USHL: Steel Manufacturing Prospects

Chicago Steel defenseman John Moore gets and deserves all of the accolades, as he's likely going to be the first player drafted out of the USHL come June. However, there are several other quality prospects playing for Chicago. McKeen's director of scouting Max Giese provides this report on several Steel prospects, including Philip Samuelsson (pictured), who has a good chance of being drafted this year.

Philip Samuelsson (2009), D, Chicago Steel

Physical defenseman that brings it and always gives that second effort .. a good defender that competes hard every shift and his burgeoning nasty streak in front of his own net is beginning to show .. skating is the main deterrent right now with his game and he is going to need to work hard on improving his footwork .. how hard he competes and his overall awareness on the ice helps mask some of his skating flaws, but they do get exposed time to time .. all of his plays on the puck are hard, as his shot is heavy and he puts some zip on his passes, but he needs to work on his finesse .. as the season progressed, Samuelsson has become more assertive with the puck and has made gains in both his vision and decision making .. he's seeing a consistent shift on the powerplay, although his offensive upside is limited .. has developed the ability to break up plays defensively and then transition the puck to offense .. committed to a great program in Boston College, is getting stronger, and the progress he has made this season should have him being drafted in the mid-to-later rounds.

Jamie Oleksiak (2011), D, Chicago Steel

The youngest player on the Chicago Steel, Oleksiak's vast potential is synonymous with his colossal height .. has some raw talent, but he lacks in-tight skills .. a knock-kneed ankle skater that can move gracefully for a big man once he gains momentum in the open ice, although he lacks quickness and agility right now .. skating could become a strength of his once he grows into that large body .. utilized this season as both a winger and a defenseman, but his upside is on defense because of his great reach and the fact that he's a stopper, not a scorer .. his reads are fine, but he seems to lack confidence in them .. definitely a player to watch going forward.

Kevin Lind (2010), D, Chicago Steel

His maturity and size for a 1992-born defender puts his name favorably in the minds of scouts when thinking ahead to next years draft .. he's become one of the Steel's most reliable defenders and his icetime is growing with each viewing .. at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Lind has the size that scouts covet and has displayed a good amount of toughness by standing up for his teammates .. all around, a solid skater for a kid of his size and his ability to translate to the USHL so quickly substantiates his hockey sense .. keeps things simple with the puck and projects more as a stay-at-home type.

Armand DeSwardt (2009), RW, Chicago Steel

At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, DeSwardt owns the type of size that gets noticed by NHL scouts .. periodically attempts to play a big mans game along the wall, but his poor balance and lack of core strength prevents him from being successful .. doesn't skate or think the game all that well, as he's consistently chasing after the play and he must upgrade his quickness .. consistently a minus player and his defensive game is lackluster .. the puck too often dies on his stick .. doesn't deserve to be drafted this year.

Max Nicastro (Det), D, Chicago Steel

Can be a real horse on the ice when his head is in the right place, but his consistency has been lacking all season long .. he's a big and strong kid that can really dish out the punishment when he's playing aggressive and asserting himself physically .. one of the top defenders in the USHL when he's playing with a healthy nastiness to his game, trouble is, these games are too far and few in between .. his offensive totals have enjoyed a steady upswing this year, but his upside is that of a defensive defenseman that can play physical and kill penalties.

Mark Goggin (Bos), C, Chicago Steel

Has only played in a dozen games for the Steel so far this season and is clearly taking some time to adjust to the pace of the USHL .. fairly quick and agile with good individual skills .. not all that big and struggles physically, although he does play in traffic .. appears to think he has more time than he really does and is trying to make that one last move instead of making the right play and moving the puck .. hasn't been able to successfully make plays in the passing game .. it's easy to identify that he has some intrinsic offensive qualities to his game, but right now he's in the process of figuring out the league and how to become a productive player.