Tough to measure

Minnehaha Academy junior boys' hockey player Sam Blaisdell leads the metro area with 26 goals this season (tied with Edina's Marshall Everson). He also is the type of player who keeps college recruiters up at night.

Few of them are ready to hazard a guess at the moment as to how good Blaisdell can be in college, and the reason is twofold. Minnehaha's lack of quality opponents raises the first red flag; Blaisdell's lack of size raises the second.

Red Hawks coach Doug Johnson was generous when he estimated his star player at 5-11, 160 pounds. Blaisdell owns up to 5-10, 140. "I've been skinny my whole life," Blaisdell said.

A similar fate didn't doom Wayne Gretzky, and while no one is labeling Blaisdell a burgeoning Great One, he is undeniably talented. "He sees the ice so well," Johnson said. "While he isn't the fastest guy out there, he doesn't need to be because his instincts are so good. It's like the puck is glued to his stick."

But coach and player agree Blaisdell has to get bigger if he is to realize his goal of playing Division I hockey. Blaisdell said he has not heard from any Division I coaches. He spent some time in the weight room over the summer and will head back there at season's end. In the meantime he is being challenged in another way.

The Red Hawks (9-6-1) are in the midst of a tough stretch of their schedule. Johnson has challenged Blaisdell, who has six multigoal games this season (including two five-goal games) to prove he can score against the better competition.

Blaisdell had an assist in Minnehaha's 10-1 loss to Mankato West on Saturday. The Red Hawks face Breck tonight and Totino-Grace on Thursday.

Cretin-Derham Hall wide receiver Michael Floyd, headed for Notre Dame, has been elevated to a five-star recruit by rivals.com. Floyd had an impressive week of practice at the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio earlier this month. He capped it off with a two-touchdown performance in the game. Thirty recruits in the nation carry the five-star ranking.

Jackson County Central senior wrestler Travis Rutt is nearing the state record for career victories. He needs six more to tie the record of 246, set by Barnesville's Kirk Anderson at last season's state tournament. Rutt, who has signed with Wisconsin, is expected to wrestle two matches Thursday at home in a triangular. He could tie the record Saturday, with four matches in the Kasson-Mantorville Swalla Duals. If he wins those matches, he could break the record Feb. 2 in a tournament at Janesville.

Much of Minnetonka's success in boys' hockey can be attributed to its deep and talented group of defensemen. Some of that talent has spilled over to the front line. Coach Brian Urick determined after the first month of the season that too much of the Skippers' offense was being generated by the defensemen. So before the Jan. 5 game with Hopkins, Urick moved sophomore defenseman Andrew Prochno to forward.

"He's been on fire ever since," Urick said. Prochno has six goals in the past four games, including a hat trick in last Saturday's 3-2 victory at Benilde-St. Margaret's. "He's a very skilled and very smart player," Urick said. "And he's like a sponge when you are coaching him."

Prochno credits his linemates for his success, but he has a good shot and a knack for getting open. He's still contributing along the blue line, too. Urick moves Prochno back to defense whenever one of his regular defensemen is sent off for a penalty.

The Delbarton Green Wave, the No. 2-ranked boys' hockey team in New Jersey, completed a weekend trip to Minnesota on Monday. The Green Wave (13-1-1) defeated Breck 5-2 on Friday and Holy Family 6-0 on Saturday. Monday's matchup with Hill-Murray was limited to a scrimmage.

Dean Spiros • dspiros@startribune.com