Draft Favorites: Canada
McKeen's scouts discuss some of their favorite Canadian-based players in the
upcoming draft class, including the highly rated Brendan Mikkelson, Camrose
Advertisement
wildcard Mason Raymond and Quebec League power forward Jordan Lavallee.
Stay tuned for more insight on Europe in the coming days.
Steve Downie (Windsor)
Neither big nor is he a great finisher but this guy's a lion. He could go
as high as the second round after a gutsy playoff performance. Shows
surprising bursts every so often that he makes you wonder just how good he
can be, and I like his strength of conviction and poise, especially in the
way he drives to the net. He lets his emotions rule through and does stupid
things sometimes - regardless he's a warrior with the confidence to score
and backcheck.
Marc-Andre Gragnani (PEI)
If I am at the draft table and I have to choose between this kid and a
talent like Kindl I would go with Gragnani because his head is screwed on
right and I know what I can expect. He seems to have everything a
defenseman would need - skills, skating, size, smarts. He just needs to
develop a higher tempo to his play.
Mike Kennedy (St. Thomas)
CSB underrated him (235), and he is a project but one with scoring-line
potential. I love his stride - very smooth on a tall, skinny frame. I was
impressed with his excellent hockey sense, especially his patience when the
puck is on his stick. As he gains confidence and moves up a level he will
begin to emerge.
Jordan LaVallee (Quebec)
Things kind of fell apart for him in the quarterfinals against Chicoutimi
but he still did little to tarnish a powerful regular season emergence. His
skating and quickness have improved considerably. I see him shaping into a
complete power forward - he is tough, skilled, physical and hard working.
Tireless workhorse just lays it on the line every time.
Kristopher Letang (Val d'Or)
Both he and Bourdon held the fort on the blueline of a brutal team that won
only three road games all season. Letang was often more reliable and
consistent than Bourdon although he is undoubtedly a less interesting
prospect for his lack of size and physical game. However he is a very good
skater who can thread the needle with excellent feeds. I was happy to see
him maintain his composure for the duration of the season, as frustration
would have taken over most guys in his position.
Brendan Mikkelson (Portland)
This guy may just have the highest two-way upside among his CHL draft peers.
A great skater with a stride that reminds of Paul Coffey. He's steady and
patient and doesn't fall for head fakes. Keeps his body in ideal shape and
position to defend the one-on-one. Always a steadying influence and plays a
deliberate game. He seems to have the proper method for all situations.
Excellent timing and technique on his hits to stop puckcarriers in their
tracks. I see this kid making people into believers at the upcoming World
Junior Championships.
James Neal (Plymouth)
Reminds me of a young Jason Ward. He is a big, aggressive winger with good
straightline speed, but is a tad raw in terms of balance and agility. A
good stickhandler, though not elite. He uses his skating and hustle to beat
defenders moreso than his skills. Will throw his weight around, showing
nice energy but has a lean frame that doesn't punish like Blunden's.
Cal O'Reilly (Windsor)
I still love his hands and vision but this guy was the sheep to Downie's
lion in the playoffs. He must make a greater physical sacrifice if he is
going to be an impact pro. On the flipside, he scored one of the best goals
of the year in the postseason on a spectacular individual effort. It was one
of those instances where I yet again wondered if he could surprise all of
those scouts who don't believe in him and become a very good pro.
Matt Pelech (Sarnia)
He's been underscouted due to missing more than half of the season due
breaking his jaw twice, but I saw enough of this kid to warrant a day-one
selection even though he probably won't go as high. His performances varied
wildly but he showed glimpses of dominating his own end physically and has
good talents the other way. I love his somewhat low-key, yet effective,
skating and hard-core attitude. He has a lot of size and was beginning to
really hone it. Lots to work with here.
Tyler Plante (Brandon)
Has great overall skills that will compensate for some of his positional
issues until he gets those straightened out. In large part, he was
excellent in the playoffs and boosted his stock by showing tremendous poise
for his age.
Tom Pyatt (Saginaw)
He really filled out over the course of the season and showed surprising
explosiveness at the U-18s. Top-notch hockey sense really stands out as
does his work ethic and above-average offensive instincts. His skating has
improved and is good enough for an NHL third-liner. Tom possesses the kind
natural hockey sense of his brother (Taylor), except he lacks the size. He
does make up for that with a better work ethic and very good passing skills.
Mason Raymond (Camrose)
Splendid talent attracted attention with a great blend of speed and vision.
He's one of the few players I saw this season who had the ability to truly
lift fans out of their seats with amazing speed and delicious hesitation
moves with the puck. However, he is undersized but says that he is
determined to get stronger over the summer. He is a competitor so I'll take
his word for it.
Slava Trukhno (PEI)
Hard-worker is truly a truck. Uses his strength and locomotive skating
style to beat defenders to the outside. His stickhandling is a bit
mechanical but he has nice ideas and creativity in traffic. Reminds me some
of Andrei Nikolishin.