WHL: Portlands Powerless Prospects

Brett Ponich (2009), D, Portland

Chosen by Winter Hawks in the second round (30th overall) of the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft .. played the left side partnered with Troy Rutkowski .. very mobile for a player listed at 6-foot-7, 205-pounds .. sometimes gets caught watching the play .. generally needs to play with a lot more fire .. his one on one coverage is hit and miss .. can get sucked out of position and leave his goalie high and dry .. although is a very good skater for his size he is far from a speedster in straightaway races for the puck and generally won't lead many rushes any time soon .. has a decent shot and is semi dangerous when he keeps it low .. sees time on the penalty-kill .. doesn't read the play at an elite level .. because of his size and decent skating ability he is a draft darkhorse, especially for a team that is willing to give him time to mature. (5gp, 0-0-0)

Killian Hutt (2009), RW, Portland

Pint-sized right winger was selected in the sixth round (126th overall) by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft .. thanks in large part to a team short on offensive talent, Hutt gets regular power play duty .. puts pressure on the puckcarrier because of good hustle and above average mobility .. sees the ice well and can finesse the pass to a place where his teammate can skate in to it .. lacks a heavy shot, although he is able to the slap shot away fairly quickly .. a bit too reactive without the puck and his defensive reads are not always the best .. lacks the physical strength and stature to have much presence in the dirty areas .. he sports good, but not great top end speed .. has some offensive vision and playmaking ability, but his lack of size (5-foot-8, 180-pounds) and elite overall ability doesn't make it very likely at all that he'll have his name called at the draft. (5gp, 0-1-1)

Riley Boychuk (2009), LW, Portland

Chosen in the first round (10th overall) by the Winter Hawks in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft .. gigantic winger listed at 6-foot-5, 205-pounds .. must skate with more determination as he rarely seems to initiate much contact and is overall way too passive and uninterested in making a difference .. very strong and can separate the player from the puck .. will go to the net and has the strength to hold off checkers .. possess some hands and can find the open man if given time .. receives powerplay time based more on Portland's void of quality options .. doesn't seem to read the play really well, especially without the puck .. is guilty of watching the play too often .. gets caught watching the puck at times .. more of a project than a prospect at this time, but if he ever puts it together and improves his skating and adds some passion he could make things interesting come the draft .. plays on a line with Matt Schmermund and Taylor Peters. (5gp, 0-0-0)

Kurtis Mucha (2009), G, Portland

The Winter Hawks picked him in the second round (25th overall) of the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft .. was at the Phoenix Coyotes camp this year, but remains unsigned and qualifies for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. positionally sound and can keep his angles even when moving across the crease .. does a nice job pushing rebounds out of the danger areas .. sees more rubber than a Good Year Tire employee .. displays very few weaknesses and it is too bad he hasn't had a chance to play on a half decent team since his rookie year. (2gp, GAA 3.01, Sv% 90.9)

Taylor Peters (2010), LW, Portland

A fourth round selection (68th overall) of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft .. boasts good vision for a youngster .. plays with poise and rarely takes himself out of position .. comes back on defence and seems to show some defensive awareness .. has a nice smooth skating stride .. supports the puckcarrier .. is fairly versatile and can line up at center and wins more than his fair share of faceoffs .. has been in one fight this season where he didn't fair that well, however it must be said he was assisting a teammate .. gets some time on the powerplay .. goes to the net, but at this time still lacks the physical presence to have a ton of luck in the dirty areas .. competes reasonably well and is a player to keep an eye on as he matures. (5gp, 0-0-0)