Scouts taking notice
Published Friday October 30th, 2009
Hockey: Great start to season has NHL observers keeping keen eye on undrafted Sea Dogs players
Gordie Clark recalls a recent conversation about Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman Kevin Gagne.
Clark, the director of player personnel for the New York Rangers, addressed Gagne's size. But his observations weren't the critical kind.
"They always get down on smaller defencemen,'' said Clark, who hails from Saint John. "The way he plays, he looks 6-2. I don't see 5-8.''
While Gagne is indeed 5-foot-8, the Edmundston native hasn't allowed size to stop him from having an impact as a 17-year-old sophomore in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He had a goal and 12 assists in 18 games entering Saint John's late contest Thursday night in Chicoutimi, Que.
While physical stature and skill make Simon Despres and Yann Sauve the two most noticeable defencemen on Saint John's blue-line, Clark said Gagne and Nathan Beaulieu have also put themselves on the radar. Gagne is eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, while Beaulieu, who doesn't turn 17 until Dec. 5, isn't eligible until 2011.
"Nathan Beaulieu must have grown two or three inches,'' Clark said. "He needed to grow and fill out and he did both. I like their D. It can always get stronger and maybe that's an area they want to shore up if they make a run.
"You have to let (the team) run a little farther to see what you have and what you need. It's definitely going to be an interesting year.''
Clark watched Saint John's 4-0 win in Halifax last Saturday and then came to the Port City to take in the Sea Dogs' 6-1 win over Acadie-Bathurst the following day.
He said the club's strong start (13-4-1-0 entering Thursday's game), has grabbed scouts' attention. And Russian forward Stanislav Galiev has garnered a great deal of it. The 17-year-old's 17 points had him tied for the team lead entering Thursday's contest and he's eligible for the 2010 NHL draft.
"He's a work in progress,'' Clark said. "I liked his game in Halifax. Halifax isn't a strong team, but they have an abrasive style.
"He was working hard and backchecking. His goal was an NHL-type goal.''
Saint John's other European import, Tomas Jurco, didn't play due last weekend due to the chicken pocks. But Clark said the Slovakian's early efforts have drawn favourable reviews. Jurco isn't eligible to be drafted until 2011.
Seventeen-year-old forward Stephen MacAulay, eligible in 2010, has also made a positive impression.
"He stood out in Halifax,'' Clark said. "He can skate and he showed his skill level and scored a goal.''
Like other talent evaluators, Clark was impressed with the efforts of Pittsburgh prospect Nick Petersen and Ottawa prospect Mike Hoffman. He said the Rangers were interested in drafting both players last summer.
"Petersen was probably the best player on the ice in Halifax and Hoffman was the next one,'' Clark said. "They can make an impact at any time.''
While there's on-and-off speculation about whether Saint John will eventually deal for a goaltender, Clark was impressed with what he saw between the pipes in both games. Twenty-year-old Marc-Antoine Gelinas was strong in his shutout in Halifax, while 19-year-old Karel St. Laurent played well in the win over Acadie-Bathurst.
Saint John's grit also caught Clark's eye. He pointed out that players were sticking up for each other in Sunday's game. Four different players - Zack Phillips, Beaulieu, Mike Thomas and MacAulay - were involved in separate fights.
"I like the fact that it's sort of a pack mentality,'' Clark said. "It doesn't have to be just Thomas doing all of the fighting. It was good to see. I'm excited about what the team can do and I'm excited about coming back.''
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