Went to the Bulls/Spitfires game last night and have a few comments. Take my comments with a grain of salt if you don't value my opinions (check past mock drafts if you are unaware).
I paid more attention to the Bulls since they've just traded for a couple of draft eligible players, and I was in that corner to see the Bulls easier twice. Not to mention, they're the home-town(ish) team for me.
Windsor Spitfires
Markus Soberg
He was drafted in the 6th round last year looked excellent. His skating is so far ahead of many of the kids in that played last night. I've heard he's had a hard time adjusting to the North American game so far, but if last night was any indication, he's ready to breakout. Scored a very nice goal and picked up an assist.
Hayden McCool
I was excited to see him because he's been tearing it up since joining Windsor earlier this year, after a slow start in Niagara. But to be honest, I rarely noticed him. Not to say he was bad or anything, I was just hoping to see a bit more. Kid has good size though.
Aaron Luchuk
Awesome game last night. I'm not sure where he's ranked as far as the draft goes, but he potted three points last night (1g, 2a) and could have had more. Was easily the best forward on the Spits, and looked dangerous all night. He's only 5'10, but he doesn't look small on the ice whatsoever.
Trevor Murphy
Kid is having a very good season and seems to have had a lot of success, despite injuries, since coming to Windsor a few years back. He's not a huge guy, but you can see the leadership qualities coming from him. He's over a PPG and he's smart. He makes the right play very often. I'm not sure if that will translate to a possible NHL career because he lacks some size, but you can't look past his offensive ability with the smart decisions he makes on the ice.
Belleville Bulls
Trent Fox
Draft eligible kid who has fantastic size already. I was super excited to see him after hearing good things from Erie, but he's honestly an awful skater. He has a large stride but he's slow. He seemed very tentative as well. It was his first game with the Bulls, but I didn't see anything I liked. Whether your tentative or not, when you turn the puck over, you make an effort to rectify your mistake by either fighting for the puck or playing good positional hockey. I thought his effort seemed low as well. I sat a ways away from the bench, but I swear I heard the coach yell at him a few times to get to the bench. He was coasting and took a few long shifts. Did not like what I saw at all. It was only one game, but I hope to get a better read on the kid next time I see him.
Jordan Subban
Kid is absolutely unreal offensively. Honestly, he's even better than PK was offensively at the same age. He makes plays out of nothing constantly. He rushes the puck up the ice with ease, gains zone entry without problem, and doesn't ever hold onto the puck longer than he has too. Defensively, he's a lot weaker than PK though and that might be a problem going forward with Jordan. He's smart, don't get me wrong but he didn't seem as willing to battle in the corners. He did a lot of the David Desharnais (poke at the puck rather than get physical) which is fine, but at the NHL level deep in the zone, I'm not sure I'd like it. It seemed to work last night though.
Niki Petti
It seems like his role has increased now that Remi is gone. He was all over the ice. Second best player for the Bulls last night, IMO. He made a couple of highlight reel passes. He was draft eligible last year, but I'm wanting to see a little more of him going forward now that it seems like he's got an increased role. Fantastic game. He's got alright size and he's a good skater as well.
Brett Welychka
Best Bull last night by far. He's on the small side and he's a 20-year-old. He may be someone worth a camp invite, but definitely not a draft selection. But he carried the Bulls offense last night. Fantastic skater with some fantastic stick skills. He walked through two players and beat the goalie for his goal last night. 4 point night. Very good game for Brett and he's going to continue to need to do that if he wants to ever get a sniff at a North American pro career above the ECHL.
Jesse Saban
Big defenseman who I hadn't seen before (didn't see Erie play this season). It's his first season in the OHL and he's smart. He's a solid skater and makes good reads. The coach seemed to blame him, as it seemed like he was benched for a little during the second period - but a lot of the goals were really, really weak. It was his first game, and only his 25th or something in the league and he looks like he could be a steal in the late rounds. He skates smooth like I said and his passing is tape-to-tape. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on this kid because I think he could definitely be something.
I wanted to see Justin Lemcke as well, but he was paired with Adam Bignell. Bignell makes a lot of smart hockey plays and you'd think he'd have more points than he does (goose egg). Then again, you look at his age and he should be doing more than just making smart hockey plays, he should be dominating on the ice and he's not. He's a real strange player to watch. You can see the good qualities but you can also see the reasons he's probably going to Europe or out of hockey altogether.
