WHL: Dowzak Paradox

At the start of the year Tysen Dowzak was thought of as a solid bet to be selected reasonably high in the first round. To say he has been a disappointment would be unfair as it often takes bigger players, especially defensemen, a bit more time to master their craft. We have notes on Dowzak as well as Kelowna Rocket' teammates Alexander Edler (Van), Mike Card (Buf) and Luke Schenn (08).

Alexander Edler (Van), D

Listed at 6'4 and just over 205lbs., he obviously has room to add some muscle to his maturing frame as he still needs to improve his strength .. boasts quick feet and like response time allow him to make a speedy transition from defense to offense .. still needs to be aware of making the higher percentage play and not put pucks in to harms' way unnecessarily .. generally moves the puck efficiently out of his zone and figures to become a quality defenseman with a leaning towards the offense .. delivers crisp, tape-to-tape headman passes .. displays nice vision and solid quarterbacking skills on the powerplay .. has splendid acceleration, mobility and overall speed for a big man .. leads the Rockets with a sparkling plus/minus of +18 ..currently away in Sweden getting ready for the World Junior Championships.

Mike Card (Buf), D

The Sabres must be happy with the progression of their 8th round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft as he has become one of the most well-rounded defenders in the WHL .. wears an A .. boasts good one-on-one skills and is extremely solid in his own zone, although isn't overly physical or punishing .. will pinch in when given an opportunity and does own some offensive skills as proven by his 27 points (6-21-27) in 22 games thus far this season .. blessed with a powerful slap shot .. plays quality minutes in every situation and is first unit on both the PK and PP.

Luke Schenn (2008), D

The Kelowna Rockets are bringing along the Saskatchewan native relatively quickly and at times it shows as he can be guilty of poor decisions and a lack of discipline .. competes well physically and doesn't look overwhelmed in traffic, although he hasn't learned all the veteran tricks that will make him more effective in front of his net .. not surprisingly given his youth, but he can be a bit of an adventure in his own zone .. fairly strong on his skates .. sees time on the penalty-kill .. will turn over the puck if pressured .. takes too many needless penalties many of which are due to trying to make up for an earlier defensive miscue .. displays glimpses of maturing in to a quality defensive defenseman, yet will continue to hit some bumps on the way.

Tysen Dowzak (2006), D

Massive Fergus Falls, Minnesota native is strong on his skates, but his first few steps are a tad sluggish at times .. makes decent decisions with the puck .. a huge presence in his own zone .. mobility and top speed are underrated and there are signs that his skating will eventually become a strength, although he'll never be mistaken for the second coming of Bobby Orr .. takes a hit to make a play .. often arrives to the puck in ill-humour .. handles the puck well in short doses .. most of his passes are crisp and on the tape .. boasts the ability to staple a guy that tries to beat him along the wall .. sees limited time on special teams .. exhibits a slap shot with some zip, yet he needs to work on his accuracy .. has the second worst plus minus on the team with a -3, which is even more glaring given that many of his teammates are plus 10 or better.