Prospect Watch: Jeremiah Addison is returning to the form that got him drafted

In the second installment of this bi-weekly series, Jeremiah Addison is showing signs of life after his slow start, while Martin Réway continues to lead the Czech Extraliga.

Jeremiah Addison Showing Signs of Life

Addison was a highly-touted prospect when he first entered the Ontario Hockey League. Although he failed to live up to the hype with the Saginaw Spirit, he had a breakout campaign in Ottawa with the 67's. The Montreal Canadiens snapped him up 207th overall this past draft, and he has since struggled to get on the board.

There's no denying that Addison is not the only one in Ottawa who initially struggled to get points. Travis Konecny, who looked great in NHL preseason action, had just one assist in his first four games with Ottawa, Sam Studnicka and Nathan Todd both missed games early on, and Addison's centre, Dante Salituro, had yet to return from NHL camps.

A few weeks later and Konecny is now scoring at a 1.5 points-per-game clip, while Addison's linemates, Salituro and Studnicka, have combined for 16 points in the past six games that the trio has been together.

While Addison has just two goals in 10 games thus far, he does have six points in his last seven games, which is a respectable total for a fourth-year OHL forward, though not necessary impressive.

Perhaps the biggest reason for his modest production is an inability to get quality shots on goal until now. In the attacking zone, he has been fairly unnoticeable, where he was previously quite involved with his team's offence. Addison owns a heavy shot with a quick release, but it hasn't been used much this year.

Furthermore, his feet haven't been moving as much. As a guy who gets his points from hard work, he has to keep moving.

There is good news: Addison scored with a long-range snipe versus the Flint Firebirds, and has racked up nine shots on goal in his past two games.

The signs of a return to form have been encouraging, but Addison's play must continue to improve. As a fourth-year OHLer and an NHL draftee, it's expected that this year is a big one for his hockey future.

Martin Réway's even-strength game coming around

There's no denying that the 2014-15 campaign was an incredible one for Martin Réway. Then 19 years old, he posted 37 points in 34 games; the best U-20 total since Jiri Hudler scored 46 in 30 in 2002-03.

However, dig a little deeper and you discover that Réway, while impressive, was a non-factor at even-strength. Of his 44 points over the regular season and playoffs, a mere eight of them were at even-strength. His overall play was lacking and he struggled to consistently create chances at five-on-five despite his excellent totals.

Through just 14 games this year, he already has seven even-strength points (of 15 total). More encouraging has been his improved chance creation, despite a decrease in shots on goal per game from 2.03 to 1.36.

Réway has looked like a dynamic offensive threat in this young season. Off the rush, his vision and craftiness have translated to even-stength situations, a sharp contrast from last season when he was invisible without his team having more skaters than his opponents.

That craftiness was on display versus HC Trinec on October 11, where he shows his excellent anticipation to intercept a pass, and gets rewarded with an assist.

And again on this assist versus HC Dynamo Pardubice on October 16:

Réway certainly looks more confident and engaged in the normal course of play than last season, which could make this a big year for him. His high-end vision and stickhandling ability make him a dangerous offensive threat.

Quick edge work, coupled with his creative mind for the game, give Réway an elusiveness with the puck on his stick. Thanks to these skills, he currently sits atop the Czech Extraliga scoring race with 15 points in 14 games.

While he certainly has much to improve in the defensive zone, it's clear that his silky smooth offensive skill set could make him an NHLer one day.

However, it appears that day will be placed on hold for the time being, as Réway confirmed on his Twitter account that he has entered contract negotiations with HC Sparta Praha. The tweet has since been deleted.