3/21 Prospect Update: College Playoffs Have Begun

This week was a wild one for the prospects with the beginning of college playoffs and WHL and OHL playoffs getting ready to begin. There was a lot of news this week, so let's dive right in. Keep reading for a statistical update on each prospect along with some news on certain individuals.

Notes:

• Stefan Matteau was sent back to the QMJHL to play with his team in the playoffs. Matteau will be eligible to play with the Albany or New Jersey Devils after he finishes with Armada in the playoffs. He needed to be sent back by a certain date to be able to participate in the contests and this opportunity will get him some major minutes.
• It seems as though Jon Merrill is coming to form just in time for the playoffs. Michigan has been outstanding so far, and it seems as though the team is buying into the mindset needed to win after a season full of struggles.
• Curtis Gedig has been coming up huge for Ohio State in the playoffs so far. He has one goal and four assists, helping lead his team to the CCHA semifinals for the first time since 2005.
• Blake Coleman was a scratch for two of Miami's games last week. He had been dealing with two injuries and was sat for a healthier option. He should be back in the lineup this week.
• I'm sure many of you have read about Ben Johnson being arrested for sexual assault on two accounts earlier this week. While it would be very upsetting if he were to be found guilty, this is not a topic to be taken lightly or discussed without more information and I want to keep this weekly post about hockey. If you are interested in more details about what happened, you can follow this link.
• Artur Gavrus has found his spark at the right time. In three games played last week, Gavrus scored three goals and had two assists. He will be a huge factor in the Sound Attack playoff run.
• Damon Severson was named Defensemen of the year for the Kelowna Rockets. He had two goals and two assists in three games to finish off the Rocket's regular season. The team broke a club record by winning 52 games in a season (the previous record was 51).

Playoffs:

In the chart above, I have put any prospects whose team has been eliminated from the playoffs in italics.

• Stefan Matteau will be facing Acadie-Bathurst with his QMJHL team, Blainville-Boisbriand to start the playoffs.

OHL and WHL playoffs are set to begin this week. Here are the matchups to follow that include any New Jersey prospects:

WHL:

• Damon Severson and the Kelowna Rockets will face the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first round.
• The Swift Current Broncos will face the Calgary Hitmen. Reece Scarlett will be major factors for the Swift Current Broncos but Graham Black has been struggling with an illness - he may not be available at the start of playoffs.

OHL:

• Scoring leader Reid Boucher and the Sarnia Sting will face the Plymouth Whalers.
• Artur Gavrus and the Owen Sound Attack will face the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds.
• Ben Thomson and the Kitchener Rangers will face the Guelph Storm.

College Hockey:

WCHA:

• Derek Rodwell and the (3) University North Dakota beat (10) Michigan Tech - Blake Pietila's team. UND is heading to the Quarterfinals against Colorado College (8).
• Senior Seth Helgeson has lead his team, the (2) University of Minnesota to overcome (11) Bemidji State and are headed to the Semifinals.
• Joe Faust and (4) University of Wisconsin beat (9) Minn.-Duluth.

CCHA:

• John Merrill and the (7) University of Michigan defeated (10) N. Michigan and (3) W. Michigan to get to the Semi finals against Miami.
• Blake Coleman and (1) University of Miami Ohio beat Michigan State to get to the semis.
• (4) Ohio State defeated (5) Ferris State with the help of Curtis Gedig to get to the semifinals against Notre Dame.

Albany Notes:

• Jeff Frazee was sent back down to Albany after a two-week stint with New Jersey. Scott Wedgewood is still in Albany as the third goalie for now.
• Jacob Josefson was hit in the face with a puck on March 10 and has not played since. He said he was fine after the hit, but is considered day-to-day with an upper body injury.
• There was some very good news in Albany yesterday - Mattias Tedenby practiced for the first time since he was cut on the face with a skate on February 15. Although he has a ways to go before getting back into game shape, it's really nice to know he is recovering and is well enough to join the team again.
• The Albany Devils went 1-2 last week:
  • Albany beat Rochester 3-2 last Friday. Kinkaid earned his 18^th win of the season as Mike Sislo scored shorthanded and Phil DeSimone got the game winner.
  • Wedgewood lost his first game with Albany, and he lost it bad. Syracuse beat the Devils 6-2. The only positive out of that game was seeing two point streaks extended - Joe Whitney (6) and Matt Anderson (4).
  • In Chad Wiseman's 600^th AHL game, Albany was shut out by Bridgeport losing 2-0. Kinkaid was in net and made 41 saves.
• The team currently sits in 9^th place in the playoff race. They are behind the 8^th place Connecticut Whale by three points.

That's the recap for this week. Who do you see succeeding the most in the playoffs this year? With the conclusion of the regular seasons in college hockey, the WHL, and the OHL, which prospects stood out to you the most? Do you think the Albany Devils can make the push into the playoffs? Who would you like to see signed to a tryout with Albany after the playoff season concludes? Please feel free to discuss anything prospect related in the comments below. Thanks for reading!