My thoughts on the tournament.
Guys that impressed:
Mark Jankowski (77). Not much needs to be said here except he looked like a man playing against boys. He’s ready.
Spencer Foo (15). Came as advertised. Great speed, smart player, and nice shot! Should be up with the Flames sometime during the season.
Dillon Dube (59). Smart player with way better skills than I thought. Good skater, good IQ, under-rated offense. Was pleasantly surprised.
Zach Fischer (48). Really liked his blend of skill and toughness.
Josh Healy (85). Loved his physicality. Didn’t hurt the team out there with the rest of his game.
Adam Ollas Mattsson (68). Really liked the quiet game he plays. Rarely out of position and doesn’t make many mistakes.
Rasmus Andersson (54). Thought he looked like the best defenseman out there and closest to the show. Could use a little more speed, but he just does everything so well.
Juuso Valimaki (42). Very composed. The only thing I was a little disappointed in was his ability to generate offense. Still, can’t believe he fell to our draft slot.
Guys with potential:
Andrew Mangiapane (88). Had flashes out there. Thought he looked out of place with Jankowski and Foo, as he was slightly behind the speed of the game the other two played. Could be just needs some more time.
Matthew Phillips (47). Slick little player, but he is tiny. Has a very long road to go, but he showed he can play at this level in the right circumstances. Needs two or three years.
Adam Ruzicka (63). Liked his size and smarts. Needs to work on his skating and adapt to the speed of the game. Definitely a nice skillset to work with.
Brett Pollock (60). Was ready to see him cut loose, but he came in and showed more than he has in the past. Still has that big body and decent ability, this camp he appears to finally be figuring it out.
Sam Ruopp (98). There was something about this kid that just caught my eye. Played a consistent game and was willing to get his body in the way.
Tyler Parsons (82). Was a little disappointed in his third period play in the only game he played. Looked good up until that point. Overplayed a couple of shots and that seemed to open the flood gates. I can still see why he is so highly regarded though.
Nick Schneider (70). I know it was only against the Canucks, but he looked good. Had good command of his angles and his crease. His rebound control is going to need some work, but he looked decent in there.
Lost cause:
Hunter Smith (71). Just can’t skate. Love his willingness to drop the gloves, but he just can’t do anything hockey related.
Ben Hawerchuk (97). Proof that hockey is not genetic. Really struggled with the pace of play. He could have been trying too hard to make an impression, but the one he did make was not good.
Mason McDonald (72). I try not to get too down on prospects, especially goaltenders, but MacDonald is a massive disappointment. Gives up too many softies.
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