WHL: Muscle Beach

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman enters notes on the 2008, draft-eligible prospects from the Everett Silvertips. Featured in this article is high-profile winger Kyle Beach, who is currently ranked No. 7 on McKeen's Midterm Rankings for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Kyle Beach (2008), RW, Everett Silvertips

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound winger is a top prospect for the draft and continues to get lots of attention from scouts ..there have been many comparisons to current and past NHL players including a feistier version of a Glenn Anderson-type-of player with maybe even a higher upside in scoring potential .. he is a good skater with quick choppy strides but can accelerate through the neutral zone with ease and really challenges defenders to take him off the puck .. he is very patient when passing the puck and has a good sense of where his teammates are and is very poised before making a pass to ensure he is making the right play .. he has an NHL-caliber shot with good velocity and a quick release, especially when taking a wristshot and has good hands to finish around the net. .. always competes hard and never gives up on a play .. scouts like his tenacity, ability to cycle the puck along the wall, his pure desire and will to battle at every turn or shift he gets .. he is good and strong along the boards and reads where opponents are trying to move the puck .. communicates with his teammates on the ice and is a very good winger in transition when turnovers occur .. looks to be a future leader and captain at the pro level because he is a player you just love having on your team, but opposing players hate to play against, as he is known as an agitator .. he is not afraid of the physical aspect of the game and thrives on getting under the skin of opposing players .. likes to catch players with there head down and deliver open-ice hits .. he is having a great year production wise with 27 goals and 60 points but has been limited to 59 games due to injury and suspension time .. also has 211 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating .. projects to be a top-10 pick at the draft.

Jordan Mistelbacher (2008), C, Everett Silvertips

A player that may become a late bloomer, as he has the tools to be a secondary scorer .. his skating is average for his 6-foot-2, 197-pound frame but its okay at this level .. he has a good hard shot that sometimes surprises opposing goalies .. must improve on his positional play and staying with his winger better .. likes to play the physical game and takes the body hard on the opposition along the boards .. must have more desire and a greater work ethic to improve in his overall game .. he has 10 goals and 20 points through 64 games with a respectable plus-2 rating, but that alone will not garner much draft attention.

Zack Dailey (2008), C, Everett Silvertips

One of the fastest skaters on the team with gliding ability second to none .. however, he is only 5-foot-6 and 156 pounds, which will probably work against him as far as being drafted .. a slick passer and makes things happen, but is often banged up by bigger players .. he works hard and has the respect of his teammates for all the grit he shows .. defensively, he needs a little work but he will learn and be better through coaching and experience .. his hockey sense is good and he does the little things like blocking shots and forechecks the opposition hard.

Chris delaLande (2008), D, Everett Silvertips

Has been limited to only 36 games this year due to injury and his stats and play reflect that .. he has two goals, eight points, and a minus-8 rating ..he must work first and foremost on his foot speed at this level, as he is often too slow on defense to intimidate opposing forwards .. needs to work on his decisions with the puck, as he has been guilty of too many giveaways in his own end .. at 5-foot-11, he is not the biggest player out there and needs to add a little more muscle to his frame .. he has a great attitude and is willing to learn more and improve his game according to the coaching staff .. time will tell whether he will improve enough to play at the pro level.

Matt Ius (2008), RW, Everett Silvertips

He is an enigma on this team, as one night he is competing hard and contributing offensively and the next night you wonder what happened to that same player the night before .. has the size (6-2, 205) and the skill to play at the next level but the question is when will he be more consistent and develop a more complete game .. he is a fine skater, as his side-to-side agility is very good and he rarely makes bad decisions with the puck .. he must go into the dirty areas more often and battle to be more successful, which includes those tough wars in front of opposing teams' nets to screen goalies, especially on the powerplay .. he has a decent shot with good velocity but needs to gain more control .. will likely not get much attention at the draft.

Tyler Skauge (2008), C/RW, Everett Silvertips

Hard-working forward needs work on his skating to make it to the next level, as it is a concern .. however, he plays gritty and will give you a full effort every night .. he has been primarily a defensive specialist on the Silvertips this season, usually on the third or fourth line to try to get in the face of the oppositions top players .. at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, he has decent size and he uses every inch of it to tie up opposing players .. good hockey sense and play away from the puck, as he makes good decisions with or without the puck.