Buds Board Keepers League

Strong veteran defensive defenceman, not particularly great at anyone aspect, but solid in his own zone, and making the first pass. Popular in the locker, and a hard worker, has the tools to be a career NHL'er.

Strachan is a defensive defenseman with excellent size. He is a very good skater and is quite mobile. He possesses good puck-handling skills and makes very good outlet passes. One outstanding attribute that Strachan possesses is his blisteringly hard shot. He has shown an ability to join in the offensive rush as well. He uses his great size and his long reach quite well, particularly when clearing the front of the net. He can deliver good, hard checks and doesn’t shy away from the physical aspects of the game. He is also a hard worker. An area where Strachan could stand to improve in is shooting the puck more.

Update: One area where Strachan vastly improved in his senior season was in his offensive game, particularly in the second half of the season. His willingness to shoot more and better decisions with the puck has contributed greatly to his improved offensive numbers. Strachan also saw time on the Ohio State power play.

"He's an offensive defenseman. He moves the puck very well, very good on the power play, good shot, creative, good hockey sense, good stick skills. He fits our mold as a puck-moving defenseman ... He's not one dimensional at all ... He's not a cruncher, not a stay-at-home physical type, but he does do the job. He finishes his checks and defends the net well. He doesn't often lay someone out with a huge hit, but he's very sufficient on the back end." — Red Wings scout Mark Leach (April 2009).

Offensive defenseman ... Active and involved ... Smart and creative on power play ... Heavy shot ... Makes a great first pass or can join in on the rush ... Gets in the way and finishes checks ... Doesn't neglect defensive duties and has enough backward mobility to not get beaten ... A winner who bounced from contender to contender in the QMJHL.

A character forward with good size, Slaney displays strong puck possession skills. His big body is able to shield the puck efficiently and open up space for teammates. He leads by example with a strong work ethic and is a team player.

Drazenovic is a swift skater and a creative puckhandler. He is at his best when on the attack, using his physical tools to generate scoring chances. He has good on-ice vision, and a quick shot release. Drazenovic doesn’t play very physical, but he has gotten stronger since he was drafted.

-Puck Control A-
-Voted 3rd best stickhandler in OHL East Conference in Coaches Poll, March 23/09.
-Coming through neutral zone he’s fully aware of where teammates are when he has the puck, and is quick to find lanes up ice when another teammate is carrying the puck…
-good in transition as he will feed up good passes to turn it out quickly, and gets up ice fast in reachable areas when a teammate is breaking out… takes passes on the fly well.
-will carry through neutral zone, but knows the puck can move faster than him when its passed…
-has some jaw dropping moves- has made defenders and goalies look silly- has moves/hands that cannot be taught, and finish is improving at this level (has been a big scorer at every level)- some players with his natural ability would pass much less than Wallen.
-takes pucks in his skates exceptionally well, good hand eye with bouncing pucks
-very dangerous as a passer, or a puck carrier who can turn a d-man inside out.
-throws nice quick accurate passes out of board scrums.
-very patient with puck, has improved in that regard, no panic, (with the exception of nervous to use his shot at some times) which is why he’s being utilized as a PP QB in absence of teams top right shooting d-man.
-Protects puck well down low on cycle in offensive zone, holds off bigger defenders decently, surprisingly. Usual theme, more strength could make him scary down low.
-Active stick when watching his man in d-zone, and on forecheck.

A steadfast defender, Brodeur plays a smart, mature game beyond his years. A towering presence on the blue line, he sometimes does not use his size to his advantage, but that does not reduce his ability to play an effective, shutdown game. A strong skater, Brodeur has some untapped puckmoving abilities that will only become more apparent as he develops

Welch became arguably one of the best defensemen playing in the NCAA during his college career. This versatile and talented defenseman has been a pillar of strength for Harvard over the last four seasons. One of Welch’s greatest strengths lies in his fluid skating. He moves equally well both laterally and horizontally on the ice. His transitional game is exceptional. He’s able to go from playing offense to defense quickly and rather easily without missing a beat and/or making a defensive mistake much of the time. He’s a very good playmaker who loves to jump up into the plays.

Another one of Welch’s strengths is the fact that he’s a smart and very instinctive player. He reads and follows plays extremely well and his reaction to them is equally good.

Welch has started to overcome a lacking in his physical game and his use of his large frame (6’4”/212). He has shown some physical play, but could show it more often. His strength has improved but will need to improve again as he enters the pro game.

Richmond is a smallish defenseman who has good offensive skills and plays tough for his size. He is a great playmaker and has excellent awareness on the ice. He is a good skater and smart positional blueliner. Needs to continue to work on conditioning and strength.

Azevedo is a diminutive forward, standing at only 5'7. He is elusive and can find seams in the defense to open scoring opportunities for his linemates. He is a heart and soul player that has had to develop competitiveness in order to continue his hockey career despite his physical limitations. As can be expected, he can be easy to knock of the puck if caught flat-footed by the opposition.

2007-08: Sepnt the season with Eisberlin's junior squad, posting 12 points in 46 appearances. Registered an assist in six games for Team Germany at the U18 WJC.

2008-09: Played for Eisberlin in the junior league, posting 39 points in 47 games. He also played seven games in the DEL, with one assist.

Played for Team Germany in the 2009 WJC.