QMJHL: Bourdon Lucs Great

Vancouver Canucks tenth overall selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft Luc Bourdon is beginning to look quite good right about now. After earning top notch marks at the pro camp he is back for another season of junior seasoning and we have the details on his progress. Also read on for notes on the struggling James Sheppard.

Luc Bourdon (Van), D, Val d'Or

On a verge of a breakthrough season in the Q after making a strong case for NHL duty at the Canucks camp .. returned to action after missing one game due to a minor hip flexor problem .. displaying excellent offensive instincts and the best poise of his young career .. smooth, fluid skater with top notch mobility and agility .. stronger in all parts of his body, using his balance and might to rule in the crease, eliminating opposing forwards out of play effectively .. battles impressively along the boards and emerges with pucks consistently .. hits guys and rubs it in with a bit of extra jam for good measure; he makes them hurt .. always aggressive with his body and willing to drop the gloves .. effectively comes out of his own end to make the outlet feed or take it past centre ice himself .. timely at joining the rush, and is able to retreat quickly when necessary .. very good at using his body to protect the puck and does an admirable job at keeping it in the offensive end .. hard, accurate slap shot .. already a leader out there.

Kristopher Letang (Pit), D, Val d'Or

Poised, calm defender is a calming force .. smooth skater accelerates very well .. consistent effort in each and every game .. thinks offense but does not overexert himself in that regard .. nice first pass, won't hesitate to join the rush but isn't overly gung ho .. everything is very crisp and tape-to-tape when he orchestrates from the point .. pretty polished positionally, though does not offer a lot of physical qualities .. uses his stick effectively and exhibits impressive anticipation skills .. finishes checks.

Sebastien Bisaillon (FA), D, Val d'Or

Reliable rearguard can do all little things well .. mostly stay-at-home but has underrated skill with the puck .. above-average skater with nice agility .. strong lower body but isn't overpowering man-on-man .. ties up his man well in front of the net .. quick stick breaks up plays impressively .. gets his thick frame involved to bang and crash along the boards .. low, accurate point shot.

Peter-James Corsi (2006), C, Val d'Or

Interesting two-way centre with speed .. impressive balance and very good acceleration .. skilled hands, impresses with hockey hands and shows good work ethic .. small guy but shows grit and attitude .. drives hard to the net .. quick stick, first step get him a lot of loose pucks although he doesn't show great imagination .. he's a battler but still needs to fill out.

James Sheppard (2006), LW, Cape Breton

Has battled a shoulder problem early this season, which explains his slow start (11gp, 2-6-8) .. must still work on being more consistently physical but shows flashes of power forward potential .. strong, well-balanced skater is tough to knock off his skates .. shows impressive flash-and-dash as he'll drive to the net and then do something surprising to completely throw off a defender; skillful, crisp feeds through traffic or a nifty inside-out move .. never predictable .. accurate wrist shot with a quick release .. competitive and has a keen eye for the developing play .. shows a lot of elegance to add to his size and strength .. very effective battling in the corners due to his strong arms and quick stick .. does not back down.