USHL: His Name is Luca

After finishing dead last in the USHL for two consecutive seasons, the Chicago Steel has emerged as one of the top teams in the Eastern Division this season thanks to the strong play of their promising prospects. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several Steel players including Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick and Swiss import Luca Cunti.

Max Nicastro (2008), D, Chicago Steel

An absolute horse with tremendous athletic ability and character but questionable decision-making skills .. strong skater with a prototypical stride along with swift lateral and backwards mobility you covet in a defenseman .. looks more confident and is displaying mild improvement in making more instinctive decisions with the puck, however he still is prone to coughing up the puck when pressured, which is a troubling habit he is struggling to shake off .. does not own a great shot and is not much of an offensive threat .. for the most part, he makes good defensive reads and is a difficult defender to beat one-on-one thanks to his strength, toughness, and mobility .. needs to understand less is more, as he can get overaggressive playing the body in his own end taking him out of position in the process .. with his great work ethic, range, and character, Nicastro will be a sought after player in the mid rounds of this years draft before moving on to Boston University next fall.

Luca Cunti (TB), C, Chicago Steel

It is easy to see why Tampa Bay took a chance on him in the third round of the 2007 Draft but it is also easy to see why other teams passed on the chance to draft him .. Cunti is an enigma with electrifying skill, although he rarely utilizes his talent to make an impact on the ice, as he is content with floating and taking most shifts off .. elegant skater with a fast change of gears and the ability to effortlessly accelerate passed most defenders .. possesses game-breaking skill with the ability to execute deft touch passes and quickly release his accurate shot .. an absolute dog away from the puck, Cunti is a soft player that is afraid to take a hit while often avoiding the corners and traffic areas .. makes careless mistakes with the puck in the defensive zone and never moves his feet on the backcheck .. committed to St. Cloud, Cunti must improve his work habits to fully harness his talents.

Barron Smith (2009), D, Chicago Steel

The son of former NHLer Steve Smith, Barron is a towering defenseman that is naturally aggressive .. his backwards mobility is notably stronger now and his skating is fine overall considering his size and age .. does not possess much in the way of offensive upside, as he often takes too long to decide where he wants to move the puck or just whacks it away .. strong one-on-one defender that utilizes his engulfing reach well .. vigorous crease-clearing defender with a mean streak and tremendous strength .. currently uncommitted, Smith is well established on scouts radar's and is rumored to be taking his game to the OHL next season where his style of play will be more suited for that type of game.

John Moore (2009), D, Chicago Steel

Highly skilled, puck-moving defenseman that oozes poise with the puck .. such a smooth skater that it makes him deceptively fast, as his stride is noticeably more powerful as the season has progressed .. blessed with soft hands and tremendous on-ice vision, Moore is a great passer that displays tremendous poise while carrying and distributing the puck .. his superb backwards and lateral mobility a long with sound positioning make up for his lack of strength and physicality while defending .. maintains a healthy gap and effectively angles his man to the wall .. previously knocked for his lack of toughness, Moore is now competing well in front of his own net and adding strength over the coming year should help negate that concern .. committed to Colorado College, Moore is a promising young defenseman that is tailored for the way the game is now being played.

Drew LeBlanc (2008), C, Chicago Steel

Passed over at last year's draft, LeBlanc stands an outside shot at being selected this year because of his improved mobility and balance on top of his already established two-way game .. owns a short stride without a great burst to it, however he still can skate past a few defenders carrying the puck through the neutral zone thanks to his ability to handle the puck at full speed and summon his surprising lateral range to elude the opposition .. possesses highly skilled hands with a deft touch and tremendous vision, LeBlanc is much stronger on the puck this season than he was a year ago .. solid defensively, as he is on the ice late in the game to help preserve the lead thanks to his strong faceoff skills and smart defensive reads .. committed to St. Cloud State, if LeBlanc goes undrafted again this year he will remain on scouts' radars as a possible free agent down the road.