Ryan Kirwan (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Ryan played down the middle and had a strong presence with a thick frame. He played a lot in all different situations and showed he could be held accountable for a young player. His skating was strong and he was tough to get off the puck. He didn’t play at a high pace but did move the puck quickly. Showed he can make a skill play by threading one to Bantle on a two on one while shorthanded. His game offensively was aggressive as he put the puck to the net ending with 5 shots on goal. The puck jumped off his stick and he showed the ability to release it quickly. He played a pretty mature game tonight down the middle but just wasn’t able to get on the score sheet. GAME GRADE: B-
From an earlier scouting report on Ryan (10/16/19);
(1) Brain – Ryan is a smart player who was able to physically dominate his competition last year…. and that led to some bad habits. We feel these will be coached out of him and his hockey IQ is not a concern
(2) Vision & Poise – He sees the ice well and does not panic under pressure. He plays with his head up and can find passing or shooting lanes easily.
(3) Feet – An inside edged skater who we feel will get quicker as he matures.
(4) Compete & Effort – Only note extremes
(5) Contact or Physicality – Ryan is more physical with the puck than without it. He does not shy away from body contact. He prefers to take angles that eliminate his opponent’s options so he can win stick battles for possession.
(6) Release – NHL shot right now.
(7) One Timer Ability – Again, bullet
(8) Body Language – Only note Extremes
(9) Special Teams Potential – Has the size to be a net front presence and the skill set to be effective on the goal line or mid-wall. His hands are soft and he has the ability to use physical force or soft touch.
(10) Intangibles – Ryan will hear his name called in Montreal, but how quickly he eliminates his bad habits will dictate if he’s an early day 2 selection or not.
Carson Bantle (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Forward
No points tonight for Cason but he showed off his pro potential. His frame and ability to handle the puck with touch was impressive in the unfortunate lopsided affair. He showed he could get up and down the ice in transition on a couple of occasions on change of possession. He used his reach and size to his advantage off the rush and down low. His touches on the puck were very productive and he made things happen for his line. Down low he was able to roll off defenders and show great body control with the puck. He took pucks to the net and was aggressive with shooting it as well. Killed penalties well and showed he can play in every situation when needed. GAME GRADE: A-
From an earlier scouting report on Carson (10/16/19):
(1) Brain – Carson understands that he is a power forward. He enjoys driving wide and crashing the net hard. On a cycle he knows to keep possession of the puck rather than fire blind hope passes into the slot. If the opposing defenseman have a tight gap Carson smartly uses a soft chip and chase as a opposed to trying a foolish dangle. He angles well in pursuit and back checks with a purpose.
(2) Vision & Poise – His soft chips are a poise play. He could easily fire hard wraps or other badly placed dumps, but he has the poise to soft chip into areas where he will get the puck back
(3) Feet – Good straight line speed. His agility and quickness will continue to get better as he trains and his conditioning catches up with his size.
(4) Compete & Effort – Carson is your standard young big kid. Conditioning will be key for his development, but we do not question his compete. We think he runs out of gas and it might take a shift or two to get his feet back under himself.
(5) Contact or Physicality – He’s a big boy who initiates contact.
(6) Release – Quick release and uses screens well.
(7) One Timer Ability – We have not seen Carson effectively use a one timer in a game.
(8) Body Language – Only note Extremes
(9) Special Teams – He will make money as a net front presence
(10) Intangibles – We noted at USA Hockey’s Select 17 Camp that Carson needed to get in hockey shape because he had furnace face. Well, he’s in shape now and will be getting a lot off attention.