Kane, Evander - LW/C - Vancouver WHL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.