Belleville Bulls and Barrie Colts player updates

After attending the Bulls/Colts game last night, i thought i would update the over dozen draft eligible players involved in the game.

Tyson Teichmann - Belleville - although he had some shaky moments in the game Tyson Teichmann still showed why he will be one of the top goaltenders selected in the NHL entry draft. He has excellent lateral movement, picks up the puck through bodies, very good rebound control, excellent positioning and is very quick at dropping to his knees and back on his skates to go along with amazing reflexes. Teichmann will just need to find consistency in his game.

Steven Strong - Belleville - the smooth skating defenceman has very good speed. Steven Strong can play in all situations. A very good power play quarterback, he can move the puck up ice almost at ease. He is an excellent passer who sees the ice very well. Although he worked on adding strength to his lower body, he still needs to get stronger on his feet. He gets knocked off his feet to often. He will need to learn when to pinch and when not to pinch. The good thing is defence can be taught and he already possesses offensive ability, so things are looking very good for Strong.

Austen Brassard - Belleville - a big power forward, Austen Brassard is one of the hardest working players on the ice. He skates well, makes good passes and has a deceptive shot, although I'd like to see him shoot more. He cycles the puck very well and comes back on the backcheck hard. He doesn't have good speed and could work on that.

Michael Curtis - Belleville - a linemate of Austen Brassard, Michael Curtis is a speedy hardworker with offensive potential. Along with Brassard, he cycles the puck very well. Also a strong backchecker, he is often the first forward back in his own zone. He has a very good shot and despite his size, is not afraid to go into the corners or along the walls or to the front of the net.

Mark Scheifele - Barrie - a big forward who can play center or wing, Mark Scheifele is an excellent playmaker who is always making perfect passes. But he has a good shot and his pass first mentality takes that away from his game. He's a very good skater technically with average speed. He could work on that.

Dylan Smoskowitz - Barrie - we all saw last night why Dylan Smoskowitz was said to have potential. The speedy forward got a hat trick, He plays with a lot of heart and tenacity, always willing to pay the price to get the job done. He'll go straight to the net, go full speed into the corners, whatever it takes to get the puck. He has excellent playmaking abilities as well. He's definitely proven he can take his game to another level.

McKenzie Braid - Barrie - I haven't even profiled Braid yet, but I'll include him here anyway. The big defenseman sees time 5 on 5 and on the penalty kill. He is strong defensively. He is very good at standing players up and taking the man and allowing his partner to take the puck. He gets his stick into the lanes very well to take away passing options.  Once he adds some bulk, I'm certain he will take his physicality to another level. You can see the compete level and the passion every time he's on the ice.

Zach Hall - Barrie - didn't play because of a broken wrist

Dylan Smoskowitz

Dylan Smoskowitz - Barrie Colts
6' - 177 lbs

This is the second go around for  Smoskowitz to make the Colts roster. Last season, it was virtually impossible to crack the lineup of the contending Colts.

There aren't very many players who play with the heart, passion and grittiness of Smoskowitz. He has good size at 6' but really needs to add some bulk. Smoskowitz is a speedy, playmaker who can also score some goals. In Tier II playing for the Mississauga Chargers, he scored 26 goals and 35 assists in 56 games. 

Here's what coach Dale Hawerchuk had to say:

"He's a very skilled player. He's definitely on our radar.He's a good playmaking centre. Again, I think his big thing is to start to realize, from the level he is at, he's got to jump to another level. It's just compete levels and read levels and everything has got to come up. I think he's the type of kid that that could happen."

As a rookie this season, Smoskowitz will be counted on for offense for a Barrie team that has lost a few forwards from last season. His heart and his passion for the game should help him succeed.