WHL: Drilling for Oil Kings

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman profiles several Edmonton Oil Kings that are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, including winger Tomas Vincour, who looks like he will be a top-100 selection. Forwards Michael Burns, Robin Soudek, Rhett Rachinski, Logan Proulx and defensemen Henrik Tervonen and Jesse Pearson are also featured.

Tomas Vincour (2009), RW, Edmonton

Vincour is an exciting and talented offensive player .. skating is his strength, as he has a great first step and climbs quickly to high acceleration .. prone to injuries, he was limited to 49 games this season but put up good numbers with 36 points, including 17 goals .. he's improved on his defensive game but needs to work on man to man defense .. needs to be involved more physically to be effective and utilize his 6-foot-2 frame .. great hands, as he has a quick release off the half .. probably mid-second or third round selection in this year's draft.

Michael Burns (2009), RW, Edmonton

Burns had an average season that was limited to 58 games .. decent size at 6-foot-1 and he plays a defense-first game .. average skater with a smooth lateral stride but he needs to keep his feet moving in forecheck situations .. displays good judgment when reading plays and closing the gap with a good reach to break up long passes .. needs to develop a mean streak and battle harder.

Robin Soudek (2009), RW, Edmonton

Disappointing season for Soudek .. plays an up-tempo game but forgets to play defense, which led to a team worst minus –31 .. had chances to put better numbers up but managed only 7 goals and 13 points in 63 games .. skating is not a problem, as he is blessed with good speed and an exploding first step .. needs to shoot more and get into areas where he can be more effective in creating space for his linemates .. improvement in upper body strength would aid his development in situations where battles take place along the boards.

Rhett Rachinski (2009), LW, Edmonton

Scrappy hard-working checker is a role player for the Oil Kings .. was assigned the job of checking the oppositions top players and flourished in the role .. decent skater which helps when checking opposing forwards, he doesn't let his size dictate his energy level .. appeared in 69 games and contributed 5 goals and 12 points .. he is still learning the defensive game and was a minus –18 .. good slapshot, which he takes while using opposition players or teammates as screens .. works hard and is highly competitive.

Logan Proulx (2009), LW, Edmonton

Diminutive winger took a beating in the WHL this season .. great two step stride and is the Oil Kings speediest forward .. smart with the puck and is very good at making the first pass .. finds it difficult to get to the net because of his size, as he gets knocked around a lot by bigger, stronger players .. he needs to go on a weight program as at 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, he must get stronger.

Henrik Tervonen (2009), D, Edmonton

Steady, versatile defenseman had a steep learning curve this past season .. he didn't put up astounding numbers scoring just once and finishing with 8 points .. his pivots need work as far as quickness is concerned .. average skater with a smooth skating stride .. appeared in 61 games, was a dismal minus –24 and must play better positionally .. good shot from the point while on the powerplay, as he keeps it hard and low through traffic .. lacks a physical game and needs more confidence in his abilities .. he will improve, as he has good upside and time on his side.

Jesse Pearson (2009), D, Edmonton

Tough, battle ready d-man was restricted to just 35 games .. physical game stands Pearson out among peers .. skating could improve but won't hold him back .. good outlet passes to his forwards, as he has the poise and patience to make the right play .. tends to misjudge gap control at times, but should work that out with experience .. must work on his shot accuracy and velocity .. battles hard but gets frustrated at times, as his 72 penalty minutes can atone to .. he's not afraid to drop the gloves and stand up for his teammates.