This is Troy Hesketh. A month ago he was a hockey player. Now? Well, we don’t exactly know what he is, other than an American teenager. December has seen a number of our prospects deviate negatively from their normal production values. It has also seen a number of them participate for their respective countries in the biggest tournament for junior-aged talent.
*EDIT* I've added in the totals for Davidson and Marincin.
Cameron Abney RW Edmonton/WHL
DEC: 2 GP 0-0-0 +1 0PIM 2 ZPG
YTD: 26GP 3-1-4 -3 26PIM
I didn’t see anything to suggest that Abney was injured, so we’ve got to assume that he just isn’t a good enough player to be in the line-up for Edmonton anymore as a regular player. If his December performance continues to the New Year, I’d be shocked if he was awarded a contract at the end of this year by the Oilers
Phil Cornet W Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 8GP 0-2-2 0 2PIM 12SH 6ZPG
YTD: 23GP 0-4-4 -3 4PIM 24SH
Cornet’s games came at a time when Linus Omark was playing with the Oilers. He’s clearly not among the 12 best AHL forwards on most given nights. He’s shooting more which is a nice sign but sooner or later he’s going to have to force the coach to play him more.
Drew Czerwonka LW Kootenay/WHL
DEC: 11GP 3-8-11 +7 13PIM 3 ZPG
YTD: 34GP 10-13-23 +6 39PIM
Another great month for the 2010 6th rounder. Kootenay is one of the best teams in the WHL this year and Czerwonka is providing complimentary offense to the more well-known scorers. What really impresses me is his dedication to the defensive side of hockey in December, only in two of his 11 games was he a minus player. He’s getting some powerplay time as well (1-2-3 in December), and it stands to reason that he’s got the trust of his coaching staff.
Robby Dee C Maine/NCAA
DEC: 6GP 3-4-7 +2 6PIM 11SH 1ZPG
YTD: 19GP 8-11-19 +6 10PIM 47SH
Robby Dee has become my darkhorse candidate for prospect of the year. He’s a lot older than most, but he’s performing in a very tough league. For some reason, my usual source material didn’t have his faceoff percentages for any December games. He’s contributing on the powerplay (2 goals) and at even strength while scoring at a very consistent pace. The only downside is his schedule, which has been extremely light the past two months, playing in only 11 games.
Jordan Eberle RW Edmonton/NHL
DEC: 13GP 5-3-8 0 0PIM 35SH 8ZPG
YTD: 36GP 9-14-23 -4 4PIM 76SH
Eberle rebounded from a goalless November to put up a very respectable 8 points this month. He’s still got that defensive awareness that also eluded him in November and has rekindled his chemistry with Taylor Hall. He’ll be a treat to watch all season long.
Taylor Hall LW Edmonton/NHL
DEC: 13GP 6-4-10 -2 2PIM 45SH 6ZPG
YTD: 12-10-22 -7 8PIM 100SH
A very productive month for Edmonton’s youngest Oiler. He’s found his stroke and is burying goals from everywhere. His shot totals lead all of the Oilers rookies by a wide margin, and is contributing both on the powerplay (2 goals) and at even strength.
Curtis Hamilton LW Saskatoon/WHL
DEC: 5GP 0-5-5 +1 0PIM
YTD: 31GP 15-27-42 +27 6PIM
Hamilton’s December with Saskatoon was “interrupted” with a trip to Buffalo with Team Canada’s U-20 entry in the WJC. He made the team as a 3/4line player but ended up contributing much more than that. He impressed me with his ability to fit various roles for Coach Cameron, from PK specialist to top-line winger. While it wasn’t his most productive month in the Dub, his contributions to Team Canada more than make up for that.
Teemu Hartikainen RW Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 11GP 3-4-7 +2 8PIM 13SH 6ZPG
YTD: 34GP 10-8-18 -9 25PIM 60SH
Hartikainen was the player elevated to Top-6 minutes with the departure of Linus Omark to Edmonton and the big Finn was more than capable of picking up the slack. Not only did he contribute at even-strength (1 PP assist in DEC) but he showed that he’s capable of keeping the opposition off the score sheet as well. It looks like Oklahoma won’t be missing Omark all that much with Hartikainen around.
Kellen Jones W Quinnipiac/NCAA
DEC: 6GP 0-5-5 -3 2PIM 14SH 2 ZPG
YTD: 21GP 4-9-13 -4 27PIM 44SH
After a November to forget, Jones is back finding the score sheet, but the majority of his points (3 assists) are coming with the man advantage. He’s struggling to keep opposing teams from scoring and the team is losing games. The Jones twins are basically the Quinnipiac offense, so as Jones goes, so do the Bobcats.
Milan Kytnar C Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 11GP 1-2-3 0 2PIM 10SH 8ZPG
YTD: 33GP 2-6-8 -7 8PIM 27SH
Kytnar’s still putting up modest point totals, but he’s found his shut-down game again, which is good news for the Barons. Seen as more of a defensive specialist, Kytnar will need to continue this positive trend in his +/- if he’s to move up the organizational depth chart.
Anton Lander C Timra/SEL
DEC: 5GP 1-1-2 -3 4PIM 14SH 87.57 TOI 3 ZPG
YTD: 29GP 7-7-14 -1 22PIM 54SH 522.13 TOI
Lander’s December began with a promotion to the second-line for Timra and he delivered to mixed results. He scored his two points in games where he was on the 2-line, but he also contributed his -3 rating during those games. He also captained Team Sweden at the WJC tournament in Buffalo, where he is the top-line center and skating with talented players like the draft-eligible Gabriel Landeskog and Patrik Cehlin. A good month for Lander.
Ryan Martindale C Ottawa/OHL
DEC: 6GP 3-5-8 +2 0PIM 2 ZPG
YTD: 33GP 20-28-48 +23 18PIM
Martindale missed some time at the beginning of December due to injury, but it hasn’t slowed down his torrid offensive pace. He’s contributing both at even-strength and on the PP (1-2-3) but wasn’t invited to Team Canada’s tryout camp which is somewhat distressing to me. He’s obviously scoring well enough to be invited and he’s a large mammal capable of getting physical. Let’s hope Martindale takes this the right way and dedicates himself to making the cut next year, instead of sulking.
Linus Omark W Edmonton/NHL
DEC AHL: 3GP 1-2-3 +1 0PIM 5SH 2 ZPG
YTD AHL: 26GP 13-11-24 +6 28PIM 67SH
DEC NHL: 8GP 1-4-5 -1 4PIM 7SH 102.22 TOI 5ZPG
Damn Swede, making my life difficult trying to Excel two separate leagues. No matter, as Omark’s season has taken a turn for the better with his recall to Edmonton. He’s brought his crafty talents and dogged determination with him, but is still a very streaky scorer in both leagues. He should push for increased ice-time with Edmonton, and may not see the AHL again this year.
Magnus Paajarvi LW Edmonton/NHL
DEC: 13GP 2-6-8 +5 4PIM 26SH 192.03 TOI 7 ZPG
YTD: 35GP 4-10-14 +1 10PIM 67SH 500.16 TOI
Magnus rebounded from his November O-fer in dramatic fashion this month, putting up points and earning increased ice time. His +5 is a testament to his defensive acumen and speed, as he’s consistently the first forward back in the defensive zone to take care of his assignments. His shot totals are also improving, which should bring good things in the New Year.
Tyler Pitlick RW Medicine Hat/WHL
DEC: 11GP 4-9-13 -2 4PIM 2 ZPG
YTD: 33GP 15-21-36 +2 23PIM
That Pitlick didn’t earn an invitation to Team USA’s tryout camp is more an indication of USA’s increased depth than it is a factor of Pitlick’s season, as I discussed previously. Pitlick was without one of his team’s leading lights (Linden Vey or Emerson Etem) for the final six games of December’s schedule, but that didn’t stop him from amassing a 9-game scoring streak (broken the last game of December) during that stretch. He’s putting up good numbers at even-strength with only four powerplay assists in December, but I thought he’d have figured out the defensive side of the WHL by now.
Kristians Pelss RW Edmonton/WHL
DEC: 5GP 2-3-5 +6 5PIM 2ZPG
YTD: 30GP 4-9-13 +8 17PIM
Who saw this coming? Seriously. Pelss has become an every-day player for Edmonton and respresented his home country of Latvia in the Division-1 U-20 WJCs, helping them to a gold-medal finish. Upon his return to Edmonton he promptly put up a multi-point effort. He’s finally earning the trust of the coaching staff (well, at least he’s being trusted more than Cameron Abney, hah), and is making things happen. Not bad for a kid even the internet hadn’t heard of on draft-day.
Toni Rajala RW Ilves/SM-Liiga
DEC: 5GP 1-2-3 +2 2PIM 28SH 82.38 TOI 3ZPG
YTD: 22GP 6-6-12 -5 4PIM 105SH 336.03 TOI
Rajala’s season isn’t going as well as some might have hoped, but they fail to remember that the SM-Liiga is a very good league full of men and Jesse Niinimaki. Okay, the last part may not be exactly endearing, but the fact remains Rajala is keeping his head above water juggling professional hockey and Finland’s dated tradition of mandatory military service. Between those two things he’s also managing to moonlight for Team Finland in Buffalo. He’s a very busy man this year, so credit where it’s due. He’s shooting from everywhere this year to some success and is starting to be more defensively responsible.
Chris VandeVelde C Oklanoma/AHL
DEC: 11GP 1-1-2 -1 10PIM 16SH 9ZPG
YTD: 33GP 4-5-9 -7 24PIM 39SH
We didn’t expect VandeVelde to bring his much talked-about offense from the NCAA to the professional ranks, and December seems to follow that logic. He’s been put in a shut-down role on the Barons and is fairing adequately by indications of +/- this month. I don’t know what more to expect from one of the Oilers’ oldest prospects, but it’s not as if he’s putting up the numbers to warrant a call-up.
Jordan Bendfeld D Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 6GP 0-0-0 +4 16PIM 5SH 6ZPG
Bendfeld is seeing his first AHL action of the season in December. That’s a bit of a tell as to how far down the organizational depth chart he is. For what it’s worth, he doesn’t appear to be in over his head this time. He’s playing the role of policeman well and isn’t getting killed in the defensive zone. To me, he seems to be earning more and more game action.
Jeremie Blain D Acadie-Bathurst/QMJHL
DEC: 8GP 1-7-8 +5 10PIM 0 HITS 1ZPG
YTD: 10GP 1-8-9 +5 12PIM 5 HITS
He’s finally back and healthy. I almost forgot he was capable of blueline offense, but I guess when we don’t hear from a prospect for a while we tend to forget about him. His return is a rejuvenating shot in the arm for the Titan as he is a leader on this team (assistant captain) and a valuable offensive weapon. Stay healthy kid.
Kyle Bigos D Merrimack/NCAA
DEC: 2GP 0-0-0 0 4PIM 10SH 2ZPG
YTD: 15GP 0-4-4 +2 42PIM 30SH
Merrimack played 3 games in December. Bigos didn’t do much in two of them. Moving on...
Taylor Chorney D Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 11GP 2-3-5 +1 6PIM 14SH 8ZPG
YTD: 34GP 2-10-12 +5 16PIM 51SH
Chorney isn’t quite the offensive defenseman he was thought to be anymore, but appears to have morphed himself into a serviceable depth option for an NHL team. He’s still putting up a lot of his points on the powerplay (2 assists of 5 points this month), but it’s still a respectable total for a blueliner. He’s a bit streaky with his points though, as two of his games contributed four of his points.
Brandon Davidson D Regina/WHL
DEC: 10GP 1-4-5 +3 4PIM 5 ZPG
YTD: 37GP 5-25-30 -4 32PIM
Another month of solid offensive contribution for Davidson. What's more impressive is his +/- is starting to take a turn for the better. He's rounding into form and might be an option at the next level if he can prove adequate defensively.
Troy Hesketh D Chicago/USHL
DEC: 2GP 0-0-0 -2 2PIM 1SH
YTD: 23GP 0-0-0 -11 30PIM 8SH
More of the same from Hesketh here. What’s more is that he appears to have had a falling-out with his team. There are rumours he’s been dealt, but nothing official as of yet. Deal or no deal, I think his hockey scholarship to Wisconsin might be in jeopardy.
Martin Marincin D Prince George/WHL
DEC: 7GP 1-4-5 +1 2PIM
YTD: 33GP 10-25-35 +6 37PIM
Marincin continues his impressive season and earned a place on the Slovak Junior squad for the second straight year. There's really not much to say here that hasn't been said before, Marincin is a WHL stud.
Johan Motin D Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 10GP 0-1-1 -7 8PIM 9SH 9ZPG
YTD: 29GP 1-3-4 -9 26PIM 23SH
Motin’s a tough nut to crack this year, as he’s been wildly inconsistent from month to month. This was not one of his good periods as he didn’t score and his ability to play defence went in the tank. HS’d once in December he may be losing playing time to Bendfeld or a veteran AHLer sometime soon.
Jeff Petry D Oklahoma/AHL
DEC AHL: 8GP 3-5-8 +1 4PIM 24SH 3ZPG
YTD AHL: 31GP 7-15-22 -8 16PIM 72SH
DEC NHL: 2GP 0-1-1 -2 0PIM 4SH 1ZPG
The development of Jeff Petry took a strong upward spike this month, and may not plateau out for a while. He’s fixed his defensive shortcomings, as evidenced by his much improved +/-, while still putting up above-average point totals. He’s earned his way to the NHL club and didn’t look out of place in his two-game stint. Edmonton needs a player of Petry’s skill-set dearly at this point with Ryan Whitney’s injury troubles. The former Michigan State Spartan may have earned his way into an NHL job for the next decade.
Alex Plante D Oklahoma/AHL
DEC: 10GP 0-0-0 +2 10PIM 8SH 10ZPG
YTD: 32GP 1-5-6 +4 66PIM 30SH
Plante continues to improve towards mastering AHL offenses, but it came at the expense of his ability to produce his own offence this month. No matter though, as Plante fits a niche market attractive to many NHL minds. He’s a big body, he likes to hurt people, and is improving his mobility. A very real option for recall at any time and might not be in the AHL for much longer.
Tyler Bunz G Medicine Hat/WHL
DEC: 9GP 6W3L .923SV% 2.28GAA 1SO
YTD: 26GP 17W7L .916SV% 2.47GAA 2SO
Bunz continues to improve on his stats and has taken control of the #1goalie duties for MH. In his one relief appearance this month, he stonewalled the opposing team for the last 37 minutes of the game, allowing his team to come from behind to win. I’m starting to become a fan of Bunz’s and think he was well worth the investment of a 5th round pick. When he loses he tends to lose in spectacular fashion, we’re not talking a 2-1 loss here, he’ll need to cut down on that to be taken seriously.
Bryan Pitton G Oklahoma/AHL
Pitton did not play a game in December, even with Jeff Deslauriers on loan to Team Canada’s Spengler Cup entry.
Olivier Roy G Acadie-Bathurst/QMJHL
DEC: 3GP 2W1L 0.883SV% 3.38GAA
YTD: 21GP 0.904SV% 2.95GAA 1SO
Regardless of his inconsistent play, Roy was named to Team Canada’s squad in Buffalo. He’s been going downhill since November now, and hasn’t exactly been stellar for Team Canada thusfar. Is he cracking under pressure, or are holes in his game starting to show through at the highest level? I think we should be concerned about our #1 goalie prospect, he’s close to being passed by Tyler Bunz in my opinion.
