Prospect Watch 2008: Anton "Dimples" Khudobin

NHL.com sez:

Anton Khudobin -- A native of Kazakhstan, the 22-year-old is coming off a tremendous season at the minor-league level. Khudobin was masterful with the ECHL's Texas Wildcatters, going 20-1-4 with a 1.98 GAA and .934 save percentage. His play earned him a promotion to Houston, where he posted a 1.99 GAA and .911 save percentage in 12 appearances.

While the Wild are basically set between the pipes with Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding, Khudobin can solidify a spot in Houston with a strong camp.

"I'm anxious to see him at summer camp," Thompson said. "He played OK when we brought him up to Houston, too. He had a tough start last year, but once he found his game again, he was pretty good. We want to see him at our summer camp and see if we can keep him going in the right direction. He's a fiery competitor."

Ms. Conduct sez:
Are you crackers, Brian Compton? No effing way Anton beats out Schaefer or Brusty this year. And he wasn't ever promoted to Houston. It was a call-up. He went back to the Catters once Schaefer recovered from his injury.

Now this makes it sound like I don't like Dimples, but nothing could be further from the truth. I adore the kid! But let's be realistic here. We have four NHL-experienced goalies ahead of him in the pipeline, which means unless there's a trade involving one of the top 4 goalies in the organization, Anton's back in the ECHL this season. Tom Lynn said as much recently:

We hope to add another goalie by end of training camp. The Aeros will generally carry 2 healthy goalies, as will the Wild. Any injury to one of those four goaltenders means our “third goalie” (or the #5 goalie for the Wild) will b e called up on to play. If there is a further injury or call-up, then we would like to have another good young AA goalie waiting in the wings.

Maybe I'm a little bit defensive on this point because I'm so irrationally high on Brusty. He's the new cat's pajamas. So, ya know, don't be throwing any little Kazakhstani kids into my Brusty soup, baby.

Seriously though, Anton is a good young goalie and was definitely a gem in the rough for the Wild, who drafted him in the 7th round in 2004. Kinda small (AKA Legace-sized!) but very eager, very professional, and incredibly happy-go-lucky, so the baggage of a bad game doesn't stick around for long. Of course, it takes most goalies a while to have enough experience under their belts to progress even once they are technically sound, and that's where Dimples is right now. He played 30 games last season (not including ones where he relieved the starting goalie), so he really just needs playing time, and he should get plenty of that in the ECHL this year. Bob Mason agrees.

Here's a little more color on Dimples. Note the expectation of playing in Houston this season... Sorry, kid.

Of course, the very best thing about Anton is that you could, without a doubt, do shots out of those dimples of his. And maybe I have him pegged wrong, but I'm betting he'd let you. Smile, Dimples!

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Prospect Watch 2008: Defensive Wrap-Up

Here's what weird about the Aeros. As a group, we had (and probably will have again) the best defense in the league. Individually, though, when the Wild were in a severe pinch for d-men at the end of last season, Reitz was the only one deemed good enough for a call up.

So it's understandable that the list of defensive prospects is relatively short, but I still think it's wrong. Scott shouldn't be on there, nor do I think Scandella should be on there. I can't really justify the Scandella decision as I haven't seen him play, but as I've said, I'm skeptical.

Who should be there? I think you can make a case for both Brandon Rogers and Clayton Stoner.

Brandon played 4 years in college and has 3 years of AHL hockey under his belt, where this season he had a career year and secured his first NHL contract with the Wild for the next 3 years. Brandon has great hockey sense and I think his 4 goals/24 assists and +17 (the team-leading +/-) speak to his gifts.

He actually reminds me a lot of Nick Schultz, both on the ice and in the room (allegedly). They both play a pretty low key game but are effective and calm and good leaders.

Stoner had a tough year last year, playing only 56 games due to injury after injury, but he obviously also saw some benefit from the new coaching regime as his numbers went up significantly in 9 fewer games than last season. But like many defensemen, numbers don't really tell Stoner's story. His bread and butter is his gritty game. He's like Reitz without the offensive touch and, IMO, more hustle and self-sacrifice. Plus, he just seems like a really nice, earnest guy. What can I say? I've seen enough aloof, selfish players and I think it matters to have guys like this.

Tomorrow: Dimples!

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Prospect Watch 2008: John "Condominium" Scott

NHL.com sez:

John Scott -- With massive size (6-foot-7 [he's actually 6'8" and change], 255 pounds) and a mean streak to boot, Scott racked up 184 minutes in penalties in 64 games with Houston, his second season at the pro level. The 25-year-old spent four years at Michigan Tech and eclipsed 100 penalty minutes in two of those seasons despite the shorter schedule.

Clearly, his skating will play a factor as to whether Scott can play in the NHL.

"He's come a long way," Thompson said of Scott, who signed with the Wild after going undrafted. "We liked him at Michigan Tech. He's shown some flashes. He's an older guy, but he's huge. He's strong and powerful. Are his feet good enough for the NHL? I guess we'll have to find that out. It's harder for the tough guys to make it on defense. In your own end down low, you can't use your stick and you can't use your free hand."

Ms. Conduct sez:
Scotty Scotty Scotty. This is the player whose inclusion I have a real problem with, particularly to the exclusion of some other players (more on that in the defensive wrap-up).

I'll admit, I watched him the last two seasons with rose-colored glasses on. I loved the way he played and fought with such glee his first season. He defended his teammates but didn't quite fit the "tough guy" mold. He's just enormous and has a huge reach so he's the safest one to use when you need to send a message. All he has to do is grab the jersey and start pounding. The other guy is just flailing around because he can't even reach Scotty's jersey. Very effective and he hasn't fought too many guys twice.

But the reality is, he's just too nice to be the full-on bad ass you want him to be. You get the distinct sense that unless a guy has done something pretty egregious to him or his teammates, he really doesn't want to hurt anyone, nor does he want to get (yet another) penalty. And get penalties he does. There have been games where, no sooner does he come out of the box for boarding or tripping or making a guy shit his breezers in fear, that the ref slaps him with another 2 for something else. It's PAINFUL to watch, especially if you have a particular fondness for the player. Because you know he's just gotta be frustrated as all hell, and as a fan, it's just frustrating for the team's performance.

So, I really don't see Scotty in the NHL. Yeah, he's huge and tough and has amazing reach, all of which are useful, but he's just gonna get his ass handed to him by the speedy forwards in the league. And if he's not into the enforcer role all that much, what else is there? He did play forward a few times this past season and seemed to have fun letting loose a little bit, but I'm not sure converting him to forward is the answer and I don't think he'd want that anyway. But who really knows. I know the guys in Minnesota love the big galoots so we'll see what kinda look he gets at training camp. But I don't see Lemaire trusting him over others.

Finally, here's my favorite Scotty story: Last season when Reitz was injured and sitting in the broadcast booth with Shaver during a game, somebody on the other team was hassling one of the Aeros forwards (can't remember who). The game was close but Scotty decided to defend his teammate anyway and take the instigator. Reitz questioned the decision but said, basically, that's just Johnny and his "big teddy bear heart."

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Prospect Watch 2008: Erik "Who Are You?" Reitz

NHL.com sez:

Erik Reitz -- He spent the entire 2007-08 season in Houston before joining the Wild for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild were so thrilled with Reitz's play that they rewarded their sixth-round pick from 2000 -- who just finished his sixth campaign in Houston -- with a one-way contract for next season. Reitz, who's 6-1 and 215 pounds, had 34 points and 99 penalty minutes in 49 games for the Aeros.

"He was the best defenseman on the ice in the games I saw. He finished the year with us in the playoffs," Thompson said. "We intend for him to be one of our defenseman this season. He has a good, solid two-way game. He's a feisty guy. He can shoot from the point. He's physical. He's a good player."

Ms. Conduct sez:
You don't think "thrilled" might be a bit of an overstatement? Then again, with the skanky level of player loyalty (to everyone but Gabby) the team has demonstrated this summer, the fact that he got a contract at all says they were at least "really really happy." Well, that and he came really cheap.

Anyway, Reitzy. Get this: I've never been to an Aeros game where Reitz wasn't on the roster. That's a long ass time to be in the AHL and not get a cuppa, my friend. But he did finally get his shot and he did play solid in his few minutes on the ice. I'm glad he was rewarded for his patient time here in Houston and I hope he knocks 'em dead in Minny.

But do I think he will for sure? I dunno. He spent a lot of last season battling injuries because he does play a pretty physical game. Fortunately, they signed him early in the off-season so he's hopefully been able to rest easy and recover from last season and train for next season appropriately.

Of course, the other thing is that I don't even really consider him a prospect any more. He's not OLD but he's not one of the "yutes" anymore either. I think he's either going to be good enough or he's not and we'll know it pretty quickly. The frosted side of me thinks he's going to rise to the occasion. The wheat side of me says thinks he may not be fast or durable enough. As I often say, the truth is probably going to be somewhere in the middle.

Bottom line: He's a good hockey player who's hard to intimidate, doesn't take any crap off anybody, and, while he's not a "tough guy," he'll drop the mitts without a whole lot of hesitation. He just needs to bring HIS GAME to the NHL and make the most of this chance.

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Prospect Watch 2008: Marco "Polo" Scandella

NHL.com sez:

Marco Scandella -- The converted forward was grabbed by the Wild in the second round in the 2008 Draft. The Montreal native has grown remarkably over the past few years -- he's now 6-2 and 190 pounds -- and the Wild are excited about his potential to be a stay-at-home defenseman. Scandella had 14 points and 35 penalty minutes for Val-d'Or in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

"Our doctors said he had as athletic a body as any of the prospects he'd seen," Thompson said. "This guy is one of these late developers. Three years ago, he was undrafted in the Quebec League as a 5-foot-9, 140-pound center."

Ms. Conduct sez:
Aww, he has ReitzHair! Cute! (Not the best picture though. He looks like he's in some kinda Wild-branded prison.)

Beyond that, I got nothing on this kid. There's no video. There's no nothing. So, why is he listed so high? Maybe these lists aren't meant to be in order, but it seems the forwards were. Of course, just because I don't know boo about him doesn't mean he's not better than every other defensive prospect except Cuma. *skeptical face*

But since I haven't seen him play, I'm just gonna focus on what I know: He has the very cute ReitzHair, a great "wing span," was drafted way higher than anyone expected (too high?), he's too young to play in the AHL for 2 more years (but he's already almost big enough to go pro... how huge will he be in 2010-11?), and he's fluent in English, French, and Italian.

It's not often in hockey that we are blessed with our very own:

Ciao infermiera!

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Prospect Watch 2008: Tyler "Tiger" Cuma

NHL.com sez:

Tyler Cuma -- It had been four years since Minnesota took a defenseman in the first round, so Cuma instantly became the franchise's top prospect on the blue line when he was grabbed at No. 23 on June 20.

After winning Rookie of the Year honors in the OHL for his performance with Ottawa in 2006-07, Cuma was the only member of the 67s to finish with a plus rating in 2007-08. Minnesota loves his offensive ability, as Cuma is willing to rush the puck up ice and has tremendous vision.

"This is the ninth draft that the Minnesota Wild has had, and never before have I ever said I was surprised when the guy was there when he picked," Thompson admitted. "I was very surprised. We're just delighted we have him."

Ms. Conduct sez:
Okay, so I have never seen this kid play other than scouting video and such, which I find hard to tell anything from. So I have very little to add other than I'm pretty excited about this guy. He's got the whole package you look for. In-fucking-credible attitude and work ethic, great hockey sense, great speed, good size. Plus, his NHL idol is Phaneuf, which I love to hear. Can you imagine a Phaneuf-clone AND Burnzie on the blue line for Minnesota? Holy hell.

Since I have so little substance, here's some video:

Draft Montage from the NHL
He'll drop the mitts for his goalie (oh, you know that gets me, right?)
Wild Development Camp video
Scouting Video (this is my favorite... not all souped up like the other stuff, just real hockey)

Of course, being the kind of guy Cuma is, he wants to make the team this year. It seems highly unlikely, but I think camp will be a good experience for him to see what he needs to do next year to make it.

I wish he weren't too young to come to Houston, but he definitely is. Never hurts to have a guy around who is in relentless pursuit of being #1 at everything he does. But then knowing how these kids party down here, it might just be his undoing.

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Prospect Watch 2008: Forward Wrap-Up

They did a pretty good job with the forwards who seem, at this point, to have a shot at going up. As I mentioned earlier today, the only oddball was Foster simply because he doesn't even play for the Wild organization any more. But I prefer an odd inclusion over an ugly omission.

I'm a little surprised that Morten "Marmaduke" Madsen wasn't included, but I think he's still finding his way, both in terms of the North American style of play and as a pro, and maybe isn't as highly regarded at the moment. We've got some very good centers coming into town this year, though, so hopefully these are guys he can learn from. I'd love for him to be learning under Mikko (a la Shep), though. Morty's a big, blonde, blue-eyed cutie who maybe doesn't score like you'd hope but also isn't a liability and has some potential, so I can't help but like him.

Tomorrow we move on to the defensive prospects.

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Prospect Watch 2008: Adrian "Milk Carton" Foster

NHL.com sez:

Adrian Foster -- After failing to catch on with the New Jersey Devils, who picked him in the first round in 2001, the 26-year-old finally enjoyed success in his first season in Houston. In 70 games with the Aeros, Foster tallied 15 goals and 23 assists. It marked only the second time that he was able to play more than 50 games in a season.

"He's a smart player," Thompson said. "The biggest thing with Adrian was that he played a full season for the first time in a long time. He's had a whole lot of physical problems. If those are behind him, I think he's got some talent. He has to show what he can do."

Ms. Conduct sez:

Now this is an odd one.

I actually really liked Fozzie last season and thought/hoped the Wild would sign him. He seems to have recovered from the injury-plagued start to his career, having played most of the season in good form. If I recall correctly, his best hockey was in the middle of the season, and he kind of faded at the end, though I attribute that to him not having played a full season in several years. He's obviously got talent, he works hard and seemed to have a good attitude. He made an impression on the ice, and I don't mean just his skates.

But it's strange that he's even on this list. He tried out for the Wild last training camp and got cut. Then the Aeros gave him a tryout and apparently gave him a 1 year contract (though it was never reported or announced). My assumption was that he'd move on to less humid pastures looking for an NHL contract, or maybe to Europe, but then here's TT giving an opinion of him here in the summer as though he's still (or ever was, actually) in the Wild system?

So, I emailed someone in the Aeros front office the other day to see if he could fill me in on Fozzie's status: "To be honest, we don't know where he is or where he's going..."

Well alrighty then!

So, as much as I really like Fozzie, apparently he's gone walkabout! Maybe he's with Elvis, my missing socks, and Voloshenko.

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Prospect Watch 2008: Peter "The Librarian" Olvecky

NHL.com sez:

Peter Olvecky -- In his third full season in Houston, the Wild's third-round selection from 2004 set a career high with 17 goals in 61 games. Regarded as a solid two-way player, Thompson believes Olvecky's late development is partly because the franchise didn't know where he was best suited.

"He's a guy that turned things around," Thompson said. "We didn't know what he was. We didn't know if he was a center or a winger or offensive or defensive. We never really knew. The second half of the year, he played a lot better. Hopefully he'll give some people a run for their money in camp."

Ms. Conduct sez:

Again, a frustratingly vague analysis from TT. He poses all these questions and never answers them. How'd he turn things around? Is he a center, winger, offense, defensive? I sure don't know based on watching Peter play last season (and apparently the prior TWO season, which I don't remember him at all).

And frankly, I can't fill in those blanks. The most I can say for sure about Peter is that he's a solid, even-keeled hockey player who will get you 30 points a year regardless of the system. The thing is, he apparently missed 29 games this season, but I had no idea. That's only 5 more games than Stoner played, but his absence I was keenly aware of.

In fact, if someone took the stats away from me and asked me how many games each guy played, I would have said Stoner played 50 and Olvecky played 70 (and wow, isn't he durable?). I'd be wrong all the way around on that guess, but it just demonstrates that whatever impact Peter has, it's a very, very quiet one. Shhhh!

Also, he had by far the worst plus/minus of the top 5 scorers for the Aeros. Ten below Reitz, who was +5 in 49 games.

I don't dislike Peter, but he's got "warm body" status in my mind. I haven't seen him make any big improvements (though his goals were up a bit this season) in his 3 years here, where some of the previous low key guys made fairly large strides. TT seems to think he has found his mojo, but I until I see evidence, it seems to me he's really just meeting the basic requirements:

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Prospect Watch 2008: Petr "Crack Squirrel" Kalus

NHL.com sez:

Petr Kalus -- The 21-year-old is still trying to find his way after being acquired from Boston in the deal that sent goaltender Manny Fernandez to Boston. Kalus scored four times in nine games for the Bruins in 2006-07, but spent the entire 2007-08 season with Houston. He had just 18 points in 58 games for the Aeros after nearly making the Wild's roster in October.

"I think he lost some of his confidence in Houston," Thompson said. "We got him in the Fernandez trade, and he was pretty good in training camp. He was our last cut as a forward. His play was up-and-down in Houston."

Ms. Conduct sez:

That's not much of an opinion from TT as far as Kalus' prospects with the Wild or their expectations of him, is it? Really just a statement of fact there. Howzabout a little insight, Tommy?

Fine. I'll give some. Kalus is a frustrating enigma like Pouliot, but with some of the opposite problems. He's got a lot of talent, a lot of energy, and actually too much willingness to play physically. He's not a small guy, but he's not real big either, yet he plays like he's 6'4", 220 and ends up injured a lot as a result. I'm the last one to criticize a guy for playing physically, but when your body can't hold up to it AND you're offensively gifted, howzabout we leave the crushing blows to the beefier fellas and you just get the puck in the fucking net?

Kalus is talented, no doubt about it, but he's got a wild, undisciplined style, which might work on some teams, but will NOT work for Constantine and Lemaire. I just have visions of Lemaire with his hands around Kalus' neck a la Homer and Bart... though the reality is that he'd just get healthy scratched like Kalus occasionally was in Houston (to his obvious irritation if you talked to him about it).

In fact, when we played Providence this season (Kalus' former team), Shaver interviewed Scott Gordon (now the Islanders' coach) who basically said Kalus was a challenge from day one and when he finally started making strides, injuries set him back. Sounds familiar. Listen to it here. He starts talking about Kalus at about the midway point.

The St. Paul Pio-Press had a good article about Kalus during the Development Camp a few weeks ago, but unfortunately they charge for access to older articles. If anybody out there has Lexis-Nexis or something and can pull the content for me, e-mail it to me and I'll put it here. I believe it was published July 11.

The gist of it was that he had a bad year last year due to Coach Constantine basically breaking his game down in order to re-build it to work in this system. Kalus says he feels like he's matured, but that if he doesn't make the big club this year, when his contract runs out, he's gone. Fair enough, kid. Make it work! Holla atcha boy!

Honestly, I hope he finds his niche this season. He's a funny guy with a ton of crazy, crack squirrel energy and I like that about him, but want him to harness it.

Dr. Conduct sez:

I have a simple solution. Get the boy a Ritalin prescription!

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Prospect Watch 2008: Ryan "Box o' Chocolates" Hamilton

NHL.com sez:

Ryan Hamilton -- The undrafted 6-2, 200-pound power forward enjoyed a breakout season with Houston, increasing his scoring output from seven goals in 2006-07 to 20 last season. Hamilton dealt with injuries for a large chunk of his junior career, but has been able to stay healthy as a pro.

"He's a big, strong guy," Thompson said. "He had a good season. He has an excellent attitude. The question with him is whether he'll be able to adapt to the NHL tempo. Hopefully, he will."

Ms. Conduct sez:

I don't have much to add here. TT sums it up perfectly. Ryan is a great guy (by all accounts) and a solid hockey player who works his ass off out there. He's not a "tough guy" but he's not afraid of digging for the puck, finishing his checks, and fighting for those dirty goals in front of the net. He's a gutsy, selfless player who just got more and more valuable as the season went on last year.

Here's a great article on Ryan that gives a better sense of him and his game.

NHL? He's a bubble guy. If he continues on this path of improvement he started last season, he deserves a shot. Where Reitz was last season is where Hamilton might be this season. It's going to come down to what the needs are in Minny and how he impresses in camp.

To be honest, I had chalked up Hamilton, even as recently as the All Star Break, as a guy like Danny Irmen who'd peaked and would be a solid AHLer but not much more. Well, he found his mojo and may just prove me wrong this season:

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Prospect Watch 2008: Cal "Land Mine" Clutterbuck

NHL.com sez:

Cal Clutterbuck -- Minnesota's third-round pick in 2006 is coming off his first season of professional hockey, which was spent with Houston. In 73 games with the Aeros, Clutterbuck, a 5-10, 196-pounder, scored 11 goals and added 13 assists to go along with 97 penalty minutes. The Welland, Ontario, native had back-to-back 35-goal seasons in his final two junior campaigns with Oshawa.

"We think he can be a solid, two-way, physical player," Thompson said. "He would have had more points if (Houston) had used him in offensive situations. He had 70 goals his last two years of junior. He can score if you put him those situations. He can shoot. I think he's got a good chance with us."

Ms. Conduct sez:

It's no secret, Clutterbuck is one of my favorite players in the Wild system, if not all of pro hockey. If I were writing a book about him, it would be called How I Learned to Relax and Love the Agitator.

Cal is smart, wiley, calculating, and nasty. He's a shit-stirrer (watch him during warm-ups skating juuuuust inside the center line). I'm told he runs his mouth constantly, though I think he's got some kind of ventriloquism thing going, because I've never seen his lips move other than in a direct confrontation.

Even though Cal is a classic agitator, he doesn't push the boundaries a la Avery. He doesn't do silly shit to embarrass his team and he's a great guy in the room (from all indications). But he's pure nasty on the ice and I love him for it. He crushes guys with gleeful abandon AND he's strong enough to do it without getting himself hurt. I'm sure he had some injuries last year, but you'd never know it.

So, even if he doesn't get a ton of points, his value goes way beyond that, and I think the NHL.com blurb doesn't capture that at all. However, it is cool to see that TT thinks, given the opportunity, he's got some offensive firepower in him. I tend to agree and think he hasn't hit his stride in that regard yet, as he's had some really nice goals in Houston, so I know he's got a bit of sniper in him. But that's all gravy to me... it's the dozen other terrific attributes he brings that makes him the valuable player he is.

Things that are awesome about Cal:

• His poker face. I've never ever seen him smile or appear frustrated or angry during a game. And when you've got a guy who's so infuriating to the opponent, the fact that he has absolutely no reaction to THEIR reaction just makes it so much sweeter.
• Along the same lines, I love how he'll just CRUSH a guy into the boards and we're all going, "WTF? Did a bomb just drop in here?" (or if you're a seasoned Aeros fan, you just start looking for Cal's number because you can be pretty sure he was the culprit) and the other team's enforcer is on his ass and Cal's wearing this look like, "What's everyone looking at?" It's like someone causing a 10 car pileup during rush hour and just getting out of their car and walking away like, "You dudes deal with this shit. I gotta go." Awesome.
• That he claims to have no talent. That everything he's got is just from hard work. Now, while I do believe that he's probably one of the hardest working guys on the team, I don't believe for a second that he's not blessed with something special. But his humility is charming, so who am I to argue?
• He manages to avoid crossing the line between being a distraction to his own team and being a distraction to the other team. Occasionally, Scotty has had to come in and cast a dark shadow over some altercation that Cal stirred up, but I think those little dramas do more to fire up the team than to throw them off. But it sure gets the other team hating us and hate is distracting.

So, I hope TT is right and my little Land Mine gets a serious cuppa in Minny this season. The only thing is that Minnesota's never had a true agitator like this. Some folks there think Voros was an agitator. No. He was a pest but mostly harmless (unless you're Novotny). And it seems most of these old skool hockey types don't like agitators. So, it remains to be seen if they can find a spot in their heart for one who's on their side for a change. To those people, I think Cal would say:

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Prospect Watch 2008: Benoit "Delay of Game" Pouliot

NHL.com sez:

Benoit Pouliot -- The fourth overall selection in 2005 has been a late bloomer in Minnesota's system and played for the Wild down the stretch last season. After racking up 35 goals and 161 penalty minutes in his final junior season with Sudbury of the OHL, Pouliot hit the AHL and scored 19 times for Houston in 2006-07. He made his NHL debut that season, but was held off the score sheet in three games. After going 10-14-24 in 46 games for Houston last season, Pouliot made the jump and scored twice in 11 games for the Wild. Both of those came in one game against Calgary on March 22.

Thompson is confident Pouliot is ready to have a breakout season in 2008-09.

"He's been an enigma, but we accepted that when we drafted him," Thompson said. "He finished the year with our club and played in the playoffs. He's certainly got a chance to make it, too."

Ms. Conduct sez:

You had me at "late bloomer" and then REALLY had me at "enigma." On paper, he's got everything you could ever want in a star forward. Big, agile, creative, fast, good looking (now that he's shaved his head and put some weight on)...

But there's been a maturity and confidence missing in his game in Houston that has left so many fans anywhere from mildly disappointed to downright angry. I've been both of those things in the span of one game (more than once!), so I know whereof I speak.

There's a laundry list of things Pouliot Needs To Do to be successful in the NHL and I think he's working on them. I think he'll do better under Lemaire and his system because it is a bit more free than Constantine's. I tend to agree with Tommy that this is likely the year the long-dormant Pouliot finally blooms, but I'm not sure if I feel that way because we've only got 4 centers in Minnesota so we really don't have a choice but to hope for that, or because it really does seem like his "time."

I find the NHL.com blurb is a little misleading with that PIM stat though. Pouliot isn't a fighter or even particularly tough. Based on what I've seen him do in Houston, I'd wager most of that PIM is from immature stick retaliation penalties. He's a hacker and a slasher and not very good at hiding it from the ref, though he's getting better, I think. Add that to the list of problems he needs to solve.

I'd like to suggest a new mantra for Benny as he attempts to conquer the NHL this year and get a long term deal with Minnesota (it's a contract year for him):

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Prospect Watch 2008: Colton "Freight Train" Gillies

NHL. com sez:

Colton Gillies -- At 6-foot-4, Minnesota's first-round pick from 2007 certainly has the size to become a legitimate NHL power forward. After scoring 24 goals for Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League last season, Gillies made the jump to the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. In 11 games there, the 19-year-old picked up a goal and seven assists.

Whether Gillies will be on Minnesota's roster come October remains to be seen, but he'll certainly have every chance to make the club out of training camp.

"He doesn't have to score points to earn his stripes with us, so that will help him in his attempt to make our team," Wild assistant GM Tommy Thompson said. "We're very pleased with his development.

With Colton, you don't just look at the points. He had a very good World Junior Tournament, too, and won the gold medal. He's got size and he's an elite-level skater. He's very aggressive and very coachable."

Ms. Conduct sez:

Word to your mother! Colton is the real deal. Put 15 lbs. on and get some NHL experience under his belt and he's gonna be a scary mother fucker. He's big, he's fast, he's got a mean streak. He also seems like a pretty decent, serious dude. Like, he's not clowning around, he's not a diva or an egomaniac. He's grounded and focused and doing what it takes to succeed.

Is he really NHL-ready this year? I think he can be, but it will be a slow start for him. Ideally, if it weren't for the rule that you have to be 20 the year you turn pro to play in the AHL, he'd play in Houston for at least half a season before going north. I think the seasoning down here would serve him well.

But is he wasting his time spending another year in juniors? I think so. He fit in so nicely, so quickly in Houston at the end of last season, where other guys took a half or whole season to really get with Coach Constantine's system, my socks were officially knocked off. Yeah, he got pushed around a bit along the boards due to being a bit light for his height, but a few pounds and some experience will solve that.

I love being in an AHL city because it's really thrilling to me to watch these guys develop their game and move up in their careers, and he's one who I think will be pretty special to watch develop. He's just so full of potential. I think all I need to say to any Wild fan about Colton is that he reminds me of Brent Burns, from his size, to his ice presence, to his aggressiveness. And it seems that he's bonded with Burnzie a bit after living with him for a while earlier this summer, so that's even more kismet that makes me think Colton Gillies can say:

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Prospect Watch 2008

That name might be a little dramatic for what I'm really doing, but I'm lazy and it's the first thing that came to me.

But here's the deal: NHL.com came out with an article today on Minnesota's top prospects. Some of it is good, some of it is questionable, but since it's the off-season and there's really not much to talk about, I figured I'd take one guy each day from the article and give my first-hand take on him (or if he's still in juniors, I'll just make stuff up).

Sound like fun?

You can read the full article here. I'll give each guy his own post over the next couple of weeks, and then sum it all up with who I think got the shaft, because a few guys did IMO. Gaborik should be signed by then, right? Right? Hello? (ETA: Wrong!)

Colton Gillies
Benoit Pouliot
Cal Clutterbuck
Ryan Hamilton
Petr Kalus
Peter Olvecky
Adrian Foster
Forward Wrap-up

Tyler Cuma
Marco Scandella
Erik Reitz
John Scott
Defensive Wrap-up

Anton Khudobin

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