WHL [Mar-06]: Hitmen Reports

Hitmen Reports (posted 3.22.06)

by Ron Jones

Brodie Dupont (NYR), LW, Calgary

Ultra-fast with exceptional acceleration and mobility .. displays a willingness to get more of his body behind his hits than he did in previous seasons .. not hesitant to drive to the net with or without the puck .. uses his linemates effectively in the offensive zone .. closes the gaps extremely quickly on the forecheck .. counted on when his team is needs a goal, but has improved positionally to the degree that he can also be counted on to protect a lead .. still could be well served by adding some muscle in order to be able to power himself past first contact .. boasts the stickhandling ability to avoid the first wave of checkers when carrying the puck up the ice .. appears to have developed nice chemistry with Ryan White .. provides any line he's on with energy .. wears an A .. plays on both special teams.

Fredrik Pettersson (Edm), LW, Calgary

Pint-sized Swedish winger boasts splendid hand-eye coordination and the ability to still corral passes that are off the mark .. lightning quick, especially in tight spaces .. boasts the ability to not only beat the defender to the shoot in, but come out cleanly with it .. can stickhandle in tight spaces with ease .. has the hands as well the patience to make people miss or at the very least to back off the defense .. displays one quirk that stood out and that was he likes to shoot back across his body after a deke to try and catch the goalie going the wrong way .. will take the body and is surprising effective for his size, at least at the junior level .. works fairly hard away from the puck .. plays on the powerplay.

Lukas Vantuch (Bos), C, Calgary

Lanky Czech import had a fairly unimpressive season stats wise as he only chipped in with 19 points (4-15-19) in 68 games .. takes the pass smoothly at full speed .. listed at 6'4 and 210lbs and is already physically imposing as well as being relatively strong on his skates .. as big as he is he's still a bit lanky and he must add some bulk to be able to take his game to the next level .. has the strength to be pretty effective on the backcheck .. takes a hit to make a play .... plays on the powerplay.

Keegan Dansereau (2006), RW, Calgary

Defensively conscientious as he comes all the way back to support the defense, although his postional play needs work .. a quick skater with good mobility and acceleration, but lacks strength and can be over powered by large blueliners .. closes the gaps quickly on the forecheck and has the hand-eye coordination to create turnovers .. will take the body, however not with much gusto .. needs to become more physically involved, especially in his own zone .. lacks the ability to create much offense for himself .. tends to play on the perimeter and becomes less effective the heavier the traffic gets .. must develop better accuracy with his passes as he wastes too many opportunities by missing the mark .. plays on both the PK and PP, although some of that is due to injuries to more skilled/experienced forwards.

Brett Sonne (2007), C, Calgary

Boasts explosive speed out of the blocks, with splendid mobility .. displays some feistiness and doesn't appear to shy away from battles in high density areas .. keeps his feet moving after first contact .. closes the passing lanes effectively, especially when on the PK .. looks much more poised than the average player his age .. takes the body, but must be careful to keep his head up as he has been known to leave himself vulnerable .. takes a hit and bounces right back up .. sees some time on the powerplay.

Ryan White (2006), C, Calgary

A smart, heady center who would be a lock to be selected in the upper half of the first round if only he was a tad quicker out of the gates .. displays the composure and leadership of a seasoned veteran .. closes the gaps well on the PK .. solid on his skates and works hard after first contact .. generally dependable in all areas of the ice .. wont hesitate to take the shot himself, but is far from being a selfish player as he uses his teammates effectively thanks to tremendous vision .. showed chemistry centering a line of Brodie Dupont and Keegan Dansereau .. a regular on the powerplay.

Grabner, Armstrong & Holloway Reports (posted 3.20.06)

by Ron Jones

Michael Grabner (2006), RW, Spokane

- has 12 points (8-4-12) in eight games in March .. one thing that has to be troubling is the low amount of assists (five) he recorded in his last 21 games and part of that is due to not looking for his linemates enough .. isn't very physical and prefers to use positioning in order to close passing lanes .. has the overall speed to beat a defender to the outside and just enough strength to protect the puck as he gets around him .. needs to learn how to avoid unnecessary collisions as he seems to take his fair share of bonecrunching hits .. played on the top line centered by Adam Hobson .. not hesitant to shoot the puck .. type of player that can be invisible most of the game and wind up scoring the game tying or winning goal .. plays better given time and space .. like most goal scorers has a ininate ability to arrive at the same time the puck comes loose.

Kevin Armstrong (2006), G, Spokane

- since being acquired by the Chiefs at the trading deadline his stat line is mediocre at best (3.48GAA, 0.892Sv%) with an equally unimpressive record of 8-13-2 numbers .. does a solid job shutting the door on wrap arounds .. doesn't look comfortable out of his net and isn't overly competent handling the puck for his defensemen or moving it up to the forwards .. will need to improve his recovery skills as he often looks awkward on the second shot .. stayed compact facing the shooter on a penalty shot and easily stopped the shot at the five-hole .. does a nice job coming out and cutting down the angles on long shots .. generally does a decent job swallowing up rebounds .. rarely stakes a claim to his crease by getting involved physically .. stays square to the shooter coming across the slot.

George Holloway (2006), Seattle

- supports the puckcarrier well .. looked comfortable playing on a line with Chris Durand and Robert Klinkhammer .. uses his speed to get out to the point and narrow the shooting lane .. sees time on both the penalty-kill and powerplay, but more on the second unit .. limited effectiveness, but is willing to play in the dirty areas, especially along the boards .. needs to get stronger on the puck as he can be taken out of the play a tad too easily at times .. his skating can appear slushy late in a shift, however his skating is very good overall .. goes to the net without the puck .. will drop down to block a shot .. displays defensive awareness and picks up his man, yet sometimes has trouble maintaining position and allows the player to slip by him.

Rebel Yell (posted 3.13.06)

by Ron Jones

Jordan Knackstedt (2007), RW, Red Deer

Finishes his checks fairly effectively, however there is still plenty of room on his lanky 6'2-180lbs. frame .. can be guilty of trying to force passes through traffic .. puts in a solid effort digging for pucks along the boards and in the corner .. lacks the power to fight through checks and loses steam quickly after first contact .. allows himself to be boxed out of the play a tad too easily .. will go to the boards and fight for loose pucks, but will need to add some muscle over the summer .. sees time on the powerplay and does have offensive upside as witnessed by 38 points (70gp, 12-26-38).

Devon Leblanc (2006), LW, Red Deer

In only his first full season of Major Junior hockey, Leblanc is having limited offensive success with only seven points (4-3-7) after 62 games .. a "meat and potatoes" type of forward that gives a pretty nice effort on the third or fourth line .. gets to the net, but as mentioned doesn't appear to have much finish .. isn't opposed to throwing his weight around and does have the mobility to make the big open ice hit .. sees limited ice-time with Red Deer and is very unlikely to be drafted.

Matthew Cline (2006), C, Red Deer

Played the left side, usually on a line with Jordan Knackstedt .. has very good acceleration and mobility .. must work on his strength on the puck .. needs to display a more consistent commitment away from the puck .. closes down passing lanes with his long wing span .. has nice size at 6'3 and just over 200lbs and generally uses what he has well .. displays good anticipation on the forecheck .. does a pretty effective job supporting the puck carrier .. sees time on the powerplay .. a decent prospect for a patient NHL team.

Brett Sutter (Cgy), Red Deer

Played on the top line with his cousin Brandon and Kenny Petkau .. defensively conscientious, yet skilled enough offensively to center the first powerplay unit .. displays very good puck pursuit .. supports the puck carrier well .. boasts nice hands in the face-off circle .. takes the pass at full speed without breaking stride .. his skating looks to have improved a fair bit since last season .. uses his vision to find the open man at the point .. wears an A and plays in every situation .. not as belligerent as some of the Sutter' clan, however can still be counted on to give a solid, if unspectacular, workmanlike effort each shift .. his point production has cooled since being traded from the Kootenay Ice when he was producing at nearly a point a game pace (16gp, 8-7-15), but he still leads the Rebels with 49 points (16-33-49)

Portland Funk Report (posted 3.11.06)

by Patrick King

Jannik Hansen (Van), RW, Portland

Played on a line with Colton Sceviour and Nicholas Hotson .. has blazing speed; takes very few strides to reach full gear and is hard to contain when he gets going .. has a lot of vision of the offensive zone and loves having the puck on his stick .. plays the left point on the pp .. often tries moving around blocks to unleash a hard slapshot .. has strong anticipation skills on the pk; just about created a few breakaways due to elite vision .. is a threat to go end-to-end every time he touches the puck .. is a deceptive skater, at times faking a pass before turning on the jets .. started a rush from his own end, just about splitting the D but was stopped by a diving defender .. could add some lower body strength as he was knocked down a few too many times .. could very well be a diamond in the rough for the Canucks down the road.

Michael Funk (Buf), D, Portland

Plays on the top pairing with Lenny Thunderchild .. Portland's most reliable defenceman, playing in all situations .. likely surpassed the 30-minute mark .. strong defensively, pressures forwards at the blue line .. uses his long reach to break up passing lanes and poke the puck away from driving forwards .. gets a lot of shots on goal while on the pp .. shots are often knee-height .. is very reluctant to use a slapshot, even with a clear lane to the net .. has a strong outlet pass .. did not always play with a lot of passion .. led the rush while on the pk, lost the puck at the opposing blue line then casually skated back; giveaway resulted in a goal .. is strong in all facets but not dominant.

Kyle Bailey (Min), C, Portland

Plays on the top line with Colton Sceviour and Brian Woolger .. is relied on in all situations .. usually stands in the slot on the pp .. incredibly quick, fluid skater .. reaches full speed very quickly as his steps are small and fast .. creates chances with his speed by driving wide around defenders .. not a natural finisher around the net and will need to improve in close .. a relentless forechecker, constantly buzzing in the offensive zone .. has a defensive conscience, always coming back hard .. is a heart and soul player that will do anything to win.

Brandon Sutter Scouting Report (posted 3.7.06)

by Ron Jones

Brandon Sutter (2007), C, Red Deer

Son of two-time WJC Gold Medal winning coach Brent Sutter .. lanky center still has plenty of room on his ample 6'2 frame to add some muscle as he's only listed at just over 170lbs .. boasts much more upside, especially offensively than his cousin and teammate Brett Sutter .. strong on his skates for his age and size .. already blessed with the skill to be able to slip a hit in the danger areas .. closes the passing lanes well on the penalty-kill .. his skating isn't pretty, in fact it looks a bit slushy at times, however he displays the potential to eventually become a very good overall skater .. gets a ton of ice-time in all situations .. looked solid centering a line of Matthew Cline and Jordan Knackstedt .. still can get caught going for the puck instead of the man, but generally is dependable in all zones .. currently sits third on his team in points with 39 (62gp, 20-19-39).

Keller Rockets (posted 3.3.06)

by Patrick King

If Justin Keller's play this season is any indication, he has his sight set on another Memorial Cup appearance in Moncton, N.B. We have notes on Keller, Tyler Spurgeon (Edm) and draft-eligible prospects' Tysen Dowzak, Colin Joe and Kirt Hill.

Justin Keller (TB), LW, Kelowna

Assumed the bulk of the offensive workload while Blake Comeau was at the world juniors .. played on the top line with Chris Ray and Lauris Darzins .. has an underrated wrist shot that's both very accurate and very quick .. has a good set of wheels which he used effectively on one play; cut around the defenseman wide, then skated to the slot where he beat the goaltender to the far side .. in one game, tied it for his team with seconds remaining by beating the goaltender with a quick snapshot five-hole .. scored the overtime winner on the PP, which was also a hat-trick on the night for him .. is a threat to score every time he's on the ice and creates a lot of offence with his vision and offensive skills set .. has keen anticipation skills and knows where to be on the ice in the offensive zone .. goes to the high slot on the PP where he looks for one-time shots .. displayed strong playmaking abilities as well .. not afraid to stand in front of the net despite small stature .. responsible defensively as he's often used on the PK .. backchecks effectively; skates with opponents rather than hooking and holding .. had already set career highs in goals and points halfway through the season .. while it's unclear whether his offensive attributes will carry over to the next level, he could wind up being a steal as an eighth round pick.

Tysen Dowzak (2006), D, Kelowna

Played on the second pairing with the recently re-assigned Liam Couture .. fairly mobile for a man his size, however still has trouble keeping up with the smaller, faster forwards .. opposing forwards constantly tried beating him wide, which they were successful doing half the time .. has some difficulty turning .. despite towering size, did not display much of a physical element .. would dish out the occasional hit, but needs to assert himself more physically .. able to tie up his man effectively on the boards due to gigantic wingspan .. is a regular on the PK .. occasionally saw some time on the PP, but does not have much of an offensive side to his game .. had a miscue at the point when he mishandled a pass, which resulted in a breakaway the other way .. does not do anything fancy and has limited offensive upside but could be an effective stay-at-home defenseman at the next level.

Tyler Spurgeon (Edm), C, Kelowna

Played on a line with Craig Cuthbert and Troy Bodie .. leads by example .. is a very smart defensive-minded forward, won't take a chance offensively if it comes at the cost of defense .. while on the PK, handed his stick to a defenseman who had lost his .. does the thankless dirty work in the corners .. an effective forechecker with decent speed .. creates chances due to diligent forechecking .. blocked a shot while killing a 5-on-3 by standing in the shooting lane .. will do anything to win .. has decent playmaking abilities, however they are not his forte .. does not have a lot of offensive upside, but could be a very effective role player due to character, leadership and defensive prowess.

Colin Joe (2006), D, Kelowna

Paired with Kevin Reinholt .. is a confident puck-carrying defenseman and will often lead the rush into the offensive zone .. has a smooth and strong skating stride with good speed .. at times displayed too much willingness to jump in the rush, going too far in the offensive zone neglecting his defensive responsibilities .. needs to work on his passes though as one was intercepted in the neutral zone, resulting in a 2-on-1 the other way .. does not have a lot of defensive awareness as he is prone to running around in the defensive zone .. at times can be too aggressive to the puck-carrier, giving away position in front of the net .. pressures forwards at the blue line .. will be a long shot to be drafted as he wasn't even ranked by Central Scouting in their mid-term ranking.

Kirt Hill (2006), C, Kelowna

Played on a line with Cody Almond and Josiah Anderson .. a diligent forechecker and backchecker, rewarded with time on the PK with Tyler Spurgeon .. smart defensive player, often gets his stick in the passing lanes while standing in the shooting lane .. plays with a lot of hustle on every shift .. displayed good speed getting up and down the ice, staying in the play .. almost scored on a rebound in close while driving to the net .. did not display much of an offensive side but was an effective penalty-killer.

Report on Wishart and Dudas (posted 3.1.06)

by Ron Jones

Ty Wishart (2006), Prince George

Big, strapping blueliner already boasts a slap shot that has been clocked in the mid 90's .. moves the puck extremely efficiently at the point .. in 61 games this season, Wishart already has 31 points (5-26-31) and his plus minus is a team best +17 .. had developed some chemistry when paired with Andy Rogers before the latter suffered a serious injury .. generally displays good judgment on when and when not to go for the big hit .. although some have questioned his grit, he stands up for his teammates and proved on more than one occasion that he can handle himself going toe-to-toe .. shows blossoming leadership skills .. is a much smoother overall skater than fellow WHLer 2006 prospect Tysen Dowzak of Kelowna .. plays the one-on-one like an experience veteran .. boasts the strength to physically over power opponents in the dirty areas .. plays a lot in all situations and at all times of the game.

Jesse Dudas (2006), Prince George

Solidly built defender can be guilty of trying to do too much as well as not protecting the puck well enough when he's the last man back .. displays vision and passing ability in getting the puck out of his zone .. effectively competes in traffic using his 6'1 and over 200lbs .. boasts good puck pursuit, but must be careful about not taking himself out of the play or losing position .. not generally a big PIM guy, however proved that he can chuck them when called upon .. sees time on the powerplay .. currently out with a leg injury and is listed as Week to Week and has yet to play in 2006 .. after 24 games he has 11 points (0-11-11).