ATTLEBORO, Mass. — My biggest takeaway from New England District Camp was how impressive the '08 defensemen were.
Maybe it was just me. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe other people watching at New England Sports Village this weekend felt the same way. Maybe they didn't.
But there were some really strong defensemen among the '08s.
So, we've already taken a look at the best forwards. Now let's look at the best defensemen and goalies. Again, these are just my opinion.
The number of spots USA Hockey is allowing for New England to have at Select 16 Camp is unknown. We should gain some clarity on who's getting sent at some point this week.
Also, here's our usual friendly reminder that the New England District includes all states except Massachusetts. In the eyes of USA Hockey, Massachusetts is a separate district.
Let's dive in.
1. Oskar Drabczynski
Mid Fairfield 15O, 2/13/2008, D, left shot, 5-10/181
Hometown: Easton, Conn.Â
Drabczynski's calmness and play with the puck made him the No. 1 defenseman this weekend. Against Team White, he made an outstanding play to feed Keegan Kazan for a breakaway. Drabczynski had the puck in his own zone and eluded pressure, picked his head up and delivered a strike to Kazan who went in and scored. He was just as confident and dominant in the All-Star game, using his stick and ability to read plays to break up opposing offense. Late in the first half, he noticed open ice in front of him and took it, going on an end-to-end rush. His shot produced a rebound that Nico Ciardiello put in for a goal.
2. Ian Sherman
Pomfret, 5/13/2008, D, left shot, 5-11/176
Hometown: Brooklyn, Conn.Â
Sherman wasn't far off from Drabczynski. He had poise in every situation. In his own zone, he showcased a terrific stick, breaking up plays off the rush and cutting off the other team's cycle game. He made smart, clean passes out of his own zone. When he wanted to take it on his own, he was able to without issue. Against Team White on Sunday morning, he made a great read on a penalty kill to intercept the pass. Then, he evaded the opponents in front of him and rushed the puck, scoring on a great finish. Pomfret has a good one in Sherman.
'07 FORWARDS: 11 standout '07 forwards from New England District Camp
3. Ryan Poirier
Kent, 9/19/2008, D, left shot, 5-10/165
Hometown: Salem, N.H.Â
Poirier's edge work is outstanding. It gave him separation from opponents when he had the puck in his own zone and at the opposing blue line. In his own zone, he played good, solid defense and used his stick and physicality to cut off opponents from getting to interior ice. He played with some snarl in his game, too.
4. Matthew MacInnis
Seacoast Performance Academy 15O, 7/9/2008, D, left shot
Hometown: Stratham, N.H.Â
MacInnis didn't wow onlookers with skill and dangles and goals and all that. Instead, it was his abilities as a responsible, shutdown defenseman that popped. He has a terrific stick and defended the rush well. He cut off numerous 1-on-1 rushes by having a good gap and going stick on puck. Another thing that really helped him: He moves well laterally. Again, nothing flashy. But he got the job done.
5. Miles Van Mullen
Vermont Jr. Catamounts, 10/15/2008, D, left shot, 6-3/185
Hometown: South Burlington, Vt.Â
Van Mullen played to get noticed — and he was certainly noticeable. He jumped into the offense quite a bit, making smart passes and looking to get shots through to the net. There were times where he tried to do too much, but for the most part, he made smart outlet passes and was dynamic in the offensive zone. I also liked his stick in front of his own net.
'07 DEFENDERS: 9 standout '07 defenders from New England District Camp
6. Sullivan Martin
Seacoast Performance Academy 15O, 2/20/2008, D, left shot, 6-4/205
Hometown: Essex Junction, Vt.Â
The main thing with Martin is his size. To be 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds at 16 years old is crazy. But Martin used his size to his advantage. He protected the puck well when it was on his stick. When he was defending, he was able to knock opponents off the puck. He also has a very heavy shot. He's clearly still learning to play at that size, so he's a bit raw. That makes him all the more intriguing.
7. Harry Holland
Mid Fairfield 15O, 3/28/2008, D, right shot, 5-6/137
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.Â
Against Team Green, Holland made an outstanding play. The Mid Fairfield product had the puck at the point and faked like he was going to shoot. But at the last second, he found forward Timothy Donohue open in the slot and passed it to him instead. Donohue immediately scored. In the All-Star game, Holland was great. When he had the puck and felt pressure, he used his quick feet to get out of danger and make a strong pass. I also liked his stick, as he broke up plays. He's undersized but he played with a lot of confidence.
Goalies
1. Carson Mertz
Mount St. Charles 15O, 2/19/2008, G, catches left, 5-11/160
Hometown: Coventry, R.I.Â
Mertz was undoubtedly the best goalie among the '08s. He had so much poise, calmly but quickly readjusting to shooting angles. He stayed big and mobile on breakaways and tracked pucks well on shots from the outside. He also showed great rebound control. He played like the complete package.
2. Devan Maloney
Atlantic Coast Academy 15O, 4/29/2008, G, catches left, 5-8/146
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.Â
Up until the All-Star game, I didn't have a second-favorite goalie among the '08s. That changed after watching Maloney. He faced a lot of rubber in the second half and was up to the task. He's athletic and despite only being 5-foot-8, was able to get across and square up to shots no matter where they were coming from. He also made a nice down-and-out save late in the game.
