Here’s an excerpt from Mark Seidel’s Hockey News article ranking the 30 top prospects available in the 2009 NHL draft. I’ve posted the #5 ranked Matt Duchene because I love this kid’s all round skill set epsecially his world class speed which is NHL caliber.
#5 – Matt Duchene – 6-feet, 190 pounds – Brampton Battalion
Another player who was outstanding at the Ivan Hlinka tournament was Matt Duchene. We have always gone by the philosophy that if you can get a kid who does something better than anyone else in his class, it’s a huge positive. In Duchene’s case, he leads the pack in skating and in the new NHL, that skill cannot be overestimated. He creates offensive opportunities using speed and vision and at the NHL level his burst will allow him to draw penalties at an alarming rate. Much like Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, Duchene can change gears so quickly defensemen have trouble adapting and end up hauling him down. Along with his speed, Duchene has a pro shot and vision that is advanced for his age. Lastly, he is being coached by Stan Butler in Brampton, where you know he will be continually pushed to be the best he can be.