Rankings - Forwards

So it's now time to have a look at the forwards. Sadly, I wasn't able to beat the CSR to the punch, but, it will allow me to comment on where they had their guys versus me. As stated earlier, Collège Esther-Blondin and Collège Notre-Dame only had limited views, so for the former, I go with what I have, and for the ladder, I prefer not speak rather than speak of ignorance.

If nothing else, you certainly are getting an independant opinion.

Forwards

1) Patrick Walsh - LSL

It's unbelievable to me that anybody would have him anywhere but as the top ranked forward. He's money in all three zones.

2) Frédéric Gamelin - CHA

A dynamic offensive force with terrific vision. Made Ciampini a better player.

3) Luca Ciampini - CHA

Certainly the most hyped prospect is the draft. The Hockey News already had him as one of the top 5 prospects for his NHL Draft. I agree that he is quite a prospect with all the tools, but, for the duration of the playoffs, he only got going once Gamelin did. Once in motion, he was a force, but he wasn't visible as long as his centerman wasn't.

4) Nicolas Dionne - AMO

A very skilled forward who can step right in. He would fit terrificly well on a team a little further ahead in its development curve.

5) Charles Hudon - STE

Terrific hands and speed, but can be a little shy about going into traffic.

6) Maxime St-Cyr - TR

Like a grand master chess player, sees the game two or three moves ahead. Just has terrific hockey sense to compliment very smooth hands. Definitely lacks in size, but with his eyes, he'll play around the problem. I predict he'll progress into junior the same way Brent Aubin did... a rough start but will lead his team in scoring by the end.

7) Marc-Olivier Roy - STE

I might be the only person in the world who has him this high, but he's an explosive skater who can play in all situations. He may not score, but he'll help you in a lot of other ways. Plus, he's one of the players who most needs to gain strenght, so when he does, look out...

8) Louick Marcotte - CCL

Hard to pinpoint a specific skill that sets him apart but he puts it all together very well. Most likely will be a headache free player that will play in the Top 6.

9) Mathieu Lemay - STE

I just love his potential. He'll need some seasoning, but down the line, you're looking at a player who will contribute in all three zones.

10) Victor Provencher - CCL

Built like a tank. Small, but very powerful and hits like a ton of bricks. Junior ready, but I wonder how much better he can become, seeing as he is already so strong.

11) Alexandre Larouche - SSF

An ongoing project. He didn't 'wow' anybody last year, but really contributed offensively this season. He really needs to keep getting stronger but there's a lot of hockey in that frame of his and it is slowly coming out. Players that tall tend to need a little more time for their coordination to catch up to them. Took a huge step forward in his development this season.

12) Raphael Lafontaine - GAT*

A playmaker plain and simple, but not the fastest guy around.

13) Angelo Miceli - LM

An upgrade but almost a clone of teammate Emilio Audi. Small guy, great hands, great vision, good straightaway speed but lacks the ability to change directions. Audi was a top scorer this season, and Miceli will certainly be that if he comes back next season, but I wouldn't expect him to put up big numbers in junior until after he's old enough to vote.

14) Félix Chamberland - LEV

One of the bigger player's available who can move and also has good hockey sense. May not be more than a 3rd liner, but a 3rd liner who helps out you a lot.

15) Sébastien Carré - SSF

Passed over in last year's draft, but I really like this player. He was regularly put on a line with the worst players on his team and he just carried them. He's also very good in his own end. Should be killing penalties in no time.

16) Dwayne-Bradley Tessier - AMO

He's got good size, good wheels and makes good reads. Should be a middle range 3rd liner.

17) Félix-Antoine Bergeron - TR

The hardest worker in the draft, bar none. He has a motor that won't quit and he should make a junior roster on that ability alone. He's small, but speedy and certainly not afraid. An energy player at worst.

18) Alexandre Poulin - SSF*

Not much offense left, but Poulin should be a 3rd liner that can chip in every now and then. Defensively aware, can skate well and he's got good size.

19) Charles Poulin - LEV

A little small, but certainly not shy about using his shoulders.

20) Olivier Caouette - MAG

A poor man's version of Victor Provencher. Plays the same game, but needs to add more strenght.

21) Sébastien Sylvestre - CAG

A defensive forward who can chip in offensively. Very silently goes about his thing, yet so reliable. Ready to step in right away.

22) Samuel Courtemanche - MAG

I might be the only person to have him this high, but he can be hard to get a read on. He's got good wheels and sound defensive positionning, however, the puck never seems to come to him. Too bad, because he does have surprinsingly good puck skills.

23) Christophe Déry - STE

A defensive forward who would rank a little higher if he were a little bigger.

24) Michael Gagnon - JON

May be a steal or a complete bust. On the one hand, he has very good hands and makes things happen offensively. I can remember a period vs LM where he created a scoring chance on every shift. But, his entire game lacks another gear and you wonder if he'll be able to step it up for the higher ranks.

25) Ryan Eardley - LSL

The Lions best penalty killer not named Walsh. Better upper body movement (which is pretty easy to fix) would give him a little more speed. Having a solid playoff.

26) Jérémy Carignan - AMO

Not the biggest guy, but a hard worker with good wheels. Defensively responsible.

27) Toliver Bergeron - CHA

Burried behind the stars on his team, but silently played the wing on the first line. Needs to raise his game to play in the Top 6 in junior. May only be able to play such a role on a rebuilding team.

28) Christophe Lalonde - STE

Always uses the shortest route into corners no matter what and works very hard. I'm still not sold though, as he doesn't accomplish as much as I'd hope.

29) Philip Zielonka - LSL

Another forward in the Brent Aubin mold. Skating sadly lacks another gear, but has the hands and eyes to make good things happen.

30) William Cochrane - CEB*

31) Samuel Hodhod - CHA

When he's on his game, you see a dynamic forward. When he's off his game, you see a very, very small forward.

32) Simon Tremblay - JON

A lower end goal scorer. He has a touch around the net, but the rest of his game may not be elevated enough for junior hockey.

33) Thomas Gobeil - CAG

A competitor who helps out in his own end, but doesn't 'wow' you with anything.

34) Érik Longtin - MAG

He's got decent size and he's pretty responsible. I question how much offense he'll bring at the next level though.

35) Jimmy Vaillancourt - TR

A reliable forward, but a little small for the role he'd play in the bottom six.

*Denotes players who got limited views. Séminaire Saint-François didn't get as many as I would wish, so some players are most likely left off because of it.

Les Patriotes de Châteauguay

It seemed inevitable Châteauguay was going to be covered, doesn't it? So .... Gamelin or Ciampini, Ciampini or Gamelin?

Well, first things first. Mainly, recognizing how they are two very different players. Luca Ciampini quickly rose to the top of the charts and seemed like an early favorite to go first overall. Most reports on the QMJHL have him going in the top two or three picks. But I say .... not so fast. There is a lot to love about Ciampini, after all, the hardest thing to do in hockey is score goals, and this guy is a pure goal scorer if nothing else. He has some of the best size available in this year's prospects and he has very good straight away speed to compliment that heavy shot of his. He's responsible in his own end and his hockey sense seems to be very underated, because that's how he scores his goals. A scorer like Ovechkin will deke 2-3 guys then the goalie (before climbing the glass) but Ciampini goes about it another way. He instead uses his hockey sense to find holes on the ice and gets there before his opponent. In this way, his goal scoring is very reminiscent of Simon Gagné, who just has a knack for popping out of nowhere in a spot left open by the opponent. Traditionnally, offensive players in Quebec have a lot of flash to their game, but not Ciampini. As a matter of a fact, you sometimes really have to follow him around to truly appreciate everything he does. He's the type of player that may not 'wow' you on the spot, but then you look at the scoring summary the next day and see he popped in two goals. But, those two goals are an important part of the story, because they weren't just tip-in garbage goals, he went ahead and used his heavy shot to burry the puck.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Frédéric Gamelin. If at the start of the year there was some doubt as to his stand-alone ability (as opposed to being a star player's sidekick), he erased all those doubts. I can distinctively remember a home game where Ciampini was ejected 15 seconds into the first period, much to the disappointment of every talent evaluator in attendance, only to see Gamelin seize control of the situation. There's a lot of flash to his game, the typical small-framed, offensive dynamo. Terrific wheels (amongst the best of any player available in the draft), super smooth hands (top notch playmaking ability) and a motor that just never quits. I would go as far as to wonder if he didn't make Ciampini better rather than the other way around, because I can distinctively remember a number of shifts where Gamelin controled the play in the offensive zone before Ciampini finished it off on a nice set-up. In all likelihood, there will be at least one team on the draft floor trying to keep these two together, but they both will go early enough that it shouldn't be possible.

So which one to take first? Ciampini has more size and finish, Gamelin has more flash and playmaking ability. Almost everyone recognizes that Ciampini will go first because of his size advantage, and I agree on that point. Between the two, teams will be more tempted to take the bigger of the two. However, I am uncertain as to how much of a good decision that really is. Ciampini did progress a little this season, but not as much as Gamelin, who progressed by leaps and bounds. He seems to be the one with the most upside, and he's the one who will be probably the more dominating player by the time they reach 19 (even if Ciampini will probably be the better player in their rookie season's). Plus, Gamelin's smaller frame makes him more likely to stay in junior hockey until the age of 19, should they progress at a rate allowing to make the jump to the NHL before then. But, it would take incredible courage for a team to select Gamelin first, and I just don't see a team finishing in the cellar taking such a risk. Because of the size factor, Ciampini is a much, much safer pick, and with a top pick... why risk it? A failure here could set back the rebuilding process by an entire season or two... minimum. So the conclusion is that Gamelin should be ranked ahead... even if they won't get picked that way.

The good news for scouts with the Patriotes this season (other than the Ciampini/Gamelin brain teaser) is that there are a few other quality prospects available.

In the year of the defenseman, Châteauguay chipped in by developping Julien Leduc. Not the biggest player available, but what a talent. And at the risk of shoking some, you could argue he's the best power play quarterback available in this year's draft. His value starts with him being a right handed shot (always hard to find) with some real puck skills (even harder). His playmaking ability is second to none, he sees the ice extremely well and his mobility is top notch. Lack of size is the only thing you can repproach him, but in no way should this prevent a team from grabbing him in the first round. While he doesn't have the physical tools Jonathan Racine had in last season's draft, everything else in Leduc's game is at a more advanced level, meaning Leduc should have no trouble stepping into a team's line-up to go on to play a Brian Rafalski-like role.

Three pics in the first round is a good crop by any standart, but that doesn't mean the Patriotes are done there. A few other players should hear their name called later on.

In the second round, Toliver Bergeron should see his rights claimed. A versatile forward who can play center or wing, the speedy (but diminative) forward brings a solid work ethic and underated offensive skills. While he won't anchor an offense, he can definitely chip in a Top 6 role (he'll just be in that 4-6 slot, not 1-3). It'll be interesting to see how his draft goes, because teams may be more tempted at less skilled but bigger players (therefore, safer bets to play junior hockey). Bergeron will most likely need a little seasoning before graduating, but he should get there. Think mid/late-second rounder.

Center Samuel Hodhod should be drafted even earlier, but the first round might be stretching it a little. He may not be any bigger than Bergeron, but Hodhod's play is a notch higher and it's very easy to love his speed and skill. His ability to finish is pretty much equal to his playmaking skills, both of which are currently sorely missed by his team in the playoffs. He'll step into a Top 6 role pretty quickly, no doubt there. Think of a reliable, skilled #2 center.

And finally, I feel the need to talk about giant sized goaltender Philippe Trudeau, who is currently having a great playoff. His mobility is impressive (especially considering how quickly he grew into such a big body) and it is mind boggling to think he wasn't picked up last year. He keeps his composure in pressure situations, has the ability to make key saves and uses his size not just to block pucks, but as a bit of an intimidation tool towards his opponents. A team looking for help between the pipes will definetely grab him and don't be surprised to see him jump immediately to junior hockey (even if it will probably be in a back-up role to start).

The Lac St-Louis Lions - Part 2

As promised, here's a little more insight on the Lions.

Yesterday, when discussing Biega, I brushed on how blueliners have been used on the wing this season. Well, Michael Matheson is another one of those defensemen to spend time upfront. But, it is on the back end that you truly can apprecite his contribution. There honestly is nothing flashy about his game, as he happens to be one of those defensemen who is playing his best when you don't notice him. But if you do follow him around for a bit, you truly begin to appreciate what a steady and reliable player he is. He spent little time on the wing in the second half of the season, and his game started to blossom as a consequence, on some nights forcing you to take notice of his play. He seemed to need a little bit of time to adjust when he was shuffled back and forth. While not a power play quarterback, he's got a heavy shot that he started using more and more in the second half of the season, and his consistent progress is a great sign for a player of his age. He'll need some more seasoning before making the jump, but he's looking like a solid second rounder.

A little later in the draft, when everyone starts running after the 16 year-olds, two Lions should find themselves in high demand. The first would be forward Philip Zielonka. He seems to have truly benefited from the coaching change and has been a solid player for his team this season. What he lacks in size and speed (that surely scared off teams last year), he sure makes up for it in smarts and smooth hands (which should get him drafted this year). While he won't have the junior career Alex Bourret had, I would fully expect Zielonka to be able to contribute to a team's offense in much the same manner. Think of him as a poor man's Brent Aubin.

And finally, because somebody needs to kill penalties on a team, I have to bring up Ryan Eardley's name. While he may only chip in occasionally offensively at higher levels, there is no denying his defensive prowess. He's got good size, good eyes and the proper work ethic to succeed in his own end. He's been a mainstay on the Lions penalty kill and there's no reason to think he won't be able to bring the same dimension to Junior hockey. Some team will probably be looking to steal him with some later round pick, because he'll be ready to challenge for a roster spot at the very next training camp. I would expect the team to step up will be one looking for a player who can fill in immediately a defensive-oriented roster spot. It'll be interesting to see what happens on draft day.

To conclude on the Lions, and this has nothing to do with the players and all to do with management, as someone who saw the Lions win championship after championship when they played at the Verdun Auditorium way back when, it sometimes saddens me to see some of the things I now see. This was once the model organization in the League, but now not so much, and I feel the people running the ship have their part of the blame to take over this. For instance, the Lions run their own hockey school. I've actually seen this program, and talked to one other person who sees it on a regular basis, and we both agreed. The guy on the ice with the kids, Karel Svoboda, for the lack of a better word..... is a nut. The curriculum is pretty solid, nothing special but certainly better than a lot of those other 'developmental' programs, but never have we seen a coach talk/scream in such a condensending way to kids. After a few sessions, these kids confidence level must be shattered. You can't be spoken to in that fashion for that long without having an impact on you. And the worst part is... the kids are actually pretty good players.

Another example was the situation with the head coach last season. The way Danny Dupont was acting behind the bench, he was making Mike Ditka look like he's reading the paper. It was incredible to watch a coach shout so much.... and never over anything positive. I will give the devil his due and admit that he is a good tactician, but there is a lot more to coaching than Xs and Os. And in that regards, it was just awful to watch. The yelling, the complaining, the gesturing ... and everything in a completely 'over the top' way. And I assure you that if a coach loses control, you can be pretty sure the next people to lose it are the players on the bench in front of him, and on a lot of nights, it is exactly what happened. Which was too bad, because they had a pretty good team, and started the year strong because of that talent. But as soon as other teams coaching started kicking in, the Lions started sinking despite having more talent than their opponents. That season might have been the first time I ever heard of parents holding meetings to see what could be done about replacing the coach. And my sympathies to those parents, who had to spend 4 digits to have their kid play on the team to only be forced to watch that nonsense going on behind the bench.

While I realize this will not be the most popular point of view, I write it sincerely hoping the Lions can better themselves and find their way again, to once more become the model franchise it deserves to be, because I truly feel the players deserve it.