USNTDP: Drive Me Frazee

US National Team Development Program's prospects Ryan Stoa and Jeff Frazee are potential first round picks in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. We provide closing in-depth scouting insight on these players and others, including Jason Bailey and Nathan Gerbe.

Ryan Stoa (2005), LW

Big, rangy player with power-forward size .. moves in similar style to Travis Zajac .. slick passer, very adept at dishing from behind the net and into the slot .. hides intentions well before acting as he sues mainly wrists and hands to release the puck .. strong, balanced stride .. not too shifty on his feet .. gets run out of real estate against well-trained checkers .. takes huge, swooping strides; good mobility and turning strength for a man his size .. looks like a power forward when carries the puck, but lacks a physical bite away from it .. not always committed to taking abuse; have seen him shy away at last second .. can get separated from the puck by more tenacious players .. needs a mean streak to accompany impressive package of size, skill and speed .. slick hands in traffic .. slick one-on-one .. can embarrass defenders who watch the puck as he has the ability stickhandle right through them .. loses one-on-one battles due to a lack of intensity .. lets opponents off the hook as he has chances to punish his checks and doesn't .. can be much meaner and tougher to play against.

Jeff Frazee (2005), G

Maintains exceptional body control even in complete splits .. fast glovehand .. unique style .. has rare ability to appear completely out of shape but still somehow come up with the save .. sparkling lateral quickness .. lightning-fast legs .. able to slide across the crease on his knees and pop back up to his feet all in one fluid motion .. superhuman flexibility; extends legs flat and wide to cover low corner bids .. can be a grandstander, making saves look tougher than they really are .. needs to work on his angle play, as he will go down too early at times and expose the upper part of the net .. likes to mix up different styles to keep opponents off guard .. will at times flail on his side to guard close-in attempts .. lies along the ice and uses his legs and glove to block the upper part of the net .. instantly drops to his knees on most shots .. wipes up rebounds instantly .. displays great puck awareness .. acrobatic and fiercely competitive .. never gives up on shooters .. swashbuckling style can get him into positional hot water at times, though he seems to settle down and play a more sedated game when the stakes are highest .. relies on terrific athleticism and anticipation to bail himself out .. can unsettle opponents when he is playing an active game .. rolls, contorts, splashes around and can come up with spectacular saves.

Jason Bailey (2005), RW

Good energy, intensity .. strong skater plays a solid physical game .. pro-type skater with excellent power and balance .. skates through stick checks .. hard-nosed .. needs to refine finishing skills .. tough to play against but still has room to be even more aggressive .. would like to see him hold onto the puck longer and take it at defenders .. possesses size, strength and skating to be an effective power forward at higher levels .. very noticeable when he plays with a bee in his bonnet .. drives hard to the net .. does a lot of wasteful skating at times away from the puck .. zeroes in on his checks and sometimes forgets about the puck .. must upgrade puck skills .. loses control when required to make skilled cuts or turns .. looks good and solid but doesn't accomplish as much as one would expect .. can stop moving his feet and take lazy penalties from time to time.

Brandon Gentile (2005), D

Needs to upgrade passing skills .. first pass and outlet skills are shaky at times .. must learn to protect the puck better .. smooth, long strides .. looks impressive at first glance, but holes start to appear .. positioning to protect goal area can be suspect .. needs to stay in front of his man at all times as he gets overpowered out of the corners .. competes enough but lacks strength to win against bigger foes .. vulnerable to outside speed when defending against the rush .. must learn to match speed of the opposing puckcarrier and consistently take the body.

Nathan Gerbe (2005), LW

Tiny, spunky and spirited .. feet drive like furious pistons .. superb puck control .. receives and gives passes beautifully .. has Brian Gionta-like qualities .. skates full-bore into traffic and bounces right back up after taking his licks .. possesses strong enough survival instincts to avoid getting killed .. takes the full brunt of bigger players and just bounces right off most times .. gutsy, fearless style .. headfirst kind of guy .. durable pinball, chippy, aggressive, throws his body around .. shakes off abuse and keeps coming back for more.

Zach Jones (2005), D

Needs to continue upgrading positional play .. has a tendency against the rush to get pulled off the correct channels .. veers over and leaves his side open .. mobility going forward is much better than backwards.

Justin Mercier (2005), LW

Quick, fluid skater with excellent range .. strong all-around skater .. shows good puckrushing abilities .. surprising change of pace can catch defenders off-guard to the outside .. keeps his feet moving through crossovers .. aggressive and consistent .. strong puck pursuer .. positions himself well and gets his stick into passing lanes .. finishes checks, but still lacks size and strength to do much damage, but the intent is there.