Logan Morrison (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
We are comfortable with Logan remaining as an NHL “C” Grade for the time being. Although he is not big, Logan is very strong in the corners and in front of the net. He does not initiate physical contact to create turnovers rather taking smart angles and using his strong hands to win puck battles. After taking possession of the puck Logan plays with his head up and has the vision to be a high level play maker. Our main area for concern as a top level NHL prospect is his speed. We know he will develop and get stronger, but we are still watching and trying to figure out if that added strength will transition to a more powerful stride. The area we are not concerned about is his brain. His game situational awareness is at a very high level. Logan sees the entire ice well and is very patient with or without the puck. He does not force high risk plays that will in turnovers, but rather consistently chooses to make the right hockey play to keep his team on the attack. Defensively, he again has solid awareness and creates turnovers through anticipation and a very good stick that closes down passing lanes quickly. He will play in every type of game situation for Hamilton, but we do not view him as an NHL penalty killer. We do feel he has the high hockey IQ and skill set to be a power play option. Logan has the courage to stand in front of the net and the puck skills to play along the goal line or mid-wall. Again, his anticipation and awareness could prove to be a real asset on an NHL power play. We are keeping Logan at a “C” NHL Grade, for now.
Marco Costantini (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL grade — C) Goalie
(L, G, 6’1, 175, Hamilton, 2002) This was our first game viewing Marco and we came away highly impressed. Marco spent last year playing his first year of Junior in the GOJHL and his numbers as a rookie were among the league leaders. He struggled in his first Ontario Hockey League start against Oshawa giving up six goals. Interestingly, Marco’s 5th and 6th starts of this year was also against league leading Oshawa, where he stopped 28/30 on Saturday night for the win and stopped 35/38 on Sunday in a narrow 3-2 loss where he was Hamilton’s only star. He has average pro goalie size at 6’1 and likes to get down on the pads quickly and stays down on the pads during the action. Marco moves well laterally and has no trouble going East to West on Royal Road passes or shots. He has very quick hands which result in a great glove and a fast blocker. Traffic in front of the net does not bother him as he tracks the puck through screens very well and has good rebound control. We feel that Marco showed real mental toughness and competitiveness in his second and third opportunities starting against Oshawa and we look forward to watching his season progress. Game Grade — A-