WHL: Elliott Sharpens Blades

Stefan Elliott (2009), D, Saskatoon

Poised Blades' blueliner was selected by the Prince George Cougars in the first round (12th overall) of the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft and later traded to the Blades .. showcases very good top end speed as well as the ability to close the gaps quickly on the puckcarrier .. effortless wrist and snap shots that seemingly gathers momentum as it leaves the stick .. boasts terrific hand-eye coordination and can stickhandle himself out of trouble .. demonstrates the ability to not allow a puckcarrier to slip past him on the one-on-one .. dishes out crisp, accurate breakout passes .. reads the play well .. has a sturdy 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame that likely can handle another 10-20 pounds of muscle without slowing him down .. sports the poise to out wait the checker at the point and go around him to create an opening .. won't force a shot from the point that has little to no chance of slipping through .. must do a better job of making the opposition pay a physical price in front and is still prone to the odd coverage mistake in the danger areas .. looks for an opening on the powerplay to pinch in from the blueline .. rarely gets forced in to making low percentage plays .. partners with Sam Klassen .. displays the ability to elude the first forechecker .. plays on the penalty kill .. doesn't blow your socks off in any particular area, but has enough tools to push for a spot in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. (31gp, 13-16-29)

Burke Gallimore (2009), RW, Saskatoon

Another of the Blades' top prospect for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft that they acquired in a trade as Gallimore was selected by the Spokane Chiefs in the second round (23rd overall) of the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft .. pretty explosive shot that is not only heavy, but fairly accurate .. works hard to recover any loose pucks .. takes the pass smoothly and at full speed .. not a devastating hitter, yet is fairly effective at it .. looks for open teammates in the offensive zone, however lacks elite touch to slip a pass through traffic and on to the tape of his teammate .. boasts surprising top end speed and acceleration, although needs to add some muscle to his 6-foot, 200-pound frame in order to successfully fight past large bodied defenders .. uses an active stick to try and create turnovers .. too often gets caught flat footed in the neutral zone and then is forced to try and stick check the puckcarrier which can lead to odd man rushes against .. will give or take a hit to make a play .. played on a line with Derek Hulak and Milan Kytnar .. is currently tied with a team high five powerplay goals. (31gp, 13-7-20)

Charles Inglis (2010), C, Saskatoon

Selected fourth overall by the Blades in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft .. sports splendid acceleration and is generally very mobile, yet loses his balance more than he should .. has a strong stride and does his best to finish his checks .. works hard without the puck and plays with a bit of an edge, in fact he can be rather chippy away from the play .. gifted stickhandler that will only get better as he matures .. has a heavy wrist shot .. is being brought along slowly by not being forced to be a top six forward and is often on a line with fellow rookie Josh Nicholls on a makeshift fourth line .. listed as a center, but will also line up on the wing depending on who else is on the line .. possesses nice vision and looks for the open man .. goes to the net without the puck and does his best to locate an opening in the defensive coverage .. not hesitant to go in to traffic with the puck .. could use a bit more subtleness to his game to truly take advantage of his natural offensive tools .. blessed with the high end skill to not only beat the defender one-on-one, but the patience and hands to deke the goaltender and put the puck in the back of the net .. definitely a player to watch for 2010. (30gp, 4-3-7)