making centering plays from the corners and the end boards .. passing game in the offensive zone is decent, but passing game on the rush still needs work .. dumps and chases and can get it with his hustle .. never stops battling for the puck .. a bit guilty of running on his skates at times .. still plays with a physical edge and can lay out some big hits on the forecheck .. able to get low in his tight coasting turns .. willing combatant if the mitts need to come off .. will need to further improve his hands to earn consideration for 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but his development is moving in the right direction .. committed to Ohio State .. at Green Bay's 50-game mark, he had 9 goals and 7 assists in 41 games and was second in Gamblers penalty minutes with 116.