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Niagara Ice Dogs
-Big news out of a busy off season for Niagara. The Ice Dogs have acquired the top 9 draft prospects going into the season. Here is a breakdown of the players we will be following throughout the end of their CHL and NHL careers.
C Dominick Bellini #24 (thedudedominick) @DBell24
-Bellini is a playmaker in every sense of the word. His game is focused on setting other players up on offense. He struggles in the defensive zone, but his point production makes up for it. He really needs to develop a shot and some defensive skills to become a superstar at the next level.
D Sascha Jansen #22 (seb170455) @ESJ_Sascha
-Janson does everything well, but nothing great as a two-way defenseman. He can contribute offensively and is responsible defensively, but in order to make it at the next level he will need to figure out a way to become great at something. He is versatile and can play in any situation.
LW Maus Noah #76 (nz2407) @M_Noah
-Noah is a big player and can outmuscle people in the CHL. He needs to continue to develop his physical game and his play in front of the net when he goes into the NHL and matches up with players around his size. If his hands can develop he can become a major offensive weapon down low in the offensive zone.
LW Tyler Geradi #28 (shotz)
-Geradi is another play like Noah. Strong at the CHL level, but untested against players his equal. His hands are slightly better than Noah's right now, but Geradi is more of a liability on the defensive end.
D Robert Miller #13 (devo22) @Rob_Miller_13
-Miller is an undersized puck moving defenseman. He is rarely out of position but his strength and size will always be a question mark. Expect him to be in the score sheet more often than not, but can he hold up for an entire NHL season with his size?
RW Kevin Mettler #3 (slowpokemcgee) @MettlerK3
-Mettler is a scorer plain and simple. He can shoot from just about any scoring spot on the ice with precision. He does seem lost on the defensive side, but his point production nearly makes up for it. He needs to work on his strength and how hard he can shoot the puck, but he could turn into a powerplay specialist.
RW Matthew Zator #98 (mzator21)
-Zator sees the ice very well at the age of 18. He will be able to find open players and hit them tape to tape at any level. He struggles to create scoring chances of his own though and is another player who might be lost at the defensive end at the next level.
RW Zack Nelson #21 (tubestorm) @Z_Nelson#21
-Nelson can score with the best of them at the CHL level. He isn't the best skater though so he relies on others to set him up for his shots. When he does get an open shot though he rarely misses and can sometimes make goalies look silly with just a shot.
C Nathan MacDonald #17 (sens_ak27) @N_Mac_#17
-MacDonald is a rare shoot first center. If he is playing with a puck moving wingman he will be able to put up good goal numbers anywhere he goes. A weak skater and not a solid defender he has some work to do in those areas, but NHL teams will always take a chance on a guy that can score.
D Andy Lusak #23 (tmlgilmour93) @AndyLuuuu23
-Lusak is a big strong defenseman. He will never be out of position and always win a battle in front of his own net. He is not a very good skater though and needs to become better in the offensive zone. He is a great penalty killer and knows how to use his stick better than any other defensemen in this draft class.
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