Player mid-term grades

Annie Fowler over at the Herald usually does mid-season grades around this time of year, as do I. Although this time, it looks like she's singled out Plouffe and is letting people vote? Whatever, I'm still gonna do my grades.

I apologize now for any suckitude, it seems my heart is in Calgary, not here with me so...yeah, it's been a rough week.

Let's start with the goalies, including the CHL Goalie of the Week!

Drew Owsley: A+++ Drew has far exceeded even my totally biased expectations. For someone who sat in the stands for the last half of last season, it's apparent he worked his little ass off this summer to take that #1 spot. Owsley isn't the biggest kid, I think his gear weighs as much as he does, and he's not very tall (then again, we're used to super tall Price and Pickard, but think back to Weiman) but he is quick and agile, and somehow makes himself bigger in the net. I've watched this kid pretty darn close and I am constantly surprised by the amazing saves he makes. At this point, I shouldn't be, but I am. I don't know how he is able to spot and grab the puck so quickly. As of today:

• 5th in the WHL in goals against (2.50)
• 4th in the WHL is save percentage (.917)
• 1st in the WHL, 2nd in the CHL in wins (25)
• Tied for 1st in the WHL for shutouts (4)

Brett Martyniuk: Incomplete. With Owsley having played 34 of 36 games so far, it's hard to give poor Marty a grade. I love my Owl and the way he's been playing, but it's not exactly fair to Marty to have him never play. Or tossed in when they're down by 5 goals or whatever. Marty got in some good games last season so I know he can play goal pretty good. At the same time, I understand riding the hot goalie (heh). With no official word from the team about the goddamn Russian, I don't know what the future holds for Brett. If From Russia With Glove really does show up (ugh) I imagine Bob will re-assign Marty, which in a lot of ways is good because he'll actually get to play. However, it will bring down the hotness quotient of the team exponentially.

Defence (in order by number):

Jarrett Toll: A+ There's a reason Toller is captain. He leads by example. You know what you're going to get from him each and every night which is great play and reliability. He's not going to wow anyone with big hits or flashy plays, but he does what he needs to do, night in and night out, never taking a shift off. As a 20-year-old he's shown what it means to be a leader and a steady, strong defenceman in this league. I predicted that Bob would not let him go, that he would serve out his entire career in and AMS sweater, and I'm glad I was right on that one.

Drydn Dow: C B- (I'm trying to not be too generous or almost all of them would have As) I hate giving lower grades to rookies simply because they're rookies and make rookie mistakes. Then again, Dow isn't one that makes even a lot of rookie mistakes. He really doesn't play like a 16-year-old. In fact, he plays like I expected Yuen to do (I'll get to him in a bit). Dow's a small guy, but doesn't hesitate to get in the mix. He had some sort of target on him when Prince George was in town but he stood tall(ish) and didn't back down, didn't shy away from hits or anything. Needless to say, I can't wait to see more of this kid, see him grow and develop, I think he's got a ton of potential, he sees the ice really well, doesn't get rattled at all.

Eric Mestery: A- (shut it haters, these are my grades) This is a different Eric Mestery than what the AMS used to have. No longer does one bad play throw off his entire night. Does he make mistakes? Yes, they all do. Hell, the pros do. So put away your microscopes people, and let him play. He's tall and uses that long reach to poke the puck out, he's one of the best skaters on the team. Like Toll, he's not flashy, he's not a hard-hitting physical guy, he doesn't need to be. He logs a ton of minutes. I have had him under a different microscope than most and have seen some really great plays. I've seen him help Drew by saving some goals, he's good at getting the puck up the ice. In addition, I think having Hiller/Virtue combination coaching him has helped his game, I don't imagine his fragile confidence issues were handled well by Dictator Don.

Riley McIntosh: A- If I had to vote now (and if my vote counted for anything) I'd vote Riley for "most improved" this season. Last year I cringed whenever Riley was on the ice, he was a liability. Now? Not so much. Well, at the beginning, he started a little rusty. But since then he's been absolutely nails. Another one who isn't flashy or big-hitting, but does what he needs to do. He logs a ton of minutes and has become quite the reliable defenceman. Personally, I think he just needed someone to believe in him, so kudos Mikaela (and the rest of us who believe in him).

Zach Yuen: C I gotta admit, I had high expectations for Zach and he has fallen short. Although the last couple games he's played in he's done a lot better. I don't know if it's a confidence thing or just being a rookie, or what, but he's been somewhat disappointing. And that sounds harsher than I intend it to, it's not like he's been TERRIBLE or anything, just not what I had hoped. Because of that, he's not been getting the ice time I had hoped, nor obviously developed as quickly as I'd hoped. That being said, as I mentioned before, he has been doing better, I really hope he has a much better 2nd half, and I think he will. I think it's just taken him some time to settle in. Which also isn't easy to do when you don't play every game.

Tyler Schmidt: A- I was going to go lower, in the B-/C range, but realized that wouldn't be accurate, that would be me going on emotion. Tyler is a good defenceman, he really is. I don't have a problem with his playing style, it's solid and reliable. His skating has vastly improved, he no longer looks like he's skating with cement in his skates. But holy hell, he needs to shut up. Me and the Bishes call him Tyler Schmidt, Attorney-at-Law who has never won a case. Schmidt, you're not going to change the refs mind, stop drawing attention to yourself and your teammates with that kind of whining. People who say Sidney Crosby is a whiner need to see Schmidtty in action. Just play your game Tyler, you're a good defenceman. UGH.

Brett Plouffe: B- That may not be a fair assessment, but he really was sucking it up at the beginning of the season. There were nights I thought "why the hell did Bob keep this guy? Why did I think he should be here as a 20?" He's played better, but still not where I thought he'd be as a 20. He had such a great season last year, and now it's almost like he's regressed a little. I don't know if it's due to coaching change or if someone pissed in his Corn Flakes, I have no idea. But I would like to see it turned around--quickly. All that negativity aside, he's still got one hell of a rocket for a slapshot, and he's an excellent skater. I pray for a better 2nd half.

Brock Sutherland: A- Now this is a kid who has come into his own. The last month or so has been the best hockey I've seen from Suds ever. He's playing smarter with the puck. He's using his size and strength quite effectively. He's been a healthy scratch a couple times but with the way he's been playing I believe we'll be seeing more of him, he's definitely earned it. Although I know it's tough with 8 guys, 6 spots and wanting the kids to develop, but srsly, Brock has been playing his ass off.

alright, I'll get to the forwards tomorrow! Feel free to disagree (if you want to get shanked J/K) but you know I'm right HAHAHAAAA