WHL: Seitsonen Sets Sights

Prince Albert currently finds themselves in fourth spot in the East Division in the Eastern Conference. One player that the Raiders will hope to get more out of as they try to push their way up the standings is Flames' draftee Aki Seitsonen who has started off slowly. We have notes on Seitsonen as well as Scott Doucet (06), Brent Ottmann, Aki Seitsonen (cgy), Ryan DePape, Peter Cmorej (07), Dane Byers (NYR).

Scott Doucet (2006), RW

Solid, but smallish speed demon is blessed with terrific mobility and overall speed .. gets in extremely quickly on the forecheck .. closes the gaps well on the penalty-kill .. takes the body, but isn't strong enough to punish .. displays good anticipation for jumping on loose pucks .. has pretty decent hand-eye coordination as proven by his ability to retrieve the puck out of his skates .. gets the odd shift on the power play which will likely be more frequent as he proves himself .. has had a decent start to the season as he currently finds himself with five points (2-3-5) in 11 games.

Brent Ottmann (2006), RW

Saskatchewan native gets in quickly on the forecheck .. has good feet .. doesn't display much offensive imagination as witnessed by his two assists in 11 games .. closes the gap well on the penalty-kill and uses his speed to create pressure .. uses his linemates reasonably well and generally makes the safe play .. so far doesn't look ready to be much more than a competent WHLer and would have to be considered a long shot at getting drafted, but he does have a healthy work ethic which could aid him in getting noticed .. must add some muscle to be more effective in traffic.

Aki Seitsonen (Cgy), C

Solid looking Finn is having a relatively slow start offensively producing only five points (2-3-5) in 11 games .. blessed with splendid jump form his first few steps .. wears an A .. has the speed and strength to beat a defender on the outside .. takes the pass smoothly at full speed .. gets on the ice in all situations .. needs to bare down more in the offensive zone to take better advantage of his opportunities .. displays terrific pursuit of the puck carrier .. rarely punishes the opposition with the body, choosing instead to use angles and body position to rub them out along the wall .. a regular on the top line with Kyle Chipchura and Dane Byers, as well as being on the PK and PP.

Ryan DePape (2006), RW

Well-built winger works hard to create turnovers along the wall and behind the net .. currently finds himself with a single goal (1-0-1) after 10 games, but he should be able to eclipse his rookie year total of eight with out too much trouble .. will take the punishment that it takes to get to the crease .. very good overall skater with nice agility and acceleration, especially for his size (6'2-200lbs.) .. strong on his skates and doesn't shy away from traffic .. picks up his man off the draw .. takes and delivers the pass well .. his draft stock will continue to rise as his game solidifies.

Peter Cmorej (2007), C

His adjustment to the WHL has been slow with only one assist in eight games and has rarely found himself on either one of the top two lines or getting power play time .. good feet and nice mobility, however he could get more out of his first few strides .. moves the puck reasonably well .. needs to improve his strength in all areas, but especially on the puck .. takes the body with minimal effect .. will go to the net .. must fight through first contact with much more desire .. looks willing to take a hit to make a play, but just might not be solid enough yet .. still has time to mature physically for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft .. wore #21.

Dane Byers (NYR), LW

Accomplishes most of his feats through simply outworking the opponent .. currently has 11 points (5-6-11) in 11 games .. doesn't have much offensive touch or imagination as he is more of a grinder on the top line with Kyle Chipchura and Aki Seitsonen .. makes a quick transition from defense to offense and vice-versa .. a tireless worker away from the puck .. takes the body effectively and finishes most of his checks .. won't hesitate to drive to the net .. tenacious forechecker with very good puck pursuit .. has proven to be a player that coach's can count on in each and every situation and therefore gets a boatload of ice-time.