Scout
12-23-2007, 11:13 AM
RED LINE REPORT
News-and-Notes from around the scouting community
Two WHL defensemen who have been generating a lot of buzz lately are Brandon's Colby Robak and Saskatoon's Jyri Niemi. Niemi missed all of November with a severely jammed wrist, but has returned to the lineup in early December. His booming shot from the point and overall hockey sense have been a pleasant surprise. Red Line especially likes the way he thinks the game — he plays with a lot of confidence and his decisions are quick.
Robak was on our radar from last season as a player to watch, but he's really exceeded all expectations this season. His size, skating, and two-way ability have him steadily climbing on our list. The big rearguard has added more than 15 pounds of muscle since last season, and his skating has actually improved over that same time frame. However, the biggest improvement has been seen in his puck ability. While he doesn't project to be an offensive defenseman, he's been making good decisions with the puck and moving it confidently.
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Earlier this season, we noted that Spokane's Jared Cowen was already garnering lots of attention as a potential top 10 pick for the 2009 draft. And while Cowen has done nothing to dispel that notion this season, a handful of other '91-born players are also starting to emerge out West as the cream of the next draft crop.
Brandon center Brayden Schenn has been the biggest surprise so far, leading all WHL rookies with 35 points in 30 games. The Saskatoon native, who is the younger brother of Kelowna's Luke Schenn, has been getting a ton of ice time and has been the Wheat Kings' best player on most nights. At 6-0, 195 lbs., he's got enough size to go along with the hands and hockey sense to be an early first-round candidate for '09.
Originally it looked like the Wheat Kings weren't going to ever see Schenn report. Last year he asked to be traded to a team closer to Kelowna, where his brother was playing. The family didn't like the idea of their sons playing 1,000 miles apart, but eventually the Wheat Kings were able to convince their 2006 first-round pick to report to camp on time.
Besides Schenn, two offensive-minded '91 defensemen are also impressing in the Dub. Kelowna's Tyson Barrie is looking an awful lot like Thomas Hickey did in his rookie season, and Saskatoon's Stefan Elliott has also been a point producer from the blue line.
While Elliott (6-0) is a couple of inches taller, we think Barrie (5-10) is the better prospect at this point because his hockey sense and defensive play is a shade better. Both 16-year-olds are running their team's power play and have the kind of offensive ability from the blue line that is so valued by NHL teams today.
And finally in Red Deer, Ray Ferraro's son, Landon, is also on our radar. While his point totals have been only average so far, we think he may have some of the best upside among the '91s out west.
News-and-Notes from around the scouting community
Two WHL defensemen who have been generating a lot of buzz lately are Brandon's Colby Robak and Saskatoon's Jyri Niemi. Niemi missed all of November with a severely jammed wrist, but has returned to the lineup in early December. His booming shot from the point and overall hockey sense have been a pleasant surprise. Red Line especially likes the way he thinks the game — he plays with a lot of confidence and his decisions are quick.
Robak was on our radar from last season as a player to watch, but he's really exceeded all expectations this season. His size, skating, and two-way ability have him steadily climbing on our list. The big rearguard has added more than 15 pounds of muscle since last season, and his skating has actually improved over that same time frame. However, the biggest improvement has been seen in his puck ability. While he doesn't project to be an offensive defenseman, he's been making good decisions with the puck and moving it confidently.
**
Earlier this season, we noted that Spokane's Jared Cowen was already garnering lots of attention as a potential top 10 pick for the 2009 draft. And while Cowen has done nothing to dispel that notion this season, a handful of other '91-born players are also starting to emerge out West as the cream of the next draft crop.
Brandon center Brayden Schenn has been the biggest surprise so far, leading all WHL rookies with 35 points in 30 games. The Saskatoon native, who is the younger brother of Kelowna's Luke Schenn, has been getting a ton of ice time and has been the Wheat Kings' best player on most nights. At 6-0, 195 lbs., he's got enough size to go along with the hands and hockey sense to be an early first-round candidate for '09.
Originally it looked like the Wheat Kings weren't going to ever see Schenn report. Last year he asked to be traded to a team closer to Kelowna, where his brother was playing. The family didn't like the idea of their sons playing 1,000 miles apart, but eventually the Wheat Kings were able to convince their 2006 first-round pick to report to camp on time.
Besides Schenn, two offensive-minded '91 defensemen are also impressing in the Dub. Kelowna's Tyson Barrie is looking an awful lot like Thomas Hickey did in his rookie season, and Saskatoon's Stefan Elliott has also been a point producer from the blue line.
While Elliott (6-0) is a couple of inches taller, we think Barrie (5-10) is the better prospect at this point because his hockey sense and defensive play is a shade better. Both 16-year-olds are running their team's power play and have the kind of offensive ability from the blue line that is so valued by NHL teams today.
And finally in Red Deer, Ray Ferraro's son, Landon, is also on our radar. While his point totals have been only average so far, we think he may have some of the best upside among the '91s out west.