Hockey Prospects, NHL Draft, Hockey Scouting,OHL Draft

We love his compete level, as Biggs hates losing a board battle let alone a hockey game. He has the ability to take over a game when he is on. When he brings his full blown nastiness he is just plain fun to watch.Biggs is a very coachable prospect who oozes upside and could easily be a top 20 pick. Biggs needs to refine his scoring skills to become an NHL top 6 forward but is a very safe bet to make the NHL.

VO2 Max Test for USANTDP player Zac Larraza. Watch as Larraza, who plays for the USNTDP takes his VO2 Max test at the 2011 NHL combine in Toronto. We recently interviewed Zac and today we got a chance to watch him take his VO2 max as the last player being tested that day.

Zemgus Girgensons is a top rated 2012 NHL Draft prospect who is currently playing in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. HockeyProspect.com spoke to Zemgus a couple of times recently including this conversation Steve Fitzsimmons had with Girgensons today. Zemgus was highly touted on the HP pre-season rankings and showed nothing to make our scouts waver on their opinion of him at the recent USHL Fall Classic in Sioux City, Iowa.  HP's Mark Edwards has moved Zemgus up the #2 spot on his current personal rankings right behind Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting.

Girgensons chats about his style of play and the decision to play in North America.

In what could be one of the strongest draft years for defensemen in recent memory, every prospect is hoping to stand out.
Jordan Schmaltz, 18, of the Green Bay Gamblers knows that his meal ticket is as a premier offensive defenseman.

“I'm more of a puck-mover,” Schmaltz says.  “I make a good first pass out of the zone and I jump up into the play.  I just try to make reads and distribute the puck.  I describe myself as more of a quarterback than a guy with a heavy shot.  That's not saying I don't think I have a good shot, I think I have a pretty good shot, but I'm more of a guy that likes to distribute the puck.”

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound Schmaltz led all USHL blueliners in scoring as a rookie last season with 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) in 53 games.  He's off to another strong start this year with five goals and six assists in 19 games.

“Jordan's biggest attribute is his transition play,” Gamblers coach Derek Lalonde says.  “His poise, his ability to move the puck and manage and control the game from a transition standpoint.  His offensive instincts are unbelievable.  He knows when to jump in, his feel is great.  That's why he's produced so much offensively over the last couple years.  His instincts are remarkable.”

Schmaltz's offensive ability is a known commodity around the USHL and it was why Lalonde was willing to ship the hefty package of forward David Goodwin, defensemen Andy Ryan and Dan Molenaar and affiliate list forward Jacob Montgomery to Sioux City for Schmaltz in an early November blockbuster trade.

“It just really solidified our top-four,” Lalonde says.  “It gave us four very good puck-moving defensemen.  The puck spends very little time in our zone now, when you can roll those types of D-men out as often as we do.  Since the trade we are 12-0-1.  I understand you have to give up a lot to get a lot, but he's been kind of a missing piece of the puzzle for us.”

Schmaltz has fit like a glove for the Gamblers on the ice, but he's also assimilated quickly with his new teammates.

“It's been great so far,” Schmaltz says.  “Both teams benefitted from the trade; you always like to see that.  Sioux City was a great organization and I loved all the guys there, but I think they understood.  Once I got to Green Bay I was excited and it's been nothing but an unbelievable experience so far.  I've really enjoyed my time here.”

“He's been great as a teammate and a great fit in the locker room,” Lalonde says.  “It really helps that we have three Chicago-area kids that he played Mission hockey with.  So the transition has been very easy.  He's fit in and I think he appreciates that we have a good culture here, we expect to win.  He's just come in and done his part, played his role, and we've been very successful since we acquired him.”

The trade could have been an unwelcome disruption during what can be a stressful year for draft-eligible players, but Schmaltz has performed admirably since coming over from the Musketeers and thinks the best is yet to come.

“You have to get used to how guys play, especially on the power play, what guys like to do and their habits,” he says.  “It's always tough coming to a new team, but the last few games here I think I've been playing really well and it's starting to click a little bit.  I think it's only going to get better from here.”

HP's Mark Edwards says that Schmaltz skating is what makes him special. He is able to create time and space for himself because of those feet. I hate making comparisons, but skating wise, he reminded me a little of Scott Niedermayer. Jordan says he models his game after two other emerging stars.

“Drew Doughty and John Carlson are guys I look up to,” Schmaltz says.  “Not only do they take care of their own end, they chip in on the offensive zone and they bring great power play qualities to their teams as well.”

The slick-skating Schmaltz has been a ballyhooed prospect for some time - he first made a non-binding commitment to the University of Wisconsin when he was just 14-years-old.  But his plans changed when coach Mark Osiecki moved to Ohio State.

Schmaltz is set on honoring his new commitment to the University of North Dakota, which has produced NHL stars Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews in recent years, despite being at the center of a tug-of-war between the Canadian junior leagues and collegiate hockey.

In October the Windsor Spitfires went public with their recruitment of the heralded prospect. Schmaltz can't help being in high demand, but all he's worried about is fulfilling a life-long dream of attending college and following his family's legacy.

“I've always wanted to go to college,” he says.  “My Dad went to North Dakota, my two uncles, they all played football there.  They're actually all from there too.  I think it's a no-brainer to go to North Dakota.  I still want to go the college route and I think ultimately it will make me the best player I can be.”

Like many offensive-minded defensemen, Schmaltz played much of his young life as a forward.  His experience on the attack is what makes him a lethal weapon from the blueline now, but Schmaltz recognizes that his defensive game has room for improvement.

“[I need to work on] continually getting stronger,” Schmaltz says.  “Improving physically, especially in front of the net and things like that.  Just trying to solidify that part of my game is what's going to help me at the next level and hopefully eventually as a pro.”

Schmaltz believes he's made big strides in his own end over the course of the last year and has full confidence that Lalonde and the staff at North Dakota will help him continue to grow as a defensive player.

“Last year with coach Luke Strand at Sioux City I think I got a lot better defensively and I think I'm continually getting better at that,” Schmaltz says.  “Little things like net positioning and boxing guys out in front of the net, I think I'm just getting a lot better at.”

Schmaltz's play in his own zone may be a work in progress, but his offensive ability might be enough to secure him a place high in the first round of June's entry draft.  But for now, Schmaltz is focused on improving on a daily basis and he isn't worried about what the future holds.

“I try not to get caught up in all the draft talk and where you're going to be selected,” he says.  “I just try to continually get better and play my game and show people what I've got.  I think that will take care of itself.

“I'm a pretty easygoing guy.  I don't really think about it.  I don't get too rattled, if I have a bad game I just try to regroup and do what I do best.”

His father made one of the greatest plays in New York Rangers’ franchise history, but Stefan Matteau, 17, isn’t concerned with the expectations that come with his bloodline.

“Obviously my dad has a pretty big name and I don’t really get talked to without him being mentioned,” Matteau said. “But I’m not really worried about being in his shadow or being compared to him because he’s not going to get me where I want to be. I make my path and whatever happens, happens. He’s a big part of it, but I’m my own person and he’s his own person.”

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Matteau is a prototypical power forward with the U.S. National Team Development Program, playing alongside many of the top prospects the country has to offer. But it’s Matteau that leads the NTDP in points with 23 (10 goals, 13 assists) and penalty minutes (110) in 30 games.

Matteau’s strong season has forced the NHL’s Central Scouting Service to take notice as he was ranked 13th among North American skaters, sixth among forwards, in the midterm rankings released last week.

“I saw that and it was a good feeling,” Matteau said. “But those lists and stuff, I’m not trying to worry about that. Nothing is certain until draft day, so I’m just trying to focus on the present and getting better every day.”

Matteau was slated to attend the University of North Dakota next season, but when the hometown Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL traded for his rights on January 7th, Matteau’s path changed.

“It became an option a few weeks ago when I was traded, but when I committed to North Dakota there wasn’t a ‘Q’ team in my hometown,” Matteau said. “But I think I can be an impact player on the team, get a lot of ice-time, my dad is the assistant coach, I’ll be living at home, I’ll be in my comfort zone and I’m really looking forward to playing a pro schedule with more games.”

There are clearly many sensible reasons for Matteau to join the Armada, but it doesn’t hurt that his father, Stephane, a 16-year NHL veteran, is an assistant coach with the club.

“Him being an assistant coach wasn’t really the reason why I wanted to [join the Armada],” Matteau said. “It’s a plus obviously, but my main reason was because they have a great organization. They moved from Montreal and the trainers, everyone, I’m already comfortable with because that’s where I trained in the summer. They have three NHLers on the coaching staff so that’s obviously huge development-wise.

“When I was growing up he wasn’t really around much. He was always on the road so my mom took care of me. But when he retired he was there, he was around the rink, seeing every game and the little details that NHLers do. He could bring that to the table and that really helped.”

Matteau admits that he grew used to dominating offensively as a young teenager but credits the development program for making him a more physical, well-rounded player and hopes that the different style of play of the “Q” continues to help him blossom.

“I think the development team really got me stronger and bigger,” Matteau said. “We play in a pretty fast league, especially this year playing D-I games. The ‘Q’ is more of a skilled league and I think I can use my speed to my advantage. With everything I learned here I’m stronger and I’m hoping I can just take that over and dominate. I’m hoping to dominate next year.”

Matteau prides himself on playing a strong two-way game in addition to being a bull in front of the net and he tries to model his game after Vincent Lecavalier as well as Jordan and Eric Staal.

“I’m a big bodied power forward with some skill and I can put the puck in the net, but I kind of play an all-around game,” Matteau said.

Like many big men, Matteau knows that his skating is a concern, but he has been working on his acceleration constantly and is determined to keep improving.

“[I need to work on] my first five strides, my explosion to the puck because I’m heavy,” Matteau said. “That’s kind of harder for big guys, but I’ve been trying to work on my first five and exploding to the puck.”

Matteau’s father was a second-round pick and never recorded more than 36 points in a season, but if Stefan’s development continues on its current arc then he could become a first-round selection come June and one day be the more recognizable Matteau.

“Obviously it’s in everyone’s mind,” Matteau said. “It’s the draft, it’s our childhood dream. But I’m not going to stress over it. I’m going to work on what I need to work on right now and I’ll worry about it in June.”