2007 NHL Draft Update: Raising Kane

One player from this year's draft eligible class stands out above the rest when it comes to all-around skill, and that's London Knights' right winger Patrick Kane. Scouts have been trying to dismiss him all season due to his diminutive stature, but his elite-level offensive skills, production and determination have landed him a top spot on McKeen's first Top 250 prospect list of 2007. The Buffalo, NY native is just too darn good not to be a top-five pick.

"He's got such natural skills with the puck," says one scout who had no quibbles with Kane being ranked first overall. "He shows great poise with the puck - you rarely see him make a hurried or poor pass, and he has the capability to hold onto the puck until there's an opening or open man." Those scouting opinions were garnered after the recent World Junior Championships, where Kane led his US team to a bronze medal. Kane was the top player on the American squad, and deservedly named one of the tournament's top three forwards.

While Kane enjoyed personal success at the WJC with five goals and nine points in seven games and was pleased to win a medal, he came away from the tournament with a feeling of disappointment over not being able to defeat arch-rival Canada in the semi-final shootout thriller, especially when both of his attempts in the shootout were stopped. "We battled back from so much controversy (after losing the first two games)," says Kane. "I was pretty happy with the bronze …. *

an excerpt from the article CITIZEN KANE available by mail order in our premiere issue of the MCKEEN'S DRAFT DIGEST

TOP 10 RANKED PLAYERS FOR THE 2007 NHL DRAFT

1. Patrick Kane ... RW ... London (OHL) ... 5-9/165

2. Angelo Esposito ... C ... Quebec (QMJHL) ... 6-1/180

3. Kyle Turris ... C ... Burnaby (BCHL) ... 6-0/170

4. Alexei Cherepanov ... RW ... Avangard Omsk (Rus) ... 6-0/185

5. Karl Alzner ... D ... Calgary (WHL) ... 6-2/210

6. Logan Couture ... C ... Ottawa (OHL) ... 6-0/195

7. Jonathon Blum ... D ... Vancouver (WHL) ... 6-0/165

8. Keaton Ellerby ... D ... Kamloops (WHL) ... 6-4/190

9. Sam Gagner ... C ... London (OHL) ... 5-10/190

10. Brandon Sutter ... C ... Red Deer (WHL) ... 6-2/175

CLIMBING THE CHARTS

A selection of risers and sleepers identified by McKeen's staff over the past month:

Robert Bortuzzo (D, Kitchener) - A project - but a worthy one in my opinion. He's big and he tries, and he's steadily developing aspects of his game. His confidence with the puck has improved dramatically since the start of the season. Still, he needs to upgrade his footwork and learn to be a tougher defender. Despite his massive frame, he still can be pushed off the puck by much smaller players.

Jonathan Carrier (D, Gatineau) - Wears an 'A' on a good Hull team and is showing some offensive skill lately. Continues to make smart decisions with the puck, very good in tight quarters and makes a good first pass out of the zone. He doesn't have the skating at this point though. His pivots and first steps are weak. Could be a second-rounder if his mobility improves down the stretch.

Colby Cohen (D, Lincoln) - Shooting the lights out since departing from the US National Team Development Program - with 10 goals and 33 points in just 27 games. He's got a cannon for a shot, as well as some offensive flair. I saw him playing wing the other night and he looked like a huge, roaming beast towering over most of the opposition. He's big and getting bigger and he's a deceptive skater, though still suffers from perplexing brain cramps at times defensively.

T.J. Galiardi (C, Dartmouth) - Won't stay under the radar for long, especially among the NHL scouts in attendance during a recent game against a tough UNH team. He impressed me so much that I returned the following Tuesday to take in the Holy Cross game. Competitive all-around pivot with excellent awareness, especially in the offensive zone. Able to slow the game down and make those around him better.

Simon Hjalmarsson (LW, Frolunda) - Since Hjalmarsson plays for Frolunda, it's easy to compare him to Robin Figren, in terms of potential, not style. He was about on par with Figren in offensive production already last year and now he's the top scorer in the whole Swedish junior league. That said, Figren does have a grittier, more North American style to his game, while Hjalmarsson is more your typical Euro player. Which is not a bad thing. He's a smart, skilled player with smooth skating. Simply strong fundamentals for an offensive player.

Simon Lacroix (D, Shawinigan) - Might be another underappreciated Q blueliner who doesn't get picked as early as he should, much like Vlasic, Gragnani, Letang, Carle in recent years. What impressed me the most was his head - plays a very smart game. Rarely gets caught out of position and consistently makes strong defensive plays. Like his mobility and skating form too, especially moving backwards.

Jori Lehtera (C, Jokerit) - A late 87-born player, so therefore available for the second time. Lehtera is an imposing figure at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, and has very good vision and puckhandling skills. His intensity, speed and strength have always been question marks in the past, but he's proving everyone wrong, and is now starting to make some noise even in the SM-liiga.

Maxim Mayorov (LW, Leninogorsk) - Burst on the scene with a dominating effort at November's World Jr A Challenge. Strong, strapping winger with very good skating ability and a non-stop engine. The thing that really caught my eye the most, besides the obvious physical attributes, was Mayorov's effort level. He never gave up even late in a game in which the Russians were getting routed.

Brett MacLean (LW, Oshawa) - With each viewing, this kid looks more and more like a hit rather than a miss. He was a darkhorse coming in - a big, skilled winger with mushy feet. However, he's really tidied up his skating this season playing alongside phenom John Tavares. He's an intelligent player in his own right - makes really smart plays in the offensive zone, like a pro winger would.

Kurtis Mucha (G, Portland) - Seems to be emerging on the circuit as the top western goalie. He's had some really good outings recently. I like his positioning, his recovery speed, and particularly his lower-net coverage. Some scouts maybe started to write him off early in the season, but his consistency has really improved lately.

Alex Plante (D, Calgary) - There are mobility issues still, especially with his first stride and acceleration, and he doesn't use his size as much as he could. But I like the package. His shot is most impressive, he gets decent power and is accurate from both short and long range. I think he has upside as a third pairing NHL guy if he can improve his skating and perfect his shot.

Juraj Valach (D, Tri-City) - Monster sleeper! Valach is going to interest some team by the second round, if not the first which a club like Tampa seem to have a habit of doing. He's 6-foot-7, moves the puck well, has a low, hard point shot, and skates well forwards. However, he's absolutely lost defensively in open ice, doesn't have an edge, and his pivots, especially skating backwards, are awkward to say the least.