Are you looking for the next big power forward? I'd suggest you give Islanders prospect Anders Lee a strong look. The 6'3" 220 lbs. center already has the size to compete at the NHL level. Lee has always been big and strong so unlike many other prospects who may loose some of their game as they fill out, Lee has nowhere to go but up. And up he will go.

Lee was a two sport star in high school back home in Minnesota, going All-State in both football and hockey. Concerned about his sport of choice, teams passed over Lee completely in the '08 draft and it wasn't until the Islanders took a chance on him with the 152nd overall choice in the sixth round of the '09 draft that he was selected. However, had teams done their due diligence on this kid, they would have known that hockey has always been his number one choice. Now finally focusing solely on hockey, his game is taking off.

Lee absolutely tore up the USHL last season winning Rookie of the Year after notching 35 goals, 66 points and an astounding plus-38 (good for second in the league) through 59 games. In the playoffs is where he really shined taking home the playoff MVP award leading the Green Bay Gamblers to the USHL championship with a whopping 10 goals and 22 points in just 12 playoff games.

Many would down play Lee's accomplishments from last season, indicating that many of his highest ranked peers were all playing Division I hockey, while Lee chose to play junior hockey against inferior competition as one of the older players in the league. This is an unjust criticism however because this was Lee's first season focusing only on hockey. He had also already committed to playing at Notre Dame and chose to play in the USHL under the advisement of the Irish coaching staff. They felt his development would be better served getting many minutes in a starring role while learning the game, rather than toil on their third line.

Clearly this advice has paid off for Lee, now a freshman at ND. Lee is tied for the team lead in goal scoring with 19, and is second on the team in points to fellow freshman, TJ Tynan, with 37 through 32 games. Lee also continues to prove his solid two-way game with his superb plus-16 rating. He's also the team leader in SOG by a very good margin firing off four per game. His play has already won him CCHA rookie of the month back in October. By all accounts Lee is a leader for the Irish, outclassing Detroit 1st rounder Riley Sheahan in the process.

Still, with all these accomplishments what stands out most about Lee remains his size. He's an absolute bull out there. Very strong on his skates and not shy about contact at all. Whether it's playing the body or just going to the dirty areas in the corners and in front of the net, Lee will absorb contact to get it done. Clearly, his football background has prepared him for the rigors of being a power forward.

Lee has said that "When I go into the corner, I'm coming away with the puck."� I don't care what you say that's encouraging to hear. You just have to love his confidence. Some would call it cockiness, but I prefer to see it as brash and self aware. He's a smart kid, having gained acceptance to Harvard, so I'm not reading anything more into this than confidence.

Lee has been a winner at every level of play so you know the Islanders have to be very excited to add his pedigree and attitude to their lineup. He has all the physical tools to be a fit anywhere on the roster. He can play both center and on the wing, and will bring all the size and grit that any team can ask for, and packs enough scoring punch to play on a scoring line. Given how wide open the roster is on Long Island, I would give strong consideration to taking a chance on Lee and hoping that he can fit in on a line with Tavares, or as the net presence on the powerplay. A word of caution, however, his two-way game may be so strong it relegates him to third line duties. Never the less the amazing strides made by Lee over the past two seasons have made him an absolute steal for the Islanders and he could be a steal for your roster as well.

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Too late, already gone in my leagues! haha.

Good writeup though.

Awesome stuff. I have prospect drafts coming up in 2 leagues (both within the next 4-6 weeks) and i like finding guys like this. When it comes to the last round and the draft sometimes I like to go off the board and pick a long-term guy with sick upside. I did this in 09 and snatched up Gustav Nyquist last pick of the draft. No bitching from this guy.

Lee is very intriguing. The hype isn't there because he's a 6th round pick as a 19 year old. But the numbers don't lie.

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