WHL: Cougars May Pounce at Draft

Although the Prince George Cougars do not appear to have any blue-chip prospects for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, they do have a few players expected to go in the middle to late rounds. Center Alex Poulter will likely be the first Cougar selected, as McKeen's correspondent has notes on the Prince George hopefuls.

Alex Poulter (2008), C, Prince George Cougars

Many scouts have there eyes on the 6-foot, 187-pound pivot .. a deceptively fast skater that can seemingly kick it up into another gear at any notice and is a great playmaking centerman .. played in all 72 games for the Cougars and put up respectable numbers for a team that is undergoing a rebuilding phase .. his 16 goals and 37 points were good enough for third on team scoring behind veterans Dana Tyrell and Greg Gardner .. plays a strong up-tempo game, as he is very workmanlike and keeps his game simple .. his passes are predominately tape-to-tape, he jumps into the play and has no fear of going for the net looking for tip-ins or rebounds .. he has good hands and has a quick release on his shot with good accuracy .. his play away from the puck is decent, but it could be a tad better after a minus–19 on a bad team that did not make the playoffs .. this kid can play at the next level and will probably go in the third or fourth round of this year's draft.

Parker Stanfield (2008), RW, Prince George Cougars

Not as heralded as his teammate Poulter but this kid has some great offensive skills with upside that scouts have been taking a second look .. the 6-foot, 160-pound winger put up respectable stats this season having scored 14 goals and 23 points in 67 games ..had a minus–28 rating, which is concerning but it is something he will likely improve in the coming season .. Parker has great speed on the rush, finds areas to get open and makes it tough on opposing d-men to keep up with him, as he challenges the defense and looks for the puck .. strong on the puck along the wall and does not shy away from physical battles, but he needs to add some weight to his 160-pound frame .. he played on both the pp and pk, logged major minutes for the Cougars this season, and will be counted on for even more for next season .. defensively, he needs work, especially knowing when to jump into a play or hang back, as this led to some costly errors and explains his minus–28 stat .. has shown enough this season and with his upside, he is a good bet to go in the later rounds of the draft.

Dale Hunt (2008), D, Prince George Cougars

The 6-foot, 197-pound defenseman appeared in 48 games this season and had a respectable 9 goals, 21 points and a minus –22 rating .. foot speed and quickness are a concern, as on many nights he seemed like he was fighting to get back in the play or he was caught up ice .. he needs to be better in his own end and be more aware of opposing players trying to gain position on him down low along the half wall .. has an average shot that needs work and he must keep it lower and on target .. has a good work ethic but he must get meaner and tougher if he is going to survive the rigors of a full season in the WHL .. likely will not be drafted this season, as he has to work on his skating in the off-season and get a little more mentally tough in his approach to the game.

Jan Kupec (2008), C, Prince George Cougars

Injuries led to Kupec appearing in only 32 games for the Cougars this season .. the Czech import is a speedster and can make some nifty moves but is injury prone .. the 5-foot-10, 150-pound pivot needs to embark on a weight training program in the off-season to add a little more muscle to his frame, as it has taken a little bit more time for him to adjust to the North American-style-of game .. he had three goals and five points when he was healthy and was a minus-11 over that time .. he has a good shot with a quick release that sometimes surprises opposing goalies .. defensively, he is still learning to adapt to this style of play in the rough and tough WHL and time and experience will determine whether he can play physical and go into the tight spots for loose pucks .. will likely not be drafted, but he could garner interest from teams in the future when he works on his game and hopefully stays injury free.

Trevor Bauer(2008), D, Prince George Cougars

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound defenseman did not get into many games this year, as he appeared in just 22 and did not record a point .. had an even plus/minus rating .. quickness and foot speed are a concern, as he has to catch up with his size in relation to his skating .. he has to be more physical and pay more attention to his own end .. he has a booming blast from the point but it needs better control .. at times, he takes unnecessary penalties and has to be more defensively sound when playing the body and not take stick-infraction penalties .. he needs to work on many aspects of his game before being considered for the next level.

Ian Curtis (2008), G, Prince George Cougars

Demonstrates a quick glove and likes to challenge shooters, however he needs work on his rebound control .. he has a large frame and covers a lot of the net at 6-foot-5 and 214 pounds .. he appeared in just 19 games this season with a 5-6 record and 1 shootout loss .. he was learning a lot from veteran starter Real Cyr and will likely be the starter next season in Prince George .. he handles the puck well and scouts like that ability in a goalie's repertoire .. he moves well for a big goalie and his lateral movement is very good .. the goalie coach has been working on his recovery time and quickness when down low and stopping multiple-shot scenarios .. he may garner some draft interest for his sheer size alone, but if he happens to be drafted this year, it will probably be in the later rounds.