Youngstowns Sustr Suddenly Super

To start 2009-10, Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Andrej Sustr was of some interest because he was 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, and a young Czech who had played a season with the Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League in his pursuit to further his hockey career and play college hockey. He also had skated in the Czech Republic's World Junior Championship summer camp, but he still wasn't really a standout defenseman on the Phantoms during the preseason or to start the regular season. That changed though, particularly after December. Sustr in fact made the Czech Republic's World Junior Championship team and upon his return to the USHL, he was a new man. It was as if Sustr had gone on a vision quest and it was revealed he was to be a tower of puck-moving power from the point. Suddenly, Sustr was one of the most impressive pointmen in the league, distributing the puck in a fashion on par with some of the best powerplay quarterbacks the USHL has seen in recent seasons. Although the statistics have not reflected this metamorphosis, in large part because his teammates have been snake-bit offensively, the change has been clear to any who have seen Sustr before the 2010 World Junior Championships and after.

Sustr was of interest before, now he's a legitimate NHL prospect.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to catch the Youngstown Phantoms in action once in October, twice in January, and once in February and enters notes on defensemen Andrej Sustr and Luke Eibler, as well as three of Youngstown's prospects in their first year of draft eligibility.

Andrej Sustr (2010), D, Youngstown

Although the stats might reflect the opposite, Sustr has made a quantum leap offensively .. exceptional manning the point .. makes quick decisions at the point and very often good decisions .. has good offensive vision from the point and makes crisp, hard, accurate passes .. at times, he took too long to make a decision with the puck at the beginning of the season, but now makes quick and decisive decisions .. does a good job of moving his feet before he receives a pass at the point so that he can receive it softly and move it quickly .. breakout passing has improved significantly, as he's no longer moving the puck to nobody .. makes smooth, crisp breakout passes, and can make them hard, too .. also makes smooth transitional passes with his d-partner .. has a crisp wristshot from the point .. heads-up stickhandler who can assess the play .. so much more confident with the puck now .. didn't really look worthy of his powerplay time to start the season, now he's one of the very best in the USHL moving the puck from the point, even if his teammates can't finish .. skating still needs work, though .. is still upright in his skating and needs more knee bend and better stride extension, which would improve his top speed and hopefully his acceleration .. a "railroad" skater at times .. upright in his acceleration, pivots, and lateral movement .. is more active in his defensive zone now, thanks to quicker feet than he had to start the season .. legs "v" out a fair amount backward, somewhat like Jamie Oleksiak .. gigantic at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds .. improvements in his skating will help him achieve future success, but his mind is now processing the game at a high level, at least offensively .. there is now reason to believe Sustr now has real upside, and thus he's worthy of a late-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in his second year of eligibility .. committed to Nebraska-Omaha .. as of Feb. 28, he had 15 assists in 39 games .. played for Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships .. inexplicably, only had 2 assists in his first 16 games after the World Junior Championships, but the Phantoms had eight games in which Sustr played where they scored only one goal and four in which they only scored two .. missed four games due to a hip flexor injury in mid-February.

Luke Eibler (2010), D, Youngstown

One of the best open-ice hitters in the USHL, and brings a little offense, too .. frequently steps up to make open-ice hits in the neutral zone .. also steps up on opponents at the blueline or angles them to the boards and rubs them out .. will also step up on opponents from the point .. does need to upgrade acceleration backward in order to better handle the speediest USHLers .. employs leg drags often to block passes or clog passing lanes .. also good at clogging passing lanes with his stick .. needs to work on his skating form some .. has decent speed forward, but his arms are all over the place (inefficient) .. pinches in from the point offensively and can make some things happen with the puck .. generally makes hard, crisp, accurate passes .. fairly poised with the puck when pressured .. stickhandling is a little choppy .. able to utilize swivels to shield the puck with his 6-foot-3, 175-pound frame .. has an athletic build and is very lean .. grew about nine inches in a short period of time and is still filling out his frame .. willing to drop the gloves .. what Eibler could do at 205 or 215 pounds is extremely intriguing .. a possible pick in the late rounds of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Eibler's second year of eligibility .. committed to Northeastern .. as of Feb. 28, he had 8 goals and 7 assists in 36 games .. has missed short periods of time due to shoulder injuries earlier in the season and had missed two weeks due to a leg injury at the time this report was submitted.

Nick Czinder (2010), D, Youngstown

Big forward grabbed some attention early in the season scoring 9 goals and 5 assists in his first 22 games, but went on a 19-game pointless streak thereafter .. missed just under three weeks due to a shoulder injury suffered Jan. 18 .. has become a little faster with the puck than at the beginning of the season, but still needs a lot more explosiveness, quickness, and top speed .. has adapted to the speed of the USHL to a degree, but still has a ways to go .. limited notes on Czinder, as he was injured for the two January viewings and left the February viewing early (played in the team's next game), and he also only played on the fourth line .. 6-foot-5, 215-pound power forward has some potential, but he's at least two years of development away from college hockey and thus an extreme long shot for selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (the way the CBA works, you only draft someone a year away from college hockey) .. will certainly monitor Czinder in his second year of draft eligibility .. no college commitment of yet .. as of Feb. 28, he had 9 goals and 6 assists in 42 games .. named to play in the USHL All-Star Game but missed due to injury.

Andrew Lamont (2010), LW/RW, Youngstown

Fills in on any of the first three lines and brings a distinct physical presence .. finishes his checks and does so with some force .. is a headache for opposing defensemen, as he comes crashing in often .. also steps up for open-ice hits .. will come across the zone for a hit if the opportunity presents itself .. will engage physically in 50/50 battles and creates turnovers and scoring opportunities doing so .. 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, but plays bigger .. has a fairly crisp wristshot .. also makes crisp, accurate passes .. displays some confident stickhandling and can emerge from the boards with the puck .. a nice two-way winger, but his offensive production is too lean this season to be considered more than an extreme long shot for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft .. will definitely monitor Lamont in 2010-11, his second year of draft eligibility .. no college commitment of yet .. as of Feb. 28, he had 8 goals and 2 assists in 40 games.

Stuart Higgins (2010), C, Youngstown

Former USNTDP player centers Youngstown's third line and is a regular on the penalty kill .. quick and has good speed with the puck to stay ahead of backchecks or beat opponents wide .. also uses his speed and agility defensively, as he can stick with equally shifty and agile opponents .. active manning the points on the PK .. 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, but engages physically .. can thrust into his hits .. willing to go into traffic with the puck .. willing to drop to block shots .. gets very low in his faceoffs and will thrust into his opponent and put in a nice physical effort on the draw .. an extreme long shot to be selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft because of combination of size and lack of offensive production .. committed to Maine .. as of Feb. 28. he had 5 goals and 7 assists in 45 games.