[sureLoss]

OHL Prospects @BrockOtten
At 109, the Calgary Flames takes Adam Ruzicka. Tons of skill in a big man's body. Consistency is the big issue. Needs to play harder.

More from Brock Otten
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14. Adam Ruzicka - Forward - Sarnia Sting
Ruzicka has kind of become a polarizing prospect for this draft. When the season started, he was considered a potential lottery selection, but his down year offensively in adjusting to the OHL has dropped him more to the mid second round range. The real issue at play is consistency. I saw him have some very, very strong games this year where he completely dominated shifts with his power and skill. This was especially true at the U18's, where I thought he had an excellent tournament for Slovakia. But there were also a couple games this year where he was completely invisible, and I think that's a bit alarming. We're talking about a 6'4, 200lbs forward who should be able to dominate more than one shift a game, or at the very least be noticeable. But his physical intensity really seems to waver. He's got a heck of a shot and release, but too often he's kept to the perimeter. He's at his best working the wall, and exploding to the net to create scoring chances, but again, this aggressiveness isn't shown nearly enough. I've also seen, read, and heard some question his hockey sense and overall offensive potential for the next level. I think those criticisms can also be considered valid. Is it a lack of effort in finding consistent scoring lanes, or is it a lack of vision? However, we also need to remember that we're talking about a young kid playing away from home for the first time. Consistency issues do tend to plague most imports playing in their first CHL season. Ruzicka looked mighty impressive at international tournaments this year, where he was able to play for his country. I have a hard time seeing Ruzicka dropping out of the top 50 come draft day, considering his size and skill package.