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Thelastheraclid · 11-19-2018, 10:55 AM

It is said that the children are our future and that certainly rings true in sports. A team's current standing and its future legacy is built not only on the backs of its current players but also on the depth of its organization. Teams need new blood, new eyes, new minds if they ever hope to secure that lasting legacy.

That brings us to the youth movement of the Detroit Falcons. The Falcons are off to one of their best starts in team history and that is thanks to a solid group of veterans leading the way and setting an example for the strong rookie group hoping to make an impact in the league. The Falcons currently have five rookies on the team, two forwards and three defensemen. The youngsters on the front end are Donnie Dicks and Xavier Cross. Securing the rear are Jimmy Cahill, Bedrìch Sykora, and Nat Emerson. At the time of this article the Falcons have combined for 313 points with rookies chipping in 52 of those points. So, the young guns in Detroit are responsible for almost 17% of the offense; not too shabby for the fresh faced boys taking the next jump up in level.

Let's take a closer look the boys, shall we?

Donnie Dicks
Position: Left Wing
Points: 8-6-14
Thoughts: Currently, Dicks sits in 8th place of rookie scoring. The Irish sniper has the makings to be a serious offensive threat in the future. Dicks spends most of his practice time working on his offensive game. In his rookie year, he has made noticeable improvements to his goal scoring, passing, and skating game. The kid has silky mitts and and a set of wheels to go with them. Currently, he is skating on the fourth line which means he has had to work on his defensive game. He isn't a big guy so rather than going for hits, Dicks relies on his positioning which he has been working on as of late. In the coming years with more ice time on a top line Dicks has the potential to be threat to shoot or set up a linemate.

Xavier Cross
Position: Natural Left Wing playing Right Wing
Points: 4-7-11
Thoughts: Xavier Cross is untapped potential. The strongest aspect of Cross' game is his shot. He does have some weaknesses that he needs to address in order to be able to get that rocket off. Cross is a big boy at 6 foot 2 and 220 pounds but he has developed that man strength that others in the league have. This leads him to getting bumped off the puck and pushed out of position. In his rookie year, he hasn't shown a lot of improvement in practices. He seems to have stalled out. It is not too late to turn that around however. If Cross can get his head straight, hit the weights, and maybe play his natural position his game could turn around real quick.

Jimmy Cahill
Position: Defense
Points: 2-6-8
Thoughts: The UK born Cahill has natural defensive instincts. Of the 3 rookie defensemen, he is the most sound in his own end. Cahill is ready to sit on that just that natural defensive skill. He has been working all year on his passing and conditioning. Being paired with veteran Aaron Freakin Rome, has helped the rookie work on his passing game with a little bit of safety net behind in the event of an errant pass. Cahill has the makings of being a shut down defenseman that the Falcons can rely on to protect that lead deep into the game.

Bedrìch Sykora
Position: Defense
Points: 2-8-10
Thoughts: As of now, Sykora leads the Falcon rookie defensemen in points. That is Czech d-man's game. Offense is the best defense sometimes. At the beginning of the year his defensive positioning was not great but he has been working with defensive coaches since the season began. He overcomes any defensive lapses he still has with his top tier speed. Possibly one of the fastest skaters in Detroit, if Sykora has the space he will take it and drive the game down to the other end of the ice and look to set up whoever is on the break with him. He has been working on his shooting game to round out the offensive threat that he poses. Sykora looks to be a PP specialist in the making that would best pair with a stay at home d-man to cover the chances he takes.

Nat Emerson
Position: Defense
Points: 1-8-9
Thoughts: Of the rookies on Detroit, Emerson is the most physical currently 3rd on the team in hits. Emerson went undrafted due to his poor skating and conditioning. Since signing with the Falcons, Emerson has spent most of his time working on his deficiencies and made some serious ground in a short time. Emerson is big and takes the body first. He also possesses a strong passing game which helps to start the break out after dropping a few bodies in his own zone. Lately Emerson has been working on round out his game. Much like Cahill, Emerson has the future makings of a shutdown d-man. Right now, he plays the role of energy maker on the bottom pairing with Bedrìch Sykora.

What does the future hold for this group of rookies? Only the hockey gods know. For now, the team is reaping the rewards of this group of rookies and the fans have something to look forward to when the current vets get called up to the SHL.

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