A few notes from my perspective this morning.
Dillon Dube - Best forward on the ice. He is a puck hound that plays the game with a great deal of energy and has the skillset to convert on the turnovers he creates. What you saw of him at the WJC is a good example of the way he was playing today.
Jusso Valimaki - Best defensemen on the ice without question. He is so smooth in the way he transitions and skates the puck. He covers an enormous amount of the ice with his reach and skating ability. You can tell that he has the confidence to jump into the rush if the opportunity presents itself. He looks like a can't miss NHL player, who in my opinion will be playing and contributing in the big leagues within 2 years.
Josh Teves - In my opinion Josh Teves was by far the biggest standout amongst all of the invitees during the scrimmage. He simply controlled the game in all three zones and was willing to jump up into the rush and take the risks necessary to stand out. The puck seems to follow him on the ice and he consistently made the correct choices. He is definitely a player to keep an eye on moving forward. Extremely impressed.
Rasmus Andersson - Looks NHL ready. Most of us know the type of player he is and that showed today. Rasmus is incredibly poised with the puck and he really exudes high end hockey IQ and confidence in all three zones.
Tyler Parsons - Not much to contribute that hasn't already been said. The kid is legit and simply has the "it" factor about him. Tyler is an extremely aggressive and athletic goaltender who knows how to make the big save at the right time. He made an absolutely phenomenal save on Spencer Foo in the first half of the scrimmage.
Andrew Mangiapane - Kid looks like a future NHL player to me. He has everything you can possibly want in an NHL player with the exception of his size. Great skater, great shot, non-stop motor etc..
Mason McDonald / Nick Schneider - Meh. Average outings. I thought both had their moments but they often over committed to the shooter and found themselves out of position.
Adam Fox - He looks like he has bulked up and does not stand out as being a slightly undersized defensemen. His poise and ability to distribute the puck is simply at a level that none of our other prospects can touch. Elite hockey IQ. Defensive game will need to continue to round out moving forward.
Spencer Foo - He had his moments where he flashed the signs of what we have recently heard. Great hands (as proven by his shootout goal..wow), great puck pursuit and while his skating was alright, he did look a bit rusty. I don't think he is currently NHL ready but in saying that it is only one scrimmage game in the middle of the summer so a larger sample size is without a doubt needed. He had a few glaringly bad turnovers in the defensive zone that will not go over well with the coaching staff.
Oliver Kylington - Typical game from Kylington. I thought he was **** poor in the first half of the scrimmage. He struggled with positioning, one on one battles down low and turned the puck over on a few occasions. Second half I thought he was night and day better. He is such a fluid skater and you can tell he plays with an almost cocky level of confidence. He scored a goal and had a few shifts where he flat out dominated with his skillset. More consistency will be needed moving forward and he exhibited some of the same concerns that many of us have with his game.
Matthew Phillips - I was not overly impressed with what I saw today. He stood out mainly due to his size (so tiny..) but I really thought he was fighting the puck today. He skated well which is to be expected but he put himself in a few bad spots by trying to create too much individually. Not his best performance, but the skill is evident.
Ben Hawerchuk - After Teves he was in my opinion the second most effective walk on. Hawerchuk is a buzz saw and actively looks to get himself involved on a shift to shift basis. He has a decent ability to protect and cycle the puck for a player his size.
Emile Poirier - Flashed signs of his former self but at times looked disengaged from the play. All in all though I was relatively happy with the way he performed. He looked like a player who has pro experience out there.
Adam Ollas-Matsson - Adam is a big man with surprisingly good hands. In addition to that he skates fairly well and can transition the puck at a decent level. Very good stick work and positioning was demonstrated today. Solid prospect who may have the potential to one day see NHL work.
Mitchell Mattson - The kid has a long ways to go. He needs to fill out that frame of his. Showed somewhat decently in the offensive zone, but I have my concerns.
Adam Ruzicka - Adam is a raw prospect. He has a huge frame, decent offensive vision, and can skate at an above average level for a player his size. He needs to concentrate on being more impactful on shift to shift basis.
Hunter Smith - Showed well. Played physical, skated well, and made an impact. It will be interesting to see how his season plays out in Stockton.
Max Verroneau - Verroneau caught my eye on more than a few shifts. He made a very nice pass on the Kylington goal, and I believe netted the empty netter. Good showing for the invite.
Sam Dove-Mcfalls - Big kid that can skate at a high level. I am not sure he has the hands or the finishing ability to translate successfully over as a pro however. Time will tell.
Nobody else stood out to me in a positive or overly negative way. I kind of missed having a can't miss prospect playing this year. I don't think it was as exciting this year.
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