NHL Draft Notes

Last Post

2010-09-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

There will be no more updates on this blog, as I've accepted a position with an NHL club.

Thanks and best wishes to Kyle Woodlief, Phil Colvin, and the rest of the Red Line Report crew for putting up with me for 13 wonderful seasons.

And best of luck to all the prospects for 2011...see you at the rink.

2010 Ranking Index

2010-06-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ranking index. Grades (in the reports) are on a 20-to-80 scale. Alphabetical index here.

1	Ryan Johansen	C-R	31-Jul-92	6-2.0/192	Portland WHL
2	Nino Niederreiter	RW-L	08-Sep-92	6-1.5/201	Portland WHL
3	Dylan McIlrath	D-R	20-Apr-92	6-4.25/212	Moose Jaw WHL
4	Brett Connolly	LW-R	02-May-92	6-2.0/181	Prince George WHL
5	Quinton Howden	LW-L	21-Jan-92	6-2.0/182	Moose Jaw WHL
6	Calvin Pickard	G-L	15-Apr-92	6-0.5/195	Seattle WHL
7	Matt MacKenzie	D-R	15-Oct-91	6-1.0/191	Calgary WHL
8	Beau Bennett	RW/C-R	27-Nov-91	6-0.5/173	Penticton BCHL
9	Emerson Etem	LW-L	16-Jun-92	6-0.25/190	Medicine Hat WHL
10	Brad Ross	LW-L	28-May-92	5-11.5/175	Portland WHL
11	Brett Bulmer	RW-R	26-Apr-92	6-2.25/175	Kelowna WHL
12	Alex Petrovic	D-R	03-Mar-92	6-4.0/193	Red Deer WHL
13	Troy Rutkowski	D-R	29-Apr-92	6-1.75/208	Portland WHL
14	Taylor Aronson	D-R	30-Dec-91	6-0.25/196	Portland WHL
15	Jordan Weal	C-R	15-Apr-92	5-9.5/162	Regina WHL
16	Kevin Sundher	C-L	18-Jan-92	5-11.75/192	Chilliwack WHL
17	Joey Leach	D-L	29-Jan-92	6-3.0/187	Kootenay WHL
18	Mark Pysyk	D-R	11-Jan-92	6-1.25/174	Edmonton WHL
19	Brendan Ranford	LW-L	03-May-92	5-9.5/182	Kamloops WHL
20	Alex Theriau	D-R	14-Feb-92	6-1.5/189	Everett WHL
21	Tyler Bunz	G-L	11-Feb-92	6-1.25/196	Medicine Hat WHL
22	Mark Stone	RW-R	13-May-92	6-2.25/188	Brandon WHL
23	Jordan DePape	RW-R	20-Jun-92	5-10.5/187	Kamloops WHL
24	Ryan Harrison	C-R	31-Mar-92	5-9.25/185	Prince Albert WHL
25	Austin Madaisky	D-R	30-Jan-92	6-1.75/185	Kamloops WHL
26	Brendan Shinnimin	C-L	07-Jan-91	5-9.75/179	Tri-City WHL
27	Curtis Hamilton	LW-L	04-Dec-91	6-2.25/209	Saskatoon WHL
28	Radko Gudas	D-R	05-Jun-90	5-11.0/192	Everett WHL
29	Riley Boychuk	LW-L	20-Feb-91	6-5/208	Portland WHL
30	Geordie Wudrick	LW-L	09-Apr-90	6-3/208	Kelowna WHL
31	Kent Simpson	G-L	26-Mar-92	6-2.5/182	Everett WHL
32	Max Reinhart	C-L	04-Feb-92	6-0.75/180	Kootenay WHL
33	Charles Inglis	C-L	07-May-92	5-11.0/187	Saskatoon WHL
34	Kendall McFaull	D-L	10-Apr-92	6-2.0/187	Moose Jaw WHL
35	Brandon Davidson	D-L	21-Aug-91	6-1.0/190	Regina WHL
36	Josh Nicholls	RW-R	27-Apr-92	6-1.5/174	Saskatoon WHL
37	Tyler Fiddler	LW-L	27-Jun-90	6-0/181	Calgary WHL
38	Sean Bonar	G-L	12-Feb-91	6-0.5/179	Penticton BCHL
39	Craig Cunningham	LW-R	13-Sep-90	5-9.75/180	Vancouver WHL
40	Jordan Messier	RW-R	04-Feb-92	6-2.0/192	Tri-City WHL
41	Brandon Herrod	RW-R	11-Sep-91	5-11.75/173	Prince Albert WHL
42	Dylen McKinlay	RW-L	20-Apr-92	5-11.0/162	Chilliwack WHL
43	Daniel Carr	LW-L	01-Nov-91	5-10.75/182	Powell River BCHL
44	Antonin Honejsek	LW-L	19-Dec-91	5-10.5/178	Moose Jaw WHL
45	Patrick Holland	RW-R	07-Jan-92	5-11.75/167	Tri-City WHL
46	Grayson Downing	C-L	18-Apr-92	6-0.5/167	Westside BCHL
47	Brooks Macek	C-R	15-May-92	5-10.75/180	Tri-City WHL
48	Shayne Taker	D-L	12-Feb-90	6-3/190	Cowichan Valley BCHL
49	Mark MacMillan	C-L	23-Jan-92	6-0/154	Alberni Valley BCHL
50	Nathan Lieuwen	G-L	08-Aug-91	6-5/192	Kootenay WHL
51	Sahir Gill	LW-L	21-Apr-92	5-10/180	Vernon BCHL
52	Brody Sutter	RW-R	26-Sep-91	6-4.0/190	Lethbridge WHL
53	Josh Caron	D-L	10-Feb-91	6-4/208	Kamloops WHL
54	Cody Sylvester	C-L	13-Apr-92	5-10/166	Calgary WHL
55	Brendan Gallagher	RW-R	05-Jun-92	5-8.5/163	Vancouver WHL
56	Isaac MacLeod	D/LW-L	22-Feb-92	6-4.0/205	Penticton BCHL
57	J.T. Barnett	LW-L	21-Aug-92	5-11.75/191	Vancouver WHL
58	Tim Daly	D-L	01-Feb-92	5-11.0/165	Langley BCHL
59	Justin Feser	LW-L	29-Jul-92	5-8.75/181	Tri-City WHL
nv	Sam Brittain	G-L	10-May-92	6-2.75/215	Canmore AJHL
nv	Cam Lanigan	G-L	09-Jun-92	6-1.75/180	Edmonton WHL
nv	Peter Stoykewych	D-L	14-Jul-92	6-2.25/188	Winnipeg South MJHL

BCHL 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Beau Bennett / RW / Penticton: Full profile

Sean Bonar / G /Penticton ('91): Average size, but plays big, confident and consistently good. Excellent play reading, good leg quickness, and capable of big saves. Very good sleeper if you can get him in the late rounds.

Daniel Carr / LW / Powell River: Very good hands and some scoring touch, but I don't much care for his size/style combination. Smallish sized but plays a power forward style - which might be hard to carry off at the next level. Good quickness and agility allows him to be elusive down low and has really good hands in close. But the fact he requested a trade from the AJHL is a concern about his character. Maybe worth a late pick.

Grayson Downing / C / Westside: Good overall hockey sense, good defensively, and has decent puck skill. But seems to play the game on cruise all the time. Doesn't do anything to bring you out of your seat. I like his hockey sense, but lack of high end skill means he's a late pick at best.

Shayne Taker / D / Cowichan Valley ('90): Lanky, late-blooming d-man has really quick feet, but an odd stride - but overall his mobility is a plus. Has some good hands and is versatile - can pass the puck well or take it himself. Had this guy in mind as a serious sleeper, but he looked so bad down the stretch and in the playoffs, that I've dialed my expectations back on him a bit. I'd still extend a camp invite, however.

Mark MacMillan / C / Alberni Valley: Lots of offensive skill and smarts, but very slight build makes it hard for him to fight through checks or do much in traffic. Besides all the creativity with the puck, does well without it, playing defense, winning faceoffs, etc. Should be a really good college player, but is a longshot pro prospect.

Sahir Gill / LW / Vernon: Didn't quite pick up where he left off when he returned to the Vipers, but did get back to his scoring ways in the playoffs. Has really soft hands and nice passing touch, but plays very soft. Has a bit of a choppy stride. Not sure I'd spend a pick.

Isaac MacLeod / D/LW / Penticton: Has some interesting natural offensive instincts for such a big guy, but stride isn't good and has slow feet.

Tim Daly / D / Langley: Has a lot of power play skill and plays bigger than his size. A bit under the radar this season and might be a worthy camp invite.

Joey Laleggia / D / Penticton: Little rearguard is a nice skater and has a knack for getting the rush started. Very small and ends up losing a lot of physical battles - easy to knock off the puck isn't good in 1-on-1 situations. Not sure there's a lot of pro potential, but should be a fantastic college player.

Luke Curadi / D /Penticton ('91): Huge guy proved he could play up a level after moving over from the Atlantic Jr league. Actually has a decent stride for size and plays with some passion. But his game is extremely raw. Could get a look as a 2nd year eligible, especially since you could control his rights for the next 4 years.

Dylan Walchuk / C / Vernon: Little guy can skate really well and has some hands, but he's tiny. Should be a good college player.

Spokane Chiefs 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Blake Gal / C: Is the closest thing to a draft prospect from the Chiefs this year, but misses my list. Has some offensive smarts, but not real elite skill level. Skating is a bit of a concern. Might go late, but a camp invite is more likely.

Brenden Kichton / D: Decent skater, decent hands, and should be a good offensive d-man for the Chiefs in the next couple of years. Not much of a pro prospect at this point.

Steve Kuhn / C: Little guy works hard and is a strong penalty killer, but I haven't seen much in the way of hands yet.

Other 2010s: T.C. Cratsenberg

2011 Outlook: Anthony Bardaro, Brady Brassart, Dominic Uher, Mitch Holmberg, Tanner Mort. A decent group of good young junior players, but no one stands out with a lot of pro protential yet. Bardaro's speed and quickness is impressive, but is small. Mort has some good raw ingredients.

Swift Current Broncos 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Justin Dowling / C (late '90): Thought this guy was worth a late pick last year, and he still might be this year. If he did better in traffic and had some grit, he'd be a pretty good prospect. But since teams would have only one year to sign him, he might be passed over again. Should get a camp invite, however.

Taylor Vause / C: Good speed and good hands, and competed a bit more regularly this season. If he hadn't slumped so badly late he might have got a late look. Still might be worth a camp invite.

Kyle Verdino / D: Injuries from serious car accident last summer hurt his development. There is some good puck skill here, but has always been a slow, lumbering skater.

Jordan Evans / D: Improved skating quite a bit and is turning into a decent junior d-man. But he's a bit soft and doesn't do enough with the puck to be terribly interesting.

Andrew Sullivan / RW: Huge, good strength, likes to drop the gloves. But I don't see much in the way of hand skill at all.

Other 2010s: Michael Hay, Andy Blanke, Brody Luhning

2011 Outlook: Reece Scarlett, Adam Lowry, Graeme Craig. NHL scouts might not have had much to get excited about on the Broncos this year, but that will change next year. Scarlett wowed the scouts in attendance at the U-17 tournament over Christmas, and has tremendous offensive ability from the blue line. He's in the top ten overall on our 2011 list. Lowry brings a great blue collar, grinding style and has the hands to be effective. Skating is his only negative, but is a solid 2nd rounder right now. Craig also has intriguing size and some puck moving ability.

Seattle Thunderbirds 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Calvin Pickard / G: Full profile

Ryan Aasman / D: Just hasn't developed. Has good feet and nice mobility, but seems to have trouble thinking the game. I don't see much chance of even a camp invite here.

Chance Lund / LW: Good amount of (very) raw talent to go along with the size, but is a long ways from putting it together. Decent speed for his size and willing to compete.

Other 2010s: Erik Fleming, Chance Lund, Mikhail Sentyurin, Brendan Rouse, Michael Salmon

2011 Outlook: Colin Jacobs, Tanner Muth, Tyler Alos, Luke Lockhart, Mitch Elliot. Jacobs is a top 75 talent, and would be higher but for sub-par skating. Muth should turn into a very good junior d-man, but I will have to wait to see if there's a pro prospect there. I like the energy and defensive smarts Alos offers, but he's going to have to put some points up next year. Lockhart is fun to watch with his speed and reckless style, but will have to produce points at his size.

Red Deer Rebels 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Alex Petrovic / D: Full profile

Simon Witt / D: Big frame draws your notice, but the skating needs quite a bit of improvement.

Other 2010s: Turner Elson, Lane Scheidl, John Persson, Adam Kambeitz

2011 Outlook: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Colten Mayor, Cam Gorchynski. RNH is the early favorite to be the top prospect from the WHL, and is a top five overall talent. Daulton Siwak is 2012.

Medicine Hat Tigers 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Emerson Etem / C: Full profile

Tyler Bunz / G: Full profile

Other 2010s: Not much else to get excited about here. Scott MacKay, Tanner Sohn.

2011 Outlook: Kale Kessy, Dylan Busenius, Reid Petryk, Dylan Bredo. Kessy plays a style that scouts love and looks like a 2nd rounder right now.

Edmonton Oil Kings 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Mark Pysyk / D: Full profile

Cam Lanigan / G: Did not see, but after a roller coaster season, he could be a late-rounder.

T.J. Foster / C: Smallish, but has a lot of speed and can create a bit. But probably not much more than just a good junior player.

Cameron Maclise / RW: Big frame, not a bad skater, but very raw and doesn't use his size at all.

Other 2010s: Braeden Laroque, Devin Balness, Cameron Maclise.

2011 Outlook: Laurent Brossoit, Michael St. Croix, Keegan Lowe, Klarc Wilson, Dylan Wruck, Travis Ewanyk. The Oil Kings should be a frequent target for NHL scouts next year. Brossoit looked like a big time talent from the times I saw him on the Island, and could be a top 75 player. St. Croix might also be in that range, he's got a lot of two-way talent and hockey sense. Lowe and Wilson will also be watched closely.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Brody Sutter / C/RW: The best of a bleak draft crop for the Hurricanes, and even he might be lucky to go at all. Was a bit excited the first time I saw this guy two seasons ago, with what looked like decent hockey sense and a desire to crash and bang. But the hands just have not come around at all despite this guy getting a ton of playing time. Probably not much more than a camp invite.

Brennan Yadlowski / D ('91): Liked this guy last season, but was very surprised he didn't go in the last draft. Improved some this season, but probably not enough that I'd pound the table for this guy again for anything more than a camp invite.

Derek Ryckman / D: Had pretty high expectations that this guy could at least be a middle-rounder coming into this season, but an early shoulder injury pretty much robbed him of a year of development. Will be a guy I'll still keep a close eye on next season.

Jacob Berglund / LW: This guy is quite the shootout ace, but that doesn't seem to translate to the rest of the game. Good defensively and has some hidden raw talent, but probably not enough to be a pick.

Other 2010s: Ryon Moser, Graham Hood, Landon Oslanski, Brandon Anderson, Ville Kolppanen.

2011 Outlook: Daniel Johnston, Mark Reners, Reid Jackson, Neil Tarnasky. Johnston was the big prize in the Sbisa trade and has a lot of puck moving ability. He's on my list as a mid- to late-rounder right now. Reners is very talented, but will have to produce at his size. Phil Tot is a 2012.

Chilliwack Bruins 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Kevin Sundher / C: Full profile

Dylen McKinlay / RW: Pretty decent sleeper for the late sounds. Smallish, but has speed, shiftyness, and nice shooting touch. Good all around offensive game and sticks his nose into traffic. Good late round value.

Tyler Stahl / D: I just don't see it with this guy, but some are talking about this guy as a mid-rounder. All I see is a rugged guy with average size who isn't much of a skater and doesn't do much with the puck. If he were 6-4, okay I could see taking a flyer here, but at 6-1, that seems like manufacturing a player.

Jamie Crooks / LW: Good bit of offensive talent and an accurate shot, but wow, does his skating need lots of work.

Zach Habscheid / D: Plays angry and sticks up for his teammates. But skating stride is not good and hurts his overall game.

Chris Collins / C: Competes a bit and has some offensive ability, should be a decent junior player.

Other 2010s: Blair Wentworth

2011 Outlook: Mitch Topping, Tim Traber. Topping has some decent size and can rush the puck with speed, he's at least a middle round interest as of now.

Vancouver Giants 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Craig Cunningham / LW ('90): Has become shifty and dangerous enough that he's turned into a real pro prospect. Seems to me like he's grown a little bit (maybe an inch or so) in the last two years, so that also helps. And he was one of the youngest players in the 2008 draft, so he's closer to being a part of last year's group. I'll be shocked if someone doesn't grab him at least late in the draft - could even go in the middle rounds. If somehow he doesn't go, he'll have a lot of calls from teams for a camp invite.

Brendan Gallagher / RW: This guy's a legitimate talent, but he's so, so small. Very good skater, but doesn't have the elite speed he really needs to be a real good pro prospect. But he does it all at this level - fearless and plays with a ton of energy. If he doesn't go in the late rounds, he'll also probably have several camp invites to choose from.

J.T. Barnett / LW: Decent hockey sense and can shoot the puck from the slot pretty well. But was invisible for long stretches of games whenever I saw him. Could go late.

Neil Manning / D ('91): Thought he was worth at least some consideration last year, and that's still probably true. Good offensive instincts, but is smallish and soft. I know he boosted his numbers by quite a bit, by my eyes tell me he's not much better this year than he was last.

Connor Redmond / LW: Looked like nothing in Red Deer, but did catch my eye a bit after the trade. Plays with an edge and has size. Always on the lookout for guys who were big Bantam scorers but then had a big late growth spurt - often that hand-eye coordination takes a while to come back. Very, very raw, but this might be one of those guys. I'd at least make a case for a camp invite.

Derek Tendler / G: Looked great in the one game I saw him, but I don't know if anyone else got much of a read on this guy. But there are a lot of Vancouver area based NHL scouts, so it wouldn't surprise me if some team saw quite a bit of him and think it's worth spending a late pick on him.

Other 2010s: Greg Lamoureux

2011 Outlook: David Musil, Luke Fenske, Nathan Burns, Brandon Scholten, Zach Hodder, Brendan Jensen. Musil is a pretty exciting talent and is a possible top ten guy next year in my book. Fenske and Hodder also have a lot of talent, and I'll be interested to see what they look like over a full season.

Prince George Cougars 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

Brett Connolly / LW: Full profile

Brock Hirsche / C: Good two-way ability, excellent PKer and shot blocker. On his way to becoming a good junior player, but not a pro prospect at this point.

Taylor Makin / LW: Decent skater and good amount of skill. Competes. Long ways from putting it all together.

Daniel Gibb / D: Logged a lot of minutes and is becoming a decent junior stay-at-home, but doesn't offer much to project to the next level.

Spencer Asuchak / LW: Huge frame, gets himself to the net and can pick up the garbage goals. But otherwise not a lot to get excited about.

Other 2010s: Jasoslav, Vlach, Nick Buonassisi, Clarke Breitkreuz, Greg Fraser, Bruin McDonald, Kyzen Loo, Daniel Medland-Marchen

2011 Outlook: Jesse Forsberg is one of the best young d-men in the league and is in the late first round on my list right now.

Regina Pats 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Jordan Weal / C: Full profile

Brandon Davidson / D: I usually like late bloomers who come out of nowhere, but this guy's skating bothers me too much. Has big trouble with pivots. But he's got really good hockey sense and is a very good puck mover. Probably goes way higher than I like, but if somehow he lasted until the 5th round, I might be interested.

Jason Gardiner / C: Guess Bob Tory got tired of waiting for this guy to figure it out, now it's Regina's turn. Remember being very intrigued by this guy when I first saw him at 15, but the one quality had then (good straight line speed) is still about the only thing he offers.

Tyler Parker / LW: If baseball has quadruple-A players, what do we call a guy too good for the NAHL but not quite good enough for major junior? That's what this guy is so far. But there's still time and enough natural skill here to turn into a decent junior player.

Other 2010s: Dominick Favreau, Andrew Rieder, Mitch Spooner.

2011 Outlook: Myles Bell, Tyler Borstmayer, Dawson Guhle. Bell is at least a 3rd/4th rounder right now, with good mobility and some skill. Borstmayer and Guhle are also worth watching.

Moose Jaw Warriors 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Dylan McIlrath / D: Full profile

Quinton Howden / LW: Full profile

Kendall McFaull / D: I see decent mobility in a big package, but I wonder if I'm manufacturing a player here. Just doesn't do much to stand out, but is at least okay in the d-zone. But if there's much puck moving or offensive ability here, it's pure projection. A bit of wildcard, I'm not sure I'd spend anything more than a 6th on him, but I know there are some scouts who think there's a lot of hidden talent here.

Tony Honejsek / LW: Shifty and and dangerous at the offensive end, but is a bit of a perimeter guy and a power play specialist. I like the hands, he can really stickhandle and shoot, but he clearly doesn't like to get hit. That's a big red flag. If he's available after the 5th, I might think about him.

Connor Cox / D: Should turn into a decent junior player, but I see too much tentativeness right now to be a pro prospect. Can carry the puck a bit, but needs to improve first pass ability.

Dallas Ehrhardt / D: Absolutely huge d-man, but after seeing him a couple of times I wasn't sure he even belonged in the Dub right now. Skating is a bit of a problem right now. So is puck skill. And d-zone smarts. Yeah, pretty much everything is a problem.

Brandon Glover / G: Big, but I didn't really see a whole lot of natural quickness. Not sure any team drafts him just on the size alone.

Danny Gayle / LW: Had the scouts scrambling to see him after his first 7 games, but he sure fizzled out quickly.

Other 2010s: Nathan MacMaster, Jakub Herman

2011 Outlook: Joey Kornelsen was the only underage on the roster, but I didn't see much to get excited about yet with him.

Kootenay Ice 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Joey Leach / D: Full profile

Max Reinhart / C: Lots of natural talent and offensive smarts, but effort level isn't always there. Has a quick stick, can create a bit and an accurate shot. But isn't always willing to pay the price to score. Despite the lack of passion, has the sort of skill that's worth spending a mid- to late-round pick on.

Nathan Lieuwen / G: I'm still on this guy's bandwagon, but it seems everyone else has jumped off. Hard to believe he didn't even get a camp invite last summer. The concussion troubles are obviously the big red flag, but there's so much natural talent here. Spend a cheap (7th round) pick and see if he can turn in a healthy season next year.

Brock Montgomery / RW: Decent sized, plays with enthusiasm, and always willing to drop the gloves. But doesn't offer much skill. Not on my list, but some team could like the toughness enough to spend a late pick.

Christian Magnus / RW: Plenty of raw talent, but we're still waiting for him to put it together. Still can be a good junior player, but isn't a draft prospect at this point.

Drew Czerwonka / LW: Good size, likes to play physical. Threw a lot of huge hits this season. Hands didn't seem to come around this season, needs to go back to planting himself in front of the net.

Other 2010s: Elgin Pearce

2011 Outlook: Brendan Hurley, Jagger Dirk, Luke Paulsen. Liked Robert Dirk's kid a lot when he was in Salmon Arm earlier in the year, but he'll need to get more comfortable in major junior next season. He offers a lot of offense from the blueline, and would be somewhere in the middle rounds on my list right now. Hurley plays a big game, but he's going to need to produce next year - he'll be watched closely.

Calgary Hitmen 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Matt MacKenzie / D: Full profile

Tyler Fiddler / LW ('90): Last chance to grab this late bloomer before he's a free agent. All he does is help teams win wherever he goes. Excellent hockey sense and is a coaches kind of player. I'd argue a bit to grab this guy with a late pick, there's still some decent upside here. If he gets passed over (again), he'll probably have several camp invites.

Cody Sylvester / C: Grew a bit this year and has some good two-way skill. Competes despite his smallish size. Really turned it on in the playoffs, and that always counts for a lot. Someone could grab him late.

Cody Beach / RW: I could see someone grabbing this huge framed bruiser late. He's just a fighter, and not even a very good one at that. I might invite him to camp to drop the gloves with the other prospects a few times, but that's all he's going to do at rookie camp. I haven't seen any indication of anything remotely close to the sort of hands his brother has.

Other 2010s: John Lawrence, Justin Kirsch.

2011 Outlook: Mackenzie Royer, Peter Kosterman are eligible. Kosterman is very interesting, but very raw. Jaynen Rissling is a 2012.

Kelowna Rockets 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Brett Bulmer / LW: Full profile

Geordie Wudrick / LW ('90, Re-entry): I can't blame LA for not signing him, as he hasn't developed quite as expected. But I think there will be some other team willing to give a 6-3 guy who can score in close a chance. Probably doesn't go as high as he did two years ago, but maybe somewhere after the 4th/5th round.

Antoine Corbin / D: Has decent size, okay skater, and can move the puck okay. But he's a little too polite in his own end and just doesn't offer enough offense to be a finesse d-man. Central's probably not the only one to have him on a list, but then again, it won't surprise me if he doesn't get picked.

Adam Brown / G: Quite a disappointment for scouts this season after making a bit of a name for himself at the 2009 Memorial Cup. There's some good raw quickness here, but is a technical mess. Way too scrambly and bad footwork. If he were bigger, you'd accept that and try to teach some technique, but he's a small 5-10. Not on my list, but it's possible some team likes the raw athleticism with a late pick or camp invite.

Spencer Main / C: Showed some flashes of some decent talent, but I think it's too sporadic to draw much interest as even a late draft pick. Still, his size and raw skill might be worth a camp invite.

Colton Jobke / D: Plays a pretty solid all-around game, and is on his way to becoming a pretty good shut-down defender at this level. But he's got tweener size and playing style, so it's hard to get very excited about the pro prospects here.

Mitchell Chapman / D: Sort of liked this guy in Salmon Arm last year, but just didn't really improve much this year. Has decent mobility for guy his size, but seemed to struggle getting the puck out of trouble. Maybe a camp invite for someone.

Max Adolph / C: Good defensive ability and decent penalty killer, but that's about it.

Cody Chikie / C: Should be a pretty good junior player, but is tiny.

Codey Ito / C: Smallish guy has some nice speed, but hasn't done much in major junior so far.

2011 Outlook: Shane McColgan, Sean Aschim, Jessey Astles. McColgan is a mid- to late-first round talent on my list already. Mackenzie Johnston is a 2012.

Portland Winterhawks 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ryan Johansen / C: Full profile

Nino Niederreiter / RW: Full profile

Troy Rutkowski / D: Full profile

Taylor Aronson / D: Full profile

Riley Boychuk / LW('91): He's a second year eligible, but having missed almost his entire 16 year old season with dual hip surgery, you have to give this guy some slack. Huge winger plays a rugged game and has some decent hands in close. Excellent fighter also. Skating needs work, but it did improve some this season. I'd really argue hard for grabbing this guy with a 6th/7th round pick and seeing where he is in two years.

Mac Carruth / G: There's a lot of raw talent and quickness here, but he really struggled to adjust to major junior and didn't play with much confidence. Technically raw. Doesn't have great footwork or angles. Wouldn't be a draft for me, but I could see some team liking the size and raw quickness enough to extend a camp invite.

Other 2010s: Gasper Kopitar, Taylor Peters

2011 Outlook: Ty Rattie, Joe Morrow, Seth Swenson, Tyler Wotherspoon. Rattie's offensive wizardry started to come around in the second half and is a top 50 talent as of now. Morrow isn't far behind (2nd or 3rd round) and brings a huge point shot and some puck moving ability.

Saskatoon Blades 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Curtis Hamilton / LW: If they still had the opt-in rule, his agent might tell him to wait until next year. Two broken collarbones adds some uncertainty. I was hoping he'd answer the questions this year I had about his somewhat soft style of play, but that didn't really happen this year. Has good hockey sense and some hands, but I can't decide if this guy could be a steal outside of the top 100 picks or too much of a risk. I think I'd just let some team with extra 3rd/4th round picks grab him.

Charles Inglis / C: I liked the scrappy, yappy agitator from last year, but he toned that down too much for like this year. Has nice speed, good forechecker, but the compete level seemed to be down a bit this season. Hands don't project to top two lines in the pros at all, but he could be a decent defensive/energy guy. Has some mid-round value.

Josh Nicholls / RW: Big framed and raw, but there could be some hidden upside here. Average skater, but the projectable size and hands are interesting. Might get some late round interest.

Curt Gogol / LW/D: I still like this guy a bit despite all the drama this season. Plays angry, and that's appealing, even though there doesn't seem to be much skill. Maybe not worth a pick, but invite him to your camp to throw some big hits and drop the gloves a few times.

Other 2010s: Braeden Johnson, Tyler Kizuik.

2011 Outlook: Brent Benson, Duncan Siemens. Both Benson and Siemens could be early rounders. Siemens and his rugged, but skilled style are the best bet for now, and could end up being a first rounder. Benson is a good two-way forward now, but will need to produce some offense next year. Dalton Thrower is a 2012.

Tri-City Americans 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Brendan Shinnimin / C: Wow, what a difference from last year. Everything improved in his game. Excellent speed and offensive hockey sense. Not afraid to stick his nose in traffic despite his smallish size. Only negative (other than the size) that I see is that he slows down a bit when handling the puck, but with his playmaking ability, that works okay for him. I'm stunned Central left this guy off their list - are there really 400 better prospects out there than this guy? I think he's a good value in the 4th round or so.

Jordan Messier / RW: Big guy has some very nice hands and a knack for getting to the net. He'd be higher if he skated better. Late round interest for me.

Patrick Holland / RW: Very raw, but he can really shoot the puck. Doesn't seem to like phyiscal contact much. Shooting touch alone should be enough to get a camp invite.

Brooks Macek / C: Smallish, smart playmaker. Good agility but skating isn't a huge plus. This is an excellent junior player, but there just isn't enough here to get very excited about the pro prospects.

Justin Feser / LW: Another good junior player, but too small and spends way too much time on the perimeter to be much of a pro prospect. Surprising how invisible he could be at times this season despite being on the scoresheet so much.

Other 2010s: Cody Castro, Tanner Olstad

2011 Outlook: Nils Moser, Dyrdn Dow, Zach Yuen. Yuen looks like he has some puck skill, but he hasn't produced much yet.

Prince Albert Raiders 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

Ryan Harrison / C: Gritty little guy oozes leadership and does whatever it takes to win. But his size and skill combination is underwhelming. One of those guys who you want to succeed. Decent speed and so-so offensive ability, but I hoped he'd put the puck in the net a lot more. Even if he doesn't make an impact in the NHL, he's the sort of player who can be a leader on your AHL squad. Worth a middle round pick.

Brandon Herrod / RW ('91): Second year eligible was one of the youngest players in last year's draft. Gets the most out of what he's got and has good work ethic. But that's not to say he doesn't have skill - has decent playmaking ability and shooting touch. Improvement I was looking for last season finally showed up this year. Thought he was worth at least a camp invite last year, and still think the same.

Jonathan Parker / RW: Quick hands and a good shot, but I'd like to see him go into traffic some more. Has some nice top speed, but takes him a few steps to wind it up. Looks a little too much of a perimeter player to me to be of much interest. Should be a good junior player, but really slumped after the trade from Seattle.

Emerson Hrynyk / D: Decent size and some okay two-way ability, should be a solid top four d-man for the Raiders over the next couple years, but not much of a pro prospect.

Tyler Yaworski / D: Has a big, lanky frame, but nothing to indicate he's much of a pro prospect as of yet.

Other 2010s: G Jacob Edwards.

2011 Outlook: Mark McNeill, Harrison Ruopp. McNeill has the kind of hands and instincts that seems like an early round talent.

Kamloops Blazers 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Brendan Ranford / LW: Full profile

Jordan DePape / RW: Full profile

Austin Madaisky / D: Disagree a bit with my boss on this guy, as he's buried in the late rounds on the Red Line list. I see a decent skater with some puck skills and a big time shot. Decent size and some willingness to use it too. But he's bad in his own end, which I don't worry too much about when you're looking at a big mobile guy in the 3rd round or later.

Josh Caron / D: Big fighter didn't interest me too much until that playoff series against the Giants - where he showed he actually can play a little bit. Got a lot of top 4 ice time in that series and showed he can think alright in his own end. Doesn't do anything with the puck, but he's big and plays very, very tough, and that's worth something. But not worth spending anything more than a 6th/7th.

Chase Schaber / C ('91): We always knew this guy had some pretty good skill level, and he finally started to show it off after the trade from Calgary. Still has that speed and fearless style, too. Was on our list late last year and as a sleeper that we like, and maybe some team finally saw it. Probably gets passed over again, but deserves a camp invite.

Brandon Underwood / D: Thought this guy looked like something the first time I saw him as a 16-year old rookie, but the game just hasn't come along. Good size and a decent skater, but does not seem to have much hockey sense. Physical play and size might get him a camp invite.

Dalibor Bortnak / LW ('91): Second year eligible was on our list last year, and he's still got intriguing size and work ethic. But still has no hands.

Matej Bene / LW: Pretty forgettable as a pro prospect, but still could be a decent junior player.

Ryan Hanes / LW: Expected a lot more production from this guy this season. Seems to have good energy and hockey sense, but I'm pretty shocked this guy only had 6 points. I saw some flashes of skill from this guy, but there's zero chance any scout is going to convince their boss to spend any round pick on a 5-10 guy with 6 points.

2011 Outlook: Tyler Hansen, Colin Smith, Dylan Willick, Rhyse Dieno, J.C. Lipon. Wow, what a young team with some good talent. Smith already looks like a possible top 100 candidate with his hands and speed. Willick is shifty and talented, but is going to have to prove he's willing to get involved physically. Hansen and Lipon will also be worth watching.

Brandon Wheat Kings 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Mark Stone / RW: Good shooting touch. Big frame. Stride improved a bit this season, but still has heavy feet and will need to improve skating. Is on my list as a mid- to late-rounder, but he might go earlier.

Michael Ferland / LW: Good fighter, can contribute a little on offense. But if I'm picking a guy just as a fighter, ideally he'd have more size than this guy does. He's got a decent shot at going late, but he just misses the cut on my list.

Brenden Walker / RW: Didn't take much notice of this guy until the playoffs, but he showed some grit and energy when it counted most. Has some smarts and skill. Could get a late round look or at least a camp invite.

2011 Outlook: ~~Klarc Wilson,~~ Jesse Sinatynski, Jordan Fransoo, Liam Liston, Ryler Miller are eligible. No one really excites me yet, but Miller's a decent skater and his toughness is interesting. Sinatynski seems to have some hands. ~~Wilson has a lot of raw ability and will be worth watching in his first full season in the WHL.~~

Everett Silvertips 2010 Eligibles

2010-06-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Alex Theriau / D: There's a lot of raw talent here and quite a bit of upside. Very good skater and a lot of puck ability. But I expected a bit more regular offensive production. Okay size, but struggles to be effective physically - but I give him credit for consistently throwing the body around. I probably wouldn't consider him until the 3rd/4th round, and there's a chance he could sneak into the top 75 picks.

Kent Simpson / G: Everyone likes this goaltender better than I do. I saw him a lot this season, but he wasn't very good every time. I see huge holes up high and don't like his angles or play reading. Those are major red flags. But he does have some size and decent feet. He'll go quite a bit higher than I'd slot him, possibly in the late-2nd to early-4th round range.

Radko Gudas / D ('90): Was on the Red Line list two years ago, and he was amazing in his first season in North America. Just outstanding d-zone smarts and tough to play against. But does it translate to the pro ranks? The next level is a much faster game, so even as good as he is in the WHL he'll have a lot of adjustments to make. Problem is, he's a tweener - stay-at-home style but not the size to play it in the NHL. Still, his hockey sense is so good that he's worth a middle round pick.

Scott MacDonald / LW: Some speed and good offensive sense, but plays way too polite a game. Should be a good junior player but not a pro prospect at this point.

Markus McCrea / LW: Big guy looks even bigger than his listed 6-3 and has some hands, but he can't skate.

D. Jay McGrath / C: Little guy really competes, but I haven't seen any hands yet.

Gabe Minville / D: Don't know if anyone saw this guy. I know I didn't, and I saw Everett a ton of times this season.

2011 Outlook: Campbell Elynuik, Josh Winquist. And 2012-eligible Ryan Murray already is creating quite a buzz among NHL scouts with all his end-to-end rushes and strong playoff performance. He might be the early favorite for top Dub prospect in 2012.

2010 Alphabetical Index

2010-06-21T07:18:00.001-07:00

Alphabetical index. Grades (in the reports) are on the 20-to-80 scale.

This table will be updated as I add reports.

Taylor Aronson	D-R	30-Dec-91	6-0.25/196	Portland WHL
Beau Bennett	RW/C-R	27-Nov-91	6-0.5/173	Penticton BCHL
Brett Bulmer	RW-R	26-Apr-92	6-2.25/175	Kelowna WHL
Tyler Bunz	G-L	11-Feb-92	6-1.25/196	Medicine Hat WHL
Brett Connolly	RW-R	02-May-92	6-2.0/181	Prince George WHL
Jordan DePape	RW-R	20-Jun-92	5-10.5/187	Kamloops WHL
Emerson Etem	LW-L	16-Jun-92	6-0.25/190	Medicine Hat WHL
Ryan Harrison	C-R	31-Mar-92	5-9.25/185	Prince Albert WHL
Quinton Howden	LW-L	21-Jan-92	6-2.0/182	Moose Jaw WHL
Ryan Johansen	C-R	31-Jul-92	6-2.0/192	Portland WHL
Joey Leach	D-L	29-Jan-92	6-3.0/187	Kootenay WHL
Matt MacKenzie	D-R	15-Oct-91	6-1.0/191	Calgary WHL
Austin Madaisky	D-R	30-Jan-92	6-1.75/185	Kamloops WHL
Dylan McIlrath	D-R	20-Apr-92	6-4.25/212	Moose Jaw WHL
Nino Niederreiter	RW-L	08-Sep-92	6-1.5/201	Portland WHL
Alex Petrovic	D-R	03-Mar-92	6-4.0/193	Red Deer WHL
Calvin Pickard	G-L	15-Apr-92	6-0.5/195	Seattle WHL
Mark Pysyk	D-R	11-Jan-92	6-1.25/174	Edmonton WHL
Brendan Ranford	LW-L	03-May-92	5-9.5/182	Kamloops WHL
Brad Ross	LW-L	28-May-92	5-11.5/175	Portland WHL
Troy Rutkowski	D-R	29-Apr-92	6-1.75/208	Portland WHL
Brendan Shinnimin	C-L	07-Jan-91	5-9.75/179	Tri-City WHL
Mark Stone	RW-R	13-May-92	6-2.25/188	Brandon WHL
Kevin Sundher	C-L	18-Jan-92	5-11.75/192	Chilliwack WHL
Alex Theriau	D-R	14-Feb-92	6-1.5/189	Everett WHL
Jordan Weal	C-R	15-Apr-92	5-9.5/162	Regina WHL

Brendan Ranford / LW / Kamloops WHL

2010-06-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Brendan Ranford / Kamloops Blazers WHL

LW-L / 5-9.5, 182 / 03-May-92

Skating: 60 / Skill: 70 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 55 / Toughness: 55

Strengths: Good hockey sense. Good hands and has a nice shooting touch.

Weaknesses: Size and skating combination is underwhelming.

--

Underrated skill level. Shoots the puck pretty well. Can do a lot of things on offense. Has good two-way hockey sense. Competes and isn't afraid of doing battle despite his smallish size.

Skating is decent, but you hold 5-10 guys to a higher standard. He's going to need to find a way to be more elusive at the next level if he wants to score. But has such good hockey sense, that I think he can contribute as a 3rd/4th liner.

Summary: I'd really like this guy if he skated better, but at his size he needs to be quicker. Even so, he's got 2nd round offense and hockey sense. So I wouldn't let him slide too far. I think he's great value anywhere in the 4th round.

Draft Day: Could be a nice steal in the middle rounds, I don't see him going much earlier than the late 3rd.

Jordan DePape / RW / Kamloops WHL

2010-06-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jordan DePape / Kamloops Blazers WHL

RW-R / 5-10.5, 187 / 20-Jun-92

Skating: 50 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 50 / Toughness: 40

Strengths: Excellent hands and offensive instincts. Can stickhandle in tight areas. Good shot. Quick feet and good agility.

Weaknesses: Smallish. Stride is a little short and doesn't have great speed. Behind in the development curve.

--

Almost a forgotten prospect, but the surge after the trade to Kamloops brought him back on the radar. Has good smarts in the offensive zone and can shoot the puck pretty well. The wasted year in the MJHL means he's a bit behind the other prospects in this draft class.

Summary: This guy caught the attention of scouts at the U-17 two seasons ago, but had trouble getting going as a 17 year old rookie for Brandon. But after the trade and the more I saw this guy in the second half, the more I started to think of this guy as a good middle round sleeper. He's got the sort of hands you usually don't find outside of the first 100 picks.

Draft Day: Should get consideration in the 5th/6th rounds.

Tyler Bunz / G / Medicine Hat WHL

2010-06-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Tyler Bunz / Medicine Hat Tigers WHL

G-L / 6-1.25, 196 / 11-Feb-92

Strengths: Good overall quickness. Decent size. Good footwork.

Weaknesses: Can get a little scrambly at times. Tends to go down too early. Might not have #1 upside.

--

Has looked very good every time I've seen him the last two seasons, but the numbers never quite seemed to match the talent. But the numbers started to come around late this season and during the playoffs.

Looks to me like he bulked up quite a bit this season, and I wonder if that's hurt his quickness a bit. Seemed much quicker last season, but still has pretty quick legs and gets around the crease smoothly. There's a good mix of technicals and raw athleticism here, and I don't see any real serious flaws.

Summary: I like this guy much better than Kent Simpson, but I probably still wouldn't spend anything more than a 4th on him. I think the consensus opinion has him a bit underrated.

Draft Day: Should go in the middle rounds.

Joey Leach / LD / Kootenay WHL

2010-06-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Joey Leach / Kootenay Ice WHL

D-L / 6-3.0, 187 / 29-Jan-92

Skating: 40 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 55 / Toughness: 70

Strengths: Big frame. Plays rugged style. Good d-zone smarts. Raw, but greatly improved offensive ability.

Weaknesses: Skating isn't great. Limited offensive upside.

--

One of the most interesting mid-round guys available. Huge and plays big. Loves to use the body and is a punishing hitter. But still very responsible defensively. Loves to throw big hits and defends the crease area with enthusiasm. Can fight pretty well.

Isn't a great skater, but I saw quite a bit of improvement in his stride and pivots this season, so I'll gamble on this guy in the hopes he can get his skating to where it needs to be in a couple of years.

Greatly improved puck ability over the last season and a half. A lot more confident making a first pass and started to contribute on Kootenay's power play in the 2nd half. But as of now he projects as pretty much a pure stay-at-home guy in the pros. And that might be enough anyway - with his size and toughness, if he can provide anything more than just getting the puck out safely, that will be gravy at the next level.

Has grown at least an inch in the last year. And the second half surge in offense indicates this guy's development is just getting started. There is some slight chance this guy could surprise everyone with some decent offensive upside, which is why I really like this player.

Summary: This would be one of my favorite guys to try and sneak away with in the late 3rd or 4th round. I think we've only just begun to see the improvement, but this is a pure projection guy. If you can get him with a middle-round pick, you aren't risking much to get some decent upside.

Draft Day: Is a bit of a wildcard. I have a feeling there will be a team or two worried about missing out on him and spending an early 3rd on him. But I think he's more likely to last until the 4th. He's a steal in the 5th or later.

Alex Petrovic / RD / Red Deer WHL

2010-06-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Alex Petrovic / Red Deer Rebels WHL

D-R / 6-4.0, 193 / 03-Mar-92

Skating: 60 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 45 / Compete: 70 / Toughness: 65

Strengths: Nice combination of size and skating. Decent puck skill. Good character.

Weaknesses: Doesn't seem to think the game well in d-zone. Needs to be more effective using his size.

--

Has more to offer at the offensive end than he gets credit for. Has good passing touch and a hard shot, but he's got to show a little more desire to get involved offensively. Makes a pretty good first pass. Skating is a big plus here. Has good feet and a smooth, long stride. Overall mobility is pretty good.

Consistently physical, but is never really punishing. But for all the size and strength he has, he loses a lot of battles for the puck that he should win. But has a huge frame and should be a very strong 220-230 pounds by the time he hits his prime. Good character, sticks up for his teammates, and is willing to drop the gloves.

Now the bad news. This guy's reactions in the d-zone just flat out confuse me. I just can't understand how a guy with this kind of agility gets beat so often in his own end. Usually you tend to think you can teach a guy positioning and gap control, but I have to wonder a bit on this one. And it's not really gap control - usually he seems to take a good angle, but then just doesn't react as the forward makes a move. Other times he tends to run around a bit and chase the puck carrier. I see the need for a lot of remedial work on his d-zone play.

Summary: Everyone thinks this is a safe pick. I think the opposite - he's one of the riskier picks in this draft. Maybe it's that Rebels jersey, but he looks a lot like Jeff Woywitka to me. I'll put up with mistakes a d-man makes that come from aggressiveness, but this guy's mistakes are not of that nature. That said, there's more offensive upside here than people are giving him credit for, that that plus the size/skating combination makes him a worthwhile 2nd round roll of the dice.

Draft Day: Probably goes either very late in the 1st or with the first few picks of the 2nd. A bit ahead of where I'd consider him.

Mark Pysyk / RD / Edmonton WHL

2010-06-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Mark Pysyk / Edmonton Oil Kings WHL

D-R / 6-1.25, 174 / 11-Jan-92

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 45 / Compete: 35 / Toughness: 35

Strengths: Tremendous first pass ability. Good (but a bit overrated) skater. Good hands

Weaknesses: Soft. Lacks natural instincts. Plays with no passion or intensity.

--

I can see why some like this guy - his skating and puck moving are first round ingredients. But I just can't get over the soft play and inability to put the package of skills to productive use.

Quick feet, good agility, and good pivots. Stride looks a little short at times, however. Very good overall skater, but nowhere near the elite level some describe him as.

His first pass ability is fantastic, as he has a seriously good knack for making a nice breakout pass. But everything else he does with the puck leaves me scratching my head. Does not seem to make real good decisions inside the offensive zone. I see good hands and puck handling skill, but it just never seems to amount to much of anything offensively.

Defensively I don't much care for his game. His skating allows him to position well, but he just doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in the game from his own end. Does not win many physical battles and almost never initiates contact. Just seems to be going through the motions out there - and that's always a major concern for me.

Summary: I just can't get on board with this guy. He's going to go way higher than I'd ever consider taking him. To me, he's either Steve McCarthy or a soft version of Eric Doyle. Almost a "no interest" guy for me, but I suppose I'd grab him if he somehow slid to the 3rd or 4th. But that's not going to happen.

Draft Day: I guess there seems to be consensus on this guy going in the first, but I might be the only one who won't raise an eyebrow if he slides past pick 30.

Taylor Aronson / RD / Portland WHL

2010-06-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Taylor Aronson / Portland Winterhawks WHL

D-R / 6-0.25, 196 / 30-Dec-91

Skating: 60 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 45 / Toughness: 45

Strengths: Very good all-around raw ability and some nice offensive smarts. Good puck moving and puck carrying skills. Good skater.

Weaknesses: Has yet to put everything together consistently. Average size means he needs to contribute offensively to be valuable.

--

I've seen plenty of this guy, and I've seen him do a little bit of everything at different times this season. Can be solid and physical in his own end. Or can take the puck end-to-end and generate offense off the rush.

But for most of the season he just did nothing. But I'd give this guy a lot of leeway on that, since he made a huge jump in levels this season (played Midget in Los Angeles the previous year). And since he finished the season and playoffs strong, that matters most.

Summary: I had just about written off this guy after watching him sleepwalk through most of the season. But then he turned it on in the last two weeks and was arguably Portland's best defenseman in the playoffs. Maybe it just took him that long to get comfortable in major junior. He's got top four puck-moving/puck-carrying raw skill and is one of those oh-so desirable late bloomers.

Draft Day: Serious sleeper and quite a wildcard. I honestly wouldn't be shocked to see him go as high as about 40-50 overall. But if he's available in the 3rd, I'd really be pounding the table to roll the dice on this guy somewhere near the 70-80 range. But if NHL teams are skeptical of the short burst of brilliance late, he could slide to the 4th or later. Hard to figure where he'll go.

Brad Ross / LW / Portland WHL

2010-06-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Brad Ross / Portland Winterhawks WHL

LW-L / 5-11.5, 175 / 28-May-92

Skating: 65 / Skill: 50 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 65 / Toughness: 70

Strengths: Makes life miserable for opponents. Very good skater. Improved skill level this season.

Weaknesses: Limited offensive upside. Might be a bit smallish to play his style in the NHL.

--

Ultra competitive and irritates opponents to the point of distraction. Always looks for the big hit. In every scrum after the whistle and will drop the gloves with anyone.

Underrated skater - has very good top speed and quickness. Uses speed well on the forecheck and always forces d-men to make a quick decision with the puck (and usually finishes the check with a big hit).

Skill level was the biggest question mark on this player coming into this season, but the hands started to come around and produced a lot more offense than scouts expected. And it's not just a benefit of being on the Niederreiter/Johansen line. He's got some legitimate offensive ability. It's worth considering that this guy was a big scorer in Bantam and had a bit of a late growth spurt, so the coordination might have suffered from that. But having said that, I don't think he's more than a 10-15 goal guy in the NHL.

Played some of his best hockey while Niederreiter was away at World Juniors, which was a surprising revelation. But was quite underwhelming in the playoffs, where it was clear he had the leash on him and was trying to stay out of the penalty box. Struggled to make a difference in the playoffs.

Summary: The hands coming around really help his status as a prospect and give him some more role possibilities (2nd or 3rd line, rather than just 4th line). But there is a little bit of concern about how such an intense personality will handle himself off the ice. But he's got so many ingredients that should play well in the NHL. Don't quite like this guy as much as my boss does (he's in the 1st round in the Red Line Draft Guide), but I still think he's a solid pick in the 30-40 range.

Draft Day: I don't think he goes in the first, but you never know. Probably a safe bet to go somewhere in the 2nd.

Troy Rutkowski / RD / Portland WHL

2010-06-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Troy Rutkowski / Portland Winterhawks WHL

D-R / 6-1.75, 208 / 29-Apr-92

Skating: 50 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 50 / Toughness: 45

Strengths: Excellent offensive ability and power play skills. Can rush or move the puck equally well. Good size. Good off-ice work ethic.

Weaknesses: Wildly inconsistent and need to gain confidence. Skating is questionable.

--

At various times this season, this guy gave you every reason to like him - great skill from the back end, outstanding power play skills, and even some rare flashes of physical ruggedness in his own end. But for most of this season, he just did nothing.

Power play ability was his most consistent positive. Handles the puck well inside the zone and has a knack for moving laterally to find a shooting lane for himself. Has a very accurate shot (although not all that hard) from the point. Almost never uses his slapshot.

Don't quite know what to grade him on skating. Sometimes it looked like a 70, other times barely a 40. For the most part, though, he doesn't have very quick feet or a very long stride. But sometimes he'll surprise you with a nice rush that displays some speed and lateral quickness.

Showed some rare flashes of rugged, physical play in his own zone. But usually his decision making was awfully tentative in his own end. Puck moving and offensive ability will be his ticket to the next level.

Summary: This guy's game was all over the place this season. Looked like a first rounder early in the season, but if I hadn't seen that and only saw him in the middle of the season I would wonder what the big deal is. For an inconsistent player, I try to remind myself that when he's at his best, you're looking at upside - and for this guy there's a ton of upside and could turn into a good offensive #3. And he's worked hard to get himself into shape, so there's good work ethic and desire there. I'd argue pretty hard for this guy after the 45th pick or so.

Draft Day: Very much a wildcard. There are some teams who just love puck skills from the blueline and will overlook everything else - those are the kind of teams that wouldn't hesitate to spend a high 2nd rounder on him. But he seems more likely to me a 50-80 overall guy. I'd be really surprised if he's not gone my the middle of the 3rd.

Kevin Sundher / C / Chilliwack WHL

2010-06-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Kevin Sundher / Chilliwack Bruins WHL

C-L / 5-11.75, 192 / 18-Jan-92

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 60 / Toughness: 55

Strengths: Good straight line speed. Competes and will throw the body around. Decent hands.

Weaknesses: Turning and stop/starts aren't real good. Doesn't handle the puck or make plays at speed very well.

--

This guy has some pretty nice top speed, but he struggles to use it. Has a knack for carrying the puck end-to-end, but too often those rushes end up with him circling behind the net and not generating much of a scoring chance. Good hands - nice stickhandler and has a decent shot - but only when he's slowed down.

Grades out as a 75 on pure speed, but turning and agility drop the overall skating grade. Is a little bit of a Todd Marchant kind of player who can beat defensemen but not so much goaltenders. That said, he does have some shooting touch, and can pick up garbage goals and finish chances in close.

Lots of energy and likes to play physical. Probably doesn't have the size to be that type of player in the NHL, but at least you have to give him credit for some grit, which is a must have for players of all sizes to be successful NHLers. But I have seen him give up the puck at times to avoid being hit, and that's a bit of a red flag.

Summary: This guy is a little underrated, but I still have a hard time figuring out just what he's going to be in the pros. He's got the speed and tenacity to be a pretty decent checking forward, but I like to see better defensive hockey sense for guys I project to be 3rd liners. Still there's a lot of good raw ingredients here and he could be a decent 3rd/4th round value.

Draft Day: Has been a bit underrated all year, but maybe everyone is having the same concern - what's he going to be at the next level? Probably not going to get a look before the 3rd/4th round.

Jordan Weal / C / Regina WHL

2010-06-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

Jordan Weal / Regina Pats WHL

C-R / 5-9.5, 162 / 15-Apr-92

Skating: 65 / Skill: 75 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 65 / Toughness: 60

Strengths: Great instincts for the game. Excellent creativity. High compete level.

Weaknesses: Size (obviously). Not quite the speed or quickness such a small player really needs to have.

--

Very good inside the offensive zone. Very creative and makes things happen with the puck. Really distributes the puck smartly. Not real dynamic in an end-to-end or off the rush sense. Has good speed and quickness - but for a player this small, you tend to hold their skating a bit higher standard. His top speed and lateral quickness is a shade below what you want from a guy this size.

Really competes and isn't afraid of battling physically or taking a hit to make a play. But he's going to have to find a way to be more elusive at the next level.

Normally you'd look at Central's measurement of Weal at 5-9.5 and not be too worried about that (Zach Boychuk and Tyler Ennis weren't any bigger and both went in the first round). But Weal looks like he's done growing and has a small frame. And that's a concern.

Summary: This guy can flat out play the game. But he's just not likely to get any bigger at all. He'll struggle to become a top two line player, but my bet is he'll still contribute as a 3rd/4th line guy and maybe a power play specialist. But I wouldn't want to spend a top 45 pick on him, I'd probably not consider him until the 3rd round.

Draft Day: Kind of hard to figure, but I'd guess he's gone before the end of the 3rd round. Could even be a 2nd rounder. But you have to wonder - if Brandon Kozun lasts until the 6th round, why would this guy go so much earlier?

Beau Bennett / RW / Penticton BCHL

2010-06-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Beau Bennett / Penticton Vees BCHL

RW/C-R / 6-0.5, 173 / 27-Nov-91

Skating: 65 / Skill: 70 / Sense: 75 / Compete: 40 / Toughness: 35

Strengths: Great vision and offensive instincts. Tremendous hands. Good skater.

Weaknesses: Plays the game on cruise most of the time. No physical game and avoids the high traffic areas.

The Nintendo numbers jump right out at you. So does the creativity and skill when you see him live. But after several viewings, the doubts creep in a bit.

The offensive ability is some of the best available in this draft. Great all-around offensive skills - terrific shot, excellent stickhandling, and great vision. Always seems to find open linemates with a crisp pass. Excellent shooting touch with a quick release and good accuracy. Has a wicked one-timer and can score in a lot of ways.

Deceptively good skater, with very agility and top speed. Long stride, but first couple steps are only okay. Very shifty and can handle puck really well when he gets going at top speed. Comes back hard defensively when his team needs it, but for the most part the Vees only needed him and Denver Manderson hanging out high in the zone ready to do their thing when the puck came to them.

Does not display a real high energy/effort level. Very slight build and will need to get stronger. Speed and agility allowed him to pretty much never get challenged physically in this league - and that is a big unknown. You'd like to see how a guy handles being hit and having less space to work with. We won't find out with this guy until he moves to the next level.

Wasn't until the 2nd round (Westside) and conference finals (Vernon) where the opposition provided tighter checking defense. Penticton head coach Fred Harbinson split Bennett and Manderson (who seemed to have such chemistry together the whole season) into separate lines in those playoff series, and had Bennett center his own line (despite playing RW for most of the season). Still don't understand that move, as Bennett struggled at that position and was very underwhelming.

Was very high on this guy for most of the season, but the disappearing act late highlighted the boom-or-bust risk of this player.

Summary: His stick-to-the-perimeter act and struggles late in the playoffs were a big red flag for me. I had visions of Ivan Huml dancing in my head after that. But there might be only two or three guys in this draft that have better hands. Ultra high risk, high reward - either he turns into a 1st/2nd liner for you or takes his perimeter show to the European pro leagues for the rest of his career. If it got to about the 22-25 range and Howden was gone, I'd roll the dice on this guy.

Draft Day: I think there's a consensus on him in the 20-30 area. But he's got the kind of offensive ability that I could see a team falling in love with and getting paranoid about missing out on - so a surprise appearance in the middle of the first round (13-20) isn't out of the question.

Emerson Etem / LW / Medicine Hat WHL

2010-06-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Emerson Etem / Medicine Hat Tigers WHL

LW-L / 6-0.25, 190 / 16-Jun-92

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 60 / Toughness: 40

Strengths: Exceptional straight line speed. Excellent finisher in the slot. Consistently gets open for scoring chances.

Weaknesses: Game is one-dimensional. Turning and agility is sub-par. Not much of a physical game.

--

Does one thing really well offensively: get open in the slot and bury his scoring chances. Other than that, he doesn't really do much with the puck. Is not a great stickhandler or real creative.

Hockey sense is both very good and very bad. Very good in that he knows where to go away from the puck and has a knack for getting himself into scoring position. Very bad in almost every other respect, as he doesn't show real good anticipation defensively. Frequently behind the play and chasing the puck carrier.

Straight line speed is outstanding, but everything else about his skating is worrysome. Has an odd looking stride and doesn't seem to turn or stop/start quickly. Just does not have any elusiveness with the puck - he's got to beat a d-man wide or else he won't generate a chance.

Has very good overall strength, but doesn't use it. Does not initiate much contact. Despite somewhat soft play, does have good work ethic and energy level.

Summary: No real red flags with this guy, but enough yellow flags to make me wonder. I could live with the bad turns and somewhat soft play, but the overall hockey sense is the big concern for me. But 44 goals in 84 total games in his first stint in major junior is really hard to ignore. That kind of ability to put the puck in the net usually translates to the next level, but I can't reconcile the problems I see to the numbers on the stat sheet. In the end, this guy is going to go higher than where I'd consider him.

Draft Day: Should go right in the middle of the first round. Either sneaking into the top ten or sliding a bit to the back of the 1st round isn't impossible.

Calvin Pickard / G / Seattle WHL

2010-06-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Calvin Pickard / Seattle Thunderbirds WHL

G-L / 6-0.5, 195 / 15-Apr-92

Quickness: 55 / Glove: 60 / Reads: 55 / Technique: 65 / Poise: 70

Strengths: Excellent mental approach and consistency. Technically advanced game. Handles the puck well.

Weaknesses: Might be slightly lacking overall quickness. Makes occasional wrong read. Average size.

Plays with great poise and confidence. Aggressive and comes way out to challenge shooters. Excellent at waiting for shooters to make the first move. Much, much less scrambly than he was in his rookie season.

Has a quick glove, but does not always catch the puck cleanly. Decent leg quickness - his overall quickness might be a bit underrated since his positioning is so good. Very good on rebound control with the pads. Gets post to post pretty well.

Very consistent and always played his best despite playing a ton of minutes and seeing a ton of shots. On some rare occasions did not read plays correctly, but that's probably inevitable with the chaos that was the Thunderbirds defensive corps in front of him.

Summary: I might be slightly overrating this guy because of the dearth of decent goaltending prospects in the west for the last few years. Slightly better prospect than his brother was at the same age, but Chet had better size. But he seems like a safe bet to become at least a solid #2 for most teams.

Draft Day: I'd guess he'll go in the 2nd half of the 1st round. A slide to 30-40 range isn't unthinkable, but would surprise me a bit.

Quinton Howden / LW / Moose Jaw WHL

2010-06-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Quinton Howden / Moose Jaw Warriors WHL

LW-L / 6-2.0, 182 / 21-Jan-92

Skating: 70 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 55 / Toughness: 40

Strengths: Excellent speed and quickness. Very good shooting touch. Good energy level.

Weaknesses: Lacks strength and does not use his size at all. Overall hockey sense isn't great. Needs a playmaking linemate to generate offense.

--

Has three big ingredients: size, skating, and shooting touch. But he's a ways from putting it together. Plays a finesse style - he could be 5-9 and get the same results he does now. Does have a projectable frame, but does not really battle physically and gets knocked off the puck too easily. Started to protect the puck a little better late in the season, but still needs to add a lot of overall strength.

But lucky for him, he has the speed and quickness that make it hard for d-men to get a clean hit on him. Excellent top speed and first step quickness. Has a knack for stealing passes and getting to the other end quickly. Does not display real good vision or playmaking ability. Most of his offense comes from speed and ability to unload a shot quickly from the slot or on the move. Has an excellent release and very good accuracy. Gets a lot on his wrist shot.

Overall, his game is still quite unrefined. It's hard not to look at a 6-2 guy and come away disappointed with just how finesse a style he plays. But at the end of the game, he'll have had several prime scoring chances. Doesn't really create for himself and particularly struggled when linemate Jason Bast was on the shelf with an injury in Nov/Dec. But this shouldn't be much of a concern at the NHL level if you can line him up with a playmaker.

Defensive game and play away from the puck will need quite a bit of work. Consistently gives a good effort and has a lot of energy, but you'd like to see him get in there and battle even just a little bit. Doesn't play scared at all, but you have to wonder if he won't frustrate coaches with his lack of physical play. It's usually futile to assume a gentle giant will somehow find a nasty edge - you either have that grit or you don't - no one's going to teach it to you.

Summary: Despite the negatives, I do like this player. If I thought he was scared I wouldn't have him this high. The skating and shot will play, but he might take some extra time for the rest of his game to come along. The natural hockey sense just isn't quite there, and that does indicate some bust potential. And he's going to have to play on your top two lines to contribute.

Draft Day: Seems like a guy who is widely considered a 20-35 range guy, and with his skating and hands might be a bit of a steal there. But you have to know that he might take some development time. Underwhelming performance in Minsk could drop him out of the 1st round, but he becomes a steal if he slides past 30-35.

Matt MacKenzie / RD / Calgary WHL

2010-06-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Matt MacKenzie / Calgary Hitmen WHL

D-R / 6-1.0, 191 / 15-Oct-91

Skating: 55 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 65 / Toughness: 55

Strengths: Excellent hockey sense. Plays a complete two-way game. Solid puck skills.

Weaknesses: Skating is decent - but you wish it was better for an average sized d-man. Average size. Might not be a lot of upside - what you see is what you get.

Does so many things well, but isn't flashy. Combine that with the fact that his sophomore season was a huge disappointment for scouts, and it's easy to overlook this guy. If you're worried about the slow development, consider his role on the Hitmen for the last two seasons - they've had a deep, veteran-laden defensive corps the previous two seasons. It wasn't until this season that he even really had much opportunity to get top-four or special teams minutes.

Raw offensive skills that we saw in his first two seasons finally started to come together this year. Moves the puck well and can run the power play. Has a hard shot from the point, but accuracy isn't great - tends to use it to generate rebounds rather than try to hit the corners to beat the goaltender.

Plus skater with decent footspeed, but you wish he were just a bit faster given the offensive style he plays. That said, there's nothing about his stride that is a red flag - backward stride, pivots, overall quickness is all at least a bit above average.

Defensive zone play improved greatly this season. Thinks the game well. Makes the right plays in all three zones. Has a knack for keeping opponents to the outside and filling the seams. Also picked up the physical play, but he's probably not going to be much of a banger in the NHL. However, he has good strength and should be able to hold his own in battles for the puck at the next level.

Summary: Western based scouts are probably underrating this guy a bit since they've seen so much of him in the last three seasons. But his tremendous play during the post season was a reminder of why scouts were so excited about this guy back when he was 16. Safe bet to be a solid 2nd or 3rd pairing guy who can also be a 2nd unit power play regular. The hockey sense just makes him such a safe pick.

That and there is a thought in the back of my brain that he reminds me just a tiny bit of Mike Green at the same age. So I've got a little gut feel that there could be some surprise upside here. I wouldn't hesitate spending a pick in the 20-30 range on this guy, but I might be the only one who likes this guy that much.

Draft Day: Everyone thinks he's going to go right in the middle of the 2nd round, but given how good he was in the playoffs I won't be surprised if he sneaks into the back of the 1st. But 30-45 seems most likely to me.

Dylan McIlrath / RD / Moose Jaw WHL

2010-06-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Dylan McIlrath / Moose Jaw Warriors WHL

D-R / 6-4.25, 212 / 20-Apr-92

Skating: 45 / Skill: 50 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 70 / Toughness: 75

Strengths: Tough, mean SOB who is just nasty to play against. Smart and solid in his own end. Has Tyler Myers-like pokecheck ability.

Weaknesses: Skating is average at best. Limited offense.

This is the kind of guy we're talking about when we describe a d-man as "rugged". Loves to hit and make opponents pay the price. Big open ice hitter. Uses the hip check effectively. Tremendous and eager fighter.

Offensive ability is not yet there, but many are selling his upside short. Shows flashes of jumping into the offense smartly and ability to shoot the puck. Feet are just a little bit slow. But his stride got longer this season and he does have some decent straight line speed that helps him recover if he get surprised by a speedy forward. (But yes, if a scout writes "good recovery speed" down as a note, that is not really a positive thing.) Underrated first pass ability - just keeps it simple and gets it out of trouble with reliability. That's all he'll need to be an effective NHLer.

Made some big strides defensively this season. Used to run around a lot looking for the big hit, but now is very effective and smart in the d-zone. Positioning is solid, but often has to give a bigger gap because he's not the best skater. However, his huge reach makes up for that and allows him to be very disruptive with the poke/sweep checks. Makes opponents pay for coming into the crease.

Oh, and did I mention, this guy can really throw 'em in a fight?

Summary: Your assessment of this guy probably depends on how you view his skating. It's not a huge negative for me, but it's not unreasonable to think his pivoting and backward stride are a serious red flag. But I saw a fair bit of improvement in his skating, and there should be more of that to come. I think his offense will come around and let him be at least a good #4. But even in the absolute worst case, if you have to convert him to a 3rd/4th line right wing enforcer, he's going to be a guy that other teams wish they had.

Draft Day: I love this guy and I think he'll surprise on draft day. Scouts who have seen a lot of him understand he's got a more well-rounded game than he gets credit for. If I was picking in the 8-15 range, I'd really argue for this guy. (I'd slot him ahead of Connolly if my team medical specialists expressed any concern about Connolly's hips.) Somewhere in the 15-25 range seems most likely, and I can't imagine him dropping much further than that.

Nino Niederreiter / RW / Portland WHL

2010-06-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Nino Niederreiter / Portland Winterhawks WHL

RW-L / 6-1.5, 205 / 08-Sep-92

Skating: 60 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 75 / Toughness: 65

Strengths: Plays with a ton of passion. Hates to lose. Has an excellent shooting touch. Good strength and likes to be physical.

Weaknesses: First step quickness is lacking. Not terribly dynamic off the rush. Needs help from linemates to create scoring chances.

So much for Swiss stereotypes. Competes hard all the time and has an obvious passion for the game. If he were named Neil Niederchuk, he'd be the poster boy for the North American hard hat and lunch bucket style of play. Except this guy also brings a lot of Euro offense.

Shooting touch is his best asset. Accurate, hard shot and has a tremendous release. Good one-timer. Always seems to force goaltenders to make a tough save no matter where he's shooting from. Excellent hands, can stickhandle and make nice crisp passes, but still figuring out how to use his linemates. Has some decent speed, but takes a couple steps to get going. Outstanding agility and balance. Skating is a plus overall.

Tries to play a dynamic, game-breaking end-to-end kind of style at times, but that part of his game is unrefined and held back by slight lack of quickness. Can also play a blue collar style effectively. Loves to throw the body around. Does a lot of dirty work. Put on quite a bit of muscle on before this season and has good overall strength. Underrated defensively.

Seemed to sag late in the season, as he just didn't have the jump in his legs, probably due to having played in far more games than ever before in his career. Dug down and found some extra jump in the playoffs, and played some of his best hockey in the postseason.

Summary: Goal scoring ability alone will play well in the NHL. That combined with the compete level makes him one of the safest picks in the draft. Will contribute whether he tops out as a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd line winger.

Draft Day: Back end of the top ten, in the 5-10 range. I don't really see him going much higher or lower than that.

Ryan Johansen / C / Portland WHL

2010-06-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ryan Johansen / Portland Winterhawks WHL

C-R / 6-2, 192 / 31-Jul-92

Skating: 60 / Skill: 70 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 60 / Toughness: 55

Strengths: Great playmaking ability. Plays a complete game. Has steadily got better for the last two seasons.

Weaknesses: Skating stride could be a bit smoother. Lacks natural physical aggression. Not a great pure shooter.

--

Has come a long way in the last two or three years. Had a late growth spurt and seemed to be improving his athletic coordination right before our eyes this season.

Terrific vision and passing ability. Has a knack for protecting the puck down low, drawing the defense out of position, and then hitting linemates with a sharp pass. Dynamic ability was a revelation in the 2nd half. Started creating off the rush more and beating d-men with some fancy stickhandles. You might wish his shooting touch was a bit better, but his offensive game projects well and could be one of those 2-to-1 assist-to-goal type guys that are so valuable.

Skating improved considerably this season, but still looks like he's on the verge of losing his edges every time he gets going at speed. But despite how odd it looks, he always gets to where he's going and has some deceptive speed.

Turned himself into an excellent defensive forward and a very effective penalty killer. Physical play was the only hole in his game, but he really picked that up after the Top Prospects Game.

Summary: Almost every aspect of his game kept getting better all season long. The possibility that there's still lots of improvement to come is especially intriguing. Has the most upside of anyone in this draft from my area. Could turn into an All Star 1st line center. There is some bust risk here, but not much. He barely edges out Niederreiter as #1 on my list just on the basis of higher upside.

Draft Day: Should be top ten, probably somewhere in 6 to 10 range. It wouldn't shock me if sneaks into the top 4 or 5 picks.

Brett Bulmer / RW / Kelowna WHL

2010-05-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Brett Bulmer / Kelowna Rockets WHL
RW-R / 6-2, 175 / 26-Apr-92

Skating: 60 / Skill: 50 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Decent shooting touch. Excellent puck in possession along the boards. Energetic and physical. Above average skater for his size.

Weaknesses: Needs to get stronger. Stickhandling and receiving passes isn't great. Defensive zone instincts aren't real good. Overall game is still a bit raw.

--

A big time late season riser. Lanky with a frame that projects well. Improved his stride quite a bit this season, so he's got that always very desirable package of size and skating. Quick, accurate release on his wrist shot. But overall his hands are only so-so.

Excellent on the low cycle, has a knack for protecting the puck despite overall lack of strength. Good vision when he's working the low boards or behind the net and loves to dish to the slot with the backhand pass. Started to show just a little bit of dynamic ability off the rush late in the season, but lateral quickness and stickhandling will need to improve for this to become a real strength in his game.

Competes and throws the body around pretty regularly. Not very effective physically yet, but the desire and the frame suggest his physical effectiveness could get much better in the future.

Summary: I think he's only begun to show what he can do. Still mostly projection, but he could have some 2nd line upside. This is a guy I'd love to steal with a 3rd, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. If I'm picking around 55th and he's available, I'd argue hard for him. Somewhat risky (seems like a boom-or-bust prospect to me) as a 2nd/3rd rounder, but provides more upside than the usual player you get in that 50-100 pick range.

Draft Day: I think he's a late riser on many NHL lists and could be in several teams 2nd round range. I won't be shocked if he goes as high as 40-50 overall. He becomes a serious steal anywhere after the 70th pick.

Brett Connolly / RW / Prince George WHL

2010-05-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Brett Connolly / Prince George Cougars WHL

RW-R / 6-2, 180 / 02-May-92

Skating: 70 / Skill: 75 / Sense: 75 / Compete: 60 / Toughness: 60

Strengths: Fantastic hockey sense. Can do it all offensively. All zones player.

Weaknesses: Hip troubles could be a long term health concern. Has some bulking up to do before he hits the NHL.

Might be the best forward prospect to come out of the WHL since Patrick Marleau, and has a very similar game. Showed fantastic top-end speed back in September before the hip troubles resurfaced. Looked a bit slow at the end of the season, but I chalk that up to conditioning, having sat out so much of the year.

When he's healthy, he's a dangerous and versatile player offensively. Plays the game at a fast pace, and is an excellent stickhandler and playmaker at top speed. Excellent creativity and vision, especially in transition. Accurate shooting touch. Outstanding hockey sense is his best asset - tremendous anticipation in all game situations. Underrated defensively.

A mild concussion suffered in his rookie season (Dec 13, 2008 game) also has to be considered in the medical evaluations.

Summary: It's all about the injury risk with Connolly. If you're not concerned about the hips, then he's easily the 3rd best player in the entire draft and should go right after Hall and Seguin. Otherwise, I think his upside still justifies rolling the dice around picks 8-14.

Draft Day: Jared Cowen didn't slip far last year (8th overall) after major reconstructive knee surgery, so I don't think Connolly drops very far either. But teams might lean heavily on their orthopedic doctor's opinion on the long term risk.

And the Rest

2009-06-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just some short takes on some of the guys on the rest of my list while I'm at the hotel waiting to head down to the Bell Centre...

Tommi Kivisto, Red Deer

Strengths: Outstanding skater. Good skill level, and a hard shot. Was a fierce, hard-hitting player last season in Finland.

Weaknesses: The hockey sense here is seriously lacking. Never adjusted to the WHL this season and got worse as the season went.

Summary: Went from looking like a certain first-rounder, to continually sliding as the season went. Just never adjusted to the WHL. People who saw him last season are scratching they're heads. Where is the aggressive two-way guy from last season? Will draw a lot of late round interest because of the hope he rediscovers last season's form.
--

Adam Hughesman, Tri-City

Strengths: Good shooting touch.

Weaknesses: Skating is rough. Not sure there's a lot of hockey sense. One dimensional. Bad second half.

Summary: Is not really a 7 round interest for me. Skating seemed to regress a bit this year. He's got a nice shot, but just doesn't get himself into position to use it much.
--

Hayden Rintoul, Kootenay

Strengths: Some untapped offensive upside. Decent skater. Good improvement this season.

Weaknesses: Tweener size. Struggles against forechecking and the physical game.

Summary: Probable camp invite if he doesn't go. Worth watching next year as a possible 2nd year draft.
--

Giffen Nyren, Kamloops

Strengths: Lots of skill and puck rushing ability. Good skater. Thinks the game pretty well.

Weaknesses: Seems to be still learning his new position. Backward stride and pivots need to improve. Overall d-zone game isn't great.

Summary: I'd argue a bit to grab this guy with a late pick...or at least push for a camp invite. His transition to defence has been a pretty good one, so there's a chance he could improve his d-zone play yet.
--

Mark Isherwood, Medicine Hat

Strengths: Smart and has good two-way ability. Produces points from the back end. Willing to drop the gloves. Good mobility.

Weaknesses: Another older player, again may be limited upside. Smallish.

Summary: Same story as Nyren, but overall game is more advanced than Nyren's. This is a guy I'd argue strongly for a late pick or camp invite.
--

Brandon Herrod, Prince Albert

Strengths: Good smarts, competes. Pretty good skater. Surprisingly effective in heavy traffic and against bigger opponents. One of the youngest players in the draft.

Weaknesses: Somewhat smallish. Skating only slightly above average. Not as much improvement this season as I hoped.

Summary: A guy I really liked last season, but just had a hard time noticing this season. Good character guy and worth a very late pick or camp invite. Could still be quite a bit of upside since he's one of the youngest players in this draft crop.
--

Chase Schaber, Calgary

Strengths: Lots of hidden offensive ability. Competes despite being undersized.

Weaknesses: So-so skater. Smallish and has underachieved so far in his WHL career.

Summary: If you saw him at the U-17 last season, you know this guy has a lot of raw ability and could turn into quite a scorer yet. Kind of got stuck in 3rd/4th line duty on that deep Calgary team, so he could break out if he moves up to the 2nd line next year. Good low-risk, potentially high-reward late pick player.
--

Dalibor Bortnak, Kamloops

Strengths: Very good size, big frame. Good work ethic. Competes hard and will battle physically.

Weaknesses: No hands. Needs to get much, much stronger to be effective physically.

Summary: I wish I could graft Stepan Novotny's hands onto this guy's body and heart - that would be a real prospect. Bortnak was a scorer back in Slovakia, so there could be some hidden scoring potential here. More of a next year follow than an invite in my mind.
--

Evan Bloodoff, Kelowna

Strengths: Excellent skater. Competes. Good on the forecheck.

Weaknesses: Limited skill level. Not much of a passing touch. Not going to get much bigger.

Summary: Thought he'd produce a little bit more this year, but he competed physically better than I expected. I think both him and his brother are worthy rookie camp invites.
--

Cameron Abney, Everett

Strengths: Huge frame. Excellent fighter. Actually pretty decent skater. Can throw some big hits.

Weaknesses: Has trouble contributing to the game with the gloves on. Hasn't shown much ability to do anything but fight yet.

Summary: Never a bad idea to bring a 6-4 guy who can drop the gloves to your rookie camp. At least he'll stir things up.
--

Tayler Jordan, Portland

Strengths: Another huge frame and tough fighter. Showed some rare intriguing flashes of well-rounded ability.

Weaknessess: Generally has not shown much skill.

Summary: Same as Abney...although I give Jordan the slight nod just on a couple fleeting glimpses of skill I saw this year.
--

Willie Coetzee, Red Deer

Strengths: Smart and pretty decent skill level. Competes. Not afraid to mix it up with bigger opponents.

Weaknesses: Smallish and probably just a good junior player.

Summary: I think someone will draft this guy, but I'd only offer a camp invite. Don't dislike this player, just other players I'd rather roll the dice on.
--

Jeremy Boyer, Seattle

Strengths: Good creativity and skill level.

Weaknesses: Can't skate, soft, and smallish. The unfortunate three strikes combination.

Summary: But he is going to be a very good junior player.
--

Luke Walker, Portland

Strengths: Really competes. Gets the most out of his limited skill level. Improved skating.

Weaknesses: Hands are only okay. Doesn't see the ice real well offensively.

Summary: One of the most improved 2nd-year eligibles in the Dub this year. Not sure he's worth a late pick, but I'd really argue to give this guy a camp invite.
--

Neil Manning, Vancouver

Strengths: Good puck ability. Good point production from the back end.

Weaknesses: Average skater at best. Smallish. Slow release on his shot. Just not enough jump in his game.

Summary: A very good junior blueliner, but I have a hard time getting excited about his pro possibility. But NHL teams like drafting from winning teams, so there are very likely to be some clubs much higher on Manning than I am.
--

Tyler Maxwell, Everett

Strengths: Good shooting touch. Smart.

Weaknesses: Very, very small. Not much of a skater. Doesn't really like contact.

Summary: Another three strikes player, but he can shoot the puck pretty well. Should get an invite if not a late pick.
--

Tyler Halliday, Prince George

Strengths: Good fighter. Has a little bit of skill.

Weaknesses: Only average size for a tough guy. Not much upside.

Summary: Another "if you need/want a fighter" guy in your rookie camp.

2009 Index of Scouting Reports

2009-06-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a table with links to the reports on players in my area. Grades (in the reports) are on the 20-to-80 scale.

This table will be updated as I add reports.

1	Brayden Schenn	C-L	22-Aug-91	6-0.0/198	Brandon WHL
2	Evander Kane	LW/C-L	02-Aug-91	6-1.25/176	Vancouver WHL
3	Jared Cowen	D-L	25-Jan91	6-5.25/220	Spokane WHL
4	Carter Ashton	RW-L	01-Apr-91	6-2.5/205	Lethbridge WHL
5	Scott Glennie	RW-R	22-Feb-91	6-1.25/177	Brandon WHL
6	Landon Ferraro	C-R	08-Aug-91	5-11.25/165	Red Deer WHL
7	Dylan Olsen	D-L	03-Jan-91	6-2.25/206	Camrose AJHL
8	Cody Eakin	C-L	25-May-91	5-11.25/176	Swift Current WHL
9	Ryan Button	D-L	26-Mar-91	6-0.25/185	Prince Albert WHL
10	Levko Koper	LW-L	05-Oct-90	6-0.0/180	Spokane WHL
11	Curtis McKenzie	RW-L	21-Feb-91	6-1.5/192	Penticton BCHL
12	Stefan Elliott	D-R	30-Jan-91	6-0.5/180	Saskatoon WHL
13	Linden Vey	RW-R	17-Jul-91	5-11.25/176	Medicine Hat WHL
14	Jimmy Bubnick	RW-R	19-Jan-91	6-2.0/194	Kamloops WHL
15	Nathan Lieuwen	G-L	08-Aug-91	6-5.0/180	Kootenay WHL
16	Tomas Vincour	C/RW-R	19-Nov-90	6-2.0/203	Edmonton WHL
17	Byron Froese	C-R	12-Mar-91	5-11.0/191	Everett WHL
18	Tyson Barrie	D-R	26-Jul-91	5-10.25/190	Kelowna WHL
19	Brayden McNabb	D-L	21-Jan-91	6-3.75/200	Kootenay WHL
20	Ryan Howse	LW-L	06-Jul-91	5-10.75/195	Chilliwack WHL
21	Brennan Yadlowski	D-R	17-Jun-91	6-0.5/174	Lethbridge WHL
22	Justin Dowling	LW-L	01-Oct-90	5-9.5/182	Swift Current WHL
23	Mitchell Callahan	RW-R	17-Aug-91	5-11/175	Kelowna WHL
24	Spencer Bennett	LW-L	31-Oct-90	6-3/185	Surrey BCHL
25	Brett Ponich	D-L	22-Feb-91	6-5.75/204	Portland WHL
26	Wes McLeod	D-L	30-Sep-90	6-1/185	Prince George BCHL
27	Garrett Mitchell	RW-R	09-Feb-91	5-10.0/180	Regina WHL
28	Kris Foucault	LW-L	12-Dec-90	6-0.5/202	Calgary WHL
29	Stefan Ulmer	D-R	01-Dec-90	5-9.0/160	Spokane WHL
30	Collin Bowman	D-R	13-Jun-91	6-2.25/200	Kelowna WHL
31	Cass Mappin	LW-L	19-Dec-90	6-0.0/186	Red Deer WHL
32	Stepan Novotny	RW-R	21-Sep-90	6-1.5/190	Kelowna WHL
33	Brodie Melnychuck	D-L	13-May-1991	6-3.5/196	Brandon WHL
34	Alexandre Peck	G-L	28-Oct-90	6-4/185	Victoria BCHL
35	Andrej Kudrna	LW-L	11-May-91	6-2.25/203	Vancouver WHL
36	Kellan Tochkin	RW-R	15-Feb-91	5-9.0/176	Everett WHL
37	Burke Gallimore	RW-R	08-Jan-91	5-11.5/195	Saskatoon WHL
38	Brenden Dillon	D-L	13-Nov-90	6-2.25/202	Seattle WHL
39	Sena Acolatse	D/RW-R	28-Nov-90	5-10.75/209	Seattle WHL
40	Mark Isherwood	D-R	31-Jan-89	5-11.5/186	Medicine Hat WHL
41	Giffen Nyren	D-L	18-Apr-89	6-0.25/185	Kamloops WHL
42	Tommi Kivisto	D-L	07-Jun-91	6-1.25/195	Red Deer WHL
43	Brandon Herrod	RW-R	11-Sep-91	5-11.5/176	Prince Albert WHL
44	Adam Hughesman	LW-L	28-Feb-91	5-10.5/185	Tri-City WHL
45	Hayden Rintoul	D-L	02-Feb-91	6-0.0/181	Kootenay WHL
46	Chase Schaber	C-L	03-Jan-91	5-10.5/180	Calgary WHL
47	Dalibor Bortnak	C-L	17-Feb-91	6-3.5/185	Kamloops WHL
48	Cory Kane	LW-L	15-Sep-90	6-3/190	Vernon BCHL
49	Evan Bloodoff	LW-L	21-Nov-90	5-11.0/190	Kelowna WHL
50	Brandon Kozun	RW-R	08-Mar-90	5-7.75/162	Calgary WHL
51	Willie Coetzee	RW-R	07-Nov-90	5-9.5/186	Red Deer WHL
52	Tayler Jordan	LW-R	08-Feb-90	6-6/195	Portland WHL
53	Cameron Abney	RW-R	23-May-91	6-4/192	Everett WHL
54	Jeremy Boyer	C-R	28-Sep-90	5-9.75/153	Seattle WHL
55	Luke Walker	RW-R	19-Feb-90	6-0/174	Portland WHL
56	Matthew MacKay	C-R	27-Nov-90	5-11/174	Moose Jaw WHL
57	Neil Manning	D-L	12-May-91	5-11.0/175	Vancouver WHL
58	Tyler Maxwell	C-L	13-Apr-91	5-8.0/174	Everett WHL
59	Tyler Halliday	RW-R	11-Mar-89	6-1/184	Prince George WHL
nv	Corban Knight	RW-R	10-Sep-90	6-1/180	Okotoks AJHL

Acolatse, Sena - D - Seattle WHL

2009-06-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Sena Acolatse / Seattle Thunderbirds WHL

D/RW-R / 5-10.75, 209 / 28-Nov-90

Skating: 45 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 40 / Compete: 40 / Tough: 70

Strengths: Rugged and a very good fighter. Tremendous strength for a 5-11 player.

Weaknesses: No improvement over last three seasons.

Here's a case of a (late birthdate) guy who looks like a decent prospect at 16, but drops because by the time his draft year rolls around, he's the same player he was that first season. It's even arguable he took a step backward this season, but getting shuffled to forward didn't help. Two seasons ago I thought there was a little puck upside, but it just hasn't come through (yet). You have to hope this guy is a late bloomer, but I would question that, given he physically already looks like he's in his mid-20s.

Still draws interest for his toughness and fighting ability. He's one of the toughest guys in the Dub, and that's got to be worth a look for NHL teams, even with the smallish (well, short at least) size.

Summary: Lack of improvement in his game means he's probably a what-you-see player. Don't know if there's any aspect of his game in its current state that suggests a pro player - but for one: that's the fighting ability. Probably wouldn't argue at all for this player unless I completely missed out on getting a fighter in before the last pick.

Draft Day: I don't know if this guy will be on anybody's list, I would think the fighting ability would be worth some interest. But flip a coin on whether he'll go at all.

Dillon, Brenden - D - Seattle WHL

2009-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Brenden Dillon / Seattle Thunderbirds WHL

D-L / 6-2.25, 202 / 13-Nov-90

Skating: 50 / Skill: 35 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 60 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Good upper body strength. Competes. Reasonably solid in his own end.

Weaknesses: Limited overall upside. Not much skill level.

Skating improved quite a bit this season, but still only average skater at best. Not a lot of puck skill. Sometimes shows a good first pass, but it's too frequently erratic.

Best qualities are good size and strength and a consistently high effort level. Uses the body effectively. Usually reliable in the d-zone, but does wander at times. Just isn't physically aggressive enough to draw much interest for me as a prospect - I prefer stay-at-home prospects who have at least some toughness. A supposedly big, rugged blueliner better drop the gloves more than twice in a whole season if you ask me.

Summary: This is a very good junior stay-at-home d-man, but that's all I see. I would argue for a camp invite on this guy, but it wouldn't matter - he's going to get drafted.

Draft Day: I'll be awfully surprised if he lives up to Central's mid-term ranking and goes in the early rounds. He'll slot closer to their Final ranking. Likely be a mid- or late-rounder.

Gallimore, Burke - RW - Saskatoon WHL

2009-06-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Burke Gallimore / Saskatoon Blades WHL

RW-R / 5-11.5, 195 / 08-Jan-91

Skating: 45 / Skill: 50 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 40 / Tough: 30

Strengths: Overall decent skill level. Consistent, if not especially passionate, effort level.

Weaknesses: Very soft. Probably not going to get much bigger.

This guy just didn't do anything worthwhile every time I saw him. There was some good production from this guy this season, so I know there must be some nice puck ability there. But I have to see it with my own eyes, and I just didn't.

Average skater at best. Seemed to be on cruise all the time and didn't do any of the dirty work. Seems to have no physical game at all.

Summary: This is a problem player for me. I just can't get on board with this guy - he was very bland in every viewing I had of him. I acknowledge he's almost certainly going way higher than I have him.

Draft Day: The Combine invite should mean he's no worse than mid-rounder...5th round or so.

Kudrna, Andrej - LW - Vancouver WHL

2009-06-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Andrej Kudrna / Vancouver Giants WHL

LW-L / 6-2.25, 203 / 11-May-91

Skating: 50 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 30 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Quick hands and good overall hand skill. Good size.

Weaknesses: Effort level is often pretty low. Is still very much a raw talent.

Deceptive speed and some lateral quickness, but overall skating isn't great. Some pretty good scoring and playmaking ability. Has good vision and a decent passing touch.

Doesn't play with any fire most of the time. Won't go battle in the corners at all. Only physical part of his game is that he will battle for position out in front of the net. Just does not seem to have a passion for the game. Don Hay had to try motivating him by healthy scratching him a few times this season.

Summary: There's some good raw ability here to go with a nice sized frame. But it would be hard for me to spend even a late round pick unless every other player I had any interest in were gone.

Draft Day: He'll probably go late if at all.

Tochkin, Kellan - RW - Everett WHL

2009-06-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Kellan Tochkin / Everett Silvertips WHL

RW-R / 5-9.0, 176 / 15-Feb-91

Skating: 40 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 35 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Excellent vision and creativity.

Weaknesses: Small, and plays small. Rough skater, especially for his size.

Lots of playmaking ability and real nice passing touch. Tends to be a perimetre player. Skating is not at all what it needs to be for a player this size to become much of a pro prospect.

Summary: This is going to be a outstanding junior player, but the size and skating combination is just too much of a problem. Barely misses being a last round interest for me, but I might advise a camp invite.

Draft Day: Decent enough chance he is a late pick. He'll be a camp invite at worst.

Melnychuk, Brodie - D - Brandon

2009-06-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

Brodie Melnychuk / Brandon Wheat Kings WHL
D-L / 6-3.5, 196 / 13-May-1991

Skating: 35 / Skill: 35 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 60 / Tough: 45

Strengths: Good size. Consistent effort level and good character. Thinks the defensive game well and is reliable down low in his own end. Offensive game showed some progress this season.

Weaknesses: Skating needs improvement. Struggles with the first pass and will not carry the puck at all. Could be more physically aggressive.

Is certainly a guy you need to see a lot to appreciate, but still is a long ways away from being a high end pro prospect. Good strength and he uses it effectively at times. As easy as it is for him to win 1-on-1 battles along the boards, you'd think he'd use that big frame more often. But lacks that little bit of nasty edge you want to see from a stay-at-home guy like this.

Not much puck skill, but has an accurate shot - release is a little slow, however. Pivots alright and doesn't get beat with speed or quickness too often in his own end at this level. But his straight line stride is very lacking and will have to improve for him to succeed against faster competition.

Summary: Has two of the unteachables: size and decent hockey sense. But you have to hope for a lot of improvement in every other aspect of his game over the next two years. Pure projection pick.

Target: Only a late round interest for me. He's a reasonable value in the 6th or 7th, but any earlier than that seems like a reach to me.

Peck, Alexandre - G - Victoria BCHL

2009-06-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Alexandre Peck / Victoria Grizzlies BCHL

G-L / 6-4, 185 / 28-Oct-90

Strengths: Big, long limbed and has good raw quickness.

Weaknesses: A bit raw. Doesn't have great feet and is a bit slow moving around the crease.

Huge frame and has good reactive quickness. Seems to have a pretty good glove, but needs to use it more.

Summary: This guy is one of my sleepers, but there's some risk that I'm manufacturing a player since I only saw him once. But the size and raw athleticism is pretty evident. If I'm at a draft table and it's down to a late round pick, I'd argue for this low-risk, potentially high-reward player.

Draft Day: Was a bit hard for scouts to see this season - so it may be no one got a real good read on him. May not go at all, but could get a late look.

Ulmer, Stefan - D - Spokane WHL

2009-06-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Stefan Ulmer / Spokane Chiefs WHL

D-R / 5-9.0, 160 / 01-Dec-90

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 40

Strengths: Excellent skater and has a good shot. Good skill. Competes.

Weaknesses: Awfully small. Struggles a bit to be effective in his own end.

Very good skater with excellent lateral quickness, and good stop-starts. Really underrated PP skill - moves the puck smartly and quickly and has pretty darn good shot velocity. Okay moving the puck out of his own end but is not really much of a puck rusher.

Thinks the game well at both ends, but his size hurts his physical effectiveness inside his own zone. Doesn't make many bad plays in the d-zone, but really doesn't make a lot of good ones either. I do like his consistent effort level - his head is always in the game and wants to win. Really stepped up after the Cowen injury and was playing his best hockey at the end of the season and in the playoffs.

Summary: You just wish this guy was bigger - even just 6-0 would be fine. Small guys can make good offensive d-men in the NHL, but he's just a slight notch below where you'd want his offensive ability to be for a blueliner this size. Even so, I'd really want to grab this guy with anything after about 160th overall pick. Even if he only ends up running your AHL team's power play or is the occasional taxi squad fill-in, it's not a bad guy to have in any organization.

Draft Day: Probably won't get a look before the 5th in any case, but I think there's enough interest that he'll go.

Novotny, Stepan - RW - Kelowna WHL

2009-06-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Stepan Novotny / Kelowna Rockets WHL

RW-R / 6-1.5, 190 / 21-Sep-90

Skating: 65 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 30 / Tough: 25

Strengths: Some slick offensive ability. Very good skater with speed and shiftyness.

Weaknesses: Does not like to get hit and plays somewhat scared.

There's a lot of raw talent here. Has a lot of speed and lateral quickness. Creative and can make some flashy plays. Has a bit of hot dog in him, so when he gets lots of room, he can make some fancy, dazzling rushes.

The problem is that he needs that wide open room. For the most part, he actively avoids getting hit and does not like traffic at all. There were stretches in the middle of this season, however, where he showed a bit more toughness and willingness to take hits. So there is some hope here. But that seemed to disappear again once the playoffs started.

Summary: I'd rather have a lazy player than a scared one, but every once in a while a player at this age finds some courage. So I'd argue it's worth spending a very late pick on a guy with early round skating and skill level like this.

Draft Day: Might not go at all or is a late round pick.

Mappin, Cass - LW - Red Deer WHL

2009-06-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Cass Mappin / Red Deer Rebels WHL

LW-L / 6-0.0, 186 / 19-Dec-90

Skating: 45 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 25 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Quite a bit of natural puck skill.

Weaknesses: Does not compete. Floats and spends a lot of time around the perimetre. Barely average skater.

Despite getting on the scoresheet in most of the games I saw him, did not impress me even once. When I see this much lazy, floaty play, it's hard to not completely write off the player. That said, there's a lot of puck ability here and some good offensive instincts.

I give him credit for a willingness to drop the gloves on occasion. But to be brutally honest, that just seems like phony toughness when you spend most of the game strolling around the ice like it's an old-timer's exhibition game.

Summary: This is a "well, I guess I'd take him at some point" player for me. But I couldn't even argue hard for him in the 7th round. Almost certainly goes much higher than I have him.

Draft Day: Some teams don't mind taking "casual players" somewhat high. Probably because of the old scouting cliche about it being easier to light a fire under a player than transplant a new set of hands on one. So he could still go pretty high, maybe the 3rd round might be a best case.

Foucault, Kris - LW - Calgary WHL

2009-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Kris Foucault / Calgary Hitmen WHL

LW-L / 6-0.5, 202 / 12-Dec-90

Skating: 60 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 30 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Terrific goal scorer's hands. Deceptively good speed.

Weaknesses: History of questionable work ethic. One dimensional game.

I've jokingly said this player must have sold his soul to the devil (a la Robert Johnson) at a crossroads outside of Canmore to become this good, this fast. But the truth is he's always had a lot of raw talent and obviously something finally clicked once he got to Calgary.

This guy is a little hard to figure as a prospect - has he finally made the commitment off the ice to be the best player he can be? Are all those highlight-reel goals going to continue or is he just a flash in the pan? He's got good goal scorer's hands and an ability to get to the scoring areas, but almost everything else about his game is underwhelming. Doesn't do much away from the puck. Skating is underrated, however - sneaky fast and has pretty good agility.

Summary: He's arguably got first round hands - his scoring touch is that good. But there's obviously a lot of risk with this guy. This is the kind of guy that if you draft him early and send him to your NHL camp, your head coach might ask why are you sending him this lazy, out of shape teenager. But this guy has such great hands, you have to consider him beginning somewhere around 3rd or 4th round. If you can keep that fire lit under him, you might have a real prospect.

Draft Day: Another wild card. Could go anywhere after the 3rd.

Bowman, Collin - D - Kelowna WHL

2009-06-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Collin Bowman / Kelowna Rockets WHL

D-R / 6-2.25, 200 / 13-Jun-91

Skating: 30 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 50 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Good strength and size. Decent hands. Has shown flashes of solid d-zone play.

Weaknesses: Skating is a serious flaw. Overall game seriously regressed this season.

His draft year was pretty much a disaster. But I still remember the flashes of ability from late in the 07-08 season/playoffs and last summer's tournaments. And at the back of my mind is a little thought about his brother's draft year - which was also disappointing.

Summary: This guy is the speculative penny stock of this draft. Pick him up with a late pick and see if he's a late bloomer like his older brother.

Draft Day: I might think about him beginning in the 5th, but would prefer to spend a cheaper 6th/7th rounder if I think I'm the only one who sees anything in this guy. He's probably fallen off a number of NHL lists completely, but there's going to be a quite a few teams that will still take him somewhere.

McLeod, Wes - D - Prince George BCHL

2009-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Wes McLeod / Prince George Spruce Kings BCHL

D-L / 6-1, 185 / 30-Sep-90

Skating: 60 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 40 / Compete: 50 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Smooth skater, good mobility. Big shot from the point. Can play it rugged.

Weaknesses: Tweener size. Questionable hockey sense. Inconsistent physical play. One-dimensional offensive game.

This guy is a Rorschach player. Seems to be wildly differing opinion on him. Those who like him think he's got a lot of offensive potential. I'm not so sure, but he does have a tremendous shot. The lack of puck handling ability or a good passing touch is what's going to keep him from being a point producer from the back end. The only contribution he really makes on the PP is waiting to be fed the puck for a slap shot. He just can't seem to be able to move the puck inside the zone at all.

Only okay in his own end - gets caught flat footed too much. Tries to be physical at times, but doesn't quite have the size or strength to be a baggage-smasher at the next level. Has a bit of a long fuse too, but I do like that he'll drop the gloves to defend a teammate.

Summary: Just too much a tweener for my like. Not sure I'd argue hard for this guy at any point, but by about the 5th round I could be convinced to take a flier on him.

Draft Day: Who knows...if some of the love for this player I've heard from other scouts is sincere, he could go surprisingly early - maybe 3rd round. Otherwise there could even be a chance he doesn't go at all.

Callahan, Mitchell - RW - Kelowna WHL

2009-06-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mitchell Callahan / Kelowna Rockets WHL

RW-R / 5-11, 175 / 17-Aug-91

Skating: 50 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 40 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 75

Strengths: Excellent fighter. Fearless style and works hard. Just enough skating and skill to be interesting.

Weaknesses: Might not have the frame to play his style at the next level.

Who'd have thought the toughest guy from the Dub in this year's draft would be from Southern California? The rugged style and fighting ability is the big draw here. But has just enough skating and skill to make for an intriguing middle round sleeper.

Great on-ice work ethic. Is strong defensively and a decent penalty killer. Lots of improvement from September to March this season. I think there could be some hidden offensive upside. Even if his best case upside is only a 5-10 goal scorer in the NHL, with the defensive play, physical style, and willingness to drop the gloves, that could be a really valuable guy to have.

Summary: I don't care that he's only 5-11, this guy can play it tough. I'd want to roll the dice on this guy with a late 3rd or a 4th.

Draft Day: Was previously listed as a late-91 birthdate, so he's gone under the radar a bit. But NHL teams have certainly noticed. There's a chance he goes shockingly early (2nd round isn't impossible). Otherwise I think he might be a middle rounder.

Ponich, Brett - D - Portland WHL

2009-06-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Brett Ponich / Portland Winter Hawks WHL

D-L / 6-5.75, 204 / 22-Feb-91

Skating: 55 / Skill: 30 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 50 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Huge, long-limbed frame. Decent skater. Good defensively. Underrated but reluctant fighter.

Weaknesses: Struggles with the first pass. No offensive upside.

At his best in his own end. Long reach and good instincts make him a pretty reliable shut-down guy. Is good in physical battles, but isn't as aggressive physically as you would want him to be.

Struggles with consistency with the puck. Occasionally makes a nice first pass to get the puck out of trouble, but too often he's indecisive and sloppy in moving the puck. Doesn't offer much on the offensive end.

Skating is about average - because of his size it's easy to overrate his skating. Has a long, smooth stride and okay footspeed. But by NHL standards he would be a barely adequate skater - his 2nd/3rd/etc step isn't real good and his pivots are a slightly rough. That said, his skating is more of a plus than a minus - and I don't think it's going to keep him from getting to the next level. Can really throw 'em in a fight - which makes me wonder why he doesn't drop the gloves more often. That and his under-used size makes you wish he didn't have such a long fuse and would get angry more often.

Summary: I've seen too much of this guy, so all the flaws and inconsistency are probably too prominent in my mind. But the more I look at my notes, the more I realize this is a pretty decent mid-round sleeper. I just wish he showed just a little more natural aggressiveness. If I'm in an organization that needs this role (big stay-at-home d-man), you'd have to argue pretty hard for this guy with your 4th...maybe even your 3rd, depending on who else is available.

Draft Day: I'd guess he goes somewhere in the 3rd or 4th. Some whispers around that he could sneak into the 2nd round, but that's iffy to me.

Dowling, Justin - LW/C - Swift Current WHL

2009-06-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Justin Dowling / Swift Current Broncos WHL

LW/C-L / 5-9.5, 182 / 01-Oct-90

Skating: 60 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 45 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Very good hands and is creative. Good offensive instincts. Decent skater with some quickness and elusiveness.

Weaknesses: Small and not physical at all.

Quick hands and I like his playmaking ability. Sees the ice well. Good skater and is a little shifty - but you want smallish guys like this to be pretty elite skaters - and he's not quite there. Thinks the game pretty well. Tends to avoid the heavy traffic, but he's not scared out there.

Summary: Higher on my list than the probable consensus on the hope that slick hands and good hockey smarts can carry him into the pro ranks. Might only be a career AHL player, but enough improvement over the last two seasons make him a worthy mid-round gamble to me.

Draft Day: Another guy that probably wouldn't have even got a look in the NHL Draft a decade ago. I think he'll go lower than I have him (probably 5th-7th rounds), but I'll be surprised if he doesn't go somewhere.

Mitchell, Garrett - RW - Regina WHL

2009-06-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Garrett Mitchell / Regina Pats WHL

RW-R / 5-10.0, 180 / 09-Feb-91

Skating: 40 / Skill: 25 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 80 / Tough: 70

Strengths: Tremendous competitiveness. Goes to war out on the ice. Loves to drop the gloves.

Weaknesses: No hands - just can't seem to contribute offensively. Skating is a problem.

Let's be honest here - this guy is only a prospect because of his desire to compete - that's it. He doesn't offer much else, but when you go to battle like this guy does, scouts will take notice.

Summary: You just want this guy to succeed so bad - but there's not much hope for improvement in the skill level. If he had any size or skated better, you could make a case for him, but with all the negatives (skill, skating, and size) it's three strikes in my book. I couldn't justify arguing for him before the 4th round at earliest, and I suspect he's gone before then.

Draft Day: Scouts love this guy and my guess is he's going to go surprisingly high on draft day. I'll be surprised if he doesn't go top 100.

Bennett, Spencer - LW - Surrey BCHL

2009-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Spencer Bennett / Surrey Eagles BCHL

LW-L / 6-3, 185 / 31-Oct-90

Skating: 50 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 45 / Tough: 40

Strengths: Big body and nice hands near the net. Underrated passing and playmaking.

Weaknesses: Does not use his big size as much as he could. Skating is average at best.

Good combination of size and hands. Excellent shooting touch - and not just near the crease, where most of his shots come from. Gets spot duty at the point on the PP because of his big shot. Shows flashes of some good finesse skill and creativity.

Skating is a bit of a puzzle - has a good long stride, but just seems to be slow-footed overall. Does not do a lot in transition. Most of his game is played down low. Hard to move from the crease, but he is not real physical. Does not initiate much contact and doesn't really battle for the puck along the boards.

Summary: Not sure where the consensus is on this guy - he's soft enough that it could be too much of a concern among NHL scouts. But once you get to the middle rounds there's no way you can ignore a 6-3 guy with this kind of touch around the net.

Draft Day: A real wild card - I have no idea where he'll go. I'd guess he'll be a 4th or 5th rounder, but he could go either direction.

Yadlowski, Brennan - D - Lethbridge WHL

2009-05-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

Brennan Yadlowski / Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL

D-R / 6-0.5, 174 / 17-Jun-91

Skating: 55 / Skill: 45 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Some two-way ability and showed tremendous improvement during the season. Competes and is surprisingly rugged for his size.

Weaknesses: Smallish for the style he plays.

Just kept getting better as the season went. Earned the confidence of his coach and played a ton of minutes. Good but not great skater. Good agility and quickness, but does struggle to keep up with speedy forwards.

Can carry the puck if he's got room, but otherwise just keeps it simple. Can get a little panicky with the puck in pressure, but usually can make a clean first pass. Surprising physical tenacity despite a small frame. Competes and drops the gloves (9 FMs).

Summary: Size and style combination is hard to project, but I feel like there could be some hidden offensive upside here. Would want to grab this guy with a 4th rounder. A lot of late blooming potential as one of the younger players in the draft.

Draft Day: Could possibly sneak into the 3rd. A 4th feels more likely.

Howse, Ryan - LW - Chilliwack WHL

2009-05-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan Howse / Chilliwack Bruins WHL

LW-L / 5-10.75, 195 / 06-Jul-91

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 45 / Compete: 40 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Can shoot the puck from just about anywhere. Good speed and shifty moves off the rush.

Weaknesses: Floats a lot and is one-dimensional. No physical game.

Effort level just wasn't there most nights this season. Still plays the game like it's Bantam - always going for the solo 1-on-1 rushes, not showing any creativity. Is going to have to learn how to do other things with the puck. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I saw him pass the puck.

Pretty much wrote this guy off after about the 5th time I saw him stick to the perimetre the whole game and never pass the puck. But the pure raw scoring ability is still interesting.

Summary: There's probably no point at which I'd argue hard for this player. But once it gets to the 4th round, if he's somehow still available, you'd have to grab anyone who can score 30+ goals in the WHL at 17.

Draft Day: Probably hard for NHL teams to pass up on a 31-goal scorer on a bad team once you approach the 100th overall pick.

McKenzie, Curtis - RW/LW - Penticton BCHL

2009-05-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Curtis McKenzie / Penticton Vees BCHL

RW/LW-L / 6-1.5, 192 / 21-Feb-91

Skating: 55 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 65

Strengths: Gritty two-way game. Underrated skill. Plays with a lot of fire and likes to throw the body around.

Weaknesses: Skating is so-so at best.

There's so much to like about this player - he can score, he can hit, he drops the gloves, and he shows just enough finesse skill to be really projectable. Scores goals in lots of ways. Has a knack for tips and deflections out front. Doesn't get enough credit for his finesse ability. He can pick the corners on the move or thread some nice passes through traffic.

First step quickness and speed could be better. But has good balance and agility. For the style he plays, I don't think his skating is going to be a problem.

Will go into the dirty areas and compete physically. Plays in all situations and is very responsible defensively. Throws some pretty big open ice hits. Sticks up for his teammates and is pretty good when he drops the gloves.

Summary: I love this guy and don't know why he doesn't get more attention. I may have him way higher than most, but I'd probably start arguing for him with a 2nd round pick. And if I lost that argument and it came back around to the 3rd round and he was still there, I'd flip over the table to get this guy.

Draft Day: I have to believe there's a team or two who see the same things in this guy I do and will take him in the top 75 picks or so.

Barrie, Tyson - D - Kelowna WHL

2009-05-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Tyson Barrie / Kelowna Rockets WHL

D-R / 5-10.25, 190 / 26-Jul-91

Skating: 65 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Excellent power play skills. Very good offensive hockey sense. Quick, agile skater.

Weaknesses: Often a downright liability in the d-zone. Lacks the strength to be physical at all. Doesn't quite have the speed to consistently carry the puck end-to-end.

Great offensive instincts and can really run the power play. Terrific at moving the puck inside in the zone. Great ability to sneak in down low. Excellent wrist shot and uses it almost exclusively. But that makes me wonder a bit about his slap shot - it seems like never really uses a good hard full wind up shot.

Very quick feet, very light on his skates. Terrific lateral agility allows him to skate the puck and create shooting lanes for himself. Good spins and turns make him elusive with the puck. Despite the very quick feet, his stride is a bit short, which hurts his top speed. Seems to need a little bit of time and space to carry the puck out of his own end.

Defensive zone play is regrettable and will have to improve. Lack of physical game hurts, but the bigger concern is that he just seems to not care much about what happens in his own zone. Takes so many risks jumping into the offense that he frequently leaves his partner having to deal with an odd man rush. Sometimes just looks mentally lazy and won't battle for pucks in the d-zone.

Can be put off his offensive game if you hit him - that's a serious concern, because you can be sure you're going to get hit at the pro level.

Summary: Looks like a power play specialist to me. I guess I should have him higher, given that I think he'll play. But I'd rather have players with some upside to play in all situations. And the disappearing act after he gets hit is a red flag for me. Almost certain to go much higher than I have him.

Draft Day: Everyone's snarkily predicting he'll go 32nd overall. Or 52nd. But I guarantee you there are more teams than just Tampa Bay who would like this guy somewhere in the 2nd round.

Froese, Byron - C - Everett WHL

2009-05-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Byron Froese / Everett Silvertips WHL

C-R / 5-11.0, 191 / 12-Mar-91

Skating: 45 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 70 / Tough: 40

Strengths: Great on-ice work ethic. Very good hockey sense in all zones. Gets the most out his ability. Has been a late bloomer.

Weaknesses: Doesn't have real high end natural talent. Average skater at best. Doesn't have the size to play his style at the next level.

Just works hard all over the ice. Tenacious puck pursuit. Goes into traffic and does battle with the big boys down low. The kind of guy coaches put out in any situation - kills penalties and even plays the point on the PP at times.

Great chemistry on that line with Kellan Tochkin and Tyler Maxwell. Just goes in and digs for the puck and tries to get it to his skilled linemates.

Has some decent first step quickness, but is otherwise an average skater on the whole. Surprising ability to be effective along the boards against much bigger opponents. But is otherwise not very physical at all.

Summary: Coaches love these kind of players - so do NHL scouts, even with the smallish size. I'm not sure I'd spend anything more than a late 3rd rounder on him, but I wouldn't take issue with a team that grabbed him as early as the 2nd. If he dropped the gloves at all or was more physically aggressive, I'd have him higher.

Draft Day: I get the feeling a lot of NHL scouts were hoping to steal this guy with a 4th. But after his performance in Fargo, the cat is out of the bag. Could be a wildcard - mid-2nd is probably the best case for him. I'd be surprised if he lasts much beyond the 85th pick or so.

Bubnick, Jimmy - RW - Kamloops WHL

2009-05-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Bubnick / Kamloops Blazers WHL

RW-R / 6-2.0, 194 / 19-Jan-91

Skating: 35 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 45 / Compete: 45 / Tough: 55

Strengths: Shoots the puck very well. Decent size and has the ability to be a force down low and along the boards. Good straight line speed

Weaknesses: A bit heavy footed and has no lateral quickness. Very streaky. Grinding style of last season almost completely disappeared this season.

Even with the increase in offensive output this season (25 goals in 07-08 vs. 9 in 06-07), I think I prefer the Bubnick of last season more. Seemed to do a lot more hanging out in the high slot waiting to be fed the puck this year. Did not go into the corners or battle in the crease nearly as much as he did in his rookie season. And that's going to be his ticket to the next level, if anything.

Skating is what really knocks him down my list, however. Improved his stride a lot this year and has some okay speed now, but still no shiftyness or acceleration. Struggles in transition and up-tempo games, so he needs to keep up the work ethic in the dirty areas.

On the plus side, shoots the puck very well from the high slot on in. And when he's winning puck battles behind the net, he can make some nifty passes out front in tight quarters. Other than that, I'm not sure there's real good hockey sense here. Incredibly streaky - most of the offensive output came in two hot stretches (beginning of season and January) - and was close to invisible for the rest of the time.

Summary: I have a hard time figuring out what he might be at the next level. Even if he returns to doing the heavy board work, I'm not sure he's going to be strong enough to be a corner-mucker. And I don't see how he can be a finesse/dynamic guy either with the skating issues. I probably wouldn't consider until the 3rd round.

Draft Day: I expect him to go higher than I have him, but if NHL staffs agree with me, he could slide a bit on draft day. I can only guess at a very wide range of anywhere from the early 2nd to mid-4th.

McNabb, Brayden - D - Kootenay WHL

2009-05-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Brayden McNabb / Kootenay Ice WHL

D-L / 6-3.75, 200 / 21-Jan-91

Skating: 30 / Skill: 40 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 60 / Tough: 70

Strengths: Excellent size and uses it well. Rugged style and a good fighter. Underrated puck moving ability.

Weaknesses: Skating is seriously flawed. No real offensive upside.

Stock has taken a beating after disastrous showing at U-18 in Fargo. Difficulties in pivoting and backward stride have been exposed against top level competition.

Skating aside, there is a lot to like, however. Has more puck moving ability than he gets credit for. Decent PP ability at the junior level, but projects to be a pure stay-at-home guy at the next level.

Likes to play a physical style. Throws big open-ice hits and effectively uses his big size down low. Especially good at the hip check along the boards. Has a long reach and knows how to use it. Good d-zone positioning and keeps opponents to the outside. Good fighter and very willing to drop the gloves.

Summary: Like Chris Durand's horrible showing in the 2005 Top Prospects Game because of skating issues, you have take account of the fact that he's in serious trouble against good-skating opponents. It's unfortunate, because I really like this guy's toughness and physical style. But you can't spend too high a pick on a player that is going to have to show an awful lot of improvement in skating to even be able to compete at the next level. Might be worth converting to forward once he gets to professional hockey.

Draft Day: Two conflicting things make him a wildcard: 1) the tough Western League players always go higher than you think, vs. 2) a bad performance on the final scouting stage (U-18s) can sink you pretty fast. Could go anywhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds.

Vincour, Tomas - RW/C - Edmonton WHL

2009-05-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

Tomas Vincour / Edmonton Oil Kings WHL

RW/C-R / 6-2.0, 203 / 19-Nov-90

Skating: 30 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 50 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 45

Strengths: Nice hands in tight areas. Big frame. Gives a good effort and competes physically.

Weaknesses: Very rough skater. Needs to get a lot stronger. Did not improve much this season.

Has some nice hands and can really stickhandle in tight areas. Good shooting accuracy. Likes to go to the net and isn't afraid to battle for position near the crease.

Short skating stride is a real problem. First step quickness is just not there at all. Takes a long time to stop and re-start. Doesn't turn very well and poor balance. Only plus about his skating is some okay speed once he finally gets going.

I like that he's not afraid to throw the body around, but he just isn't physically effective at all. Lack of strength and poor balance usually means he ends up on the ice even when he's initiating the contact.

Summary: Might have been a victim of high expectations and playing on a bad team. But the skating issues are the real problem. However, if he's still available in the 3rd or 4th, you won't often find this kind of skill level still available in the middle of the draft. And I really like his competitiveness and desire to be physical.

Draft Day: I'll be surprised if he goes before the 3rd. A slide as far down as the 5th will be surprising, but not impossible.

Lieuwen, Nathan - G - Kootenay WHL

2009-05-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan Lieuwen / Kootenay Ice WHL

G-L / 6-5.0, 180 / 08-Aug-91

Quickness: 65 / Glove: 65 / Reads: 55 / Technique: 45 / Poise: 55

Strengths: Great combination of huge size and natural quickness. Good feet and really moves around the crease smoothly.

Weaknesses: Concussion history is a major red flag. Needs some technical coaching on squaring to the shooter and not opening up the long side.

Huge and plays big. Especially tough to beat down low, with quick legs and smooth footwork that allows him to go post-to-post quickly. Very good glove and uses it quite a bit. Makes tough saves. Very active with the stick. Size gives him an advantage in seeing over and around traffic.

Has a (hopefully correctable) flaw in his squaring to the shooter that gives away the far side post, especially on the blocker side. Lots of WHL shooters seemed to recognize this and he gave up a fair number of goals that way. I don't think it's a case of him being slow with the blocker/glove on high shots, he just cheats too much to the short side.

Serious concussion he received as a passenger in a roll-over car accident last season cost him almost half of his 16 year old season. More concussion symptoms this season are a big concern.

Summary: The continued concussion issues this season drop him out of top 50 consideration. I'd roll the dice on him somewhere near the early 3rd, though - if he's healthy going forward he's a pretty elite goaltending prospect.

Draft Day: Another wildcard - best guess is somewhere in the 3rd round.

Vey, Linden - RW - Medicine Hat WHL

2009-05-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Linden Vey / Medicine Hat Tigers WHL

RW-R / 5-11.25, 176 / 17-Jul-91

Skating: 60 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 40

Strengths: Excellent hockey sense. Always around the puck. Decent skater.

Weaknesses: Soft and doesn't initiate any contact.

Very smart and creative with the puck. Most of his production comes from anticipation and doing the right thing with the puck rather than elite natural hand skill. Passing instincts are top notch. Makes those difficult short passes look easy. Good skater with some ability to carry the puck with speed. Good stop-start and lateral quickness. Just an overall good skater, but not elite.

Very good penalty killer. Uses his stick and smarts to take the puck away from opponents. Good work ethic, but not necessarily high energy - good anticipation allows him to be in the right place without having to skate hard to be there. Does take a hit to make a play, but generally avoids contact and the heavy traffic.

Summary: If this guy had any physical game at all, he'd be one of the best sleepers of the draft. Even so, he's very underrated. Where he's at on my list translates to mid- or late-2nd round, but I have to acknowledge I'd probably have a hard time selling an NHL GM on a somewhat soft, smallish player in that range.

Draft Day: Should be a top 100 pick, but I could see him being perceived as only a "good junior player" and sliding deep into the middle rounds.

Koper, Levko - LW - Spokane WHL

2009-05-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Levko Koper / Spokane Chiefs WHL

LW-L / 6-0.0, 180 / 05-Oct-90

Skating: 75 / Skill: 55 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 45 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Great speed and acceleration. Gets to the scoring areas and can finish. Dangerous on the forecheck and a good penalty killer. At his best when the games count the most.

Weaknesses: Wildly inconsistent effort level. Somewhat limited skill level.

Inconsistency drove me nuts. I could give him either a 75 or 25 on competitiveness, depending upon when we're talking about. Was at his best in May 2008, during Spoke's Memorial Cup run. Was very underwhelming through much of the middle of this past season, before stepping up again in playoffs.

When he's at his best, he's a pesky energy player who is strong defensively and a an elite pass-stealing threat on the forecheck. But for most of his draft year, he looked lazy, floated a lot, and rarely used his blazing speed.

Fantastic skater with a long, powerful stride. Some of the best pure speed and acceleration in the draft. Has a good shooting touch around the net, but isn't a real great passer. Has a knack for sneaking into the backdoor scoring areas near the net when he doesn't have the puck.

Tremendously effective on the PK with that good lateral quickness and ability to anticipate opponent's passes. Isn't a real physical player, but that's fine for the style he plays. I do like the fact that he will drop the gloves on rare occasion - but isn't really much of a fighter.

Summary: The fact that he steps up in the post season makes me want to give this guy a lot of leeway on the questionable effort. And he's got probably the two biggest ingredients for an NHL career - skating and hockey sense. Could be a steal in the 2nd - if I'm around the 40th-50th pick and Button and Eakin are gone, I'd argue for this player.

Draft Day: I think he goes somewhere in the 2nd. Could sneak into the 30s. I'll be totally shocked if he slides as far as Central's ranking indicates (4th-5th round!).

Elliott, Stefan - D - Saskatoon WHL

2009-05-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Stefan Elliott / Saskatoon Blades WHL

D-R / 6-0.5, 180 / 30-Jan-91

Skating: 50 / Skill: 70 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 45 / Tough: 35

Strengths: Can do a lot of things with the puck. Great transition game and can take the puck end-to-end. Runs the power play smoothly and smartly.

Weaknesses: Soft and lacks the strength to clear the crease. Needs a lot of work on defensive zone play.

Pure offensive ability from the back end will be his ticket to the next level. Terrific offensive instincts and does everything you want a d-man to do with the puck. Makes a great first pass, can take it end to end with speed, and has all the PP ingredients.

Seems fine skating forward and has good speed when rushing the puck, but every other aspect of his skating leaves me scratching my head. Pivots sometimes look awkward and lateral quickness looks lacking in the d-zone. Just not sure what to make of the skating - he seems to have quick, light feet but so many bad things happen to him in his own end that I wonder about it.

Needs a lot of work on d-zone play. Has trouble containing speedy forwards and I see him make a lot of gap mistakes. Gets sloppy with the puck when pressured. Seems to need a little space to get the puck out safely. Almost no physical presence and lacks strength. Will need to be paired with a big stay-at-home at the next level.

Summary: Just don't have a good gut feeling on this player. He's not Mike Green - despite having similar offensive abilities. Green was a physical, aggressive player in his own end and Elliott is pretty meek back there. I think he'll play - but maybe only a PP specialist. I'd consider him around the mid-2nd range just on his PP specialist upside. Pretty sure he's going to go much higher than I have him.

Draft Day: He seems like a consensus first rounder, but who knows. Should be in that 20-35 overall range, but NHL teams might have the same concerns I do, so a slide to the mid-2nd round is possible.

Button, Ryan - D - Prince Albert WHL

2009-05-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ryan Button / Prince Albert Raiders WHL

D-L / 6-0.25, 185 / 26-Mar-91

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Plays a well-rounded game. Excellent mobility. Good PP skill and some offensive ability. Underrated toughness.

Weaknesses: 'Tweener size. Not very physical most of the time. Doesn't have top pairing upside.

Good two-way ability. Plays a confident and consistent game. Doesn't get enough credit for his offensive upside - I think he's got some 2nd PP unit upside at the next level. Moves the puck well inside the o-zone and has a good one-timer on the PP.

Deceptively good skater. Balanced, wide stride - good forward and backward. Carries the puck with speed out of the d-zone and make a sharp first pass. Solid in his own zone. Just thinks the game well at both ends. I do wish he were a little more physical, but that's not going to be his ticket to the NHL anyway.

Like his leadership qualities and consistent effort level. Only dropped the gloves 3 times this season, but each time he was jumping in to defend a teammate - and he can throw 'em pretty fierce.

Summary: Really grew on me the more I saw him and is a favorite of mine. I would really argue hard for this one with a mid-2nd or maybe even an early 2nd round pick.

Draft Day: Central's final ranking gives me some idea that I'm not alone in liking this player and he could go early in the 2nd. Otherwise I'll be shocked if he lasts much beyond the first few picks of the 3rd.

Eakin, Cody - C - Swift Current WHL

2009-05-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cody Eakin / Swift Current Broncos WHL

C-L / 5-11.25, 176 / 25-May-91

Skating: 70 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 55 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 50

Strengths: Excellent speed. Very good shooting touch. Effective forechecker and plays with lots of energy.

Weaknesses: Has had trouble staying healthy. Concussions in each of the last two seasons is a concern.

Is essentially a middle-class man's version of Scott Glennie - similar styles. Frequently in on the forecheck and uses speed to open up space for himself. Very good in transition and can kick into an extra gear to beat d-men. Good at finishing his chances. Gave us a glimpse of what he's capable of at the Top Prospects Game with 2 goals and a lot of buzzing around.

Skating improved this season - less bowlegged and a longer stride. Good first step quickness. Effective penalty killer, but could be better at backchceking at even strength. Plays with some grit and will initiate contact. Will need to get stronger at the next level.

Summary: If not for the health issues over the last two seasons, he might have sneaked into first round consideration on skating and raw skill. But he's a bit too risky for a team spending it's first/only 1st rounder.I like him a bit better than the consensus - I'd consider him in the first half of the 2nd.

Draft Day: He's a bit of wildcard. Anywhere in the 2nd round is my guess. Some chance of him sliding into 3rd.

Olsen, Dylan - D - Camrose AJHL

2009-05-25T16:47:00.001-07:00

Dylan Olsen / Camrose Kodiaks AJHL

D-L / 6-2.25, 206 / 03-Jan-91

Skating: 65 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 60 / Tough: 65

Strengths: Excellent strength and great improvement in physical presence this season. Good hands and a big shot from the point.

Weaknesses: Still a bit raw and will need development time. First step quickness and speed could be better.

One of the most improved players this season. Has a fair amount of two-way upside. Solid in own end, uses the body effectively. Good upper body strength. Decisive with the puck and has a good passing touch from his own end. More of a puck mover than rusher. Forward stride looks a little odd to me, but overall mobility is a plus. Has some PP upside - has a heavy, hard shot but needs to use it more.

Summary: Good improvement trajectory this season and has a lot of projectables.

Draft Day: Looks like a lock for at least the tail end of the first round. Strong performance at U-18 in Fargo could bump him up to near mid-1st round consideration. Will start looking like a steal anywhere beyond about 25-28 overall.

Glennie, Scott - RW - Brandon WHL

2009-05-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

Scott Glennie / Brandon Wheat Kings WHL

RW-R / 6-1.25, 177 / 22-Feb-91

Skating: 75 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 60 / Tough: 45

Strengths: Fantastic skater with excellent pure speed. Plays an energetic game. Versatile puck skill and good offensive sense. Stepped up with great post-season performance after returning from broken elbow.

Weaknesses: Awfully easy to knock down/off the puck (if you can catch him). Turned into more of a perimetre player this season - that worries me a bit. Slight build and needs to get stronger.

Terrific skating ability - dangerous top speed, very shifty. Frequently beats d-men with that extra gear. Can handle the puck at speed. Had a lot of full- or partial-breakaways. When he didn't beat the d-man, he'd often have to take it around behind the net to wait for his linemates to catch up. Skating and high energy level allows him to be a really effective forechecker and penalty killer. Underrated skill level and hockey sense. Will take a hit to make a play, but will need to get stronger to survive the pro game.

My notes on him from last season vs. this season look like two totally different players. Great improvement in skating ability transformed him into a puck-rushing finesse speed demon. Kept hoping the gritty grinder from his rookie year would resurface this year, but didn't see much of that. Almost never drops the gloves (only 1 fight the whole year, in an after the whistle crease scrum).

Summary: Erased all the doubts about his status as a pro prospect coming into this season - legitimate mid-first rounder now. Slight nagging question in my head about where the gritty physical game went, but don't really care too much given the great improvement in skating and offensive creativity.

Draft Day: I think he goes somewhere in that 10-20 range. I think he could come off the board in the 10-13 area, which would surprise some people. Hard to imagine him falling lower than about 20-22nd overall.

Ferraro, Landon - C - Red Deer WHL

2009-05-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Landon Ferraro / Red Deer Rebels WHL

C-R / 5-11.25, 165 / 08-Aug-91

Skating: 60 / Skill: 70 / Sense: 60 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 55

Strengths:Excellent shooting touch and can score from anywhere. Plays with a lot of grit.

Weaknesses:Could be a better skater for his size. Struggled on the big stages (Top Prospects Game, U-18 at Fargo).

Good pure scoring skills. Has a hard, accurate shot and can unload it on the move. Can create for himself, but sometimes it seems he doesn't quite click with linemates. Good but not great skater. Good stop-start quickness, okay speed and agility. Likes to play physical, but doesn't have the size to be effective. Smart away from the puck, and a decent PKer. Not much of a fighter, but in the handful of fights (4) he had this season, he went at it aggressively. Played a ton of minutes this season and was out on the ice in all key situations for the Rebels.

Summary: Despite being very disappointing in Oshawa and Fargo, you have to give him a lot of credit for scoring 37 goals on a bad team. Is going to need to score at the next level to contribute, however. I like his value once the first round gets to about the 20th pick.

Draft Day: Probably a back end of the first round guy.

Ashton, Carter - LW - Lethbridge WHL

2009-05-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

Carter Ashton / Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL

LW-L / 6-2.5, 205 / 01-Apr-91

Skating: 60 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 65 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 65

Strengths:Near impossible to knock off the puck. Wins battles for the puck. Very good hands near the net. Underrated overall athleticism. Handles the physical game well.

Weaknesses: Somewhat limited passing ability. Needs help from linemates to produce.

At his best down low and near the crease - has a knack for the garbage goals. Great ability to protect the puck. Boxes out like a basketball player when battling along the boards. Some question his skating, but I think it's a plus. Stride looks a bit odd, but has good speed, balance, and not bad quickness.

Slumped after being moved off that first line with Sceviour. Bad move in my book - pair Ashton with a playmaker like that and it's a great combination. Ashton on a line with Kyle Beach and Dwight King? Not so much - too many finishers and no playmaking. I think that explains the 2nd half slump. Easy to forget that even with the slump, he led his team in goals.

Better puckhandling ability than he gets credit for, but he's never going to be a dynamic off-the-rush kind of player. So-so fighter, but is very willing to drop the gloves (6 FMs). Looks bigger than listed - what is up with Central's measurements? He was 6-4 in September, but 6-2.5 at the Top Prospects Game? Is so long-limbed, I'd have believed it if they told us he measured out at 6-6.

Summary: I just don't get why there isn't more buzz on this guy - textbook definition of "power forward prospect" that everyone is always looking for. At worst, I think he's going to be a great puck possession guy on the low cycle in the NHL. I think it's easy to project his style to the pro game (with a little more filling out of his big frame). If I was drafting 10-15 overall, I'd probably argue hard for him.

Draft Day: If I'm drafting in the middle of the first round, I love the fact that he had a bit of a slump late and might drop to picks 15-20. Still could be a 1st round wildcard - not impossible for him to sneak into the top 10. I'll be shocked if he's still around by about pick 25.

Cowen, Jared - D - Spokane WHL

2009-05-22T22:13:00.001-07:00

Jared Cowen / Spokane Chiefs WHL

D-L / 6-5.25, 220 / 25-Jan-91

Skating: 70 / Skill: 60 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 65 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Outstanding combination of size and skating. Thinks the game very well in the d-zone. Tons of untapped offensive potential.

Weaknesses: The reconstructed knee. (Or is it? That's the problem - we won't know until well after draft day.) Could be more aggressive offensively.

Absolutely no problems in his skating stride - his mobility almost makes you forget he's 6-5. A shut-down stalwart in his own end. Good physical strength and uses it well. Isn't a punishing hitter, but that's fine - when he does use the body it usually accomplishes something defensively. Flashes occasional offensive brilliance and makes you wonder why he isn't more aggressive with the puck. Might be the most likely guy to stick in the NHL next year, especially if the team that drafts him wants to keep close control of him because of the knee.

Summary: Would have been easily #1 on my list but for the knee injury/surgery. Thirty years ago his career might have been over and no one would have touched him until well beyond the 1st round. Drafting an 18 year old with a rebuilt knee is obviously far less of a risk now because of medical advances - but it's not zero risk.

Draft Day: Might depend on what feel teams get from him at the Combine. He probably won't be able to participate in any of the physical testing at all. As such, he'll get asked extensively about how rehab is going. If there's nothing alarming, I'd have to guess he'll still go top ten. But if he slides, we'll know it's because there's worry about the knee.

Kane, Evander - LW/C - Vancouver WHL

2009-05-22T22:02:00.001-07:00

Evander Kane / Vancouver Giants WHL

LW/C-L / 6-1.25, 176 / 02-Aug-91

Skating: 70 / Skill: 75 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 55 / Tough: 60

Strengths: Great shooting touch and offensive instincts. Great improvement in stride this year and is now a very strong skater. Excellent two-way ability and grit when he's on his game.

Weaknesses: Takes the occasional night off and will probably need motivating.

Late growth spurt over last two seasons and may have some growing to do yet. Not very strong, but somehow wins a lot of physical battles. Quick and speedy - handles the puck well at speed. Tremendous offensive hockey sense - great ability to go to the right place away from the puck. Underrated defensive game and penalty killing. When he's on his game, he's gritty and gets involved physically. When he's not, he looks like a lazy perimetre player. Seemed bored at times this season, but stepped up in the big games.

Summary: First line offensive ability, but I have a tiny little nagging doubt in my mind about the occasional bad games and low effort level. There is some slight bust potential here.

Draft Day: If the 4th pick gets dealt, he's probably the target. I think some teams consider him in that top group with Duchene/Hedman/Tavares. I doubt he slides past 5th, and he probably goes ahead of Schenn. He's the only player I can possibly conceive of sneaking into that top three...but I put the odds of that happening at less than 10%.

Schenn, Brayden - C - Brandon WHL

2009-05-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Brayden Schenn / Brandon Wheat Kings WHL
C-L / 6-0.0, 198 / 22-Aug-91

Skating: 60 / Skill: 65 / Sense: 70 / Compete: 70 / Tough: 65

Strengths: Well-rounded game and consistently high effort level. Underrated dynamic offensive ability. Gritty, consistent, and excellent leadership qualities.

Weaknesses: Very few negatives. First step quickness and top speed could be better. Physical strength may not be as effective against NHL-sized players.

A coaches' player. Does a lot of little things that help a team win. Already very strong - probably doesn't have a lot more filling out to do. Excellent "half court" game. Hard to knock off the puck and has a knack for taking it off the boards and getting to the net. Physical and wins a lot battles in the corners and out front. Despite so-so quickness and top speed, is shifty and can fool defencemen off the rush.

Summary: Safe pick to be a solid 2nd line centre for a long time.

Draft Day: I'd be awfully surprised if he's not gone by the 6th or 7th pick. Best case seems to be no higher than 4th overall - it will be a huge shock if he knocks someone in that top group of Duchene/Hedman/Tavares down to 4th.

A Note of Caution

2009-05-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Note to players, parents, billets, (some) fans, and others with an emotional interest in these players: You should not be reading this blog. You are not the intended audience.

But since I know there's no chance of you heeding that advice, please try to understand the following: Yes, much in these reports sounds harsh, but this is exactly the kind of things being said in NHL meeting rooms by NHL scouts. It's not personal. If you want platitudinous puff piece scouting reports there are plenty of other places you can go to find those. This type of blunt opinion (and yes, it's just that, opinion) is what GMs and head scouts demand from their staff.

Perhaps you can take some comfort in the fact that down the road, I will certainly be proven wrong on a number of these players. I do truly wish everyone success in Montreal this June and beyond.

Home Stretch Update

2009-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

The junior hockey regular season is ending soon (the Tier II leagues' seasons end in two weeks!), but it doesn't feel that late in the scouting season yet. That's because there's a lot of playoff action to come yet, which can often carry a lot of weight on final assessments of players. So, with the understanding that there's still a lot of games to be played by most prospects, here's an update on many of the prominent prospects. This isn't intended to be comprehensive, so if your favorite player/billet/son isn't mentioned, save the nasty comments for when I do run down your player in later posts.

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Players Who Have Helped Themselves the Most

Evander Kane, Vancouver: He was already top half of the first round on everyone's list last summer, but he's been far better than expected. His skating has improved dramatically in the last 18 months. Needs to keep up the effort level, though, as he's looked like he's been reading his own press clippings since he got back from the WJC. Probably moved up to the top five on almost everyone's list, but might be dropping back down a few spots now on many lists.

Scott Glennie, Brandon: No one's asking if he's just riding Schenn's coattails anymore. Now some scouts are asking if it might be Glennie who was making Schenn look good. Tremendous speed plus good hands is a nice combination. I was hoping he'd go back to showing more of that grit he seemed to have last season, but now we're going to have to hope for a long playoff run by the Wheaties to get another look.

Cody Eakin, Swift Current: Arguably has first round talent. Just needed to stay healthy, and while he's been on a shelf the couple times this season, he's been seen a lot. At this point, he's hard to slot and a bit of a wild card. Has had a couple of concussions over the last two seasons, so that is a serious concern.

Landon Ferraro, Red Deer: Looked hopeless last season, but so much better this one. You wish he was on a better team, because given his effort level, he should be producing a lot more.

Ryan Button, Prince Albert: Was merely a "need to keep an eye on" player coming into this season but has turned himself into a good middle rounder now. Hopefully the 3 assists last night will break that January slump.

Andrej Kudrna, Vancouver: You mentally discount the good stats going into a viewing of him because you think he's benefitting playing on such a good team. But then you see a very good skater, decent size, and pretty good hockey sense and think, "why isn't this guy higher on my list?" On the other hand, the effort level has been wildly inconsistent - he's been a healthy scratch a few times.

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Steady...But Haven't Improved Much, Either

Jared Cowen, Spokane: Before the knee injury, he was arguably passed by a handful of players. Some scouts have expressed a slight concern about the lack of points as indication that his offensive upside may be limited. But now we've seen the last of him on the ice and he goes from being a safe top 5 or 10 pick to a bit of a wild card.

Brayden Schenn, Brandon: The good news with Schenn is that what you see is what you get. The bad news is...what you see is what you get. Some are beginning to question his upside. But even so, he looks like a solid third liner at worst. But do you spend a top five pick in this draft on a checking line guy? I say he's suffered from some unrealisticly high expectations coming into this season - he's going to play as a top two line scorer.

Stefan Elliott, Saskatoon: Puck rushing defencemen are always at a premium, but there are questions about his skating and defensive zone play. Still looks like a last half of the first round guy, which is about where he was last summer. I have to admit he's slipping just a bit on my list, though.

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Not Helping Themselves

Tommi Kivisto, Red Deer: Where's the menacing open-ice hitter we saw in Finland last season? Well, okay, if you want to be a finesse defenceman, you better be an offensive whiz. But he hasn't been. Has been astoundingly bad in his own zone at times this season.

Tomas Vincour, Edmonton: It's not really his fault - the effort level is there, but the skating just isn't. It's a major flaw. But the hands will still be worth a relatively early pick.

Ryan Howse, Chilliwack: Looks like he thinks he's still playing Bantam hockey. The one-on-one moves just aren't working at this level. At some point he's got to learn to pass the puck. Maybe it's just a case of not having anyone worth passing to on that Bruins team, however.

Tyson Barrie, Kelowna: I compared him to Thomas Hickey last season. I pretty much have to retract that. Has yet to show even the slightest interest in being adequate in his own end. But I still like him as a power play specialist.

Collin Bowman, Kelowna: Maybe it was a case of too high expectations, but has really looked rough. Skating hasn't improved much, if at all.

Sena Acolatse, Seattle: Probably not really his fault, but it's his third season in the league and just isn't a better player than he was at 16. Now being slotted in on the wing because of Seattle's logjam of d-men, and he just doesn't look right at forward. But he's a good fighter, and that might save him from too big a drop on draft day.

Garrett Mitchell, Regina: Everyone wants to see a guy like this succeed, but he just doesn't have the natural talent. Was hoping he'd find a way to contribute on the scoresheet this season. But he just hasn't. But you'd still draft this guy somewhere just because he'll go to war for you.

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Differing Opinion

Brayden McNabb, Kootenay: Some are wary of his skating. Others don't mind it and see the a prototype rugged stay-at-home Western League defenceman (think Robyn Regehr). The concussion adds one more little thing to worry about.

Nathan Lieuwen, Kootenay: Your opinion of him depends on what game you see him. It's easy to like the size and smooth movements around the crease. But he has a knack for making the tough saves and letting in the soft ones.

Jimmy Bubnick, Kamloops: Has been awful streaky this year. Skating has improved, but he still doesn't have much lateral quickness. Hard to figure what he's going to be at the next level - if he were 6-3 or bigger, you'd have an easier time projecting him as corner-digger and board-mucker.

Dylan Olsen, Camrose (AJHL): I still worry about the skating. But the decision making is much better. Playing with a lot more confidence. He's going to be the first Tier II player drafted. And in recent years, that means first round.

Cass Mappin, Red Deer: He's got a lot of talent, but he's not always putting in the effort. Someone is going to have to light a fire under this one to make a good prospect out of him.

Stefan Ulmer, Spokane: Has certainly got rid of that fear and isn't playing soft and scared anymore. But I'm still not sure he's got the real elite skating and skill level for a smallish defenceman.

Brodie Melnychuk, Brandon: I just don't see it. If he were an angry head-basher, I wouldn't mind the barely adequate skating. But he's just big. That's it. Admittedly, that's enough for some NHL teams.

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Coming From Out of Nowhere

Carter Ashton, Lethbridge: Easily the biggest, fastest riser of the season. Last season, he arguably looked like he could be a Bantam pick bust. Now he's moved squarely into the first round of the NHL Draft. I won't be surprised if he keeps rising right up to draft day, maybe even getting close to the top ten.

Dropping Like Flies

2009-02-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

To scouts based in the west, the season-ending injuries to Spokane's Jared Cowen and Brandon's Scott Glennie are awfully disappointing.

Of course, every one is asking, "how far will they fall?" And NHL scouts are asking each other that exact question as well. The inevitable answer isn't very helpful: "it's hard to say."

For a talent like Cowen, who has been a consensus top five or ten pick in this draft class since he was 15 years old, the possibility is awfully intriguing to teams who expect drafting in the 10-20 range in the first round. The idea of a potential franchise defenceman falling into their laps in the middle of the first round is running around in the heads of a lot of head scouts right now.

So that fact alone might tell us Cowen won't do any sort of mega-slide - like out of the first round completely - on draft day. But unfortunately, he will slide some. Maybe it's only a few picks. Say he goes 8th/9th/10th...the commentators will say he was a top five pick who dropped because of the injury. But is that true? Maybe not. Even before the injury, a slight concern about his offensive upside had been slowly building among many scouts. Central's ranking of him at 7th (among North American Skaters - which arguably puts him outside the top ten overall) in the mid-term was not necessarily an outlier - I am certain some teams agreed with Central, mostly on questions about his offensive potential.

But if Cowen lasts beyond the top ten, we can say with certainty that the knee reconstruction was the factor in him dropping that far. What's Cowen's worst case on draft day? I'd guess about 20-25 overall is the lowest he'd drop. Somewhere around the 20th pick, you start getting to very good clubs that have strong NHL rosters and good depth in their farm systems - and for them, it's too enticing to add a potential top two blueliner to the depth chart. Even if you have to be patient and carfeful with him.

As for Glennie, it might actually hurt him more. He has been a steady riser through much of the season, and might have recently been creeping up into the first half of the first round. That rise has been at least interrupted for now. It's possible we haven't seen the last of Glennie - if the Wheat Kings make a long playoff run, Glennie could be back on the ice.

The long term concerns with an injury like Glennie's (broken bone in elbow) are much less serious than with Cowen's (major reconstructive knee surgery). But that still doesn't mean Glennie won't drop. Again, he may only drop a few spots - but like Cowen, you may never really know if the injury was a factor.

Imagine Glennie goes 22nd - is that a drop because of the injury? You can't know - he was probably somewhere around 15-20 on most lists before the injury - but even if he stayed healthy, he could have ended up going 22nd overall anyway.

One factor that should also help Glennie is that even if he doesn't return to the ice, he'll almost certainly be able to participate in the physical testing at Draft Combine at the end of May. Cowen will probably attend, but may not (and probably should not) participate in any physical testing.

Top Prospects Game Notes

2009-01-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Well, let's blow the dust and cobwebs out of this space with some of my observations from the CHL Top Prospects Game a couple weeks ago.

Please note that it's always dangerous for scouts to make assessments off a single viewing - that's why you go see the players as much as possible. So take this for what it's worth - just a tiny bit of extra or marginal information.

OHL Forwards

John Tavares: Not much I can say that hasn't already been said. Forget that he sometimes looks lazy or bored in OHL games, you have to take a big-game performer like this first overall.

Matt Duchene: Biggest surprise for me. If Tavares and Hedman are in a group to themselves at the top, then Duchene surely heads the next group. More dynamic than I expected. Terrific skater. I know it's only a single viewing, but I'd easily have him ahead of Kane or Cowen.

Nazem Kadri: Brought the effort level to this game. When he's on, he looks like a top five player. More speed and defensive smarts than I expected. But how is his effort level in a Tuesday night game against Kingston?

Zack Kassian: Better hands than I thought, but skill level still isn't real elite. Must have watched a lot of Bryan Marchment on TV when he was a kid. He should apply for a patent on that "ass-check" he throws all the time.

Peter Holland: Wow, he can fly and really handles the puck nicely at top speed. Good energy and is creative. Didn't seem to like to go into traffic, but maybe that's because he's got the speed to just go around that traffic. Lots to like, but I wish he were less of a solo artist.

Alex Hutchings: Speedy little buzzsaw loves to forecheck and really works. Is there much/any hand skill there? Didn't see it if there was.

Ethan Werek: Skating looked like a problem here. A step behind most of the time. Otherwise didn't notice much.

Marcus Foligno: Thought I'd see more from him physically. Actually backed off in a couple of battles. Left me scratching my head.

Michael Latta: A bit of a treadmill stride. Good energy, nice passer and decent vision.

Taylor Beck: Frame looks big and seems to have broad shoulders. Stride looks odd to me, but he gets where needs to go. Good strength and determination in physical battles.

Ryan O'Reilly: Barely noticed. Saw a quick release on his shot, but that's it. Doesn't mean he hurt his stock, it's just sometimes hard for every player to do something noticeable when scouts are looking every single player on the ice.

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OHL Defencemen

Ryan Ellis: Not sure I care about the smallish size or the defensive lapses. His hockey sense is off the charts good. We always (over-optimistically) compare the small defencemen like Nick Schultz, Kris Russell, Ian White, etc., to Brian Rafalski. But Ellis is the one guy who really looks to me like he could be Rafalski-good. One caveat: the strong physical play in this game was a bit of a "cheat" - knowing all those head scouts and GMs were watching - and not something he usually shows in OHL games.

Calvin de Haan: Sort of underwhelming, but when I go back and look at my notes, I get the same feeling I did about Luca Sbisa last year. Seems like he's nothing to get real excited about, but just doesn't do anything wrong out there. So calm, steady, and reliable. Just does not panic with puck under pressure. Always hard to guess which d-man in a draft crop could be closest to being ready for the NHL, but this could be the guy.

Taylor Doherty: Is going to be a strong, strong monster when he fills out. Already stronger than he realizes - needs to figure out how to use that strength. Feet didn't look too bad to me. But you have to guard against manufacturing a prospect in your mind when a player is this big.

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QMJHL Forwards

Andrej Nestrasil: Didn't like to get hit, but it doesn't prevent him from going into traffic and crashing the crease. Nice hands around the net.

Philippe Paradis: Like his competitiveness. Threw some huge checks. Didn't get much chance to show his offensive ability.

David Gilbert: Good speed. Finesse style. Good raw tools, but is a ways from putting it all together.

Jordan Caron: Excellent stickhandler. Stride is a bit short. Lacks speed a little bit, but has nice lateral quickness. Seemed to shy away from contact a few times.

Michal Hlinka: Very good stickhandler. Looked like he didn't like the physical stuff at all. Plays too polite.

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QMJHL Defencemen

Dmity Kulikov: Wow, does he have some great raw tools. Strong, wide, powerful skating stride. Really smooth footwork. Liked him on the power play - confident with the puck, skates it laterally to get a shooting lane. Hard shot. Good strength. Okay in his own end. A bit unrefined, but has tremendous upside.

Simon Despres: In some ways, opposite of Kulikov. But is also a good skater. Gets the most out of his ability. Smart and has good hockey sense. Blocked a lot of shots.

Charles-Olivier Roussel: Lots to like here. Good skater, plays much bigger than his size. But is he a 'tweener? You do wonder just a little bit about what kind of player he could be in the NHL.

Eric Gelinas: Has a good shot from the point. Struggled with the first pass. Otherwise didn't notice much.

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WHL Forwards

Cody Eakin: Yes, being matched with Tavares helped, but he did enough on his own to really help himself. Probably the single player who left the biggest impression in the minds of most scouts. Terrific speed and finishing touch. When he's healthy, this is what he's capable of.

Evander Kane: Maybe he's just getting a bit tired with all the hockey he's played this season, but his effort level just a bit below what you want to see in this game. Skating continues to improve and is now a plus. Of course, the skill level and scoring touch are truly elite. But I'm beginning to get a tiny nagging doubt about his work ethic.

Carter Ashton: All but erased the biggest concern I had about him going into this game: would he look slow? Kept up in the transition game and showed quite a good passing touch on the rush. And good around the crease and along the boards, as usual.

Brayden Schenn: Top speed looked a little lacking here. But the lateral quickness and change of pace might be good enough to make up for it. Probably impressed some GMs with his grit. Hit everything in sight. And showed enough skill too.

Scott Glennie: Didn't get much done, but displayed his speed and aggressive forechecking well. Wasn't as effective on the forecheck against d-men who could make good decisions with the puck.

Levko Koper: He's such a good skater - why doesn't he use that speed more? Showed that knack for getting open without the puck and near the crease.

Landon Ferraro: Stuck on a bad line. Liked his effort level, but just couldn't get anything going.

Jimmy Bubnick: Part of Ferraro's bad line. Looked a bit out of place against this competition. Finesse game is not his ticket to the next level. Needs to go back to the board-digging and crease-crashing full time.

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WHL Defencemen

Jared Cowen: Same as he was in WHL games. Had those handful of jumps into the offense that made you wonder, "why don't you do that all the time?" That doesn't really help the concerns about the offensive upside. But if he's a Braydon Coburn clone (at worst), isn't that a player every team would love to have?

Brayden McNabb: Figured he wouldn't look good in this game, but wasn't as bad as I feared. Skating didn't look too bad. But it's not great. Excellent in his own end, and kind of blah with the puck. About what you'd expect. Maybe he should have dropped the gloves with someone.

Stefan Elliott: Forward skating with the puck, he's good. Every other aspect of his skating looked suspect in this game. Sloppy with the puck under pressure. Wasn't terrible in his own end, but not real good either.

Tyson Barrie: Looked about as bad in the d-zone as he usually does. But struggled to show his offensive ability. Had less time-and-space than he does in Dub games. Probably didn't help himself in this game.

Tommi Kivisto: Ugh, as bad as he looked at the WJC, he looked even worse here. How can a guy who skates this well get beat so often? Obvious answer: not thinking the game well.

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Goaltenders

Olivier Roy: Wow, he's got some great natural quickness, but also some flaws. Plays big and is quick around the crease. Leaves some truly ugly rebounds at times.

Scott Stajcer: A pleasant surprise. Quick pads and excellent rebound control. Gets too active and overcommits at times.

Nathan Lieuwen: Ugh, his footwork looked so bad here. About as bad as I've ever seen him play. Won't be a big killer for his hopes on draft day, however. Goaltenders get lots of leeway in games like this.

Edward Pasquale: Handles the puck well. Good quickness and athleticism. Quick around the crease. Not sure I like his unorthodox style.

2009 Early Draft Preview

2008-09-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Scouts always have to make lists this early in the season, but they hate doing it. Usually by early December, they wish they could burn their September list. So take this pre-season look at WHL and western Jr. A draft prospects with the understanding that it will change dramatically once the real games start.

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Elites/Top-Ten Contenders
(1 to 10 overall range)

Jared Cowen, D, Spokane: Probably a top five player on the majority of NHL scouts' lists as of now. He's got the complete package you look for in a top-pairing blueliner. Not a high risk player, so it's hard to imagine him dropping much by June. But a Braydon Coburn-like mini-slide to something like #8 overall isn't impossible. Partly depends upon how he plays, of course - but other players could pass him up too. Could he challenge for #1 overall? Maybe - but it seems unlikely he could pass Victor Hedman at this point.

Brayden Schenn, C, Brandon: Also probably a top-fiver on most scouts lists. Plays so much bigger than his size that you don't worry about him only being 6-foot-0. There's some slightly high expectations on him because of how good he was last year. But the fact that he's one of the youngest players in this draft crop is a plus in scouts' minds. Hard to imagine how Schenn could drop out of the top ten.

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First-Round Contenders
(11 to 40-ish overall)

Evander Kane, C, Vancouver: Might be the best pure sniper from the west in this year's draft. I'm mildly concerned about his skating, but if he produces this season like he can, it won't drop him out of the first round.

Tomas Vincour, RW, Edmonton: Big, a bit raw, but can be dazzling at times. These kind of enigmatic players can be scary for scouts. Skating improved a lot last year. Now if he can find some consistency and grit, he could solidify a spot in the first round for himself.

Stefan Elliott, D, Saskatoon: Fair amount of disagreement among NHL scouts on this guy. He's in my first round, some guys don't even like him in the first two rounds. Skating is the concern here, but offensive ability is superb.

Nathan Lieuwen, G, Kootenay: Is an early riser after his performance in the U-18. Needs to steal some time away from whoever is the #1 (probably Heemskerk).

Scott Glennie, RW, Brandon: I really like this player, but a lot of scouts question if he just leeched off Schenn all year. I think he does enough on his own to be a legitimate late first rounder at this point.

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Early Rounders
(40-ish to about 90)

Garrett Mitchell, RW, Regina: One of those guys you want to see succeed. Not much raw talent, but does he give you everything he can every shift. Second rounder just on heart alone. But he'll have to show he can produce even just a little bit.

Jimmy Bubnick, RW, Kamloops: Wait-and-see player for me. Lots of raw ability, but has to put it together. Skating is a bit of a problem.

Collin Bowman, D, Kelowna: Great improvement over the course of last season. That plus the fact that his brother was a late bloomer might bode well for further upside this year. Might not get as much key ice time as he would otherwise deserve on that deep Rockets blueline.

Cody Eakin, C, Swift Current: Great second half and a ton of skill. A concussion cost him most of the first half last year, so he'll need to stay healthy this year.

Sena Acolatse, D, Seattle: Has been greater than the sum of his parts so far in his career. But he's a bit like Tyler Schmidt last year - hard to project as a pro. But he drops the gloves a lot more than Schmidt does, so that's a big plus and makes him an early rounder at this point.

Stepan Novotny, RW, Kelowna: Haven't seen yet, has seen him and likes him as a 2nd or 3rd rounder at this point.

Levko Koper, LW, Spokane: If he keeps up how he played in the playoffs and the Memorial Cup, he could be a riser. For now, I like his smarts and hands well enough to have him close to the 2nd round.

Tyson Barrie, D, Kelowna: Already getting into arguments about him. Some scouts don't care for him, really questioning his defensive zone play. I tend to see a poor man's Thomas Hickey.

Dylan Olsen, D, Camrose AJHL: Big with a lot of raw offensive ability from the back end. Might end up being a hard player to read. Would like him better if his skating were better.

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"Almost" Early Rounders/Sleepers
(4th round and later players, but with a good chance to move up)

Landon Ferraro, C, Red Deer: Big disappointment for scouts so far, but will be watched closely.

Carter Ashton, RW, Lethbridge: Didn't show scouts much last year, but has enough raw ability to be a draw for scouts.

Brayden McNabb, D, Kootenay: Kind of grows on you the more you see him. Needs to show just a little something more (either toughness or puck ability) this season to move up lists.

Jamies Priestner, G, Kamloops: Like his raw athleticism and quickness.

Ryan Howse, LW, Chilliwack: Has the hands, but needs to be willing to work hard and pay the price to score.

Adam Hughesman, RW, Tri-City: Good production last year and has good hands. But I'd like to see a smallish player skate better than he does.

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Some Interest, But...
(players I hope show me something this year)

Jeff Regier, D, Everett: Definitely not the sum of his parts yet. Very surprised he didn't contribute more offensively, so he might be set for a breakout year. Like how well he did in some of his fights, though.

Cam Reid, C, Victoria BCHL: Best of the lot in a down year for BCHL prospects so far. But there are always some no-names from the BC league who make names for themselves on scouts' lists during the season.

Evan Bloodoff, LW, Kelowna: Another reason the Rockets will be a popular team for scouts to see. Like his speed and effort level.

Jeremy Boyer, C, Seattle: Good offensive instincts, but I wish he skater better for such a smallish player.

Tristan King, C, Medicine Hat: Good hands and smarts, but needs to be less of a perimetre player.

Justin Maylan, C, Prince George: Quietly had a good second half. Good hands and smarts.

Chase Schaber, C, Calgary: Really impressed my boss at the U-17 last year, but I need to see some production out of his this year.

James Henry, LW, Vancouver: Fun to watch and is going to be a terrific junior player. But as a pro prospect? Not so sure yet.

Wes McLeod, D, Penticton BCHL: Raw blueliner has some skill and will be a target for scouts.

Corey Tyrell, LW, Prince George: Maybe it's because I liked his brother so much, but I expected more from him last season. Still will be watched closely.

Neil Manning, D, Vancouver: Another guy I expected a lot from. Lots of raw ability, but needs to put at least a little bit of it together.

Brett Ponich, D, Portland: Will be watched if only for the size. Went from okay to awful to not-so-bad last season. Will the real Brett Ponich stand up this season?

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That's the end of this early preview. But it's worth noting there's lots of other names on the radar not mentioned here. We've had enough time on the golf course this summer; let the games begin.

2008 Wrap - Tier II

2008-06-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Junior A / Tier II
BCHL

Zac Dalpe/Penticton: I think he goes in the last half of the first round, although I know I'm higher on him than the consensus of NHL scouts. Could slide out of the 1st, but I think he'd get snapped up in the first few picks of the 2nd if he does.

Justin Schultz/Westside: There are some NHL teams that are seriously overrating this guy. I have this nagging thought in the back of my mind that some team could shock everyone and grab this guy in the late 1st round. Otherwise, my bet is he's sure to go in the 2nd.

Derek Grant/Langley: A bit of a wildcard. Some NHL team might overlook the somewhat soft play and really like his hands and skating stride. I think 2nd round is unlikely but not totally out of the question. Otherwise I think 3rd or 4th round is most likely.

Rich Manley/Burnaby: Wildcard for me, especially since I only got to see him once. Big bodies that move this well can tend to sneak up on draft day, but my guess at best case for him is no higher than the 3rd.

Taylor Stefishen/Langley: Came into the season as the top BCHL pro prospect, but got passed up by a bunch of guys. Still has a ton of creative skill, so he'll go somewhere. I think he slides a little bit and could be a middle or late rounder.

Eric Filiou/Nanaimo: Might be a player than only I like, but if some NHL team sees him as I do, he'll be a pick anywhere after the 5th round.

Brodie Reid/Burnaby: Big breakout season for the '89 winger, so he could go with a late pick.

Others: Salmon Arm C Derek Lee probably has a decent chance of getting his name called. He'd be higher if he handled the physical game a bit better at his size. Salmon Arm D Damon Kipp is a personal favourite of mine, but he may not be on any team's list. Same goes for Penticton C Denver Manderson, so he's unlikely to go. Smallish Vernon F Kellen Jones had an outstanding season and might have an outside chance at going. Nanaimo's undrafted '89 LW Russell Goodman showed up on Central's list again, but I doubt he showed enough improvement in his skating or overall game to end up being picked.

Looking Ahead to 2009: There are no real standouts for next year yet, but there are always several surprises emerging from the BCHL. Westside G Nathan Leiuwen will probably be headed to the WHL with Kootenay, but if he spends another year in Westbank, he'll be the clear cut top NHL prospect in the BCHL next year. Another player to watch is Victoria F Cam Reid. Prince George G Damien Ketlo will try to earn a spot in the WHL with the Regina Pats and will be on the radar for NHL scouts wherever he plays.

AJHL

Joe Colborne/Camrose: Certain first rounder, and probably right in the middle near the 15th pick. I'm hearing there may be a team or two drafting near the end of the first that are trying to move up to pick him. In any case, it seems unlikely he slide lower than the 16th-18th overall range.

Tyler Gron/Fort McMurray: Passed on in last year's draft, but was one of the youngest players eligible last year. Not on my list, but Central probably isn't alone in having him on their list. Could be a late rounder.

Mike Connolly/Camrose: A favourite of the Red Line staff, and I don't think we're alone. Guys with a lot of heart are just the kind of player NHL scouts like to reward with a late round pick, even if they don't think he's much of a pro prospect. I think he might go in the last couple rounds, but it won't shock me if he does go at all.

Andrew Macwilliam/Camrose: I think NHL scouts are manufacturing a player if they think he's worth a pick, but I know there are teams with him on their list. Could go in the last few rounds.

Others: Spruce Grove D Kevin Connauton has decent size and brings some offense and from the blueline, so he could go in the last half of the draft. F Shawn Ostrow is another Camrose player who got lots of exposure, and his production this year may be enough for him to be a late pick. St. Albert RW Bryce Williamson, Calgary Canucks D Kodie Curran, Drayton Valley F Andrew Cherniwchan, and Bonnyville D Steven Seigo could get a look from some team.

Looking Ahead to 2009: Camrose D Dylan Olsen is already in my 2nd round, and he has a ton of upside. He might be the best Jr. A prospect in western Canada heading into next season. Sherwood Park D Rory Connop will be on the radar, if only because of his massive size.

SJHL

The SJHL may have produced the Junior A champion, but as usual, they'll be lucky to produce many NHL picks. Notre Dame C Rylan Schwartz is the league's best shot at a pick. He's headed for Colorado College and has a fair amount of skill despite his smallish size.

Besides Schwartz, there isn't much to get exicted about. Weyburn D Stephen Simms, Melfort D Tommy Brown, and Notre Dame F Travis Janke were the only other players that even looked somewhat interesting in my book.

MJHL

Another bleak year in the often-bleak Manitoba league. There's no real likely picks. Winnipeg South Blues D Andrew Hewett and Selkirk D Darren Bestland both offer quite a bit of toughness, and might be the MJHL's best chance at having a player or two drafted. Swan Valley F Stephan Vigier can put up the points, but is very smallish. Winkler D Caleb Suderman is an '89 that could also draw some interest. And Beausejour D Derek Robinson might have impressed somebody at the Jr. A Challenge enough to be a on a list, but I doubt it.