2005 NHL Draft Update: Scouts Corner

From Sidney Crosby on down, there is a truly diverse prospect talent pool from which NHL teams will be choosing later this summer. McKeen's scouts weigh in with rants and raves on a plethora of players eligible for the draft in what is one of our favorite segments to present to readers. Jack Johnson draws raves, while Jakub Kindl's determination is questioned.

Here are selected comments from our scouting staff on the progress of key draft eligibles (listed alphabetically by player):

Justin Abdelkader (Cedar Rapids) .. Smart, efficient two-way pivot has great first-step fluidity and quickness. Unfortunately he dried up during the RoughRiders march to the USHL Clark Cup title, going scoreless in 11 games. Awesome first step – just explodes out of starting blocks. A dynamic skater, his body and arms stay nice and composed while moving. Also shows elite acceleration.

Vitaly Anikeenko (Lokomotiv) .. He is getting back into good graces after a solid showing at the U-18s. While he didn't dazzle, he compensated with his strong skating stride and by battling hard in all situations. Scores high in moxie and courage, seeming genuinely interested in making an impact in most shifts. Does have panic attacks, evident with rough puckhandling, bobbled passes, coughed up pucks sans pressure. Extremely raw but passionate and big.

Zach Bearson (Waterloo) .. This kid really stands out in my mind as a player who can make the NHL. He is big, fast, strong and is responsible and hard working at both ends of the ice.

Nicklas Bergfors (Sodertalje) .. Has a choppy waterbug stride. Excels at using his stick/arm to bump defenders and buy time for himself. A disruptive forechecker as he keeps his feet churning and uses his body well to protect. He works hard and is determined to gain positional advantage down low. Feisty and sticks up for himself.

Francois Bolduc (Rimouski) .. Huge, somewhat-mobile rearguard. What he lacks is first-step speed and is all hands when defending. He likes to strap himself onto faster opponents and do the snowplow. Thick upper body, huge reach. Plays a very physical game, but gets overly nasty with the stick. A little bow-legged.

Jared Boll (Lincoln) .. Excellent strength and patience on the puck. A strong, sturdy skater with a long, languid stride and deceptive speed. Tough as nails.

Luc Bourdon (Val d'Or) .. Stock went gangbusters at the U-18. His puckhandling skills are still average and he is prone to the odd bad giveaway when moving the puck but he'll be able to step in quicker than a guy like Staal. A powerful hitter with a nasty edge and pro-type makeup. Pro body, demeanor and skating. Still a stiff puckcarrier who needs to refine his puckhandling abilities.

Alex Bourret (Lewiston) .. He has speed, skills and a low centre of gravity. When he hits it is going to hurt. A torpedo – built and plays like a tank. Confident swagger, cocky showboat, not afraid to experiment. Ever creative, always making something out of nothing. Likes to show off flamboyant stick skills. Love his ability to play a high-tempo game.

Brock Bradford (Omaha) .. Exceptional top speed and can execute in full flight. He's a dangerous shooter and is quick and opportunistic with superb finishing savvy. Plays a hi-octane, up-tempo game and is able to process the game at a frenetic pace. Shows clever in-close finishing skills.

Gilbert Brule (Vancouver) .. I love his ability to perform under pressure. He executes with precision using limited time and space and there's a certain essence of Steve Yzerman here in the way he makes things look so easy. Part of this is his extraordinary hand-eye coordination and part of it is just plain old efficiency. Gotta like his complete offensive package – an excellent skater, vast and lethal shooting arsenal, tough in the hard areas. Maybe not the flashiest pick for #3 but might be the safest.

Chris Butler (Sioux City) .. Looks really fluid and strong on his feet with excellent agility and pickup speed. His whole body maintains great shape with moves reminiscent of Wade Redden .. Nice, sturdy build, good poise and defensive reliability. He lacks experience against top-level competition and for that isn't really a day-one prospect. A safe, efficient puckmover who plays within his means.

Richard Clune (Sarnia) .. Delicious top speed and superb change of pace. Seems to gain speed with each stride. I love his lateral skating range; he rarely accelerates and cuts strongly on edges. A fearless hitter who drives headfirst into traffic to dish out monster, full-body hits. Attacks ferociously on the forecheck like a mad dog. Seemed to get physically stronger as the year progressed. Powers through strides and generates terrific hitting power for his size.

Sidney Crosby (Rimouski) .. Top dog coming into the season continued to distance himself from the rest of the field with each passing game. Had a flawless junior farewell with the loss in the Memorial Cup as the only blemish. Superhuman athleticism plus uncanny ability to win puck battles against much bigger opponents separate him, as does his ability to process the game effortlessly.

Boomer Ewing (Boston University) .. Quick, energetic skater is light and agile on his feet. He reads the game very well offensively and has good puck skills but struggles defensively. Will chase the puck in the neutral zone and get drawn out of position. Small and thin body and missed 12 games to shoulder injury.

Jimmy Fraser (NTDP) .. A strong positional player and is consistent, energetic and tough. Captain sustains solid forechecking pressure despite a smallish body, though a big heart. Good skater, quick feet, smart away from the puck. Weakish upper body and shot needs work.

Denis Istomin (Metallurg) .. Showing flashes of talent but can't put the puck in the net. He should go in the second round but is a project who could develop into an Alexander Polushin-type of player. Enjoyed limited success with Traktor but trailed off late in the season. He became softer and a little distracted – some minor injuries did impact his play.

Blair Jones (Moose Jaw) .. Has a strong, powerful stride. An impressive mix of size, grit and mobility. Balanced on his edges, makes really sharp stops and quick directional cuts for a man of his size.

Jack Johnson (NTDP) .. Might be the most competitive player in the entire draft class. Take-charge leader loves to instigate. A great mix of skill and grit with a nasty streak a mile-wide. Will fight to the last breath before he gets beaten to the outside. Strong puckhandler with exceptional vision at both ends of the ice. Pinpoint passer. Runs into discipline problems at times which is a natural extension of his ferocity and unparalleled determination.

Ray Kaunisto (Soo) .. Good size and can skate really well. Hockey sense is average – he is smart but not entirely creative with the puck. Good worker but nothing great.

Mike Kennedy (St. Thomas) .. 6-foot-2 but skinny. His skating is similar to Jeff Carter in style but without the top notch speed. His hockey sense is what I like him for – defensive and offensive awareness are top-notch, as is his patience with the puck. I watched him play in a WRJB playoff game and he ended up scoring two of the best goals in terms of scoring instincts that I'd seen from a player this year. Very committed on defense but has a lot of offensive talent which will come out eventually. He is a gamble and may take a long time but I see two-way upside.

Jakub Kindl (Kitchener) .. One of the weakest shots I have ever seen and shows virtually no determination. Makes artistic spins and pirouettes to elude danger. Wound up in Peter DeBoer's doghouse in the second half of the season because he showed no fire whatsoever. His puck skills and decision-making have to come a long way.

Dustin Kohn (Calgary) .. Quick, agile, nice balance with a smart, textbook one-on-one approach against the rush. Steers puckcarriers to the boards but is not as effective in clearing the crease with bigger opponents. Great poise under pressure with excellent competitiveness. Makes strong outlet plays and doesn't get rattled. Good strength and persistence and likes to take chances. Superb passing on the powerplay, excellent skater, take-charge attitude and solid leadership. Aggressive on both sides of the puck.

Anze Kopitar (Sodertalje) .. Entered the season as a huge wildcard but finished as a virtual lock for the top five in the draft. Showed tremendous fortitude at the World Championships – he lost battles at times due to being under-strength, but you can't help but love his willingness to battle and persevere. Never gave up.

Risto Korhonen (Karpat Oulu) .. Solid, sturdy skater lacks speed. Skates with long strides and is vulnerable to outside speed one-on-one. He is an imposing physical presence but not much more. He doesn't have top-shelf puck skills and plays a low-risk game. His tempo needs to increase.

Trevor Koverko (Owen Sound) .. Has a big, well-constructed frame and is strong with a long reach .. good top speed but is a bit stiff in his turns and his first speed could be better. NHL-sized body and moves well in most directions. Solid on his feet, rugged, tough but I would like to see him punish crease invaders with more authority.

Anton Krysanov (Togliatti) .. Seemed to run out of gas late in the superleague season. Was mediocre at the U-18 in April which hurt his stock some. A big-time project but he is intriguing because he has such a big, strong body that he is able to help in a lot of little ways when he is not scoring. Very strong at cycling along the boards and in traffic.

Matt Lashoff (Kitchener) .. Has the potential to be a Brad Stuart-type who can contribute in all areas – defense, power play, rushing the puck and playing physically. He is meaner than Parent and contributes in more areas. I love the way he gets his point shots to the net and is very adept at creating shooting seams.

Guillaume Latendresse (Drummondville) .. He is big and skilled and will go in the first round but he is a long term project. He has holes in his game defensively and physically. An underrated playmaker and a creative passer with solid game-reading skills. Great enthusiasm but often shows a lack of patience.

Chris Lawrence (Ste. Sault Marie) .. Even with his skills he still doesn't do anything for me. Can't create worth a lick with any turnover he gets. Speed is ok for a big man but sluggish compared to other fast guys. If it weren't for Jeff Carter he'd have considerably poorer numbers.

Brian Lee (Moorhead) .. Heavy point shot, particularly his wrister. Shows sharp defensive instincts. An effortless skater, he is not as flashy offensively as Niskanen but is just as proficient. What some don't know about him is that he can really hammer guys and has sharp protection instincts.

Mikko Lehtonen (Espoo) .. An enigma. Has all the tools with size, speed and skills but he's not a hard worker. He had a decent showing at the U-18 but I wish he showed as much dedication in junior all year where he didn't finish plays at all. Needs to start using his skills on a day-to-day basis.

Jeff Lerg (Omaha) .. Uncanny reflexes, great speed. Plays angles magnificently. Plays much taller than he is, maximizing net coverage to compensate for tiny frame.

Daren Machesney (Brampton) .. Has better athleticism than Kevin Lalande – the other draft-eligible goalie. Very quick and fluid but it's hard to say what is going on inside his head at all times. He's a guy who could be molded into something decent if he is a good student.

Kenndal McArdle (Moose Jaw) .. Strong, tough, persistent and keeps active. Strong bursts of speed and nice lateral quickness. Showed impressive resiliency playing with a broken rib during playoffs which cost him a trip to the U-18 Worlds.

David Meckler (Waterloo) .. A gutsy, tenacious full-menu guy. He keeps his feet moving in traffic, is smart defensively and excels in physical contests. Knows how to check and tie up his mark and never gives up on plays. He possesses neither a blistering pace nor top-shelf skills, but he does all the little things that would please a coach. Definitely more than the sum of his parts.

Dmitri Megalinsky (Yaroslavl 2) .. Has established himself as one of the top Russian '85-born defensemen behind only Vorobiev and maybe Kosmachev. There are still concerns about his skating but I love his physical style and reliability in the defensive zone. He also dropped some extra weight.

Justin Mercier (NTDP) .. Reminds me of Daniel Ryder. He keeps plugging away but shows no great talent with the exception of his booming shot. Speed is ok but he isn't what one would call fast. One of those guys who will probably bounce around a lot but make the show, but won't be very valuable to a team.

Riley Merkley (Calgary) .. Lots to like here. This is a solid, well-built player who shows good hands and imagination, especially in tight spaces. He is able to manufacture openings for himself. His skating, however, needs work. An excellent playmaker, he knows how to use his body to shield off challenges. Good head for the game.

John Mitchell (Green Bay) .. Impressive jump and agility for a big man which really catches your eye. Fast and fluid. Rest of the package is pretty uncooked.

Brett Motherwell (Omaha) .. Well-rounded rearguard can thrive in any game situation. Has game-breaking top gear and eye-opening top speed. His lack of size appears to be the only barrier, really, although he was stripped of assistant captaincy in February due to off-ice issues.

Jordan Pearce (Lincoln) .. Flashy and aggressively plays his angles. Comes way out to challenge shooters and is good at staying up after the initial shot. Exceptionally quick vertical agility. Stays very active, yet manages to retain his shape as he moves .. smooth and lightning-quick going side to side.

Tyler Plante (Brandon) .. Has a bad habit of going down and staying down throughout whole sequences in his end. Has a lot of time to get back on his feet but doesn't bother. Leaves a vulnerable upper corner and was burned a few times in the playoffs.

Benoit Pouliot (Sudbury) .. He's the darling pick in the draft and could go in the top-3 due to shades of Mario Lemieux if all the pieces congeal. He toys with opposing d-men, stickhandling through their legs, taking one's breath away at times when he turns on the afterburners and drives to the net. But there are holes here. I don't know how many times he got knock off his feet this year. Another area that concerns me is his immaturity. Opponents this season found out that he has a nasty temper and he can be goaded into retaliation without much trouble. The book is out – lay on the body and the wood and he'll resort to petty slashes and crosschecks. He needs to mature and add requisite strength, grit and conviction.

Ryan Raven (Des Moines) .. Impressive mix of size and skating. A good, strong skater with an impressive first step burst. Very light on his feet for his size. He works hard defensively and creates turnovers with excellent back pressure. Does need to improve shooting and finishing skills.

Jonathan Rheault (Providence) .. Physical for a little guy. Quick, skilled skater is very slippery in traffic. Scored a beauty against BU, sneaking in behind d-men and catching the puck in full flight, dropping it down and roofing a quick snapper. Terrific acceleration, too quick for his linemates, often having to slow himself down. Skilled and sneaky one-on-one with a long, fluid stride and excellent balance and agility. Superb hand-eye coordination. Battles in front of the net.

Kris Russell (Medicine Hat) .. Excellent shooting skills. Makes quick shifts at full speed to open up shooting lanes and can finish with a sizzling wrister. Spirited and physical, liking to hit despite a smallish frame. Stride is a thing of beauty with amazing fluidity. Definitely a riverboat gambler who suffers from soft down-low marking and will attempt risky passes when pressured. Still, overall a superb puckrusher with end-to-end capabilities.

Daniel Ryder (Guelph) .. Doesn't have the skill set of his brother. He is solid but you know he won't go very high with those short legs of his. Hard working but upside is not exciting. That said, he does have an excellent shot and never seems to have an off-night. He's a battler.

Yakov Rylov (Dynamo) .. Lacks size but has tenacity. Has an excellent burst of speed and a powerful point shot that made scouts remember him from the Under-20. Dynamo coach Krikunov loved this kid so much that he kept him in the regular rotation during the championship playoff run. He won't go high because of his stature but he's a perfect day-two pick.

Brian Salcido (Colorado) .. After a frustrating freshman injury-plagued year, he returned in his sophomore season to be a threatening presence on the blue line and a commanding force while quarterbacking the power play. This kid produced all year and kept it up in the playoffs as well with strong defensive work and led all underclassmen blue liners in scoring. With the possibility of Mark Stuart leaving for the NHL and the graduation of Richard Petiot, he will be the defenseman in the spotlight in Colorado Springs.

Michael Sauer (Portland) .. We loved him early this year but then a hip injury put an end to his season. He doesn't dazzle but shows no real weaknesses and contributes well in all areas such as moving the puck and sending a message with a strong check. That and he played with a sore hip for pretty much for all of the early season until doctors discovered the problem.

Devin Setoguchi (Saskatoon) .. His slump down the stretch and into the playoffs has hurt his stock some but he is still a first rounder. Delivers powerful body checks and keeps his feet driving. I love the way he protects the puck with his arms and body. Nice separation gear, wide stance, excellent stability. Goes hard to danger areas and seems to get quicker when he has the puck.

Dustin Slade (South Surrey) .. No wonder the Giants traded for him at the end of the year as all signs point to him starting for them. Was magnificent in the BCHL playoffs until an injury. Matured considerably after getting dumped by the Regina Pats in the middle of the season. Has baggage – his temper – but he has the talent to be a starter in the WHL. Worth a late-round flyer by an NHL club.

Marc Staal (Sudbury) .. I would like to see him assert himself better physically, as he tends to let up a lot of the time instead of delivering a bone-crushing hit. There is untapped offensive upside here and he is a passionate defender. He can, however, look gangly but he will fill out substantially over the coming years. Surefire pro and could be a top defenseman.

Ben Street (Salmon Arm) .. I like his play in traffic – he makes smart decisions, wins a lot of one-on-one battles with his head. A smart playmaker, good with his feet and is very adept at stealing pucks away. Still mostly a finesse type.

Andreas Vlassopoulos (NTDP) .. Light, agile skater and slick puckhandler with fluid shooting mechanics. Has a nice pull-and-drag move to set up a shot with a quick release. He needs to develop a stronger first step. His top speed is excellent but he spins his wheels a bit on start-up. Surprising strength on the puck given his size due primarily to excellent use of instincts and skills.

Marek Zagrapan (Chicoutimi) .. Subtle and efficient a la Jean Ratelle – expanding just enough resistance to suit the circumstance. Forgets to move his feet at times away from the puck and I would like to see more physical aggressiveness as he has the size and stability to be much more effective. But the flipside is attractive – he offers a first-rate mix of skill, skating and intellect. Always demonstrates a great feel for the flow of the game. Much more cultured than Benoit Pouliot at this stage.

Ilya Zubov (Traktor) .. Elite in-tight puck control and amazing hands but loses some one-on-one battles due to his lack of size, yet shows some resiliency. Stays on his feet and even shows an ability to retain possession on some bigger hits.