USHS Update: Minnesota

With the holiday break comes the Schwan Cup tournament in Minnesota, showcasing the top teams in the state and quite a few NHL prospects.

Ryan Mcdonagh (D) - Senior - Cretin Durham Hall

Widely considered the best player in the state .. A possible first round draft pick .. Injured in the tournament semi-final, will miss a few games with a separated shoulder .. Strong skating defenseman who is also a prolific scorer .. Considered an offensive defenseman, but is still a great defender .. Understands how to use size to move smaller players around .. One of the best at not letting players get between him and the puck .. Excellent hands and stick-handling skills, likes to pull a nifty spin move on offense .. An exciting player to watch on offense who is not afraid to come in from the blue line and make things happen close to the net .. Uses his slapshot much more effectively than his wrist shot .. A very powerful skater who is difficult to slow down and nearly impossible to stop or put on the ice .. Very creative with the puck, is a highlight type player on offense.

Nick Larson (F) - Senior - Hill-Murray

Nick is tall and thin, but skates with a grace and fluidity very rare among players his size. He uses his long strides to his advantage and can get up and down the ice as fast as any high school player .. Possesses strong puck handling skills which bodes well with his explosive speed .. His wrist shot is less than lethal, but most of his goals come from odd man rushes and loose pucks in front .. Has a very refined game which makes him an attractive prospect for scouts .. Has the tools to become a solid NHL player someday.

Taylor Matson (F) - Senior - Academy of Holy Angels

Hard working forward with incredible speed, yet is always one of the most physical skaters on the ice .. To watch Matson with the puck in open ice is a thing of beauty .. A natural scorer who is always looking for an opportunity to go to the net .. Plays with a fire that makes him stand out from peers .. Constantly in the right place at the right time, a result of how hard he works without the puck .. Very fluid in his skating, can also change directions on a dime .. Uses the slapshot very sparingly, but can rip one with anyone .. Recovers well from hits and is very difficult to put on the ice .. Mid-range wrist shot needs work. If he can get that going, with the number of shots he's able to generate, he can be a truly special player.

Tommy O'Donnell (F) - Junior - Bloomington Jefferson

Strong skater with good speed .. Still being out muscled by older and bigger players, will need to hit the weights to become a good player outside of high school hockey .. While he doesn't crush any bones, he's not afraid to mix things up .. Once he becomes stronger and puts on weight, will be a valuable physical presence .. Good shot, could use a bit more firepower .. Can get flat footed on defense, leading to excess stick work. This needs to be cleaned up, as he is feeling the wrath of new emphasis on stick work penalties .. Used sparingly on special teams, probably because of lack of physical presence.

Jake Hansen (F) - Junior - White Bear Lake

Jake is a fiery player with a good blend of skill and zeal .. Very creative and with his stick handling, making flashy moves and jukes .. Stays on his skates very well, especially for a tall skater .. Keeps a low center of gravity when skating .. Does not have exceptional speed, but he is an efficient skater who goes from point A to point B without wasting much movement .. Ends up on the rush a lot despite mediocre speed, and the game is completely different when he is on the ice .. Should rack up impressive point totals wherever he goes. He has a knack not only for scoring goals but finding teammates in the right places, and has great hands and vision.

Josh Levine (F) - Senior - Bloomington Jefferson

Explosive forward with a knack for finding open ice and capitalizing with his natural skills .. Hard working, has a nose for the puck .. Not real flashy, but dangerous whenever he has the puck .. Incredibly fluid skater .. Hard worker in the defensive zone, but needs to get from blue line to blue line quicker .. Constantly moving towards crease, always looking to make things happen .. Has yet to commit to a college, but is a bright student and insiders expect him to go to an Ivy League school.

Chase Polacek (F) - Senior - Academy of Holy Angels

Crafty player with good speed and great hands .. Has a quick, hard wrist shot and is very skilled at creating open shots for himself .. A bit tentative on the forecheck, and needs to ratchet up his aggressiveness all around .. Gets pushed around a bit in front of the net, needs to get a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger before he is ready for college game or juniors .. Shows brilliant flashes of speed in the open ice .. Seems to be missing a killer instinct around the net, needs to sniff around for rebounds more instead of floating around the face-off circle .. Has a quick wrist shot that is lethal when unobstructed .. Very fluid in his movements

John Lee (D) - Moorhead

Powerful, hardworking defenseman who has a knack for getting in the way .. Has an impressive poke check but is quick to put a body on anyone within a ten foot radius. Leads the penalty kill and is a force around the goal. Very good at setting up break-aways and finding forwards across the rink .. Does not have an abundance of offensive skill, but still generates scoring because of his vision on the ice.

Bryan Brutlag (D) - Senior - Academy of Holy Angels

Skilled defenseman with good lateral movement .. a cool head on the ice, is a clear leader and directs the offense from the blue line .. remarkably quick between the blue lines, is almost always the first defender back .. Does not have much in terms of shooting ability, but will never have a problem racking up assists because is a very smart passer with great vision at the point .. Is on the ice more than anyone else on the team, and shows a strong sense of when to conserve energy on the ice, which should not be mistaken for laziness.

Jordy Christian (F) - Moorhead

Solid all-around player, not outstanding in any facet of the game but has few, if any, true weaknesses .. Sometimes releases from the defensive zone prematurely, leading to some defensive mistakes. However, this aggressiveness is a big part of his game and he is responsible for a good percentage of his team's odd man rushes .. Has a strong wrist shot and excellent breakaway moves.