WAHA State Playoffs: Strang Theory

Wisconsin Badger Recruits Cody Strang and Matt Paape are both skillful players with good upside. They are worthy of NHL interest but teams will have go gauge whether they are comfortable spending a pick on a player that faced weak competition all season. McKeen's director of scouting Max Giese was in Middleton Wisconsin for the WAHA State Playoffs and filed notes on Strang, Paape and several of their teammates.

Cody Strang (2009), C, Team Wisconsin U-18's/ Edgewood

This Wisconsin Badgers recruit was named the Wisconsin High School player of the year and he's also a division-1 caliber golfer, meaning next year will be his first focusing solely on hockey .. boasts open-ice speed and the type of acceleration that allows him to gain separation on opponents with just two strides .. his shot won't overpower goaltenders, but he smartly places it .. there is a certain level of elusiveness to him because of the way he can see the ice and how he instinctively knows where he wants to go with the puck before he receives it .. on the point for the powerplay .. also killed penalties where he did an effective job pressuring and angling away the puckcarrier .. adept in the faceoff circle .. showed some bite here, as the opponents attempted to physically take him off his game, but he responded with a dominant offensive display and he even got dirty with a few whacks of his own behind the play.

Matt Paape (2009), RW, Team Wisconsin U-18's/ Appleton United

His stellar anticipation is what stands out the most from his repertoire, as he's one of those players that has a sixth sense for being where the puck is heading .. quick and agile skater, but it's his cleverness with the puck that makes him so dangerous .. his skilled hands work in his unison with his feet, which enables him to effortlessly evade defenders .. has good finish and moves when in alone on the goaltender .. scores with his quick and compact release, plus he's a creative distributor .. on the penalty kill, he showcased good puck pursuit and did a nice job at using his stick to clog passing lanes .. undersized and is playing against a poor level of competition, which will hurt his chances of being drafted this year .. committed to the Wisconsin Badgers and his USHL rights are held by Sioux City.

Alex Amundson (2009), D, Team Wisconsin U18's/ Brookfield Central

A gangly defenseman that efficiently moves the puck .. the strength of his game is his ability to make the first pass .. his vision and poise allow him to make stick-to-stick passes while under duress .. fairly skilled and does a nice job working the point on the powerplay .. not a dynamic skater that can evade pressure or create new lanes, but his feet are pretty nimble and he moves well considering his size and how much physical maturation is due to come .. consistently finesses shots through traffic and on net .. good defensive work down low, although he needs to get stronger and become more physical .. projects as a steady defender at the next level.

Nolan Kirley (2010), D, Team Wisconsin U-18's/ Hayward

A robust skater with strong all-access mobility .. already plays a mans game and his physicality is unrivaled by anyone else playing Wisconsin High School Hockey .. Kirley is a mean and aggressive defenseman that loves to punish opponents .. his hockey-sense is going to be challenged at the higher levels of play and while he can put the puck on a rope at times, his offensive upside is limited.

Wes Wauters (2009), RW, Team Wisconsin U-18's/ Ashwaubenon

Has good size, hands, and scoring ability .. owns an attractive stride with some burgeoning speed .. needs to assert himself more, as he tends to just circle around most shifts waiting for his linemates to create something for him to finish.

Shayne McLaughlin (2010), D/RW, Team Wisconsin U-18's/ Eau Claire Memorial

Was a highly regarded prospect just a year ago, but he's had a rough year and has changed positions .. now playing on defense and doesn't seem sure of himself on the ice .. his skating is smoothening out, but he still lacks quickness .. was periodically placed back on the wing so he could plop his big frame in front of the net on the powerplay .. has a big shot .. will need to rebound next year.

Alex Racino (2011), LW, Team Wisconsin U-16's/ Merrill

A pro-style forward with good size and skill .. Racino is a big boy that is naturally a strong skater, although he needs to quicken his feet .. skates low and wide with a good edge base .. shields the puck well and does his best work cycling it below the hash marks along the wall .. difficult for defenders to contain when he comes off the wall and attacks the net .. more of a finisher than a playmaker, although he does a nice job drawing opponents to him before distributing off the puck .. orchestrates some nice give and go's before he drives the net .. works well offensively without the puck in the open ice .. terrible defensive player that doesn't understand the concept of team defense .. rarely comes to his own side of the redline with commitment.

Max McCormick (2010), C, Team Wisconsin U-16's/ Green Bay Notre Dame

Definitely NCAA material, McCormick has the skating, skill, and hockey sense to develop into a fine player, all he needs right now is more strength .. a creative playmaker that can thread the needle and he can shoot too .. intelligent pivot that sees the ice well .. already has some speed and it will only increase with more strength .. competes and isn't hesitant to play in traffic, although he's quite skinny right now and won't survive at the next level until he commits himself to bulking up .. defensively, he reads the play well and kills penalties, although his feet stop moving at times and this leads to errant stick fouls.

Joe Fiala (2011), D, Team Wisconsin U-16's/ Verona

His skating wasn't so bad here at this stage against kids his own age, as his skating form is fine and he just needs to quicken his feet and strengthen his strides more .. defensively he controls gaps well and maintains an active stick, although he needs to add some upper body strength and become more physical .. defensively, he likes to collapse and guard his net, although his crease coverage is unorthodox, as it looks as if he's trying to cover up the puck like a goalie .. has good hands, size, and sees the ice well .. moves the puck with poise, although his decision making is curious at times.

Ryan Dau (2011), RW, Team Wisconsin U-16's/ Hudson

Did a nice job providing energy to the lineup .. has some speed with decent stride strength .. uses a long stick and lacks high-end skill, but he did make a nice pass around the net .. the play seems to find him, which speaks of his intelligence .. skates hard every shift, although he lacks balance.

Jake McCabe (2012), D, Team Wisconsin U-16's/ Eau Claire Memorial

Skilled, puckmoving defenseman with offensive upside .. provides an offensive dimension from the backend .. his skill level skating the puck stands out and he's a smart player that has a good for feel the game .. can quarterback the powerplay and is elusive in the open ice .. has good hand-eye coordination and is active jumping into the offensive rush .. disguises his intentions well before making the pass .. makes bad decisions at times and too often, he's caught up the ice with his man sneaking behind him .. needs a lot of work on the defensive side of the puck.