Calgary Flames 2011 Development Camp

[Converge]

Surprised there hasn't been a thread posted for this yet...

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=567889&navid=DL|CGY|home

And because a lot of posters seemed to enjoy reading my scouting reports last year, I'll be posting them again this year.

[Converge]

The players were only out for about 45 minutes today, tops. So, I wasn't able to get a very good look at a lot of prospects yet.


01 – G Laurent Brossoit: Did not Skate.

31 – G Joni Ortio: Looked big in net, and had strong positional play. Will try and watch him closer in the next few days.

32 – C Paul Byron: Sabres fans weren’t kidding when they said this kid was fast. It’s not so much about the mechanics of his strides, he’s just flat out fast. He’s like a little water-bug, he moves his feet so quick. Going to try and watch him more this week.

36 – G Dan Bakala: Did not skate.

38 – LW Logan MacMillan: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

39 – RW Bryan Cameron: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

42 – LD T.J. Brodie: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

43 – RD Keith Seabrook: Looked good when I noticed him. Had a couple nice point shots from the blueline.

45 – LD Joey Leach: Seemed to struggle a bit today. Lacked a bit in coordination and puck control.

46 – LW Carter Bancks: Bancks has a much better shot than I remember. He certainly showed a little more skill today than I thought he had, but that’s not saying much.

47 – LW Sven Baertschi: Baertschi appears to be beyond his years in almost every way. He’s an excellent skater, and possesses an accurate shot and great vision. His patience with the puck also really stood out, as he seems to have the ability to take one more second, or make one more move, before he gets rid of it; and man does he have some sick hands. He showed some nice passing ability today as well, especially after most the other prospects left, and just he and Granlund passed the puck around for about 20 minutes. He just seems like he can do everything really well already. Puck control, hand-eye coordination, shooting, passing, skating; he really has the tools to be a great player one day. Sven was the last guy off the ice today as well, but not after tossing the puck up to some kids watching.

48 – RW Greg Nemisz: Nemisz performed like I expected he would today. Not the most noticeable guy, but he had a couple strong moments. Looked good in front of the net, and has good hand-eye coordination. Shot is still a bit below average, especially for a guy who’s already got a year of pro under his belt. Nemisz is a guy I want to watch a bit closer this week, for sure.

49 – C Bill Arnold: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

50 – C Justin Dowling: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

51 – C Roman Horak: Horak is a good skater, and he’s got quick feet. A decent shot, but I think as the week goes on his playmaking tendencies should start to show more. Horak is another guy I want to try and watch pretty close this week.

52 – C Mitch Wahl: I think at this point it’s safe to say Mitch is the top dog at the camp. I know I can only infer so much from the stands, but he just seems like a natural leader on the ice. He leads the stretches, talks with everyone, and always stays long after everyone else is off the ice. I didn’t see a lot of Wahl today, but I’ll be watching for him a lot this week. I really think he could be something special.

53 – C Markus Granlund: Markus looked a lot like I had heard he would. A smart player with good passing ability, and he’s always got his head on a swivel and seems to see the ice well. Had good skating mechanics as well, making him very mobile and shifty. Although he’s a good skater, he didn’t look very fast. His shot also seemed a little off, as he shot high and wide a lot.

54 – LD Chris Breen: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

55 – RD John Ramage: Ramage looked frustrated a lot today. He had some trouble staying on his skates in some of the drills, and seemed to be struggling with puck control and coordination with other players. I’m sure it was just an off day though.

56 – LD Tyler Wotherspoon: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

57 – LW Lance Bouma: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

58 – LW Nick Larson: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

59 – C Max Reinhart: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

60 – LW John Gaudreau: He’s tiny. There’s no two ways about it. It wasn’t until after the on-ice-session ended and the media were conducting interviews that I noticed just how small he was. I seriously thought he was someone’s kid until I noticed that everyone was rushing to interview him. On the ice he looked pretty sharp however. He moves his feet quick and showed some playmaking tendencies and good passing. Could use a bit more power on his shot.

61 – LD John Negrin: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

62 – LD Dallas Ehrhardt: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

64 – RW Ryan Howse: His shot looks much better than it did last year. His wrister is hard and accurate, and his skating looks much better this year. I’m expecting Howse to really impress me this week.

65 – LW Turner Elson: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

68 – LD James Martin: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

70 – RW Blake Gal: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

71 – C Gaelan Patterson: I seemed to notice Gaelan a lot today. He’s got a hard shot, but lacks accuracy. Patterson seems like a strong all-around player, but I don’t see his ceiling being very high; however, I do see a future in the NHL for him.

72 – LW C.J. Severyn: Just as I remember, C.J.’s strongest asset is his quick and accurate wrist shot. He’s a slightly above average skater as well, making him a pretty dynamic offensive player. I don’t think he’ll ever develop into a top-six talent, but stranger things have happened…

73 – LW Ryley Grantham: Stone hands, but I didn’t expect much else. He still managed to put a few behind Ortio.

74 – LD Michael Quinn: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

76 – RW Scott Arnold: Didn’t notice him/Didn’t skate.

78 – RW Patrick Holland: After today, I see why Patrick received an invite for team Canada’s WJC camp. Holland’s shot is miles better than I remember it being, bordering on pure-sniper. Holland was probably the most surprising and impressive player today. Really excited to watch him this week.

79 – LW Michael Ferland: Not all that noticeable today, but I expect more from Michael this week. Had a couple strong moments today though.

[Beerfest]

I had high hopes for Wahl going into last year (and still do), hopefully his remains healthy this year and we get a good idea of what type of player he could become.

[Converge]

Originally Posted by Beerfest

I had high hopes for Wahl going into last year (and still do), hopefully his remains healthy this year and we get a good idea of what type of player he could become.

Me too. I was really disappointed that he missed most of last year. I expect him to be a big contributor next year in Abbotsford, though.

[sworkhard]

I'm glad Patrick Holland is planning out. After he was drafted, I heard someone comment that he could be the steal of the draft, and it appears that he's doing everything he can to prove that person right.

How did Gaudreau compare height wise to Byron? I read somewhere today that he looked nearly as tall and looked the 5"8 and 150lb he claimed he is, but I'm wondering what your impressions were.

[Freeway]

The absentees were goalies Laurent Brossoit and Dan Bakala, defenders T.J. Brodie, John Negrin, Dallas Ehrhardt, Chris Breen and Tyler Witherspoon and forwards Lance Bouma, Nick Larson, Max Reinhart and Turner Elson.

[Converge]

Originally Posted by sworkhard

I'm glad Patrick Holland is planning out. After he was drafted, I heard someone comment that he could be the steal of the draft, and it appears that he's doing everything he can to prove that person right.

How did Gaudreau compare height wise to Byron? I read somewhere today that he looked nearly as tall and looked the 5"8 and 150lb he claimed he is, but I'm wondering what your impressions were.

He definitely looked more like 5'8" than 5'6", but he looked really, really, thin in the media scrum. I'd say 150lbs is probably pushing it, but I could be wrong.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Converge

He definitely looked more like 5'8" than 5'6", but he looked really, really, thin in the media scrum. I'd say 150lbs is probably pushing it, but I could be wrong.

I'm hoping to chat with him tomorrow. I'm 5'11, 158, so I'm curious to see how his build compares to mine.

[Converge]

Originally Posted by Freeway

The absentees were goalies Laurent Brossoit and Dan Bakala, defenders T.J. Brodie, John Negrin, Dallas Ehrhardt, Chris Breen and Tyler Witherspoon and forwards Lance Bouma, Nick Larson, Max Reinhart and Turner Elson.

Just saw the link for THW in your signature. We talked a bit earlier. (Steven, long-haired kid)

[Roof-Daddy]

Our prospect pool seems to be getting a LOT better.

[Converge]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Our prospect pool seems to be getting a LOT better.

I'd take my scouting reports with a grain of salt if I were you. I'm probably a little over-optimistic. Although, I do feel like this years group of first year players look much, much stronger than last years group did.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Converge,

I'm glad you've noticed Wahl's leadership as well. The half-dozen of so times I went to Heat practices (before he got hurt), I noticed Wahl was very vocal out on ice. Either goofing around with the other guys, leading stretches, etc.

Anyways, thanks a ton for the scouting report. Keep doing what your doing.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Converge

I'd take my scouting reports with a grain of salt if I were you. I'm probably a little over-optimistic. Although, I do feel like this years group of first year players look much, much stronger than last years group did.

Yeah, I hear you.....I just think we've added a lot of skill to our prospect pool in the last couple months. Hopefully it translates to the NHL for some of them, over the next few years.

[Muta]

Now I'm intrigued by Holland. He's got one more year in the dub, correct? Can't wait to see how his a) WJC camp invite goes, and b) pro career goes starting in 2012.

[Converge]

Insanely tired right now, it's been a long day. Sorry there isn't much info on a lot of players, I ended up missing group B this afternoon, so I missed a lot of players I think people wanted to hear about. Nonetheless, here's my recap on day 2.



01 – G Laurent Brossoit: Looked very beatable from what I saw. Lateral movement was a strength, but poor positioning seemed to result in a lot of seeing eye shots from a long distance in.

31 – G Joni Ortio: Fantastic lateral movement, Ortio doesn’t give shooters anything to look at. Rebound control was also pretty good.

32 – C Paul Byron: Looked really fast again today. Offensive instincts could have been a bit stronger, especially for a guy who might be playing in the NHL this season.

36 – G Dan Bakala: Didn’t watch Bakala very close today, but I’ll watch for him more tomorrow. He’s the clear cut number two in goalies though (definitely not as good as Ortio, but clearly better than Brossoit)

38 – LW Logan MacMillan: One of the better skaters in the morning. Good mechanics, and above average speed. Didn’t get to see him in the afternoon.

39 – RW Bryan Cameron: Possibly the most improved skaters from last year. His strides still look a bit weak, but his technique is way better, and he’s gotten much faster. Didn’t see him in the afternoon.

42 – LD T.J. Brodie: T.J. had another strong day today. He’s got a good point shot, and his skating looked pretty good as well. I’ll be watching him more closely tomorrow.

43 – RD Keith Seabrook: His skating looked effortless in the morning; really smooth. Another D-man with a good shot from the blueline.

45 – LD Joey Leach: I liked what I saw from Leach today. In the morning, he seemed much more interested in getting the drills done properly rather than quickly, and didn’t lose the puck very often because of that. Looked good in the game-like scenarios in the afternoon and used his size to his advantage.

46 – LW Carter Bancks: It’s looking more and more like Bancks is a better player than I gave him credit for at first. He’s got a pretty good shot, and he’s a decent skater. Need to watch him a bit more still.

47 – LW Sven Baertschi: Sven had another excellent day today, but unfortunately one of his flaws became rather apparent in the morning power skating drills. Although he’s already got an above average top-speed, explosive acceleration, and has excellent agility and quickness in tight spaces, his mechanics and balance seem to be lacking sorely. He struggled a lot with cross-overs in some morning drills, losing his balance quite a bit. The afternoon was a different story though. The game-like scenarios helped illustrate his abilities much better. He competed for every loose puck, even against much bigger players (Breen…) and showed a feisty side to his game as well. He even sniped a couple of goals in the 2-on-1 drills, and showed off some crazy moves too. He’s really slippery in the corners as well, and can turn off defenders in a split second.

48 – RW Greg Nemisz: I didn’t get to see a lot of Nemisz today, in part because I missed the second afternoon group. His skating has improved, as well as his hands and awareness.

49 – C Bill Arnold: Don’t think he skated in the morning, but definitely did in the afternoon. Has certainly progressed since last year’s camp.

50 – C Justin Dowling: Performed better than expected. Was a better skater and passer than I had thought he would be.

51 – C Roman Horak: Still hardly noticed Horak, but missing the afternoon session probably didn’t help. His skating technique seemed incredibly similar to Howse’s.

52 – C Mitch Wahl: Wahl continues to perform exactly as you would expect him to. Not a really fast skater, but has great technique. Although I missed most of group B in the afternoon, I still got to see his huge slapper.

53 – C Markus Granlund: Another player I was really disappointed about missing in the afternoon. His skating seemed a bit messy and unorganized in the morning from what I saw.

54 – LD Chris Breen: Skating is average for a guy his size, and he doesn’t bring much offensive ability. Plays more of a leadership role on the ice.

55 – RD John Ramage: Biggest surprise of the day, easily. After looking frustrated yesterday, and as average as can be in the morning, Ramage’s play really came through in the game-like scenarios in the afternoon. His defensive game is the perfect mixture of hockey IQ, excellent positioning, active stick-work, and physicality. He broke up a lot of rushes by having his stick in passing lanes and knocking passes out of the air. He probably played about as physical as you could in a prospect camp, and didn’t hesitate to take someone into the boards hard. Offensively he has a decent shot, but his offensive game comes more from mobility, vision, and superb passing ability. He set up a couple really nice goals in the afternoon, and dominated both offensively and defensively.

56 – LD Tyler Wotherspoon: Didn’t skate today.

57 – LW Lance Bouma: Used his size to his advantage in the afternoon. Played every puck hard, and even took a puck in the face in one of the drills. In the morning his skating seemed decent, but his strides are extremely heavy.

58 – LW Nick Larson: Didn’t skate in the morning, and I assumed he wouldn’t be there at all today, but boy was I excited to see him in the afternoon. I recall him being one of the stand-out players at last year’s camp. He seemed a bit weak on his skates in the corners, but when given time and space in the offensive zone, he becomes a really dangerous player. Great vision and impeccable passing make him a slick playmaker. Didn’t really see him use his shot too much, but he blocked a couple shots instead.

59 – C Max Reinhart: Another (ugh) guy I missed in the afternoon. Reinhart’s skating is really smooth, but his acceleration and speed seemed pretty inconsistent all morning. At times he seemed really fast, but at other times he looked really average.

60 – LW John Gaudreau: Really quick skater, with a pass first mentality (or so it seems so far). I’ll need to watch Gaudreau more this week.

61 – LD John Negrin: Didn’t see Negrin enough to say much.

62 – LD Dallas Ehrhardt: Hardly noticed Ehrhardt.

64 – RW Ryan Howse: Skating looked alright in the morning. Not the best mechanics behind his strides, but he has an above average speed. Need to see him skate in the afternoon tomorrow.

65 – LW Turner Elson: Stone hands. Turn-over machine. I can’t count the number of times an offensive opportunity was squandered when the puck made its way onto Elson’s stick, because the play ended there every time it did. Maybe it was just an off day, but the guy was handling the puck like a hand-grenade this afternoon. He fanned on a lot of shots, and passed the puck directly into defenders over and over again.

68 – LD James Martin: Didn’t notice him.

70 – RW Blake Gal: Didn’t notice him.

71 – C Gaelan Patterson: Had a couple nice goals today. One of the more well-rounded players at camp for sure.

72 – LW C.J. Severyn: Skating and shooting are still looking clearly above average for Severyn. It’ll be interesting to see if this holds up all week.

73 – LW Ryley Grantham: Looked really determined and focused today. The guy just gets dialled right into the drills, and tries his best to lead by example. I’m Impressed with the work ethic and attitude of Grantham, even though he might not be a very skilled player.

74 – LD Michael Quinn: Didn’t notice him.

76 – RW Scott Arnold: Decent shot, but didn’t notice much else.

78 – RW Patrick Holland: Another player who’s game blossomed both offensively and defensively in the afternoon. Holland was breaking up plays left and right with good stick work, and giving puck carriers no time or space to do anything. He also had a couple sick snipes over Ortio’s shoulders.

79 – LW Michael Ferland: Another tenacious player when it comes to puck pursuit. Ferland battled hard along the boards and competed hard for loose pucks. When he had the puck he displayed a lot of patience and poise, often out-waiting the goalie and making his goals look easy.




I should have a bit more on some group B players tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

[Flames1848]

Is there a prospect tournament this year?

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Flames1848

Is there a prospect tournament this year?

Yes. It's in September.

[flamesrule14]

Thought I'd post this is both forums and I know some don't read both.

Drove down this morning and caught all the action today. A good long day of watching hockey. Mind as well share some of my observations. A lot of players to watch and was easy to get distracted. So won't comment on everyone, but just those who stood out good or bad. Not a scout or anything so take it for what it is. Just a fans observations.

Group B was the first group this morning.
Bryan Cameron- Really liked him today. Has a hell of a shot and I really think his skating has improved. Probably a dissapointing year for him last year so hopefully he can rebound and find a scoring role with the Heat. Definetly won't be easy as there is a lot of competition, but I really liked what I saw today.

John Gaudreau- Caught myself watching him most of the sessions. So incredibly small. Seriously his jersey must be 2 sizes to big and he looks like a boy amoung men. Damn though he has all world skill. Real good shot and just great with the puck. Had a little trouble with the power skating(especially going backwards), but still has pretty good speed. Head is always up too. Him and Wahl just put on an absolute clinic on one of the 2 on 2 drills. If he can get some size and strength I definetly think he could be a player. Time is on his side too with him going to college so he can really develop and hopefully become a steal. Definetly the guy I came away today most impressed with.

Horak and Howse- Both were pretty quiet today. Didn't really notice them as much as I would have liked.

MacMillan- Didn't have a roster sheet for this group and had no idea who #38 was. Really surprised to find out it was MacMillan. Was really noticable. Good shot, good speed and was one of the leaders out there.

Negrin- Loved this guy since he was drafted and he was great. Just such a great skater and he seemed a bit bigger. I see no reason why he can't be fighting for a spot on the big club with guys like Brodie, Mikkelsson and Carson. Just really hope he can have a healthy year and prove his worth. Really think he can be a player.

Nemisz- Another one of the leaders out there with Negrin, MacMillan and Wahl. Skating looked great and it looked like he got a bit bigger as well. Should definetly improve on his rookie year.

Wahl- Really great to see him out there and healthy. Great shot and just really good with the puck. He'll have a good season with the Heat.

Wotherspoon- Wasn't out there at all today. Don't know what is up with him.

Group A.
Arnold and Larson- Both players none of us really see much and I was impressed with both of them. Both big bodies that skate pretty well. Larson has a lethal shot. Impressed with both of them today.

Baertschi- Came as advertised. I've been coming to these camps the last 6-7 years and definetly the most skilled forward I've seen at one of these camps. Good skater and a wizard with the puck. A couple of times he was able to take a bad pass off his skates and just bury it. Doesn't waste time getting his shot off and he picks the spots. No doubt he'll get a long look at camp, but I'd probably have him in Portland for the year. No need to rush him unless he forces his way onto the team during camp. Definetly an exciting pick for the flames and us fans. He'll be a player.

Breen- Such a big guy. Didn't notice him during the skating and skills, but during the 1 on 1's and 2 on 1's he really showed why Playfair was high on him. Just a great stick and his foot speed is fine.

Ramage- Same as Breen. Didn't notice him during the skating and skills, but showed his worth on the other drills. Gave the forwards no space and really cut down the open area between him and the forward quickly.

Byron- Don't want to say I was dissapointed, but I was expecting a bit more. He is a fast guy, but I wouldn't say he is the best skater if that makes sense. During the power skating he seemed to struggle especially with drills where he was on his edges. Decent shot and did have some good puck skills. For my first time viewing the kid I didn't come away thinking he would make the team. One viewing though so in no way am I going to write him off.

Bouma- Exactly what you'd expect. Leader out there and he seemed to have added some size too. Definetly have no problem with him being a 4th liner this year.

Brodie- Don't need to say much. He's going to push for a spot again. Looked great.

Dowling- Soft hands in tight. Probably the most impressive tryout. Wouldn't mind seeing him get an AHL deal.

Goalies- Didn't really want them that closely. Ortio seemed like the goalie hardest to beat for the players. I've watched Brossoit quite a bit with the Oil Kings and he has good size and is very positionally sound. I'm definetly planning on catching more OK games to watch him.

Little OT: Conroy is awesome. First time meeting him today after the sessions. No problem taking pictures with me and other people. So friendly and had no problem chatting us up for a bit.

Way OT: Damn. Alex Ruiz. Definetly would have no problem being interviewed by her everyday.

[Converge]

Another good day today. They did an interesting 2-on-2 drill that really helped illustrate some players abilities.



01 – G Laurent Brossoit: Struggled a lot again today. Looked small in net, had poor rebound control, and anything that was up high had a good chance of getting past him. I know he’s young and it’s his first development camp, but he made a lot of shooters look pretty good today…

31 – G Joni Ortio: Another good day for Joni. He continues to be the clear cut number one at camp over Bakala. Showed pretty good rebound control and didn’t give shooters much to look at. He doesn’t have any glaring flaws in his game at this point.

32 – C Paul Byron: Still haven’t been impressed with Byron. He’s fast, but he’s not really a very good skater and has poor balance. He’s just a little guy who moves his feet quickly. He’s got a pretty good shot, but aside from that he doesn’t look very skilled to me. I’m sorry, but I can’t see this kid cracking our line-up this year. He’s small, doesn’t play physical, and doesn’t add much of anything. I may be wrong about him (and I hope I am), but he just hasn’t showed me anything to make me believe he has the ability to play well at an NHL pace.

36 – G Dan Bakala: Bakala looked pretty much the same today. He’s not too far behind Ortio in terms of skill, but he’s still clearly a step below. Seems like a pretty solid, all around goaltender, but still needs work.

38 – LW Logan MacMillan: Much more noticeable today. MacMillan isn’t really bad at anything, but he’s not exactly great at anything either. One of the better skaters at camp for sure though. His shooting and passing look about average to me.

39 – RW Bryan Cameron: Cameron is clearly one of the most improved players from last year to this year. You can really tell he’s worked hard to improve his skating and it’s really paying off; he looks much faster now. His shooting still looks really good, and he’s still really good in-front of the net. To me, Bryan Cameron is looking more and more like a legitimate prospect. I expect a strong season from him next year in Abbotsford.

42 – LD T.J. Brodie: Looked better today than the past few days. Showed some skill in the 2-on-2 drills, and good positioning. His skating looked really strong as well, but at times he seemed a little passive defensively. There were times when he should have probably challenged the puck-carrier more, but chose not to.

43 – RD Keith Seabrook: Seabrook looked pretty good again today. He’s got a good shot, and likes to use it. He seems like a decent defensive player, with a good blend of body-positioning and physicality; although he isn’t a big hitter.

45 – LD Joey Leach: At this point I think it’s safe to say that Leach’s offensive ceiling is very low, but I think he still has the potential to be a solid, stay-at-home guy. He utilizes his size and reach when defending, and plays strong along the boards. When given an opportunity to score, his shot seemed weak and placed poorly. I actually really like Leach’s game, and I’m interested to see how he progresses next year in Kootenay.

46 – LW Carter Bancks: Carter Bancks is a much better player than I thought he was a week ago. His shooting improved significantly, and his skating is above average. He’s not afraid to engage physically along the boards either. I could see Bancks filling out as a bottom-six guy one day, with some limited offensive upside. I really like his work ethic.

47 – LW Sven Baertschi: Baertschi’s skating looked much better this morning. He excelled at some drills that most others struggled with, and many couldn’t even do properly. He looks comfortable on his edges, even during difficult drills. He’s not an exceptionally fast skater, but he’s quick, and looked much more organized and balanced today. The 2-on-2 drills helped shed some light on his defensive game, and I don’t want to slap the “one-dimensional” or “poor defensively” tags on Baertschi, but he needs some work in that area. His positioning was a little off at times, but if anything his defensive lapses were a result of him trying to do too much defensively. As the 2-on-2 drills went on, the play got a little more physical, and I remember watching Beartschi skate calmly into the corner a number times, and thinking to myself “He’s not even going to get engaged physically…” only to have him simply strip the puck from the carrier almost instantly. His puck control and shooting both look way above average, and he’s even a pretty good passer. Sven has just been thoroughly impressive all week, even if there are some flaws in his game.

48 – RW Greg Nemisz: I think Nemisz is really starting to round his game out. His offensive skills are starting to come around and his shooting and puck-handling look better than ever. Although I don’t think he’ll ever be the dominant offensive player we thought he would be one day, I can see him developing into a strong two-way player who can put up 20-25 goals consistently.

49 – C Bill Arnold: Arnold hasn’t been the most noticeable player this week, but from what I’ve seen, he has a fair package of offensive capabilities. He’s got a decent shot, and is an okay puck-handler, although he needs to work on that more. Arnold still has a long way to go before he’s ready for pro hockey, but I think he has the raw skills to make it.

50 – C Justin Dowling: One of the bigger surprises today. Dowling thinks the game really well, and is a great passer. I was really impressed with him all day. He showed some pretty nice hands and scored some sick goals as a result.

51 – C Roman Horak: Not nearly the dynamic offensive talent we had heard about. It’s not that Horak is a bad player or anything, but his tools just don’t seem as well developed as I had expected. He’s a decent passer, and he’s got an average shot, at best. I hope to get a better idea of Roman’s defensive game tomorrow.

52 – C Mitch Wahl: Wahl didn’t look quite as good today as he did the past few days. His skating is still above average for sure. His top speed isn’t anything spectacular, but he’s a really good skater and has the potential to get faster. He looked smart and made good decisions in the 2-on-2, and displayed a well-rounded high end offensive game with great awareness. He’s also able to pick corners and place his shots really well.

53 – C Markus Granlund: Granlund needs to work on the mechanics of his skating more, and could definitely use more speed in his game. He’s a better shooter than I thought he would be, and his offensive skills seem above average. He still thinks pass first, and loves to set shooters up for one timers.

[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!