[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Rabid Squirrel Edition):

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders were one of the worst teams in the USHL this season, finishing 14th out out 16 teams, and were one of 4 teams to miss the playoffs. One player on the team that was worth the price of admission was 5'9",165lb RW Landan Resendes, who plays like an angry Wolverine, posting totals of 14 goals and 30 points (with 78 PIM) in 59 games- 1st in goals on the RoughRiders, and 4th in points. Resendes, who hails from Marlborough, MA, has played a bit of Center this season, but likely won't in the pros. He is ranked #168 for North American Skaters by Central Scouting.

Resendes is small in stature, but his motor and compete are among the biggest in this year's draft crop- he will take on all opponents, big or small, and doesn't quit on plays. He is always going 100 MPH, and supplies his team with constant energy, dragging them into battle. Resendes is a high-volume, shoot-first winger, and isn't at all afraid of attacking the middle or driving the crease to finish, and capitalize on rebounds. He finds and creates space better than most players his age, manipulating his adversaries by drawing them in his direction, and seeks out seams in the slot to operate in. He owns a bomb of a one-timer, and an accurate wrister, but needs to further strengthen it's power and velocity. Though he's a prolific shooter, he's no slouch in the playmaking department, with above-average IQ and vision, but he needs better deception to facilitate this part of his game. The good news is that he's always improving, and his distribution game is still coming along. A big part of his success is his skating- he has speed to burn, and can back up defenses with his relentless pace. He has a lightning quick short-area burst as well, but could use some work on his edges. In transition, he's a standout with his smooth stickhandling, speed, and 1-on-1 moves, weaving through traffic to make controlled entries. He goes all-out through the neutral zone, working give-and-goes at top speed.

Resendes plays with an edge, and despite his lack of size, he carries an iceberg-sized chip on his shoulder, and is more than willing to throw big hits. He overwhelms opponents in battles with his elite compete, winning body position frequently, and plays the role of agitator to a tee by driving his opponents nuts- and he draws plenty of penalties. Resendes will take part in extracurricular activities after whistles, and will dole out some extra shots when he can in the form of shoves, hacks and whacks, and maybe a crosscheck here and there. He's a forechecking demon, very disruptive and relentless, and when opponents try to hit him, they either miss or are met with stiff reverse-checks. Defensively, he shows excellent tracking data, which is quite impressive considering the caliber of team he plays for. He's a detailed performer, with top-notch awareness and solid positioning to pressure puck-carriers, and derail the rush. He cuts off lanes, and gets in front of shots. Going forward, Resendes must keep developing his playmaking, in order to add another dimension to his game, and make him less predictable. It sounds strange, but he needs to slow down a bit a times, instead of going all-out, all-the-time- he can sometimes overskate and miss the play. Another dimension of this would be learning a better delay game in order to scan better for the best option available. He needs to improve his shot, as well as his agility, but he would be destined to have a huge breakout in the USHL, if he wasn't committed to Boston University this fall. In my opinion, all projections of his translatability will have to wait until his college career is in full swing, and he might not be drafted because of that- his production in the USHL wasn't where it should be. If he's drafted, he'll have to wait until later rounds.