NCAA: Minnesota State of Mind

Minnesota State's junior forward Trevor Bruess put his name on the map last year with a 30-point sophomore season and has since been closely monitored by NHL teams. McKeen's director of scouting Max Giese has notes on Bruess, as well as reports on his teammates Justin Jokinen, Brian Kilburg and Andrew Sackrison.

Trevor Bruess (UFA), C, Minnesota State Mavericks

With a nice blend of competitiveness and aggressive skating, Bruess deserves an NHL contract once he decides to leave school .. a robust 6-foot-0, 200-pound junior centerman that has accumulated 10 goals and 14 points so far this season, after his breakout 30-point sophomore year .. what's most exciting about Bruess is his toughness .. he often can be seen dishing it back to opponents that attempt to check him off the puck .. the type of player that is nasty to play against, as his hits are jolting and he can run defenders over on his way to the net .. a well-balanced and strong skater with productive speed and smooth acceleratory strides .. his forceful skating backs defenders off when accelerating through the neutral zone looking for the pass .. there is some offensive upside here with his good in-close puck skills and he is a solid finisher that also understands the importance of and awareness how to utilize his linemates .. an opportunistic penalty killer that is a threat to score shorthanded .. works hard away from the puck and is good at faceoffs.

Justin Jokinen (Buf), LW, Minnesota State Mavericks

A freshman that only has 2 goals and 1 assist to his credit in 17 games, Jokinen's play suffers from immaturity .. lively skater that just needs to add more strength to his stride and he does have some rangy finesse capabilities with the puck .. owns a projectable 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame, but he must get stronger .. he's a frail player that doesn't like the physical aspect of the game, as he shows some fear going into the boards to retrieve the puck and he would rather stay out of the confrontations all together .. his defensive game is littered with tactical errors and sheer laziness .. stops moving his feet on the backcheck and is flatfooted when stationed in his own zone .. never takes the body and often looks like a youth hockey player just reaching out his stick at the opponent with hopes of fishing away the puck .. guilty of taking poor line changes and leaving the zone prematurely.

Brian Kilburg (UFA), D, Minnesota State Mavericks

Kilburg has the size at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and his skating is fine, but he plays too passive at times and you wish he was more assertive at both ends of the ice .. nimble on his feet and has quality mobility for a player of his size .. maintains tight gaps and extends his lengthy reach to disrupt the options of the puckcarrier .. his offensive upside is limited and he receives little to no time on the powerplay .. can be dormant at times, but he has a short fuse and his physicality can ramp up in a hurry, occasionally taking bad penalties in the process .. is asked to clear the crease on the penalty kill .. was listed 10th overall in McKeen's preliminary ranking of the top 30 available free-agents in the NCAA, although his lack of progress with the puck will likely have him ranked lower in the final rankings.

Andrew Sackrison (StL), C, Minnesota State Mavericks

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Sackrison has above-average size and strength .. lacks a separation gear with the puck, but he uses his strength well to shield it and to work the puck along the boards deep in the offensive zone .. an okay skater that is sturdy on his feet with long strides, but he's deficient of quickness .. strong in the faceoff circle and properly ties up his man if he doesn't come out victorious .. comes deep into his own zone to aide in coverage and for the most part is positionally sound defensively, although his lack of quickness leads his man beating him off the mark at times.