USHL: Sure-Fire Okposo

Rookie Kyle Okposo leads the USHL with a plus-23 rating and sits tied for fifth in league scoring. Midwest correspondent Max Giese takes a look at the St. Paul, Minnesota native, a top-ten candidate for the 2006 NHL Draft, as well as a number of his Des Moines teammates including Shane Sims, Trevor Lewis, Ben Ryan and Florida draftee Brian Foster.

Kyle Okposo (2006), RW, Des Moines

Will play for the University of Minnesota next fall .. currently leads the USHL with a plus-23 rating .. ultra sturdy and compact on his feet .. boasts a strong first step, gets up to speed quickly .. a dangerous skater with a deceptive change of pace that catches defenders flat-footed, though he lacks that elite top-end separation gear .. tremendous work ethic, always mucking in high-traffic areas and more than willing to physically plow over checkers in order to get to scoring areas .. tenacious, doesn't give up on plays and battles right to end of each shift .. demonstrated all these traits on one particular sequence as he fought through a check in the slot and fired a low wrister that caught the goalie off-guard and went five-hole .. creative player with slick moves .. on one particular play, faked a shot and then pulled the puck outside, drawing the defender over before executing a perfect drop pass to an onrushing teammate .. works hard on the PK - made two strong clearances and a nifty steal from the opposing pointman .. uncanny ability to take the puck from traffic and turn it into an offensive chance .. shows a mean edge as well - when taking a hit, often squares up and will try and give more than he receives .. proven himself a candidate to go top 10 in the draft, particularly for a club looking for an honest forward who offers a bit of everything.

Shane Sims (2006), D, Des Moines

Not a flashy defenseman but a physical one who consistently makes strong plays .. a sturdy, all-around skater with strong agility and balance .. competes every shift, battles hard one-on-one .. laid one opponent out with a nice open-ice hit at his blueline .. not an end-to-end threat as he doesn't like to skate the puck up, but a safe and steady puckmover nevertheless .. shows some offensive touch to his game and also upside as a powerplay specialist - boasts a powerful one-timer which is heavy and accurate .. makes calm outlet decisions, shows good patience and the maturity of a veteran in all zones .. strong upper body .. shows a good burst to the outside and can protect the puck and fire a hard shot while moving .. consistently burned defenders by getting a step outside - nearly won the game in overtime in this manner only to have his centering pass pokechecked away by the goalie .. doesn't possess the softest hands nor is he a dangler, yet is still hard to dispossess due to his solid protection skills .. showed excellent hustle late in the game, winning a puck battle at his blueline, and, with seconds left in regulation, winning a clutch foot race to give his team one last offensive-zone faceoff .. a dependable two-way presence who contributes in all areas, yet isn't particularly special in any one way.

Trevor Lewis (2006), C, Des Moines

An excellent skater with an elite first-step burst and very good top speed .. loves to use his speed to go end to end and is dangerous outside .. possesses slick hands and clever inside-outside moves that can fake out defensemen .. confident puckhandler, will try moves that others wouldn't dare .. takes advantage of his long reach to dangle around defenders .. demonstrated impressive playmaking creativity as well - on one play, he sold a defender that he was going to net and then quickly dished off a perfect feed to a linemate .. would benefit from being more aggressive and driving the net more .. despite his combination of speed, skills and reach, he tends to be more of a perimeter player .. still gets his goals though as he boasts a heavy wristshot that explodes off his stick, and can be dangerous in close to goal as he displays good accuracy .. however, the game seems to come at him fast .. not the smartest player nor is he a pure playmaker .. more of a speed demon who gets his points off the rush with his wrist shot .. disappears for stretches when the game slows down and requires smarts and physicality .. works hard in the corners though and isn't a softy .. came on more as the game progressed, threw one nice hit later on.

Ben Ryan (2007), C, Des Moines

Committed to Notre Dame for '07-8 .. boasts a quick first step and a nice burst of speed out of the gate .. strong agility, gets low in his stride and gets a good push .. top speed isn't anything special however .. not dangerous to the outside but doesn't need to be as he's a savvy puckhandler who distributes the puck well .. possesses strong hands more then soft .. not a pure dangler but excels at keeping possession utilizing quick moves .. can move the puck from the boards into the slot and won't hesitate to drive the puck into scoring areas .. falls back and plays defense on the powerplay and runs it well .. displays the instincts of a goal scorer .. can catch goalies off-guard as he owns a slick release and excellent shooting quickness .. fairly accurate shooter, although this is an area that could stand improvement .. displays impressive vision, sees the ice well .. will attempt risky plays which often pay off .. willing to throw a hit and actively battle in traffic .. hardworking on the forecheck and finishes his checks, though isn't a natural power forward .. makes mature decisions with the puck and can lead the rush out of his zone .. a strong forward with plenty of drive and good playmaking abilities.

Aaron Palushaj (2007), LW, Des Moines

A creative two-way player who looks to set up his linemates .. a shifty, agile skater, light on his feet .. glides effortlessly around the ice and shows decent speed though lacks an elite top-end gear .. change gears and directions quickly though .. possesses soft hands, dangerous one on one as he boasts a nice inside-out move .. especially dangerous in close to goal or as a playmaker from the outside .. not the sturdiest of skaters however .. sent it on a clear breakaway by Okposo but seemed to get a head of himself, lost his footing and fell .. excels at carrying the puck behind the net and looking for passing lanes, finding his man more often than not .. the type of player who makes life easier on his linemates due to his strong two-way sense .. gives an honest effort, willing to go into corners though is mainly pushed around .. could use better balance and leg strength .. able to control the pace of a game at times with his skill and playmaking imagination.

Brian Foster (Fla), G, Des Moines

Committed to the University of New Hampshire for next fall .. strong fundamental goaltender with impressive positioning from the butterfly .. likes to challenge shooters 1-on-1 .. not a flashy goalie .. maintains position and is very calm and poised .. no unneeded movements, quite economical .. always square to the shooter .. shows a strong lateral push where he seamlessly shifts into the butterfly after pushing off .. adept at getting square to point shots so that tips or deflections just hit him .. made one beautiful leg save to foil a breakaway bid .. always goes down on shots .. takes everything away down low but is susceptible up high, especially blocker side .. compensates by challenging shooters and keeping his shoulders upright, but can get exposed in tight .. displays fine rebound control and a strong, fast glove which he actively uses to manage rebounds .. doesn't handle the puck much if at all .. just a solid technician with poise and positional sense, though appears to perhaps lack that 'specialness' which sets the NHL ones apart.