Petro-lling the Line

McKeen's correspondent Marlon Martens weighs in from the WHL with notes on Max Reinhart and Joey Leach of the Kootenay Ice along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Alexander Petrovic and Mathew Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels. Petrovic, is currently ranked No. 34 among North American skaters for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by Central Scouting.

Kootenay

Max Reinhart (2010), C, Kootenay

Demonstrates quick starts and stops with good balance .. average overall speed with quick bursts .. could accelerate quicker to pull away from opposition .. when chasing down a loose puck, he only kept up to the defenseman .. determined, fights to get open and protects the puck well .. shows a bit of grit .. works hard to fight off checks and draws penalties .. is more successful in the face-ff circle when he uses his strength to tie up the man and kick the puck, but lost draws when trying to just use his stick .. lost a rebound/screen opportunity by not getting to the front of the net sooner .. timely intensity - especially when he needs to get back to help cover defensively .. has ability to steal pucks along the walls and corners .. while shorthanded, he gets into lanes but could wave his stick more .. very vocal, calling and yelling for pucks .. only 3 of his 21 goals came on the powerplay .. Stats:72gp (72-21-30-51), plus-12, 38 PIM.

Joey Leach (2010), D, Kootenay

Poised and confident defenseman finds himself playing top-4 minutes .. loves to use the one-timer at the point, as it comes off the stick nice and low, however a misfire turned into an opposition 2-on-1 (coach went right back to him) .. throws hard hits at the blueline stopping forwards dead in their tracks .. pushes hard while making passes and competently completing tape-to-tape two liners .. gets the job done on the pk, as in one instance while shorthanded, he rubbed out one man, was double-teamed, but still kicked the puck up the boards .. silky backwards skater with great balance and poise .. avoids temptation to shoot into the attacker while at the point and makes the safe play .. good reach and gets quick control of the puck settling down plays .. prominent fixture on the blueline .. ability to fish the puck out of skates .. calm while waiting behind the net until seeing fit to move the puck .. rarely puts himself in risky situations, as his team leading plus-33 rating would attest .. Stats: (70-3-23-26), 77 PIM.

Red Deer

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), C, Red Deer

Light and quick on his feet .. explosive acceleration, surprising d-man with a cut and speed burst to the inside .. could be more aggressive along the boards, as he spends more time on the perimeter and relies on his stickwork to get by .. easy target for a pass, as he hustles to get open .. once stronger, he may do a better job of clearing the puck (three failed attempts on one shift), and his stick won't get chopped out of his hands as much .. showcasing skill by stealing the puck from two players, stickhandling and weaving deep into the offensive zone to set up the powerplay .. doesn't shoot blindly or just go top corner, as he can place wristers down low corner - remembering the goalies weakness from a previous goal .. resisted the temptation to shovel the puck toward the net and fired a backhand pass to the point instead .. is the corner setup man on the PP - three saucer passes to three different players in one sequence (great vision) .. picked a pocket to gain a 2-on-1 .. will battle for space in front of the net, but greater success will more readily come as he grows .. a definite talent sure to turn even more heads next season .. Stats: (67-24-41-65), minus-4, 28 PIM.

Alexander Petrovic (2010), D, Red Deer

Head always on swivel .. stood up man at opposition blueline .. likes using his feet, kicking at pucks and blocking shots .. can skate the puck to safety with his head up .. good reach and unassuming poke check - breaking up a 2-on-1 ,, used stick instead of body and got beat for a goal (missed puck) .. once stopped moving his feet at the side of the net and was caught looking as the puck went in .. logging top minutes .. average speed, but is strong on his skates .. calm and offers assurance to others when he controls the puck .. will retreat instead of rushing or forcing a play .. would rather choose a short passing play than long .. could use the boards more often to pass rather than risk it in open ice .. intercepts pucks as he sees ice well and anticipates .. not very vocal, but very responsible .. shot is hard and low .. tendency to use a wrister from the point, placing the puck rather than hammering it at the net .. seems to always be on the ice .. skillful defenseman needs to get physically stronger, as he gets pushed around a little in front of his own net .. Stats: (57-8-19-27), plus-3, 87 PIM.

Mathew Dumba (2012), D, Red Deer

Stocky and physical, yet quick on his feet - fast skating backwards .. loves throwing the hip check .. stood up his man then hit a guy in the corner .. turned down a challenge to fight after getting under the oppositions skin with tough play .. fast legs with good stop/starts .. a little eager, he will calm passes down once his nerves do .. a prospect worth keeping an eye on. Stats: (6-0-2-2), minus-1, 4 PIM.