Day 2 Report
Wilkes Barre/Scranton head coach Todd Reirden ran a more uptempo practice through the first half of today's skate. Practice began with 5-on-0's in the zone followed by 1-on-0's with a back checker. There was a strong emphasis on skating and puck movement in just about every drill early on.
Other drills included 3-on-1's, 2-on-0's with a center drive and 1-on-1's that turned into 2-on-1's.
The second half of the skate centered around more instruction. For about 25 minutes, the players were split into three different groups with defensemen working at one end, neutral zone, while the forwards were working with head coach Dan Bylsma at the far end. Practice ended with a 3-on-3 down low drill.
Day 2 Practice Notes/Evaluations
*- The offensive skills of 2010 1st rounder Beau Bennett have been on display this week. Bennett is a dynamic offensive player with outstanding vision and hands. Skill wise the Penguins don't have another player in their system that resembles Bennett's skill set.
Bennett had another strong day of practice but he's a very raw prospect whose at least 2-3 years away. At 6-1, 173, becoming stronger and bulking up is a number one priority for Bennett as he will attend the University of Denver this fall.
Scouts contend one adjustment he will have to make in his development is to get away from trying to make a fancy extra move when defenders are closing in. There's been some instances where that's been noticable during the camp.
*-A surprise through the first two days has been undrafted forward Alex Smigelski out of Williams College. Smigelski (6-2, 195) is a high energy player with good speed and some offensive capabilities. He skated on a line today with Eric Tangradi and Keven Veilleux.
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