WHL: Hip-Hip Juraj!

Juraj Valach (2007), D, Tri-City

Appears a tad passive along the wall and in the dirty areas .. boasts a long stride which isn't surprising given his 6'6 listing .. receives the pass well .. if he gets caught up the ice or out of position in any way he doesn't have the extra gear to recover .. anyone thinking he is the next Zdeno Chara is suffering from an extreme case of optimism .. fairly good agility for his size and his first few steps are far from awkward .. given his huge wingspan he can use his stick to fend off puckcarriers .. plays on both special teams however more of a second unit type .. as noted earlier his top speed isn't elite, yet he's not bad out of the blocks and has good speed up to a certain point .. gets knocked over a bit too easily .. doesn't get his shot away quickly enough and it lacks power .. can be beaten wide if the puckcarrier has a full head of steam and is mobile, but is able to do a nice job one-on-one. (51gp, 6-21-27)

Jonathon Blum (2007), D, Vancouver

Smart player and uses good positioning to slow up the man one-on-one .. boasts a team leading + 30 along with usual defensive partner Brett Festerling .. uses his stick well to close down passing lanes .. some critics have questioned whether he has a big league shot .. uses superior vision to find the open man .. splendid at distributing the puck and is generally very skilled at reading pressure and not making the low percentage play .. plays on both special teams .. warrants very good marks in most areas of the game, just not elite in any. (66gp, 7-39-46)

Spencer Machacek (2007), RW, Vancouver

Versatile winger that is equally at home on the top line or on a checking line .. doesn't shy away from parking himself in front .. does a nice job closing the gap on the puckcarrier, although he'd benefit from a slicker stride .. at his best when he keeps his feet moving and playing with physicality with or without the puck .. goes to the net and doesn't give up on the play if stopped the first time .. plays on both special teams. (57gp, 17-23-40)

Mitch Czibere (2007), C/LW, Vancouver

A third line checking forward that is at his best when keeping his feet moving and playing with energy .. defensively aware and does a nice job retrieving the puck and moving it up to an open teammate .. displays strong faceoff skills .. knows his role with the Giants is to put pressure on the puck and close down passing and shooting lanes .. gets a lot of time on the penalty kill .. a solid junior player, but unless he develops a bit of touch it is unlikely that he has pro potential. (63gp, 6-12-18)

Michal Repik (2007), RW, Vancouver

Was red-hot between January 21st and February 14th (9gp, 7-7-14) .. wont take the body with any authority generally, but on occasion can deliver a solid hit along the wall .. has become a solid offensive contributor at the junior level, but it remains to be seen whether he has the elite skill and more importantly the consistency to have his game translate well to the pro game .. plays on the powerplay .. not having a horrible year by any means, yet the Giants had to be hoping for a lot more out of their second year Czech import. (50gp, 22-27-49)

Brent Regner (2007), D, Vancouver

Plays with smarts and poise are two of the prime reasons he's rising up many of the draft lists he wasn't even on at the start of the season .. boasts the ability to get his shot through traffic and on net .. does a nice job closing down time and space on the puckcarrier .. showcases some feistiness in the dirty areas .. possesses good closing speed .. sometimes in the odd man out when the team wants to get Nolan Toigo on the backend .. very crisp headman passes that can lead to breakaways .. generally makes the correct first pass .. usually gets his point shot through, although not with much gusto .. plays on the PK and once in awhile on the pp. (58gp, 1-5-6)