WHL: Warriors May Come Out to Play at Draft

McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman continues his tour of the WHL with notes on several Moose Jaw Warriors eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Although the Warriors do not have a blue-chip prospect this season, they do have some players that project to be mid-to-late round picks such as Joel Broda, Neal Prokop, Travis Hamonic and Chad Suer.

Neal Prokop (2008), C, Moose Jaw Warriors

He had a decent season playing in 66 games putting up 13 goals, 22 points and a plus-1 rating .. the big, strong center plays really well in traffic and battles hard .. has good skating ability with long strides to go with his 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame .. he has good puckhandling skills and has shown a move or two but needs to get back in the play quicker in transition .. has a good physical game and is always battle ready .. he has a quick release on his shot but must use it more in certain situations especially during the man advantage .. his defensive game needs work but that should come with time and experience .. is tough to move off the puck and is a tenacious forechecker .. shows good poise and balance at a young age and is not afraid to mix it up .. has all the tools to turn into a good power forward at the next level but he has to be a better finisher, as he should have better numbers than what he is producing .. likely a mid-round pick in this year's draft.

Travis Hamonic (2008), D, Moose Jaw Warriors

A prototypical offensive-rushing defenseman that has a lot of upside .. he is still working on the defensive part of his game but did have a plus-5 rating in 61 games this year to go along with his five goals and 22 points .. an average skater but that will not prevent him from moving up to the next level .. can improve on his outlet passes but there good most of the time .. he tends to hurry the play and over compensate at times when it was not necessarily the right play .. the 6-foot, 195-pound blueliner is a tough kid who racked up a whopping 101 minutes in penalties as a 17-year old .. he is not afraid to drop the gloves or mix it up .. his lateral movement needs a little work on the backend pivot, as he sometimes is caught out of position, but he has all the ability and upside to be better over time with experience .. stands a decent chance to be picked in the later rounds of this year's draft.

Joel Broda (2008), C, Moose Jaw Warriors

Broda may be the most talented 1989 DOB on the Warriors roster .. the 6-foot, 196-pound pivot amassed 28 goals and 50 points in 72 games this season .. a great skater, Broda uses his speed to create open ice for his linemates and is very smart with or without the puck .. has good offensive upside and his playmaking ability .. he also has great hands and is a finisher with polish and poise .. the knock against Broda is his defensive game, which started slow but did get better during the season .. doing the little things like picking up his check and tying up his man are things he worked on and he finished with a respectable plus–2 rating .. he also has the potential to be a leader and future captain of the Warriors, as he communicates well with his teammates according to his coaches .. he does a good job of protecting the puck and has developed a mean streak, as his 72 minutes in penalties would attest .. definitely caught the attention of some scouts and it is just a matter of where he ends up on the depth list of several teams .. he could go as high as the second round but will likely be selected in the mid rounds.

Brian Sommers (2008), LW, Moose Jaw Warriors

Injuries and healthy scratches limited Sommers to only 38 games this season .. a decent skater but he could improve this aspect of his game .. the 5-foot-10, 175-pound winger had only one goal and five points with a minus–3 rating and 68 penalty minutes .. he does not come to play every night and will need to show scouts a consistent effort every game .. he also needs work in many aspects of his game .. first, he needs to work on getting stronger in the off-season, as he found it tough-sledding in the WHL this season with the faster game pace and bigger, more physical players .. had a tendency to be knocked around a lot .. the one positive in his game is that he does make good passes and goes to the net looking for rebounds .. will likely not be drafted this season but he does have time to refine his game over the next few years.

Chad Suer (2008), D, Moose Jaw Warriors

He is not as flashy as his teammate Hamonic, but he quietly put up some good numbers as a rearguard with two goals, 23 points and a plus-10 rating in 65 games .. an above average skater that has a lot of patience and is smart with the puck .. his outlet passes are exceptional and he prides himself on looking after his own end first .. he played a lot of specialty team minutes and didn't look out of place after the acquisitions of much decorated d-men Keaton Ellerby early in the year and Ty Wishart later at the trade deadline .. he has a good shot from the point, as it is generally kept low and on target through traffic .. must work on his physical game to be successful at the pro level.

Ty Ariss (2008), D, Moose Jaw Warriors

Started the season with the Portland Winter Hawks playing 10 games before being traded to the Warriors for another 17-year-old in forward Jason Grecica .. recorded only one goal, one assist, with 71 penalty minutes and a minus–9 rating in just over 32 games .. the gangly 6-foot-1, 185-pound d-man is a physical presence but his foot speed is a concern and he must improve on that in the off-season, as too many times he has been caught out of position and players have been speeding by him .. has a good work ethic but he has to improve in too many areas to be considered for this year's draft .. he needs to improve on his outlet passes and has to learn to read plays better .. his shot is ok but needs work on accuracy and velocity.

Todd Mathews (2008), G, Moose Jaw Warriors

As the primary backup goalie this season, Mathews appeared in 20 games allowing 48 goals and a respectable nine wins and five losses .. the 6-foot-0, 196-pound netminder challenges shooters well but has to improve on his lateral movement in the crease .. rebound control is a concern .. he sees the puck well through traffic .. communicates well with his teammates and handles the puck well .. will likely not garner much draft interest but he's always looking to improve his game and he came a long way to play at this level having been born in the U.S. and playing the game at an early age .. he still has time to improve and the Warriors will be expecting more from him next season.