Sleeper alert: KEVIN TANSEY

Cumberland Grads defenseman Kevin Tansey is an intriguing sleeper for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. A B2011DW key source clued us into Tansey recently and for that, this blog is grateful.

The Hammond, Ontario native is a Feb. 1993 birthdate who has pro hockey tools/skills and a 6-3, 210-pound body. He's been playing in the CCHL with Cumberland this season where he put up 13 goals and 29 points to go with a gritty 65 penalty minutes in 55 games. He's a Plymouth Whalers draft pick from 2009, and is the final player listed on Central Scouting's end-of-season rankings at 210.

We don't have a scouting report on him yet, but understand he's a mobile shutdown D with some emerging offensive potential. He's a big hitter and can fight, too. Raw, but highly interesting player well under the radar right now.

We plan to try and dig something up on him. We're told that he was at the Westin this week interviewing with teams and has a very good chance of being drafted with his size and potential.

Tansey is a Clarkson University recruit currently slated for 2012, but that could all change given the current state of that program and the need for Tansey to avoid another year of low-level competition that could potentially stall his development before even reaching the NCAA ranks with a struggling program.

More on Tansey later. Until then, here's a highlight package on him:

Sleeper alert: DYLAN WILLICK

Sometimes, finding a successful hockey player is about instinct. It's about a gut feeling. And said player may not be the flashiest or most dynamic-looking on the ice in a given game, but because of smarts, heart and determination, he goes on to exceed expectations.

One such player in our view is Kamloops Blazers center/right winger Dylan Willick. We featured him as " A Guy You Should Know" previously, but as we've talked to scouts and dug deeper, he strikes B2011DW as a classic NHL draft sleeper.

Here is a highlight video done by the Kamloops Blazers on their unsung hero and most dedicated player for 2010-11.

For our money, speedy, intelligent glue guys can play at any level, and Willick is one of those.

B2011DW was able to reach Dylan at his home in Prince George, British Columbia today. He's been hard at work since his season ended in April without the opportunity to taste playoff action. The Blazers made a valiant late push for the WHL postseason, but ultimately came up short. They lost some key players to injury, but even with the losses up front, Willick helped fill the void, moving up from the third line to finish out the 2010-11 campaign at a point-per-game clip. He finished his second WHL season with a respectable 24 goals and 44 points in 72 games after tallying just 12 and 29 as a rookie.

He is one of four children to parent Blaine and Melissa Willick. His dad is an engineer in the oil industry who works out of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Older brother Donovan and younger sisters Devin and Dakota round out the clan. The family is getting ready to move to Kamloops this summer, which bodes well for Dylan as a member of the hometown Blazers.

Willick first started playing hockey amazingly at age three, when his elder brother (by two years) joined an organized league in Hinton, Alberta, where his family lived until he was 10. Although much younger than the rest of the kids, he took to the sport quickly and Willick continued playing high-level hockey when his family moved to Quesnel, B.C. The Willicks then relocated to Prince George where he lived from 11-17 until making a go of it with the Blazers.

Although undersized at about 5-10, Willick is solidly built from dedicated work in the weight room and a commitment to overcoming his physical disadvantages. He's a very good skater with quick direction change ability and who is also strong on his skates. His offensive flourish demonstrated some upside- he's a highly effective penalty killer and grinder, but is capable of more. He does everything for his team to include taking one for the team- he'll drop the gloves when he needs to and is the typical character guy who is respected because he doesn't ask anyone else to do something he won't do himself. Effort is never in question with the Alberta-born, British Columbia-raised Willick, who was described by one NHL scout as one of those kids who "Puts it all out there. He doesn't have as much talent as a lot of guys, but nobody outworks him."

Willick is also a leader- he wore the 'A' for Kamloops this season as one of the youngest captains in the CHL. His grit and leadership by example could see him with the 'C' soon.

He's a candidate to be drafted in June later on, but might get passed over. Even if he isn't a draft pick, it won't deter him from working toward his NHL dream because he's been there before.

Without further ado, here is Dylan Willick in his own words:

On making the Kamloops Blazers despite not being a WHL Bantam Draft pick:

I was listed by Kamloops. Going to training camp, I knew it was one of those things where you have to make a name for yourself. Nobody knows who you are and you're the new kid on the block. I went in and worked hard. I think it boils down to doing my best at every opportunity. It's about putting my head down and going as hard as I can- going into the corners, banging and crashing. I consider myself reliable defensively; I'm usually the third guy high and I've never tried a lot of fancy dangles- it's not my style. I accept my role with the team and it's something that I think helped me to earn a spot with Kamloops. I do a lot of work on the penalty kill and that's something I pride myself on because I think I can use my speed, feel for the game and work ethic to make the play when down a man and help my team.

On his fitness and conditioning approach and goals:

I think it starts with a good base. I go to the gym quite a bit! I figure that building strong legs and a core is essential so that I can take what the bigger guys are going to give. My first year (in Kamloops) I was getting knocked around in the corners and along the boards, so I put a lot of work in last summer and came back this season about five or six pounds heavier- it made a difference. Right now, I'm in the weight room, so I'm doing a lot of cleans and power stuff. As we get closer to the season, I'll leave the weight room and start doing the plyometrics, sprints, cardio for endurance, agility and ladder training that will help me with my foot speed and quickness. So, right now, it's about building strength in the weight room and then focusing on getting faster in the next phase.

On what he needs to work on to improve his overall game:

One thing for sure is my shot, actually. It's not all that bad (in terms of release and power) but I found that during the course of a game when I'm on the ice, if was moving around or in a tight spot, I couldn't pick the corners like I wanted to. I would look at video and saw that there was a better spot to get the puck to, so it's something that I feel I can improve. I want to get on the ice and just skate and shoot- work on the accuracy and being able to hit those spots on the move, coming off the rush and things like that. The second aspect, I think, is more of just a general improvement in my game to get better overall. Skating is what gets noticed about me, but I still feel I can improve my speed and quickness. I can work on it a bit more and get that much faster and stronger on my skates.

On his strong offensive finish to the season and the confidence that he can bring an offensive dimension to his team:

I actually got a boost of confidence on the third line towards the end of the season- we were playing well and things started to click for us either in terms of the puck going in for me or passes to linemates that were ending up in goals. Then the injury bug hit near the end- we lost a couple of our captains and (Brendan) Ranford was out for a bit, so I got moved up to the higher lines and started seeing more power play time. When we were practicing on the power play unit, I started thinking about what I needed to do and where I had to go and from there the puck started finding the back of the net.

On the genesis famous Kamloops Blazers mimicry EA NHL 98 final Stanley Cup celebration that went viral on You Tube:

Oh, that. Yeah- (ha ha). I think it was (Cam) Lanigan and (J.T.) Barnett who were digging around and found an old video game and saw that celebration. In one of our practices, Barnett scored on Lanigan and he went off and did that celebration and we all thought it was pretty funny. So, we talked about doing it and when we did, wasn't all that big a deal. After the game, we were checking our phones and found out that someone posted the video and that it was getting a lot of hits. It was all pretty neat the way people caught on and it went viral like that.

You can see the video here.

Willick may not be a household name, but with his head and wheels plus a desire that has seen him already overcome not being picked in the WHL draft en route to a 20+ goal season and captain for one of the Dub's most storied franchises. Much more may be in store for this guy.

Overage player alert: Nathan Lieuwen

Who knew that the WHL regular season champion Saskatoon Blades would get swept by the Kootenay Ice?

Thanks to 1991-birthdate goalie Nathan Lieuwen, that's precisely what happened, with Blades top prospect Brayden Schenn (who they mortgaged the future for to get from Brandon at the trade deadline) being held to just one goal.

Lieuwen was at one time thought of a top goalie prospect for the 2009 NHL draft, but he suffered a concussion and ended up falling off the radar. He was coming back strong in 2009-10, but then the same happened and he fell off the map once again. Now, he's looking like a world-beater after a 33-win season for the Ice.

At 6-5, Lieuwen is huge with long limbs and very athletic. He's shown it especially in the 2011 WHL playoffs, posting an 8-2 record with a .930 save percentage, knocking out Moose Jaw in the first round in five games before stunning the favored Blades in a sweep. He takes up so much of the net that shooters have to have some tough psychological challenges when they're trying to find openings on him.

The head injury past is certainly something to consider, especially the risk he poses whenever there is a goalmouth collision, but with the way he's played, there's some real benefit to his potential upside. Remember, this is a guy scouts were very high on when the '08-09 season began, and the added bonus is that he can go to the AHL right away as a 20-year-old in 2011-12.

Keep an eye on him, and if he continues to play stellar, the draft flyer for Lieuwen could be even earlier than most expect.

Sleeper Alert: Henri Auvinen

This Finnish defenseman who plays for Jyvaskyla is generating some modest buzz around the scouting ranks, which could be bad news for the Bruins, who may have thought they had a market cornered on him given their ties to that Finnish pro hockey club.

Henri Auvinen played well in last month's Five Nations, demonstrating some mobility and good defensive play to go with his 6-2, 180-pound frame. He's not especially flashy as a player, but brings good athleticism and intelligence to the mix.

What we're hearing is that Auvinen brings a good deal of raw tools to the mix with him, and if he continues to develop, could become an intriguing NHL option down the road. He's not overly mobile, but his skating should be improved with some minor tweaks. He's not a top-notch puck mover, but keeps his head up and seems to make the right reads.

Overall, this is a player who hasn't been in the draft conversation much prior to the changing of the calendar year, but the cat is out of the bag.

Keep an eye on this guy-- we're not talking top-60 potential in June, but he is someone who could be a solid value in the middle rounds.

Sleeper alert: EDDIE WITTCHOW

Although this player is not on many *public* draft lists, expect that to change soon for Burnsville, Minnesota H.S. defenseman Eddie Wittchow. This potentially high upside blueliner is reportedly is getting some interest from NHL clubs despite his lack of being a household name among other prospects in the state right now.

I spoke to a scout familiar with him on the condition of anonymity and the book on Wittchow is that he's got pretty good size (6-3- though he needs to put some weight on his 180-pounds) but is a plus-skater with tremendous footwork, speed and lateral mobility. He's a smart two-way player who may be on the gangly side, but plays with a mean streak and seems to fit the prototype for what NHL clubs are looking for.

Mario Lucia may be the best prospect coming out of the MIN H.S. ranks this season, but Wittchow could be the one most flying under the radar.

He has 7 goals and 18 points in 21 games for the Blaze this season. With the size and skating, though- it seems a fait accompli that he's going to attract some notice on draft day at some point. You heard it here first.

Destry Straight: A Guy You Should Know

Coquitlam Express (BCHL) center Destry Straight makes his debut on Bruins 2011 Draft Watch at the end of January, and he's someone who could also be classified as a sleeper.

The 6-1 center is from West Vancouver and has 20 goals and 53 points in 49 games.

Earlier this fall, he committed to Boston College for the 2012 season, so he'll have another season of junior to play before he reports to the Hockey East. Red Line Report also mentioned that he was listed by the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, so he has some options if he decided against going the NCAA route.

Straight is good skater with a long, fluid stride with strong playmaking ability, vision and offensive hockey sense. On the downside, he's on the soft side and doesn't possess much in the way of strength. Tending to stay out of traffic and on the outside, scouts can be frustrated with his tendency to not take the puck to the net or use his prodigious offensive gifts more effectively. Defensively, he has a lot of work to do. RLR cited him as "one-dimensional" and without the big numbers in the BCHL to back it up, he's likely to fall down the boards a bit as a result.

If he were 5-9, people wouldn't be talking much about this player, but because he's got that tall 6-1 frame with potential to grow into his body better, he'll be on some lists come draft time. Clearly, though, Straight is a long-term project who will require a team to utilize a lot of time and patience with him.

One could say that he's a poor man's Joe Colborne at this point, though not possessing the same kind of dominant size the B's '08 first-rounder has. But, he's similar in terms of having the quick hands and offensive potential...he also is lacking in the kind of physical, go hard to the net kind of effort you want to see from a player like this. Colborne is still developing and evolving for Boston, showing the potential to be a force in the middle in flashes, but still not quite there. Straight will need a similar leap of faith for any NHL club who drafts him.

But, the potential payoff down the road is there. Therefore, he's someone to keep in mind if the value on the board is right.

One more USHL sleeper: Colten St. Clair

This late November '92 birthdate and Arizona native wasn't eligible for the 2010 draft, and although plans to be at North Dakota appear to have fallen through, Colten St. Clair could move up a lot of draft boards with a breakout year for the Fargo Force (where he'll skate in front of B's prospect Zane Gothberg).

This is a solid two-way forward who doesn't have great size (5-11, 190), but skates well and plays an up-tempo, high-energy game. His feet are always moving, and he has very good vision; his ability to contribute positively with and without the puck make him an interesting option after the second round (as currently projected). He scored 17 and 15 goals respectively in two USHL seasons and could post 20-25 this year.

"He's probably a third-rounder in my book because he's not gifted enough offensively," Red Line scout Max Giese said. "He's also lacks (Florida 2nd-rounder) Connor Brickley's edge, but is a really smart two-way player and competes hard."

USHL Sleepers Alert: Brendan Woods, Casey Thrush

Two '92 birthdates who were passed over in the 2010 NHL Draft, but who just might hear their names called in Minnesota if they have the kind of seasons they're capable of are a pair of USHL forwards in Brendan Woods and Casey Thrush.

For Chicago Steel winger Woods, it was mostly a lost season because of broken femur that cost him half the year. At 6-2, 195 pounds, he has the kind of size NHL teams are always looking for. Although not an outstanding skater, he generates power in his lower leg drive and can get where he needs to go. He finished the 09-10 campaign strong, but was unable to do enough to earn a draft call from any of the NHL's 30 teams. The guess here is twice-snubbed guys like Craig Cunningham and Justin Florek can get picked in the middle rounds by the B's, then a player like Woods has more than a fighting chance so long as he can stay healthy and productive.

"I thought Woods was one of the better forwards in the USHL at the end of last season," Red Line Report's Max Giese said recently. "If he can play a full season and build on last year, then I think he'll get drafted in June."

Thrush is a little different story. One of two players I actually scouted in the Washington D.C. region last season (Washington Jr. Nationals forward David Bondra the son of-- you guessed it-- Peter Bondra, being the other), Thrush had all the tools to be a mid-to-late draft pick, but was likely passed over because of several factors including level of competition (he played for Team Maryland AAA now known as the D.C. Capitals) and the fact that although he has a great set of wheels and was dominant against a bunch of JAGs, he was often times a one-man show who tried to do it all himself and wasn't so hot away from the puck (translation: the hockey sense just isn't there). The UNH recruit for '11 has the size and ability, and to be honest, I was a little surprised that some team didn't at least take a seventh-round flier on Thrush in L.A.

I think that if he can post even average numbers in the USHL this season that he'll get picked in Minnesota just because 6-foot plus forwards with the kind of speed and soft hands Thrush has don't grow on trees. He'll have his work cut out for him as a member of the expansion Muskegon Lumberjacks, though. Like Silver Spring, Md. native and fellow UNH aspirant Nick Sorkin, who dominated the local hockey circuit two years ago but got nary a draft whiff in '09 (or '10 for that matter), Thrush must overcome the stigma of coming from a hockey no-man's land and being that proverbial big fish in a small pond. The good news is that he should benefit from solid ice time on a team that isn't going to be very competitive, but sometimes, those are the best situations for players like Thrush.

Giese, who saw Thrush in action last year, concurred saying: "He's got to learn to use his teammates more. It's hard for me to understand how a player with as much talent as he has simply didn't make anyone around him better."

When Giese said that, the light went on for me as well, because in watching Thrush myself, there was something nagging at me that I couldn't quite put my finger on despite the fact that I was clearly looking at a skilled forward.

2011 Sleeper alert: SETH GRIFFITH

I got a tip on this kid from one of my most dedicated readers (not to mention friend), so I wanted to try to bring everyone else up to speed on London Knights center Seth Griffith.

A January, 1993 birthdate, Griffith is a little on the small side height-wise (5-10, 180) but is naturally strong and spends a lot of time in the gym working on his strength. An accomplished lacrosse player in addition to hockey, he's an excellent athlete and may have a knack for standing in tough spots and taking a beating just to make a play the way accomplished lacrosse players do when they take to the ice.

He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 Priority Selection by the Knights at 65th overall, but has developed well, scoring 43 goals last year (in 49 games) for St. Mary's Lincoln's Jr. B and then seeing 15 OHL games at the end of the season and playoffs, tallying two regular season goals and following up with a pretty good postseason run as his ice time increased.

From what I understand, the book on this kid is that his skating needs to improve, namely in his initial burst, but that he has very soft hands and nice offensive hockey sense. Playing with Jared Knight this season could boost his production in the all-important draft year. He's also a character kid, having captained his lacrosse team and has a strong work ethic on and off the ice.

Keep an eye on him to see how he does. Seems like one of those typical sleepers who isn't appearing much of anywhere on the radars, but could attract some notice if he can make an early splash.

2011 Sleeper alert: MIKE McKEE

All of the big names generated the buzz at the NHL's Research and Development Camp this week (we're talking some Ryan 'full bluntal Nugity' Nugent-Hopkins here), but one kid who came in as a virtual unknown is now reportedly drawing interest from the NHL scouting community.

Defenseman Mike McKee, a native of Newmarket, Ontario who plays for former Bruin Matt Herr at the Kent School. Scouts are not sure why McKee, who could play for the Ottawa 67's or even the USHL's Lincoln Stars (they own his rights) is playing in a hockey backwater in the New England prep ranks instead of the OHL, but after the performance he had in Toronto last Wednesday, things might change.

McKee at 17 is already 6-4 and 230 pounds and apparently skates extremely well for such a big boy. He's an August 1993 birthdate, which means he's on the young end of the spectrum. He had three goals and 11 points last season for the Lions, and watch for him to breakout in a big way (pun intended) this season if he returns.

He and USHL defender Scott Mayfield looked quite good as a defensive pairing on the ice this week, and it will be interesting to see how his hockey skills and intellect grade out, as clearly, the fact that he's such a physical specimen already but one who can actually skate, makes him one kid that NHL teams are zeroing in on this season no matter where he ends up playing.