2008 Wrap - Vancouver

Vancouver Giants

James Wright: Is a projection pick, so that makes him a slight wild card. In my mind, he's out of the question for the first round, but anywhere after the 35th pick, he could be called. I don't think he'd last much past the middle or end of the 3rd round.

Lance Bouma: May be a late riser on some teams lists, as many like his work ethic and character. I would think the middle rounds (4th or so) are best case for him. I will be very surprised if he doesn't go at all, and if that's the case he's probably looking a several camp invites.

Brent Regner: Very surprised he didn't go last year, as I had many NHL guys tell me they wanted to get him in the middle or late rounds. Still hearing the same thing again this year, so he's got a decent shot at going.

Garry Nunn: Made an impact right away after coming over from the BCHL. Has speed and likes to play physical, despite the small size. I think he's most likely to go in the last few rounds.

Mike Berube: Another undrafted '89 who I think has a good shot at going. Huge improvement defensively this season and he plays a rugged style. I probably should have had him on my list this year.

Craig Cunningham: Not on my list, but I think his name might be on a few NHL lists. Probably a late pick, if at all.

Stefan Schneider: Is on my list (late), but he's a wild stab, projection type pick. I may be the only one with him an a list, so he might not go at all. If he does, it would be in the last couple of rounds.

Kraymer Barnstable: Yep, another hidden backup goaltender. Despite seeing the Giants about a dozen times, I never saw him. If they still had the opt in rule, his agent would probably told him to wait until next year. Like all those other hard to see goaltenders, though, all it takes is one team who had scouts who saw enough of him and like what they see. So he's a possible late round pick, or he might have to wait a year.

Others: Mitchell Czibere is another '89 I thought might go last year. Probably didn't improve enough to draw any renewed interest this year, however.

Looking Ahead to 2009: Evander Kane has the kind of scoring touch that makes him look like a lock for the first round as of now. His skating is the only thing that bothers me about his game, but it's not a huge negative. James Henry is fun to watch and plays with a lot of heart, so he's at least on the radar. Neil Manning looks to have a lot of raw puck skill that I like, but he was wildly inconsistent for me. He'll be on the list at some point next year unless he shows absolutely no progress.