Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects. Today we start previewing the NCAA, looking for our next National College Hockey Champion. Today we take a look at the ECAC Hockey. As always, you can check out the previous Top Shelf Prospects articles here.
In what came as a bit of a surprise to nearly all analysts, fans, and college hockey afficionados, it was a team from ECAC Hockey that took home the Frozen Four Title and with it the National Championship last season. The Yale Bulldogs went on an incredible playoff run culminating in a national championship breaking a 24-year drought for the conference. However not only that, but it was an all ECAC final, as it was Quinnipiac who faced off with Yale in that National Championship game. As we head into the new season, expect to see Yale and Quinnipac back in the conference title picture, with perennial contender (and our defending conference champ) Union, and now Rensselaer looking to put their name in the mix as a new kid on the block as well. It should be a very exciting year as the conference looks to build on the 2013 success in the new season.
Top Contenders
Yale Bulldogs: The Bulldogs return most of the deep offence from last year, with eight of their top ten scorers back for another go. Leading the way of course will be Kenny Agostino (PIT) who should resume his role as the team’s leading scorer. Jesse Root, Stu Wilson, Clinton Bourbonais and Trent Rufolo, are all back to provide Agostino with support, while freshman John Hayden (CHI) will replace some of the power forward game lost when Antoine Laganiere turned pro. On defence, Yale is also strong on defence with Tommy Fallen and Ryan Obuchowski leading a unit that returns nearly all the key pieces from last year. However the question mark is in goal, as starter Jeff Malcolm graduated. Yale will look to freshmen recruits, Alex Lyon and Patrick Spano; along with returnee Connor Wilson (who struggled in limited action as a backup) to take the reigns in net. If Yale can find any semblance of consistent goaltending they could do big damage, however that remains to be seen.
Quinnipiac Bobcats: The Bobcats have lost a lot from the team that tied for the ECAC Hockey regular season title and made it all the way to the National Championship game, but they should not be overlooked. In terms of what they do bring back, the offence should be very strong as the entire first line of Matthew Peca (TBL), Kellen Jones (Edm) and twin brother Connor Jones, is back for another year. Jordan Samuels-Thomas (WPG) scored 17 goals last year and he is also back to lead the second line. If Quinnipiac have issues, its in goal where Eric Hartzell is gone, and Michael Garteig and Jacob Meyers will battle to fill his considerably large skates. Meanwhile, the defensive crew lost five of the team’s top seven defenders last year, and will also have a very fresh look.
Union Dutchmen: The Dutchmen have won the conference playoffs the last two years in a row, however they have some work to do before they can hope for a threepeat. On offence, Daniel Carr is the only one of Union’s top five scorers from last season to return. They Dutchmen will hope that Daniel Ciampini and Max Novak take another step forward and can help lead the offence with Carr. On defence, Shayne Gostisbehere (Phi) and Mat Bodie could team to form the best pair in the conference or could be split up in an attempt to add depth to a group that returns four starters from last year. Another change for Union comes in goal where Troy Grosenick left school early to sign with the San Jose Sharks, however backup Colin Stevens had stellar numbers last year, and should be ready to take over the number one spot.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers: On paper, this is the strongest RPI squad we have seen in quite some time. Defenseman Nick Bailen is the only one of RPI’s top 10 scorers from last year who isn’t back with the team, and while his loss will be felt, the depth of the squad is something that should be able to make up for the loss of his 31 points. Mike Zalewski picked up 21 points as a freshman defender and should be able to pick up some of the slack that Bailen leaves behind, while Matt Neal, Jacob Laliberte, and Ryan Haggerty pick up the slack up front. Add to that the return of Jason Kasdorf (WPG), who could be the conference’s top goalie, and you can see why the pre-season media poll picked the Engineers to take the ECAC Hockey crown.
Players to Watch
Matt Lorito, Left Wing, Brown Bears: As a sophomore, Lorito scored 22 goals last season, second highest of all returning players in the conference. His total was also 15 goals better than any other player returning to Brown this year, and so will again be relied upon as the Bears main offensive weapon. He is able to succeed despite being undersized, as he has very good skating and hockey sense. He is quick and agile on his skates, and is able to read the play and find soft spots in the opponent’s defence. From there he has an excellent wrist shot with a great release, and a very good one-timer. Lorito will be looking to translate his offence into a pro contract offer, and he’s already attended the Blackhawks camp this past summer.
Allan McPherson, Centre, Clarkson Golden Knights: McPherson centres the top line for the Golden Knights. He has very good skating with strong top-end speed, and excellent acceleration. His ability to change speeds off the rush fools defenders and allows him to beat them to the outside. He also has good stickhandling, and good edgework and agility allowing him to get by a defender on the inside as well. His good vision and passing ability are assets, and while he is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer he has a decent shot and good release. He could stand to shoot more as he can be predictable at times, and he does have the skills to put the puck in the net.
Spiro Goulakos, Defence, Colgate Red Raiders: Goulakos missed half of last season in a battle with Hodgskin’s Lymphoma. Now with the cancer in remission, he should be an inspirational story on the Red Raiders blue line this year. Goulakos is an outstanding skater who has great agility and mobility and uses his good speed and edgework to cover a lot of ice. He shows very good offensive ability, with great puck control, outstanding passing and vision, and a hard, accurate slap shot. He put up 18 points in 26 games for Colgate last year, and he is expected to once again quarterback the Red Raiders powerplay and get the offence started for the team.
Matt Buckles, Forward, Cornell Big Red: Matt Buckles joins Cornell as a freshman from the St. Mike’s Buzzards of the OJHL. The 6’1″ forward was a fourth round pick of the Florida Panthers this past year. He is said to be a strong two-way centre who can add goals and assists for the Big Red, after putting up 71 points in 50 games for the Buzzards last year, and helping the team to the OJHL title and to the Finals of the Royal Bank Cup. He is also said to be an agitating presence who works extremely hard in both ends of the ice every shift.
Tyler Sikura, Left Wing, Dartmouth Big Green: Sikura led Dartmouth with 12 goals and 32 points in 34 games last season, and more of the same is expected in his junior year. Sikura is a skilled offensive contributor with great puck protection and stickhandling ability as well as a good wrist shot and quick release off the wing. He also has good vision, and can play the roll of playmaker. At 6’2″ Sikura has good size, and often uses his good balance and strong skating stride to fight through checks and drive the net. This power forward in training also knows how to play a physical game in the corners and in front of the net.
Brian Hart, Right Wing, Harvard Crimson: A 2nd round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012, Hart plays a power forward style game and drives the net hard. He is a goal scorer who is willing to get down and dirty, and go through defenders if necessary to put the puck in the back of the net. He has a powerful skating stride and good balance that allows him to fight through checks, and maintain his balance. He also has an excellent wrist shot and release. Hart put up 18 points in 30 games as a freshman, and looks to build on those numbers this season.
Andrew Calof, Centre, Princeton Tigers: I’ve mentionned a number of players who are good skaters, but Calof might be the best of the bunch. He is absolutely lightning quick out there and has outstanding acceleration and edgework. Calof is deadly off the rush as defenders must back off and respect his speed or he is capable of taking them wide and driving to the net. When they do this Calof is fully capable of unleashing an accurate wrist shot or setting up a play for a teammate. His skill set makes him extremely difficult to defend in the transition game. Going into his senior seaon, Calof will again be the go to guy for the Tigers offence
Matthew Peca, Centre, Qunnipiac Bobcats: A 7th round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2011 Draft, Peca has 69 points over the last two years for the Bobcats. Flanked by the Jones twins, Connor and Kellen, the entire line returns this season for the Bobcats. Peca is undersized at 5’9 and 165lbs but he’s definitely got offensive talent. He is an extremely good skater, with very good speed, quick acceleration and the ability to change gears that fools opponents off the rush. He’s well balanced on his skates and is not afraid to battle in corners or in front of the net despite his size. He will however need to add some more muscle to be more effective in playing that type of game. He does have good vision and playmaking skills and will continue to be the pivot man between the twin snipers this season. He’s an important two way player for the Bobcats and is featured on the team’s penalty kill.
Jason Kasdorf, Goalie, RPI Engineers: A 6th round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2011, Kasdorf has developed into one of the best goalies in the conference. He was 14-2-3 with a .935 save percentage last season. At 6’3″ he has excellent size and takes up a lot of net. This is augmented by his ability to get out to the top of the crease and challenge shooters. Strong skating and lateral agility allow him to challenge, while still getting across the crease on cross ice passes, or backing up quickly so he is not deked off the rush. He has quick legs and the ability to take away the lower part of the net. He will need to work on his rebound control going forward though.
Greg Carey, Centre, St. Lawrence Saints: Carey had an incredible 28 goals and 51 points in 38 games for the Saints last season. The team will rely on him to continue to put up offence in his senior season as he is one of the biggest threats on a team that is a little weak in secondary scoring. Carey is a pure goal scorer blessed with one of the best wrist shots in the conference and a great release. He really could put up even better offensive numbers if he had a setup man to play with and a bit better supporting cast. He is absolutely lethal when he gets the opportunity and seeing his shot, its easy to see how Carey put up 72 goals in 48 games to set the OJHL record in his last season with the Burlington Cougars. Greg may find that playmaker this season though, as his brother Matt joins the St. Lawrence roster. It will be interesting to see how the brother act will work for the Saints going forward.
Shayne Gostisbehere, Defence, Union Dutchmen: Gostisbehere, is one of many hockey prospects that have started appearing from the non-traditional hockey markets in the Southern US. The Margate, Florida native has been overcoming misconceptions his whole career though. If it wasn’t about where he grew up, it was the fact that he is a little undersized for a defenceman. Over the last two years he’s helped to lead the flying Dutchmen to back to back ECAC Championships (the first two in school history), and their only appearance in the Frozen Four in 2012. He also earned a spot on the team USA blue line, and played a prominent role including power play time, in helping the Americans win the 2013 World Junior Championships Gold Medal.
Gostisbehere’s main value is as an offensive defenceman. He has excellent vision and passing skill which he uses both to make a good first pass to start the rush, and to quarterback the play on the offensive blue line. A hard slap shot and excellent one-timer can not be ignored and draws penalty killing units to extend their coverage and respect his shot opening up plays for his teammates down low. He has good stick handling skills, and combines that with great agility, and the ability to walk the line to open up passing and shooting lanes on the powerplay. Gostisbehere’s defensive game is a work in progress. He is a very good skater and is tough to beat one on one. A quick stick helps him to defend with pokechecks and by cutting down lanes. He also is a hard worker. However, at just 170 lbs, Gostisbehere must get bigger and stronger to win board battles and clear the front of the net. He can get overpowered at the NCAA level right now. He does have a bit of a mean streak though, and has been known to take penalties with his stick, such as the one that earned him a 1 game suspension at the World Juniors. With more muscle on his frame, he’ll be more effective as he isn’t afraid to get dirty out there.
Daniel Carr, Left Wing, Union Dutchmen: Carr has put up 72 points over the last two seasons playing playing on the Dutchmen top line. As noted above Union has lost a ton of offensive firepower and Carr will be asked to lead the Dutchmen offence this season. Carr is a sniper with an excellent wrist shot and one timer. He’s got decent skating, which is aided by his good positioning and hockey sense. Carr finds holes in the defence and sets up where he can unleash his accurate and powerful shot. He also has decent vision and playmaking skill for a winger. He returns to Union after attending NHL prospect camps the last two summers, and hopes that the experience will make him an even better player at the college level and earn him a pro contract with an NHL team after his senior season.
John Hayden, Centre/Right Wing, Yale Bulldogs: A 2013 Blackhawks draft pick, Hayden is very much a power forward prospect. At 6’3″ tall and weighing 207 lbs, he has the perfect frame to play a robust and physical style of play. Sure, he will need to bulk up in the coming years but that is common for an 18-year old freshman. Hayden already is very strong on the puck and playing for the US NTDP was a load to handle in the cycle game. He wins battles in corners, protects the puck extremely well, drives to the net if an opening presents it self, or makes a decent pass to an open teammate. Hayden knows that he needs to go to the dirty areas of the ice to score and you can often find him in front of the net. He plays a very straight line, power based game. He’s a torpedo on the forecheck as his preferred method of zone entry is to chip it by his defenceman and skate in and hammer the opponent in the corner. His wrist shot is decent, and the release is good but not elite. Hayden’s skating will need some work. His stride is short and choppy, and he just doesn’t dig into the ice enough, causing him to have poor quickness and acceleration. His top end speed is good, but it takes him far too long to get up to full speed in comparison to his peers. His agility and edgework are ok, but nothing special. His big advantage is his lower body strength and balance as he is very hard to knock down or knock off the puck. Hayden is defensively responsible, and is not afraid to get his nose dirty in his own end. He continues his physical game and gets involved in containing the cycle and battling on the boards down low. He is a willing shot blocker as well, and maintains good coverage of the point when he is used at RW. His hockey IQ is very good and he anticipates and reads the play very well.
Kenny Agostino, Left Wing, Yale Bulldogs: A 2010 pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Agostino had 17 goals and 41 points in 37 games last year, in helping lead the Bulldogs to a National Championship. He plays a very straightforward and gritty game, working hard in the corners and in front of the net. Agostino is a quick and powerful skater who gets in hard on the forecheck and is difficult to knock off the puck. He’s not the slickest with the puck on his stick and he doesn’t dangle around defensemen very often, but Agostino’s power game generates offence and goals for the Bulldogs. In fact he plays for the right team as comparing him to a bulldog is probably apt. His hard work on the boards also helps him in the defensive zone and Agostino’s responsible two way game will be relied upon by Yale as they look to defend their title.
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