While the overall record of the Moncton Wildcats has been disappointing (32-13-17-0-2), the team does have the luxury of having two of the most exciting players in the QJMHL in Ivan Barbashev (27-11-23-34) and Connor Garland (32-12-15-27) eligible for the 2014 draft. Barbashev was one of two draft eligible players invited to the Russian World Junior camp and is making a case to be the first Russian off the board at the 2014 draft.
Ivan Barbashev (2014), C, Moncton
Russian-born center has shown at great deal of improvement in his overall game .. explosive skater with impressive speed .. improved physical development has made him more solid on his feet which has helped his capacity to win positional battles .. adapted to the grind of the north American game now and is much more willing to engage physically .. possesses a hard wristshot that he’s able to release very quickly although he does have to try to use it more often .. passes the puck well on either side .. can quickly spot open teammates to create scoring opportunities .. solid puck handler who can control the puck well in tight areas .. supports puck-carrier capably by making sure he stays open and in position to receive passes .. defensively, he is much more diligent in back checking .. understands positioning well in his zone and is often able to get in the way of passing lanes .. can get frustrated when things don’t go well and will try to do everything on his own .. his work in the faceoff circle needs improvement .. overall, a high end talent that is slowly but surely becoming a complete player.
Conor Garland (2014), RW, Moncton
Undersized forward joined the Wildcats last December from the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL .. impressed as a 16 year old last season scoring 6 goals and 11 assists in 26 games .. fantastic all-around skating ability .. very explosive first step quickness and able to change directions sharply without slowing down .. handles the puck very well even at top speeds .. finds openings very quickly often giving him the edge against opponents which draws penalties for his team .. at his best when the game is being played at a quick tempo .. difficulties arise when opponents are able to engage him physically .. passing game is good and will get even better as he continues to gain strength .. solid wrist shot that he uses quite a bit .. defensive game needs further study and improvement .. often hesitant in his zone leading to chasing opponents as a result .. can be deadly if he stays a little more patient and learns to pressure point man .. although not very big, he is fearless and will engage opponents when he gets frustrated .. size will be an issue with a lot of NHL teams but he is showing that he can handle himself very well.
Garret Johnston (2014), D, Moncton
Manitoba native signed as a free agent by the Wildcats during the summer .. delivers the stamina to log a lot of minutes in tough situations .. choppy straight-ahead skater .. pivots with some difficulty but able to stay on his feet well to play the body effectively .. keeps his stick down to cut down on passing opportunities .. can be a hard hitter but at times, takes himself out of position to do so .. not a great puck distributor from the point but can be effective due to his heavy shot .. quick to support defense partner in his zone .. very raw player but has shown some nice tools for the defensive part of the game .. Key will be to learn how to read plays a little quicker to help compensate for his skating issues.
Jacob Sweeney (2014), D, Moncton
Overage defenseman with excellent size has changed his game a good deal in the last season .. he was basically playing a conservative, stay-at-home game last year, this season he has really come into this own as a puck carrier and is now willing to jump into the play offensively with moderate success .. not a very effective puck distributor so while he is able to get the puck up the ice, he will usually just dump it in deep .. showing improved speed and his turns are a little sharper but there is still some work to do on his pivots and backwards skating .. works hard in his zone and will engage physically .. starting to be more patient positionally and use his long reach a little more .. shot on net is heavy but has to try to get open a little more to better use it .. playing a lot of minutes for a Moncton team that lacks depth at defense.