USNTDP: Jack of All Trades

Notes on 11 USNDTP prospects eligible for 2004-2006 drafts, including bluechippers Jack Johnson (2005) and Phil Kessel (2006). Find out about Dan Frtische’s brother, Tom, and what he brings to the table.

Jack Johnson (2005), D

Looks to have grown considerably since being measured at 6-0 .. an exciting offensive defenseman who loves to rush the puck .. displays a very fluid skating stride and an excellent top speed .. quick first step in all directions .. moves very well laterally .. shows outstanding instincts rushing puck, anticipates opponents’ moves well and is able to dodge players with ease due to his excellent agility .. handles the puck with a sort of airy confidence .. consistent physical presence, threw several hard body checks .. has a booming shot from the point .. will need to be more careful coming out of his end as he attempted several high risk passes, several led to excellent chances for the opposition .. possesses enough speed and defensive smarts to come back when he does make a mistake .. an excellent prospect for the 2005 draft.

Geoff Paukovich (2004), C

Big, mean center with excellent power forward potential .. possesses adequate skating ability for such a big man .. top speed is above average and very good for a player with his size. .. lacks an explosive first step, has roughly three stride acceleration into his top speed .. agility is deceiving, looks a lot slower making cuts than he really is .. showed good, quick breaks .. excellent passer, exhibits good instincts anticipating plays; made effective passes at full speed, delivered a nifty backhand feed from behind the net onto a teammate’s stick .. handles the puck very well, not flashy but gets the job done .. very strong lower body and extremely tough to knock off the puck .. loves the physical aspect of the game, throws his body around any chance he gets .. a bone crushing hitter .. good upper body strength .. effective with his size in front of the net, although lacks quick hands when attempting to get his stick on rebounds .. had an excellent night in the face-off circle winning many more than he lost .. excellent potential as a physical playmaking center .. committed to Denver College.

Phil Kessel (2006), C

Fearless driving to the net .. solid balance, very strong on the puck .. has a booming release and shot .. above average top speed .. excellent agility and great skating instincts heading into traffic .. shows consistency at making plays at full speed .. outstanding puck handling ability; shows quick hands and controls it well through traffic .. got into a feisty exchange in the corner and shows that he doesn’t back down .. might be the early candidate for number one in the 2006 draft.

Kevin Porter (2004), RW

Smooth skater .. displays excellent top speed, has an extra breakaway gear which goes well with his excellent acceleration as he is able to turn on the jets and pull away in tight races .. has a quick first step from the still position, very quick feet around goal .. displays excellent agility, very shifty when handling the puck .. shows off an impressive spin-around move and then promptly unleashed the puck .. quick release on the wrist shot with good power .. Possesses strong stick handling abilities and a quick set of hands .. has a tendency to over handle the puck at times and get too fancy .. outstanding at carrying the puck through traffic; shows excellent instincts on deciding on areas of location .. displays excellent patience and confidence with puck in offensive zone .. exhibits terrific decision making under pressure .. creative playmaker who is very smart picking his spots .. relentless on the forecheck and gives a solid effort in both zones .. committed to Michigan

Joe Grimaldi (2004), D

Very fluent skater .. showed average top speed as he is adequate in most situations but is vulnerable in fast rushes .. gambled at the offensive blue line; opponent took the puck up ice at full speed; Grimaldi was unable to close the gap and lagged behind .. surprising first step laterally; able to quickly cut off angles .. adequate speed in reverse .. very smooth in transition from one direction to another .. makes a crisp first pass, sees the ice well and is able to accurately hit teammates through traffic .. quick thinker offensively with the puck, able to play a high octane game, shows good instincts, rarely making a bad play .. good passer from the point, anticipates scoring chances close to the goal .. enjoys throwing his weight around, very solid hitter, attempts to throw several big hits a game .. loves to step into guys coming across his blue line .. solid presence in his own zone; excellent with his stick around his own goal, showed good panic instincts not making unintelligent decisions when pursued hard by a forechecker.

Matt Auffrey (2004) RW

Has average top speed .. displayed excellent stopping ability .. well balanced and tough to knock around .. excellent acceleration into his top speed, is at full flight in just a couple steps .. a very good passer on open ice but lacks passing instincts and the vision to see plays through traffic .. smart in offensive zone, generally makes the best play available and doesn’t attempt to create high risk opportunities .. showed excellent athletic ability, while handling the puck he fell down but still got shot away .. Good hand-eye coordination .. possesses a booming slap shot and a quick release .. somewhat lacking work ethic away from the puck; doesn’t forecheck as effectively as we would like to see from a guy with his physical makeup .. needs to work harder to create chances with his size instead of relying on his smaller teammates to get him the puck .. a consistent physical presence but his hits aren’t overly hard and he often throws them at inopportune times, such as when the puck has already left the zone .. shows good determination when he has an offensive opportunity .. seems to lack hockey sense in general game situations .. made unintelligent plays out of the zone in the defensive end… committed to Wisconsin.

Tom Fritsche (2005), LW

Fearless forward who plays with a style somewhat similar to his brother Danny .. possesses excellent top speed .. very agile, able to make quick cuts at top speed .. needs to add strength both to his upper and lower body as at this point he is easily knocked around .. shows excellent heart, skating at full speed to the net and straight into heavy traffic .. has a quick release and an accurate wrist shot .. very exciting player to watch; his game is all about speed and determination… committed to Ohio State.

Chad Kolarik (2004), C

Skates effortlessly at top speed .. moves low to ice in a crouched position at full flight .. excellent two step acceleration .. has an extra gear and is able to create space between himself and a defender in fast break situations .. very agile; able to make cuts at full speed .. good transition from forwards to lateral .. terrific playmaking abilities; able to get his pass off at top speed; shows good instincts spotting plays through traffic .. very patient, delivers passes at the right opportunities .. outstanding puck carrier, moves with it well into traffic and at full speed .. shows off quick hands and nifty dekes .. has a very accurate shot with some extra mustard .. will need to work on his defensive game .. solid positionally defensively, although he often makes questionable decisions with the puck in his own end .. committed to Michigan.

Brett Bevis (2004), D

Possesses a smooth skating stride and above average top speed .. very agile and has quick feet around the net .. well balanced with good lower body strength .. quick first step and above average acceleration into his top speed .. excellent lateral movement, able to cut to the side and fill up hole quickly .. smooth transition from forwards to backwards .. excellent reach and poke check .. Has an accurate point shot but lacks power .. somewhat lacking in defensive instincts in his own end .. fumbled the puck several times near the goal, often making impulsive feeds out of his end without taking much of a glance.

Jack Skille (2005), RW

Displayed excellent patience and confidence with puck .. very fluent skater; displayed excellent top speed .. made a beautiful play; skating forwards, he made the transition to backwards and, as he skated into the slot, waited for the goalie to overcommit, firing a laser-accurate shot into the top corner, showing impressive patience and smarts .. excellent shot accuracy .. fully willing to use his frame to gain position .. consistent hitter who enjoys throwing his weight around when the opportunity arises.

Nathan Davis (2004), LW

Has an excellent top speed and a quick fist step .. very gifted handling puck at top speed .. a good passer in ordinary situations but displayed a tendency to be impulsive and inaccurate at top speed .. shows a great effort, constantly fore checking and throwing his weight around .. a very hard hitter… committed to Miami (OH).