USHL: Scouting With the Stars

McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several Lincoln Stars including St. Louis Blues prospect Travis Erstad, as well as Jared Festler, Ross Henry, Josh Myers, Taylor Kuypers and Kevin Murdock who are all eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Jared Festler (2008), LW, Lincoln Stars

St. Cloud State recruit is an undersized winger that is crafty and dangerous from the blueline in .. displays quick feet and a good initial burst of speed however, he lacks a gear to gain separation from the opposition and must keep his feet moving .. strong on the puck, as he is strong on his feet and greasy in the traffic .. anticipates and thinks the game well, as he is on the puck a lot .. uses a small stick and possesses soft hands that give him superb in-close puck control and the ability to retain possession while slipping off checks .. dangerous in-close goal scorer with a good sense of timing and poise that compliments his quick release and accuracy to pick corners in tight .. not selfish with the puck and can execute a slick pass in traffic .. not a grinder and is just okay defensively, as he's not a penalty kill guy, although he does support the defense well and will take deep-lying, defensive-zone positions .. will be in the back of scouts' heads late in the draft for his intrinsic offensive touch.

Ross Henry (2008), D, Lincoln Stars

Hard player that is never guilty of committing a soft play with or without the puck .. crisp skater with an excellent first step and quick start-up strides that propel his sharp all-access mobility .. blessed with astonishing leg strength and extraordinary balance, as he can knock much larger opponents off their feet .. fearless and tough, throws his weight around with reckless abandonment .. likes to stand up his man at the blueline however, he can lose defensive positioning chasing a hit .. he is a high risk/high reward hitter that goes looking for the big open-ice hit but can also miss at times and get beat one-on-one .. not a productive offensive defenseman however, he never hurts you with the puck and he can keep the play moving with his hard passes .. likes to jump at times and does a good job getting his quick shot through to the net .. would be a lock to be drafted if he was not so small.

Josh Myers (2008), LW, Lincoln Stars

Spark plug that can make things happen with his great motor and speed .. owns a powerful and long stride for a player of his size that propels him all over the ice .. never quits moving his feet, as he is tireless in puck pursuit and does a fine job disrupting the opposition's breakout with a relentless forecheck .. hard-working player that fights hard through checks and displays adequate grit, although he needs to begin to finish his checks more .. decent offensively, he can finish when he gets his chances and can keep the puck moving with his simple but steady passing game .. not skilled enough to project as a top-line player and will need to improve his defensive game to receive NHL consideration.

Taylor Kuypers (2008), D, Lincoln Stars

Small stay-at-home defenseman with superb mobility and competitiveness .. strong skater with impressive acceleration, backwards mobility, and lateral quickness .. overly hyper and anxious with the puck, as he struggles to make the first pass .. dependable one-on-one defender that maintains a tight gap with his man and he shows no quit while competing against larger opponents that should be able to out-muscle him but they do not .. fearless kid that throws his weight around without hesitation and will sacrifice his body to block a shot .. despite his endearing work ethic and mobility, his size and lack of puck skills hurt his chances of being an NHL prospect.

Kevin Murdock (2008), G, Lincoln Stars

Mankato recruit is a hybrid goaltender with quick reflexes but horrible mechanics .. makes the first save if the shot is from the perimeter and displays quick leg reflexes .. fierce competitor can make some great secondary saves, as he refuses to quit on a play .. moves well laterally but he opens up holes while doing so and tends to swing his stick around while moving side-to-side and in the process, giving the opposition a gaping five-hole .. good skater, although he is awkward moving the puck up the ice .. lacks poise and tends to over commit himself .. wild in the crease and over exerts himself .. loses form after the initial save and resorts to scrambling with frightening regularity .. catches right, usually gets his glove on the shot but has trouble hanging onto the puck and overall his rebound control is poor .. struggles with shots from in tight, as he tends to lose his angle and plays to deep in his crease .. has a long ways to go before he can be considered an NHL prospect.

Travis Erstad (StL), LW, Lincoln Stars

Wisconsin Badger recruit is a talented, gangly kid that can skate and handle the puck .. pretty skater with quick feet and a fluid, long stride that stimulates his ability to accelerate rapidly out of his crossovers .. possesses soft hands and a long reach with impressive lateral quickness making him a dangerous player one-on-one in the open ice, however he tends to over handle the puck and is guilty of turning the puck over in trouble areas such as on his defensive blueline .. needs to keep his feet moving and drive through checks, as he tends to give up on a play too easily .. owns a quick shot that he is a threat to score with coming down the wing at full speed .. his defensive commitment has vastly improved since last season and is now even on the penalty kill .. looks broader in the shoulders and thicker in the legs this season, as he begins to become more physical .. not guilty of floating as much as he once was, although he still picks his spots when he wants to compete .. talented player that needs to utilize his gifts to become an impact player.