CHL/NHL Prospects Game Jan.17

[hawksfan50]

THe 3 big revelations to me were: ALIU,VEILLEUX and MOLLER....

ALIU--had a terrific game--rated only #33 NA skater by CSS at mid-term,I did not even mention him in speculating about who the best centre prspects were (all the disscussion about Esposito,Turris,Gagner,and Couture --however the bio description of ALIU on the Top Prospects Game website by put out by the QMJHL ,stated that
ALIU's offense was just starting to come around...we all know ittakes long for BIG guys to grow into their bodies and the skill sometimes lags until that gets matched out..anyway the upside onthis guy is now throgh the roof--clearly he has world class speed sustained through all 3 zones (unlike Esposito who is world class first step North-South for shorter intermediate distance) --and when Aliu comes at you to check you into the boards at full speed--that is a frightening load coming at yo--imagine as he fills outmore--so he may now just be emerging,but when you project that package,you get a "potential" WOW player...I don't know if he has the killer shot --but all the other psarts of the package are there for a guy who can impact the play onhis shifts--a faster bigger IGINLA? Maybe...
Scouts had to tsake notice! The fact he plays for defense-first offensively limited intalent Sudbury probably has reduced the stats he could have had on sone other teams..but this was a showcase game,and he used his opportunity to wow the scouts with his talent and potential--god for him!


KEVIN VEILLEUX--not so much off the radar as CSS had himat #16Na skatyer at mif-term...a young player (June '89 birthdate) so lots of time to continue to develop...BIG BIG centre at 6'5 200--and imagine how much stronger as he fills out--weknow he has a hard shot (skills competition) --but it was the other parts of his game I liked--he kept things simple--not fancy moves--just nice quick passes to his line-mates,good positioning on the forecheck and to the front of the net,nice quick hands on the close in goal he scored just off the crease--he never got stripped of pucks by holding on too long--used his line-mates well--lots of chemistry on that line
--the best of any line in the game---he moves well for such a big guy--true not Aliu speed--but well enough for the simple game Veuilleux plays...One thing though--he did not take face-offs--his line-mate Moller did..so is this aweakness for Veilleux?--I don't know-if so, that is an important attribute to consider ...So he brings an entirely different package that Aliu--but still some very attractive parts to his game...like that big hit to take out a Team Red d-man on the back boards,puck coughs up into slot where Moller blasts in the shot...Veilleux dd not get an assist-but he caused that goal...


OSCAR MOLLER--- the Swede playing in Chilliwack,has Daniel Alfredsson written all over his style of play...darting east-west speed in the o-zone--the puck finds him,he finds the puck--result lots of offensive creative puck control and puck-movement with linemates resulting in scoring chances--I really like his game...He played RW but took face-offs for his line --so will RW or C be his best pro position? Either way he looks like a very good hockey player...



Now the big disappointments:


PAT KANE=invisible--bad game--did nothing..very surprising..

LOGAN COUTURE--no shots on goal,not much creation with his line...lack of speed showed...



So--So:


ANGELO ESPOSITO--certainly didn't show enough to justify CSS #1 ranking...true he had the flu for a few days prior..He did show his world claass "1st step" burst and acceleration to get clear on 2 clean break-ins on goal-BUT his shots on both were easily stopped ==leading to questions: "does he have a great shot or just very average?" IT is a big issue... Also-did not seem to use linemates very well--not much chemistry--a once or twice explosive break-way is not enough for a fully-rounded game,or player who is controlling play on most of his shifts...On the other hand,he shoed the physical hitting game well with 2 big hits (one on Gagner) in the forst period-but he doesn't strike me as capable of dominating a game...

SAM GAGNER--some nice puck control shifts--but handled well on other shifts by the opposition--so just a very so-so showing,,,I question whether he really has 1st line ability...


So--some very surprising results in this showcase...as for the D-men,I think Nick Ross impressed me most with his 2-way game and some of the things he did--Doyle got some points and nearly had a goal which was ruled not in on review..but no one really stood out head and shoulders above the rest..


As for goalies--Tyson Sexsmith ddn't allow a goal in his 27.5 minutes after coming into replace the starting White goalie---(Team Red's 5th goal was an empty-netter so Sexsmith was out on that one)--however he was only the 8th rated NAgoalie by CSS and I don't know if this brief showcase game exposure was enough to change minds amnd move him up...obviously scouts will watch him the rest of the year...

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

Well, if we're going to ***** out Esposito, lets start on Crosby too eh. He certainly showed up to the game and worked his tail off and worked through the pain.

*Rollseyes.*

The kid was gutsy even to show up, people advised him not to play.

That's pretty touchy considering you're responding to calmly-worded, legitimate criticism.

 

[mattyg21]

I think that Aliu kid could be a solid NHLer that could put up 35-40 pts penalty kill and crash and bang ...solid 3rd line agitator

 

[Alberta Yote]

I hope that Espo drops far enough for the "once again improved enough to not get a top 5 pick but still miss the playoffs" Coyotes to get him.

 

[ales-hemsky89*]

someone who has some pics or videoclip from the game ??

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[orcatown]

Hawksfan50

Think observations are right on. I saw it as follows

Way up: Aliu, Vielleux, Moller..

Up: Hamill, Blum (kid has talent), Ross, MacLean

Down: Katic – no physical presence around his net
Gagner - had little impact on play, very average in this game
Kane – nice stick at times but lack of speed showed up.
Esposito- game lacked any consistency, just played in spurts

Way Down
Sutter – consistently mishandled the puck, looked horrible on pp and did nothing all game
Gillies – nothing at all accomplished, little idea of what to do with the puck
Couture – looked like he was in over his head. Never had the puck
Stich – was real liability for the white team
Cann - left a lot of net open for shooters, looked small (reminded me of Ellis)

Some players like Alzner, Voracek, Ellerby who had decent games might have raised their stock as others fell.

 

[islandermaniac]

Some players like Alzner, Voracek, Ellerby who had decent games might have raised their stock as others fell.

alzner had a decent game? personally, i don't think he did a thing. perhaps that's just me.

 

[FTowwn]

moller, hamill, ellerby, aliu stood out the most. Pat Kane was the usual, didnt impress me much cuz ive seen him play soo many times this year, hes awesome all the time. Sam Gagner is overrated i think....Tyson Sexsmith and the Plymouth goalie looked good, Rowat sht the bed and Cann was alright

 

[QcS]

KEVIN VEILLEUX--...

very good points, i agreed with pretty much all of them. As for Veilleux's skating and faceoffs, fortunately those are 2 aspects you can work on. I see him as a solid guy, and didn't realize he was that big.. 6'5?!

Looking forward to seeing more of him.

 

[patsfan29]

someone who has some pics or videoclip from the game ??

----------------------

uh i found this one:

Brett MacLean and Linden Rowat

Rowat sht the bed

oh please, he played fine....on both of his goals.. seems to me his d-men we AWOL, the kid had little help. He came up big when he needed to (i.e. Esposito). IMO, team red seemed to slack off in the later part of the game and I thought Rowat was tested a bit more on the types of shots he faced (rather than the number) as comparted to Sexsmith...again IMO

 

[Adam91]

What did everyone think of the dmen? I wasn't very impressed by any. Although I though Ross played his style of game pretty well. Nergin was exposed as the next Hal Gill, its about time. But knowone looked very impressive to me. Ellbery fumbled the puck a few too many times

 

[hawksfan50]

Yes--Negrin really fumbled the puck alot---not a good game for him at all..

ANOTHER impression I had from the game:

This was supposed to be a draft crop dominated by a lot of quality D-men and not so great top end forward talent--the game showed the opposite--the forward crop looked a lot better than I thought it would,and non D I did not see anything of the calibre of a Staal,Burdon,Letang,or Parent...so maybe the scouting fraternity will be re-thinking how they view this crop?

 

[VernonForrest]

anyone who has copies of the game they would like to sell on vhs or dvd should put it on ebay or msg me.

 

[mrmain18]

Were there any programs or posters or anything for sale at the game? I'm looking for some stuff to get signed at the draft in June.

 

[turnbuckle*]

Having viewed the game on several occasions, here are my opinions:

Best forwards: Legein McLean Aliu Veilleux Moller Hamill Palmieri Spaling

Okay forwards: Bashkirov Voracek

Best Dmen: Blum Hickey Ross Plante

Okay Dmen: Negrin Katic Ellerby Alzner Ellington

Worst Forwards: Couture Skokan Repik

Worst Dmen - Stich Marshall Doyle

All of the defencemen had a couple of brain cramps - Blum and Hickey had the least. Negrin after the first period was pretty solid; he has a low panic threshold even if he loses the puck on occasion.. Ellington wasn't bad even though he was on the ice for 3 of White's four goals against; his biggest problem was being paired with Stich for the first two periods.

I think Legein was the best player on the ice; he was everywhere, and had a great all-around game. McLean was a close second; he showed great hands, vision and strength - going to be hard not to rank him in the top 30 based on what I've been seeing lately, I don't think his skating is as bad as some claim. Spaling was in the play all night long, but he failed to show any finish. Hamill impressed me a lot more than he has on other occasions this season - talented without a doubt - if he shows intensity and goes to the traffic areas the rest of the season he may end up climb back into the top 15 picture. Scouts are really going to be watching him closely in the upcoming playoffs.

 

[Bobby39]

Hawksfan50

Think observations are right on. I saw it as follows

Way up: Aliu, Vielleux, Moller..

Up: Hamill, Blum (kid has talent), Ross, MacLean

Down: Katic – no physical presence around his net
Gagner - had little impact on play, very average in this game
Kane – nice stick at times but lack of speed showed up.
Esposito- game lacked any consistency, just played in spurts

Way Down
Sutter – consistently mishandled the puck, looked horrible on pp and did nothing all game
Gillies – nothing at all accomplished, little idea of what to do with the puck
Couture – looked like he was in over his head. Never had the puck
Stich – was real liability for the white team
Cann - left a lot of net open for shooters, looked small (reminded me of Ellis)

Some players like Alzner, Voracek, Ellerby who had decent games might have raised their stock as others fell.

Re: Katic- Have you ever watched # 27 on the Ducks or #5 on the Wings, count how many times they play the body.....they don't have to because their skating is so strong and their stick position is flawless. Katic will become a highed end Rafalski at the end of the day. Look at the success that Ian White has enjoyed in Toronto. The game has changed, positional play and skating are what defense is all about. Besides even when you did get a chance to hit someone you are called for it. I would love to see Katic running the Senator's PP for the next 10 years......

 

[Bobby39]

What did everyone think of the dmen? I wasn't very impressed by any. Although I though Ross played his style of game pretty well. Nergin was exposed as the next Hal Gill, its about time. But knowone looked very impressive to me. Ellbery fumbled the puck a few too many times

Top 4 D-Men

1) Alzner- Big and mobile, the coaching staff broke him and Katic up to even out the pairings.

2) Ellerby- Raw, with a massive amount of potential. This kid hasn't even scratched the surface yet.....

3) Katic- Best skater in the game, showed some great vision and exceptional escape moves (spinorama in the 1st)

4) Hickey- Played physical and solid, but he was exposed by Esposito on the one play.


Overall I thought the D struggled as well....

 

[Tadite]

Top 4 D-Men
1) Alzner- Big and mobile, the coaching staff broke him and Katic up to even out the pairings.

2) Ellerby- Raw, with a massive amount of potential. This kid hasn't even scratched the surface yet.....

3) Katic- Best skater in the game, showed some great vision and exceptional escape moves (spinorama in the 1st)

4) Hickey- Played physical and solid, but he was exposed by Esposito on the one play.

How good are these d-men in comparison to past years? Are they in the level of a JJ or EJ?

 

[Ferjo]

Re: Katic- Have you ever watched # 27 on the Ducks or #5 on the Wings, count how many times they play the body.....they don't have to because their skating is so strong and their stick position is flawless. Katic will become a highed end Rafalski at the end of the day. Look at the success that Ian White has enjoyed in Toronto. The game has changed, positional play and skating are what defense is all about. Besides even when you did get a chance to hit someone you are called for it. I would love to see Katic running the Senator's PP for the next 10 years......

I don't agree with this at all. it doesn't matter how well you can skate, or how good you are offensively, (and Katic isn't nearly as good with the puck as he's hyped up to be), if you have trouble making basic passes, get knocked off the puck with ease (Katic will be the only player in the nhl that will be outmuscled by Kyle Wellwood on a regular basis), or leave your man wide open in front of the net half the time like Katic does you aren't going to be a good player.

saying you don't have to be physical, because Niedermayer or Lidstrom aren't is irrelevant because Katic doesn't have a fifth of their talent. and you're right, those two are also incredible positionally and with their sticks, which Katic is definately not.

I have trouble thinking Katic is even a first round talent, so i find it odd how people have him near the top 15. will his 30-40 points be worth it with his Wade Belak-like defensive ability?

 

[Bobby39]

I don't agree with this at all. it doesn't matter how well you can skate, or how good you are offensively, (and Katic isn't nearly as good with the puck as he's hyped up to be), if you have trouble making basic passes, get knocked off the puck with ease (Katic will be the only player in the nhl that will be outmuscled by Kyle Wellwood on a regular basis), or leave your man wide open in front of the net half the time like Katic does you aren't going to be a good player.

saying you don't have to be physical, because Niedermayer or Lidstrom aren't is irrelevant because Katic doesn't have a fifth of their talent. and you're right, those two are also incredible positionally and with their sticks, which Katic is definately not.

I have trouble thinking Katic is even a first round talent, so i find it odd how people have him near the top 15. will his 30-40 points be worth it with his Wade Belak-like defensive ability?

Have you seen this kid play? You must be watching a different defenseman then the rest of the world, because if you honestly believe in the comments that you made I question you knowledge of the game. There is a reason the kid was named to the All-Star Team at the Under 17's and there is a reason he was named to the Under 18 team. For a kid that is that bad defensively how is he +6 playing with Bobby Davey in Sarnia.....I guess we can wait until June to see where he goes!

 

[Ferjo]

Have you seen this kid play? You must be watching a different defenseman then the rest of the world, because if you honestly believe in the comments that you made I question you knowledge of the game. There is a reason the kid was named to the All-Star Team at the Under 17's and there is a reason he was named to the Under 18 team. For a kid that is that bad defensively how is he +6 playing with Bobby Davey in Sarnia.....I guess we can wait until June to see where he goes!

well there is no way I am the only one who thinks who thinks poorly of him. I have read quite a few reports saying basically the same thing i did, so I am not alone.

There is a reason the kid was named to the All-Star Team at the Under 17's and there is a reason he was named to the Under 18 team.

I dont see how his results in a tournament from 2 years before his draft year have to do with anything, but I'm sure he had a good tournament.

and the reason he was named to the under 18 team is probably because at the start of this season, he was one of the top 6 canadian defenceman born in 89. Stephen Lund was also on that team, so it shouldn't say much.

so again, where he was ranked well before his draft day doesn't mean anything.

For a kid that is that bad defensively how is he +6 playing with Bobby Davey in Sarnia

and this is where you lost me. you say you question my hockey knowledge, then you use the plus minus stat to judge someones defensive play. isn't that a big no-no in the scouting world?

if you want to use comparisons, Ben Shutron, quite possibly the most defensively clueless defenceman in junior hockey was a +14 last season. what does that say?

we're just going to have to disagree i guess.

 

[Bobby39]

well there is no way I am the only one who thinks who thinks poorly of him. I have read quite a few reports saying basically the same thing i did, so I am not alone.


I dont see how his results in a tournament from 2 years before his draft year have to do with anything, but I'm sure he had a good tournament.

and the reason he was named to the under 18 team is probably because at the start of this season, he was one of the top 6 canadian defenceman born in 89. Stephen Lund was also on that team, so it shouldn't say much.

so again, where he was ranked well before his draft day doesn't mean anyth

and this is where you lost me. you say you question my hockey knowledge, then you use the plus minus stat to judge someones defensive play. isn't that a big no-no in the scouting world?

if you want to use comparisons, Ben Shutron, quite possibly the most defensively clueless defenceman in junior hockey was a +14 last season. what does that say?

we're just going to have to disagree i guess.

True enough....for the record Katic's hockey sense and Shutron's are not even comparable.

 

[Ferjo]

True enough....for the record Katic's hockey sense and Shutron's are not even comparable.

as much as i dislike Katic, i'd never pin that on the poor kid. o;