Youngstown Phantoms Fall Classic Part II

An expansion team means opportunity. For veterans, it means a chance to go from a third or fourth-liner to top-six forward. That's just the opportunity presented to former Tri-City Storm right-winger Joe Zarbo, who made significant improvement over the course of 2008-09 and now has a chance to be an impact player for all of 2009-10 and potentially earn selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in his second year of eligibility. It also means that rookies get a chance to play in the top junior league in the United States who might not otherwise have had that opportunity. That's the case for center Nick Czinder, who played Michigan high school hockey in 2008-09. He wasn't even named as an Honorable Mention at the end of the season by the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association, but earned a spot on the Phantoms roster and has already generated some interest with his 6-foot-5 frame and nice set of hands.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to catch the Youngstown Phantoms in action at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic and in Part II of the Youngstown report enters notes on Nick Czinder, Joe Zarbo, and a few other forwards of interest.

Nick Czinder (2010), LW/C, Youngstown

A raw project .. has a large frame at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds .. a fairly upright skater who lacks quickness .. able to build some speed, but a tad slow by USHL standards .. makes a lot of small circles instead of stops and starts .. stops and starts lack power .. doesn't show much urgency on the forecheck .. appears to have a decent set of hands, which is probably one of the primary reasons he made the team .. size will draw interest for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, particularly if he shows a presence around the net .. no college commitment of yet .. played Michigan high school hockey in 2008-09 for Orchard Lake St. Mary's .. went without a point in 3 games at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic .. went without a point in 4 games for the entire preseason.

Stuart Higgins (2010), C, Youngstown

Prime candidate to be Youngstown's third-line center and a top penalty killer .. very quick .. able to execute quick turns to protect the puck .. powers out of his crossovers .. puts in a good effort on the forecheck .. utilizes quick stops and starts to go from the forecheck to the backcheck post haste .. also uses his quickness to man the pointmen on the penalty kill well .. does a good job of reading off teammates in the offensive zone .. conscientious defensively and quickly identifies when he needs to hang back for a defenseman joining the rush .. decent in the faceoff circle .. not big at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, but will engage physically to win faceoffs .. a long shot to be drafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft due to his size and the fact he probably won't play a top-six role for Youngstown, but he has plenty of hockey left to play .. committed to Maine .. played for the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 team in 2008-09 and scored 9 goals and 12 assists in 49 games .. had 1 assist in 3 games at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic .. scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 4 games for the entire preseason.

Joe Zarbo (2010), LW, Youngstown

Thought Zarbo would start the season as an impact player for Youngstown, but doesn't look likely .. strong wristshot is one of his primary strengths, but needs to hit the net .. plays with a little physicality and finishes his checks .. displayed a decent effort for loose pucks .. didn't make the jump over the summer that I would have liked to have seen and there's now doubt whether he'll play a top-six role for Youngstown .. in second year of draft eligibility and now appears to be an extreme long shot for the 2010 Draft .. committed to Clarkson .. played for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL in 2008-09 and scored 17 goals and 10 assists in 57 games .. scored 1 goal in 3 games at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic .. scored 1 goal in 4 games for the entire preseason.

Cody Strang (2010), C, Youngstown

Didn't receive a lot of icetime, but made an impact with the time he received .. a major scorer in Wisconsin high school, but looked good in the defensive role he played .. has good speed and uses it on the attack and on the forecheck .. did a great job helping his defensemen down low, utilizing his quickness .. even utilized leg drags around the net .. able to use his speed to angle opponents on the backcheck and strip them of the puck .. showed some offensive vision as a playmaker off the half boards .. 5-foot-8, 160-pound pivot is an extreme long shot to be selected in his third year of draft eligibility, particularly since it doesn't appear that he's going to be playing a top-nine role, at least not to start .. sure looked worthy of being a two-way second-line center, though .. no college commitment of yet .. played Wisconsin high school hockey for Madison Edgewood in 2008-09 and scored 39 goals and 37 assists in 23 games .. named to the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association's All-State First Team .. had 1 assist in 2 games at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic, the extent of his preseason action.

Also on the Radar

Although he received limited icetime at the Fall Classic, right-winger Adam Berkle is under the watchful McKeen's eye. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder scored 26 goals and 32 assists in 39 games for Northwood School in 2008-09 and was ranked 201st amongst North American skaters by Central Scouting heading into the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Berkle looks like an extreme long shot in his third year of eligibility, particularly if he continues to play a fourth-line role, but it's quite possible he steps up and displaces some of the Youngstown veterans who didn't appear to be stepping up to the plate as reliable top-six forwards. McKeen's also anticipates taking notes on left-winger Andrew Lamont, whom McKeen's, unfortunately, did not see in action at the Fall Classic. Lamont is in his first year of draft eligibility and is considered by the Youngstown coaching staff as a two-way player that plays with a physical edge. Lastly, McKeen's also anticipates entering notes on 2011-eligible goaltender Matthew Mahalak, who played prep hockey for Culver Academy in 2008-09. Like Lamont, McKeen's was unable to see Mahalak in action at the 2009 USHL Fall Classic.