Buds Board Keepers League

Jonathan Huberdeau is probably the best 2-way forward available for the draft. He played on the first penalty killing unit at 16 years of age with a championship caliber team in Saint John which shows the trust the coaching had in him at a young age. Jonathan Huberdeau is a magnificent puck handler and he uses those skills to escape active sticks from opposing players. He is shifty and strong on his skates. He always has his head up and can find an open man from just about anywhere in the offensive zone. He is a fantastic playmaker but don’t underestimate his scoring skills. He has a good shot that he releases at anytime from anywhere on the ice. He could shoot even more than he does with the space he is able to create for himself. He creates a lot of turnovers using his great anticipation skills. He doesn’t shy away from physicality and can keep the puck with pressure on him, but he doesn’t initiate physicality too often. He produces a lot offensively in 5-on-5 situations because he can adapt to any situation. If he has to cycle the puck to create an opportunity he will do it. Sometimes when a fancy game doesn’t work, you have to come back to a more basic game and that’s something he is able to recognize. Huberdeau has a fantastic work ethic. It rivals not only anyone is his draft class but in the entire CHL. When Huberdeau improves his explosiveness and his speed a little bit, he will be a scary package. We have no doubt that Huberdeau will become an impact 2-way forward at the NHL level. With more pounds added on to that frame and more strength, he will only get better. Jonathan should impress in the interviews at the combine. We came away very impressed after our two interviews with him this season. He is a mature and very likeable young man. He understands that hockey is played in 3 zones and that a commitment is needed in all three zones to become a complete player. When you add on his scoring and playmaking talents, the words ‘elite player’ comes to mind.

bcool wroteCOLONI have a feeling that Huberdeau goes #1 in the NHL draft.

Mika Zibanejad might be the most interesting player in the 2011 draft. We saw him first when he put on a show at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins. The 6’1” 190 pounder led Sweden with 5 goals and 9 points in six games. He was already producing back in Sweden but when players like Zibanejad shine in North America their draft stock always makes a big jump up the rankings. Mika is a big hard working two-way forward who has as quick a release as we have seen in a long while for a kid at his stage of development. The puck explodes off his stick. His skating is not pretty but he is very quick, a bit ugly but effective might be a way to describe his skating. He uses slightly short choppy strides to dance all over the ice but he does it with pretty good speed and he gets after it. This kid looks like the energizer bunny at times. He is not afraid to go to the dirty areas and he forechecks like nobody’s business. Mika sees the ice very well and is as adept at playmaking as he is to scoring with his fantastic shot and soft hands. In short, this kid is just a blast to watch. He seems to be having as much fun as the fans who are watching him. He is not shy about smiling. Mika is a converted winger and now plays center on the 3rd line for Djurgarden in Sweden. He is a reliable player who can be used in all situations. He is proud of his overall game and when we chatted with him it really came through. This is a player who loves to compete every shift and be counted on in close games and clutch situations. He is relied on for penalty kill and he gets some powerplay minutes. When we asked Mika what was the weakest part of his game he told us, “I want to work on my skating. I need to become more explosive and work on my acceleration.” He has great vision on the ice, is hard working and he has an outstanding shot with a quick release to go along with a 6’2” 190 pound frame. Just imagine how good he might be if he makes progress on the acceleration and explosiveness he spoke about.

SuperMario wroteCOLONwhere are these reports from kareem?

Gabriel Landeskog made an immediate impact in Kitchener, even though many forget he was actually drafted by the Plymouth Whalers 3rd overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft. He was traded about a month after the draft to Kitchener. Despite being caught behind some strong talent up front in Kitchener in his rookie season, Landeskog made an impact scoring in 3 of his first 5 games, and hasn’t slowed down since Landeskog was named Kitchener Rangers captain;
as a 17 year old import player. This is unheard of in the CHL, but is a tribute to his great leadership which he is able to project with both his words, and his play. Landeskog plays a Power Forward’s game, throwing big hits, and finishing his checks whenever possible. He is a tireless worker along the boards. Offensively, Gabriel has a great shot, very good hands, and is able to beat opposing players 1 on 1. He is also is an excellent puck protector and showed us the ability to go end to end and work around players using his body very effectively. Landeskog not only can shoot the puck, but he makes great plays with the puck. He makes some high difficulty plays, but seems very aware of his surroundings and the plays developing around him, always checking before making a high risk play. Making mistakes with the puck is a few and far between occurrence for Gabriel. His awareness and mobility is one of the things that separates Landeskog from other players of similar size. He reads the play as it’s developing, and does the little things like covering the point for a pinching defenseman. On his own side of the red line, Landeskog works just as hard, particularly in the corners, and takes pride in his ability to battle below his own goal line, and helping the defense take the puck out of the zone. Gabriel really seems to love playing at home in front of the loud crowd in Kitchener, however, Ranger fans may not see much more of Gabriel. We consider Landeskog to be the most NHL ready prospect in this year’s draft, we expect him to stick with whoever selects him for the 2011-2012 NHL Season.

Mark McNeill was selected 5th overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. He joined the Prince Albert Raiders full-time for the 2009-2010 season, and although he received a bit of a limited role at times, and had a few struggles, his potential started to show through at times. However this season, when given a ton of responsibility to help lead the Raiders team, he not only answered the call, but excelled on a consistent basis. McNeill is first noticeable for his size. He has NHL ready size, and uses it very effectively, as he can throw some devastating hits, will finish his checks whenever possible, and has quite the mean streak on him. What makes this so impressive is, despite the size and physicality, McNeill is an excellent skater. His size and skating ability combined gives him excellent puck control, and he has shown to be capable of scoring highlight reel goals. What impresses us so much about McNeill, and raises his stock on our rankings is his ability to not only use his skillset to create offense for himself, but also for all 4 of his teammates on the ice. He can be deceptive, due to having a solid release on his shot, but also the ability to thread the needle to teammates. His positioning in the offensive zone is excellent, and he has shown very well in the face-off circle. The biggest concern about McNeill is he shows very little urgency getting back into defensive positioning, and has not done great in his own zone. This must be improved before he makes the next step. HP’s Ryan Yessie says, “McNeill has been a personal favorite of mine all year. He does everything on the offensive side of the red line so well, and makes everyone around him better. It was hard to believe how long he flew under the radar. He has such a dangerous combination of size speed, skill, and hockey sense. He’s a threat every time he’s in the offensive zone. I really wouldn’t be shocked if he made the jump to the NHL as soon as next year, depending on who selects him.”

Ryan was selected 8th overall by the Barrie Colts in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection out of the Toronto Marlboros program. He joined fellow prospects Lucas Lessio, Brett Ritchie, and Stuart Percy as first round graduates of the Marlboros program. Strome had a quiet but strong start to his career in Barrie. Despite seeing limited minutes, it became very clear that it would be only a matter of time before Strome got the ice time to show his true talent. Strome was a big piece, in the blockbuster deal that involved Alex Pietrangelo going to Barrie, which saw Strome finish his rookie season for the up and coming Niagara Ice Dogs team. Strome started this season out with a bang, putting up 2 goals in his first game and 26 points in his first 15 games. Strome also accomplished a very interesting feat in the playoffs against the Oshawa Generals, scoring in every single game of that series. Strome has a ton of offensive upside and is without a doubt one of the most dynamic players in this year’s draft. Strome has exceptional puck handling abilities, and when given any space to work, he can put together highlight reel plays. HP founder, Mark Edwards had this to say about Strome. “I remember telling one of our scouts last summer that Strome was very talented but played too much on the perimeter in Minor Midget. It didn’t surprise me when he started going into dirty areas that his whole game changed. Ryan started to become a pretty complete player in all 3 zones. I knew how skilled and shifty with the puck he was, but it was when he became willing to pay the price to win pucks all over the ice that he turned the corner for me.” Strome has quick feet and is one of the most dangerous offensive players in this draft. His faceoffs could use work. This was never more evident than in a recent playoff series going up against Boone Jenner. He struggled versus the bigger Jenner and was schooled a bit. The faceoffs are not a huge concern though - he will improve as he gets stronger. Strome has a high hockey IQ and has made players around him better. He has dazzled with both scoring and passing skills this season. A few Dogs should probably put Ryan on their Christmas card list next season. Watch for Strome to go in the top 10 picks in June.

He has the tools to be a really good player, but what separates him from the others is his hockey I.Q. His hockey smarts in the offensive zone and in the defensive zone make him a really solid all-around player. The Voltigeurs have given him almost 30 minutes of icetime per game since the beginning of the season. He wins most of his battles along the boards and he makes quick decisions with the puck without causing turnovers. His execution is a notch a higher than most players in major junior.

Grant McCagg wroteCOLONI'm just preparing some profiles for McKeen's top 30, and in them I am including quotes I compiled during the season from NHL scouts. In McNeill's instance I have quotes from two of the leagues most respected scouts..one being a crossover scout with 15 years experience and the other being a head scout. Here's what they said about McNeill.... afterwards..you tell me if you still think the Habs should pick him at 17......

"Big body, good straight ahead speed, looks like a player, but a lot of letdowns. Not tough or overly competitive physically. Pretty good puck skills.....saw him once and he was no good. Stood around too much, agility not great.....no emotion, no step up in his game. Got pushed around. Doesn't win a lot of battles. I want to see more compete. Even his agent didn't stick up for him. He could be so good..when he has time and space he's effective."

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

Grant McCagg wroteCOLONI'm just preparing some profiles for McKeen's top 30, and in them I am including quotes I compiled during the season from NHL scouts. In McNeill's instance I have quotes from two of the leagues most respected scouts..one being a crossover scout with 15 years experience and the other being a head scout. Here's what they said about McNeill.... afterwards..you tell me if you still think the Habs should pick him at 17......

"Big body, good straight ahead speed, looks like a player, but a lot of letdowns. Not tough or overly competitive physically. Pretty good puck skills.....saw him once and he was no good. Stood around too much, agility not great.....no emotion, no step up in his game. Got pushed around. Doesn't win a lot of battles. I want to see more compete. Even his agent didn't stick up for him. He could be so good..when he has time and space he's effective."

1. Edmonton — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. It just makes too much sense not to happen. They could really use a puck distributor like Adam Larsson on the back end, too, but they'll take their chances on finding one down at No. 19 with Los Angeles' pick.

2. Colorado — Gabriel Landeskog. Continuing to add high character guys on the front end. Like Edmonton, they have another first-rounder they can use to address the blue line later on, so they opt for the forward who is most ready to come in and contribute right away.

3. Florida — Jonathan Huberdeau. After dealing away Nathan Horton and Michael Frolik, there's not a lot of skill left up front. It's a tough choice with Larsson still left on the board, but they need someone to come in and energize the fan base and put some points up on the scoreboard.

4. New Jersey — Adam Larsson. The Devils absolutely luck out here - first in winning the lottery to move up to this spot, and second in having the mobile defenseman with skill they so desperately require fall into their laps.

5. N.Y. Islanders — Dougie Hamilton. The Isles are once again cursing their bad draft luck. Could have landed a perfect fit in Larsson if the Devs didn't move up in the lottery, but Hamilton is a nice consolation and still fits the bill as a mobile defender with size and toughness.

6. Ottawa — Mika Zibanejad. They desperately want Landeskog and will try to trade up with Colorado to ensure they get him. But if that fails, they'll take another Swedish power forward with the size and skill to play on their first line.

7. Winnipeg — Ryan Strome. They will be looking to make a splash, and would like to add some flash-'n-dash to the lineup. Strome may be the most likely of the top prospects to bust, but he's also got a really high impact skill level that could energize the new fan base.

8. Columbus —Ryan Murphy. We fully expect that Philadelphia will be making this eighth selection come draft day after trading Jeff Carter and his salary to Columbus in order to pave the way for the Ilya Bryzgalov signing. But either way, Columbus and Philly could both use a dynamic offensive force from the back end.

9. Boston (from Toronto) — Nathan Beaulieu. The Tomas Kaberle experiment hasn't worked out as hoped, so he won't be back. They're praying that Ryan Murphy falls to them, but if not, they'll settle for another high-risk, high-reward puck-moving defender. Time to reload with some young blood on the blue line.

10. Minnesota — Sean Couturier. A big, two-way second-line center would be a nice complement for Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund, and might allow the Wild to deal Pierre-Marc Bouchard in return for another piece on the blue line.

11. Colorado (from St. Louis) — Oscar Klefbom. They can take their time teaching him the finer points on defense, and once he's up to snuff, they might have themselves a real stud.

12. Carolina — Nicklas Jensen. They have a lot of older forwards who are set to become free agents, and another great hands/skills guy would make a nice bookend for Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner.

13. Calgary — Mark Scheifele. He seems like a perfect choice for a club that has grown stale and moribund in its creativity level on the front lines. He could be a cornerstone piece centering their top line in a couple of years.

14. Dallas — Joel Armia. They love their Finns in Dallas, and Armia could a really nice replacement for James Neal in a couple of years with a similar size and hands combination busting off the wing.

15. N.Y. Rangers — Rocco Grimaldi. Wow, would the hysterical bleacher creatures at Madison Square Garden eat this kid's high energy, high-octane game up with a spoon? Instant fan favorite.

16. Buffalo — Jonas Brodin. He's a clone of Toni Lydman, whom the Sabres have really been missing since his departure. He'll eventually help take some of the puck-handling load off Tyler Myers.

17. Montreal — J.T. Miller. They would have loved to see Beaulieu still on the board here, but a big, naturally powerful winger who regularly wins the physical puck battles would seem to be ideal for a club that struggles to maintain puck possession at the offensive end.

18. Chicago — John Gibson. They may have just locked goalie Corey Crawford up long-term, but check the rest of their system. Cristobal Huet's salary will remain in exile, and they have nothing in the prospect pipeline in the nets.

19. Edmonton (from Los Angeles) — David Musil. This might make Oilers scout and proud papa Frantisek Musil the happiest man on the planet. It also happens to be a pretty good fit for their organizational needs at this point. If Gibson makes it past Chicago, though, this could get interesting.

20. Phoenix — Sven Bärtschi. They've already drafted a bunch of smaller, skilled wingers in recent years so perhaps a Brandon Saad or Mark McNeill pick would make more sense here. Just call this one a hunch.

21. Ottawa (from Nashville) — Joe Morrow. They need skilled playmakers, and after netting Zibanejad with their first pick, they turn to the back end for someone who can team with Erik Karlsson to run the power play.

22. Anaheim — Mark McNeill. Could slide in as a nice second line center behind Ryan Getzlaf after Saku Koivu leaves. He could give the Ducks size up the middle that would be tough to match up against.

23. Pittsburgh — Jamie Oleksiak. They've been trying to replace Hal Gill for two years now — Bingo!

24. Detroit — Connor Murphy. With Brian Rafalski retiring and Nicklas Lidstrom at 41, there is a serious need to restock the blue-line cupboard with some size and puckhandling skill.

25. Toronto (from Philadelphia) — Duncan Siemens. Could take over the abrasive, shutdown defender role that Francois Beauchemin filled with a couple years of seasoning. He's definitely a Brian Burke-style player.

26. Washington — Tyler Biggs. His withering glare, backed up by heavy fists, is just what the doctor ordered for a team with a lot of soft forwards who don't show up in the playoffs. It would also be a hedge against losing Brooks Laich.

27. Tampa Bay — David Honzik. Might be a slight reach, but does anyone believe in Tampa's goaltending? Dwayne Roloson, 42, was gassed in the playoffs, Mike Smith is a perfect No. 2, and then …

28. San Jose— Ty Rattie. He'd be an awfully nice complementary piece in San Jose, providing secondary scoring and smarts in a few years. The Sharks can afford to wait and let him pack on some muscle, and he seems like a guy who is tailor-made for their system of play.

29. Vancouver — Kale Kessy. Just a hunch the Canucks might be in the market for a big, farmboy-strong winger who is mean, tough as nails, and feared. It's an element they could use to protect all their skill guys.

30. Toronto (from Boston) — Brandon Saad. Burkie will be happy to add another big-bodied bruiser up front - and unlike most of the others, Saad has actual skill. Seriously, if he drops this far, they can say they got one of the best value picks in the draft, because he's a top 10 talent when he's on his game.

The Devil wroteCOLONI'm happy he watched McNeill once.. I'm going with he had a bad game.

McNeill played by himself in Prince Albert.

MSP4LYFE wroteCOLON

The Devil wroteCOLONI'm happy he watched McNeill once.. I'm going with he had a bad game.

McNeill played by himself in Prince Albert.

I'd be shocked if both a regional and head scout formulated such a strong opinion off of just one game, but I digress I have no opinion on him one way or the other, just posting some interesting reports I have stumbled across.

Shep wroteCOLONRLR has Puempel falling out of the 1st round?

Odd..

Shep wroteCOLONRLR has Puempel falling out of the 1st round?

Odd..