NHL: Chicago Hope

The Chicago Blackhawks are beginning to turn their fortunes around by building a talented and deep stable of prospects. McKeen's was on hand at the Blackhawks development camp to scout the future of the franchise including recent first overall selection Patrick Kane and his probable future linemate Jonathan Toews.

Jonathan Toews (CHI), C, Chicago Blackhawks

Clearly the key building block at the center position for the franchise .. displayed instant chemistry with Patrick Kane .. sure-fire pro that is ready to handle the pace and rigors of the NHL .. separates himself from his peers with his ability to process the game instinctively .. his defensive awareness and commitment is that of a seasoned veteran .. a dangerous offensive threat, as he can beat the opposition with power, finesse, or smarts .. blessed with exceptional vision .. can execute an assortment of tape-to-tape passes, even at full speed or in heavy traffic from both sides of his stick .. makes those around him better .. a dangerous goal-scorer, as he owns a heavy wristshot with a lightning quick release and a precisely accurate shot .. owns a strong stride however, his first step can be quicker, although it never holds him back because he thinks the game so well .. can stickhandle through traffic, as his hands are supple and he shields the puck well .. displays good in-close skills .. has filled out and owns an NHL body, which he uses with fortitude to emerge as a powerful player in traffic .. has quick hands in tight.

Patrick Kane (CHI), RW, London Knights

Looks ready for the show this season, as his skill set is NHL-caliber and his size does not hinder him .. displayed great chemistry with Jonathan Toews .. not an end-to-end burner but few are quicker in tight areas thanks to his superb acceleration and footwork .. does not play small, he is strong on the puck and he can knife his way through traffic with his slick dangles.. covers the puck well, strong on his feet, and is slippery one-on-one .. hands are simply phenomenal, as it is a treat to watch him stickhandle and he always has the opposition on their heels .. owns sixth sense-like vision, as he can find the open man when no one appears to be open .. offensive creativity is off the charts, as he can make something out of nothing .. makes those around him better .. possesses a quick shot with deadly accuracy .. dangerous goal scorer from the outside and in tight, as his shot carries the velocity to finish from anywhere in the offensive zone .. his patience with the puck and ability to slow the game down when in possession are two special traits .. will need to improve on his defensive game, as he can be caught floating behind the play .. the type of player that just loves to play the game, as he is always the last one to leave the ice after practice sessions.

Cam Barker (CHI), D, Chicago Blackhawks

Healthy-sized defenseman with high-end skill level and hockey IQ but his passive nature is preventing him from becoming a dominant player .. did show an edge when he took exception to being run into the boards hard but that was it as far as displaying a mean streak .. poised while in possession and moves the puck maturely although not creatively .. does a good job getting his quick shot through to the net .. very difficult to beat one-on-one because of his strong defensive positioning .. his superb mobility and long reach give him great range on the ice .. owns good strength but needs to learn how to use his big frame more to his advantage .. he is NHL ready but he does not look like a top-pairing defenseman at this stage of his development.

Jack Skille (CHI), LW, Rockford Ice Hogs

Very close to being NHL ready, as his big frame and powerful skating ability are superb even by NHL standards .. simply a phenomenal skater, as his feet are nimble for a big man and his stride owns commanding power .. owns a wicked wristshot, as his release is quick and his shot is as heavy as they come .. comparisons to Bill Guerin seem appropriate .. needs to work on his consistency, as he was prone to taking games off during his collegiate career .. it is not a question if he will play in the NHL but when, as the Hawks may see it beneficial to start the year in the AHL with Rockford, where he can get top-line minutes instead of playing on the third line in the NHL.

Akim Aliu (CHI), RW, London Knights

A powerful north/south skater but will need to improve his agility .. owns soft hands and combines them with his long reach to perform some impressive moves .. can stickhandle around the opposition with ease and protects the puck well .. owns a hard wristshot that he must learn how to utilize more often .. needs to quicken his thought process, as he takes too long when deciding what he wants to do with the puck and can be caught needlessly stickhandling around .. not a hard player, as he is devoid of a mean streak and does not use his size enough with or without the puck .. floats around to much and needs to simplify his game .. displays shades of Anze Kopitar when he uses his speed to get around the defender and then uses his powerful frame to drive the net hard.

Josh Unice (CHI), G, Bowling Green

Hybrid goaltender who is not afraid to stay on his feet to make a save .. has a tight and compact butterfly .. moves well laterally and does a good job staying square to the shooter .. owns decent feet and adequate rebound control .. glove side is okay and his blocker is strong .. difficult to beat down low but he is prone to opening holes while moving in his crease, as he will allow the occasional softy.

Joe Palmer (CHI), G, Ohio State

Possesses all the athletic ability but he will need to improve his rebound control and learn to minimize his movements, as he can take himself out of position at times with his hyper-aggressive style .. owns elite flexibility and quick lateral movement .. displays great feet and quick reflexes in all of his limbs .. plays the puck well.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (CHI), D, Luleau

Two-way defenseman that is developing well and excels at both ends of the rink, but is still prone to the odd gaffe .. has a low center of gravity and is strong on his feet despite his limited size .. fluid skater with adequate quickness and footwork .. will throw the odd check displaying his deceptive strength .. maintains a healthy gap and keeps his man to the outside off the rush .. moves the puck well and is proactive pinching in and joining the rush .. has a quick pointshot .. needs to show more urgency breaking the puck out of his zone, as he can force a pass up the middle or be stripped off the puck .. player to keep an eye on.

Joseph Lavin (CHI), D, Providence College

Owns great feet and a wide-legged stride that propels impressive quickness and top gear .. moves the puck quickly and precisely although at times, he will force a pass into the opposition .. does a good job maintaining defensive positioning but at times can be caught up ice.

Simon Danis-Pepin (CHI), D, Maine

Uses his long reach and wing span well to strip the opposition of the puck and mask his backwards skating deficiencies .. overall, his feet are decent for a big kid, especially when moving forward.. hands are pretty good and his long reach makes it difficult for the opposition to strip him off the puck .. does not spot the open man quick enough but when he moves the puck, he delivers a crisp tape-to-tape pass .. does a good job of picking his spots offensively, as he always keeps his defensive assignments in check but will join the rush at appropriate times .. needs to make quicker decisions when he receives the puck .. seems to lack in the anticipation department .. not soft but is not mean either .. pretty useful and reliable in his own zone .. blessed with tons of upside.

Tony Lagerstrom (CHI), C, Sodertalje

This Swedish center stood out with his strong hockey sense and two-way play .. he is always near the puck because of his ability to anticipate the play .. he sees the ice well and moves the puck crisply .. his hands are good and his skill level is at an adequate level .. a player to keep an eye on in the near future as a possible third/fourth liner.

Peter LeBlanc (CHI), C, New Hampshire

His quick feet and superb acceleration stand out but little else does about his game .. will sacrifice his body to make a play and displayed okay vision moving the puck .. smallish and needs to improve his two-way play.

Michael Blunden (CHI), RW, Chicago Blackhawks

Owns a great shot as the release is quick and the pay off is bone rattling .. stays on the ice after practice to continue working on his shot .. possesses a big and strong frame that will help him develop into a legit physical presence in the NHL .. on the fast track to the NHL because of his shot, size, and fortitude.

Maxime Tanguay (CHI), C, Rimouski Oceanic

Possesses the skill and instincts to generate offense but his soft play is worrisome .. sticks to the perimeter and will not fight through checks .. will not take a hit to make the play .. backs down from physical defenseman .. loses one-on-one battles and was rather invisible.

Petri Kontiola (CHI), C, Tappara

Competitive and strong two-way center that is always on the puck .. feisty and spirited sparkplug .. strong on the puck, as he drives hard through the opposition .. takes the shortest and often most physical way from point A to B .. decent skater with a deceptive burst of speed .. owns a pro-ready frame and does all the little things away from the puck .. generates a lot of offense through his hard work and he can finish with his wicked wristshot however, he lacks the offensive touch and poise to be a setup man .. strong candidate to be a future third or fourth-line center in the NHL.

Marko Anttila (CHI), LW, Lempaala

Towering winger standing 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds .. appears that he was drafted only for his size and raw upside .. his feet and hand/eye coordination both need rapid improvement .. despite his size, he was knocked off his feet by smaller players and needs to be more competitive .. smart player and was around the puck a lot but did little with it .. protects the puck well and his hands are decent .. at times, he teases with a flash of talent but they are too rare.

Evan Brophey (CHI), C, Rockford Ice Hogs

Owns an able frame and good feet .. shows a good motor and good drive .. useful two-way player who works hard .. his hands are above average but he needs to improve his vision and learn to utilize his linemates more, as he comes off as a puck hog .. his hockey sense is the major question mark, as he will try to stickhandle through multiple defenders and he makes his share of stupid plays.

Joe Fallon (CHI), G, Vermont

Big butterfly goaltender with fine technical skills .. got himself into trouble when he tried to do too much .. needs to improve his puck handling and skating ability .. lacks the athleticism to recover after an initial save .. the type of goaltender that can excel and be reliable with a strong team in front of him but will struggle if he faces multiple in-close chances.

Joe Charlebois (CHI), D, New Hampshire

Has a stocky and strong build which makes allows him to excel in one-on-one battles .. not a true powerplay-quarterback type however, he displays good poise and vision distributing the puck .. feet are okay and he plays a reliable two-way game.

Brennan Turner (CHI), D, Yale University

Big and physical defender who plays with an edge .. jumped out when he through some stiff open-ice hits and hip checks .. feet are okay but he needs to improve his first step and all around mobility .. limited offensively.

Chris Auger (CHI), C, U-MASS Lowell

His hands are quick and he moves the puck well ..an offensive type but he lacks the top-end skill to be so at the next level and his defensive play is lacking to develop into an asset on the bottom two lines.

Dan Bertram (CHI), LW/RW, Boston College

Small but stocky and gritty.. before he was drafted he was thought of as an explosive offensive player, but he has molded himself into an effective checker while playing for Boston College .. his feet are quick and nimble .. his top gear is not as special as it was once advertised .. he sees the ice adequately and moves the puck well .. owns a quick shot but struggles to generate chances to use it .. willing to fight and competes hard.