WHL: Raising Kane

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman looks at several Vancouver Giants that are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft including Evander Kane, who is already being mentioned as a possible top-10 pick.

Evander Kane (2009), LW, Vancouver Giants

Kane has shown great offensive potential in the early going of the season playing on a line with veteran Casey Pierro-Zabotel and fellow draft-eligible Mike Piluso .. among the WHL scoring leaders, Kane is already being mentioned as a possible top-10 draft pick .. has good hands and a knack for finding the open man with a great pass .. a terrific skater, Kane works hard at both ends of the ice .. he will occasionally drop the gloves and is working hard on the defensive part of the game under the tutelage of coach Don Hay .. will get frustrated at times and will let his temper get the better of him by taking unnecessary penalties, however maturity and experience will mold him into a better player.

Mike Piluso (2009), RW, Vancouver Giants

Piluso is somewhat the forgotten man on Pierro-Zabotel/Kane line, but scouts have been watching the hard-working forward, as he's a good skater with good puckhandling skills .. sees the ice well, works hard along the half wall and usually gets the puck out of the corner for his linemates .. has deceptive speed and often beats defenders to loose pucks that result in goals .. Piluso never gives up on a play and has bought into coach Don Hay's defense-first system .. is now averaging a point a game and has really worked hard on his defensive game .. very good at tying up opposing forwards without taking a penalty .. it will be interesting to see how he develops over the rest of the season, as he is suited for a checking role but has shown that he can play on the top line.

Neil Manning (2009), D, Vancouver Giants

Manning had some bad luck from his rookie season seeing only a handful of games as a 16-year old .. this may have hampered his development, as he is off to a sub par start, although he has picked things up .. Manning has a lumbering but deceptive-skating style with a wide stride .. has good outlet passes and looks to join in the rush every chance he can .. he has a decent shot but not too hard and needs to work a little more on accuracy .. he keeps his shot low and has the ability to get it through traffic .. also demonstrated good vision by spotting the open man .. must be more consistent with the physical part of the game by throwing more checks and battling a little harder to realize his full potential.

Jamie Tucker (2009), G, Vancouver Giants

Rookie goalie has impressed in the early going with a pair of shutouts and a 1.42 goals against average in six starts .. Tucker has accepted his role as backup without question, as he will see action only to give a break to starter Tyson Sexsmith (a San Jose Sharks draft choice) .. however, when he has started he has been nothing short of sensational and that bodes well for the Giants future goaltending needs .. has good lateral movement and sees the puck well through traffic .. his reflex reaction and recovery have been especially good under the watchful eye of Giants goalie coach Sean Murray .. must work on handling the puck .. plays with competitiveness and demonstrates a willingness to listen from the coaching staff and Sexsmith .. is getting better with his glove hand but is still guilty of fighting the puck from the blocker side.

James Henry (2009), C/LW, Vancouver Giants

Diminutive forward is in his second year with the Giants and has surprised scouts with his hockey sense and work ethic .. brings a lot of grit to his energy line has but has quietly gone about pitching in offensively .. not blessed with great size at (5-8, 180), but what he lacks in size he makes up for with heart .. another student of coach Don Hay's system, Henry can be a pest out there with his relentless forechecking, which lead to many turnovers and scoring chances, as he also draws penalties with his speed and tenacity .. willing to battle and is often on the receiving end of bodychecks but you have to admire his desire to get right up and continue to compete .. a good passer, he also has a decent shot but is not a natural finisher.

Andrej Kudrna (2009), LW, Vancouver Giants

Big 6-foot-2, 195-pound Slovak import has been impressing scouts with his ability to adapt to the North American game, as he is already producing offensively .. a very good skater with deceptive speed and a long, wide skating stride .. sound puckhandling skills and is a very good passer on the fly, as he can thread the needle to find a teammate .. goes to the net with reckless abandon, doesn't shy away from the grunt work along the boards and complements his linemates well .. must be better defensively and be able to read the developing play .. otherwise, Kudrna has been a good fit for the Giants so far in the early going.

Bronson Maschmeyer (2009), D, Vancouver Giants

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound defenseman has been in and out of the lineup and is adjusting to the pace of the WHL .. however, he has good skating ability, vision and is smart with the puck .. considered a stay-at-home-type, as he pays attention to defense first .. has an average shot and must improve the control and velocity .. he has to compete harder and be more consistent to stay in the lineup .. is not very physical and needs to add more weight to his small frame.