USHL: Keeping up with Danny and the Daniels

Several prospects that have been drafted by NHL teams are spending this season in the USHL. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese looks at a few of the best, including twin brothers Justin and Drew Daniels who were both selected by the San Jose Sharks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Max Nicastro, Drew Olson and Danny Kristo.

Justin Daniels (SJ), C, Sioux City Musketeers

Finesse playmaker with an intriguing skill set, but one that severely needs to add strength to be able to handle the higher levels of play .. swift skater that boasts good speed with the puck and long strides .. has soft hands and rangy puckhandling skills that stimulate his ability to be slippery in congested areas and escape out of them in possession .. his outstanding vision and patience stand out most from his game, as he's a terrific playmaker that is averaging nearly an assist a game .. one dimensional at this time in the way he always looks to pass and he must begin to take the puck to the net himself and shoot more .. defensively comes deep into his own zone to support in coverage and his marking skills are adequate on the backcheck, although he must increase his level of focus and begin to sustain proper defensive positioning .. not scared or timid about the physical game, however he routinely gets pushed around and knocked off his feet because of his scrawny build .. receiving decent icetime and is a fixture on the powerplay .. adding more strength is the key to future success.

Drew Daniels (SJ), RW, Sioux City Musketeers

Was drafted four rounds later than his twin brother and it's easy to see why, as Drew isn't as skilled nor fast as Justin .. adequate skater out of the gates and his stride has decent strength behind it, but unfortunately, he does not possess a dynamic gear .. hands are good enough to allow him to maintain control of the puck in traffic and his shot velocity has some bite, however he is more of a grinder than a skilled forward .. receives time on the penalty kill and he does a good job winning puck battles along the wall to aide in breaking the puck out of his own end .. gritty and physical, Drew's game should begin to blossom once he adds requisite strength.

Max Nicastro (Det), D, Chicago Steel

A strong, all-access skater that lacks finesse puck skills .. owns a strong shot, but he puts it into opponent's legs with frustrating regularity .. can be a train wreck with the puck because he lacks poise in possession and will brain cramp when pressured .. however, Nicastro does display some flashes with the puck at times with a nice passing play or by jumping into the opening seam to get his big shot on net .. physical defender with above-average size and strength, Nicastro needs to understand that less is more at times and must guard himself against being sucked out of position needlessly.

Danny Kristo (Mtl), C, Omaha Lancers

Very quick skater that has the speed with the puck to back defenders off .. hands are equally as fast as his feet, which allows him to make defenders miss in open ice and he packs a quick release on his shot .. problem is he cannot see the ice and dead-ends himself far too often .. tries to accomplish too much on his own and even when he does decide to share the puck, he gets overly fancy and usually just turns it over .. has a great work ethic and is a torpedo on the forecheck, however he needs to become more disciplined on his defensive assignments, as he tends to cheat at times trying to leave the zone early in favor of generating an offensive opportunity off the rush .. brings it every game and every shift, you just wish he was smart as he is fast.

Drew Olson (CBJ), D, Omaha Lancers

Looks like a football player on skates and Olson is definitely more of a running back or a linebacker than he is a quarterback .. still needs to work on his mobility, although his feet are getting quicker and his acceleration has improved .. swiftly gains speed out of his turns when carrying the puck and this enables him to escape oncoming pressure with consistency .. owns a cannon for a shot, which gets him time on the powerplay where he acts as the triggerman .. error prone when moving the puck because he doesn't see the ice well and his decision-making is poor, as he's much more effective lugging it up ice than passing it .. does not have prototypical height but he's very thick and is an aggressive physical defender with a healthy snarl and a knack for landing thunderous open-ice bodychecks.