WHL: Cougars on the Prowl

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman has notes on several Prince George Cougars eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry draft including: Justin Maylan, Corey Tyrell, Ryan Kowalski and Art Bidlevski.

Justin Maylan (2009), C, Prince George Cougars

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound pivot has got off to a slow start in this his draft year .. no question that this kid has talent but he has to bring his game to the rink every night and show his peers that he can be consistent .. a very good skater with a long stride and utilizes his speed to his advantage .. has good hands and has the ability to put up big numbers in this league .. he has a decent shot but it can be better with more control, work, and accuracy .. must go to the dirty areas and be more aggressive in scrums to come out with the puck on a more regular basis .. displays good vision and hockey sense but must put on more weight to catch up with his frame .. Maylan came over in a trade last season with the Moose jaw Warriors in exchange for overage d-man Ty Wishart - a San Jose Sharks draft pick - so big things are expected of him.

Corey Tyrell (2009), C, Prince George Cougars

Blessed with great speed and agility, Tyrell has been working hard but the results do not end up on the scoresheet ... 5-foot-10 little brother of Dana Tyrell (a draft choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning) is also back for his final season with the Cougars .. Tyrell is a strong two-way forward who can give you 15-20 goals a season and can be one of your top checkers and shutdown guys .. has a good work ethic and goes to the net looking for tip-ins .. a weakness in his game is that he does not anticipate plays as well as he should, as he needs to work harder at understanding where plays are going to develop so he is not caught out of position.

Ryan Kowalski (2009), RW, Prince George Cougars

Kowalski needs to improve his foot speed and skating as its barely adequate for the WHL ... has decent size (6-0, 196) and plays with toughness .. he's not afraid to mix it up and adds that intangible to the Cougars lineup .. a good passer that looks to his linemates often .. must work on the accuracy of his shot because he often hurries it and it can be very erratic and off target .. is tough to knock off the puck along the wall and battles well .. demonstrates a willingness to work hard and grind things out .. brings good intangibles to the rink but must improve his skating over the course of the season.

Art Bidlevskii (2009), D, Prince George Cougars

This kid has good size (6-0, 198), plays tough and is physical .. he must work better at his play away from the puck, as he is often caught out of position leaving his defense partner to deal with too many odd-man rush situations .. his outlet passes from his own zone also need improving, as they are inconsistent .. an average skater .. he punishes opponents along the boards with hard, solid bodychecks .. battles hard in front of the net and doesn't give up position easily in front of the crease .. likes to jump into the offense from the point but still displays immaturity with his decisions as to when to join the attack or pinch in from the point.