Pros and Cons Top 6 2011

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C
Pros - Magnificent puck handler and distributor. Excellant vision. An offensive dynamo. Thief-like defensive skills, great on the backcheck at thieving. Excellant first step and high end agility. Very instinctive player, excellant hockey IQ.
Cons - Strength is an issue, very slight. Worried about one on one puck battles. Doesn't have high end speed, but gets around the ice well.
Projection - First line offensive center.

Adam Larsson D
Pros - A pure athlete. Skates very well and is very polished defensively. Very good on man-to-man coverage. Makes good crisp passes. Smooth puckhandler. Solid body-checker.
Cons - Offensively there are some question marks. Average shot, questionable decison making with the puck at times. Really wonder how he's going to put up numbers offensively.
Projection - #2 Dman.

Gabriel Landeskog LW/RW
Pros - Prototypical power forward. Takes puck to the net strong. Takes abuse and gives abuse. Excellant leadership qualities. Has no problems dropping the gloves.
Cons - Worried about his long range scoring, accuracy mostly. Kind of a clunky skater (skates with a hitch). Injuries have crept into his game this year mainly due to his style of play so duribility is an issue.
Projection - First line winger.

Sean Couturier C
Pros - Excellant 2-way center, excels at both ends of the ice. Excellant size, vision and awareness. Solid shooter and solid playmaker. Knows how to use his size.
Cons - Has bouts of uninspired play. First step is kinda slow. Wonder about his ability to make others around him better.
Projection - First line two-way center.

Jonathan Huberdeau LW/C
Pros - Gutsy player. Plays big. Equally good distributing or putting pucks on net. Excellant finisher around the net. Really slimy along the boards, tough player to pin. Excellant player in the transition game. Puck protection is excellant.
Cons - Large concerns about his size and the ability to translate his game to the NHL. Skating is pretty generic, he gets around, but isn't a flyer. Puck retrival is a concern.
Projection - Top 6 forward.

Ryan Strome C
Pros - Offensively dynamic. Excellant stickhandler and puck distributor. Solid finisher. Excellant top end speed. Has excellant sense of timing. Has a nice frame to put some lbs on. Aggressive, always pushes the puck forward.
Cons - Defensively average. Not positionally sound. Likes to chase the puck too much instead of defend. Might make a better winger than a center in NHL.
Projection - First line player.