Max Nicastro

[South Dakota wings fan 7]

I live in Sioux Falls, SD, and we have a team in the USHL called the Stampede. I have season tickets, but was unable to go last Saturday night when they played the Chicago Steel and Red Wings draft pick Max Nicastro. I will be going the next time they play in November. Max had a goal and an assist and 4 PIM. My wife's friend from college dates the radio "voice of the stampede" and he tells me this about Max's performance:

"Nicastro does look pretty solid. He is definitely there top defenseman and looked like a leader on the ice. He also took a stick to the mouth at the end of the game which resulted in a 4 minute powerplay for Chicago that we were luckily able to hold off and held on for the win. It’s probably too early to say, but I would think he’s got a good shot at making it to the big show. He is going to Boston University next year too so he will get some good experience there as well. "

Just thought I would pass that along, I am very excited to see him play in person.

[South Dakota wings fan 7]

I live in Sioux Falls, SD, and we have a team in the USHL called the Stampede. I have season tickets, but was unable to go last Saturday night when they played the Chicago Steel and Red Wings draft pick Max Nicastro. I will be going the next time they play in November. Max had a goal and an assist and 4 PIM. My wife's friend from college dates the radio "voice of the stampede" and he tells me this about Max's performance:

"Nicastro does look pretty solid. He is definitely there top defenseman and looked like a leader on the ice. He also took a stick to the mouth at the end of the game which resulted in a 4 minute powerplay for Chicago that we were luckily able to hold off and held on for the win. It’s probably too early to say, but I would think he’s got a good shot at making it to the big show. He is going to Boston University next year too so he will get some good experience there as well. "

Just thought I would pass that along, I am very excited to see him play in person.

Well, I was very interested to see Max play in person. But, when the Steel came back to town, Max was out playing with Team USA in the World Junior tourney. Good for him, but bad for me.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Well, I was very interested to see Max play in person. But, when the Steel came back to town, Max was out playing with Team USA in the World Junior tourney. Good for him, but bad for me.

He's got 56 PIM's in 12 games, why? Does he play physical or are they just undisciplined minor penalties?

[South Dakota wings fan 7]

He's got 56 PIM's in 12 games, why? Does he play physical or are they just undisciplined minor penalties?

I wish I knew. Never got the chance to actually see him play.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

I didt know but the Gamblers are playing the Steel on the local sports channel, its the 3rd but ill try looking at him, not sure if this game is live.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

haha chelios's kid is in a fight, he had to take his cage off haha

[CrossoverThrash 0]

chelio's kid fighting

[SoDakWing 8]

I seen Max play at the All Star game. He looked pretty solid, threw his body around and I think he even got a point if not two out of the deal. Ice level seats right beside the goalie it's kinda tough to see everything on the far side of the ice. But from what I saw he has got good potential and hope to see him with the grifs before too long and maybe someday wearing the winged wheel

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

He's got 56 PIM's in 12 games, why? Does he play physical or are they just undisciplined minor penalties?

He got 12 PIM's in 1 game because of a check from behind, Got the original penalty and a misconduct.. Other then that it looks like it's alot of Interference penalties and illegal uses of the stick "hooking,cross checking" were the most common. Going to Boston College, he better shape up quick, a good school like that wont tolerate it.

[Zetterberg2008ConnSmythe 0]

He got 12 PIM's in 1 game because of a check from behind, Got the original penalty and a misconduct.. Other then that it looks like it's alot of Interference penalties and illegal uses of the stick "hooking,cross checking" were the most common. Going to Boston College, he better shape up quick, a good school like that wont tolerate it.

He's going to Boston U....big difference

[titanium2 867]

From Day 1 and Day 2 of George Malik's observations of 2009 prospect camp.

Day 1 - "Max Nicastro skated onto the ice as the players slowly but surely found their way down the tunnel and back onto the benches, and Nicastro stands out immediately for both his ability to skate and his heads-up play with the puck. He's big (6'3"), can be physical, and simply has that sort of calmness about him that makes defenders stand out." ( http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/07/re...amp_09_day.html )

Day 2 - "Max Nicastro, who stands to play prime-time minutes during his freshman year at Boston University, has a few traits absolutely intrinsic to the puck-carrying defensemen that the Red Wings like on their teams. He keeps his head up over 95% of the time that the puck's on his stick, quickly issuing outlet passes and hard, low shots, his lateral mobility along the blueline is excellent, he skates very well overall, and his big, lanky 6-foot-3 frame is filling out well -- well enough that he issues the occasional big hit without specifically looking for that kind of stuff." ( http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/07/re...p_09_day_1.html )

[titanium2 867]

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/1041...spects_for2008/

5. Max Nicastro, D

Chicago Steel, 18, 6’2, 189

The Southern California native was selected by the Indiana Ice in the sixth round of the 2006 USHL Entry Draft with the 68th overall pick. Before joining the league for the 2007-08 season, the Ice traded his rights to the Chicago Steel. Nicastro finished as one of one of the top rearguards for the team. He collected 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists), 78 penalty minutes and a plus-7 rating. He also was a member of Team USA at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge.

The young defenseman has taken some big steps to play effectively with in the USHL. He plays a very good all-round game, but is first and foremost very responsible in his own end. He’s good puckhandling blueliner, who can make a great first pass or join the rush when needed. He makes good reads at both ends of the ice. He has showed that he is able to get on the right side of the opposing player and attack effectively, causing turnovers with his stick work. He’s good at closing up lanes and stealing passes. He was used in all situations for the Steel and played on top power play and penalty-kill units. Nicastro has good offensive upside, plays the puck well, has good vision and big shot.

Nicastro will return to Chicago in the USHL next season before joining Boston University in the fall of 2009.

[titanium2 867]

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/07/red_wings_prospect_camp_assess_1.html

2010 Prospect Camp Performance Review:

47 Max Nicastro

Pluses: The Red Wings listed him at 6’2” and 189 lbs, and RedWingsCentral’s 6’3,” 200-lb stats are much more faithful to his size and strength—and that’s the thing about Nicastro. When he’s “on,” he possesses a unique combination of imposing size, a tremendous wingspan, fantastic skating ability for a big man, and oh my goodness, his vision in issuing seeing-eye outlet passes, his ability to lug the puck up the ice to back opposing players off, his tremendously hard shot and innate ability to knock down pucks to block passes or shots with his stick, or, more regularly, sustain possession and control of the puck in the offensive zone are all executed with Nicastro’s head up, looking out at the play instead of looking down at his stick. In terms of out-and-out hockey talent, Nicastro was the most talented defenseman on the ice not named Brendan Smith, and he was arguably one of the four most talented skaters—out of 34 participants.

His poke checking ability is already at an NHL level in terms of his deftness of skill and ability to use merely keeping one hand on the stick to steer defenders wide, his positioning is impeccable while skating backward or laterally—which he does incredibly well, especially technically—so it’s very evident that he knows where the net is at all times, and as such, he efficiently and sometimes elegantly pokes the puck away from players and seals them to the boards with a hard thud.

That’s the other thing. If Nicastro’s elite offensive skills, absolutely fantastic poke-check (with a huge effective radius), heads-up offensive savvy and defensive awareness weren’t enough to wow you, he’s put on at least 20 pounds of hard muscle over the past three years, and no longer looks like a big, gangly, skinny kid. He’s a big strong man now, and while he could easily add another 10-15 lbs to his stringy frame for good measure, his core strength allowed him to simply twist his upper body, without so much as losing a stride’s worth of speed, and absolutely mash his opponents into the boards. He’s developed a nasty physical bite to his game, and was among the first of the Wings’ players to really start laying people out despite the limited-checking environment, not smoking guys out at center ice, mind you, but absolutely hammering people into side boards or end glass during battles for the puck. Before puck retrieval drills began to regularly end with thuds, the sound of player meeting boards meant Max Nicastro was participating in a drill.

Minuses: Inconsistency is Nicastro’s biggest issue, and it’s the biggest reason why I’m glad that he has three more years of college eligibility to go. Nicastro could go from an absolutely dominant big man who head-mans the rush, quarterbacks power plays, helms penalty-killing units and mashes the hell out of his opponents without even trying to a very, very quiet, albeit relatively effective, defenseman, and when he does ever-so-rarely lose his positioning or attempt to play too aggressively instead of letting the play come to him, he can be turned inside out in a heartbeat. His temper also yields some ill-timed hacks and whacks, and despite the fact that he’s an absolutely superb skater, he did indeed need to work hard during Thomas Storm’s drill to get those big legs underneath his body, especially when he’s turning, so that he doesn’t have to exert himself as much when that big bulk stops, starts, and has to make abrupt changes in direction. There are parts of Nicastro’s game that are incredibly mature, but he’s got a long way to go before a dominant NCAA-level defenseman in the making is ready to make the pro jump. His talent level is immense but, like any big man, the bottom line really is that the 20-year-old is still growing into his body and still learning to play a deft, nuanced game whose Achilles’ heel is its inconsistency.

Potential “upside”: Down the line, if Nicastro continues to improve in terms of his skating, strength, consistency and simply learning one of the hardest positions to play well if you want to play it subtly, you’re looking at a Jonathan Ericsson-style top-four defenseman with a little more offensive ability, a real, honest-to-goodness power play and penalty-killing specialist who could post points on a pretty darn regular basis. He’s still got to bring all that talent together and keep learning and keep working on playing with more consistency and focus, but if all goes well, his potential is immense.

[titanium2 867]

http://insidecollegehockey.com/inch/2010/09/03/nicastro/

INCH A-Z: Max Nicastro

By Andrew Clark

MAX NICASTRO

Boston University

So. | D | Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Key Statistics: In his first year with the Terriers, Nicastro had an immediate impact, notching 10 points (2 G, 8 A) in 23 games, including a three-game point streak. Before lacing up for BU, the Detroit Red Wings 2008 third-round pick tallied 51 points (15 G, 36 A) in two seasons with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.

What He Does: Nicastro provides the ultimate blend of size, strength, and offensive skills, a dangerous combination that makes him one BU’s biggest weapons. According to Terriers assistant coach Mike Bavis, the 6-foot-3 Nicastro has “an NHL shot” and is the kind of uber-talent hybrid player that BU hasn’t seen in a long time. “We get really talented skills guys who are first-round picks, but they are more one or two-dimensional kinds of players,” said Bavis. “The same goes with those strong gritty players, who still have just one-dimension. With Max, you get both sides, someone who is incredibly strong but really dangerous with the puck. He’s a very complete player.”

The Bigger Picture: With the Terriers carrying one of their youngest squads in recent memory, the second-year Nicastro figures to play a major role in this upcoming season. Bavis stated that the talented defenseman should log a lot of minutes and will be crucial for BU from a leadership standpoint, as Bavis sees the 20-year-old Nicastro as the type of player which can infuse confidence in a young team. “Max will be very important for us every night,” Bavis said. “On nights when he’s not having his best game, Max can impact the game as a leader and when Max is having his best game, he can be the difference between a win and a loss.”

Coach Bavis on Nicastro: “Max has returned this season and is in great physical shape. His strength has improved and his vertical jump has increased. He will have a major impact on games this year. There are a few things that he can improve on. He can improve a little bit with his decision making and a little with his puck ability on power plays. But overall, Max does most things very, very well.”

[titanium2 867]

Just what some of us on here wanted to see, myself included, in regards to progress of Max Nicastro. Great progress from the kid. Hope he eventually becomes a Brad Stuart type dman.

http://redwingscentral.com/stories/2010_11/10_RWCReport.php

RWC Report: Nicastro gets physical

By Matthew Wuest – RedWingsCentral.com / November 10, 2010

A couple of years ago, Detroit Red Wings scout David Kolb talked openly about his wish for Max Nicastro to "punish guys more" and play with more of an edge.

When Kolb made a scouting trip to St. Louis earlier this year to watch Nicastro play in the NCAA Icebreaker Tournament, his wish had been answered.

Nicastro, a sophomore NCAA defenseman at Boston University, is getting downright physical.

"Max was the most physical player on the ice in both games," Kold said. "He is big and strong with good mobility. He is able to knock guys around without much effort and is very competitive ... He appears to be one of the more physical defensemen in our system."

As a freshman, the 6-foot-3 200-pounder earned a spot on the Hockey East all-rookie team after recording three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 37 games.

Nicastro, who previously spent two seasons with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, made a "smooth transition" to the college game, according to Kolb.

This season, Nicastro is off to a quiet statistical start, with just one assist in eighth games, but is logging top-pairing ice time in all situations.

Kolb said Nicastro is intense around the net and blocks shots but still needs to improve his defensive-zone coverage. Offensively, he has a solid skill-set.

"He moves the puck fine and has a rocket of a shot — he just needs to shoot more," Kolb said. "At our summer development camp, he was turning heads during the shooting drills."

Nicastro, a Californian selected 91st overall in the 2008 draft, projects as a rugged, two-way NHL defenseman.

"Overall we are pleased with where Max is right now in his development," Kolb said.

[newfy 695]

Just what some of us on here wanted to see, myself included, in regards to progress of Max Nicastro. Great progress from the kid. Hope he eventually becomes a Brad Stuart type dman.

Great to hear. Nicastro was always a prospect it was hard to get a read on. Some said he was a puck mover with no edge, others said he was a huge hitter.

Nice to see he has a blend of both, seems kinda like Brendan Smith in that regard

[Majsheppard 203]

Max Nicastro, a defenseman on the BU men’s hockey team, was arrested on the Charles River Campus early Sunday morning by the Boston University Police and charged with sexual assault. BU Police Chief Thomas Robbins says his department is working with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, which is investigating the allegations. He says the incident is alleged to have happened on campus. Nicastro was accused of sexual assault by a female student. He is being held on $25,000 cash bail, and will be arraigned in Brighton District Court on Tuesday.

Michael Lynch, BU athletic director, says Nicastro has been suspended from the hockey team pending the outcome of the investigation.

Ruh-roh. Forget hockey... I hope, if guilty, he never plays again.

[nuts2u 22]

Ruh-roh. Forget hockey... I hope, if guilty, he never plays again.

Is Nicastro the kid that was charged with rape 3 or 4 years ago along with 2 other players? The charges were later dismissed.

[RedFX 48]

The even weirder news here...This is Boston U's SECOND player to be arrest on sexual assault charges in the past 2 months. What is going on in that program???

[Majsheppard 203]

Is Nicastro the kid that was charged with rape 3 or 4 years ago along with 2 other players? The charges were later dismissed.

I heard nothing of a previous charge.

[Jedi 1,865]

Charges against Nicastro were dropped today.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061135874

Prosecutors have dropped rape charges against a former Boston University hockey player, saying during a brief hearing today in Brighton District Court they are no longer pursuing the case — without detailing their reasons.

Flanked by his mother and lawyer, Max NiCastro, 22, said he is “relieved” to move on from the case and called the months since his Feb. 19 arrest a “hard road.”

[ltgator333 3]

Charges against Nicastro were dropped today.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061135874

I heard Curt Freaser talking about him being in G.R. next year.I can not see ruining his live over something the law says he's not guilty of.And he can't go back to B.U. so sign him.