I’ve been tracking some youngsters and here are my thoughts on them.
Jason Demers – San Jose Sharks – defenseman – He wears #60 for the team and usually those players don’t hang around for long but the 21-year-old rookie is getting top power play time and so far this season he has 10 assists in his first 17 NHL games. He’s 6-0, 198 pounds and plays tough. Not bad for a 7th rounder!
I traveled to “Chocolate Town” recently to see the Sens against the Bears. Hershey has a stacked team but Binghamton has a lot of talent just waiting to get called up to Ottawa.
Forward Josh Hennesy was a second round pick in 2003 by the San Jose Sharks. He came to Ottawa in a trade and so far he has just 16 NHL games under his belt. Known for his slow starting in the past he has seven points in his first 11 games and he is very involved in the power play and penalty kill on the ice. He had 20 goals last season and this year he’s poised to do a bit better. At some point he may just get called up to Ottawa for good and that would make some that called him a “bust” eat their words. At the age of 24 he seems to be putting it all together.
Watching the Princeton Tigers beat Brown 1-0 the other day at Baker Rink made me think that the #9 ranked Tigers are not only for real but a real threat to win the Frozen Four this year which will be held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Zane Kalemba is solid in goal once again and Brown had a few good prospects.
The first is Mike Clemente, who is a second-year netminder and forget about his stats last year (2.67 GAA, .930 PCT). This year he will beat those numbers. At 6-2, 200 he hugs the post well, covers up the puck quickly and he’s great flexibility. He has a quick glove in traffic and he’s aggressive.
One more Brown player to watch is defenseman Scott Van der Linden, Sr. Now that’s a mouthful but this 23-year-old stalwart blueliner is in his senior year and he has a good first pass, he’s adept at blocking shots and he has good reach, especially in the corners. He’s very solid in his defensive zone and at 6-1, 205 maybe that’s who the Ottawa Senators were scouting that game? I’m not sure but I wouldn’t be surprised. That’s all for now!
Russ is the co-author or 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters, and a Sportsologist. For more, see www.rangergreats.com, or www.sportsology.info
