WHL: Ryan Murray, Walters Sward

Ryan Murray (2012), D, Everett

Currently ranked second overall on mckeenshockey.com's NHL Draft Rankings (September) .. Silvertips' captain oozes confidence without being cocky .. powerful skater that is able to direction at a moment's notice and without missing a beat .. delivers quick, crisp passes right on the tape .. does a splendid job keeping opponents to the outside .. calm and poised with the puck and rarely if ever gets pressured in to making mistakes .. boasts the ability to make a long stretch pass or go end-to-end .. sports a marvellous first few strides to get up to top speed .. sees the ice at an elite level and knows where everyone not only is, but where they'll be .. is comfortable using his ample strength instead of going for a bone-crunching, devastating hit that might take both the target and himself out of the play .. is known to be one of, if not the hardest working players in practice .. showcases the hands to roof a shot top corner on an unsuspecting goalie .. has impeccable body positioning with or without the puck .. will use his speed and strength to not only catch up to a puckcarrier that has a few steps and position on him, but totally neutralize the puckcarrier to the point that the opponent is lucky to get a shot off .. a workhorse that sees the ice every second shift and on both special teams .. not afraid to drop down in front of a point shot .. listed at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, physically he looks NHL ready now .. partnered with German import' Dominik Bittner .. quite simply, Murray is already an elite WHL defenceman and may eventually prove to be one of the best all around blueliners ever to come out of a league known for producing great D.

Factoid: Everett selected him ninth overall in the first round of the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. Nearly made Team Canada's World Junior team last season and is a good bet to be selected for this years' club.

Current Season: 3gp, 1-1-2, 11 PIM

Last Season: 70gp, 6-40-46 (WHL)

Nick Walters (2012), D, Everett

Needs to improve the fluidity of his skating, although he is a solid overall skater .. is at his best when he uses his size (listed at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds) and strength in the defensive zone .. can be guilty of watching the play develop and not being proactive .. prone to poor decision making and unforced errors .. given the lack of depth on the 'Tips, Walters will likely be given every opportunity to improve and play through "youthful" mistakes .. displays a willingness to jump up into the play .. lacks a powerful point shot and must work on his accuracy too .. is able to make tape-to-tape passes of the short and medium range variety .. gets plenty of ice time as well as second unit power play duty .. listed at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds .. partnered with Brennan Yadlowski .. a player to keep an eye on, but more of a project at this time.

Factoid: Chosen in the 1st round, 8th overall, of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

Current Season: 2gp, 0-2-2, 2 PIM

Last Season: 48gp, 0-4-4 (WHL)

Dalton Sward (2012), C, Vancouver

A solid if unspectacular forward that has a lot of work to do before being a legitimate top 100 candidate for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft .. lacks an elite top gear to back off a defender .. appears to be more of a solid two-way forward good, but not great in all three zones .. uses his teammates reasonably well .. possesses enough raw ability to create and capitalize on scoring chances .. competent defensively, as he cuts off the passing and shooting lanes .. usually knows where to be in all three zones the right position generally sound positioning .. played on both special teams .. displays decent toughness and physically not afraid to mix it up .. wears an "A" .. listed at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds .. played on a line with Nathan Burns and centered by Teal Burns .. will receive top notch coaching in Vancouver under coach Don Hay. So it will be interesting to see his improvement with the extra ice time he will receive this season.

Factoid: Vancouver Giants' first choice in 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

Current Season: 3gp, 2-1-3, 0 PIM

Last Season: 65gp, 12-6-18 (WHL)