Though the NHL is in the midst of it's All-Star break, other hockey leagues such as the American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and so forth are still running. Here are some notes on some of the New Jersey Devils prospects and how they've performed in their respective league this season, and as of late.
- A few people have asked me about Reid Boucher over the past few days. Here's my take on him: He's a small and speedy winger with great offensive abilities and instincts. His offensive game is fantastic and he has arguably the best release in the OHL. The down fall: his defensive game. He reminds me a lot of the Phil Kessel we've seen previous to this year.
Boucher has 21 goals on the season, which is obviously respectable, but he has not scored a goal in nine games. Boucher only has one point, an assist, in that time span.
- I covered the Plymouth Whalers / Barrie Colts game last night for TheHockeyGuys.net,
you can read my prospect report here, and I was amazed by the performance Scott Wedgewood gave. He stopped 35 of 36 shots, and made several outstanding saves to lead the Whalers to a 4-1 win.
The guy's movement is so perfect and he doesn't over-play any puck. His reads are spot on, he's good down low and his glove hand is fantastic. He can really play the puck, too. I truly believe that he is the future of the Devils between the pipes. He may not be in the NHL for a couple years but he's certainly worth the wait.
- Reece Scarlett, who the Devils drafted in the 6th round of the 2011 draft, has developed nicely in Swift Current. The team is not very good, at all, but he's playing big time minutes there. In 47 games this season he has tallied 35 points (8G, 27A) and 56PIMs. How far has he come? Well, he tallied just 24 points (6G, 18A) in 72 games last season.
- Lastly, the Albany Devils are in action tonight. I'm sure I'll have notes on how Mattias Tedenby, Jacob Josefson and Matt Taormina perform tomorrow.
It's worth noting that Tedenby picked up two points in his first game with Albany last week. Hopefully he can repeat that tonight.
I'll be back tomorrow with another piece. If you have any ideas or topics you want me to discuss please email or PM me on the site.
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