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Danny Kristo, F
2nd round, 56th overall
Ht: 5’11, Wt: 172 pounds, DOB: June 18, 1990

The Edina, MN product played with the USNTDP Under-18 squad last season. In 47 games he scored 18 goals and added 13 assists.

“Danny plays a game in line with the new style of the National Hockey League. He has great skating ability and he gets on the puck quickly,” Timmins explained. “Some people say they’re not sure of his hockey sense and that he’s always high tempo.

“We feel that’s a product of the system that he plays in. We did our research and looking back in history, he’s proven that he’s very skilled and showed that back in high school.”

Kristo, who just turned 18 three days before the draft, is committed to the University of North Dakota, but still has one more year of high school development before making that jump.

“We like his development path, but that’s not why we picked him,” Timmins said. “We really liked the player and the [fact that the club retains his rights longer while he’s in college] is a bonus.”

From Habs Inside/Out :

Kristo impresses
posted by Mike Boone at 7h07 EST on Oct 21
Looks like Trevor Timmins and his staff found another gem.

Courtesy of Cory Kornelsen, editor of McKeen's Hockey, this assessment of Danny Kristo. The Canadiens first pick (second round, 56th overall) in the June draft, Kristo – a 5'9", 180-pound native of Edina, Minn. who turned 18 a few days before the draft – is playing RW for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL and will be going to the University of North Dakota next season..

With Patrick Marleau-like speed, Kristo has the real potential of tearing up the USHL .. has phenomenal speed, generated even though he is slightly upright in his skating .. has good acceleration with the puck and can beat the best USHL defensemen wide with his speed with seeming ease and drive the net, but typically does so after having built up some momentum through the neutral zone .. a smooth stickhandler who handles the puck with confidence, because he knows it'll stay on his stick .. adept at drawing the puck back into his body with toe drags .. demonstrates excellent agility with tight, quick circles and pivots with the puck in order to ditch opponents .. is almost like a running back in some of the shiftiness and shuffles he can display and does not always rely on his pure speed .. soft hands for fielding passes and quickly transitioning to shots .. has a hard wristshot and can fire it in stride .. passing game was inconsistent, and did not demonstrate he has a natural finishing ability, either .. more adept at skating the puck than distributing, and teammates would be wise to trail for the rebound opportunities he'll create all season .. in 2007-08, he scored 21 goals and 17 assists in 55 games for USNTDP U-18 .. committed to University of North Dakota .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-3-4, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese
Arguably the most impressive player at the Fall Classic .. like a racecar, Kristo is explosive and loves speed .. has lightning quick feet with the ability to accelerate by multiple opponents easily at this level .. exciting in one-on-one situations with quick hands and commanding lateral bursts of speed that keep defenders guessing .. his bread and butter is gaining a head of stream through the neutral zone before attacking defenders with every intention of shooting the puck .. can release his quick and accurate shot at full flight .. his playmaking skills leave room for improvement, as he doesn't utilize his linemates well .. needs to develop his lower gears and manufacture more offense from deep within the opponent's zone .. defensively, he has a great stick in traffic and is always buzzing around the puck .. an effective penalty killer that once nearly killed a penalty all on his own by holding onto the puck and skating laps around the opponents multiple times .. fearless and seemingly finds another gear of speed before absorbing a hit so he can slide through and retain possession .. not big and obviously in need of more strength, but he has a great work ethic and is rarely taken off his feet .. a dominant player that should be in the NCAA right now.

Last Season, the Habs made Danny Kristo their 1st overall choice picking him at 56th.

At his first rookie camp, he made a good impression and then played last season with Omaha of the USHL.

He had his share of success there scoring 58 points in 50 games, one less than his teammate and team leading scorer Louis Leblanc, the Habs first choice overall at this year's draft.

This summer you could see an evolution in his play at the rookie camp. He just turned 19 years of age.

It was a good test before attending the AMerican Junior camp for this year's World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan between Decembre 26th and January 5th.

A Good Impression

This year, the coach of the American squad is Dean Blais who also coaches a team in the USHL.

Kristo already had left an impression with Blais, scoring 3 goals in 3 games against Blais's team during the playoffs.

"I saw him play during the playoffs of the USHL but he seems to be playing at a different level said Blais during an interview with NHL.com. I don't know what he did this summer but he got better. I always knew that he was a goal scorer, but he has added speed to his game, he does everything faster."

In 2 exhibition games against the Russians, Kristo lead his team with 3 goals and 2 assists.

"Everything went well said Kristo. When your teammates play well and you know where to position yourself on the ice, everything goes well. Thats how hockey should be played."

Experience

The Habs prospect is only one of three returning players to the American squad. Last year he scored one goal during the tournament.

"I had a limited role on the team, but I did everything I could to help the team. I watched Canada win the tournament and you saw what it takes to win. You have to work hard and play tough, which I will attempt to bring to the team this year."

According to Blais, Kristo possesses all the tools to be a leader, a good player on and off the ice.

"I believe that you can qualify him as a leader, he talks a;ot in the dressing room and the other players listen. I am not trying to make him the Captain yet, we have alot of time to decide those things, but he possesses the abilities to be a leader for sure."

Kristo is going to the University of North Dakota .

'Its nice to be dreafted to an NHL team, but it means nothing. You have to work hard to get ahead and get to where you want to be. That is my plan."

http://www.canoe.com/sports/nouvelles/h ... 31555.html