I was able to catch a bit of the orientation scrimmage today. I was with my 5 year old daughter so wasn't able to watch as closely as I might've otherwise, but here are my thoughts based on the 3pm game...
I was watching for Luchanko, he is a very good skater and had some great feeds/passes for scoring chances that weren't converted. He seems to see the ice well and create good opportunities.
Will Hughes, our 5th round pick jumped out at me. One of those players that notably stood out on Team White to the point where I pulled out my sheet and had to look up who #24 was. He has great hockey IQ and control of the puck, he was slippery and able to get through many defenders and to the net, when "in trouble" his skating allowed him to pivot well and his head was up looking for the open passing lane.
#17 on Team Red (Cranston, a forward... there was also a Cranston on D but I couldn't find them in past drafts.) Anyway, he scored for team Red and had a few other good shots on net that were denied. No idea who this kid is, he was a third line winger, but has a nose for the net.
Knowing that we are a bit thin on D next year I kept my eye on Topp. He didn't seem out of place, played well positionally, no glaring errors, so solid as a D.
Vanhaverbeke can hit like a mack truck. No idea which side of the line he is on, and it also could have converted as he was older than others on the team... but the "boom" caught my attention.
Ref was kind enough to give my unaware kid a puck, she then turned to me and said "who am I supposed to give this to." When she realized what had happened it made her day, or at least made up for the fact that the Candy Counter wasn't open.
Enjoy your summer, folks.