This is going to be a bit of old and new this week, as we check in on some frequently-tracked players, as well as profile a couple of new draft eligibles being viewed for only the first or second time this season.
Mississauga Steelheads
viewed Sunday, March 6 vs Sudbury
After missing a month of action due to knee surgery, Michael McLeod (NHL Central Scouting rank 6) made his return to the line-up on Friday, March 4. There was a lot of buzz around his return, with many wondering if he’d come back with the same blazing speed that is his calling card. He wasted no time showing that the knee has healed well, putting up an assist in his first game back (vs Oshawa) and a goal the next night in Peterborough. On Sunday, he went for his third game in three days, and kept up the pace. While he was held off the scoresheet, he dominated offensively, with eight controlled zone entries (six resulting in shot attempts), four shots, and two scoring chances. There was absolutely no drop in speed, cornering, or starts/stops. He dished out some hits and absorbed a couple as well, and looked none the worse for wear.
Alex Nylander (NHL CS rank 3) was probably at his most dangerous offensively in this game. While he was not the guy leading his team into the offensive zone, he often saw possession of the puck once arriving there, and used his excellent stickwork to maintain possession and find open passing or shooting lanes. Nylander put himself in excellent scoring positions, with four scoring chances, and eight individual shot attempts at even strength – far more when factoring in powerplay time. It wasn’t just because of his line with Mike McLeod, either, as Nylander played almost half the game with Ryan McLeod (2018 draft eligible) and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda (undrafted, ’96), and was still equally as dangerous.
I came into the season down on Sean Day (NHL CS rank 43), and up until recently he hadn’t done much to change my mind. But his play as of late has picked up noticeably. The points haven’t come (just 20 on the season, and seven in his last 28 games), but his confidence levels look to be rising. Day is more open to leading the rush, skating freely and carrying the puck with more aplomb than I’ve seen from him all season. In this game alone, he skated in on two dangerous rushes resulting in scoring chances. Day’s offensive game is at it’s best in open ice. He’s not the most creative rusher, but if he can find space, his smooth stride allows him to blow by defenders into the offensive zone. His defensive game has also shown improvement lately, as his checking has become tighter, especially in board battles.
Peterborough Petes
viewed Sunday, February 28 @ Oshawa
Shifty winger Jonathan Ang (NHL CS rank 137) is a speedy, skilled forward, who spent a lot of this game in the middle of the Oshawa zone with and without the puck, looking for shots from between the hash marks and in the slot. That game plan was successful, as he finished with a powerplay goal, and a 59.5% Corsi (25 attempts for, 17 against). In addition to being an offensively talented forward, he’s trusted as one of Peterborough’s top defensive players, logging a ton of shorthanded minutes on the Petes’ top PK unit. Ang takes a lot of abuse, and though he’s game to try and dish it back, he doesn’t have much in the way of strength or power, and that is reflected in his size, a miniscule 160 pounds on a respectable 5’11” frame. While Ang’s defensive game is a strength, his offensive game is inconsistent, with stretches of 8-10 games putting up point-per-game numbers, then 5-7 game stretches of almost no production at all. While this inconsistency is almost standard among some high-end scorers, it’s not an accepted trait from a non-elite forward, especially at the junior level in a draft year.
Unranked defenseman Matthew Timms is an interesting case. He isn’t given a ton of even strength minutes, but manages to produce pretty well – he’s top 15 among all Canadian Hockey League draft eligible defenders in even strength points per 60 minutes. Timms also plays on both the powerplay and penalty kill for Peterborough. He isn’t what you’d consider an “offensive defenseman”, however, as he has a good but not great shot, and is an adept but unspectacular passer. Timms is good defensively, and strong for his size – maybe stronger than most would assume, based on his slight frame – but he can still be pushed around by bigger forwards. He’s smart with his passing, has a good and accurate shot, and good reads on opposition entries. In his earlier reports, Paul has noted that Timms is strong at breaking up opponents’ attempted entries, nearly a 50% breakup rate, a very high amount. Basically, he is a guy who just gets the job done, without any flash or flair. Timms hasn’t been given a consistent opportunity to play in the top four for Peterborough, but has responded well when called upon.
In my eyes, if Timms were three inches taller, he would not only be ranked on the draft board, but he’d have scouts raving about him as a potential mid-round steal. But, at just 5’10” and 176 pounds, his size is going to hold him back significantly. No matter what your thoughts are on the size vs skill debate, especially regarding defenders, the reality is that there are just so few successful defenders under 6’ that it’s incredibly easy to overlook them. Even when factoring in those exceptions, guys like Ryan Ellis or Kris Letang, the common trait is that they are generally standouts among their draft day peers. Though Timms is solid at both ends of the ice, he is nowhere near a standout, and that’s going to nix his chances of being drafted.
Paul has written much about both Ang and Timms previously in his weekly reports. I’d suggest checking them out.
Oshawa Generals
viewed Sunday, February 28 vs Peterborough
Defenseman Riley Stillman (NHL CS rank 88) has seen his stock rise considerably as the season has progressed. The son of long-time NHL forward Cory Stillman, Riley is someone listed as being a potential late-round pick, and some – including OHL Prospects writer Brock Otten, who interviewed Stillman last week – have him as high as a third rounder. When I talked about Timms needing to be three inches taller to get right in the draft mix, Stillman is a comparable. Like Timms, Stillman plays a solid but unspectacular two-way game. He’s able to move the puck, he’s got a decent shot, and is a smart on-ice communicator and leader, controlling the play and making smart breakout passes. He’s already been given an “A” on his young team, as well. In this game, Stillman finished with an assist, and a rare fight – against Timms, no less – after absolutely laying out a Petes forward with a big hit along the boards. After putting up just one point (an assist) in his first 22 games, playing primarily in a second or third pairing role, Generals head coach Bob Jones has given Stillman more responsibility, bumping him up to a consistent top four (and often top pairing) role. Stillman has responded well, with 17 points in 33 games since the move. Though he can seem a bit over his head against the top competition in the league, Stillman’s development is unquestionably on the upswing.
I also viewed Owen Sound/Mississauga (game 31) but did not take notes on individual players. Additionally, I saw Kitchener/Erie (game 33) on Friday, March 4, but will pair that with my next prospect review, as I’ll be viewing Kitchener and Owen Sound this weekend. I’ll have a quick recap of Adam Mascherin, Connor Bunnaman, and some quick notes on Erie in that one.
Jeremy
Follow me on twitter, @307x.
Featured image courtesy of Aaron Bell/OHL Images.
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