NHL Draft: Profiles 51-55
51. Nick Spaling C-RW, Kitchener (OHL)
Spaling isn't wowing the
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scouts with gaudy offensive
numbers and breathtaking
offensive instincts, but there
are so many things to like
about his game that many talent
evaluators took notice.
"I like his game, he's a good
two-way player," said one
scout. "Good away from the
puck, I like his smarts and
defensive awareness."
Spaling barely missed last
year's draft by four days, but
he won't be passed in this
one; he's a pretty good bet to
go in the top two rounds based
on his all-around game.
"He might be a first rounder
at the end of the day," added
another. "He's a good skater,
smart, produces, and competes
hard."
Scouts would have liked to
have seen more production
from the 6-0 center-winger, but
it became clear as the season
wore on that his hands weren't
among the draft's elite.
"His hands are a problem,"
concluded one draft evaluator.
"He gets all sorts of scoring
opportunities where the puck
just bounces off the blade of
the stick, and he doesn't even
get a shot on net.
"He's good at a lot of things,
not great at any one thing. His
best asset is his work ethic."
Offensively, Spaling needs to
refine his puckhandling skills.
He has a quick shot which
needs to use more often as he
gets stronger.
52. Mike Hoeffel LW, NTDP (USA)
Hoeffel's ticket to the NHL
will come through his strength
and tenacity.
Luckily those are two qualities
Hoeffel possesses in quantity.
Add in his size, and many
NHL scouts envision him
cracking an NHL squad some
day in a third or fourth-line role.
"He's a bit too raw and
seems to have lots of areas to
improve," opined one scouted.
"He's a big strong winger
who works hard and shows a
willingness to drive hard into
traffic areas. But he lacks
high-end skating ability and
doesn't appear to have much
offensive ability. I wouldn't
take him in the top 50 because
of that lack of offensive
upside."
Hoeffel tore the ACL in his
knee this spring, causing him
to miss the Under 18's.
Scouts were happy to see
him participating at the combine,
but missing the biggest
tournament of his young career
was disappointing to both him
and the hundreds of NHL
scouts and general managers
attending the event.
"It won't help him getting
that injury," admitted one NHL
director of player development.
"He's a powerful skater but
he lacked quickness before
blowing out his knee. He's a
big strong kid, a powerful player
without question, but I really
question his sense and his
hands, and I think he only has
one speed."
53. Kent Patterson G, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
If he was just one day
younger Patterson would be
eligible for the 2008 draft.
"He doesn't have any flaws
to his game that can't be
ironed out with maturity,"
opined McKeen's scout Max
Giese.
"He may be the best goalie
in this draft and end up being a
steal much in the way Ryan
Miller was in 1999. His ability
to read and anticipate the play
around the net is unparalleled.
"He's an intriguing talent
with superb dexterity and reaction
quickness, top-notch
rebound control, and to top it
off he makes it all look effortless
as he keeps his movements
to a minimum."
Patterson had a stellar performance
at the USA Junior
Hockey Showcase where he
shut out the best offensive talent
the USHL has to offer.
Since then he hasn't looked
back, pacing the Rough Riders
to a first place finish in their
division while playing ahead of
Richard Bachman, a draft pick
of the Dallas Stars.
"Likely because of the
league he is in he won't go in
the first round, but the team
that does select them should
have themselves a future
starter down the road."
Opinions are mixed on
Patterson, as they are with
pretty much every goalie in this
draft, but he's a good bet to be
picked in the second round,
third round at the latest.
54. Kurtis Mucha G, Portland (WHL)
Mucha first came to prominence
with a breakout performance
in the 2006 WHL playoffs.
One of the drawbacks of
having played on a poor
Portland team is that he wasn't
heavily scouted, especially with
few teams looking to utilize
high picks on goaltenders.
"He's a super cool customer
with terrific reflexes," said one
western scout. "He makes
great reaction-type saves, and
likes to come out above his
crease to challenge shooters."
A butterfly-style goalie, agile
and fluid with very good quickness,
Mucha is an intense
competitor with lightning-fast
legs, and uses his stick well to
intercept passes and clear his
crease with aplomb.
"He likes to move the puck
and can make a strong lead
pass beyond center," noted
one scout. "He spreads out
wide to cover entire lower portion
of the net on in-close bids,
and gets tight and big on his
post guarding behind the net
plays."
Mucha showed improved
maturity, and is no longer easily
goaded into altercations.
"He cushions shots well for
easy rebound scoops, but
sometimes rebounds get away
from him. He's very smooth
going side-to-side in a fluid
butterfly slide. He needs to
focus on not overplaying initial
shots, and has a tendency of
throwing everything into making
the initial save."
55. Colby Cohen D, Lincoln (USHL)
Cohen started the season
with the USNTDP before making
the move to the USHL to
play for the Lincoln Stars
where he has immediately
established himself as one of
the league's most gifted
defencemen, as his offensive
ability has instantly paid dividends
for the Stars.
Dominant on the power
play, Cohen has a hard, accurate
shot, and can also be creative
distributing the puck. An
above-average passer with
swift feet for a big man, his
offensive exploits are intriguing.
"Cohen could use more
urgency in his defensive
game," asserted one US scout.
"He has all the tools to be a
good defender including
impressive work with his long
reach, however the competitiveness
isn't always there as
he'll get caught watching the
puck from time-to-time; he gets
caught flat footed. He gets
frozen where he's not quite
sure if he wants to play the
man or the puck."
Cohen is a deceptively fast
straight ahead skater, who also
also played up front at times to
take advantage of his offence.
"I like him." said one scout.
"He wants that puck. His agility
and his decision-making are
the major concerns, but with
his offensive talents, he's a
candidate to be selected at the
start of the second round."