USHL: Sioux in the City

The Sioux City Musketeers lost a hard fought, opening-round series to the Tri-City Storm in the Clark Cup Playoffs. The series went the seven games but despite the loss, Max Pacioretty, who is projected to be a first-round selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, had a strong series with 10 points in seven games. Along with Pacioretty, McKeen's reviews several Musketeers who have made an impact this season.

Max Pacioretty (2007), RW, Sioux City

Arguably the best forward available for the 2007 draft out of the USHL and he might get a sniff in the first round for his intriguing blend of size, speed, and playmaking ability .. has great size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds with long limbs and strong lower and upper body strength .. sturdy on his feet and shows good footwork to fend off checks .. has impressive leg strength .. decent agility with good stops and starts .. first step is a bit awkward but once he gains momentum, he has a commanding stride, as he can really fly with a superb top gear .. hands are soft with some impressive quick moves .. strong on his stick and covers the puck well with his big frame .. blessed with exceptional vision and impressive creativity, as he emerges as a gifted playmaker .. can thread the needle with a crisp pass through a small lane and displays good touch, as he can execute a nifty saucer pass in limited space .. owns a quick shot with good velocity .. has a quick release .. accuracy still needs to be upgraded, as he gets his shots on net but does not pick corners .. does a good job stopping at the net for rebounds and is a useful big body in front, to create traffic in front of the goaltender .. started using his size more away from the puck late in the season .. tracks the puck well, as he anticipates the play well and maintains good positioning at both ends of the ice .. backchecks adequately and marks his man well, as he is a decent two-way player .. can get feisty at times but is not a power forward .. committed to Michigan.

Dustin Gazley (2007), RW, Sioux City

Size is the main issue, as he is only 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds but he deserves to be drafted for his great speed and skill .. accelerates rapidly with a quick stride that produces an impressive top gear .. blessed with effortless agility .. dangerous threat in the open ice and excels at beating the defenders to the outside .. has a soft and quick pair of hands .. dangerous one-on-one .. pass first, shoot later type-of- player .. sees the ice very well and shows splendid creativity distributing the puck .. displays a good release with decent velocity and accuracy .. keeps his feet moving while taking a check, which allows him to drive through the opposition despite his small stature .. anticipates the game well and does a good job generating offensive chances off turnovers .. needs to work on his game defensively, as he often leaves the zone too early and does not backcheck hard .. does not mark his man quick enough .. this diminutive but dynamic talent is committed to Michigan State.

Donnie Hallmark (2007), LW, Sioux City

Has played for multiple teams this season but has been a consistent performer at each stop .. gritty winger with a lot of sand paper to his game .. competes well with and without the puck, as he just will not give up on a play .. excels in traffic and plays a hardnosed style of hockey .. not that tall but he is strong .. smart two-way player who gives an honest effort at both ends and is strong in a positional sense .. owns deceptively good hands and he distributes the puck decently .. skating is a downfall, as his stride is fine but he lacks explosiveness .. has an outside chance at being a late-round selection.

Kyle Medvec (Min), D, Sioux City

His best attribute is great size at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds .. has decent upside but he is still extremely raw .. adequate skater moving forward with an okay first step but overall, his stride is lumbering and his agility is rough .. has a great reach with adequate hands .. displays surprisingly good offensive awareness and he is actually better in the offensive zone than the defensive zone .. plays on the first powerplay unit .. defensively he still is caught watching the puck .. plays the body adequately but developing a mean streak would help .. is beaten with speed too often .. still prone to soft plays with and without the puck.

Travis Oleksuk (2007), RW, Sioux City

Possesses a good lateral burst of speed and can deceptively find another gear .. sees the ice well and is an adequate passer .. marks his man quickly and does a decent job executing defensive abilities .. finishes his checks and has an adequate frame .. decent college prospect but is not worthy of being drafted this year.

Dan Wurden (2007), D, Sioux City

Stay at home defenseman with good size but limited upside .. during rare moments he displays good vision with the ability to make a nice first pass however, he does not appear to want the puck and whacks it away as quickly as possible .. has a decent release on his pointshot but it lacks velocity and accuracy .. can be caught watching the puck one-on-one .. sacrifices his body for the team and is a good shotblocker .. does not possess NHL upside.

Eddie Olczyk (2007), C, Sioux City

Small but feisty with a good on-ice work ethic and it is obvious he is a coach's son, as his hockey IQ is strong .. does not possess a top gear but he has a swift stride with good quickness .. does not catch passes well, as the puck bounces off his stick .. at times, he will show a quick shot and has a decent eye for playmaking ability, but those moments are rare, as he is often limited to a third-line role .. finishes every check and shows good puck pursuit with the ability to develop into a pest at the NCAA level .. has an outside chance of being drafted.

Spencer Heichman (2007), RW, Sioux City

Smallest player in the league at 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds, but also the fastest .. has great feet that produce an amazing top gear .. competes hard near the net and shows impressive balance fighting off the opposition to stay on his feet .. has a quick shot with good accuracy .. fearlessly throws his weight around with tremendous puck pursuit .. heart and soul kind of a player that gives a full effort every shift.

Matt Crandell (2007), D, Sioux City

Two-way defenseman who uses his brain over brawn .. very vocal on the ice and is a quarterback at both ends .. mobility is okay but not great .. plays his man astutely one-on-one and maintains a healthy gap at all times .. ties up his man well and does a good job covering the crease area .. does not bring much to the table offensively but he does a good job holding the zone and surprises you with his good release, which produces a heavy and accurate wristshot.