The Kids' Table: Tape Room Sesh

The advancements in technology are simply amazing. I remember back in "my day," Saturday mornings were highlighted by waking up way too early to eat sugar-packed cereal and watch nothing but cartoons. Had I instead been a budding young stud in 2016, I could have simply DVR'd the Saturday-morning cartoons and enjoyed an extra couple hours of sleep. Being able to record programming, then go back and watch what you want later is one of the little things that I appreciate in life.

Since I'm not a certified NHL scout, it's difficult for me to check out a lot of prospects. So what I've been doing is DVR'ing the CHL Game(s) of the Week showcased on NHL Network over the weekends. This is one of the main resources I use to write these columns and inform you on which prospects are worth getting excited about. If you're familiar with these CHL games, you know that this week's matchup was a doozy between the Kingston Frontenacs and Windsor Spitfires – two top teams from the OHL squaring off in a game that had a very playoff feel to it. Aside from the obvious shortcomings of junior hockey – a lot of penalties and turnovers – this game felt a lot like a Blackhawks-Kings postseason bout we're all used to watching lately. Things got a little chippy even before puck drop between Lawson Crouse and Brendan Lemieux, which subsequently got me even more jacked up.

This week, I'll break down the tape from Sunday's CHL showcase and share some thoughts on some of the top kids from Kingston and Windsor.

Frontenacs' NHL future looks bright

It didn't take long into this contest to see that the Fronts are legit. They picked up Michael Dal Colle and Stephen Desroucher from Oshawa a couple months ago, and the team has absolutely taken off since. What stood out the most to me was how defensive-minded and physical Kingston was against a very tough Windsor squad. The Frontenacs' forecheck caused a lot of problems for the Spitfires, which led to own-zone turnovers by Windsor's defensemen. Kingston's penalty kill – despite allowing three goals – was suffocating at times.

I feel like the style of play that certain kids learn in juniors is overlooked a bit when it comes to amateur scouting – at least amongst the general public. There have been hundreds of prospects throughout the years who've been labeled busts, and a big reason why is because their game doesn't translate to the NHL. Most of the time, that's a nice way of saying that particular player can't play defense and is too much of a liability on the ice. Well, if you look at most of the prospects on Kingston, you aren't going to find many veteran players who aren't defensively responsible, which helps their chances of making it down the road.

We were all very, very wrong about Lawson Crouse

Or maybe just a handful of us were very, very wrong. Perhaps the most polarizing prospect from last year's first round, Crouse started out as a lock to be a top-five pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. There was a lot of debate over whether Crouse was just a big body who wouldn't amount to anything more than a third-liner, or he could use his size and skill set to develop into a future All-Star. Those question marks are the reason he dropped down to 11th overall to the Panthers, and now that pick is looking like an absolute steal.

Crouse stands out in every game, but as mentioned above, this one got chippy early on, and you could tell that that fueled him for three periods. He finished with no points and went plus-2 with a couple shots on goal, but that stat line doesn't show his impact on the game. This may throw up some red flags from a fantasy standpoint, but Crouse's overall stats are up this season. He's already eclipsed last year's total of 51 points, and he's done that in 12 less games.

I'm not going to come out and compare Crouse to Jaromir Jagr because that just isn't fair, but there are definitely similarities between their games. It also helps that Crouse will most likely get a chance to play alongside Jagr next season with the Panthers, which should do wonders for his development. I imagine Crouse is owned in most deep keeper/dynasty formats, but if he's somehow still available, now is the time to act. Crouse has an inside track into the Panthers' top six next season.

There's a place for players like Brendan Lemieux in the NHL

How do I put this lightly? Lemieux is kind of a clown. He's the guy on the ice who's going to piss you off. That was abundantly clear after he scored to make it 4-2 in the second period and proceeded to taunt Kingston's bench despite still being down by two goals. There are pros and cons to players like Lemieux, but luckily, hockey is a sport where cockiness is sometimes welcomed.

The pros for Lemieux aren't only intangibles, but also his abilities as a hockey player. He finished Sunday's game with a goal, assist and eight shots, generating plenty of offense for Windsor. It's hard to imagine him developing into a top-six forward at the next level (especially in the Jets' system), but he certainly has upside to reach 20-plus goals in his prime. Outside of that, his label as a "player you hate to play against" makes him appealing on Winnipeg's third line down the road. We've seen a pest like Brad Marchand emerge as one of the top goal scorers in the NHL this season, so anything is possible.

The cons are pretty clear: He hasn't shown elite production at the junior level and clearly has some attitude issues that could be detrimental to any franchise. His top point total in a junior season was 60 in 2014-15 (though he did score 41 goals) as a member of the Barrie Colts, who weren't lacking in talent. The Jets have already dealt with a player with similar issues as Lemieux in Evander Kane, who was dealt to the Sabres last season. It's clear that Winnipeg would like to shy away from situations like that in the future and may not want to deal with Lemieux's antics if they shed a negative light on the team.

Coming from an NHL bloodline will always make people recognize Lemieux, but trying to live up to his father's expectations may not be the best thing for him. If Dustin Byfuglien can take him under his wing and keep him out of trouble, Lemieux could turn into a solid fantasy contributor at the next level as a player who can provide goals, PIM, hits and shots.

Some more quick thoughts

- I was worried about Dal Colle earlier in the season, but watching him a few times has eased my mind. This kid is elite and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll emerge as the winger John Tavares has been yearning for his entire career.

- A late-round selection by the Leafs in 2015, Desroucher is looking like he could develop into a solid top-four blueliner. He isn't going to wow you on offense, but can play in all three zones and doesn't take many bad penalties, which is a plus considering his age. Toronto is on the right track and Desroucher could be a key blue-line piece.

- I was very high on Windsor defenseman Mikhail Sergachev back when I watched him in the NHL/CHL Top Prospects game, but I'm having some second thoughts. There's no question he's an incredible offensive player, but Sergachev made a lot of mistakes early in the game Sunday, including a turnover that led to Kingston's first goal. He has time to get better in his own zone, but there's always that thought that he'll be too much of a liability in the NHL.

- The more I watch Logan Brown, the more I fall in love with his combination of size and skating ability. But the wild card for me was during an intermission segment in which they showed him with childhood friend Jakob Chychrun, who's projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Both of their fathers played in the NHL, and I've got a feeling that they'll motivate each other to exceed expectations. This might seem cliché or somewhat childish, but it's these sorts of nuggets that can help make or break a prospect in the NHL.