C Matteo Gennaro - Prince Albert Raiders, WHL (2015, 202nd, WPG)

[R S]

Has been a very interesting start to the year for Gennaro. Hasn't really put up the numbers that I expected considering how solid he was in his rookie year. Either way he is a kid that has all the tools to be a prospect and should earn some NHL interest if he can slowly pick up his production under a new coach in Prince Albert.

From my recent November draft ranking:

21 (16) – Matteo Gennaro – C – Prince Albert Raiders – It hasn’t been the start to the year I expected or hoped for from Gennaro. Only 4 points in 22 games as I write this, well under his 15 point in 60 game pace from last year. But, I still like some of the tools he brings. He’s got a nice frame and is a very strong skater. I anticipated 2nd line minutes for him this year and he has mostly been seeing 3rd line duty in PA, even post-Clouston. Obviously points aren’t everything but eventually he’ll need to start creating more as he’s done it at all levels previously. We’ll see where things go from here.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2014/11/2015-nhl-draft-rankings-second-edition.html

Click to read more...

 

[Sabes]

Gennaro has 13 points in his last 16 games in the new year. He is starting to play with more confidence and has seemed to find an extra step in his game. It should be fun to see how he finishes the season and I assume should be creeping into teams lists for a pick in the later rounds of the draft.

 

[R S]

Will be interesting to see what happens but at this point I am not terribly optimistic regarding him getting drafted in June. I've said it before, he really has all the tools. Great skater, smooth with power. Has hands, a good shot, is smart. But really just accomplished very little in all the viewings I had of him this year. Seemed to be a step behind the play rather than leading it.

Good things are turning a corner for him, but I think he might have a better chance getting drafted at 18 than at 17.

 

[Sabes]

Matteo finished with 25 points in his last 32 games. He finished very strong and plays in all situations for the Raiders. He will be a very important player for the Raiders next year.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

Does he play in the top six ??? with Chartier or Drasitil.

 

[zjh]

He plays for Prince Albert, and has 25 points in 34 games since the change of the calendar into 2015

 

[R S]

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

#47 Matteo Gennaro

Team: Prince Albert Raiders
Position: C/LW
Shoots: L
Height: 6’2.25
Weight: 187
GP: 72
Goals: 16
Assists: 15
Points: 31
Pts/Gm: 0.43
PIM: 44

Player Analysis: Matteo Gennaro is a tall and extremely smooth skating pivot for the Prince Albert Raiders…possesses a low and driving skating stride which generates plenty of power and speed…his crouched stance and wide base allows him to get low and really push off his edges to generate speed in short order…hands were rather hit and miss overall in my viewings this season…receives pucks well but did have his share of bobbled pucks during routine stickhandling plays…passes the puck well and seems to see the ice at a fairly solid level for a player of his age and experience…has a fairly good shot…is able to get it away quickly with plenty of zip…can shoot off the rush while in stride…isn’t an extremely creative player…does a lot of darting in and out of holes, will move the puck quickly but doesn’t do anything flashy and isn’t a guy that will beat many defenders with unique moves on a 1 on 1…despite being a rather large and tall player, he does a good job sneaking around the offensive zone and finding space…understands offensive positioning and spacing…thinks the game at a good level regarding both his body and stick positioning…isn’t a banger or crasher defensively but still makes good use of his size and length away from the puck, including on the forecheck…passion level was rather inconsistent from game to game although it was never a huge weakness…was willing to do lots of the little things in the defensive zone including battling for his ice and blocking shots when necessary…spent much of the year closer to the bottom of the Raiders top 9 forward group but was shuffled around and appeared to see more minutes in the second half…while he projects more as a centre, he did see some time on the wing this year…saw time on special teams in my viewings, including some time on 2nd and 3rd penalty killing units throughout the year along with the powerplay…entered the year as a top 15 WHL guy on my board but slowly trickled down my list as the year wore on…seemed to be a player that looked fantastic, has size, can really skate and has good sense but just failed to really accomplish much…that included his complete lack of offensive production in the first part of the year…had one of the most unbalanced offensive seasons of any WHL prospect for the draft…put up 6 points in his first 38 games (0.16 PPG) and 25 points in his last 34 games (0.74 PPG)…that increase of 362.5% was the 2nd most among any first-year draft-eligible forward from the WHL, trailing only Brayden Burke of Lethbridge…was drafted in the 2nd round, 41st overall, in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Prince Albert Raiders…is the cousin of Fernando and Sandro Pisani…overall I was fairly encouraged by his second half…while at one point I thought it would be crazy to consider him a draftable prospect in 2015, now I wouldn’t be so shocked…he has plenty of tools, smarts and a projectable frame…I think he projects as a 3rd line type of centre at the next level if development goes very well and even if he goes undrafted this year, he should draw some pro interest down the line…