USHL Fall Classic: 2023 NHL Draft Prospects - Neutral Zone

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling / Hickling Images

2023 NHL Draft Prospects who competed at the 2022 USHL Fall Classic

Lucas St. Louis

Dubuque Fighting Saints

USHL

5’10”

169

Harvard | 2024

Old Greenwich, CT

2005

Not yet rated

vs Omaha: 21:42 TOI, 5:49 PPTOI, 3 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 2 Grade A, 2 PIMs. 1 hit, 2 shots blocked, 3 give aways / 8 take aways. Won 38% of his puck battles.

St. Louis is an undersized defenseman who uses his brain to thrive in both offensive and defensive transition. Offensively he has very clean touches which allows him to keep the puck on his forehand ready to catch opposing forwards with their toe caps facing the wrong direction. His passes are hard well timed and easy to handle. Along the offensive blue line he is very deceptive. His eyes are up and often times he ‘fake telegraphs’ a pass which makes opposing forwards guess resulting in wide open passing lanes for St. Louis to zip passes through. In defensive transition he reads opposing forward’s routes very well and shows the anticipation to move on the pass which results in bobbled touches and turnovers. In defensive zone coverage his wide skating base allows him a low leverage point allowing him to win battles versus larger players and keep shooting lanes clear. Grade: C+

vs Omaha: 17:26 TOI 1:35, PPTOI -3, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 4 shots blocked, 9 give aways / 3 take aways. Won 78% of his puck battles.

Burchill is a feisty high paced right shot forward who looked very comfortable playing the left wing versus Omaha. Even when presenting a forehand passing target he handled hard passes to his backhand very cleanly and then kept the puck moving. We liked his ability utilize his weakside defenseman in transition and his willingness to move his feet after making a pass made him a consistent give and go option. Dubuque failed to get set up while his unit was on the power play but they did utilize his speed to be the puck carrier on the breakout. In this situation we would like to see him recognize the defender’s gaps earlier in the neutral zone. This would allow him to catch opposing defenders flat footed so he could utilize a strong side chip and use his quickness to puck retrievals. It is very obvious that his first step and pace of play will continue to be difficult for defenders to handle but we feel he looks stronger and more powerful through contact than at any point we’ve seen him in the past. Grade: C+

vs Waterloo: 21:31 TOI, 5:11 PPTOI, 1:53 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 SOG, 4 PPSOG, 2 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 2 hits, 2 shots blocked 7 give aways / 9 take aways. Won 75% of his puck battles.

vs Des Moines: 26:22 TOI, 4:31 PPTOI, 3:20 PKTOI, 1 assist, 7 SOG, 4 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 10 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 33% of his puck battles.

Strathmann is a slightly undersized left shot defenseman who is a workhorse in all three fazes of the game for Youngstown. During 5on5 play he is a transition machine as he showed the puck poise to make forecheckers guess and the skating ability to quickly jump past the forechecker once he had their toecaps heading in the wrong direction. His passes were hard flat and on the tape. He defended even man rushes with a very tight gap showing the strength and mobility to pinch off a rush at the defensive blueline. Strathmann is a high end draft prospect who oozes confidence and will be watched very closely this year. Grade: B+

vs Muskegon: 15:35 TOI, 0:58 PKTOI, -1, 2 SOG, 2 PIMs, 1 shot blocked, 2 give aways / 2 take aways. Won 73% of his puck battles

vs Cedar Rapids: 16:50 TOI, 4:29 PKTOI, 1 goal, +2, 3 SOG, 2 Grade A, 4 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 67% of his puck battles.

Sharp is a 6’1′ 170lbs left shot defender who moves well laterally and has the strength to win battles along the walls or in front of his net. He kept tight gaps in neutral zone defensive transition and we liked his stick placement when he pinched off even man line rushes at his defensive blueline. The stick placement limited opposing forwards passing options forcing them to make decisions before the blueline and when they tried to cut back into the middle Sharp was strong through contact and did not back down. He might not be a straight ahead burner but he has an easy glide that will allow him to carry more weight and we feel that as he adds strength and power through off ice training he has the skating posture add speed. In the offensive zone Sharp showed good game awareness by knowing when to activate for a mid-wall scissor when slide laterally to be a one-timer option or when to activate through the face off dot to be a shooting option. The perfect example of this occurred on his goal versus Cedar Rapids when executed a perfect give-and-go through the face off dot for a beautiful one-timer goal. NHL teams will be watching to see of he’s big enough to play his strong steady style in professional hockey but after winning 70% of his puck battles at the Fall Classic we feel Sharp deserves a season long look. Grade: B-

vs Chicago: 15:12 TOI, 3:31 PPTOI, -1, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 2 PIMs, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 2 give away / 3 take away. Won 75% of his puck battles.

vs Madison: 15:50 TOI, 1:41 PPTOI, 2 give away / 4 take away. Won 70% of his puck battles.

Shasby plays bigger than his listed size of 5’8′ 148lbs. He consistently won wall battles and used a deep knee bend chest up skating base / posture to clear shooting lanes and tie up opposing forwards on point shots. The left shot looked very comfortable playing the right side and showed smooth footwork when opening up for one-timers along the offensive blueline. He showed four way explosiveness that allowed him hold the offensive blueline longer than his peers and he hustled up the ice to maintain ight gaps in transition. We noticed a few times versus Chicago that Shasby turned his back on the puck while defending the cycle but his skating ability allowed him to quickly recover into the vacated ice. As an undersized defender who relies on his quickness to be impactful defensively we would like to see him defend with his stick on the ice at all times. A ‘stick in the air’ example occurred on his minus versus Chicago. After getting caught in transition he hustled back to his far post only to be caught with his stick parallel to the ice allowing a blind behind the back pass to be completed for the Steel’s momentum changing first goal. Shasby was very confident on the power play as he attempted to expand the penalty killer’s formation by consistently playing with his feet as close to the blue line as possible. His passes were hard and where his teammates wanted them. He did have one power play shot blocked that allowed Chicago to clear the zone and make a much needed PK unit change. Grade: C+

vs Tri-City: 18:28 TOI, 0:29 PPTOI, 1:03 PKTOI, 3 SOG, 1 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 0 give aways / 0 take aways. Won 67% of his puck battles.

vs Fargo: 17:03 TOI, 0:02 PPTOI, 1:55 PKTOI, -1, 2 SOG, 2 PIMs, 1 hit, 2 shots blocked, 4 give aways / 5 take aways. Won 67% of his puck battles.

Fascia is good sized smooth skating left shot defender who showed a consistent patient two way game. During defensive zone breakouts he worked to set picks for his defensive partner and people in the crowd could clearly hear him communicating with his low forward or partner while defending the cycle. His passes were hard and where his teammates wanted them. We liked his defensive angles in the neutral zone as he forced poor dumps and poor decisions in the grey area. Against Fargo he made a great defensive read on a quick 2on1 that showed his game awareness and quick lateral mobility. On the play a teammate turned the puck over in the neutral zone Recognizing a bouncing puck on the opposing player’s backhand he exploded laterally to unexpectedly force the player into a mistake which led to a clean zone exit. It’s a little thing that happened very quickly but we were impressed that as a younger defender in the USHL that he did not just back into his goaltender hoping for backchecking help. He does not appear to have a rocket from the point but he moves well laterally along the blueline as he attempts to change the shooting angle. One thing to continue to watch closely during the Fall Classic Fascia attempted four clear shots from along the offensive blue line where he had time and space to get his shot through. Two of those shots were blocked. They did not hit shin pads but the shots did hit sticks and failed to reach the net. Grade: C+

vs Madison: 12:37 TOI, 1 goal, 2 assists, +2, 3 SOG, 1 Grade A, 4 give aways / 6 take aways. Won 44% of his pick battles.

Bentz was an opportunist who finished the game versus Madison with three points. All were the result of hard work and timing. He batted his goal out of midair and one assist came after forcing a turnover on a neutral zone forecheck that sent his linemate in on a breakaway. His other assist versus Madison came after winning a wall battle below the goal line and making a perfect backhand pass to a crashing defenseman for a one-timer. All in all Bentz has good size and played in straight lines. This may sound odd but he knows when to change and he did not get caught out or leave the next man over the boards in a bad position. Grade: C+

vs Sioux City: 14:36 TOI, 0:41 PKTOI, 2 goals, +1, 4 SOG, 2 Grade A, 2 hits, 1 shot blocked, 3 give aways / 1 take away. Won 40% of his puck battles.

vs Lincoln: 13:46 TOI, 1:58 PKTOI, -1, 1 shot blocked, 5 give aways / 3 take aways. Won 20% of his puck battles.

The September 2004 is a long lanky right wing who seemed to always be in the play. As the puck carrier he kept his feet moving through contact showing the willingness to bulldoze his way to the net. When he was the F1 on the forecheck he fought through picks to make sure he was taking away time and space as quickly as possible. His two goals versus Sioux City show the type of potential he has a professional. On the first he recognized the Sioux City defender was caught flat footed and jumped into the open ice for a partial breakaway. Once in the slot he fired a quick snap shot high glove while his feet were moving. The second goal was an empty netter where he showed his straight line speed to win a foot race to a loose puck before continuing to create space for himself and fire it home. His length made him a key member of the penalty killing unit where he played in straight lines and showed a willingness to maintain shooting lanes to block shots. After winning three of ten 50/50 puck battles we will be keeping an eye on is his puck battle winning percentage. Grade: C

vs Youngstown: 12:03 TOI, 3:39 PPTOI, 0:48 PKTOI, 1 SOG, 2 PIMs, 0/1 Face-offs, 2 give aways / 1 take away. Won 0% of his puck battles

Fredricks has an NHL frame as well as the skating base to be a professional. The puck does not slow him down and he uses a nice wide dribble to evade defender’s poke checks as he drives wide. He showed the ability to shoot while his feet are moving and use defenders as screens while on the rush. We feel that to capitalize on his physical tools Fredricks will need to improve his passing ability specifically recognizing who is a righty or lefty and passing the puck where his teammate wants to receive the puck. Grade: C

vs Chicago: 19:13 TOI, 4:28 PPTOI, 0:07 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, -1, 5 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 5 Grade A, 12/20 face-offs, 1 shot blocked 7 give aways / 5 take aways. Won 55% of his puck battles.

vs Madison: 14:19 TOI, 3:00 PPTOI, 0:01 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 3 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 3 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 9/16 face-offs, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked , 5 give aways /1 take away. Won 46% of his puck battles.

Knuble is a pitbull of a competitor who does not back down. He is willing to battle for ice in front of the opponent’s net and is very good at taking the goaltender’s eyes away on point shots. He scored two goals at the Fall Classic with both of them coming by redirecting waist height shots from the point. As a puck carrier he played with pace and showed the combination of edge work and strength to be able direction while an opposing defender was hanging on his back. On the forecheck he is an aggressive F1 who (again) gets his stick on aerial passes and generates turnovers. he may not be tall but he is thick and uses a powerful leg drive to throw opponents into the walls. He showed good hand strength winning 21/36 face-offs but we also liked his awareness to not blindly chase the puck on a defensive zone face-off loss. Grade: B

vs Youngstown: 12:57 TOI, 0:11 PPTOI , 5:15 PKTOI, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 1 give away / 0 take aways. He won 67% of his puck battles.

Stenberg is a maximum effort player who played a simple yet effective game. He was most noticeable as a penalty killer where he recognized ‘asses or eyes’ and provided quick pressure when appropriate. While shorthanded he won loose puck wall battles for 200′ clears (4X) and maintained shooting lanes to prevent one timers or quick snap shots. He was very disruptive as an F1 on the forecheck and as an F2 or F3 we did not notice him getting trapped below the puck. He has a high motor and high compete that made impactful on every shift. Grade: C

vs Waterloo: 21:48 TOI, 8:45 PPTOI, 0:14 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 SOG, 6 PPSOG, 4 Grade A, 3/4 face-offs, 3 shots blocked, 6 give aways / 1 take away. Won 25% of his puck battles.

vs Des Moines: 19:32 TOI, 7:42 PPTOI, 1 goal, -1, 9 SOG,7 PPSOG, 5 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 4/9 face-offs, 2 hits, 4 give aways / 1 take away. Won 25% of his puck battles.

Whitelaw is an undersized high end offensive NHL prospect who understands how to create space for himself and his teammates. As the puck carrier through the neutral zone he effortlessly changes pace to manipulate the gap into his favor and then takes advantage of the time and space created. He has a quick powerful release and he showed exactly that on his power play goal versus Waterloo where after receiving a pass he did not need to stickhandle before unleashing a rocket that beat the goalie high to the glove short side. Yes he had three points in two games at the Fall Classic but our concern is that he had twelve puck battles while in Pittsburgh winning only three of them. He is a high end offensive prospect who has first round offensive skills and the confidence to go with it. Whitelaw will be watched very closely. Grade: B

vs Lincoln Stars: 15:57 TOI, 2:41 of PPTOI, +1, 2 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 50% of his puck battles.

vs Sioux Falls: 18:32 TOI, 6:12 PPTOI, 2:37 PKTOI, -3, 3 give aways / 4 take aways. Had 2 point shots blocked. Won 86% of his puck battles.

In the defensive zone Schiller defended with his stick on the ice looking to eliminate passing lanes and with his toes facing up ice as much as possible. Defensively in the neutral zone he moved on passes and used smart angles to force poor decisions. His passes were hard flat and easy to handle. He used indirect passes to gain zones and hit his target in stride. As he matures he will need to continue gaining strength / power so he can contain opposing forwards during the cycle and clear shooting lanes. We like his skating posture and his ability to keep his hips low and chest high through body contact. Grade: C+

vs Fargo: 17:59 TOI, 4:20 PKTOI, +1, 7 give aways / 4 take aways. He won 100% of his puck battles (3).

vs Sioux City: 17:42 TOI, 2:08 PKTOI, +1, 0 SOG, 1 Grade A 4 give aways / 7 take aways He won 45% of his puck battles.

The late 2004 is an average sized defender with solid frame. At the Fall Classic he was strong in front of his net and tied up sticks. He boxed out well by arriving to his ice early and then initiating contact with the opposing forwards before they reached the shooting lanes. We liked how he defended line rushes with an with an active stick but there were times that he didn’t hide his reach or poke check and opposing forwards were able to adjust their pace to find passing lanes. Over the weekend he had 11 giveaways 3 of which came during offensive regroups when his passes failed to connect and went for icings. At slightly above 6′ we do not view Able as an NHL draft pick but playing a few years with the Steel will give him a leg up on the puck possession game that is required in professional hockey. Grade: C

vs Sioux City: 18:30 TOI, 1:44 PPTOI, 0:41 PKTOI, 2 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 15/24 face-offs, 3 hits, 5 give aways / 5 takeaways. Won 50% of his puck battles.

vs Lincoln 19:02 TOI. 3:13 PPTOI, 0:48 PKTOI, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 3/7 face-offs, 1 shot blocked, 2 give aways / 4 take aways 50% of his puck battles.

The late 2004 is a high motor center who does everything at top speed. He flies in as an F1 looking to finish every check and often times showed the speed to blow by his linemates to assume the F1 role. On the power play Clark worked the right side mid-wall and would slide down to the goal line when the opportunity presented itself. He showed the footwork to slide laterally for an expanded one-time shooting area but we did not see a pass cleanly connect. Although he was used as a penalty killer and showed good hand strength on face-offs Clark was primarily a secondary option during the Fall Classic. Over the two games he was credited with seven give aways but in our notes none were in the grey areas and on two he displayed smart puck management skills as he used the glass to alleviate pressure while his line was hemmed in the defensive zone. Grade: C+

vs Tri-City: 14:40 TOI, 3:17 PPTOI, -2, 1 SOG, 2 PIMs, 4/12 face-offs, 1 hit, 0 give aways / 0 take aways. Won 40% of his puck battles.

vs Fargo: 13:28 TOI, 1:55 PPTOI, -2, 2 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 2 Grade A, 12 PIMs, 7/13 face-offs, 2 hits, 1 give away / 0 take aways. Won 40% of his puck battles.

The late 2004 Gunderson has an NHL frame to go along with an NHL skating base. We feel as he adjusts to the USHL he has the physical traits to dominate on a shift by shift basis. As the puck carrier on line rushes he showed confidence by attacking the middle lane and kicking the puck wide to his linemates and then using his strength to be an effective middle drive. He also showed the gap recognition and vision to slam on the breaks after gaining the offensive blueline then locating the second wave of the attack. As the season progresses we feel he will need to continue adding attention to detail away from the puck. In defensive zone coverage there were too many times when he cheated to the offensive side of coverage hoping for an opportunistic bounce. We also feel that in offensive transition he is used to be able to beat opponents with speed and as he learns to use a change of pace he will be able to catch defenders flatfooted. There is a lot to like about Gunderson’s game and we will be watching him closely as his rookie season progresses. Grade: C

vs Fargo: 13:16 TOI, 5:22 PPTOI, 1 assist, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 6/12 face-offs, 6 give aways / 5 take aways. He won 62% of his puck battles.

vs Sioux City: 15:26 TOI, 1:40 PPTOI, 2 assists, -2, 1 SOG, 6/8 face-offs, 8 give aways / 4 take aways. He won 56% of his puck battles.

Johnson is a smooth skating undersized forward with excellent edgework especially the ability to hold his outside edge through contact and utilize a cross-under to accelerate into open ice. He has a smooth first touch and handles poor passes easily on both his forehand and backhand. He might not have the explosive first step of other impactful undersized forwards but his eyes are always up scanning the ice looking for mismatches in speed to create space for himself or his linemates. Against Fargo he had a beautiful behind the back primary assist and after winning a loose puck battle against Sioux City he fired cross ice sauce from his goal line to send his linemate in a breakaway (primary assist). Grade: C+

vs Fargo: 9:42 TOI, 0:11 PKTOI, -1, 2 give aways / 2 take aways. He won 40% of his puck battles.

vs Sioux City: 13:24 TOI, 1 SOG, 4/5 face offs, 3 give aways / 1 take away. He won 73% of his puck battles.

After having success in the BCHL at the Fall Classic Slipec looked to be adjusting to the physicality and lack of space in the USHL. Over the weekend he played all three forward positions and showed a good first touch on both his forehand and backhand. Offensively we’ve always liked his ability to process the game quickly so we will be looking forward to seeing him in a few weeks after he feels more comfortable in Chicago. Grade: C

vs Fargo: 19:10 TOI, 3:48 PPTOI, 1 assist, 3 SOG, 4 PPSOG, 3 Grade A, 2 shots blocked, 7 give aways / 0 take aways. He won 29% of his puck battles.

vs Sioux City: 15:01 TOI, 0:49 PPTOI, 1 assist, -1, 1/1 face offs, 10 give aways / 5 take aways. He won 43% of his puck battles.

Perron is an undersized forward with excellent lateral quickness and first step explosiveness. As a puck carrier he rarely skates in straight lines and does an excellent job of manipulating the defender’s feet getting them to cross over. Against Fargo he showed timing and ice awareness as he created 3 Grade A opportunities by coming into the offensive zone late to expose the quiet area vacated by the opposing forwards who backchecked to an area rather than finding the late man. He may have had 7 give aways vs Fargo but none of them resulted in odd man rushes going the other way and 3 were a result of Perron making smart decisions at the offensive blueline by using a soft chip. He ran the right side of the umbrella set-up of the PP where he showed the quick hands to one touch passes into space or fire hard flat one touch passes into the bumper. His assist was secondary and came on the power play. One thing to be aware of he exposed himself and was on the receiving end of 3 hard clean body checks after he moved the puck. At 5’8′ 160lbs we would like to see him avoid the unnecessary contact when possible as NHL sized defenders will be much more impactful. Against Sioux City we noticed Perron more in the offensive zone while cycling. He used his anticipation and quickness to create confusion among the SC defenders. Even when he did not receive a pass or was carrying the puck he was darting in and out of open ice making the defender’s heads spin. On the forecheck his ability to judge width and depth allowed his linemates and defensemen to pursue the puck and play with tight gaps. On one such forecheck his stick placement forced a turnover that led directly to a goal (secondary assist on the play). At the Fall Classic Perron showed dynamic offensive instincts and puck moving abilities. He handled bouncing / poor passes easily and showed the understanding that team speed is through puck movement not through end to end rushes. Although he did not score we liked how he changed the angle of the puck while shooting as he shot with his eyes up looking to catch the goalie leaning. Grade: C+

vs Green Bay: 14:42 TOI, 1:30 PKTOI, 1 goal, +1, 4 SOG, 2 Grade A, 0/1 face-offs, 4 give aways / 2 take aways. Won 56% of his puck battles.

vs Chicago: 16:15 TOI, 1:22 PKTOI, 2 goals,+1, 8 SOG, 5 Grade A, 2/2 face-offs, 6 give aways / 6 take aways. Won 17% of his puck battles.

Shahan is an undersized right wing with quick feet and a high compete. We liked his awareness to read his linemates on both the forecheck and neutral zone forecheck. As an F1 Shahan used his speed to be a disruptive presence and force poor decisions. As an F3 he showed patience by staying above the passing options and using an active stick to take away passing lanes. In the offensive zone he was constantly around the puck looking to generate scoring opportunities by either winning races to loose pucks or by finding the quiet area for a quick release snap shot. Against Green Bay he may have scored on a sweeping wrister from a face-off play but he also used his speed to turn a neutral zone turnover into a breakaway and another into a quick 2on1 where the goalie was forced to make a nice glove save. The high pace versus Chicago suited Shahan perfectly as he used his quickness an anticipation to score 2 goals on eight shots. But the thing that stood out to us was that both of his goals game on grimy rebounds where he out worked the opposing player for the puck. He used his ice awareness to be a tireless worker while shorthanded as he played in straight lines and maintained shooting lanes without running all over the ice to give up royal road passing lanes. We thought it was interesting that although Shahan was listed on the line sheet as a right wing he did take two shorthanded face-offs in the right circle. Honestly we are not sure if his lack of size will eliminate him from NHL scouting circles but to us he is a player who earned the opportunity to be watched very closely. Grade: B

vs Cedar Rapids: 17:21 TOI, 2:41 PPTOI, 0:41 PKTOI, 2 goals, +2, 2 SOG, 2 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 6/10 face-offs, 2 hits, 2 give away / 3 take aways. Won 53% of his puck battles

vs Green Bay: 16:53 TOI, 3:15 PPTOI, 0:33 PKTOI, 2 assists, 5/11 face-offs, 1 hit, 2 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 38% of his puck battles.

Ludtke came to the Fall Classic ready to play as he scored on a quick release snap shot from the slot 14 seconds into game #1 vs Cedar Rapids. He’s second goal of the game came on a well executed 3on2 zone entry where he showed the awareness to maintain weakside dot lane width. On the play he was was patient and waited for his linemate to feed him a one-timer that he fired home. Ludtke played the bumper on the power play and we liked the subtle picks he set to allow his PP unit to have more time and better passing lanes. He did not receive an assist on Lincoln’s third goal of the game vs Cedar Rapids but ability to be a distraction in the slot allowed his teammate to win a race to a loose puck and bury it. In game #2 versus Green Bay we saw another well executed zone entry that showed his ice awareness leading to a primary assist. On the play Ludtke was the middle drive. He received a quick pass and one touched it back to his right wing who took advantage of the open ice to bury it. In the game he totaled 7 take aways which honestly resulted in him having superior body positioning and simply wanting the puck more than his opponents. Grade: B

vs Chicago: 10:57 TOI, 2:21 PKTOI, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 5/9 face-offs, 2 give aways / 1 take away. Won 33% of his puck battles.

vs Madison: 13:32 TOI, 1:46 PKTOI, 2 assists, +1, 1 SOG, 2 Grade A, 6/13 face-offs, 1 give away / 5 take aways. Won 40% of his puck battles.

Walos is a maximum effort player. He stops on pucks and a has an active reliable stick that he seems to have a knack for getting on everything. It was tough not to notice him because ended up on the score sheet with 2 assists but both assists were secondary. The first was the result of being a turnover inducing F1 on the forecheck and the second was the result of a well placed strongside chip on a line change. After having only 7 points last year these bounces are the type of thing that build confidence and momentum for the former Madison tender. Grade: C

vs Youngstown: 18:55 TOI, 6:24 PKTOI, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 10/18 Face-offs, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 6 give aways / 4 take aways. Won 42% of his puck battles.

Kuzma showed good straight line speed which helped him earn big minutes while a man down. He went 4/5 on D-zone face-offs while shorthanded and his lone loss was a backhand jam to the strongside corner which led directly to another face-off that he won. We feel he showed 5on5 defensive zone awareness by maintaining net side positioning during wall battles and as he continues to develop core strength and leg drive he will be positionally sound two-way center. In the offensive zone he found the quiet area in coverage and although he only had one SOG his stick was prepared to fire it. In offensive neutral zone transition we would like to see him stay off his backhand. This minor adjustment to a position of strength would allow him to use his speed and manipulate the defender’s gap as he approached the offensive blue line and help eliminate grey area turnovers. Grade: C

vs Lincoln: DND vs Sioux Falls: 10:08 TOI, 0:56 PPTOI, -1, 2 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 1 hit, 2 give aways / 2 take aways. He won 33% of his puck battles.

Bassen is still adjusting to the USHL but he caught our eye on a nifty toe drag in the slot for a Grade A scoring opportunity vs Sioux. Grade: LV

vs Madison: 17:09 TOI, 2:02 PPTOI, 0:35 PKTOI, 1 assist, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 0/1 face-offs, 0 give aways / 0 take aways. Won 44% of his puck battles.

vs Muskegon: 12:40 TOI, 1:08 PPTOI, 4:01 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 6 give aways / 4 take aways. Won 43% of his puck battles.

Adams is a slightly below average sized right wing who plays with a nice combination of skill and grime. From the moment warm-ups started against Madison everyone in the the rink could hear him hootin and hollerin making sure his teammates were ready for the game. On the forecheck he was a disruptive F1 and we liked his ice awareness as an F2 or F3 as he he did not get trapped below the opposing forwards allowing for easy breakouts. He showed quickness jumping on turnovers and once he had the puck on his stick rarely did he expose it. He used his hips to protect it and showed a nice stutter step to create time and space for himself. There were multiple times while cycling that as the puck carrier he rolled up the mid-wall while staring at the opposing strong side forward sucking him down the wall so he could pass to his strong side point. We liked that after passes were made Adams moved his feet to continue the play and was never just a passenger out there looking to collect time on ice. Adams had a power play primary assist versus Madison that came on a broken zone entry but he showed the athleticism to grab a puck in in midair quickly settle it and make a between the legs pass to a teammate heading to the back door. It may have been lucky but there is no denying his footwork and awareness. Against Muskegon he may have had a short handed assist but the play was made in the defensive zone when he recognized a poor pass to the the man at the top of the umbrella and he attacked. Adams also scored against Muskegon as he showed a power move to get by a defender on a 1on1 and attacked the far post to bury it. On the play Adams showed the ability to handle hard passes on his backhand and keep his feet moving through contact and a cross check to the kidneys. While in Pittsburgh he contributed to all three aspects of the game and we expect him to player to watch as the USHL season progresses. Grade: B

vs Sioux Falls: 11:21 TOI, 1:10 PKTOI, 0 SOG, 1 Grade A, 1/2 on face-offs, 3 give aways / 1 take away. Won 45% of his puck battles.

vs Tri-City: 11:30 TOI, 3:49 PPTOI, 2:05 PKTOI, 4 PIMs, 2/2 on face-offs, 8 give aways / 0 take aways. Won 33% of his puck battles.

Nelson is a compact right shot forward who looked comfortable playing on either wing. He was a disruptive F1 and went into physical battles with a chip on his shoulder. He did not earn power play minutes versus Sioux Falls but he was a key member of the PP versus Tri-City where he was positioned as the bumper. He showed a smooth first touch on both his forehand or backhand and we liked his ability to move the puck without needing to stickhandle it. He had two penalties versus Tri-City with the one being a well placed kidney cross check while protecting his goalie from post whistle jabs. Nelson’s other penalty came after he turned the puck over along the mid-wall in the defensive zone and he recovered by hooking his man down. We know it was general frustration but we were not overly excited by him slamming his stick off the ice and looking up to the ceiling after the call. Nelson had eleven give aways in 22:51of total ice time at the Fall Classic. One was on a blind pass into the slot that lead to an odd man rush against and seven were grey area turnovers where he tried to do too much. We feel this is a result of him dominating at the U16 level last year and that he will adjust to making smart decisions at the lines as his rookie season progresses. Grade: C

vs Lincoln: DND vs Sioux Falls: 8:38 TOI, -1, 4 give aways / 1 take away. Won 25% of his puck battles.

Renkowski is a undersized skilled forward who is still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the USHL. Of note; 3 of his give aways versus Sioux Falls came at the offensive blueline where he tried to beat a defender 1v1. Grade: LV

vs Sioux Falls: 60:00 TOI, 8 GAA, 1 PPGAA, 29 saves (78%), 11 scoring area saves (58%) 1 breakaway save (50%).

Below average sized goalie who gave up 8 goals on 37 shots vs Sioux Falls in his first USHL start. Two of the goals came on breakaways (1 partial) where the shooter noticed that Scopa was deep in his net and shot at the hash marks. Two goals came on rebounds off Scopa’s far pad on the blocker side. Two others beat Scopa high to the glove from lefties who shot from the dot lane. Grade: C

vs Cedar Rapids: 7:31 TOI, 1:55 PKTOI, -1, 4 SOG, 3 Grade A, 1 give away / 1 take away. Won 50% of his puck battles.

vs Green Bay: 10:14 TOI, 1:10 PKTOI, 2 SOG, 2 PIMs, 1 hit 0 give aways / 1 take aways.

Won 43% of his puck battles. Although Olson did not earn a ton of ice time he looked very comfortable playing his off wing and we noticed him as he always seemed to be around the net and shooting with a purpose. We noted that on odd an line rushes he fired it far pad twice while a teammate was crashing back door. He also showed a nice quick stick on net front rebounds. At this point Olson may not be on many NHL Draft watch lists but he is a 6’1′ 2005BY who is weighing in a close to 200lbs who seems to enjoy being a disruptive force in front of the opponent’s net. Grade: C

vs Youngstown: 11:54 TOI, 0:01 PPTOI, 0;40 PKTOI, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 5/9 face-offs, 2 hits, 2 give aways / 2 take aways. Won 100% of his puck battles.

vs U18 NTDP: 8:00 TOI, 6/8 face-offs, 2 hits, 2 give aways / 1 take away. Won 33% of his puck battles.

Klee is a 6’3′ 185lbs power forward in the making. He does show the soft first touch to make touch passes in tight quarters but his future is being a bull who gets to the net front and stays there. His skating base continues to get lower and more powerful. While killing penalties versus Youngstown we also noticed more power coming from his outside edge while crossing-under when coming out of a stop and start. Klee finished with four hits over two games and we liked his approach to playing in straight lines. It was only two games but we feel we’re just starting to see the type of player he can be in professional hockey. Grade: C

vs Madison: 17:15 TOI, 2:54 PKTOI, +1, 1 SOG, 2 PIMs, 1 shot blocked, Won 50% of his puck battles.

vs Muskegon: 15:29 TOI, 0:45 PPTOI, 2:10 PKTOI, 1 assist, 2 PIMs, 1 shot blocked, 2 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 75% of his puck battles.

Constance is a 6’2′ right shot defender with the skating base and stride efficiency that will allow him to be effective when he adds more weight to his frame. While in defensive zone coverage he maintained net side positioning and showed the confidence to attack on bobbled passes or pucks that were along the dasher. As the weakside defenseman he defended with his stick on the ice and kept his head on a swivel looking for the F3 in the soft area or a crashing defenseman to the back door. We liked his foot work in the neutral zone transition as he quickly moved laterally without needing to crossover. Constance is not a banger but he showed the strength to stand opponents up at the blueline and to pin forwards to the wall to end the cycle. In the offensive zone he was active in the cycle without taking unneeded risks. On the penalty kill he played in straight lines and recognized bouncing or bobbling pucks. He maintained shooting lanes and against Madison he took a knee multiple times getting big low in an attempt to block one-timers. Constance had a secondary assist versus Muskegon but the thing we took away from the play was that Tri City’s coaching staff had the confidence in him to put hit on the ice in a 4on4 situation late in the third period.Â We feel the late 2004 is a player who has continued to improve throughout midgets and will garner serious looks as he draft year progresses. Grade: C+

vs Lincoln: 24:06 TOI, 3:43 PPTOI, 2:13 PKTOI, -1, 2 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 3 hits, 7 give aways / 9 take aways. He won 47% of his puck battles.

vs Sioux Falls: 22:07 TOI, 5:55 PPTOI, 2:41 PKTOI, -1, 2 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 2 Grade A, 2 give aways / 5 take aways. He won 56% of his puck battles.

The thickly built right shot defender might not pass the eye test to be an NHL defender but he certainly brought NHL attributes on a shift by shift basis at the Fall Classic. He was a pit-bull in front of his net clearing shooting lanes and protecting his goalie. He ended the cycle quickly ands showed the strength to hit pin and manhandle opposing forwards after contact. In neutral zone defensive transition he defended with a tight gap and had no issue looking to step up on the pass to deliver a kill shot. Offensively his passes were hard flat and well timed. He may not run a professional power play but he showed nice 5on5 offensive anticipation awareness and the skating ability to join the rush as a 4th attacker. We liked his attention to detail while killing penalties and his willingness to defend in straight lines. His stick was active to eliminate passing lanes. He was also aware of opponents who were onetime shooting options and he was more than willing to eat pucks when necessary. Grade: B-

vs Tri-City: 10:05 TOI, 2:47 PPTOI, -2, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 1 Grade A, 1 shot blocked, 0 give aways / 0 take aways. Won 40% of his puck battles.

vs Fargo: 14:54 TOI, 1:51 PPTOI, -1, 4 SOG, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 4 give aways / 2 take aways. Won 40% of his puck battles.

Brink is a thickly built left wing who uses his low leverage point to win puck battles and gain net front positioning on point shots. Although he likes to stay in motion we like how he stopped on pucks in defensive transition and played with his stick in passing lanes. In the offensive zone Brink found the quiet areas in coverage and played with a prepared stick. We did not see him one-time any shots but he looked very comfortable positioning himself around the faceoff dot with his stick cocked ready to fire one. He showed the ability to fire a snap shot while his feet were in motion and he did not much space to get whip on his stick for a bullet. His snap shots seemed to catch the goalies while their feet were moving or before they could get set. Grade: C

vs Sioux Falls: 23:08 TOI, 2:37 PPTOI, 2:39 PKTOI, +1, 3 SOG, 1 Grade A, 2 PIMs, 2 give aways / 5 take aways. Won 53% of his puck battles.

vs Tr-City: 23:34 TOI, 6:51 PPTOI, 3:23 PKTOI, -2, 3 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 2 hits, 2 shots blocked, 3 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 50% of his puck battles.

McCarthy is an impactful two-way defenseman with the game sense to play in any situation. In the defensive zone he shut down the cycle quickly and often times used his strength to out will an opponent for the puck and simply lift their stick to create transition. After winning those battles he did not blindly throw the puck up the wall into coverage. Instead he scanned the ice looking for the center option and when the center was not available he moved his feet to take the open ice and not get trapped below the goal line. McCarthy was a fixture on both special team’s units. It looked like the set-up Muskegon wanted was an umbrella with him on the top but we liked his ability to adjust to what the penalty killers were doing and move seamlessly into the box plus one. he did not show a rocket from the point but his snap shot was consistently 16′ off the ice and hit the net. We feel as he continues to progress and play at higher levels he will need to put more pace on his passes and try to stay off his backhand when evading pressure and then moving the puck to his partner. Grade: B-

vs Sioux City: 15:29 TOI, 4:07 PPTOI, 1 assist, 2 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 2 give aways / 3 take aways. Won 67% of his puck battles.

vs Lincoln: 12:35 TOI, 3:46 PPTOI, 0:39 PKTOI, -1, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 1 give away / 3 take aways. Won 20% of his puck battles.

Shaugabay is as cool as they come on the offensive side of the puck. He not only plays with his head up his eyes are scanning the ice recognizing opponent’s stick placements and which direction their toe caps are facing. There are times when he exposes the puck too much while cycling but we feel this comes from his high level of confidence that he can make anything happen offensively. On line rushes he has the puck poise to delay and find the late attacker… or quite frankly can find the teammate who is coming off the bench in a late line change that has gotten lost in the opponent’s defensive zone coverage. He comfortably plays either flank on the power play and does not need to stickhandle before firing passes through the box. Defensively there are times when Shaugabay will cheat or fly the zone but playing him with a detailed oriented center who is willing to be a consistent middle drive on line rushes and we feel he will be a threat create offense more than he will be a defensive liability. Grade: C+

vs Youngstown: 12:50 TOI, 1:52 PPTOI, 2:10 PKTOI, +1, 1 SOG, 6/14 face-offs, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 1 give away / 0 take aways. Won 25% of his puck battles.

vs U18 NTDP: 13:17 TOI, 2:49 PPTOI, 2:31 PKTOI, -1, 1 SOG, 1 PPSOG, 5/11 face-offs, 1 shot blocked 4 give aways / 9 take aways. Won 33% of his puck battles.

Brown is an undersized center with quick feet and a very smooth glide. He has an easy first touch and has the confidence in his stick skills to under handle the puck while in traffic. He may not have received an assist versus Youngstown but it was his quick game processing that allowed him to pressure an opposing defender below the goal line which led directly to a turnover and the first goal of the game. Brown was a mainstay on both special team’s units. On the power play his ability to one-touch pucks into space or fire rockets directly on the tape allowed him to be very effective as the bumper. He took defensive zone draws while shorthanded and again used his quick game processing to be a disruptive force that led to 200′ clears. Although he was held off the score sheet in Pittsburgh we feel Brown still impacted the game in a positive way. Grade: C

vs Lincoln: 7:36 TOI, 1 SOG, 0/2 on face-offs, 2 hits, 1 give away / 2 takeaways.

He won 56% of his puck battles. vs Sioux Falls: DND Grade: LV

vs Muskegon: 21:29 TOI, 4:58 PPTOI, 1:15 PKTOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 SOG, 2 PPSOG, 6 hits, 3 shots blocked, 4 give aways / 6 take aways. Won 70% of his puck battles.

vs Cedar Rapids: 20:24 TOI, 1:22 PPTOI, 5:42 PKTOI, +1, 1 SOG, 1 Grade A, 1 shot blocked, 2 give aways / 3 take aways Won 64% of his puck battles.

At 6’2′ and 200lbs Strbak has an NHL frame and plays a very mature game for a 2005 defenseman playing in the USHL. In the defensive zone we liked how quickly he moved to on opposing forwards to end the cycle. He was powerful through contact showing the core strength to pin his man to the wall and then use his free hand to control his stick to make one handed touches or bump passes to his low forward or partner off the strong side post. In defensive neutral zone transition Strbak moved on the pass and executed the squeeze play at the defensive blueline effortlessly. His lateral mobility along the blueline forced poor decisions and turnovers. Offensively he showed an easy first touch. Off of an offensive zone face-off he had a seeing eye goal versus Muskegon. It may have been lucky and one that the Lumberjack’s goalie wants back but the thing that mattered to us was that he changed the shooting angle so his shot got through. He also had a primary power play assist versus Muskegon after he walked into a one-timer and the rebound bounced to an open teammate on the backdoor. Over the two games in Pittsburgh Strbak had four shots blocked s as the year progresses we will be watching his puck skills and decision making along the offensive blueline. Grade: C+

vs Omaha:17:12 TOI, 0:04 PPTOI, 1:42 PKTOI, -1, 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, 2 give aways / 7 take aways. Won 64% of his puck battles.

Scott is a late 2004 who gained junior experience playing for the Springfield Jr Blues in the NAHL last year. He is a bit of a knock kneed skater but he has an extended glide so he is able to close gaps quickly during defensive transition. In offensive transition or along the offensive blue line we liked that he does not need to stickhandle after receiving a pass and before moving it to his forwards. At this point we do not view Scott as a potential NHL Draft pick but we liked the poise and confidence he showed during his opening USHL weekend. Grade: C+

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling / Hickling Images