Wildcats Roaring to go!

At the start of the season, the Moncton Wildcats had one goal, and that was to win the QMJHL championship. The additions of Nicolas Deschamps, Gabriel Bourque, Kelsey Tessier, Alex Wall and Spencer Metcalfe gave the team some great depth and they even got a break when the Philadelphia Flyers organization returned goaltender Nicola Riopel to the team. The Wildcats are also getting help from several of their younger players including two possible top-10 picks for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Brandon Gormley and Kirill Kabanov. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti looks at several prospects from the Moncton Wildcats.

Patrick Downe (2010), D, Moncton

Stay at home defenseman .. doesn't try to handle the puck too much, but will immediately pass it to the closest teammate .. plays within his limits .. average skater in terms of speed .. not very graceful, pivots are especially difficult for him .. doesn't quit on opponents once he has them locked-in .. not a physical player but holds his position fairly well .. willing to sacrifice his body to help his team by blocking shots no matter how painful the end result .. due to the teams depth, he does not see much action making it difficult for him to really get his rhythm.

Brandon Gormley (2010), D, Moncton

Strong skater with impressive lateral footwork .. could be more explosive in his first few steps though .. passes are right on the stick, although somewhat predictable .. makes quick decisions with the puck .. uses his size well to angle opponents into the boards and protect the puck .. not rattled when pressured .. in fact, he shows great composure, as if he is considering different options depending on how the play is unfolding in front of him .. consistent in his effort level and overall intensity .. distributes the puck quickly at the point .. doesn't initiate contact very much at all .. ability to think the game makes it possible for him to play a ton of minutes, as he doesn't waste any energy running around the ice.

Kirill Kabanov (2010), LW, Moncton

Dynamic offensive talent with game-breaking ability .. very fluid skater who can pick up speed in only a few strides .. lateral movement is very impressive on either side .. great stickhandler who is not only able to protect the puck well but able to either shoot or pass the puck without warning .. seems to always find open spaces in the offensive zone and quick enough to take advantage of them .. able to make tape-to-tape passes in heavy traffic .. has to start showing at least some commitment to his defensive play .. does really support his teammates down low but will instead stay high and attempt to cut-off passes so he can take advantage of scoring opportunities.. had wrist surgery in November that sidelined him until mid-February .. at his most effective when playing a free-flowing-offensive-style but not sure how he can play in a tightly structured environment due to his tendency to play a selfish game.

Alex Saulnier (2010), C, Moncton

Plays with twin brother Allan .. sees a little bit of time on the PK where his understanding of proper body position is useful .. has a very active and quick stick that he uses to cut-down on opposition passing option .. when he does manage to get the puck, he often holds on to it for too long .. avoids physical contact .. very average skater .. choppy strides and lack of lower-body strength make it difficult for him to get any kind of jump on the puck needed for an undersized player.. needs to improve his success rate in the faceoff circle if he is to be an effective shutdown center.

Allain Saulnier (2010), RW, Moncton

Undersized right-winger has trouble getting himself involved in the play due to lack of speed .. also has trouble corralling passes which does not help .. does not initiate any contact whatsoever .. ok hockey sense, he does have the ability to anticipate plays well in his own zone .. willing to shoot the puck when he does have the chance .. decent wristshot but release is a little slow .. doesn't anticipate scoring chances well enough, as he is too often just a second behind the play.

Olivier Daoust (2011), LW, Moncton

Big forward who uses his size well .. finishes all his checks with authority .. can get himself out of position looking for the big hit .. his physical game comes from his willingness to throw his body around but has trouble winning battles along he walls due to his lack of balance .. not afraid of taking shots on net but most are from too far away, as he does not have the natural ability to make plays or stickhandle himself into better position.. very slow release on his shot .. capable of scoring some garbage goals due to his size .. upside is difficult to tell until he finishes growing into his body.