Nico Daws (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Goaltender
A late birthday 2000 goaltender, Daws played in a backup role for the OHL Champion Storm in his first year of NHL draft eligibility. This year Daws won the starting job for Guelph and has been the best player in Guelph’s surprising start with a very young team. Daws entered the game as a league leader in GAA and save percentage and had won his last 5 starts. He stopped everything thrown at him early in a game where Owen Sound carried the play early. As Guelph found their legs and reversed the early onslaught Daws continued to make saves if there were breakdowns. Daws excels at covering the bottom of the net and controls his rebounds well. For most of the game it did not look like anything was going to get by Daws (particularly anything in the bottom half of the net). He is poised in the net and doesn’t seem to get flustered in traffic. He competes to see pucks through screens. At 6’5 he covers the net well and shows good lateral mobility while moving side to side in goal mouth scrambles. As he continues to improve his angles and ability to block pucks in the top half of the he will be a goaltender to watch this season. Daws is a C prospect on our list but is continuing to play at a consistent elite level. In our view he is definitely one of the top goaltenders in the OHL this season and having himself a breakout year. Game Grade: B+
Cooper Walker (3.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C-) Forward
Walker is a first year right shot centerman who has been playing in a limited role for the Storm early in his junior career. Walker has been playing primarily as a 4th line center and platooning with a group of young forwards on the Guelph roster. Entering the game with Owen Sound Walker had one point in his first 13 games and is slowly working his way into the line-up in every game. Walker had a great night and was effective early on the forecheck with his IQ and closing speed on defenders. Walker read the forecheck well and created turnovers and was effective on the cycle. He centered a young line between two other rookie wingers. They played a high paced, high skilled game in transition. Walker was efficient in his own end and his offensive game started from good play in his zone, good d-zone puck support and excellent transition. Walker set up two goals with primary assists – one was a 40 foot pass in transition to an open winger and the second was a crafty play down low the cycle to find an open defender in the slot. Walker is not on any of the major scouting lists right now but his outing tonight warrants future looks to see if he continues to develop and take on a more prominent role for Guelph. Game Grade: B
Michael Bianconi (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Bianconi continues to develop as he sees increased responsibility with Guelph after an early season trade. Bianconi skates well and continues to be effective in breaking down forechecks. He gets to pucks quickly, he knows where the puck should go and he moves the puck efficiently. Bianconi’s key attribute in his defensive zone is his quick closing speed and his body positioning. He is a young defender who Guelph trusts – he plays in key situations, kills penalties, and matches well with his mobility and foot speed vs opposing top forwards. Added strength will help Bianconi win more pucks in his zone as the season progresses. Offensively Bianconi plays a simple game, his pinches are well timed, his passes are generally conservative to the boards to wingers moving with pace. We would like to see him direct more pucks to the net. Bianconi is quick enough to retrieve pucks on the offensive blue line, but consistently looks to move the puck down low vs directing pucks towards the net. A player we will continue to check in on as the season progresses. Game Grade: C+
Andrei Bakanov (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
No real change in Bakanov’s play from our viewing in mid October. He is a big bodied, strong skating winger with a heavy wrist shot when he gets open looks. Bakanov has been contributing offensively recently and we were curious to see how his play was developing since our last viewing. Bakanov looks like a hockey player with his strong skating stride and solid frame. He is difficult to move off the puck when he is moving with pace through the neutral zone. On the offensive cycle, he can be difficult to contain when his feet are moving. Bakanov continues to play important minutes for a young forward and is seeing more time on Guelph’s power play units as the season progresses. A highlight reel goal in this game was called back late in the third – Bakanov broke down the wing and scored a laser over the opposing goaltender. Neutral Zone scouts had a good view of the goal but we do not provide commentary on the officiating. This was another game where Bakanov was held off the score sheet, but his pace, size and ability to generate speed in transition were noticeable on most shifts. A player we see developing into a front line forward as the season progresses. Game Grade: C
Benjamin McFarlane (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C-) Forward
He is still adjusting to life in the OHL, but in the past has shown transferable skills and a high IQ. “An excellent penalty killer and who is a great energy player in 5 on 5 situations. He has shown leadership skills and even though he may be undersized, he is a high compete physical forward who wins battles. Maintains shooting lanes and will block shots. Plays in straight lines and is very quick laterally.” – an Ontario Neutral Zone Scout
Zack Terry (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Zack is a big smooth skating defenseman that is solid in his end who is having a slower start to the season than our Neutral Zone staff anticipated, but we still feel that he is progressing in the right direction and therefore our eyes will continue to be on him. Our Ontario Scout – “Terry is consistent in all aspects of his game. He is hard to get around due to his mobility and use of his strength and stick. He also wisely chooses when to jump into the rush playing as a 4th forward on the rush. Terry plays a physical brand of defense in his end and contains a the cycle well.”
Luca Profaca (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Past Neutral Zone comments on Luca, ” A tall, lanky defenseman who plays a smart game and moves the puck effectively. Profaca can lead or join the rush out of the zone and showed strong hockey IQ defensively to take time and space away from opponents. Profaca has a strong stick and plays his angles well and we like his grit and edgy play in the good defensive scoring areas. We are interested to see Profaca’s develop. We feel he will improve significantly as he progresses through Junior hockey into the professional game.”