WHL: Barker-ville

A healthy Cam Barker will do wonders for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championships and we have thoughts on his progress this season. We also look at Medicine Hat's Darren Helm, Brennan Bosch and Jordan Bendfeld.

Cam Barker (Chi), D

Simply a man among boys .. paired with Gord Baldwin on the top pairing .. just picks opposing defenses apart on the power play with masterful confidence on the puck .. keeps his slap shot low and hard and has a knack for finding open shooting lanes .. scored a beauty on the PP when he received a pass alone on the blueline, moved in quickly and fired a nifty wrister into the top corner .. leads rushes and can take the puck end to end with effortless, smooth skating skills and nifty deke moves .. changes directions on a dime .. pressures attacking forwards extremely well on defense but loses his cool at times; once retaliated and cross checked Mark Olafson to the ice with two man down already .. clears the net very well .. we would like to see more consistent energy from him on all shifts, but he is admittedly too good for junior right now .. will be a star if he maintains focus.

Darren Helm (Det), LW

Speedy forward never says die .. frustrates opposing defenders by always moving his feet and driving to the net; drew a penalty late in a game where he took the puck and raced full throttle to the net, drawing a penalty .. mainstay on the power play .. uses his speed effectively on the forecheck, penetrating open areas with relentless hustle .. needs to add more lower body strength as he is at times muscled off the puck rather easily .. regularly gets his frame involved in traffic and at open ice .. soft hands around the net but will be a stronger threat around the goal area once he bulks up.

Brennan Bosch (2006), C

Third line energizer plays with Scott Wasden and Matt Sokol .. lots of hustle, nice saucer passes .. regularly utilized on the pk where he fearlessly threw his body around and blocked shots .. finishes checks; lots of sandpaper .. a relentless forechecker.

Jordan Bendfeld (2006), D

Plays a lot despite a mostly veteran-laden defensive core .. pk regular with David Schlemko .. effective crease clearer .. good speed and shows the ability to carry the puck and make a good outlet pass .. sometimes runs around a bit on the PK, such as when he left his man alone in front of the net, resulting in a goal .. nice job moving his feet defending guys one-on-one and forcing them to the outside.