WHL: Raiders of the Lost Draft

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders will have another tough go at the NHL Entry Draft, as a player from the Raiders has not been drafted since the latter rounds of 2005. McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman looks at this season's draft hopefuls, where defenseman Tomas Voracek (pictured), likely has the greatest chance of being selected at the draft in 2008 among all Prince Albert prospects.

Tomas Voracek (2008), D, Prince Albert Raiders

This 6-foot-2, 192-pound d-man started the season off slow and got impressively better as the season ended .. he appeared in 65 games scoring four goals with eight assists .. also had an impressive plus-9 rating for a sub par team .. he is an excellent skater and uses his speed to his advantage in his own end .. Voracek is not an offensive-style defenseman, as he prefers to look after his own end first .. this is where you put aside his stats and look at his overall game .. he makes very good outlet passes, plays the body well and does not take needless penalties .. also has an improving hockey sense and knows where a play is going to develop .. displays a mean streak, as he does not like to lose battles along the boards or in front of his net.. also does a good job blocking shots to help his goalies .. has potential to score but plays defense first and scouts have taken notice .. his shot needs improving, as he needs to be more selective and have a little more accuracy and velocity but that is something that can be worked on .. Voracek will likely go in the later rounds and possibly as early as the late fourth round.

Blaine Tendler (2008), D, Prince Albert Raiders

Injuries and healthy-scratch situations limited Tendler to just 46 games on the season.. the 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman found the scoresheet once and added 14 helpers for 15 points on a team that was starving for offense .. Tendler is the polar opposite of his teammate Tomas Voracek, as he is more of an offensive d-man .. skating at this level or the next should not be a problem, as he has a long, smooth skating stride that allows him to jump into the rush .. however, he is caught out of position a lot, it has led to odd-man rushes on many occasions, and his coaches want him to work on his defensive game, as he was a minus-6, which was not bad, but needs improvement .. he also needs to be more physical, compete in those high-traffic areas and win battles along the wall .. he has a good that has decent velocity but needs more control .. will likely not get selected at the draft but he has the tangibles to be a late-bloomer.

Zak Stebner (2008), D, Prince Albert Raiders

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound rearguard has the most potential of all d-men that are draft eligible on this Raiders team .. however, he has yet to show that he can put the whole package together on a consistent basis .. has above average speed and loves to carry the puck on the rush but has to do a better job of protecting it, as he has been guilty of hanging on to it too long and causing turnovers .. throws a good bodycheck and opponents don't like to take any liberties on him by trying too go wide along the perimeter but again, he has to do this more often .. his offensive numbers were okay with 2 goals and 10 points in 64 games this season .. he has the potential to be a team leader in the future and must show he is going to compete hard every night .. overall, he has a lot of untapped potential that has caught the attention of some scouts, and if selected, it will likely be in the latter rounds.

Nathan Deck (2008), D, Prince Albert Raiders

Led his team in goals by a d-man with five and had 20 assists finishing only second to veteran Ryan White (35points) on the team .. the diminutive Deck is listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds but plays bigger than that .. an average skater that could use some improvement in his foot speed if he is going to play at the next level .. a student of the game and is still learning to play better defense, as he was a respectable minus –4 in 68 games this season .. plyas a hard-working, gritty style for a d-man and plays with a lot of heart and charisma .. positionally, he has to work a little on his backward pivot and be faster in getting the puck out of his own end with better outlet passes to help start the transition game with his forwards .. still needs some work to be a complete player will not likely garner much draft attention this season.

James Dobrowolski (2008), LW, Prince Albert Raiders

The 6-foot-3, 204-pound winger brings good size and strength to the table when assessing his game but he has to get more physical and start knocking a few opponents on there collective behinds to display his power and strength .. he also must show a greater will to fight for the puck .. he is a good skater with good speed and has some nifty moves that he shows from time to time, but he has to be more confident in his abilities at this level .. has a decent shot and should use it more, as it is a rocket and his wristshot has a quick release that can fool goalies .. did not put up great stats, as he appeared in 66 games recording 6 goals,15 points, and 24 penalty minutes to go along with his minus–3 rating .. nevertheless, respectable first year totals on a sub par team but like most 17-year olds, his defensive game away from the puck must improve .. if there were any draft interest this season, it would probably come in the late rounds.

Jordan Trach (2008), LW, Prince Albert Raiders

Trach saw limited action due to injuries and healthy-scratch situations this season .. the 6-foot, 205-pound winger has good offensive instincts but his stats did not always tell the tale, as he managed just six goals and eight points in 46 games .. he has good skating ability and agility but he was caught out of position on many nights and must be better in tying up his opposing wingers .. must improve on the forecheck with emphasis on moving his feet better and staying with the play .. a minus–13 rating shows he needs improvement in this area of his game .. needs to shoot more but he is more adept at being the consummate playmaking winger who must battle better physically along the wall for loose pucks .. there are too many holes in his game to be considered for the draft this season.

Bryce Lamb (2008), C, Prince Albert Raiders

A typical grinding-type center that works hard and shows a lot of grit .. the 5-foot-11, 178-pound pivot only appeared in 29 games this season scoring 5 goals and 11 points with 14 penalty minutes and a minus–2 rating .. an average skater with a short, choppy stride and plays his position well .. physically, he needs to add some weight to his frame, as he was knocked off the puck relatively easy by opposing players .. his shot needs work as well, as it is not particularly accurate and needs more velocity, which should come with practice and with some added weight to his frame in the off-season .. he works hard defensively and never gives up on a play, which his coaches like .. has great character and should be counted on next season to contribute even more to the Raiders offense .. only playing in 29 games this season will likely hurt his draft chances, as scouts would have liked to see more of him to assess his complete game.

Mike Small (2008), C, Prince Albert Raiders

Small saw limited action this season in a Raider uniform appearing in 48 games due to injury and healthy-scratch situations .. the 5-foot-8, 160-pound forward had three goals, five points and was a minus–9 .. has good skating ability and is a good passer, as he finds open wingers often .. the knock on Small is that he finds it tough going in the heavy traffic areas due to his size .. although that does not dampen his spirit, as he will give you a full effort each time he is out there .. he has good hands and a quick release on his shot, though it lacks velocity .. also needs to add weight to his frame, as he is knocked off the puck regularly by bigger, opposing forwards .. will likely not command much draft interest this season.

Steven Sanford (2008), G, Prince Albert Raiders

Steven appeared in 31 games this season with the Raiders sharing the netminding duties with veteran Dustin Butler .. the 6-foot, 170-pound goaltender had a record of nine wins, 16 losses with 1 overtime and shootout loss .. he had a goals-against average of 3.72 and a save percentage of .895 .. his numbers were ok considering his team gave up a lot of goals .. needs to work on his quickness with his lateral movement .. he has a good glove hand ,as he shows good vision for the puck .. he tends to stay in tight close to his crease and must challenge shooters better .. his rebound control could also use improving .. he is definitely further down the depth chart of this year's crop of WHL goalies that are eligible for the draft.