Kritty
Registered User
I was at the Manitoba Moose/Toronto Roadrunners exhibition game tonight, actually I was at the game last night as well, and I figured I would to a small write up for those that were interested. I'll just pick out some players that I felt stuck out for one reason or another, whether good or bad.
Just so everyone knows, the Moose won the game on Friday 4-2 but the Roadrunners came back to take the second game tonight 3-2 in overtime.
For the Moose:
Ryan Kesler - I can see why the Canucks are so high on him. Good set of wheels and knows his positioning around the ice. That was clear from the way he plays the game at both ends of the ice. Looked pretty solid on faceoffs, not dominant but not poor either. Has a nice, quick release and really fires the puck. I don't think he'll be a scorer for the Canucks but he'll definitely be a very good two way forward in the future.
Alex Auld - not overly spectacular but got the job done. Plays the position well and looks to be very focused. Did make one game saving save on a sure goal on 2 on 1 where he looked down and out. With some developing, he could definitely be a future starter.
Martin Grenier - I was very surprised by his mobility. I figured at his size he would struggle to move around the ice but he was strong on his skates and was actually quite fleet of foot. Not overly physical but knew when to use his size and when not to. Plays the position well and could see some ice in Vancouver this year.
Kiril Koltsov - I figured alot of people were hoping for a report on Koltsov. When you watch him play, you definitely see the skill set. Nice puckhandler, very hard shot, moves around the ice well, sees the ice well. He definitely has to adjust to the pro style of game as you can see that he is looking for a free-flowing style on the ice. Was paired with Grenier on Saturday and Eakins on Friday. Those two seemed to be chatty alot with Koltsov. Smart move. He has a definite future.
For the Roadrunners:
Looked to have mainly a tryout roster on the ice, not too many players that would have been sent there from Edmonton. Two strong games nonetheless. Here is what I saw out of the Roadrunners:
Dan Tessier - I don't know if he's on tryout, signed by the Oilers or signed by the Roadrunners but either way, he should be in the AHL. He was the strongest player in the 2 games. Buzzing around the offensive zone, nice hands, very smart player. Looked good on faceoffs as well and was not out of place in his own end. Not sure if it was just a good couple games for him or not, but he definitely looks like a player from what I saw. Looked good on a line with Dave Roche and Michael Henrich. Scored a beauty shorthanded.
Doug Lynch - nothing special out of Lynch. Looked pretty solid from what I saw. Good in his own end, physical, has some offensive skills. He definitely has to do some developing at the pro level but I think the Oilers will be happy with the player they get.
Mike Bishai - I was impressed with Bishai's play last year with Hamilton and I was very impressed tonight. Very good speed, better hands than I thought, some very nice moves. He showed some real flashes of offensive ability that I didn't see last year. I think he could be a nice AHLer but I don't know if he'll ever do anything more than that.
Brad Winchester - I liked what I saw of Winchester. He plays a gritty, in your face style but he has some offence to him. Looked a tad out of place but that's to be expected. I think he will develop nicely and should become a top 6 forward in the NHL.
I could list a whole bunch of players but I'm not going to. If someone wants to know about a particular player just post a message or send me a private message and I'd be more than happy to give you a scouting report on them.
Just so everyone knows, the Moose won the game on Friday 4-2 but the Roadrunners came back to take the second game tonight 3-2 in overtime.
For the Moose:
Ryan Kesler - I can see why the Canucks are so high on him. Good set of wheels and knows his positioning around the ice. That was clear from the way he plays the game at both ends of the ice. Looked pretty solid on faceoffs, not dominant but not poor either. Has a nice, quick release and really fires the puck. I don't think he'll be a scorer for the Canucks but he'll definitely be a very good two way forward in the future.
Alex Auld - not overly spectacular but got the job done. Plays the position well and looks to be very focused. Did make one game saving save on a sure goal on 2 on 1 where he looked down and out. With some developing, he could definitely be a future starter.
Martin Grenier - I was very surprised by his mobility. I figured at his size he would struggle to move around the ice but he was strong on his skates and was actually quite fleet of foot. Not overly physical but knew when to use his size and when not to. Plays the position well and could see some ice in Vancouver this year.
Kiril Koltsov - I figured alot of people were hoping for a report on Koltsov. When you watch him play, you definitely see the skill set. Nice puckhandler, very hard shot, moves around the ice well, sees the ice well. He definitely has to adjust to the pro style of game as you can see that he is looking for a free-flowing style on the ice. Was paired with Grenier on Saturday and Eakins on Friday. Those two seemed to be chatty alot with Koltsov. Smart move. He has a definite future.
For the Roadrunners:
Looked to have mainly a tryout roster on the ice, not too many players that would have been sent there from Edmonton. Two strong games nonetheless. Here is what I saw out of the Roadrunners:
Dan Tessier - I don't know if he's on tryout, signed by the Oilers or signed by the Roadrunners but either way, he should be in the AHL. He was the strongest player in the 2 games. Buzzing around the offensive zone, nice hands, very smart player. Looked good on faceoffs as well and was not out of place in his own end. Not sure if it was just a good couple games for him or not, but he definitely looks like a player from what I saw. Looked good on a line with Dave Roche and Michael Henrich. Scored a beauty shorthanded.
Doug Lynch - nothing special out of Lynch. Looked pretty solid from what I saw. Good in his own end, physical, has some offensive skills. He definitely has to do some developing at the pro level but I think the Oilers will be happy with the player they get.
Mike Bishai - I was impressed with Bishai's play last year with Hamilton and I was very impressed tonight. Very good speed, better hands than I thought, some very nice moves. He showed some real flashes of offensive ability that I didn't see last year. I think he could be a nice AHLer but I don't know if he'll ever do anything more than that.
Brad Winchester - I liked what I saw of Winchester. He plays a gritty, in your face style but he has some offence to him. Looked a tad out of place but that's to be expected. I think he will develop nicely and should become a top 6 forward in the NHL.
I could list a whole bunch of players but I'm not going to. If someone wants to know about a particular player just post a message or send me a private message and I'd be more than happy to give you a scouting report on them.
