[Converge]

54 – LD Chris Breen: Breen is another guy who’s going to have to depend on his defensive game progressing a lot to make it to the next level. He brings very little offensive ability, but as I’ve said before, he’s used well in more of a leadership role on the ice. He uses his huge frame and long reach to contain attackers, but could probably step up the physical play (although, it is a development camp…).

55 – RD John Ramage: I don’t know if it’s that player aren’t expecting to get hit in a prospect camp, or if Ramage really is that physically mature in comparison to other players there. Ramage was a defensive force again today, laying the body and blocking shots. His positioning, skating, defensive awareness, and physical presence make him a defensive stalwart. Although his offensive game wasn’t at the level it was yesterday, he still shows a tendency to make little plays off the boards and simple passes that generate chances and scoring opportunities. Ramage has been really impressive these past two days, and I’m starting to really get my hopes up for him.

56 – LD Tyler Wotherspoon: Didn’t skate.

57 – LW Lance Bouma: Bouma, much like Nemisz, appears to be maturing well. His shot looked especially good today, and his offensive instincts looked good. At times he looks like a bull on skates, and charges the net hard for rebounds and loose pucks. I think Bouma will be ready for a bottom-six role on the Flames in the near future.

58 – LW Nick Larson: Larson didn’t look as good as yesterday, but he still performed really well. His defensive game was average, but his offensive game was above average again. One-on-one against the goalie he was almost unstoppable, but he lacked the tools to generate chances 2-on-2 today. Still one of the more intriguing prospects at camp for sure.

59 – C Max Reinhart: Reinhart hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at camp for me. He’s a smooth skater, with the ability to move pretty quickly when he really wants to. Everyone once in a while he tries a play that leaves you in awe, but most of the time he was content with taking long range shots with little chance of going in. Another year of junior should do him a world of good.

60 – LW John Gaudreau: Wow. I mean WOW. Gaudreau was all over the place today. In the morning he struggled mightily with backwards skating, I mean he was absolutely brutal; he made Grantham look like Jay Bouwmeester. And I kept thinking to myself “this kid looks like he’s more interested flipping the puck up and catching it on his blade than playing hockey”. I also couldn’t help but wonder how a kid so small with skating issues could put up so many points. He put these questions to bed in the 2-on-2 drills though. He just thinks the game on a different level. John Gaudreau is an unbelievably smart player, with the skill to do just about anything he wants with the puck. He and Wahl were just ridiculous together, and just flat out embarrassed defenders. He shows a pass first tendency, and is great at setting up shooters for goals, but also showed that despite his own sub-par shot, his good positioning allows him to score more goals. His insane hands don’t hurt either though. I would go as far to say that Gaudreau has the skill to be an elite playmaker in the NHL one day, if he’s able to put it all together and bulk up a fair bit. His size doesn’t seem to be an issue though, as he simply slips through bigger players and always has his head up. Another year at Dubuque and then 4 years of NCAA should do Gaudreau a world of good, giving him time to mature physically and work on his skating and defensive game. Really, really impressed with his offensive game though.

61 – LD John Negrin: Bar none the best backwards skater in the morning. Negrin looked capable of containing NHL level forwards, and playing at a higher level in general. I get the feeling Negrin will be ready earlier than we have room for; in fact, I think he can already be in the NHL. He’s got a pretty good shoot, but a lot of his offense comes from his good mobility and positioning. I didn’t get to see much defensively, but from what I saw his defensive game is adequate.

62 – LD Dallas Ehrhardt: Noticed Dallas a bit more today. He’s got a decent shot, but his game is more focused on defense. He uses his long reach to contain forwards, although he could use his size a bit more.

64 – RW Ryan Howse: His game kind of reminds me of Cammalleri, in that he’s a much better shooter when he’s got someone setting him up. He’s really good at pick his corners and placing his shots, as well as changing the angle shooting from to open up more space. Slightly above average skater, but I’d like to see him get faster to create more chances on his own. Something just tells me Howse is going to struggle a ton next season trying to transition his game to pro.

65 – LW Turner Elson: It’s amazing that one player can perform so poorly in drills, and then go out and pull some of the filthiest dangles all day after the session. He scored a couple one-on-one goals that generated an audible reaction from everyone in the arena. Other than a couple absurd moves, I was pretty unimpressed Elson.

68 – LD James Martin: A decent shooter. Was busy watching other players though.

70 – RW Blake Gal: Didn’t really notice Gal either.

71 – C Gaelan Patterson: Patterson has a pretty nice shot, and knows how and when to use it. Pretty good moves in tight too, he seems to make the best of limited space. Gaelan is a well-rounded center without many flaws to his game. Skating is about average, and he plays a good two-way game.

72 – LW C.J. Severyn: Severyn continues to show good skating ability, and a great shot. Didn’t look overwhelmed defensively in the 2-on-2’s, so I don’t really see any apparent holes in his game. I could honestly see him being a 20 goal guy one day is his game transitions well to pro hockey.

73 – LW Ryley Grantham: There’s no two ways about it, Grantham is the worst player on the ice, and it’s not really close. But, he does seem like a good team guy, and he always puts in full effort. His offensive skills across the board are below average. His skating is as well. The only way I see him making the NHL is if he maybe gets really good at fighting…

74 – LD Michael Quinn: Looked pretty good today. Average defensive abilities, with an alright shot as well.

76 – RW Scott Arnold: really noticed Scott Arnold’s shooting ability today. He’s got a pretty hard shot, and sniped a few goals. Nothing overly impressive though.

78 – RW Patrick Holland: More of the same today from Holland. He’s an exceptionally smooth skater, with above average speed and balance. His shot is hard and accurate, making him a one-shot scoring threat all the time. Patrick is quickly becoming one of the Flames best prospects in my books. He hasn’t shown any real limitation yet this week. He is at-least fairly good at just about everything, and he packs a dynamic offensive tool-box as well. Certainly a guy to watch closely in the coming year.

79 – LW Michael Ferland: Hasn’t been nearly as noticeable as I expected him to be. Continues to show patience in tight to score his goals and drives the net hard. Still, he’s a player I expected a little more out of at this point. I’ll be sure to try and watch him close in the next two days.


Thanks for reading!