Hockey: Oxidation

2007 forward Matt Rust, a member of the USNDTP U-17 team, has committed to Michigan according to Chris Heisenberg. I'm under the impression that Rust is a high-end but not super-duper recruit, closer to a Kevin Porter than an Andrew Cogliano. He's a good pickup and Michigan's first forward in the class.

More later; you can see an overview of Michigan's hockey recruit efforts at The Wolverine.

Update: USHR on Rust's NTDP tryout:

7. Matt Rust, 5-9½/172, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Honeybaked Midget Major -- Small, but does some really nice things. Very good early on, then hurt his shoulder and didn’t play last game at all. All a moot point because he was offered a spot on team last fall and accepted.

Here's Red Line Report on Rust:

26 AAA Matt Rust LC Honeybaked Major 98 5'10 172
Strong on his skates, excellent 1 on 1 skills, pure finisher, star quality, very good change of pace, competes when he wants to, weak in his own end; can dominate when he wants to; great acceleration; quick stick; creates contact; doesn't always battle; heading to US NTDP, already committed; turns it off and on; when he does compete hard, he's outstanding; plays a physical style despite his lack of size, but can come back to bite him with injuries, as he did at NTDP camp hurting shoulder

and just for kicks here's the same report on '07 commit Tristan Llewellyn:

2 AAA Tristan Llewellyn RD Indiana Ice USHL 3 6'2 188
Perfect size, takes 1 hand off stick too much, looks to hurt guys, heavy shot, strong kid, bad discipline at times, great feet, forces the action in all three zones; has all the tools; playing a lot against high-level older competition; long, powerful stride with quickness and acceleration; ultra aggressive; physical presence; needs to read situations a bit better; Confident with the puck, loves to lug it up ice. Excellent mobility, sees ice well and makes crisp outlets. Hard and accurate shot; plays mean; earning a reputation already as a 15-year old in USHL; verbal commitment to Michigan for 2007

and a little more on Rust:

Matt Rust/LC - Honeybaked Major Midget. 5-10/172. 3/23/89. Played aggressively; hits hard despite lack of size. Excellent balance. Threads the needle on tough passes. Competed very well, which is his biggest issue. Did not play on Tuesday due to injured shoulder.