Not a lot of chatter about Michael Downing of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He's shown steady improvement in all three zones over the last season. He could very well end up a top-60 pick and we had him at 59 in our 2013 Draft Introduction guide.
He had some great mentors in Dubuque last season too with Zemgus Girgensons and Michael Matheson, both of whom went in the first round in 2012. He could be one of those guys poised for a big second-half.
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“Having Zemgus and Mikey helped me a lot,” said Downing. “Watching how they handled everything and just how hard both of the guys worked. I could go on and on about these two. They knew everything they were doing and they did it perfectly.”
Girgensons was selected 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres last June, while Matheson was plucked by the Florida Panthers 23rd.
“I do stay in contact a lot with Zemgus,” Downing said. “Not so much about the draft but more about how our seasons are going.”
Girgensons has one goal and five points in 19 games playing in the American Hockey League this season. Downing, in his draft season, has eight points in 18 games – all assists.
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http://futureconsiderations.ca/downi...buque-lessons/
