USHL: West Division All-Star Prospects

Although the West Division lost the USHL Prospects/All-Star game 6-5 in a shootout, there was no shortage of notable performances. In part two of a two-part series, McKeen's correspondent Max Giese features All-Stars from the West Division, including NHL draft picks Andrew Conboy, Jake Hansen and Jason Gregoire, who all had impressive showings.

Josh Robinson (2008), G, Sioux City Musketeers

Supremely athletic butterfly goaltender with powerful legs .. displays crisp footwork along with very fluid and strong lateral movement from both his stance and butterfly .. flexible with the ability to extend his limbs to rob the opposition with the outstretched save .. utilizes his impressive dexterity to recover instantly from his butterfly back to his stance in one swift movement .. has good net coverage because he plays on the top of his crease and maintains a compact butterfly with his shoulders upright and square to the puck .. needs to be more patient with the shooter, as often his first move is down leaving him prone to some soft goals if the shooter can get the puck high in tight .. struggled reading the play, playing the puck, and his inability to anticipate the developing play left his hockey sense at this event very worrisome .. very serious about his work habits and he may end up being the first goaltender drafted out of the USHL this season because of his pure athleticism.

Austin Handley (2008), D, Des Moines Buccaneers

Solid multi-purpose defenseman that is a reliable and steadying presence on the backend despite his lack of flash .. a fairly imposing one-on-one defender that was one of the more physical players at this event displaying his sound defensive play .. mechanically sound skater that moves with fluidity in all of his movements although he will need to become a step quicker to hold his own at the next level, as currently he can struggle to defend forwards with speed coming down the wing .. not a skilled puck-moving defenseman that is going to generate offense from the backend, however he does see the ice well enough and has the touch to make sure the play never dies on his stick .. a leader that is reliable in the sense that he never commits unforced errors and is well liked by his teammates .. deserves some looks late in the draft but possibly has not developed enough since his impressive underage season to get anyone to bite.

Ross Henry (2008), D, Lincoln Stars

Small but fairly skilled and feisty two-way defenseman that has not developed much since his impressive underage season .. failed to make anything happen at this event, as his stock as a prospect continues to plateau .. crisp skater that does not look out of place when handling the puck on the point .. plays bigger than his listed size, as he is a fierce competitor that is willing to take a hit and more than willing to hit back .. plays an aggressive defensive game that would certainly be more coveted if he were 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds instead of the 5-foot-10, 188-pound player he is .. going to be an impact collegiate defenseman but may ultimately be too small for his style of play to thrive in the NHL.

Jared Festler (2008), LW, Lincoln Stars

Pint-sized but crafty winger with a scoring touch that ultimately lacks speed .. half-court-type-of-offensive threat that lacks the speed in transition, however he effectively lurks in the weeds before pouncing to get his chances around the net .. complementary winger that works well with a playmaking center that can get him the puck in scoring areas to utilize his accurate and quick shot .. despite his modest frame, Festler does venture into traffic where he displays his sturdiness on his feet and the ability to handle the puck well in tight .. you would like to see him generate more offense on his own but he must be in a scoring role to thrive, as his defensive game is filled with holes .. possesses the instincts of a scorer but he's likely to small and slow to be drafted this year.

Steve Quailer (2008), RW, Sioux City Musketeers

Towering offensive winger with a long reach and swift acceleration .. may have separated himself from the rest of second-year-draft-eligible players in the USHL with his strong performance .. gifted skater for a player of his size that hasn't fully physically matured yet, as his gangly frame looks capable of withstanding vast muscle gain over the next few years .. with a great first step and strong acceleration, Quailer is an agile skater for a player of his size that just lacks a commanding top gear .. dangerous in one-on-one situations, as he is blessed with a gigantic reach and supple hands .. patient with the puck almost to a fault, as he likes to hold onto the puck coming down the wing and survey his options before striking with his slick passing game .. has good vision and is a natural playmaker, however you would like to see him drive the net and finish more himself .. not a physical player but he does compete adequately with and away from the puck .. lots of raw athletic ability here to become an interesting project for some team to take on in this year's draft.

Jason Gregoire (NYI), C, Lincoln Stars

Savvy and creative playmaking center that is greasy in traffic, despite his obvious lack of size .. crafty playmaker in traffic areas with exceptional vision, offensive instincts, and in-close puck control .. the type of all-around hockey smart and hockey strong center that makes those around him better .. despite his limited size, he is sturdy on his feet and in the corners .. astute defender that while he is a better skater this year than the last, he remains knock-kneed and lacks a top gear .. you cannot coach a player's hockey sense or how to bring up the play of the players around them, two qualities that Gregoire has in spades .. off to North Dakota next season and will become a key prospect for the Islanders if he improves his skating.

Andrew Conboy (Mtl), RW, Omaha Lancers

Intriguing package of all the physical tools needed to play in the NHL that is just beginning to figure it all out and scratch the surface of how good he can become .. the book on Conboy is that he has all the tools but he picks his spots to use them, but on this night, he was the most aggressive player initiating the most physical contact of anyone, leaving a positive impression on this night .. big kid that is only going to get bigger with impressive finesse and a strong, but stiff stride .. can handle the puck adequately in traffic with his quick hands and good puck protection that create opportunities for him to display his quick and heavy shot .. would be a bona fide prospect if he played like this every night.

Jake Hansen (CBJ), RW, Sioux Falls Musketeers

Highly skilled winger with explosive qualities and the capability to do everything at top speed .. emerged as the top player in the USHL that has already been drafted by absolutely dominating this game in every facet .. dynamic offensive threat that is equally dangerous as a playmaker and finisher .. can break the game open at any time because he skate so well with the puck and he doesn't sit idly on this gift, as he really knows how to use his speed to his advantage .. owns a quick shot and displays the vision to identify the open seams in the opposition's defense before exploiting them with his slick passing game .. much stronger on his feet and in traffic this season, as the improvements he has made to his game are not saved just for when he has the puck .. few players are this good at full-speed a quality that should make him equally dangerous at the higher levels of play.