USHL Report: Des Moines Buccaneers

Winger Kevin Irwin and defenseman Ethan Prow lead a pack of Des Moines prospects looking to extend the Buccaneers' impressive list of draft picks in recent NHL Entry Drafts. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to watch Des Moines early in the preseason at the Fall Classic, and enters notes on Irwin and Prow as well as the 2012-eligible Justin Selman, and Atlanta Thrashers draft pick Peter Stoykewych.

Kevin Irwin (2011), LW/RW, Des Moines

Has a good overall skill set .. possesses a powerful stride with good extension .. has good cruising speed with the puck and can weave his way through traffic, particularly through the neutral zone .. has good explosiveness to separate from opponents .. has some shiftiness with the puck and can change gears smoothly .. able to use his speed on the forecheck and the backcheck and in races for the puck .. has confidence with the puck and maintains his composure, even if checked .. demonstrates good offensive vision off the half boards and can connect across the zone .. makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. shows some dangle with the puck .. has decent size at 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds .. has the potential to assume a top-six role for the Buccaneers, but their lines were in significant flux during the preseason .. played for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August .. no college commitment of yet.

Ethan Prow (2011), D, Des Moines

Offensive defenseman who makes more circles than Goodyear .. likes to skate the puck and can build decent speed and weave through traffic .. a slightly upright skater who could get lower and lengthen his stride a bit .. is out of a power position often .. needs more explosiveness to win races for the puck .. regularly spins away from forecheckers deep in his defensive zone .. able to ditch opponents with tight circles with the puck or switchbacks .. able to drag the puck around opponents .. will also utilize spin moves .. typically makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. on occasion, under sustained pressure, he'll make weak passes .. mans the top of the umbrella well on the powerplay and possesses good agility to walk the blueline .. able to fire a hard snapshot and also has a decent wristshot .. will take a bit off of his wristshot for deflection purposes from time to time .. has good speed backward, but his base is too narrow and he relies on crossovers too much .. has decent size at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds .. figures to be a regular on the Des Moines powerplay and to receive regular icetime at even strength .. committed to St. Cloud State.

Justin Selman (2012), C, Des Moines

Played a good two-way game for Des Moines in the preseason .. has good cruising speed with the puck .. able to use his speed to open up opposing defensemen .. generally stays low when skating, although he does drop his chest a bit .. uses his speed on the forecheck, too .. hustles and is often F1 on the forecheck .. finishes his checks and will work in the corners .. also a threat on the backcheck and will make a hit from the side .. has good size already at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds .. displays a little offensive creativity down low and can get a hard shot off from in close .. wins his fair share of faceoffs .. often centered a line with Kevin Irwin on one of the wings .. will be interesting to see how he might compare to former Buccaneer Trevor Lewis during his draft year .. played for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August .. committed to Michigan.

Peter Stoykewych (Atl), D, Des Moines

Strong two-way defenseman with size .. a smooth skater who can skate the puck out of his zone and has decent speed .. very consistent in his breakout passing .. makes smooth, hard, crisp passes that are often right on the tape .. adept at transitioning the puck with his d-partner with hard, crisp passes .. a heads-up stickhandler who is confident and patient with the puck .. stays calm under pressure .. gets fairly low backwards, lets his gaps close, and engages physically .. angles opponents to the boards and rubs them out, but is also a threat to make open-ice hits .. able to thrust up into his checks .. also able to make stick checks but back them up with the body .. has good size at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds .. has a crisp wristshot from the point .. saw icetime in all situations .. Thrashers draft pick could become Des Moines' number one defenseman in 2010-11 .. committed to Colorado College.