In this week’s edition of Monday Movers we focused our attention on the 2007 age group; who many were drafted across the USHL/CHL the previous year. We have selected two forwards and a defenseman across three leagues; MN High School Elite League, OJHL and OHL.
Travis Hayes #13 (F, R, 5’11”, 168, Soo Greyhounds, 09/03/2007) – Travis was a second round selection to Soo Greyhounds (OHL) after a strong, but not dominant season with the Compuware 15s. He’s proving to be quite a steal at that pick given that he’s currently playing top six minutes as a 16-year-old, power play and averaging a point per game with five goals and three assists through eight games. His ascension up the ranks didn’t just start this fall, he showed signs over the summer with an impressive showing at the USA Select 16 Festival where netted three goals and seven assists to finish Top 10 in scoring among the top prospects in the US. What makes Travis a unique prospect is not just the scoring or offensive prowess, but his hockey IQ. He’s smart – reads the play – knows how to find the soft spots – changes pace and has high level vision to find his teammates through crowded areas. He’s a dual threat as both a scorer and a playmaker and making an immediate impact in the OHL as an underager – not an easy feat.
Matthew Manza #55 (F, R, 5’11”, 174, Toronto Patriots, 09/22/2007, Ohio State) – Manza is a good-sized, power and skill combo forward who slid in the OHL Draft despite playing on the top line of a talented Mississauga Senators team. We at Neutral Zone had him ranked as a four-star prospect and #68 overall but he fell to 166th in the OHL Draft to Kingston. This season he has taken his game to another level; he’s made some improvements in his stride mechanics and proving he can play away from the puck, shoots to score and walked out of the OJHL Showcase with NCAA offers and chose Ohio State. He’s got a rare skill set in that he can win puck battles, power his way to the scoring areas and once he gets there he can pull-drag and stickhandle the puck around defenders, make skilled passes and beat defenders 1v1. He’s matured; is more calculated in the physical game and not just running around the ice or taking bad penalties like he did at times last season and is averaging almost a point per game in his first season in junior hockey with seven goals and five assists in 13 games.
Mason Minor (D, L, 6’0″, 188, Benilde St. Margaret’s, 09/02/2007) – Mason has always been one of the better defensive prospects in Minnesota for the 2007 birth-year but he’s gotten noticeably better this summer and into the fall. He’s always been a strong and powerful skater but he’s made gains in his agility and lateral quickness to stay on quicker forwards and maintain tighter gaps defensively. He’s also added more offensive flair; showing confidence carrying the puck out of trouble areas, walking the offensive blue line and getting his shots through to the net. He currently leads all defenseman (in a talented field) in scoring in the Minnesota High School Elite League with a 9-10-19 line in 14 games. He hasn’t sacrificed his defensive game in the process; he’s still tough, physical, strong on his edges and able to ride opponents off pucks and away from the net. A well-rounded ,mature, balanced, two-way defenseman who will return to Benilde St. Margaret’s where we think he’ll have a breakout season. Like Manza, he went quite a bit lower in his junior league draft (USHL) falling to #112 overall by Cedar Rapids despite NZ having him ranked #72 overall. Looking like a great value pick with his performance thus far in the Elite League through the first half of the fall season.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
