WHL: Tri-City on Kruise Control

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman continues his tour of the WHL with a look at several draft-eligible prospects from the Tri-City Americans. The Americans should be well represented at the draft, as many players such as goaltender Chet Pickard, currently the top-ranked goalie on McKeen's Midterm Rankings and center Kruise Reddick, could hear their names called early at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Eric Mestery (2008), D, Tri-City Americans

The 6-foot-5 d-man definitely has size but has to develop a mean streak to go along with it .. in 71 games, Mestery put up okay numbers with two goals,16 points, 65 penalty minutes and a plus-9 rating .. has a great skating stride with above average mobility and acceleration .. his outlet passes are usually on the money, as he likes to spot a breaking winger before deciding to pass or carry the puck .. improved his shot with better velocity throughout the season and generally keeps it low from the point and on target through traffic .. does a pedestrian-like job in front of his own net but could be better at clearing rebounds and positioning against opposing forwards in front of his net .. has all the athletic tools to be a dominant force from the blueline, but he has to put the effort in on a more consistent basis to move higher up in the draft .. will likely be a second or early third round pick.

Kruise Reddick (2008), C, Tri-City Americans

The diminutive 5-foot-9, 165-pound Reddick is an above-average skater, battles hard every night, leads by example and stands up for himself and his teammates .. played in all 72 games this season, was third in team scoring recording 23 goals, 51 assists, and was a plus-22 .. his above-average skating helps open up the ice for himself and his teammates and on occasion draws penalties as a result .. likes to carry the puck the majority of the time but does spot the open man and has soft hands around the net .. an average shot but must work on his velocity and control, as he tends to rush it when it is not necessary .. although he lacks size, do not let that fool you, as he does not give the puck up very easily, is strong on his skates and is tough when he is allowed to set up a cycle rotation along the boards .. he has improved defensively in the latter half of the season and plays better without the puck by tying up opposing forwards, gaining better body position when clearing the puck out of his own zone and on the backcheck during the oppositions' transition game .. Reddick has improved enough to be considered a late first, or early second round pick.

Tyler Schmidt (2008), D, Tri-City Americans

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound rearguard played in 66 games this season producing similar numbers as his teammate Eric Mestery, as he scored two goals and finished with 14 points .. also had a plus-11 rating with a whopping 129 penalty minutes .. an average skater, nothing fancy, but a good open and wide stride .. the main difference between Mestery and Schmidt however, is that Schmidt plays a more physical game, as he punishes opposing players with good solid bodychecks and plays with a little more urgency and grit .. he has to work on his shot from the point, as he tends to use the slapshot that sails high and wide a lot .. with hard work, he can gain better control and velocity on his shot from the point .. his outlet passes are generally good but has to be smarter with the puck in certain situations .. demonstrates good leadership skills, as he battles hard and expects the same from his teammates .. a stay-at-home-type-of defenseman who looks after his own end first .. likely a high third-round pick and it would be a surprise if he falls below the mid-rounds.

Chet Pickard (2008), G, Tri-City Americans

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound netminder is arguably the best goaltending prospect coming out of the WHL this season .. he enjoyed the majority of starts posting a 46-win season with just 12 losses .. finished with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 64 starts .. is very mobile for a big goalie and his lateral movement is very quick .. he sees the puck well with great concentration and vision .. He has worked hard on his rebound control and always seems to come up with multiple saves, even when he is on his knees and seemingly down and out .. he challenges shooters well and cuts angles down .. although he has improved on his puckhandling, there is still room for improvement in this area of his game. has a good glove hand and will flash it from time to time .. he has been very good in pressure situations staying really poised in powerplay situations and comes up with big saves on many nights .. should be one of the top-3 goalies selected in the draft.

Joel Ridgeway (2008), LW, Tri-City Americans

Due to injuries and some healthy scratch situations, Ridgeway only appeared in 46 games this season recording two goals and finishing with five points .. also had a minus-3 rating .. skates very well and can accelerate through the neutral zone at top speed .. the 6-foot-1, 200-pound winger has to be more than a perimeter player and get more involved in the play along the wall .. has a decent shot and likes to use the wristshot, but he needs better control, although he has good velocity .. physically, he has to get better and win more battles along the sideboards and be more competitive .. has the potential to be better and time will tell if he is going to adapt to the rough and tumble WHL .. defensively, he needs work in this area of his game, as he must read plays better and react sooner .. there is some upside here, but he will likely not be drafted this season.

Kyle Birch (2008),G, Tri-City Americans

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound backup goalie put up okay numbers in 15 appearances with six wins, four losses, a 2.51 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage .. tends to stay too deep in his net and has to come and challenge shooters more often .. His lateral movement is okay but it could be better .. displays solid reflexes on the blocker side and controls rebounds relatively well .. needs to improve his vision and concentration through traffic and respond sooner with quicker reflex action .. he does not handle the puck well and needs improvement in that area .. did not get much action this season and will likely not be drafted as a result.