WHL: White Noise

Draft eligible studs Ben Maxwell, Lukas Bohunicky (both Kootenay) and Ryan White (Calgary) are first round candidates for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft and we have fresh scoop on their progress. Also, Edmonton draft pick Fredrik Pettersson is making exciting progress in his first season in Canada.

Ben Maxwell (2006), C, Kootenay

Playmaking pivot with two way awareness .. very light, agile feet; able to take off smoothly .. top speed is above average, but he often looks casual and rarely utilizes his quickness fully .. needs to add balance and work on his strength as he is easily muscled off the puck along the boards .. very calm with the puck and slows the game down to his pace .. sometimes shows a tendency to overhandle the puck when surrounded by checkers .. must still improve puck protections skills; often loses control of the puck .. hockey sense is terrific; sees the ice extremely well and can orchestrate plays at an elite level .. pass-first habits .. quick, crisp releases on all feeds.

Lukas Bohunicky (2006), D, Kootenay

All-around defender with physical promise .. good overall skater has above-average top speed; capable of keeping up with the best of them and catching the opposition off guard, jumping into the rush .. first step is quick and accelerates well into top speed .. stops crisply and shows excellent agility on the pk or when covering deep in his own end .. very good hockey sense and ability to make plays at full speed .. low panic point even when defending the most intense of attackers .. good vision and high qb IQ .. picks up teammates quickly .. passes are hard and accurate .. fanned on two shot attempts, leaving some doubts as to his timing in that regard .. very intelligent defensively .. not physical, but can make a good hit when decides to get dirty .. mature and well-rounded.

Kris Lazaruk (2006), G, Kootenay

Butterfly style stance makes him look smaller in the net than his height would suggest .. excellent quickness; high marks for glove and arm quickness .. polished positional game; stance is square to the shooter .. covers up well when along the ice or near a post .. needs to stay up longer as he has a tendency to go down prematurely .. excellent at getting down and up off his knees .. legs are quick and nimble .. moves the puck well to teammates .. good rebound control.

Ryan White (2006), C, Calgary

Bullish workhorse is extremely difficult to move along the boards .. top speed is average and will have to be improved upon .. first step and acceleration are adequate and allow him to get to maximum speed rather well .. strength in both upper and lower body is excellent, making him almost impossible to contains when in possession of the puck .. excellent reach, able to handle the puck very well in close or farther away from his body, using his body to shield himself against traffic when cycling the puck down low .. hockey sense is very good, able to make excellent passes at both long and short range and does not make premature plays; confident and patient enough to hold on to the puck until a lane opens up .. shooting ability could use further work; shot is accurate but lacks power.

Chad Greenan (2006), D, Kootenay

Average top speed; first step and acceleration could use improvement .. deceptively agile and can stop and change directions quickly when defending .. impressive instincts with the puck; makes the smartest plays available .. physical but doesn't take himself out of position.

Carson McMillan (2006), RW, Calgary

Above average top speed with an extremely quick first step and excellent acceleration .. makes nice passes at full speed; does not take him long to pick up on an option and deliver on it .. willing to play physical and attacks defenders, limiting their space and time .. not playing a lot currently, but is one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Fredrik Pettersson (Edm), LW, Calgary

A contender for the scoring title in the WHL .. excellent top speed, first step and acceleration .. stops on a dime and easily changes directions; his maneuvers are proving to be a problem for the more slow-footed league defenders .. booming shot with an excellent release; shot of choice is the slapper, which he gets off at full speed .. excellent competitiveness and does not back down from pushing matches with players of more height .. never gives up on a play .. strength is very good for his size .. may prove to be a fifth round steal and is adjusting well to hockey in Canada, playing against very physically mature opposition .. an exciting, speedy, intense player.