Scouts Corner

Here are random comments from our scouting staff on the progress of other draft eligibles (listed alphabetically by player):

Jason Bailey (NTDP) .. "Some pieces are coming together, he's starting to do something with the turnovers he creates. Early in the year, he'd steal the puck or win a battle but would just lose steam. Ultra-aggressive and can really motor - and he's now moving his feet much better and showing more control of his nerves and emotions. Cooler, smarter and taking fewer bad penalties."

Cody Bass (Mississauga) .. "He could go in round two if a team is really enthused with his work ethic and enthusiasm but more and more questions are raised about his hands and lack of finish. He's a bit fumbly with the puck and does not get far with it. I love the defense and bullishness but I wish there was more to him."

Nicklas Bergfors (Sodertalje) .. "Not a dynamic straightaway threat - he's more the slippery kind. Very effective on his feet and consistently wins puck battles on the strength of his tremendous hands and work ethic. His ability to create space for himself is reminicent of a young Pat Verbeek. He takes advantage of his low centre of gravity and looks to be filling out nicely."

Jared Boll (Lincoln) .. "Huge improvement from last year. Leads the league in penalty minutes and is right up there in scoring as well. He resembles Joey Kocur a bit in that he's a gritty, intense worker and not afraid to fight larger players. He's got some skills too. His patience and toughness on the puck buys space for his linemates. Part enforcer, part power-forward if he can continue to upgrade his foot speed.

Bobby Bolt (Kingston) .. "Definitely under the radar. Big kid, great pro frame, skates well, predictably raw but can score the garbage goal. His shot has good power behind it, which is intriguing."

Luc Bourdon (Val d'Or) .. "His mental game has not progressed well which is why we have seen his stock falling consistently this season. Puck skills are questionable, especially his protection skills. At the Top Prospects game, he got stripped off the puck numerous times. I also question his vision - oftentimes he'll just launch the puck up the ice without fully sizing up the situation."

Gilbert Brule (Vancouver) .. "He needed a great Top Prospects to bolster his stock and, boy, did he ever show up. After he fell at the skating competition the day before, people were ready to tear him apart. He still at times tries to do too much which often makes him look selfish but that's just a sign of his age. His hands are magnificent and his hand-eye coordination is uncanny."

Johan Dahlberg (MoDo).. "Reminds me of Andreas Jamtin - a really tough guy amongst the Swedish class. Same style - decent offensive skills, loves to agitate and take the body. Really finishes his checks and his hands aren't bad at all. His limitation is his playmaking - doesn't have good vision."

Stephen Duffy (St. Michael's) .. "Nice combination of size and offensive potential. He is strong enough to compete against higher levels of competition but does not look like he is going to develop into a bruiser. He has some intriguing qualities, but the draft stock this year is deep so he appears to be at best a late-round possibility."

Michael Frolik (Kladno) .. "His quick, skilled feet and low centre of gravity allowed him to create on the rush. His lower body strength is impressive for his age and his hands are soft as silk. He's right there with Kessel for the 2006 class and is younger."

Niklas Hjalmarsson (HV 71) .. "Not only is he overrated he is also over-measured. He's been listed as tall as 6-foot-4, but should be around 6-1 or, at most, 6-2. Looks like a kid every time I see him play and does not have the maturity I would expect from a player who would go in the top three rounds. His strength is average, he doesn't impress me on the power play - passing game is often sloppy and his shot underwhelming. He definitely has a creative side but he's got a ways to go."

Jesse Joensuu (Assat) .. "This guy is not in the Kessel-Frolik territory but he is physically mature, kind of like Lauri Tukonen was. There is a lot to like here - he has a big, spacious body, a powerful stride and he drives the net. Once he completely undressed a defender with his big reach. If he matures properly he will be a physical force though he doesn't have tremendous hands and an elite separation gear."

Blair Jones (Red Deer) .. "I like the package - the way he is built and the way he moves. He plays with a very confident playmaking approach and is quick and elusive for his size. His problems are mainly his ineptness physically as well as his finish - but he's getting better. However he still does not finish enough checks. Needs a bit more urgency, but nonetheless is an impressive looking prospect."

Sebastian Karlsson (Vastra Frolunda) .. "Did everything to impress at the WJC. He really got himself involved in battles and won a fair share of them. His skating is very good but he still needs to bulk up and add more explosiveness to his first few strides. Will be a key player for Sweden at next year's tournament."

Phil Kessel (NTDP) .. "Dynamic end-to-end talent. Has quick feet, a powerful stride, great quickness. Outstanding dangle and electrifying puck skills. At full throttle he flies kind of the way Kovalchuk did in his first World Junior tournament and his shot can thread a needle."

Geoff Killing (Belleville) .. "This kid has been logging some ungodly minutes, approaching 40 in some games, lately. Decent skater with some size, though absolutely no presence on offense. The problem is that he is not aggressive; he can tie up his man and quietly get the job done, but he shows no jam."

Dustin Kohn (Calgary) .. "Very aggressive; loves to take the body and with some mustard too. He needs to keep better focus on the puck and his defensive duties though - he is a bit of a riverboat gambler and must learn to be more selective and continue to develop his poise. His first couple of steps and his recovery powers are superb."

Janne Kolehmainen (SaiPa) .. "Not a very good shooter, although this is a common flaw among Finnish juniors. He needs to work on that but you can't teach size - he's got it and he gets it involved. I like his speed but he needs to hone it - learn how to use it. Otherwise he's tall and wide and creates space impressively. This kid is a wildcard - he's moved around a lot - U16, U18, U20 and the SM-Liiga in the past four years - so hasn't had time to establish himself at any level."

Brian Lee (Moorhead) .. "Why was he selected for the American roster ahead of Jack Johnson or Matt Lashoff? It's completely befuddling - he looked like a lost deer out there, as little as he did play. Lee is an outstanding prospect but clearly was ill-prepared having never played against elite competition like this before."

Jakub Lev (Kolin) .. "Would benefit from a stable playing spot on a team. His loan to Division II club Kolin ended in early December and since he hasn't seen any action. Pavelec is the deserving starter on Kladno junior and Lev was only practising with Kladno senior. Lev turned out to be one of the better goalies in the Div II league but lack of playing time could be hurting him."

Mikko Lehtonen (Espoo) .. "I have some doubts as to how seamlessly Lehtonen can adapt to faster paced hockey. He has performed very admirably at junior-level pace but this is where a lot of time and space is available to him. He needs to gain more overall strength and make quicker decisions with the puck. He should adjust to the pro game, but he has a lot of work to do."

Jean-Philippe Levasseur (Rouyn-Noranda) .. "His five-hole has let him down a few times this season and cut into his playing time. I also think that his stick side is a bit wild out there, and therefore he is not as square nor as airtight as he should be when making a save."

Tomas Magusin (Zlin) .. "His team unloaded some vets which increased his icetime and also helped to improve his composure. Before January, he was constantly benched when Zlin were facing quality opponents. He is coordinating his body much better, especially his turns but is still very lanky and must add muscle."

Kenndal McArdle (Moose Jaw) .. "Got everyone excited at the Top Prospects game and for good reason - this guy works his butt off and he won't rest as long as he is playing the game. Strong hitter, loves traffic areas, has quick feet and is consistently Johnny-on-the-spot around the net. What he still needs to do is get stronger on the puck and improve his balance a bit."

Matt Niskanen (Virginia-MIB) .. "Haven't seen this kind of talent around here since Gino Guyer. He has all the skills and is a right-hander to boot. Smart, an excellent skater, very physical, and works out like a fanatic in the gym. I see him filling out to 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. The only question is how smoothly he'll adapt to the disciplined collegiate game as his high school team plays a such a shotgun firewagon style."

Ryan O'Marra (Erie) .. "Looks like a better version of Chris Gratton at times. Excellent shooter, quick, tough to knock off the puck and he goes out there and hits guys. His puck skills are underrated too. He can beat guys at top speed and I love his leadership and take-charge style."

Ryan Parent (Guelph) .. "Very serviceable with the puck. The feed he made to Drazenovic for the Brule goal was a beauty and is an indication that he has some vision and decision-making skills to complement his strong defensive tool-set."

Ondrej Pavelec (Kladno) .. "For a rookie backstopping the youngest team in the junior Extraleague, his poise has been impressive. Had some off-games in January after busting out but has still been consistent. Kladno are very offensive-minded, so he's counted on to make game-saving stops night in and night out which he does frequently in spectacular fashion. He is still vulnerable to shots going five-hole though."

Jordan Pearce (Lincoln) .. "Gets way too aggressive. Has a temper and can get rattled, which affect his game and his team. Must learn to regulate himself whenever he gets run or smothered and needs to be a tad more subtle at times when clearing the crease. Reminds me of Turco in some ways. He's cat-like quick in all his movements and gets around the crease like a jack-rabbit."

Tomas Pospisil (Trinec) .. "His play dropped off upon his return to junior. He refused to show up defensively in numerous games and was invisible in traffic. Needs to show that intensity and determination that first got him the pro call-up."

Carey Price (Tri-City) .. "Thick goalie with terrific balance. He has been the most polished of all the goalies for this draft. He is in excellent control of his body; economical and poised."

Wacey Rabbit (Saskatoon) .. "Great skater, great name but he won't get drafted that early. He's chippy yet small and mostly inept defensively. Teams will more likely opt for a bigger package like a Blair Jones or a Riley Merkeley before him."

Tuukka Rask (Ilves Tampere) .. "Forget Finland's quarter-final exit at the World Juniors - this guy has solidified his top-10 ranking. His composure, quickness and especially rebound control are high-points. Very economical and balanced in his approach, but at times tired later into games. Some shades of Kari Lehtonen here."

David Rautio (Lulea) .. "Probably should not have been the one to play in the semi-final against the US (at the WJC) as he is not nearly as gifted as Heino-Lindberg, but his team still left him out to dry. He plants himself very well and stands very square to the shooter. However I didn't see tremendous quickness and long rebounds were a bit of an issue."

Daniel Ryder (Peterborough) .. "Has really progressed and is starting to take on some of his older brother's traits. He looks stronger and thicker; bullish and aggressive at both ends of the ice. He's not a fast skater nor is he big, but definitely looks like he has the makings of a well-rounded pro."

Vladimir Sobotka (Slavia Praha) .. "Pound-for-pound he may be the best Czech for the draft, but lack of size hurts him somewhat. What I like about him is that he doesn't get intimidated and involves himself with his frame in traffic, creating scoring chances for his wingers."

Devin Setoguchi (Saskatoon) .. "Could wind up to be a top ten pick at the draft the way things are going right now. His strong lower body and puck protection skills are outstanding for his age. He decimates guys with strong hits on the forecheck, he is almost impossible to knock off the puck and he always keeps his feet moving. Tenacious, fast and a good in-close finisher."

Kirill Starkov (Vastra Frolunda) .. "If you asked me a couple of months ago, I would have said that Morten Madsen is the better player but I must say things have changed. Starkov is quicker and seems to be stronger mentally. Madsen is the better playmaker, but Starkov is developing better working habits than what he has shown in the past and that is driving his stock up."

Andrew Thomas (Denver) .. "Another guy with pluses and minuses. He can catch your eye with the odd brilliant defensive play, but usually spoils it by doing something stupid. One of his best attributes may be his ability to hook, slash or crosscheck a player out of the referee's view. If there were two referees in college hockey, his penalty minutes might be doubled."

Julian Walker (Bern) .. "Physically, he stood out for the Swiss at the World Juniors. He is nasty - he even slashed a Czech player during the warm-up just out of pure meanness. Unfortunately he'll tend to be invisible for much of game action until he rocks someone with a big-time check. He needs to get quicker and he did not show me much offensively."

Justin Wallingford (Kingston) .. "Was once considered a good prospect for the draft and is now almost off the radar. He's huge but very awkward, like a big bear on skates. On one play, he went in to play the puck and just fell... without anyone around. But you can't teach size, as the saying goes."

Ryan Wilson (Toronto) .. "He is a tough one to figure out sometimes. He is developing into a truly solid junior rearguard but his range is limited and his effort has been down in recent viewings. I saw him have a wide open shot from the point but instead of letting it go as he's capable of, he just feathered a weak wrister with no chance of a tip. A guy like this needs to work his butt off to have a chance to go on day one."

Marek Zagrapan (Chicoutimi) .. "Awfully slick and graceful kind of like Jean Beliveau was. Silky smooth in a way that sometimes it seems as if he is not really trying, but in reality his skills and economical stride make all of his movements seem effortless. The puck follows him around and he is always at the right place at the right time. Very high on most NHL radars, though he still doesn't play to his utmost potential every night."