On March 4th we watched Vancouver travel to Kamloops for a mid-week battle. Below are the Blazers who made an impression.
Connor Zary (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A) Forward
It’s easy to see why Connor is such a highly touted National Hockey League prospect. He is obviously skilled and has a great stride, but we feel his brain is what sets him apart. He has no panic button and can slow the play down or speed it up when necessary. He reads defender’s gaps very well and his graceful change of speeds keeps the defenders off balance. Connor is a force on the cycle while protecting the puck, but he also finds the quiet areas without drawing attention to himself. He is counted on to play in all situations and we feel this will continue in professional hockey. He handles poor passes smoothly and makes crisp passes without dusting the puck off. Connor is a high end prospect with a bright future.
Josh Pillar (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Josh has great wheels. He uses them to be a very effective F1 on either the forecheck or backcheck, but he is not puck blind. He shows very good ice awareness by having his head on a swivel and adjusting his positioning to where his linemates are or where they are going. He shows developing strength while on the cycle protecting the puck. Where he can consistently hold off older larger defenders and still keep his head up to make plays. He is not afraid of playing in traffic or fighting through his opponent’s sticks to draw penalties. He is currently (3/20) seeing time on the 2nd PP, being used regularly in penalty killing situations & is taking face-offs in high leverages late game situations. He plays with grit and does the little things that help teams be successful. Josh has a good release and first touch, but both skills he will need to continue developing as he matures. There is a lot to like about this prospect’s game.
Full Scouting Evaluation on why we feel Josh is an ideal late round selection
Inaki Baragano (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Inaki is a very interesting defenseman. The right shot can play either side while moving the puck quickly and efficiently. He has excellent feet, closes his gaps well and forces opposing forwards to make decisions early in the neutral zone. Inaki retrieves pucks with his head on a swivel, picks pucks off the wall cleanly and makes hard tape to tape passes that are easy for his forwards to handle. He also has the ability to wheel the net and either take the ice that is given to him or jump into the play as an added attacker. Although he is not putting up points during his first year in the WHL, he is the type of skilled puck moving defenseman that NHL teams crave. Years ago his size would have been a deterrent, but today he is an ideal 5 or 6 who can use his feet and brain to defend.
Daylan Kuefler (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
FREE AGENT WATCH – Daylan is a highly competitive player who finishes his checks on everyone. And we do mean anyone. He has a long powerful stride that he uses to be an effective forechecker. He is the type of player who will do whatever it takes to win a “meaningless game in February” and that is a huge compliment. We feel his best hockey is ahead of him and he is a player we will be tracking.
Kyrell Sopotyk (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
FREE AGENT WATCH – Kyrell is strong on the walls and is at his best during the cycle where he can use his strong base to fend of opponents while looking to make plays. He has good straight line speed. He has the ability to play the off wing and has an absolute rocket of a snap shot that he can get off in stride and through screens.
Tyler Carpendale (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
FREE AGENT WATCH – Tyler has good straight line speed and quickness for such a large young man. He plays with jam and is very effective on the forecheck. He has an active stick that forces turnovers and he finishes checks with authority. He is battling back from a shoulder injury and has unfortunately played under 100 games over the past three seasons. We will track his progress because his size and skating ability make Tyler interesting.
Photo Credit:Dan Hickling/Hickling Images