USHL: The Ice Harvest

The Indiana Ice is a team that is garnering a lot of interest from NHL scouts, as the team boasts the USHL's top-draft-eligible prospect in John Carlson, currently ranked 29th on McKeen's Preliminary Rankings. The Ice also has the most impressive player already drafted in the USHL this season in Colorado Avalanche prospect Paul Carey.

John Carlson (2008), D, Indiana Ice

Big puck-moving defenseman with exceptional poise and skill with the puck .. adequate skater with a stable stride that stimulates his sound footwork and nimble lateral movement that he uses well on the point to open shooting lanes .. owns a nice straight line burst of speed when in possession of the puck and he should become a good skater once he matures into his body, as he just needs to upgrade his quickness and first step .. great puck distributor with exceptional puck poise, striking vision, and sublime offensive creativity that can quarterback the powerplay and make an accurate headman pass .. can pace the game to his liking and displays the patience to allow the play to develop before making an outlet pass .. likes to jump or lead the rush on his own and he picks his spots astutely rarely being caught up the ice .. possesses a heavy right-handed shot that he keeps low and gets on net thanks to his minimal wind up .. mixed bag defensively, as while he's a smart defender that controls his gaps well and can be seen barking out orders in his own end to his teammates, he is also guilty of being lethargic in front of his own net and he must begin to use his size more as a defensive asset.

Stepan Novotny (2009), C/LW, Indiana Ice

Skilled and fast big man with a hard shot .. recently joined the Indiana Ice after beginning the season with Shattuck St. Mary, representing the Czech Republic at the World U-18's, and committing the University of Denver .. skilled skater with great feet for a big kid along with a powerful first step .. gets great use out of his edges, which aides his commanding all-access mobility and sharp stride .. possesses very quick and supple hands along with a pro-caliber snapshot that is accurate and heavy .. dangerous one-on-one but he is guilty of over handling the puck at times .. uses his size effectively while on the puck but he needs to develop an edge away from the puck and hit somebody .. strong two-way performer that does not cheat on his defensive assignments and is already receiving time on the penalty kill where he displays his mature defensive awareness .. a bit selfish at times but once he figures the game out, he is going to be a blue-chip prospect.

Paul Carey (Col), RW, Indiana Ice

Natural goal scorer with great hands and offensive instincts .. lacks a top gear and top-end quickness however, he is sturdy on his feet and he owns a deceiving lateral burst of speed that can catch the opposition off guard .. possesses phenomenal hand skill, as he can creatively dangle with the best of them and his ability to control the puck in close while the opposition is all over him is special .. owns a great shot and he does not need much time or space to unleash it thanks to his slick release .. has that sixth sense that all goal scorers possess, as the puck just seems to find him in prime scoring areas .. can move the puck well when he is in the sharing mood but he over handles the puck at times .. underrated prospect that could be a mid-round steal, as he just needs to improve his speed and defensive play.

Nick Bailen (2008), D, Indiana Ice

Small but feisty two-way defenseman .. crisp all-access skater with a compact stride .. possesses adequate skill with the puck, as he sees the ice well and executes an accurate first pass with consistency .. plays the pest role well and despite his diminutive stature, he can land some devastating open-ice hits .. fake toughness is a concern, as he loves to dish out the hits but shies away from taking them and can be easily overpowered around his own net .. will likely go un-drafted, as he does not stand out in anyone particular aspect of the game and is quite small.

Scott Darling (Phx), G, Indiana Ice

Colossal goaltender with intriguing athleticism and confidence .. stand-up goaltender with a lively glove hand that relies on reflexes instead of positioning .. good skater that moves around his crease with ease and one that likes to play the puck proactively .. has the dexterity and flexibility along with the moxie needed to progress to higher levels of play ..mechanically, he needs some work, as he holds his blocker to high and he is surprisingly fragile down low despite his massive frame .. needs to upgrade his rebound control and at times, he goes down to early .. needs to challenge the shooter with more consistency, as at times, he's well beyond his crease playing his angles well and at others he succumbs to heavy traffic in front and drifts to deep into his crease .. Maine recruit is comparable to Ben Bishop for his size and athletic ability, but he is still a long ways away.

Ben Blood (Ott), D, Indiana Ice

Big and mature two-way defenseman that will need to upgrade his mobility .. technically sound skater with proper mechanics to his stride, however he is heavy footed and will need to upgrade his quickness, especially in transition where the opposition can beat him to the outside too frequently in the open ice .. sees the ice well and makes smart passes on the point and on the breakout .. possesses good hand skill and a nice low point shot that he gets on net with ease thanks to his superb shot selection .. smart defender with superb gap control and angling ability .. solid prospect that plays beyond his years, as while he is not an elite player in any one area of the game, he also does not have any glaring weaknesses besides his lack of quickness.

Brent Gwidt (Wsh), LW, Indiana Ice

Big and quick two-way winger who displays a willingness to conform to a team game and work hard away from the puck .. skating is no longer an issue, as his quickness and agility have been vastly upgraded .. lacks a great top gear because of his short and choppy strides but his speed is actually above average thanks to his lightning-quick foot speed .. working much harder this season away from the puck, as his motor is now non-stop and he's using his big frame to compete hard one-on-one for loose pucks .. has morphed into a sound penalty killer with good marking skills and overall defensive zone coverage .. still has some hidden skill to him, such as his quick hands and ability to make a creative play off the rush .. stock is once again on the rise as he has improved in every facet of the game that he needed to.

Matt Hoyle (2008), G, Indiana Ice

Harvard recruit boasts impressive statistics but does not appear to be an NHL prospect .. does a good job using his big frame and quick glove hand to swallow up far-range shots and uses his stick well to direct pucks to the corners .. struggles with shots in tight and despite owning a big frame he does not cover the net well, as he plays too deep inside his crease .. his footwork leaves much to be desired, as he struggles often to get set for the shot because of his weak lateral movement .. would need a winch to get him up after he goes down on the initial shot, as his recovery speed is horrid .. seems to be rattled to easily and gets down on himself if things do not go well early .. likely will not be drafted this season, as both his athleticism and technical skills are sub par.