WHL: Rockets will Launch at 2008 Draft

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman continues his WHL tour with notes on several 2008 NHL Entry Draft prospects from the Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets are blessed with several standout prospects in their lineup including defensive stud Luke Schenn, currently ranked No.2 on McKeen's Midterm Rankings. Fellow defenseman Tyler Myers and forward Brandon McMillan are also ranked No. 12 and No. 41 respectively.

Luke Schenn (2008), D, Kelowna Rockets

The quintessential shutdown d-man in the WHL that every team covets .. Schenn has all the tools to be a No. 1 defenseman in the NHL and at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, he has the size advantage to win those hard-fought battles down low in his own zone .. Schenn is a great skater with a long stride and great acceleration, as he will have no trouble at the next level with his skating .. his foot speed is above average and his agility is second to none .. his strength and balance make him hard to knock off the puck .. Schenn looks to find his teammates with the long outlet pass and has on occasion caught the opposition napping with his "zinger" passes that get behind opposition skaters .. his shot is above average with great velocity and accuracy .. a key component of the powerplay, as he is the offensive d-man playing the point .. he has a quick release when taking a shot, and keeps it low through traffic .. size and strength are combined with good hockey sense, as the big, hulking defensemen makes opponents think twice when they try to beat him wide .. Schenn is adept at reading the developing play and makes the necessary adjustments to increase or decrease scoring chances depending on the situation .. coach Ryan Huska calls Schenn a future captain in the NHL, and that is high praise, as Schenn has shown early in his junior career that he can be a team leader .. testing his mettle has never been a problem for the Saskatoon native, as he likes to punish opposing forwards with hard hits along the wall with a competitiveness that most scouts look for in a top-four, shutdown defenseman .. clears opposing players in front of the net and is not afraid of the tough battles .. overall, Schenn is a blue-chip prospect that should go in the top five or six in this year's entry draft.

Tyler Myers (2008), D, Kelowna Rockets

Tyler is getting some attention from scouts this season as a possible late first round draft pick or earlier, depending how everyone has him ranked .. unlike Luke Schenn, Myers needs a little polish to his game but has tremendous upside .. he is a smooth skater with a long stride, nothing fancy, but he has the speed to carry the puck through the neutral zone as a catalyst to trigger the offensive rush .. he generally makes good outlet passes from his own zone but occasionally hurries or forces the play when it is not necessary .. he has an average shot for a player of his size (6-7, 202) with okay velocity. which he keeps low and on target but that velocity should improve throughout his career with more practice and game situations .. one of the biggest players in the league, Myers has the talent and strength to move opposing forwards out of the front of his net and has a mean streak .. there is no doubt that this kid has loads of upside and should fully realize that potential by the end of the season, as he just keeps getting better .. his hockey sense needs improving, as at times, he reads plays well and on other occasions he makes bad decisions with the puck .. he does anticipate forwards trying to beat him outside or inside and pokechecks well, but needs to play the body a little better and not allow second attempts at puck possession by opposing players .. he is good at not taking bad penalties without grabbing and holding opponents .. looks to block shots when he can and plays on the pk regularly and on the second unit powerplay at the point ... he communicates with his teammates very well and the coaching staff confirms that he's always working hard on improving his game and has that trait of not liking to lose and taking it personal when his team does .. he still has much to improve to prove to scouts and himself that he deserves top billing as a first rounder, as his minus –16 rating needs to be improved on .. tallied six goals and 19 points in 65 games with 97 penalty minutes

Brandon McMillan (2008), C/LW, Kelowna Rockets

His draft stock is improving, as scouts like his grit and two-way play at both ends of the rink .. the 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward is an above average skater that wins battles for the puck and is great on the faceoff count, leading the Rockets in that category throughout the season .. he makes smart decisions with the puck and complements his wingers with good passes .. he has a nose for the net with soft hands and a quick release with good velocity on his shot .. has improved his hockey sense over last season and has great vision on the ice where he can create offense and get back in the play defensively .. there is nothing fancy about his game but his work ethic is second to none and he always shows up to play and works well as a team player .. his shot is very quick and accurate in close and he is not afraid of going in tight to finish a play .. started the season as a possible third round or later draft pick but his steady improvement has been noted by many scouts, and he could go as high as the second round.

Riley McIntosh (2008), D, Kelowna Rockets

Another giant on defense is McIntosh, as he is listed at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds .. he has been in and out of the lineup this season due largely to injuries or numbers .. in 39 games, he chipped in with a goal and an assist with an impressive plus-7 rating and 16 penalty minutes .. unlike his more sought after teammates on the blueline(Schenn and Myers) he needs work on many parts of his game and could be a late bloomer in this league but right now, he would be considered a project .. he must improve his skating, as it is adequate for the WHL but at the next level, it would not be considered pro-caliber .. his passing is okay but not great, as he hurries his passes many times and they end up on opposing sticks .. he has to learn to relax out there and enjoy playing the game to gain greater poise and self-assurance in his abilities .. he needs to learn to use his size to his advantage and be more physical and imposing .. on the upside, he does have a good shot and should improve on the accuracy and velocity throughout his junior career with more game experience .. may not go in this draft but he is certainly an intriguing player to see if he can develop his game.

Kyle St.Denis (2008), RW, Kelowna Rockets

The hard-working forward is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Kelowna Rockets, as many scouts and teammates feel he does not get enough respect or credit for his play .. the 5-foot-7, 175-pound winger plays on the same line as Brandon McMillan and is very competent in his approach, as his steady 16 goals and 40 points in 64 games this season would indicate .. he forechecks hard and waits for opponents to break down so he can capitalize on mistakes .. has offensive ability, as he stickhandles well and makes impressive moves .. however, he can be caught up ice and out of position and needs to work on his transition game to judge whether or not he over commits in the offensive zone .. great teammate to have in the dressing room, as he leads by example and works hard at his game .. could garner some late-round attention on draft day, as he certainly does not lack any heart on this team.

Dylan Hood (2008), C, Kelowna Rockets

Hood plays on a checking line and is relied upon to do the little things to shut opposing teams' top players down .. a good skater with a short stride and deceptive speed .. he needs to move his feet more and tie his man up defensively to be effective - something that he is still learning to do at this level .. has contributed 10 goals and 18 points in 63 games this season and had a respectable plus-3 rating with 50 penalty minutes .. at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Hood is still growing and working on his game .. he keeps his game simple and works hard but needs to make better decisions with the puck and develop better hockey sense .. will likely not be drafted this year but could develop into a good third or fourth-line player with extra work on his game.