Thoughts from the AM scrimmages. I wasn't able to stay for the afternoon games as I headed off to Sarnia
TEAM WHITE
2 Aiden Jamieson (LD) – looks poised for a big season
3 Jacob Golden (LD) – not being noticed is a good thing for this defensemen...smart player who positions himself well...gets sticks into lanes and keeps stingy gap control (does all of the little things well)…sees the ice well…crisp NZ passes…
5 Nicolas Mattinen (RD) – big shot….big kid….decent wheels…not a natural puck handler but more than capable
6 Brendan Jay (FA RD) …smart defender…looked calm under pressure...overskates routes and was a bit antsy
8 Eric Henderson (LW) – shows well in traffic under pressure with clever short touch passes..great defensive backcheck…nice touch in close, pulling up and waiting for goaltender to go down… unpredictable at times and he showed some creativity in his passes (shot-pass to back door option)…needs to keep feet moving with puck
11 Christian Dvorak (LC) - no need to comment much...he's a stud...could contend for OHL scoring title...probably best all around player in the O
12 Zac Vukosa – really liked him in the AM scrimmages ...able to draw guys in then dish off...good vision and patience…competitive
14 Kole Sherwood (RW) – long fluid skater…quick release point…clever puck skills and creative on the rush...going to be one of London's top scorers...much better than I anticipated...
15 Max Vinogradov - quick when he wants to be...can get cute at times but it's part of his attraction...he should have a solid rookie year in Jr B
TEAM BLACK
2 Chris Martenet (LD) - His development has been impressive and there's so much more left to grow...looked confident rushing the puck and defensively, he was excellent. Should earn tons of minutes
3 Jordan Di Cicco (L/RD) - very good debut...likes to sneak into rush and his elusive agility and good puck handling skills gives him some promising possession tools. Love him last yearand think there's some real talent to work with here.
4 Liam Dennison (LD) – physically immature but he's another young puck moving D with high hockey sense...nice job identifying outside passing option to hit a streaking teammate. Couple years away.
6 Tyler Nother (RD) …eager to jump up…solid puck moving ability…does he move it quick enough? There are times he gets awestruck. Tends to roam out of position which makes him a liability defensively.
9 Matthew Tkachuk (LC) – dominant performance in the AM...slippery in tight dangles…lools like he could put on some lbs…nose for the net….HUNGRY puck pursuit…impressive one-step separation gear…uses range well holding puck out wide before dragging it in and snapping it…pin point passing…smart crisp pass selections – nothing too fancy (knows when to pick his spots)
11 Cal Horvat (LW)… nice power cut to the net getting high scoring chance…he looks much improved but there's just no room on this team this year.
15 Sam Miletic (LW) – bar down goal…picks spots to strike (on the rush he appears more dangerous)..not always the centre of attention ‘in the play' but sneaks in unexpectedly ...he wil be a solid complementary forward
16 Noah Jordan (RC) – always around the puck…quick striking ability…skating is awkward but it’s passable…really liked him in the morning.
TEAM GREEN
2 Ben Gleason (LD) - really liked him in his draft season and now we're seeing his real skill set come to the surface....London needs to find him playing time....very effective puck mover...looks bigger and strong, plus more confident.
3 Jeff Clarke (LD) - he's a long term project....struggles in possession but he's a battler and will go to war. Seasoning in Jr. will help.
5 Victor Mete (LD) - no need to comment...everyone knows how good he can be. I expect a HUGE offensive season.
9 Alex Formenton (LW) – didn't get a long enough look on him but in a few years time, he's got potential to be an offensive option....just needs the strength and confidence
11 Robby Thomas (RC) - he'll have a Drake Rymsha type of progression so London won't have to wait too long...he's too smart not to produce but his time will be after this season.
12 Ryan Valentini (LC) – flying out there…looked like a player possessed....very impressive showing.
14 JJ Piccinich (RF) - he was okay but not overly impressive (only saw parts of the morning game)
16 Lucas Smilsky (RC) - good skater and knows how to support the play well...if he were trying out for any team not named London, he'd probably force a longer look. There's an OHL here
TEAM GOLD
3 Olli Juolevi (LD) – very vocal for an import...great skater with soft hands...you can see why he draws the Maatta comparisons, although he may have more offensive upside at the same age.
5 Evan Bouchard (RD) - didn't really make much of an impression today...will get a better look Wednesday.
8 Max Jones (LW) - absolute beast...loved him at the U17s and he looks BIGGER and MEANER now (which is hard to tell)...its such a rare combination to see a top end prospect with such natural skills AND an all-world compete level. Man, London fans are going to love him and NHL scouts will adore his throwback style.
11 Drake Rymsha (RC) – looks stronger/bigger/powerful…he's going to really explode offensively...just a natural in terms of feel for the game. Get him the ice time and he won't disappoint. Big fan!
15 Finn Evans (RW) - need more of a look but I know I liked his game last year....just needs seasoning before his coming out party.
16 Wesley Kelly (FA RC / LJK Midget) - tenacious
