50 in 30: B2011DW's top-50 players for the NHL Draft 31-40

Welcome back to Bruins 2011 Draft Watch's final rankings countdown to the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The top-50 rolls on today with 31-40. You can read 50-41 here. And here are the honorable mentions as guys who didn't quite make the cut.

Quick reminder. These rankings are based on players we have seen live of via video ONLY. There will be some highly-touted players who aren't in the top-50 for that reason. Dmitri Jaskin is the guy we would have ranked in this range, but with just one U18 streaming viewing (of poor quality) we made the decision not to include him in the top-50 based on other better and multiple looks at other players.

Enjoy the countdown...

40. Connor Murphy, D U.S. NTDP (USHL) 6-3, 190 3/26/1993
On talent and upside alone, Murphy is closer to early second-round than where we have him, but the injury risk and lack of durability calls for a more conservative estimate here. Based on pure physical attributes and hockey skills, the son of former Bruins defenseman Gord Murphy (in two different stints and the other guy traded to Dallas with Andy Moog for Jon Casey in 1993- ouch!). The younger Murphy was actually born in Boston- his dad was just a few months away from being Sunshine state-bound (the Stars exposed him in the 1993 expansion draft, where he was plucked by the Florida Panthers), but considers himself a son of Ohio and is committed to the Miami University Redhawks. He has his father's size, but is a better skater with a higher offensive upside than his old man, whose best offensive performance in the NHL was 14 goals and 43 points in 1993-94. Big-time shot that he can still improve the mechanics on in terms of his release and accuracy. Sharp passer and puck mover. Connor's not as physical a player as Gord, either but it works for him- he takes the right angles and understands positioning- just don't expect a banger. Extremely polished, bright and mature- will kill the interview process at the draft combine. Interestingly enough, Gord also had problems staying in the lineup, playing every game in a season just twice in his career. The younger Murphy had an excellent U18 performance last month, scoring the gold medal-winning goal in overtime while playing a consistent, effective two-way game. However, you're talking about a player who has less than 30 games under his belt in two seasons- if the back injury he's labored under is potentially a chronic condition, he could be one of the great teases of the draft. Major league upside, but some risk, too. We believe Murphy will go higher than 40 because a team can't resist the payoff, but could just as easily blow up in their face if he ends up being fragile. Could be a legitimate No. 2 stud, or a "what could have been" draft day tragedy.

39. Adam Clendening, D Boston University (HE) 5-11, 190 10/26/1992
One of the top puck movers in the 2011 draft could be ranked a little higher, but his lack of ideal size and top-end speed poses a bit of a risk for NHL clubs. Was one of the most talked-about defensemen in the 2011 class coming into the season,and posted a solid freshman year Boston University. Started well, hit the wall at mid-season and then started to pull it together there at the end for the Terriers finishing with five goals and 26 points in 39 games. Only an okay skater- lacks the pure speed and lateral quickness you want from an undersized player on the blue line. Outstanding passer with high-end offensive hockey sense and vision. Sees the ice open up well before others and makes all the requisite breakouts and feeds. Doesn't quite have an overpowering shot like Justin Faulk, but will get it through traffic on net. Superb in puck distribution. Needs to watch the dumb penalties- lacks discipline and situational awareness at times. Above average defender but gets overpowered. We see Clendening as a prime candidate to get snapped up by an NHL team with multiple early picks- a club who can better afford to gamble on his high promise as one of the better PMDs in this draft despite the concerns about size and wheels. Teams that only have one pick in each of the first two rounds or less will probably stay away from him because of the risk factor.

38. David Musil, D Vancouver (WHL) 6-4, 200 04/09/1993
Another disappointing player who came into the year with such high expectations but failed to deliver. With Musil, it is more about the fact that he looks like a safe defender but nowhere near the high-upside guy he looked like several years ago when he burst onto the scene in the various international tournaments as a 15-year-old. The son of an NHL defenseman and tennis pro, as well as the grandson one of the Czech Republic's most recognized players and coaches. Heck, even his uncle, Bobby Holik, has legit name recognition from his NHL days. Where once scouts saw some offensive potential, that aspect has not emerged, nor is it likely to. His skating is average- not poor or exceptional either way and he does have good gap control and active stick. He can play a physical game (when he wants to) and has a nice frame to fill out which will make him more effective in that regard. His shot has power, but is lacking in a good release and accuracy. He telegraphs it and has an excessive windup that allows for defenses to get into the shooting lanes or disrupt his delivery. Another aspect of Musil's game we have heard troubling things about is with the intensity and desire- some NHL evaluators have said that he is the product of hockey coming very easy to him early on and the natural physical advantage he enjoyed at a younger age. Now, his peers are catching up to him and surpassing him, and he's not consistently bringing the kind of intensity you want. Of course, go back to his CHL Top Prospects Game performance and he looked very good- like the top pick he was projected to be and even fought Duncan Siemens to a draw. Musil is a solid kid with excellent bloodlines and a good talent base. He's not a high-end guy, but is someone you win with when he's his best.

37. Rickard Rakell, C/RW Plymouth (OHL) 6-0, 195 05/05/1993
We really dug this kid at the World Jr. Championship in December, when he had to step up after the loss of Gabriel Landeskog against Norway. Rakell was terrific in the preliminary round shutout against eventual champion Russia by being active, abrasive and opportunistic on every shift. He may not have excellent size or strength, but he plays bigger than his 6-foot frame and gets up under bigger, stronger guys. Tenacious on the forecheck and smart- forces turnovers and keeps his feet moving. Doesn't have elite breakaway speed, but is quick and elusive. Rakell also plays a pretty disciplined style- he can get under opponents' skin, but doesn't take a lot of penalties himself, often smirking at the other guy as he heads off to the box. He's diligent in his work along the boards and will take the puck into traffic and distributes pretty well. His upside is a bit of a question mark right now, however. He scored 19 goals and 43 points in 49 games with the Whalers, missing the end of the season and part of the playoffs with a lower body injury. Intelligent and energetic, he does show flashes of some offensive potential, but may have to make his living on the bottom two lines.

36. Duncan Siemens, D Saskatoon (WHL) 6-3, 197 09/07/1993
We can hear the screams of disagreement all the way to Saskatoon on this one and are prepared to take our lumps. Here's the disclaimer up front: We *know* that Siemens is a first-round pick and an NHL scout we talked to doesn't have a problem with where we have him, but told us- "You'll have to be OK with him going 15-20 spots before where you put him." Check. At the end of the day, we just don't see the upside with this guy. Yes, he can skate and his September birthdate is appealing given that he's one of the younger kids in this class. That said, we've been underwhelmed in each and every one of our viewings of him...admittedly all of them via stream. Video does not do any player justice, especially a defenseman where so much happens behind the play. That said, the same NHL scout said that Siemens' 43 points in 72 games were "phony" and said he reviewed the video on them- assists were throw it into the corner and forward then makes the play. While tough, Siemens is nowhere near as intimidating as Dylan McIlrath (who admittedly had a poor year) and Colten Teubert. Want evidence of that- look at his fight with Musil at the top prospects game. Siemens went looking for it, and the Canadian-born Czech more than held his own. Look, we know he's likely a top-20 selection and we're probably being a bit harsh, but we'll almost guarantee that there are NHL teams who do not have him in their top-30. Those decisions will never see the light of day to be criticized, but we're OK laying it on the line by saying that we don't see Siemens as being the No. 1/No. 2 NHL defender worthy of that top-10 or 11 selection where some have him. Heresy, we know, but we keep hearing about how Stefan Elliott had a lot to do with his partner's success and how underwhelming Siemens was in the playoffs. Add it all together and you have a guy we've been up-and-down on all season, but in the end, are a little down.

35. Tomas Jurco, RW Saint John (QMJHL) 6-2, 195 12/28/1992
If scoring goals is all about the feet and hands, then there is no denying that this Slovak is right up near the head of the class. His puckhandling skills border on the obscene. If there was some kind of unearthly substance that had a magnetic effect on rubber, we'd think that Jurco was the one who discovered it. He can dangle with the absolute best of them and scored a vintage breakaway goal early in game 1 of the Memorial Cup against Mississauga when he broke in alone on J.P. Anderson and buried it after some dazzling moves. He has a quick burst and some deceptive speed with the agility to turn defenders and make opponents look silly. In the open ice, he's absolutely deadly- a quick fake and flick of the stick and he's effortlessly around those who don't take the proper angle or maintain an effective gap. Now for the bad news: Jurco's defensive game is subpar and his compete levels uneven. He scored 31 goals on a stacked team, but was streaky with long stretches of unproductive play. On the right team, you're looking at a guy who can kill the opposition with a timely goal. However, without a creative and talented supporting cast, Jurco will be forced to try and do too much. He's skilled, but seems to lack that element of sense and simplification that leads to him getting too cute instead of making the high percentage plays. Medium risk player but high reward if he can raise the consistency. He's going to go higher than where we have him because of the sick hands and upside.


34. Victor Rask, C Leksands (SWE-2) 6-2, 194 03/01/1993
If this guy's life had a soundtrack, it would be the old Power Station 80's hit "Some Like It Hot" because he was definitely sweating when the heat was on! Crumbled under enormous expectations in his draft season, but if there is one legitimate draft value out there it is him. Tremendous upside, but has been a maddening player for scouts to watch this season and we've often heard the frustration. Looked like a first-round pick at times during the Under-18 tourney, but he played the center position and forced the better player (in our view) in Mika Zibanejad to the wing, where he was not as successful. We know that Rask has outstanding puck skills and hockey sense- his skating is average but could get better if he picks up a step and gets a little stronger. When on his game, he makes everyone around him better and slows things down or speeds them up at will. Whomever drafts him in the first round is doing so with the belief in what they saw from him a year ago when he was a dominate junior player with ideal size and some legitimate NHL tools. He didn't get it done this season, but watching him in Germany- he showed the flashes of what made him one of the more talked-about prospects coming in. Now, he has to put it all together. If a club thinks he'll relax and get back to the levels he showed as a 16-year-old, then he's absolutely worth taking a shot at in the first. However, if he slips into the second, he's legitimate value anywhere there.

33. Shane Prince, LW Ottawa (OHL) 5-10, 181 11/16/1992
OK- we admit it. B2011DW is more bullish on this Spencerport, N.Y. native than most. We just feel that even with the smallish size and criticisms about Prince taking shifts off, that he has legitimate scoring upside at the next level. Some question it, but we think he can certainly bring it when healthy and on top of his game. His hands are terrific- he's Mark Recchi-like in terms of the way he makes plays from the wing, preferring to dish and set up teammates rather than finish off the plays. At the same time, he does have nifty wrister that comes off his stick in a flash. He scored Team Cherry's only goal of the Top Prospects Game on precisely such a drive, making a quick head fake as if to pass and then wiring a laser through Jordan Binnington's legs. Also like Recchi, he doesn't have elite speed for a smaller guy, but is strong on his skates and just seems to know where to be when the play needs to be made. He injured his shoulder, missing some games and then got blasted in the open ice with a violent hit that caused his head to strike the ice. Prince returned to action pretty soon thereafter, but it did raise some questions about his durability and the dings he's going to take as he moves up to higher levels. At the end of the day, we simply like this player enough to have him knocking on the door of the late first-round and feel that he has the skill and intestinal fortitude, plus passion for the game to make it as a top-six scorer someday.

32. Stefan Noesen, C Plymouth (OHL) 6-0, 195 02/12/1993
B2011DW loves hockey prospects who are driven, passionate and dedicated to the sport. This native of Texas is one of the growing number of players who are leaving non-traditional hockey areas to hone their games and expose themselves to elite competition. Noesen (NAY-sen) left the Lone Star State at 15 to play high-level hockey for Compuware in Michigan. In his second season in the OHL with the Whalers after being eased in (33 games- 8 points) he erupted for 34 goals and 77 points in 68 contests as a sophomore. Some say he's a real good skater, while others say he needs to improve his initial burst. From our view, he's got some power in his stride and his top-end speed is just fine. He's one of the better two-way players in this draft class, and his goal totals indicate that he has some top-six potential at the NHL level. He's got some real tenacity to his game- he understands where he needs to be and takes his role seriously. A forechecker who uses his vision and anticipation to force turnovers, he also showed a penchant for taking advantage of those changes in puck possession by setting up teammates for quick strikes or taking it to the net himself. Skill, character and focus make him a potential top-30 selection and early second-rounder at the latest in our view.

31. Boone Jenner, C Oshawa (OHL) 6-1, 195 06/15/1993
Another passionate, character player who can do a little bit of everything, but may not be a high-end guy, where Jenner goes in the draft is going to be a hot topic of debate between now and June 24-25. The biggest knock on Jenner coming into the year was on his skating, but scouts say he's noticeably improved. While he won't ever be one of those "plus skaters" you hear about, but when we watched him in January, he showed no major flaws in action against Kitchener. One NHL scout we know told us that Jenner "skates his bag off" and is one of those living cliches as the kid who will go through the wall for his team. He's a strong faceoff guy who is always around the puck and seems to be the type of player who isn't just productive, but knows how to elevate his game to come through in the clutch. Jenner is also a strong defensive player who hustles, plays an honest game in all zones and does the little things like lifting the stick, taking the body and winning battles for loose pucks. We're hearing that he'll max out as a second-line forward, but in all honesty, when you look at all of the intangibles to his game- leadership, effort level, intelligence and maturity- it's hard to imagine that he'd be on the board much later than the 31st selection. We feel that Jenner is a good chance to take in the final 10 picks of the first round, but have him at 31 because of the questionable offensive role at the next level. It should not be reflection of where we view him as a guy who scored 25 goals and 66 points in 61 games while being a coach's dream.

B2011DW will return later in the week to get you down to 21. From there, we will start on June 1st with the daily comprehensive and detailed profiles of our top-20 players for this draft class.

Why Joe Morrow is going to surprise at NHL draft

Skilled puck moving defensemen are more in demand than ever, which is an interesting paradigm shift, because at one time, huge, nasty defenders were coveted during the clutch-and-grab era of the NHL given their ability to neutralize smaller offensive players.

These days, it's all about the mobile passers who can stretch defenses and start the quick attack from their own end. The best NHL teams have a fast and fluid transition game. Those who don't have that kind of dynamic in their blue line corps have to rely on their forwards to do more individual work to beat opposing defenses.

One such player who is not generally ranked as a solid first-round selection is Portland Winterhawk Joe Morrow.

The 34th-ranked player in the THN Draft Preview, Red Line had Morrow 36th in their April issue. The way we hear it, though, Morrow could very well be picked inside the top-20. Why? Well, at 6-1, 200 pounds, he's got size and natural strength. His skating improved considerably from where it was a year ago, as did his footwork, and Morrow has gotten much more involved in jumping up into the play than he did previously.

With good vision and the right touch on the puck, he's a pretty strong all-around package in that he's not a high-end puck-mover nor is he a dominant defenseman, but is a nice blend between both.

We talked to one NHL scout out west who lamented the fact that the cat is out of the bag on Morrow. "I saw him last year and was hoping he might be a guy we could steal later on, but I don't see it after the season he had," the scout said. "When you break it down, his skill level probably isn't quite what it should be if you're taking a guy in the first 15 to 20 picks, but in the bigger picture of what he brings to a team, I think he'll go there."

Morrow has a big booming shot, but the scout said that the Albertan sometimes falls a little too in love with his point drive and needs to get quicker at getting it off and work on switching things up. "He tends to get a little static or stationary at times," the scout said. "And with that big windup, the guys who are willing to get in front of it have the time to react and get into the shooting lane. It is a real cannon, though. When he gets it on net, it's heavy and hard to stop."


Central Scouting is on the right track; they ranked Morrow 12th in their final list, which was up four spots from his mid-term ranking of 16. That places him squarely in the middle of the first round.

But, if all of Adam Larsson, Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Murphy and Nathan Beaulieu are off the board in the first 10-11 picks, where does that leave Morrow?

"I like him better than Duncan Siemens to be honest," the scout said. "Siemens gets a lot of his points from secondary assists and skating with Stef Elliott. I don't see the same kind of vision or creativity from him that I do from Morrow. I know this will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I think Siemens is overrated when people are talking top-10 for him. He's going to be a solid middle-pairing guy, but if you want real upside from the defense position, I have Morrow ranked a little higher. Yes, he plays on a good team in Portland as well, but Morrow starts the breakout and is pretty good with puck distribution."

It may entirely come down to a pick your flavor proposition between Siemens and Morrow on June 24, but at B2011DW, we wouldn't at all be surprised to see the two go within just a few picks within one another.

Another thing working in Morrow's favor is the deep run his Winterhawks team made this spring. Siemens on the other hand, got bounced in the second round and by several accounts, did not acquit himself very well.

"Siemens got exposed a bit both in the win over Prince Albert, but especially against Kootenay," said an NHL director of amateur scouting recently. "When his team needed him to step up his game, he made a lot of mistakes and didn't look settled the way he did in the regular season. That isn't going to crush him at the draft, but it is something teams are going to talk about."

Morrow's team is in the WHL championship and down 2 games to 1 to the Kootenay Ice. Morrow's production has been outstanding in the postseason, with six goals and 18 points in 19 games. That kind of impression will be fresh in teams' minds when they get together to hammer out their rankings.

"I think you'll see a run on defensemen who have that all-important puck moving skill," said another NHL scout from the Eastern Conference recently. "Teams who wait too long to grab one find themselves shut out on draft day. A kid like Morrow is probably going to hear his name called sooner than most people think because of that reason."

In any case, it makes for an interesting plot line to watch for in Minnesota.

Central releases final rankings: Nugent-Hopkins headlines class; top-10 analysis

To nobody's surprise, Red Deer Rebels center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sits atop the NHL Central Scouting Service's final rankings for North American skaters for the 2010-11 season. The list was released today, and featured some interesting movement, as RNH moved up to the top spot from his mid-term position of No. 3 after a tremendous second half that saw him hit the century mark for points (31 goals, 106 points) to tie Ryan Strome for most points by a CHL draft eligible this season.

You can see the entire list here, but this post will attempt to shed some light on some key areas until we can track down some NHL sources to weigh in with their opinions.

RNH is a dynamic, game-breaking talent who belongs at the top of the list. Some have made interesting observations about his production, both predominant success with the man advantage and in terms of him requiring room to operate. In all honesty, the NHL and independent scouts we've spoken to have raved about his pure skill and ability to get it done, so the only real concern with him right now is putting some size on his very slender frame. Even with some of the doubts, RNH has still managed to put the puck in the net and set up myriad other goals, so as far as we're concerned, he deserves his spot atop the NA skaters list.

His ascendance displaces Kitchener Rangers captain Gabriel Landeskog, whose club was knocked out of the first round of the OHL playoffs in seven games by the upstart Plymouth Whalers. Landeskog is No. 2 after a 36-goal, 66-point season hampered by a high ankle sprain suffered in December, which kept him out of the World Jr. Championship in Buffalo and forced him to miss about six weeks.

Jonathan Huberdeau moved up one spot from his fourth spot at mid-term, and the Saint John Sea Dogs standout with his 105 points is primed to land inside the top-five or just outside if he drops slightly.

The first two defensemen in North America appear at 4th and 5th- Dougie Hamilton, who has been steadily tracked all year on this blog, and Nathan Beaulieu, another member of the juggernaut Saint John team that steamrolled the QMJHL this season. Hamilton is 6-4 and skates very well, though some scouts question his vision and hockey sense (yet he still managed to score 58 points this season). Beaulieu isn't as big as Hamilton, but has excellent skating and puck moving ability, some nastiness and might be a little more rounded at this stage than Hamilton is.

Sean Couturier fell down to No. 6 on the list, which is consistent with some of the buzz we've been hearing on him. However, it's hard to imagine he'll fall very far come draft day. He's simply too big, talented and promising to take a major nosedive as other highly-touted prospects have done in the past. He's not the best skater, but let's be frank: it's not a major flaw and is correctible with some work on mechanics. He has the size and power to be a legitimate power forward and top-six player for years in this league, and we don't put a lot of stock in his WJC performance because of the role he was given. Yes, he could have produced more because the opportunities were there for him, and that was noted back in January when we published our notes. But at the same time, the fact that he generated those scoring chances counts as well. He battled mononucleosis which has a debilitating effect on any athlete, so in our view Couturier is not going to have the kind of fall the rumor mongers will predict for him. If he gets out of the top-five, then whoever snags him shortly thereafter is getting some nice value.

We're surprised to see Swiss winger Sven Bartschi ahead of Ryan Strome on the list at 7 and 8, however. Strome is someone who produced from wire to wire and lost the OHL scoring championship on the very last day of the season when Tyler Toffoli and Jason Akeson had big days. Bartschi is skilled, but he's on the small side and we don't like his perimeter game. Strome can do a little bit of everything and has some real high-end hockey sense and a nonstop motor. We're highly doubtful that Bartschi will get picked ahead of Strome on June 24, though we do feel Bartschi is a solid first-round player.

Two intriguing defensemen are 9th and 10th on the list: Ryan Murphy, whom we profiled in detail here last week, and the player this blog has more posts on than anyone else, needs no major introduction if you're a long-time reader of this space. His lack of size and functional strength continue to be the only drawbacks to this player, who tore it up in the first-round loss to Plymouth and convinced several NHL scouts we've talked to, among others in the independent community, that he deserves to be closer to 5 than 10 on draft day. We believe that the Bruins have a genuine interest in Murphy among other players, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Duncan Siemens is more the thunder to Murphy's lightning. If Murphy is the small, dynamic guy, Siemens brings the lumber with his mobility and tough edge. A very good skater lacking only minor issues (and even that is debateable), Siemens may not have Murphy's game-breaking element, but he's big, fiery and has some upside. A player who can do it all including fight, he was actually seen on camera giving Murphy fighting tips when the two played together on Team Cherry during the CHL Top Prospects Game. Siemens dropped the gloves with David Musil in that game and is one of those guys who at first doesn't seem like much, but really grows on you in time. At nearly 6-3, and 192 pounds, he has a lot of room to grow, and scouts love his zeal and passion for the game.

As you can see from the top-10, this is a pretty solid class. We'll have much more later this evening, when we break down more of the North American skaters, but we wanted to get this post up and to you for quick digestion before we take on the bulk of the list in the next post.

Waffle Watch complete: Bruins are picking 9th

The Minnesota Wild pulled it together, winning their last two games of the season to breeze by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the standings, dropping Toronto's draft pick position to ninth overall.

Bruins fans should consider it a moral victory, as the "best" non-playoff club, ie- Carolina and Dallas, who blew win and in scenarios on back-to-back nights and will pick 12th and 14th in a draft that many scouts are saying is about 15-16 deep (Calgary picks 13th with 94 points- three ahead of the 'Canes). Let's face it- 13 and 14 isn't bad, but getting inside that top-10 is bigger for Boston for several reasons.

First, they're going to get a player with a lot of promise there. One NHL scout told me that as far as he's concerned, the kid who possibly goes 11th overall has as much potential to be one of the top three players in this draft as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson or Gabriel Landeskog do- your "consensus" three highest-ranked guys. Will they be the three who hear their names called 1-3 in St. Paul? There is still much time left to decide that.

You have to wonder about the guys who will still be playing deep into the CHL playoffs, such as Jonathan Huberdeau or Sean Couturier and possibly Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton or Sven Bartschi and Duncan Siemens out west? What will their extended run bring them in terms of rising on draft day? If you count up those names, that leaves you with nine solid draft options right there. Here are three more: One small but dynamic defender with elite skills in Ryan Murphy, and a pair of power forward bookends Brandon Saad, and Tyler Biggs.

Oh, and there's 2010 CHL Rookie of the Year and two-time 30+ goal guy for Peterborough Matt Puempel. That makes 13. Three players with some size, jam and upside in Mika Zibanejad,Jamie Oleksiak and Nathan Beaulieu round out 16. Big horse with legitimate scoring potential Mark McNeill is 17, but could go inside the top-10 if he has a strong Under-18 tourney next week.

And so, you get the picture. This is not a weak draft. Furthermore, that just happens to be this blog's top-17. Who knows if it actually reflects the guys who will go 1-17 in June? Our best guess is- probably not.

Which leads us to our second point about the value of picking ninth overall: Being inside the top-10 makes a potential move up the board by Boston feasible. Usually, teams sitting at 5 or 6 don't want to leave the top-10 altogether, though it normally comes down to just how many like-ranked players they have on their board. The more there are, the more willing a team is to move down and still get a player they want. If their heart is set on 1 or 2 guys, a team picking fifth probably is not going to move down to nine unless the other GM does some real pot-sweetening.

OK- so it's not second overall. As Mick Jagger once crooned, You can't always get what you want. The ninth pick in 2011, after getting the second and 32nd selections in 2010, is not a bad way to go at all.

Give the Bruins and GM Peter Chiarelli credit, (though we didn't like the Chris Kelly deal when it was made and still don't). The Bruins are picking third from the end in every round (for now- those final four seedings actually go to Stanley Cup champion, finalist, and the two semi-finals teams, and is not based on regular season record as in the old days) but managed to move up 19 slots in the 1st round with Toronto's pick, 18 slots in the second with Minnesota's and 8 slots in the third with Phoenix. Even though the Bruins don't have their own pick in any of rounds 1-3, they effectively moved up the board to non-playoff positions for the first two and upgraded modestly with the third.

That will position the Bruins to add some more legitimate building blocks to the organization just one year after adding some impressive parts in Tyler Seguin, Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner in rounds 1 and 2.

Now, it's up to the scouts to finish their due diligence.

With that, here is the final draft pick update of the season 2010-11 season:

2011 Boston Bruins draft picks 6 total picks plus one pending conditional 7th from FLA)

1st Round
9th overall- Toronto (85 points; 37-34-11)- Completes Phil Kessel trade.

2nd Round
40th overall- Minnesota (86 points;39-35-8)- Completes Chuck Kobasew trade.

3rd Round
80th overall- Phoenix (99 points; 43-26-13) - Completes Derek Morris trade.

4th Round
118th* overall- Boston (103 points; 46-25-11)
*Final four pick positions determined by Stanley Cup winner, finalist, and semi-finalists

5th Round
148th overall- Boston

6th Round
178th overall- Boston

7th Round
183rd overall- Florida (conditional 72 pts; 30-40-12)- Jeff LoVecchio, Jordan Knackstedt to Panthers for Sean Zimmerman, cond. 7th


Traded Picks- 2011 (4 Boston 2011 picks traded in Rounds 1-3, 7)

1st Round
28th overall- Boston pick Traded to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle

2nd Round
58th overall- Boston pick Traded to Ottawa for Chris Kelly

3rd round
88th overall Boston pick traded to Florida; Completes Nathan Horton deal

7th round
208th overall Boston pick traded to Chicago (Zach Trotman)


Boston Bruins 2012 Draft Picks

1st
2nd- Traded to TOR; conditional: If BOS makes Stanley Cup final or Kaberle re-signed, pick goes to Leafs
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

WHL 2010-11 regular season roundup

The blog is back with the second mega-post in the regular season roundup and recap. Instead of just sticking with the CHL, we're going to expand it to the NCAA, Europe and U.S./Canada juniors and U.S. high schools in separate posts over the next week. Why? Because we're gluttons for punishment and you guys deserve as much info. as you can absorb!

With the playoffs kicking off here in North America, it's time to look at the 2011 NHL Draft's bigger names and try to project where they could go come Minnesota in June.

Here is the post we did in August tracking the bigger draft names in the WHL coming into it. As is the case every year, certain guys expected to have successful years didn't, while others who were down the list or not tracking at all elevated themselves to a high degree. Mark McNeill, anyone?

So, without further ado- here's the WHL regular season roundup based on what our sources are telling us. There are sure to be disagreements, but at the end of the day, NHL lists vary a great deal from team to team, so the more debate the better. This is just one perspective.

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C Red Deer- Has the 'Nuge played himself into the top spot when the 2011 draft opens up on June 24? We think he has. His goal scoring was down into January even though his outstanding assist totals were piling up. As if perhaps hearing the critics, RNH threw caution to the wind and just started firing the puck and finding the back of the net with alarming regularity. Nugent-Hopkins finished the season with 31 goals and 106 points in 75 games with the Rebels, precisely the kind of production expected of him when the season began. Although some will take issue with his power play production versus even strength, this guy is an elite skater with the elite hands, passing skills and shot that should see him go in the top-2 selections at the very least. Edmonton, assuming they maintain the top pick, has seen plenty of this dynamic young skater, and although we went on Nation Radio a few weeks ago and predicted Adam Larsson to the Oil, we've reversed our position and see RNH being the guy for them if they have the top pick. We've talked to several NHL scouts who are all saying the same thing: RNH has taken it to an entirely different level since February and makes perfect sense as the first overall pick for Edmonton. He simply has too much talent and upside not to go there, especially given the kind of awareness Oilers fans have of RNH this season. The thought of him with Taylor Hall and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson or Jordan Eberle has to create visions of sugarplum pucks dancing in Steve Tambellini's head. His average size and slender frame is no major cause for concern- at the end of the day, he's a legit game-breaker and will adapt well to the NHL.
Stock Watch: Blue-chip; like the aforementioned Jonathan Huberdeau, an extended playoff run for Nugent-Hopkins and the Rebels will put him right with Taylor Hall in terms of the player who is freshest in the minds of scouts leading into the draft. Even if the Rebels come up short and don't advance far in the WHL postseason, we suspect that RNH has done enough already to sell himself to the teams picking 1st or 2nd.

Here's a terrific video produced by Aaron Vickers and the guys at Future Considerations Hockey on RNH. It will tell you everything you need to know about him.

2. Duncan Siemens, D Saskatoon- Admittedly, we haven't been as high on Siemens at this blog space as others, but it's time to face facts, and that is this: with his size, skating ability and pure toughness plus upside, it's hard to imagine any other player in the WHL being drafted ahead of the Blades d-man once RNH is off the board.He has a powerful stride and good lateral agility. The first-step quickness is still a work in progress, but it isn't a shortcoming. He's a tall and lean 6-3, 195-pounds, but when he fills out more, he'll be even more of a physical beast than he is now. His gap control is very good, and he plays a sound positional game. The points weren't really there at the beginning, but he came on better in the second half, and he finished with five goals, 38 assists for 43 points and 121 penalty minutes as one hard-nosed, tough mother. Another thing to like about him- he's a Sep. '93 birthdate, making him one of the youngest players in the class, and given his poise and edge, that's really saying something. The offensive upside is a question that is going to go on in NHL war rooms of teams that have a top-10 selection in this draft, but if Dylan McIlrath can go 10th overall, then Siemens, a very similar kind of player in terms of style and substance, but one who has more skill, could very well do the same or better. B2011DW is late to the party, but based on what we saw in the CHL Top Prospects Game and the fact that all we've heard about Siemens all season long speaks to a level of consistency that is laudable, we think he's a solid No. 2 in the WHL behind RNH. We're not sure we would take someone like Siemens at 7 or 8, but if he were to go that high, it would not surprise.
Stock watch: Up; playoff hockey is made for a guy like Siemens, so he should elevate his standing even more. Production could be the icing on the cake that pushes him inside the top-10, but even if he doesn't go that high, we can't envision a scenario in which he drops past 15. He could end up being a solid,middle-pairing guy in the NHL, but his potential to be more plus toughness quotient means that he'll go higher than lower in our opinion.


Here's a video produced by the Saskatoon Blades on their 3rd overall pick in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. It's a little dated, but you can see where the hype is coming from.

3. Mark McNeill, C Prince Albert- How do you spell stud? No player in the WHL has done more to help himself for the draft this season than the big, skilled and tough Raiders pivot who finished second on his team in scoring. His 32 goals and 81 points in 70 games this season only tell part of the story. He hit a growth spurt over the last year or so, growing to about 6-2 and 210 pounds, an already physically mature and smart player who plays a complete two-way game. He can score, hit and fight, though opponents figured out pretty quickly that McNeill was not a guy they wanted to provoke, so he hasn't had a ton of work in the fisticuffs department. His real value is in hockey sense and soft hands. He's extremely strong on his skates and shields/protects the puck well when he has possession in the o-zone. He's not a big hitter, but with his size and penchant for playing with an edge, we think it's in him to be that nasty, in-your-face guy if the right team can coax it out of him. He plays with a lot of energy and hustle; not a great skater, but he does have a fluid, powerful stride. With his natural strong core, he's able to generate a lot of power and can be a load for opponents to contain.
Stock watch: Holding steady; any team picking late in the 1st round hoping to steal him in the bottom 5-10 picks has missed the boat with this guy. With his all-around size, skill and edge, he's a prime candidate to come off the board inside the top-20. The big question then becomes, where will he go? We know of several NHL teams that love him, so if there's a candidate you see someone move up to get, it could be McNeill.

This fight video from hockeyfightsplus will give you an indication of why NHL teams are salivating over him given his skill package to go with the toughness.

4. Ty Rattie, RW Portland- The Alberta scoring machine was at one time on a real tear and was in the top-three for scoring in the WHL before tailing off, but there is still a great deal to like about this creative, dynamic playmaking winger. With 28 goals and 51 assists for 79 points in 67 games this season, he more than doubled his 37-point output as a rookie and came a long way with his overall game. One NHL scout told us back in December that he was really taken aback at how much more refined Rattie's game was this season after he'd been more of a hotdog as a rookie, doing a lot of flashy, individual things that worked for him in bantam, but didn't as a rookie in the WHL. Linemate Sven Bartschi raved to B2011DW at the WJC about Rattie's playmaking skills and overal ability (more on Bartschi later) to generate offense for the stacked Winterhawks. Rattie also plays with a bit of an edge and does his share of agitating. It's a shame that he was unable to keep up his torrid scoring pace, but he certainly showed scouts why he was one of the most accomplished scorers to ever come out of Alberta bantams and bigger point production totals are in store. His defense is still improving, but he showed a willingness to hustle and backcheck, and has come a considerable distance in a short amount of time. He doesn't have a lot of size at just 6-0, and 165, but with his slippery elusiveness plus high-end puck skills, vision and tenacity the size thing is not a big detriment given what he brings to the table.
Stock watch: He's probably getting lost in the shuffle a bit with the way RNH and Siemens have come on since the Top Prospects Game, but if Portland can go far in the postseason, Rattie could remind scouts why he was a big-time point-getter at the start of the year. We really like this kid.

Open Ice has a nice profile on Rattie done at the Top Prospects Game here.

5. Sven Bartschi, LW Portland- He may be only about 5-10 and 180 pounds, but this Swiss sniper can really put the puck in the net! The Swiss rookie finished just second in team scoring behind No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft Ryan Johansen (Columbus), potting 34 goals and 85 points in 66 games for the offensive powerhouse Winterhawks. An excellent skater who can explode to top speed in just a few strides, he has a heavy, accurate shot that he loves to rip coming off the rush. Very good puck skills as Bartschi showed at the CHL Top Prospects Game. He can also put it just about anywhere. If there's a knock on him it's that he does have a tendency to play a perimeter game and stay away from the dirty areas of the ice. At this level, he can get away with it because he's so adept at ripping the puck or setting up teammates in prime scoring position. As he moves up into the pros, he'll have a harder time beating goalies from the outside, so we'd like to see him show more of a willingness to go into traffic and take the puck to the net. That said, he's a solid kid who is passionate and plays with a lot of natural exuberance. He has a big smile on his face most of the time, and his attitude reminds us a lot of his countryman and teammate Nino Niederreiter in that regard. When it comes to Swiss players who come to North America to compete in their draft year, it says a lot about their commitment and desire to be NHL players. Bartschi is a solid 1st-round option, but where he goes is anyone's guess. It will take a certain team liking him more than others to go inside the top-15, but he won't slip out of the top-30...the skill and production is simply too alluring.
Stock watch: Up; he was consistent and productive the entire season. If he can kick it up a notch in the playoffs, he'll likely be picked before linemate Rattie.

Here's a light little video produced by a Country music station in Portland, but you get a nice glimpse of who he is off the ice.

Bonus video showing Rattie and Bartschi both in a shootout.

6. David Musil, D Vancouver- We missed Musil the first time we did this, but caught ourselves. Whew! At 6-3, 195, the son of former NHL defenseman (and current Edmonton Oilers scout) Frantisek Musil and Andrea Holikova-Musil (Bobby Holik's sister) has some of the best bloodlines in this draft class. He's a good skater for a player of his size and has all the physical tools and attributes a team looks for, yet his stock has dropped this season after being considered a potential preseason top-5 for 2011. Why? According to one NHL scout, he has the talent, but just doesn't seem to play withe the kind of intensity, passion or sense of urgency you look for. "He has the look of a guy who things have come pretty easy to him most of his life and maybe they have," the scout said. "But, he makes some questionable decisions and just hasn't taken control of games like the player we saw last year and before. He's capable of more, but I just haven't seen it from him enough." Musil has a big, booming shot that hurts, but his windup is excessive and release extended, allowing players to clog shooting lanes or rush him altogether. His hockey sense is just OK- he doesn't seem to sense the openings and exploit them and one wonders how well he sees the ice or reads the play. Defensively, he's solid- he uses his mobility and size to leverage guys away from the net and keep forwards to the outside. He's also getting very good coaching there in Vancouver under Don Hay, so he's a good player overall who's a bit of a disappointment more because the big expectations weren't met than anything else. Musil is probably going to play in the NHL because he's as good a physical specimen and athlete that you can find, but if you're looking for a projectable No. 1 or No. 2, this kid may be more of a gamble than teams are willing to take with a high pick. He finished the year with 6 goals and 25 points in 62 games and missed time including the WJC (where he would have played for the Czech Republic) with injury.

Here's a report from the Vancouver Giants on him. Spitting image of his old man when Papa Frank was playing for the North Stars.

7. Mike St. Croix, C Edmonton- Like McNeill, St. Croix is to be commended for picking up his game and making a statement to scouts as the season went on. Coming into it, the season, the Winnipeg native had high offensive expectations given the flashes he showed as a rookie with the Oil Kings last year. He got off to a slow start, and compounded with some indifferent defensive play, was headed down in some NHL teams' eyes until he turned things around at mid-season and finished the year strong. A very good skater who can dangle with the best of them, he's got a lightning release and just seems to have that sixth sense around the net when it comes to scoring goals or setting them up. He tallied 27 markers and 75 points in 68 games, finishing just three points off the scoring lead to Dylan Wruck. His willingness to get his nose dirty and play more responsible in all zones is precisely why his stock is up these days. Will it be enough to get him into the first round? That remains to be seen, but even if he doesn't crack the Friday night lineup, he won't be around long on Saturday, as he has some of the best natural upside of any in this class. His average size (5-11, 165) hurts him- he needs to get a lot stronger, but that should come in time.

Here's a lengthy radio interview and video with St. Croix from Athlete's Angle. Gotta love the "playoffs playoffs?" Jim Mora soundbite in there- never gets old.

8. Joe Morrow, D Portland- Another guy who may have been flying under the radar when the season began, no longer. NHL teams are not going to steal this guy, who has the look of developing into a solid No. 2 at the NHL level one day. A fine skater who sees the ice extremely well and loves to rush the puck. Morrow is a very good passer and has a point cannon that he gets off quickly. Sometimes, he is too much in love with his shot, says one NHL scout, who wanted to see him switch things up a bit and not go for the big slapper all the time, but admitted he was nitpicking the rangy defender with size's (6-1, 200) game. Morrow's defense and positioning are not as strong as the offensive element to his game, but NHL teams will covet that guy who can move the puck effectively, knowing that is a much tougher element to find. They can always pair a player like that with a stronger defensive partner, but legitimate PMD's are at a premium these days, so don't expect Morrow to last that long beyond the 1st round if he even slips out of the top-30. He's got an edge to him as well, but doesn't have much ability as a fighter- his real value is in his skill game.

Morrow is on a radio show here in this video, so you can see him in an interview setting.


9. Colin Jacobs, C Seattle- On talent alone, this 6-2, 195-pounder from Texas probably belongs here, but some of the scouts we've talked to aren't sold on his upside at the NHL level. The old scouting kiss of death- "looks like a player but don't know if he will be one" is something we've heard several times with Jacobs. That said, he can skate well, has some stickhandling ability and definitely likes to use his big frame to bang bodies. He cut down on his penalty minutes this season by playing a more clean, disciplined style which is good news for him and the Thunderbirds. His production was a disappointment, however- 22 goals and 44 points in 68 games. More was expected of this kid, who was seen as a solid early second-rounder prior to the start of the year. Where will he end up in June? Probably in the second round somewhere, but he could drop toward the bottom 10 and be closer to 60 or might be an early third-rounder. His development time in Texas/lack of elite competition early has caused some scouts to question his awareness and ability to process quickly, but he does have a solid work ethic and could develop a better defensive positional game, whether the natural sense is there or not.

You can get a little bit of an appreciation for what Jacobs can do at the junior level with this vid from NHLDraftVideo. Goes hard to the net and outworks defenders to put it in, but what you see is pretty much what you get.

10. Myles Bell, D Regina- Admittedly, B2011DW was a fan of Bell's game early in the season, but his production really tailed off as the Pats' season went south. He's an intriguing player who can move well enough and likes to carry the puck into the offensive zone. But, Bell is not a speed burner, which can lead to his being caught up ice. He also doesn't have a lot of height, even though he is a stout 210 pounds and built more like a bowling ball at 6-feet. This very good puckhandler isn't afraid to take chances and is dangerous on the power play. He's got some fight in him, too, which is always a bonus for NHL clubs. The problem starts with his defensive play, as multiple scouts have dinged him for an indifference and even more damning, at times clueless approach that takes him out of position and leads to goals against. He's one of these guys who looks a lot like a specialist- you can have him out there in certain situations and he'll move the puck well and make a good power play QB, but whether he can take a regular NHL is in doubt. Players like that, especially because he lacks ideal size, are becoming less and less valuable as NHL clubs are looking to maximize bang for the buck. So, if Bell slips a little more than anticipated, don't be surprised. There is some upside with his offensive game, but his overall play leaves a good bit to be desired, apparently.

Here's a video of Bell doing what he does best- going end-to-end with the puck Even here, you can see the lack of speed, but he's one of those guys who compensates with his offensive sense, ability to see holes open and handle the puck to get there.

11. Kale Kessy, LW Medicine Hat- We admittedly have a bit of a mancrush on Kessy, who is drawing comparisons to Milan Lucic according to the latest issue of Red Line Report. He doesn't get much of an opportunity to play an offensive role for the Tigers given their high-octane attack, but he's quietly scored some nice goals and certainly brings that legitimate toughness power forwards need to be able to change the flow of a game with a big hit, a fight and even a goal. Kessy is a decent skater, but needs to improve his lateral movement and get a little stronger on his skates. The fact that he's 6-2, but only about 175 has a lot to do with this- as he fills out and gains upper and lower body strength, he'll be better as he drives the net and a tougher customer when the gloves come off. He's also a pretty good shooter and puckhandler; not great, but he can make things happen in close. He's under the radar in terms of not being much of a draft name, but he's in the top-10 because he's got that developmental promise that Lucic turned into a household name. Don't be surprised to see Kessy come off the board much earlier than anticipated given his Central Scouting ranking and where other services have him. Red Line was the only service to peg Lucic as a potential top-50 pick, and they're on the Kessy bandwagon, so why not have him here? We've also heard from at least two NHL scouts who really like him as well and see the same kind of upside- Kessy fought so well last year that he earned himself some space and respect this year. That's saying something.

Here's just one of many fight videos you can access on Kessy over at YouTube. He's a lot like the old Primus song "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver" in that he may not win all of them, but he never gets manhandled or destroyed. A lot of pure toughness with this guy.

12. Adam Lowry, LW Swift Current- At 6-4, the son of former NHLer Dave Lowry has very nice size for the big league, although he has a lot of growing/filling out to do. He's still quite gangly and needs to improve his stride and overall speed and lateral quickness, but Lowry has very good hockey sense and plays a physical game despite his lack of mass and weight right now. Stats were nothing to get excited about (61-17-22-39 on a weak team), but he's got some raw potential and promise, plus the NHL bloodlines that teams love. He's a longer-term project who will require faith and patience, but could be a good one once his coordination gets more in line with his big body.

13. Reece Scarlett, D Swift Current- The offense didn't come as expected for this very averaged-sized defenseman who is a very good skater and puckhandler. His six goals and 24 points in 72 games for the Broncos helped to drop him down the draft lists after some early season promise, but he could be an interesting longer-term project pick for a team that has the stones to take him in the second round. He makes a nice breakout pass and seems to have the vision and hockey sense to be a legit PMD at the next level. The size is a concern, but he's a smart player who has some raw, projectable upside. If he slips to the third or fourth rounds, it might be an ideal scenario for him, as there will be very little pressure on him to develop and perform. He's a good, solid kid who sticks up for his teammates, but had his hands full on a pretty inexperienced team. Will be interesting to see how he does moving forward.

Overagers worth a look:

Brendan Shinnimin, C Tri-City- Small, but feisty and skilled center finished sixth in WHL scoring this year with 34 goals and 96 points for the Americans. The '91 birthdate followed up a solid 82 point season in 2010. Has speed and hands, and was suspended 12 games for a vicious hit from behind on Josh Nicholls. Very good hockey sense and could be a draft option after improving on his point totals.

Andrej Kudrna, LW Red Deer- Good size and skill for this Slovak, but compete levels have been questioned over the years. His production is what could see him get drafted, as he has been a consistent point producer in the WHL with Vancouver and Red Deer, but the lack of intensity is clearly what has kept NHL teams away. Did he do enough this season to get one last look?

Marcel Noebels, RW Seattle- Knocked for skating and soft play, this German is a 1992 who was passed over last season, but has some potential given that he was arguably Germany's best player at the WJC. He took the puck to the net hard and was involved throughout the games on one of the weaker teams there. With 25 goals and 49 points in 65 games, he did pretty well in North America for the T-Birds. He's a better skater than we thought, and at 6-3, 210 brings the kind of size that gives him a shot.

CHL Top Prospects Game Analysis: Team Cherry

I've only watched the game once, but this was quite the one-sided affair despite the way the matchup looked on paper for Don Cherry's boys.

But that's the great thing about sports: the games aren't played on paper!

Team Orr took advantage of mediocre goaltending from Christopher Gibson and David Honzik, and also made plays that the Team Cherry netminders had no chance on. But at the end of the day, the Doug Gilmour-coached squad found the back of the net to the tune of seven goals. Three in three minutes to start the third period opened up a 6-1 lead for Team Orr and Dougie Hamilton closed it out with a late power play blast, ending the 16th iteration of the CHL's draft showcase with a 7-1 final.

Here are some observations on the one viewing I had watching the game on tape delay this afternoon on NHL Network. Keeping in mind that video leaves so much out that you get seeing a player in person, here are some observations of Team Cherry, who had some real talent and took the initial advantage, but were unable to solve Liam Liston and ended up not getting much going against Jordan Binnington, either. Will follow up with Team Orr later tonight, which will have far more detail and commentary given that the white team had quite an offensive display and got some pretty good defense, too.

Team Cherry (Red sweaters)

Goalies

Christopher Gibson, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)-- The CHL's leader in save percentage (.888) had a rough time, and as a former goalie I empathized with what Gibson went through. He watched Liston stand on his head on the other end and get some real favorable bounces, while seeing very little action, only to see Daniel Catenacci blazing down the ice on a breakaway after a busted play with the man advantage. Just like that, it was 1-0 and Team Orr never looked back. Gibson saw fewer than 10 shots in his 30 minutes and gave up three goals. He's got nice size and athleticism, but the book on the Finnish native is to force him to move laterally, and Orr did that on two of the strikes. Give the Orr shooters credit-- they buried their chances, but Gibson could have lifted his club with just one save-- probably the one he didn't make on Catenacci. Didn't get it done.

David Honzik, Victoriaville (QMJHL)-- Another European playing in the Quebec league, this Czech takes up a lot of net with his big frame, but he spent far too much time down in the butterfly and it cost him on a couple of shots. Again, Orr was buzzing his net hard early in the third period, but Honzik faltered, playing deeper and deeper in his net and dropping to the ice on just about every shot. In his defense, he didn't get much help from his 'D' and he did come out on Hamilton to cut down the angle- the Niagara defender put home a perfect slapper off the far post. But, Honzik didn't impress on the whole and like Gibson, was pretty mediocre. He didn't give his team any reason to believe that they could get back into this one, and that was it in a nutshell.

Defense

Ryan Murphy, D Kitchener (OHL)-- Clearly the most visible of any of Cherry's defensemen, and arguably, on the entire team, Murphy showed off why he has 17 goals and 52 points as the top-scoring defender available in the entire draft. He's an explosive, dynamic skater (you've heard this ad nauseum, I realize) and was apparently playing last night's game on a bad ankle, which made his rushes all the more remarkable. Even hindered, the Orr skaters could do little to stop him when he revved it up just past his own blue line and accelerated effortlessly through the neutral zone. Unfortunately for Murphy, he wasn't able to finish off any of his rushes nor were his teammates able to capitalize on them. But, you saw what he's capable of offensively. Murphy played a chippy, physical game, hitting Jonathan Huberdeau near his own blue line in the second period and later drilling Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the neutral zone, getting tagged with the interference call that led to the Hamilton power play tally. He took a stick in the mouth from Lucas Lessio that drew blood (but no call) and was clearly riled and peeved with the lack of offense from his team. You could see the frustration boiling over with him at the end, but despite the seven goals surrendered by Cherry, Murphy lived up to the hype.

Scott Harrington, D London (OHL)-- Murphy's d-partner blew a tire on the Catenacci goal, allowing the fastest skater to break away from everyone and score the first goal of the game, a shortie. He had some good moments, too, but his stock has fallen off this season because the offensive element of his game that was expected coming into the year hasn't been there. He's not exactly a shutdown guy either, so what are you left with. Losing the edge and giving up the goal when Cherry was dominating play turned the momentum of the game and it was a tough break for Harrington.

Myles Bell, D Regina (WHL)-- If Murphy showed something to the NHL scouts and GMs in attendance, Bell probably hurt his case. Early in the game, he was rushing the puck effectively and with abandon and was involved, but he disappeared as the game went on, and that doesn't play to Bell's favor. He's not an explosive, fast skater like Murphy is and relies more on guile and his offensive instincts to generate scoring chances. However, he's not very strong defensively, and as the game went on, you saw him exposed a little bit with some bad decision-making and by being out of position. He was caught sleeping on the Vince Trocheck goal in the 3rd period, making a lazy play to allow the Saginaw standout to get behind him and leaving Honzik out to dry. He did try to goad Huberdeau into a fight, but by then, it was too late. Someone will certainly draft Bell for his offensive potential, but he's got a lot of work to do on his defensive play and lackadaisical attitude, which has been relayed to me by several NHL scouts out West. You saw that on primetime with the Trocheck goal-- there's no way it should have happened. He's a hard-shooter who won the event with a 98 mph shot, so Bell has some potential to get the goals in the NHL one day, but he's got to improve the all-around game.

Duncan Siemens, D Saskatoon (WHL)-- Siemens showed off his mobility and hard-nosed game, but like his scouting report, didn't do a great deal to stand out beyond his fight with David Musil. Siemens will likely play in the NHL, but I don't get why he's so highly rated in some circles. Top-10? Not based on what we saw in the prospects game. Tough nut for sure, but upside is limited. I would have no problem with Siemens closer to 20-25, but I think any team grabbing him closer to 10th will be disappointed in the long run.

Joe Morrow, D Portland (WHL)-- The puck-mover didn't do a great deal to stand out either way. He was involved earlier in the game when Cherry had a string of power plays, but when the offense tilted the other way, Morrow was largely invisible. You can see the size and skill, but this wasn't a great game for him.

Tyler Wotherspoon, D Portland (WHL)-- Paired with Morrow, Wotherspoon was the meat-and-potatoes player on the pairing. Haven't heard great things about his potential at the next level, and while he appears to be an honest banger type, he might be limited when not playing against junior players. Time will tell, but he's a no-frills guy who doesn't belong in the conversation when it comes to the first two, maybe three rounds of the draft.

Forwards

Shane Prince, LW Ottawa (OHL)-- The team's lone goal scorer finished off a nice give-and-go with Ty Rattie to beat Binnington through the five-hole and make it a 3-1 game in the second period. He's quick and opportunistic, who seems to see the ice pretty well and smartly picks his spots. You can see that he's more of a playmaking winger who distributes, but his goal was a nice example of a player who has a pretty good shot and made it count, finding the twine from the high slot after Rattie got it to him with the shooting lane wide open.

Ty Rattie, RW Portland (WHL)-- Arguably Cherry's best forward, Rattie showed off the hands and creativity that has seen him be a going concern for the Winterhawks this season. He's one of those slippery forwards who doesn't have a lot of size, but manages to snake his way through defenses, using his wheels and quick stick to find the seams and exploit the space his opponents tend to give him. He did ring a shot off the post in the third period, and was in on a frustrating 3-on-1 rush with Ryan Strome and Nicklas Jensen that did not result in a shot on net. Impressive player and one of the few Cherry players who got a point, but ultimately, not much to see in this one game. His strong WHL play will have to do the talking come draft time.

Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL)-- Like the rest of his team, Couturier started strong making some visible offensive plays and initiating contact in and around the net. But, he tailed off and was not able to mount much of a consistent presence as the game went on and Orr started to take control. This is the concern that scouts have with Couturier-- he's a very good player, but not dominant to the point that he's taking control of a game like this. He wasn't able to do it in the WJC, which you can understand, but given the setting amongst his draft peers, more was expected to be honest.

Ryan Strome, C Niagara (OHL)-- The guy can skate and is highly creative. He had some good rushes up the ice and tried to make plays, hit the open teammates, but again, there just wasn't much doing for Team Cherry in this one. His 19th overall ranking by Central among North Americans is way too low based on what you can see from him, but like most, disappointed that we didn't get to see some finished plays from Strome.

Tomas Jurco, LW Saint John (QMJHL)-- Puckhandler extraordinaire had some chances early, but either couldn't get the bouncing puck to settle or wasn't able to get his shots past Liston. As the game went on, like many of his teammates, Jurco was less and less visible. The winner of the breakaway event in the skills competition is one of those guys who can electrify with one shot and shift, but when he's out of the play, he's really out of it.

Rickard Rakell, RW Plymouth (OHL)-- Skilled Swede has been on the hot list of late after having a five-goal outburst for the Whalers in two games last week. He had his moments, and if you paid attention to his scouting report, he did what he does best: finish his checks along the walls, create a few turnovers, and even got the puck to open ice on a power play in the third period. Philip Danault couldn't finish off one of Rakell's good passes, but the Whaler fought for loose pucks and did the little things that often go unnoticed. He's not a flashy offensive player but is smart and gets the job done.

Mark McNeill, C Prince Albert (WHL)-- The big, powerful Raiders thoroughbred came in third in the fastest skater competition, which sent ripples through the scouts in attendance yesterday. He's already got the size, skill and toughness to be an intriguing prospect and darkhorse top-15 selection, so the speed is sure to have more teams going out West to get more looks. Unfortunately, this game didn't really play to his strengths...puck possession, using his big body to cycle and come off the walls and get the puck to the net. He did a few things of note, but once Orr broke it open, McNeill wasn't very visible.

Mark Scheifele, C Barrie (OHL)-- Another player who was active, but ultimately came up short because of the one goal scored. He did anticipate a poor breakout pass, pick it off at the blue line and skate in on Binnington on a breakaway in the third period, but the Owen Sound goalie stopped the shot and turned the rebound away from danger. I've heard some pretty polarizing opinions on this particular player, so rather than rehash them here, will just say that this game didn't do a lot to persuade either way. More information is required for further evaluation.

Phillip Danault, LW Victoriaville (QMJHL)-- The Tigres' captain showed off his nice wheels, but couldn't get much going offensively. Like much of his team, you saw some flashes, but Team Cherry stopped generating sustained offensive pressure in the second period, and players like Danault fell by the wayside on video, with not much to see when they weren't playing the puck.

Tobias Rieder, LW Kitchener (OHL)-- Like the WJC, didn't see anything beyond flashes of the skilled German's talent and offensive potential. He'll go long stretches where you don;t notice him, and then he'll impress with a little burst through traffic or an honest effort down behind the net or along the boards.

Nicklas Jensen, LW Oshawa (OHL)-- He was a horse in the one live viewing I got of the Danish winger earlier this month, but this wasn't Jensen's time to shine. He got off a few shots and did some solid work at times, but like Rieder and Danault, we just didn't see enough offensive sustainment/play from Cherry to get much of a read. His size, skating ability and shot are a plus, but without being able to look at his play away from the puck, it was not much of a sample to go off of.

Matt Puempel, LW Peterborough (OHL)-- Did he play? Heard his name a few times, but to be honest, this wasn't much of a showing for the CHL Rookie of the Year who has picked his game up considerably over the last 60 days. I need to watch the game a few more times to try and get a better read, because to the first look, he didn't accomplish much if at all.

That's a wrap on Cherry. Will be back later to recap the victorious Team Orr. I'll watch the game a few more times and reserve the right to revise my opinion if I notice something new or different. :) But this post is based on one viewing only, and there are likely some things I missed the first time around.

Central Scouting's mid-season rankings: North American skaters pt. 2

With the background appropriately addressed in the previous post, we'll jump right into the snapshot of Central Scouting's North American skaters for the first round.

At 11th, Ty Rattie deserves to be there, and you could definitely make a case for the diminutive but supremely talented Portland Winterhawks forward being inside the top-10. In talking to one NHL scout out west, he's been most impressed with Rattie's reinvention of his game. Last season, Rattie was a one-dimensional gongshow who spent a lot of his time trying moves that worked in bantam but weren't happening in the Dub. This year, he's taken his skill and creativity to a whole new level.

Former New England prep player Zack Phillips is 12th on the list and while his production is nice for Saint John, his skills aren't much to write home about. His skating is average and while Phillips has nice hands and instincts, he seems a little high here, as you can make the chicken and egg argument with him as it pertains to linemates and a strong team. On one of the weaker clubs in the QMJHL, it's not likely that Phillips would put up the points, because he's just not as creative as you would like. Good kid and player, but just not someone I would have here ahead of say, Ryan Strome for example.

J.T. Miller is a solid option at 13 as another U.S. NTDP product who has size and offensive ability, even if he hasn't been scoring the way he was projected this season. But with Miller's size, skating, sense (and spirit) I would imagine he'll be a solid 1st-round pick come June. He's an Ohio kid who played his minor hockey in the Pittsburgh area, and should become a fixture on the next couple of USA WJC squads coming down the pipeline soon.

Saskatoon Blades rearguard Duncan Siemens has been rated inside the top-10 in some circles and I'm not buying that. I think Central's ranking is a little closer to reality at 14 and he might actually go around 20. Big, mobile and tough, Siemens hasn't been able to put up the points you would expect. I love his toughness and defensive game, but there's just not a lot of upside with this guy. Of course, with Brayden Schenn now cruising through the slot for Saskatoon, Siemens might see a boost in his assist totals. But still, not a huge fan of this player, and talk of him cracking the top-10 is insane, in my opinion. There are so many other better options out there.

Next up at 15 is another B2011DW fave: USHL defender Scott Mayfield. Now, if the Bruins were to draft a power forward with the Toronto pick, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see them go with this raw, but very projectable two-way blue liner with size and toughness in Mayfield with their own 1st-round pick if they keep it. I've been told that the St. Louis native (who's committed to Denver University, but whose OHL draft rights are owned by the Kitchener Rangers) is stagnating a little because he plays for a bad team and isn't getting a lot of coaching with the Youngstown Phantoms. I was also told that Mayfield and B2011DW sleeper Mike McKee formed a wicked pairing at the NHL Research and Development Camp in Toronto way back in August. He's a good skater with a booming shot and an edge. Some sources have him way underrated, but I think 15 is about right based on what I know. We'll see what reality entails come June.

Portland puck mover Joe Morrow checks in at 16, and the Winterhawks will once again be well-represented at the NHL draft. He's got nice size, can really fire the puck and teams were hoping he would stay under the radar this season. As Dana Carvey used to say on the old SNL shows when he was impersonating President Bush 41: "Not gonna do it!"

London center Vladislav Namestnikov is a solid option at 17-- he's got bloodlines (father Evgeny played in the NHL and his uncle is longtime forward and Stanley Cup champion with Detroit Slava Kozlov), skill, creativity and has come on strong for the Knights after a slow start. Like Landeskog, he has barely a trace of an accent because he was raised in the U.S. and Canada for most of his young life while his father was bouncing between the NHL, AHL and IHL before returning to Russia. Bruins prospect Jared Knight raved to this blog about Namestnikov's skill and creativity, and declared that he'd be a 1st-round pick back in early December.

Now things get a little iffy. Oshawa Generals center Boone Jenner is ahead of Niagara's Ryan Strome, who is having one outstanding year. Nothing against Jenner-- his skating is improved and he always works his bag off. That said, I find his offensive upside more limited than Strome's. In fact, not entirely sure why Stome is so low on this list. He's closer to 10 than 20, but this is par for course with Central's public rankings and is sure to be a source for debate on the internet message boards this week.

At 20, Jenner's Oshawa teammate Nicklas Jensen comes in. The Great Dane has been playing much more like the moniker of late. I was in person to see him rack up a 4-point afternoon and was impressed not only with the offense, but his play in the defensive zone. He's legit around this spot, though may slide a little lower. But if he keeps playing like he has of late, not too much lower.

From 21-30 there are some interesting players to note:

One of my sources is not all that high on Barrie (OHL) center Mark Scheifele, while others like the big pivot's game. Don't know enough to draw the line in the sand, but the hockey sense and hands are said to be sticking points, so we'll see. Hard to believe he's ahead of Prince Albert's Mark McNeill, though, who is 22, and scoring at a point-per-game pace on a bad offensive club. McNeill is another guy NHL teams were hoping to steal later, but given that he can score and fight, that ain't happening. He's also much father along in his physical development than most 18-year-olds.

I like Tomas Jurco at 24 and Rocco Grimaldi at 25 is interesting. No doubting Grimaldi's skill or dynamic offensive dimension, but man, the kid is t-i-n-y.
His listed height/weight of 5-6/163 is probably a tad generous. Someone will draft Grimaldi, but I would be shocked if it's in the 1st round. Big risk there.

Defenseman David Musil is in free-fall at 26, but it makes sense based on what we've been hearing all year. Big and talented, but doesn't have the offensive upside you want in a top-two, and hasn't played with the kind of intensity/passion scouts like for a shutdown guy who will make his bones in his own end most likely.

Jamie Oleksiak is gi-normous, but probably overrated at 27. Who doesn't love 6-7 d-men with condor-like wingspans, but he's much more Hal Gill than he is Zdeno Chara or Tyler Myers.

Seth Ambroz at 28 is not shocking at all if you've talked to the right people and paid attention to his mediocre statistical output, which in this case, tells the story. He's the classic case of the player who draws raves for his physical prowess and ability years before his draft season, but never really progresses. Someone will take a flier on Ambroz earlier than he should go given the campaign he's had in the USHL, but there's some real bust factor with this guy. He simply doesn't work as hard as he should. And the lack of skating/speed/footwork is a major turnoff with so many big forwards in this class who can actually get up and down the ice well.

Matt Puempel at 29 is Central's Jeff Skinner- What the F*** ? (WTF?) moment for me. OK- I get that he started slowly (after a season-opening hat trick, that is) and I get that Puempel is on a pretty bad team. But ever since Ryan Spooner left, Puempel's play has trended upward. Puempel's not the most explosive guy, nor is he the most consistent or focused, but when it comes to scoring goals, he just knows how to get it done. Those guys are gold, and there's no way, none-- that Puempel will last to 20 let alone 29 in the upcoming draft. And you can take that to the bank!

Mario Lucia of Wayzata H.S. in Minnesota is 30th and I suppose that's fine. I would have Shane Prince or Rickard Rakell there but that's just me. Lucia's got some raw upside, but isn't expected to be a horse the way Nick Bjugstad was coming out of the Minnesota H.S. ranks last season.

Ok, that's a wrap on the first-round. I'll be back later tonight with a look at some guys who dropped lower than expected, some sleepers and a look at the goalies.

Should be up either during or just after the Bruins game, so check back in. And as always, comments welcome!

2011 Home Hardware CHL Top Prospects Game rosters announced

It's Team Cherry vs. Team Orr one more time.

Just looking at the roster, I gotta go with Team Cherry in this one.

I believe the wide-open All-Star Game-like format will allow Ryan Murphy to dazzle. Joe Morrow is a highly underrated puck mover as well. Myles Bell can do a fair bit of rushing the puck as well, just don't expect him to play much D. Plus. they do have a nice shutdown guy in Duncan Siemens.

In net, Q goalies David Honzik and Christopher Gibson, both imports from Czech Republic and Finland respectively, will hold them in and give them a shot to blow this one open.

At forward, what more do you need? Sean Couturier...Gabriel Landeskog....Matt Puempel....Ryan Strome....Ty Rattie....Tobias Rieder....Oy vay! Team Orr is going to have its hands full!!!

As for Orr, they're good, but on paper, they don't match up with Cherry.

I don't think they have enough speed to counter that attack that Team Cherry is going to bring at them. Doug Gilmour will coach Orr.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brandon Saad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Vladislav Namestnikov are some of the squad's most talented forwards, but I'm not sure they can match Cherry's depth. And on D, there are some interesting options...Dougie Hamilton, Nathan Beaulieu, the falling David Musil...but they're going to have their hands full. In net, Jordan Binnington and Liam Liston better bring the A-game.

Big omission: Ottawa 67's forward Shane Prince. Although small, he's highly skilled and fast. He's only a few points off the OHL scoring lead. But, his not being named is very telling about where he's viewed by NHL teams. They get polled to see who they want in the game-- if Prince didn't make the cut, it means more teams than not snubbed him. My guess: injuries will get him in there nonetheless as a fill-in. Happens every year.

NHL Network broadcasts the game for us Yanks south of the border. Rogers Sportsnet I believe for that great country to our north. Game to be played Wednesday, January 19th

Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings: The WHL Pt. 1

Welcome to Chapter 1 of a two-part breakdown of Central Scouting's Western Hockey League preliminary rankings. I know I said this would close out the series, but I'll actually do that with the USHL, coming in the next 1-2 days.

B2011DW managed to talk to at least three different NHL scouting sources about this list, plus an independent one thrown in for good measure. It's an interesting list, and one scout said that after eight (Duncan Siemens) it is almost as if Central "drew a big line across the list and said, 'Here's a really big dropoff.'"

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the top is a no-brainer. He's in discussions as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the June NHL draft, but one scout cautioned that the ultra-talented (but smallish with a slight frame) center has not done a lot to separate himself from the pack to provide the impetus for the team holding the top pick, whoever that ends up being, to take him there. At the same time, the scout said that even if Nugent-Hopkins doesn't erupt over the season's second-half to position himself for top consideration, he doesn't see the Red Deer standout falling much at all because he does all of the offensive things at such a high, high level. The skill package is elite as is the hockey sense, and even though a lot of his early year production has come with the man advantage, he's just not going to drop very far if at all.

Things get interesting with the No. 2 player on the list, Portland winger Sven Bartschi, who edged teammate Ty Rattie, much to the consternation of several of the sources. Bartschi is Swiss, but unlike Winterhawks mate Nino Niederreiter, does not play with that edge that saw his countryman go to the New York Islanders with the fifth overall pick last June. While he has excellent speed and hands, he's undersized and one scout said that he doesn't have anywhere near Rattie's creativity or elite hands/wheels/vision.

"(Bartschi) is a good two inches smaller than Rattie," the NHL scout said. "Rattie makes everything happen out there, while Bartschi tends to benefit from it. Bartschi's probably closer to 5-9, while Rattie is maybe a shade under 6-foot, but (Bartschi) plays like he's 5-9; he doesn't like to get hit and won't go into the dirty areas, which is something Rattie excels at."

Rattie is only two points (39) behind Boston prospect Craig Cunningham for the WHL scoring lead, and has been a revelation this season with his tenacious, complete game compared to the hot doggery and one-dimensional side he showed as a rookie.

"It only takes one game to watch Rattie and you can tell he's great," the scout said. "You don't get that from watching Bartschi, I'm afraid. He'll go where he's told, but he requires direction, whereas Rattie just understands the flow and gets there, usually making the play when he does."

After Rattie at No. 3, Central has big, skilled defenseman David Musil next. Musil is a focal point this season because so much was expected of him but all four sources who weighed in on the analysis all say he's not playing well enough to merit consideration in the top-five and could see a precipitous drop by the team the draft rolls around.

Musil's large frame (almost 6-4), skating and hands are a scout's dream, but he seems to be lacking in the kinds of intangibles that would see him maximize his impressive natural gifts such as fire and desire.

"It looks to me like he put on some weight," one NHL scout said. "He's a little slower than I remember him being last year, but unfortunately, he's still playing with a lack of passion I saw a season ago."

Musil's hands and vision make him a superb candidate to run the power play, but his lack of physical game and sense of urgency have soured people on him in the early going.

"He's about 6-4, but he plays like he's 6-feet tall," said another scout. "He doesn't use his size at all."

Another NHL scout was critical of Musil as well.

"You want more out of him," he said. "He's weird in that he comes across as a stay-at-home defender who isn't going to do much, and then he gets the puck and all of the sudden, he's playing with a lot more energy. Don't know what to make of that, really, but it's not what I would call a strength."

If anyone can get the most out of a player, it is Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay, but even with the skills, the lack of hustle, questionable conditioning and mediocre overall play have Musil trending downward despite the freakishly good athletic genes between former NHL defenseman (and Edmonton scout) Frantisek Musil and tennis pro (and sister of former NHL star Bobby Holik) mom Andrea Holikova-Musil.

Rounding out No. 5 is one of the previously-kept secrets, Portland d-man Joe Morrow, but the cat is now out of the bag on this guy, who could be a top-20 pick when all is said and done. Morrow may be the most underrated puck-moving defenseman in the draft right now, though one could argue now that Central has him as high as five that he is no longer under the radar. He has a cannon for a shot, and has some serious NHL upside.

"I love his game," one independent scout said of Morrow. "This is a guy who skates well, makes that outstanding first pass and can really fire the puck from the point. He's only OK defensively, but it's all things that coaches can address at the next level."

Another NHL scout acknowledged the howitzer drive of Morrow's. "He's a little too happy with the velocity of his shot," he said. "There are times when he could take something off it and try to hit the corners or get it off a little faster, but he goes all the way back (with the stick) every time. It's funny, because I think goalies are afraid of his shot. You can tell by the body language that when his stick goes up, they're tensing up and just praying that one of their 'D' are going to jump in front of it."

After Morrow at No. 6 is another secret no longer, Prince Albert center Mark McNeill, who like Rattie, has really come on in his second WHL campaign. Already a physical specimen at 6-2 and nearly 210 pounds at age 17, this kid is going to get a lot stronger before all is said and done. He's a nice blend of skill (though he's not an elite skill level player like the 'Nuge or Rattie), physical play and fighting ability. His 27 points in 23 games with the Raiders is impressive when you consider that the team has trouble scoring goals.

"He's still a wildcard," an NHL scout said. "But if McNeill keeps this up, everyone's going to have a real good idea of who he is and he'll end up going pretty high in the draft."

Regina defenseman Myles Bell is a B2011DW favorite, and is ranked at No. 7, controversial in that he's ahead of Siemens from Saskatoon, who many consider a better NHL prospect.

With Bell, it's more a matter of a maddening lack of consistency. He's got some nice numbers so far-- six goals and 16 points in 23 games with the Regina Pats, which is just two less than he had all of last year. However, he's not a great skater (though his straight-ahead speed when he has the puck is quite good), and lacks the kind of defensive awareness you want in a player at the next level. He's been compared to Mike Green without the high-end speed, because when on his game, Bell can rush the puck and make things happen in dynamic fashion.

"With all of his talents, at the end of the day, he just doesn't do much when I see him," an NHL scout said. "What's worse, he's looked flat and lazy at times. He's a productive player, but you need to see more effort, more of a sense of urgency from him and you don't always get that with Bell."

Rounding out coverage of Part 1 of the WHL is Saskatoon Blades defenseman Duncan Siemens, who many feel is too low at No. 8 on Central's list. At the same time, some independent lists out there have him inside the top-10 and hovering around No. 5 overall, which is too high for this solid, if unspectacular prospect.

"Fifth overall, no way-- but I like him," said an NHL scout. "He's one of these guys who's easy to slot right in the middle of the first round unless he has a Dylan McIlrath-like second half where you're wondering where all the points came from."

Another NHL talent evaluator was pretty effusive in his praise of Siemens as a good skater with size and an edge even if the offense hasn't been there.

"He's not putting up points," the scout said. "He's about 6-3 and skinny as a rail, but he's got that frame to grow into about 210-215 pounds eventually. He's a good, fluid skater, and the thing is, he tries to play a physical style now, which means he'll be a physical player at the next level, which is good. There are no real flaws to him, and you don't see anything from him that isn't coachable."

One independent scout was less-enthused.

"I just don't see much upside with this guy," he said of Siemens. "He'll fight, but he doesn't relish it the way (Dylan) McIlrath does. He's a good skater and passer, but he can't seem to translate those skills into production. I see a middle-of-the road NHL defenseman who will log you some minutes, but isn't going to be a top-pairing guy or someone who is going to give a team that extra dimension on offense everyone is looking for."

The source did admit that Siemens is a solid NHL prospect, however, and worthy of selection in the first round. And, like Nashville All-Star Shea Weber (a 2nd-round pick in '03 for the same kinds of reasons), he's one of these players who, if he starts picking up the points, will move to the top of prospect discussions because of everything else he brings to the table.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and the final portion of the Central Scouting series-- the USHL this weekend!