NCAA: Wisconsins Grand Turris-mo

After upsetting the Denver Pioneers 6-2 in front of a home crowd in Madison Wisconsin, the Badgers gave top seeded North Dakota all they could handle before eventually falling 3-2 in overtime to end their season. Phoenix Coyotes prospect Kyle Turris was a dominant presence down the middle for the Badgers and 2008 eligible defenseman Cody Goloubef saw his draft stock rise.

Kyle Turris (Phx), C, Wisconsin Badgers

A special player with NHL-caliber skill, speed, and hockey sense .. named to the WCHA's All-Rookie team and was chosen All-WCHA Third Team .. the cornerstone of the Badger's offensive attack, Turris nearly carried Wisconsin to the frozen four while matching up against some of the top centers in the country .. imaginative and resourceful with the puck, Turris seems to have endless options while in possession .. an ingenious playmaker with a brilliant passing game, Turris displays the ability to send crisp, cross-ice passes through the opposition defensive box or send a linemate in on a breakaway with a tape-to-tape pass from deep in his own end .. swiftly accelerating to his fast top gear despite his skinny legs, Turris will be an explosive skater that can execute at full flight once he adds requisite strength .. dangerous goal scorer that can pick corners from afar while unleashing his rocket wristshot in full stride .. universal player that monitors his defensive assignments readily, although he can be out muscled for position by larger opponents .. clever in finding ways to fight around checks, however he has disappeared in some physical contests this season .. ready for his next challenge.

Cody Goloubef (2008), D, Wisconsin Badgers

Savvy and skillful young stud that kept getting better all year .. the fact that he outperformed fellow freshman defensemen and NHL first round picks Brendan Smith and Ryan McDonagh for much of the year should not go unnoticed .. poised beyond his years and played in all situations including both special team units .. an elegant and fast backwards skater, Goloubef possesses smooth all-compass mobility .. deceptively skilled with a big shot that he is beginning to find the net more often .. does not commit errors with the puck and effectively looks off the opposition before making a pass .. his defensive instincts are superb, as his marking skills are sharp and he positions himself properly to clog the correct lanes .. becoming more assertive using his decent-sized frame to steer opponents away from scoring areas .. will need to improve his gap control and strengthen his wiry frame .. just needing to get stronger, Goloubef is the type of defenseman that will go on to have a steady pro career and would make a wise selection in the latter half of the first round.

Ryan McDonagh (Mtl), D, Wisconsin Badgers

A physical no-nonsense defender, McDonagh was named to the WCHA's All-Rookie Team .. struggles seeing the whole ice at times and fails to move the puck to the open man down ice, instead, he often just whacks the puck away or makes a short pass to his partner .. has not been able to creatively distribute the puck with poise while on the point, however he is beginning to get his heavy slapshot on net more frequently .. possessing quick and strong start up strides, McDonagh has become a commanding skater with exceptional all-access acceleration .. physical defender with tremendous strength that is very effective at boxing out the opposition from his crease area .. his defensive stickwork needs refinement but for the most part, he maintains a tight gap with his man before angling him to the wall efficiently .. robust and aggressive defender that can separate his man from the puck with a stiff check .. lined up against the oppositions top offensive threats all year and emerged as a valued penalty killer that just needs to progress his puck skills.

Brendan Smith (Det), LW/D, Wisconsin Badgers

Missed most of the second half of the season with a back injury and after not playing against Denver, Smith was dressed as a left-winger on the Badger's fourth line versus North Dakota and seemingly created a scoring chance on every shift .. a deceptively fast big man that appears to be lumbering only to skate past multiple defenders with the puck .. playing on the wing allowed his offensive abilities to take over, as he displayed the deft touch in close near the goal of a seasoned skilled forward .. utilized his sturdy frame and prosperous mobility to effectively drive the net, and at the least create a goalmouth scrum .. battled hard on the forecheck and made incisive defensive reads for a player experimenting with a new position .. despite this flourishing regional game on the left wing, Smith's future lies on defense where he can influence the outcome of a game with his dynamic offensive exploits from the backend.

Jamie McBain (Car), D, Wisconsin Badgers

Skilled puckmoving defenseman that was chosen All-WCHA Third Team .. utilizes his swift lateral mobility and striking vision to be flourishing offensive threat from the point .. has a dynamic shooting arsenal for a defenseman with exceptional shot selection .. identifies the open seams in defenses well and is a threat to sneak undetected backdoor, before finishing with his quick wristshot that is accurate in tight .. his ability to see the whole ice married with his skilled hands gives him the ability to launch offensive attacks deep from in his own end by executing accurate ice-stretching outlet passes .. finesse defender with an active stick .. it is concerning that he remains a defensive liability that fails to establish body position near his own net .. fails to anticipate the developing play around him in his own end and can be to slow to identify his defensive assignments .. will begin to leave the zone early before puck possession is fully established .. with improving mobility and decent size, McBain has the ability to correct his defensive flaws.

Blake Geoffrion (Nsh), LW, Wisconsin Badgers

Two-way power forward with exceptional strength .. his speed with the puck and quickness out of the gates has improved .. not skilled enough to execute fancy plays with the puck, he is most effective when he just uses his superior strength to bull his way to the net .. effectively controls possession of the puck along the wall before utilizing his pointmen in the offensive zone by passing them the puck .. strong in front of the net and will begin to finish more with his heavy shot if it becomes more accurate .. lacks the instincts of a true finisher, as there are times where he would have scored a goal if he would have just been more patient and taken one more step before shooting .. while playing on the penalty kill, Geoffrion positions himself properly in the correct lanes and maintains an active stick .. character player that uses his thick frame to win possession of the puck on the forecheck or along the wall in the defensive zone .. has shades of San Jose Sharks' Ryan Clowe in his game.

Kyle Klubertanz (Ana), D, Wisconsin Badgers

Senior alternate captain that rebounded nicely with improved play on both sides of the puck after a disastrous junior campaign .. adequate all-access skater that makes up for his short strides with strong edges .. threat to score from the point with a powerful snapshot that is accurate .. an NHL-caliber passer that looks off the opposition before moving the puck and is capable of hitting the home run pass from his own end .. can scramble in front of his own net and despite the increased tenacity he is displaying this season, he still can be a liability in his own end at times .. guilty of taking bad angles to the puck, which causes him to be beaten one-on-one off the boards to often .. deserving of a two-way pro contract, Klubertanz will need multiple years of AHL seasoning before challenging for an NHL roster spot.

Podge Turnbull (LA), LW, Wisconsin Badgers

After a striking initial adaptation to the collegiate game, Turnbull seemingly hit a wall and has been a shell of his former self during the Badgers stretch run .. was slow with the puck and seemed to be stuck in a fog mentally .. after being beaten uncharacteristically one-on-one along the wall repeatedly against Denver, coach Mike Eaves benched Turnbull in favor of dressing a seventh defenseman in his place against North Dakota .. a spunky winger with a strong shot, Turnbull remains a promising prospect that should be able to handle the demanding WCHA schedule next year after a summer of hitting the weights.

Matthew Ford (Chi), F, Wisconsin Badgers

Despite statistically taking a step backwards this season, Ford finally improved his mobility and play away from the puck .. long knocked for his horrendous skating, Ford will never be a flourishing skater but he has made marked improvements in this aspect of his game by quickening his feet and strengthening his first step .. controlling the puck better coming down the wing but still needs to unleash his NHL-caliber snapshot more often .. at his best when he uses his sizable frame and a muscular build to energize his team with a heavy hit .. beginning to play more of the north/south style that it will take for him to make it further in his hockey career.

Patrick Johnson (2008), LW, Wisconsin Badgers

A true freshman that emerged as a key contributor for the Badgers this season while getting under the opponents skin with his aggravating style of play .. has good feet and utilizes his speed well to act like a heat-seeking missile on the forecheck .. throws his frail frame around with reckless abandonment and can land some surprisingly heavy bodychecks, knocking much larger opponents off their feet .. a true pest by nature that brings grit and feistiness to his team's lineup every night .. type of player that will knock the opposition in his mouth behind the play then talk trash after the whistle .. played in all situations because his defensive game is mature beyond his years and he is a great penalty killer .. received time on the powerplay this year where he displayed his deceptively hard wristshot .. all skin and bones right now, Johnson is still deserving of a late-round selection.

John Mitchell (UFA), LW, Wisconsin Badgers

Towering sophomore winger that came of age at the Mid-West Regional with his above-average mobility and good skill set .. very effective player when he's moving the feet, as he's nimble for a player of his size that can separate with his long strides in the open ice .. standing at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Mitchell is a colossal presence on the ice that is difficult to contain when he plays a heavy game .. possesses a long reach and decent hand eye-coordination with a bullet wristshot .. can bury his chances with accuracy and impressive poise near the net .. a raw project with tremendous upside, Mitchell is worth some NHL club taking a chance on him when he decides to come out.