WHL [Apr-06]: Boy Oh Boychuk

Boy oh Boychuk (posted 4.26.06)

by Ron Jones

Zach Boychuk (2008), C, Lethbridge

At 16 the speedy little winger is already one of the core players on the Hurricanes .. comes back hard to help on defense .. gets a splendid jump off of his first few steps .. when he uses his speed and quick stick he can create turnovers on the backcheck .. has a nice bounce to his step .. at his best when he's playing with energy .. although on the small side, Boychuk can take a hit and bounces back up quickly .. has time to add some beef .. displays excellent puck pursuit and his tenaciousness leads to turnovers or at the very least early passes .. closes down passing lanes using his splendid mobility .. saw some time on the powerplay .. not hesitant to drive to the net .. his overall skating ability and determination can back off defenders .. is an early favourite to be first rounder in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

(64gp, 18-33-51)

Dwight King (2007), LW, Lethbridge

Big, young pivot is kind of all over the place especially in his defensive coverage .. must be careful about getting caught out on the ice on extended shifts .. needs to play with more determination without the puck .. boasts a splendid wingspan, but needs to improve his mobility to help him closing passing lanes .. picks up the trailing forward .. rarely makes his check pay a physical price .. looked comfortable in the face-off circle .. wasn't a regular on the PK, but didn't look out of place killing penalties when called upon .. displays glimpses of becoming a power forwards once he gains some experience. (68gp, 8-8-16)

Justin Leclerc (2007), G,Lethbridge

In 34 regular season games he won 10, lost 12, he also had a poor 3.32 GAA and 0.896 Sv% .. at times has trouble controlling his rebound .. has good leg speed .. does a decent job getting quickly across the net .. already has nice size, just has to make sure he stays square to the shooter .. has a nice ability to extend his legs to take away the far corner .. usually directs his rebounds out of harm's way .. boasts the proper amount of aggressiveness when he's on his game and will come well out to challenge the shooter .. displays a lot of poise for his age and doesn't shy away from making stops in traffic.

At The Helm (posted 4.16.06)

by Ron Jones

Kris Russell (CBJ), D, Medicine Hat

Speedy, third-year blueliner displays splendid wheels and puck moving skills .. has the ability to overcome his visible physical limitations in the defensive zone by using his mobility and acceleration to keep position on the puckcarrier .. wears the C for the Tigers .. likes to try and use finesse defensively and use his stick and smarts instead of the body .. needs to be better on his one-on-one coverage .. is generally ineffective playing the body, yet will the odd hit .. plays on both special teams .. definitely is the second banana on the backend to Cam Barker .. his value has risen thanks to the "new" rules in the NHL and there is more than one scout that has commented that he would have been drafted earlier if the teams had known that the game was going away from the clutch and grab. (55gp, 14-33-47)

Darren Helm (Det), LW, Medicine Hat

Stood out in the Red Wings' camp .. has speed to burn and uses it to close the gaps quickly on the forecheck .. kind of a tweener whose game translated to being a third or fourth-liner at the next level in the old NHL, but thanks to the new rules he might have second line upside .. not a fighter, yet will stand up for himself in a scrum and doesn't shy away from traffic .. plays on both powerplay and penalty-kill. (70gp, 41-38-79)

Cam Barker (Chi, D, Medicine Hat

Played the right side partnered with Gord Baldwin .. isn't wearing a letter this season as he was up in the NHL during the preseason and came back late .. almost appears to be bored by the level of play with little to prove in junior .. pro-level skater that uses his strength and mobility to tattoo puckcarriers along the boards .. terrific hand-eye coordination .. is a mainstay on both special teams .. is a can't miss blue-chipper in the NHL. (26gp, 5-13-18)

Greenan Melts Ice (posted 4.12.06)

by Patrick King

Chad Greenan (2006), D, Kootenay

Thanks to a late birth date he has really got a chance to step up in his draft year .. missed most of last season due to a few injuries .. played in all situations and easily surpassed the 30-minute mark .. plays the left point on the power-play .. put up decent numbers this season due to good vision of the ice .. often makes the safe passes rather than trying to force something .. outlet passes are always hard, crisp and accurate .. has an surprising shot which he underutilized; unleashed a one-time howitzer on the PP late in the game that went low to the far side .. is a defensive stalwart .. stayed with man on a one-on-one, foiling a scoring chance .. defensive awareness is top notch as his head is constantly on a swivel, aware of where everyone is on the ice at all times .. uses an active stick on the PK to close down passing lanes .. likes mucking it up in the corners but is anything but a dirty player .. can dish out some bone-crushing hits, yet does not get out of position to make a hit .. despite excessive ice time, did not lose steam late in the game .. doesn't receive a lot of attention in large part due to some of the other draft eligible's on the Ice, but deserves a lot more recognition .. is this year's super sleeper pick from the WHL. (66gp, 4-29-33)

Kris Lazaruk (2006), G, Kootenay

Has some of the quickest feet in the business and relies heavily on his reflexes .. can at times be too aggressive versus the shooter, making him susceptible to cross-crease feeds .. on one play, came too far out leaving a lot of the far side open for the shot .. has lightning quick feet which allow him to move well laterally .. made a beauty save on a cross-crease pass when he darted over and stopped it with the top of his pad .. made a nice save on a breakaway when the forward tried deking; stayed with him every step due to exceptional foot speed .. has a tendency to go down early, leaving the top portion of the net open .. swallows high shots off his chest into his glove .. still needs to control his rebounds on low shots as he put far too many back into the slot .. also has a tendency to sit back in his net when there's a lot of traffic in front .. while he has a lot to work on, he has some upside if he can improve his rebound control and his positioning, he could be a very good goaltender at the next level .. his foot speed is something that can't be taught .. well worth taking in the early-to-middle rounds. (31gp, 15-8-1, GAA 2.55, Sv% 0.912)

Ben Maxwell (2006), C, Kootenay

Is an absolute wizard with the puck on his stick .. has elite stickhandling abilities and loves carrying the puck up ice .. has strong vision of the offensive zone .. plays the left point on the powerplay, although is sometimes prone to a few miscues since it's not his natural position .. has very strong anticipation skills, often looking to intercept passes in the neutral zone .. very opportunistic .. will shoot the puck from any angle and drive to the net looking for a rebound .. isn't afraid of standing in front of the net, but isn't very effective as he's easily pushed out of the way .. is a very strong skater; has good speed and great acceleration .. it's unclear as to how his skills will translate to the next level as a lot of his game is based on taking advantage of other's mistakes. (69gp, 28-32-60)

Andrew Bailey (2006), RW, Kootenay

Is very defensive conscious and is usually the first forward to stay back when a defenseman goes up pinching in on a play .. goes to the front of his net when a defender leaves his position to pressure opposing forwards in the corners .. defensive awareness is top notch .. has very strong positioning in all three zones .. doesn't provide a lot of offence, but still works diligently in the offensive zone .. scored a goal when he pounced on a rebound and fired it top corner .. plays with a strong team-first mentality .. despite lack of offence, may get consideration for the late rounds due to his strong defensive awareness. (72gp, 10-15-25)

Paying The Price (posted 4.11.06)

by Patrick King

Carey Price (Mtl), G, Tri-City

The first thing you notice with Price is his unwavering love to play the puck .. knocks down dump-ins behind the net and either leaves them for his defenseman or clears them himself .. is very strong when taking the bottom half of the net away; stands in a crouched position and often relies on the butterfly .. can, at times, be too aggressive to a shooter, going down early and leaving space up top .. rebound control is strong, deflects a lot of them into the corners .. moves well laterally, often sliding across the crease on his knees in the butterfly position .. sees the puck well through screens .. while he is quick, he is often times overly aggressive in anticipation of a shot, making him susceptible to a deke .. allowed a goal on both breakaways he faced as on each the forward scored on a deke. (55gp, 21-25-3, GAA 2.87, Sv% 0.906)

Logan Stephenson (Phx), D, Tri-City

Plays on the edge at all times .. received a penalty 16 seconds into the game when he gave a forward an extra cross check at the blue line .. is an absolute pitbull in his own zone, throwing his weight around every chance he gets .. is a true instigator, constantly getting under the skin of his opponents .. isn't opposed to using his stick as a weapon .. plays in all situations .. made a smart play while on the penalty-kill when he skated back into his zone, then fired it the length of the ice to kill time .. has developed an offensive side to his game this season .. a regular on the point on the powerplay .. very poised and comfortable with the puck on his stick .. has the patience to wait out a diving forward and get around them to feed forwards down low .. displayed an accurate slapshot from the point .. still needs to work on his passes as at times they can be knee height .. has good potential as a bruising stay-at-home defenseman at the next level. (71gp, 10-43-53)

Taylor Procyshen (2006), RW, Tri-City

A very reliable and smart defensive-oriented forward .. always comes back hard and plays with a lot of hustle on every shift .. rewarded with some time on the pk where he did not look out of place .. uses an active stick on the pk, always shutting down passing lanes .. very strong with his positioning as he always knows where he has to be on the ice .. extremely fast skater and is always moving his feet .. a constant forechecker always putting pressure on the puckcarrier .. not afraid of getting his nose dirty by going into the corners or standing in front of the net .. did not display a lot of offensive upside .. was robbed on a rebound when he failed to raise the puck over the goalie's diving glove .. earns good marks for his constant hustle and could earn consideration for the late rounds in the draft. (68gp, 11-12-23)

Moose-Head Brouwer (posted 4.10.06)

by Patrick King

Troy Brouwer (Chi), RW, Moose Jaw

First-year captain's enjoyed a breakout in his final season in the WHL, lead the league in points with 102 (49-53-102) in 72 games .. plays on the second line with Blair Jones and Riley Holzapfel .. often gets double-shifted with the fourth line .. plays in all situations, including on the first powerplay and penalty-killing units .. not the fastest skater, but knows where to be on the ice; positioning is his forte .. has tremendous vision and stickhandling abilities .. receives space in the offensive zone because opposing players respect his stickhandling .. a constant threat in the offensive zone .. has a wicked wrist shot .. scored a goal late in the game when he walked out from the corner and fired a wrist shot top corner on the short side .. very responsible defensively; kills time on the pk when he gets possession of the puck .. displayed a willingness to play physically and can lay out even an experienced defender with a crushing hit along the boards .. needs to add lower-body strength as he is prone to getting knocked around .. seemed to lose steam late in the game, however that's most likely due to excessive ice time.

Bjorn Svensson (FA), RW, Moose Jaw

The move to Moose Jaw has been a positive one for Svensson as he chipped in with 55 points (62gp, 17-38-55) .. played on the top line with Kenndal McArdle and Dustin Boyd .. displays tremendous speed and acceleration .. first few steps are sometimes choppy, but reaches full gear in five to six strides .. creates chances when he uses his blazing speed off the rush .. almost split the D on one such play .. constantly buzzing in the offensive zone, putting a lot of pressure on the defense with a strong forechecking style .. created a giveaway at his blueline due to his strong forechecking .. has an underrated shot; surprised the goalie when he took a quick slapshot after crossing the blue line, ringing it off the post .. also saw some time killing penalties .. is a strong backchecker, however seemed to lose steam late in the game as he wasn't hustling as hard.

Riley Holzapfel (2006), C/W, Moose Jaw

Listed as a center but plays more often on the wing .. in recent viewings has shown more willingness to come back defensively, however is still largely ineffective in his own zone .. on one play, came back but allowed his man to go in close, almost resulting in a goal .. is still noticeably disinterested in playing defense .. has developed more of a physical game as the season has worn on .. set up the game winning goal when he created a turnover off a check, then passed to Jones in the slot .. has good vision of the offensive zone and is smart with his positioning .. a strong stickhandler but sometimes too confident in his abilities .. has a tendency to lose the puck when he fails to shield it from the opposition, thinking he can go around them .. very much a one-dimensional player. (64gp, 19-38-57)

Travis Ehrhardt (2007), D, Moose Jaw

Played in his first full season in the WHL as he suited up in only two contests last season .. paired with Cole Simpson .. is a confident puck-rushing defenseman .. displayed tremendous poise with the puck on his stick, often making the smart outlet passes .. does not hesitate to jump in the rush and has a keen instinct when to move in for a scoring chance .. sometimes showed too much willingness to jump in the rush as he got caught early in the game, leading to a 2-on-1 .. has good defensive awareness for his age .. uses his size to angle oncoming forwards to the outside .. very aggressive in his own zone and at times is prone to chasing the puck .. relied on with some time on the pk .. didn't display a lot of physicality .. is a gem to keep an eye on for the 2007 draft. (45gp, 1-10-11)

Pyett Of The Pats (posted 4.3.06)

by Dave Fortier

Logan Pyett (2006), D, Regina

Top speed is slightly above average, doesn't possess gap closing speed, however is capable of being competitive in majority of races for puck .. First step is quick in all areas and he accelerates well into his top speed which can catch teams in transition off guard .. Moves well laterally, good agility and quick feet around the goal .. Intelligent with puck majority of time .. Confident in his ability to skate to avoid trouble, able to make quick, intelligent decisions on the move when facing pressure .. Sees ice well on power play, picks up plays developing around goal, shows good potential as a future power play contributor with decisions .. Quick release on both wrist and slap shots, able to release both shots while skating .. Shot has adequate power behind it, isn't going to blow it by anyone consistently but will be capable of providing a solid hard shot on a Professional power play .. Needs work on positioning .. Overly aggressive offensive positioning leads to him having to chase often on fast paced rushes the other way .. Has tendency to attempt hits at poor times which lead to him being drawn well out of position .. Instincts in his own end are good with puck, when gains control will either hit an outlet the other way or bank it smartly off glass.

Craig Schira (2006), D, Regina

Top speed is above average, capable of keeping up with quick paced rush and pressuring opponents when he decides to skate with puck .. First step is quick, accelerates well into his top speed .. Agility and laterally movement are adequate, capable of keeping up with quick shifty players around the goal .. Is well balanced and low to the ice when skating .. Intelligent with puck in all areas .. Smart under pressure, confident in his ability to skate in order to avoid trouble .. Sees ice well from own end, long range threat with outlet passes .. Offensive instincts are not great however is capable of making intelligent passes from point which keep plays alive .. Shot has good power behind it .. Isn't extremely accurate from long range .. Release on slap shot is quick .. Wrist shot is quite accurate and has adequate power behind it, capable of getting it off while skating full stride .. Handles puck well through traffic, while skating or making a change in direction .. Capable of solid open ice hits .. Uses balance and low center of gravity well battling in front of net and along boards .. Consistent physical presence in own zone .. Plays effective positional game, very steady, not easy to get chasing around recklessly .. Skating ability allows him solid body positioning if time isn't right for contact.

Justin Bernhardt (2006), C/RW, Regina

Skating is not his strongest area .. Top speed below average, 1st step is slow as is his acceleration into his top speed .. Lack of skating skills causes problems for him in races for puck .. Agility could use improvement, isn't quick changing directions .. Sees ice well, able to create plays from his full speed and through traffic .. Playmaking ability is very good, able to make advanced tape to tape passes which often catch opposition off guard .. Pass has adequate power behind it, is accurate majority of time, release on pass is adequate, able to get it off quickly without a lot of space .. Accurate with wrist shot from in close, makes him a dangerous player near the goal .. Shot power is average on both slap and wrist shot .. Improved balance would help him handling puck along walls, stick skills are there, however can be easily knocked around .. Doesn't skate overly hard after pucks, majority of digging is done by teammates, however with his skating skills going overly hard would leave him out of position a lot of the time .. Solid physical presence, plays body when battling in corners, sticks up for himself and is a consistent participant in scrums after whistle .. Could develop into a solid player going forward however will have to improve skating skills.