WHL playoffs update: Portland vs. Kootenay

The Portland Winterhawks defeated the Spokane Chiefs to take the WHL's Western Conference playoff round and will face the East champion Kootenay Ice who stunned the Saskatoon Blades in the second round and then swept Medicine Hat on the strength of some brilliant performances from goaltender Nathan Lieuwen, defenseman Brayden McNabb and former Swiftie captain Cody Eakin.

Portland was favored for much of the season, moreso after they traded for Boston prospect Craig Cunningham in late December. Their goaltending is a box of chocolates with Mac Carruth, but up front, the Winterhawks boast some serious firepower to go with a balanced and effective blue line corps.

Here's a look at the key 2011-eligible players for each club (key being the operative word- we won't cover *every* player who is in the draft window)

Portland

Sven Bartschi, LW- Swiss forward and 34-goal scorer has a wicked shot (rapid release and powerful, accurate drive) and elite offensive instincts. He formed a highly effective trio with fellow draft candidate Rattie and Cunningham when the latter came over from Vancouver at mid-season. Not an explosive speedster, but knows how to get from point A to B. Played a more effective game in junior this season than he did at the WJC. Solid kid and easygoing personality, but could stand to pick up the work ethic at times. Highly skilled winger will likely be a top-15 pick, but he's a finesse guy who could stand to take the puck to the net more than he does. Bartschi is deadly with that drive of his, but it's tough to score from the outside consistently at the NHL level, no matter how much pop you have on your stick.

Ty Rattie, RW- Small but creative playmaking winger hit the wall a bit in the second half, but is still a solid first-round prospect with upside. The Albertan isn't a blazer, but is very strong on his skates and highly elusive, able to slither through defenses and would-be checkers in full control of the puck. NHL scouts tell us that his second WHL season was so much more impressive than his first, when he seemed to spend more time trying the flashy play and forcing things. This season, Rattie was much more patient, working with his linemates better and not trying to do it all himself. His 79 points were third on the team behind Ryan Johansen and Bartschi, and look for Rattie to push for 90 to 100+ points next season.

Joe Morrow, D- One of the better puck movers in this draft, Morrow also has a cannon point shot, making him a coveted commodity. You don't hear a great deal about the 6-1, 200-pounder from Sherwood Park, Alberta, but Morrow is one of those guys who could hear his name called much higher than most are predicting on internet chat sites and on some of the public lists you see. Morrow is not great defensively, but he's got such a live, athletic skating stride and can start that rush so effortlessly- the defense is much less of a concern for any NHL team looking to draft him. He does need to work on the mechanics of his shot- getting it off a little quicker, and in terms of his shot selection. He tends to force the big windup and slapper according to one of our NHL sources. Morrow stepped up his production in the WHL playoffs, scoring five goals and 16 points in as many games.

Tyler Wotherspoon, D- Meat-and-potatoes defensive guy is pretty highly regarded by Central scouting but will find it hard to live up to that ranking on draft day. Although smart, willing and capable, Wotherspoon's 6-2 size isn't ideal for a player who looks to be a defensive stay-at-home shutdown player. Wotherspoon scored 2 goals and 12 points in 64 games for the Winterhawks and is someone who could end up making it as a steady bottom-pairing defender in the NHL one day, but we're just not seeing a lot of upside for the 40th-ranked NA skater on Central's list (down from 33 at mid-term).


Kootenay

Nathan Lieuwen, G- Two years ago, Lieuwen was seen as a potential first-round draft pick for 2009 coming into the season. Red Line Report had him as the second overall WHL prospect at the beginning of the '08-09 campaign, but Lieuwen got off to a shaky start and then suffered concussion injuries that shut him down and ended any hopes of being drafted. After struggling in similar fashion last season, he had a coming out party with 33 wins (and a pretty average .903 save percentage) in the regular season. The 6-5 cat-quick goalie has been sensational in the playoffs, going 12-2 with a 1.96 GAA and .929 save percentage. This guy has all the physical tools that NHL teams look for in goalies. Furthermore, he's ready to go to the AHL right away for the team that spends a draft pick on him. So long as the head injury history doesn't come to bear in any medical assessments of him between now and the draft, it appears Lieuwen will be a slam-dunk pick here in June and could go higher than anyone might think.

Jagger Dirk, D- Nobody (outside of RLR) talks about this guy, but the son of former NHL defenseman Robert Dirk has the look of a solid long-term developmental prospect. He only has average size (about 6-0, 180), but his dad was a big guy, so we don't think young Jagger is finished growing. He skates well and isn't much of an offensive player, but can make the breakout passes. With more ice time and responsibility, you could see a boost in his production. We hear Dirk is a smart, tenacious player. He works hard and will drop the gloves to defend teammates even though he isn't considered a dangerous fighter. With his bloodlines and character, Dirk has the look of a solid later-round project worth taking a chance on even though he's going to require considerable time to see pay off. Plus, his name is such a bonus. A hockey player named 'Jagger Dirk'? That's Wacey Rabbit all over again.

Portland: A destination d'jour for NHL scouts

For the second consecutive season, the WHL's Portland Winterhawks are a hot view for NHL scouts working the Western Canada sector and those crossover guys and management types who are no doubt being summoned there by the regional guys.

Last year, it was Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Johansen and Brad Ross, all of whom went in the top-45. Johansen of course, was the surprise pick of the 2010 NHL Draft, going fourth overall to Columbus, while his higher-profile teammate Niederreiter went one slot later to the Islanders. Ross became property of the Toronto Maple Leafs after Brian Burke made a deal with Chicago to move back into the second round to nab the skilled agitator.

This time around, the Winterhawks appear poised to do it again, with two solid first-rounders in Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi, as well as a darkhorse, solid second-rounder in defenseman Joe Morrow. There is even another player in defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon, who could be a top-three-round pick June.

We're going to break down the Portland offerings for you. While perhaps not possessing the high-end, top-five impact that the Winterhawks class of '10 did, these guys are going to bring another strong Portland flavor to the 2011 draft. Mike Johnston is doing real good things there with the 'Hawks, and if they make a deep run in the WHL playoffs/Memorial Cup tourney, you could see the stocks of Rattie, Bartschi, Morrow and Wotherspoon go up even more.

Ty Rattie, RW-- Although the skilled Albertan is just average-sized at about 6-feet, 170 pounds, this guy is one of the top offensive talents in the entire class. With 26 goals and 71 points in 58 games, he's just three points away from doubling his entire rookie season output. Scouts love the blend of his skill and creativity. Where last year, he was more of a player who was trying to pull off flashy moves without using his teammates or the available time and space available to him, this season, Rattie has been able to take control of the offensive flow and put opposing defenses on their heels. A slippery, elusive skater who is a master of handling the puck in tight spaces, Rattie is one of those "now you see it, now you don't" types who makes defenders look foolish because he's so dangerous in close and around the net. He may not be the explosive skater you want to see from guys of smaller build, but he's extremely agile, quick and uses his outstanding vision and ability to read the play to gain a step on opponents and get himself into prime scoring areas.

Sven Bartschi, LW-- Another high-end scoring presence. Bartschi is an interesting contrast to Swiss countryman Neiderreiter; the two are very different in terms of what they bring to the table. Bartschi is an excellent skater; very quick off the mark and able to back defenses up with his speed. He likes to cross-over and weave through the neutral zone and take opponents out of their lanes. He's got a quick stick and has a vicious little shot that despite his small 5-10 frame, has some power and gusto behind it. On the downside, Bartschi is not only one-dimensional, but tends to play a perimeter game when faced with a more aggressive or physical defense. At the World Juniors, he showed off his impressive skill set, but spent too much time on the outside, where his effectiveness was hindered. Yes, he was still able to score (thanks to that shot we talked about earlier), but how much better would Bartschi have been if he went into traffic more or took the puck straight to the net. We believe Bartschi will be a first-round pick in June-- he's simply too talented to slip. That said, we would be very leery of spending a top-20 on him. On paper, Bartschi is a high upside prospect. But, the best hockey players excel at the wars in the trenches and are able to overcome brute strength with a willingness to go into the dirty areas and get greasy. We haven't seen that enough from Bartschi, and so while he's a flashy sportscar, he may not bring the kind of economy or value you want if picking 15-20.

Joe Morrow, D-- Although some were hoping Morrow would stay under the radar when the season got underway, that is not the case. Players with his kind of size, skating ability and breakout pass/big shot are always in high demand, especially in today's NHL. At 6-2, 200 pounds, he's going to play about 210-215 when he finishes his physical maturation. He's a smooth skater with a long, fluid stride. He sees the ice well and has a real steady touch with the puck, able to get it out of the zone quickly and up for the attack. He has a cannon shot from the point that he likes to use. He could stand to work on the mechanics and getting it off a little faster, but when you have a howitzer like that, it makes life nice when on the power play. The December 1992 birthdate has made sizeable strides in his development over the past several years, going from 0 goals, 7 points in 41 games as a rookie in '09, to 31 points last season to 7 goals, 37 points and counting in just 47 games- having missed time to injury. He's just two points behind Troy Rutkowski for the team scoring lead by defensemen, and Rutkowski has had the benefit of playing 12 more games than Morrow has.

Tyler Wotherspoon, D-- The meat-and-potatoes offering of this group, Wotherspoon doesn't bring much in the way of upside, but is a solid defensive presence who plays an effective positional and physical style. The problem with Wotherspoon, as we hear it, is that he projects more as a shutdown defender, and when you're his size- only 6-1, 190, that isn't the most exciting proposition for NHL scouts, especially with just 2 goals and 10 points in 51 games this season. Shutdown guys generally need to be bigger and stronger with a longer stick/wingspan/reach than Wotherspoon has in order to have the appeal to take them early in the draft. Adam McQuaid is a good example of this trend-- drafted in the second round in 2005 by Columbus despite not having a ton of upside. He's turned into a fan favorite in Boston because he has the size and snarl to be a legit shutdown guy. Wotherspoon carries more risk because he's pretty average-sized when you get down to it and lacks any kind of real skill that jumps out at you. As such, he could slip down a bit more than his Central ranking would lead you to believe.

That wraps up the quick trip to Portland. They are a heck of a team and are a playoff favorite, so it will be interesting to see how far they can go with such an impressive youthful core of 1992- and 1993-born players on the roster.

Jagger Dirk: A Guy You Should Know

He's probably the best name to come along in the NHL draft since Wacey Rabbit, but Kootenay defenseman Jagger Dirk is quietly making a name for himself in the WHL.

If the last name sounds familiar, it's because his father, Robert Dirk, was a solid, dependable NHL defenseman who played more than 400 games for the Blues, Canucks, Blackhawks, Ducks and Canadiens in the late 80's through mid-90's.

The younger Dirk doesn't possess impressive size- listed at only around 6-feet and 180 pounds, but his pops played at 6-4, 210 so chances are, he hasn't quite finished growing, even though he'll likely top out at 6-1 or 6-2 if he isn't done. His skating is average-- unremarkable, but not flawed. He makes up for any perceived lack of jump or burst with good anticipation and on-ice judgment.

Dirk's game is all about smarts and positioning at this point. He's not a high-profile player who racks up a lot of points for the Ice, but uses body leverage and his stick to neutralize chances. His four goals and 15 points in 46 games is nothing to write home about, but this is a 17-year-old defender we're talking about. There could be some upside with this kid.

Red Line Report has Dirk 14th on their mid-season WHL prospects update, published in their January 2011 issue, and while Dirk doesn't look to be a guy you would take in the top-90, starting in Round 4, he could become an attractive option for any team looking for a potential minute-eater and mid-to-late round gem. RLR says he needs to improve his physicality, but as I recall when watching his dad, he wasn't a big hitter either-- just used his size and strength to rub opponents out or pin them along the boards. Strong defense isn't always about laying the big hits, and the junior Dirk appears to have a good feel for the defensive side of things and is a good teammate. Oh, and he'll drop the gloves, too-- always a bonus for those fans of "old time hockey".

If he were bigger, I would expect that Dirk would be higher in the rankings. Central didn't list him in their top-210 for mid-season, but then again, a year ago, they didn't have Dirk's Kootenay teammate, Joey Leach, anywhere on their mid-term list either, and by the final rankings, Leach was a big entry on their list. Leach went a lot higher to Calgary in the 2010 draft- 3rd round, 73rd overall. Central loves Portland D Tyler Wotherspoon, who is 33rd on their overall list, but other NHL scouting sources and even Red Line aren't huge fans of Wotherspoon and his lack of upside at this point- RLR has Wotherspoon just 19th on their WHL list- 106th overall.

Dirk is 74th overall on the RLR January rankings, which is probably higher than he'll go come June. But the thing about scouting in hockey is that there are often times players who may get on a team's wish list, even when it appears nobody else is onto them. Dirk may just be a Red Line fave, but don't discount Western scouts for NHL clubs seeing the potential in his heady, selfless game, either.

So, keep an eye on Jagger Dirk, if for no other reason, his name will stick with you, and we'll see if his name is called in Minnesota and where. He seems to have many of the qualities NHL teams are looking for in their defenders.

Here's a fight between two kids whose dads skated against one another in Dirk and Keegan Lowe (son of Kevin)


Dirk loses this one, but comes to the defense of his teammate and gave away a lot of size and reach

Central Scouting Preliminary Rankings: The WHL Pt. 2

We're back with the second part of the WHL analysis of Central Scouting's preliminary list and we'll go from No. 9 and down through the rest of the players.

At ninth, Central has Portland Winterhawks defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon, and here is where the NHL scouts broke ranks.

"I don't really see it to be honest," one said. "If he's actually closer to 6-1 or 6-2, then he's maybe a prospect, but he looks more like he's 5-11, and 6-feet. He goes out and hits guys, but players who don't have much in the way of puck skills are hard to get excited about, and that's Wotherspoon's biggest issue; he doesn't have the puck skill."

The scout went on to say that if he were closer to 6-4, then Wotherspoon this high would make sense because he would have the chance to be that big, shutdown defender with some mobility. But the reality is that he's more of a 'tweener than anything else, and that doesn't bode well for Wotherspoon's NHL potential.

At 10 is Seattle center Colin Jacobs, a Texas kid who came into the season with high expectations, but who stumbled out of the gate. He didn't register many points in the early going, but has heated up this month, posting 18 points (eight goals) in 21 games.

"He's one of those guys who gets a ton of ice time and looks like he should be a player," an NHL scout said. "He wasn't producing early, but I'll say that his skating has improved a bit from last year. And he plays with some swagger. I like the fact that he seems to know he's the best player on the ice."

At 11, Kale Kessy is one player B2011DW has had eyes on as a power forward prospect who brings a similar kind of offensive element and toughness to Milan Lucic. The similarities between Kessy and Lucic are eerie: neither player was picked in the WHL bantam draft, but were picked up by their hometown clubs the Medicine Hat Tigers and Vancouver Giants because they hung around the local rinks and showed enough to the GMs and coaches to get a shot. Neither was a very good skater coming out of junior; Lucic had good straight line speed, but had problems with his starts, stops and turns. Kessy's burst and straight-line speed is poor, but he's more agile and can turn defenders better than Lucic could. Both have nice hands and the ability to set up the play and finish. And, both can really fight.

What does that mean for Kessy? Late first-round or top-half of the second round. Book it. NHL teams absolutely covet the guy who can hit, fight and score-- and they've seen enough of Lucic to know the kind of value he brings as a momentum changer.

"I like that guy a lot," said one scout when asked about Kessy. "They don't give him enough credit for his skills, smarts."

After Kessy at 12 is 5-10 Seattle winger Luke Lockhart, another Central head-scratcher.

"Lockhart's a good junior player; that's it," said a scout. "Is he a pro prospect? I don't know. He's a very finesse player who doesn't like to go into the dirty areas of the ice."

German import and fellow Thunderbird Marcel Noebels is next at 13. While skilled, Noebels has not shown much of an inclination to play a physical game or get his nose dirty. That might be why the 6-2, 195-pounder was completely passed over in last year's NHL draft.

Swift Current's Adam Lowry is an interesting prospect at 14. He doesn't have great upside, but works very hard along the boards and is a raw prospect who hit a huge growth spurt over a couple of years and is still very gangly and growing into his new body. The son of former NHLer Dave Lowry is one of those long-term project players who could pay off nicely if you're looking for a versatile, hard-nosed grinder who can do all the little things that helps teams win. Hmmm. Sounds like his old man, doesn't it?

Kelowna mighty mite Shane McColgan is way down the list at 15 for a couple of reasons, the scouts surmised. The biggest factor has been his lack of production this season. Since starting sluggish and then being diagnosed with tonsilitis and missing the first few weeks recovering from surgery, he's not been able to generate the expected offense in this, his draft year. Don't be mistaken, though-- the California kid is super-skilled. But the other big factor in his drop is that he's only about 5-8 (yes, he's listed at 5-11, but he might have been standing on a couple of encyclopedias) and he has not grown since he came into the WHL at the end of the '09 season.

"I don't know if that surgery is one of those things that takes a lot out of you, but he just looks like he's lost a step," one scout said. "When you're his size, you gotta have that speed."

Mike St. Croix is 17th and the Edmonton Oil Kings forward has some skill, but has been largely inconsistent and plays poorly on defense this year. Someone will take a flyer on him at some point, but he hasn't gotten rave reviews from any of the scouts I've talked to. The words "lazy", "uninspired", "selfish" and "dog" have come up at various times while in discussion about him.

Chiliwack defenseman Mitch Topping is pretty far down the list at 18, but is one to watch because he was a high bantam draft pick and has some skill, even if he hasn't set the world on fire for the Bruins.

"He's a little soft, but every once in a while, he'll make a great pass and you'll wonder where that came from," a scout said. "He's a big-time puck mover, but he's not a go-go-go guy you have to hold back; he tries to be responsible."

Reece Scarlett at 20 is indicative of the disappointment the Swift Current defenseman has been thus far, but he does have some intriguing tools. Given some time and a low-pressure situation in which to develop, he could end up being a player. But, he's not likely to be a high draft pick unless some team really reaches. And, anything's possible, because Scarlett (what a great name, eh?) has shown some upside in flashes.

"He's small, thin, slightly built," one scout said. "I do see some raw ingredients for a pretty good player, but a lot would have to come together. He seems to have the ability to think the game, but I'm left wanting more."

Slovak winger Marek Tvrdon was off to a very nice start before suffering a terrible injury to the labrum that is expected to force him to miss the rest of the season. Although not confirmed, I'm told that the muscle was pulled completely from the bone, which is shame. Tvrdon only got 12 games in (six goals, 11 points), so whatever notes scouts had on him is what they will have to go with. But, as was the case with Curtis Hamilton last year, don't be surprised to see a team with extra picks grab him earlier than expected. His size and skill package is going to be far too enticing to let him sit for very long.

The goalie crop is very "ehhh" this year in the WHL- there are no Calvin Pickards in the bunch. Eric Williams of Prince George is No. 2 and has some nice quickness, and Vancouver's Brendan Jensen has some raw upside, but there are no top-end guys to speak of right now.

That closes out the WHL breakdown. Next up, the USHL.