Post by The Hockey Hitman on Feb 21, 2009 19:55:05 GMT -5
Every few days, I'm going to try and post something about a player eligible for the upcoming draft.
The first edition features a player that is not as well known as some of his peers, but looks to be one of the better players available. Hes a forward projected to go in the 1st round, his name is Kyle Palmieri and this is a story from nhl.com.
Palmieri took long, winding road to Entry Draft
In a span of three seasons, Kyle Palmieri has gone from New Jersey prep school prodigy to potential first-round NHL draft pick this June.
And while it may seem Palmieri took the road less traveled to the national spotlight, the 5-foot-10, 191-pound forward certainly did enough to earn his fiery reputation at both ends of the ice.
"It's been kind of a whirlwind these past few years, to say the least," Palmieri told NHL.com. "It was only three seasons ago I was playing for St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) in the New Jersey state championship game and now I've already been to Finland and Russia with the national developmental team. It's just been a lot of fun."
Palmieri is rated No. 19 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2009 Entry Draft -- the highest of any player currently with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In 28 games with the NTDP, Palmieri has 15 goals, including four game-winners, and 29 points.
"He's put together and real strong on his skates," NTDP Under-18 coach Ron Rolston said of Palmieri. "He's got good speed and he takes it to the areas he needs to score goals. He does everything for us and he's a lot of fun to watch."
It's no coincidence the words "strong" or "fun" are used when describing Palmieri.
''I think Kyle's got a little bit of Chris Drury in him," said Jack Barzee, a Midwest-based scout for NHL Central Scouting. "I just look at his passion, his natural skills and his tenaciousness, and that's what I saw in Chris. The thing is, he's a lot of fun to watch because he has that vision along with a wicked shot. He very seldom passes up the opportunity to make the right play -- he's in position to shoot the puck and has that insight into whether to freeze and dish or just let it go."
He's already the eyes of some more established young players, as well.
James van Riemsdyk, the second pick of the 2007 Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, is familiar with Palmieri after playing with him during national team duty and against him when both players were in New Jersey.
"He's a really solid two-way player, really strong out there on the puck and can handle himself physically," van Riemsdyk says. "He definitely made an impression on me."
To read the rest of the article, go here.
The first edition features a player that is not as well known as some of his peers, but looks to be one of the better players available. Hes a forward projected to go in the 1st round, his name is Kyle Palmieri and this is a story from nhl.com.
Palmieri took long, winding road to Entry Draft
In a span of three seasons, Kyle Palmieri has gone from New Jersey prep school prodigy to potential first-round NHL draft pick this June.
And while it may seem Palmieri took the road less traveled to the national spotlight, the 5-foot-10, 191-pound forward certainly did enough to earn his fiery reputation at both ends of the ice.
"It's been kind of a whirlwind these past few years, to say the least," Palmieri told NHL.com. "It was only three seasons ago I was playing for St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) in the New Jersey state championship game and now I've already been to Finland and Russia with the national developmental team. It's just been a lot of fun."
Palmieri is rated No. 19 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2009 Entry Draft -- the highest of any player currently with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In 28 games with the NTDP, Palmieri has 15 goals, including four game-winners, and 29 points.
"He's put together and real strong on his skates," NTDP Under-18 coach Ron Rolston said of Palmieri. "He's got good speed and he takes it to the areas he needs to score goals. He does everything for us and he's a lot of fun to watch."
It's no coincidence the words "strong" or "fun" are used when describing Palmieri.
''I think Kyle's got a little bit of Chris Drury in him," said Jack Barzee, a Midwest-based scout for NHL Central Scouting. "I just look at his passion, his natural skills and his tenaciousness, and that's what I saw in Chris. The thing is, he's a lot of fun to watch because he has that vision along with a wicked shot. He very seldom passes up the opportunity to make the right play -- he's in position to shoot the puck and has that insight into whether to freeze and dish or just let it go."
He's already the eyes of some more established young players, as well.
James van Riemsdyk, the second pick of the 2007 Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, is familiar with Palmieri after playing with him during national team duty and against him when both players were in New Jersey.
"He's a really solid two-way player, really strong out there on the puck and can handle himself physically," van Riemsdyk says. "He definitely made an impression on me."
To read the rest of the article, go here.