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Flyers CHL prospects update
Written by: Al Alven on 11/05/2005 
For the first time in three years, the Philadelphia Flyers do not possess an outstanding stable of talent at the Canadian major junior level, let alone multiple teenage prospects widely considered to be potential future stars for the organization.
Five members of the illustrious draft class of 2003 – all former CHL standouts – have moved on to the professional ranks this season. Heralded centers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are with the Flyers, while right wing Stefan Ruzicka, defenseman Alexandre Picard and goaltender Rejean Beauchemin have joined the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.
The Flyers' remaining prospects in the OHL, QMJHL and WHL are remnants of the comparatively-thin 2004 draft, along with players selected at this year's post-lockout version of the event in August. The nine prospects comprise a crop that lacks an abundance of natural talent, but is big on character, toughness and intangibles.
Heading the list, at least from the standpoint of overall potential, is controversial forward Steve Downie, the Flyers' surprise first round pick (29th overall) in this year's draft. He is followed by emerging Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) right wing Ladislav Scurko and Halifax Mooseheads left wing/Team Canada WJC hopeful Freddy Cabana.
The following is an early-season
update on the performances of these and the other Flyers prospects currently
playing in the CHL – six forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender in
total.
Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Josh Beaulieu, LW – London Knights
Drafted: 2005 (5th
round, 152nd overall)
Ht: 6'1,
Wt:
185 lbs., DOB: 1/10/87
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Beaulieu has picked up where
he left off last season, excelling in a role as a two-way winger and prime
agitator for the defending Memorial Cup champion London Knights. Now in
his second full season (and third overall) with the team, the Comber, Ontario
native is also reaping the benefits of playing on the top offensive team
in the CHL. The Knights have already scored 98 times in only 15 games,
an incredible average of 6.53 goals per contest. Beaulieu’s 11 points (5
goals, 6 assists) in 10 games rank him ninth on the team. Perhaps most
impressively, however, has been the 18-year-old forward’s continued dedication
to defense and improved penalty killing, the real assets to his ultimate
potential in the pro ranks. Beaulieu took advantage of every opportunity
he was given with the Knights last season, scratching, clawing and (literally)
fighting his way to an eventual full-time spot on the roster of one of
the most talented major junior teams in recent memory. Head coach (and
former NHLer) Dale Hunter was most impressed with Beaulieu’s stand-out
performance as a third line “dirty work” winger during the world championship
break, when many of the team’s top performers were away from the team.
He also earned the attention of the Flyers, who have made a habit of collecting
players of his ilk via the draft in recent years.
Steve Downie, C – Windsor Spitfires
Drafted: 2005 (1st
round, 29th overall)
Ht: 5'10, Wt:
192 lbs., DOB: 4/3/87
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Downie
remains at this home in Newmarket, Ontario, waiting to be dealt by the
Windsor Spitfires. Team owner Steve Riolo, who initially indicated that
he was unwilling to accommodate his estranged star forward with a trade
and was content to let him sit out for the entire season, recently softened
his stance. Several factors contributed to this, most notably the highly-publicized
hazing scandal that emerged from the OHL’s investigation into a pair of
physical altercations between Downie and 16-year-old rookie Akim Aliu in
practice on September 28. The result saw the Spitfires fined $35,000 and
Moe Mantha suspended for one full year as general manager and 40 games
as head coach. Riolo, who has assumed managerial operations for his team,
has cautioned that he is in no rush to trade Downie, and that no deal will
be reached unless “equal value” can be attained in return. Several teams
are known to have at least inquired about the aggressive, 18-year-old forward,
with the Ottawa 67s most frequently mentioned as a potential destination.
Downie left the Spitfires after being suspended for five games and ordered
to attend anger management classes as a result of his run-ins with Aliu,
the details of which remain rather murky. His only appearance of the season
came in Windsor’s third game, in which he registered a hat trick in a 7-4
loss at Saginaw.
Gino Pisellini, RW – Plymouth Whalers
Drafted: 2004 (5th
round, 149th overall)
Ht: 6'1, Wt:
210 lbs., DOB: 8/5/86
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While he won’t, and is not
expected to, put up big numbers for the Plymouth Whalers this season, Pisellini
has already established himself as one of the team’s more steady, reliable
forwards. After serving a two-game suspension to start the campaign, the
Itasca, Illinois native has provided the Whalers (who are 9-6-1-0) with strong
two-way play, solid penalty killing, muscle along the boards and in the
corners and, once again, a distracting presence in front of opposing team’s
nets on the power play. Pisellini currently ranks eighth on the Whalers
in scoring, third in plus/minus and fourth in PIMs (2.64 minutes per game).
Pisellini exemplifies the type and style of player the Flyers have sought
to build around via the draft over the past few seasons -- a big, rugged
forward who possesses quality leadership skills and plays with a chip on
his shoulder. What the 19-year-old forward lacks in natural ability, at
least at the OHL level, he makes up for with guile and a range of intangibles.
It is unknown at this point how Pisellini’s game will translate in the
professional ranks. The Flyers have indicated, however, that they have
interest in signing the aggressive forward to a contract after he completes
his third season of play at Plymouth.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Oskars Bartulis, D – Moncton Wildcats
Drafted: 2005 (3rd
round, 91st overall)
Ht: 6'2, Wt:
195 lbs., DOB: 1/21/87
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Bartulis, the lone defenseman selected by the Flyers in this year's entry draft, is off to a solid start in his second season with the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL. The Latvian import, a converted center, is still learning the ropes of his position, but continues to make impressive strides. Moncton (13-4-0-1) is one of the surprise teams in the “Q” this season, currently sitting in second place in the circuit’s East Division. The overall performance of the Wildcats’ defensive unit, a perceived weakness coming into the campaign, has been one of the main reason for the team’s success, and Bartulis has been right in the middle of the resurgence. The 18-year-old rearguard has been very strong in his own end, and is beginning to develop into a steady offensive contributor for the team. He currently ranks fourth among Wildcats defensemen in scoring, with a 0.50 points-per-game average (up from roughly 0.38 last season). Bartulis possesses excellent puck skills and a strong offensive mind for the game, not surprising given his past tenure as a forward. The Wildcats envision him as an emerging power play performer (all three of his goals have come on the man advantage), and figure to feed him more special teams times as he progresses.
Freddy Cabana, LW
– Halifax Mooseheads
Drafted: 2004 (6th
round, 171st overall)
Ht: 6'0, Wt:
195 lbs., DOB: 5/16/86
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Cabana remains best known
in the hockey world for the knee-on-knee hit he put on Sidney Crosby in
a game last season, a foul that resulted in an eight-game suspension and seemingly
endless media scrutiny of the young forward. While the 19-year-old
remains an aggressive agitator who plays a physically spirited game with
what is often described as “reckless abandon,” he is generally mislabeled
as a cheap shot artist and shortchanged in terms of his overall hockey
ability. The original source of such criticism is obvious, but many continually
fail to notice both the true essence of Cabana’s game and the impressive
strides that he has made on the ice over the past two seasons. Quite simply,
Cabana has developed into a very solid two-way winger for the Mooseheads.
He continues to play the game with plenty of fire, but has learned to pick
his spots and use his head in all situations. Cabana’s game has evolved
to the point that he is currently in the running for a roster spot with
Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, an illustrious honor in
and of itself. Whether he makes the team or not, Cabana does appear to
have the inside track at earning a contract with the Flyers after the conclusion
of the season.
Jeremy Duchesne, G – Halifax Mooseheads
Drafted: 2005 (4th
round, 119th overall)
Ht: 6'0, Wt:
201 lbs., DOB: 10/17/86
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The Flyers’ only amateur
goaltending prospect in North America, Duchesne is off to a solid, albeit
unspectacular, start in his first full season as a starter at the major
junior level. He has carried the load for Halifax thus far, appearing in
15 of the team’s 18 games. The Mooseheads have struggled defensively in
the early going, but Duchesne is the primary reason the team sits in fourth
place in the QMJHL’s Eastern Division with a winning record (10-8-0-0).
As is often the case with goaltenders in the “Q,” numbers do not necessarily
provide an accurate barometer of the 18-year-old’s performance thus far.
As it is, Duchesne currently ranks ninth in goals against average (3.04)
and 11th in save percentage (.898) among QMJHL netminders who have
appeared in at least 10 games. The son of former NHL forward Gaeton Duchesne,
Jeremy was born in Silver Springs, Maryland and owns dual citizenship.
He entered this season as one of the favorites to earn a spot on Team USA
for the 2006 World Junior Championship tournament in British Columbia,
and nothing that has happened thus far would indicate that his status has
changed in that regard.
David Laliberte, RW – P.E.I. Rocket
Drafted: 2004 (4th round,
124th overall)
Ht: 6'1, Wt: 198 lbs., DOB:
3/17/86
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Still bothered
by the back injury that cost him the second half of last season, Laliberte
has yet to appear in a game for the P.E.I. Rocket in 2005-06. After being
examined by various specialists, it was determined that surgery would not
be required, and that the 19-year-old forward should be able to return
to the ice in December as long as his rehab regimen continues to run smoothly.
Perhaps the most naturally gifted member of the Flyers’ draft class of
2004, Laliberte’s development has undoubtedly been set back by the injury.
Before getting hurt, he appeared to be on track to become one of the top
two-way forwards in the QMJHL. Despite appearing in only 41 games last
season, Laliberte managed to finish fourth in goals and sixth in total
points for the Rocket.
Western Hockey League (WHL)
John Flatters, D – Vancouver Giants
Drafted: 2005 (6th
round, 174th overall)
Ht: 6'1, Wt:
203 lbs., DOB: 6/17/87
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Flatters began the season, his second in the WHL, with the Red Deer Rebels, a team loaded with rugged, stay-at-home rearguards of his ilk. He performed admirably in the early going, notching an assist in 14 games, but became the subject of numerous trade rumors as the team (currently the owners of the second-worst record in the league at 5-13-0-1) floundered out of the gate. The 18-year-old rearguard was dealt to the Vancouver Giants on October 25 in exchange for talented, but unpolished 17-year-old defenseman Luke Egener. To say that Flatters has fit in very well with his new team would be a drastic understatement. Amazingly, the Calgary native scored a goal -- his first in his 68th WHL game -- in his debut with the Giants, then added another a few games later. Vancouver (8-6-0-1), like Red Deer, is a last place team, but the team has performed well while playing in the highly-competitive B.C. Division. Flatters, thus far, appears to be a very strong addition to a team that looks poised to make a solid run at a playoff spot this season. As much as the Flyers would have liked to see him develop under Brent Sutter at Red Deer, the team is pleased that the young rearguard will continue his WHL career with a quality team that, at this point, appears to be a better fit for his services.
Ladislav Scurko, C – Seattle Thunderbirds
Drafted: 2004 (6th
round, 170th overall)
Ht: 6'0, Wt:
198 lbs., DOB: 4/4/86
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Scurko established himself
as a valuable two-way center for the Seattle Thunderbirds in his first
season of North American hockey in 2004-05. With the departure of several
key forwards, the team is counting on the Slovakian import to emerge as
more of an offensive leader this season and, thus far, he has not disappointed.
Scurko currently leads the T-Birds in scoring with an average of 0.83 goals-per-game
and a +5 rating. His strong pairing with fellow countryman Roman
Tomanek, a 2004 fourth round draft choice (103rd overall) of
the Phoenix Coyotes, on the first line has been one of the few bright spots
thus far for struggling Seattle. The T-Birds currently sit in fourth place
in the WHL’s five-team U.S. division with a 4-6-1-1 record. Scurko, who
is projected as more of a defensive center should he make it to the pro
ranks but is, nonetheless, very skilled, and will be tested as the season
wears on. The Flyers are already confident that the 19-year-old pivot can
thrive in a lower-profile role. If he can manage to maintain (or even improve
upon) his current offensive pace, it could go a long way in helping him
earn a contract with the team.
Copyright 2005 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint
or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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