panoo

Written by Matt MacInnis
on 06/16/2007

The 2007 BCHL crop appears destined to be one of the better classes of NHL prospects to ever come out of the league. In addition to Kyle Turris, who appears destined to be the first prospect drafted in the top five directly out of the BCHL since Paul Kariya, Hockey’s Future predicts at least four other BCHL players will be selected June 22-23.

1. Kyle Turris, C
2006/07 Team: Burnaby Express
2007/08 Team: Wisconsin
6'0.5, 170 lbs.
DOB: 8/14/89 Shoots: Right
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 1st among North American skaters

Turris has been a highlytouted prospect since a strong performance during the 2006 RBC Royal Bank Cup, including a dominating performance during the championship’s final game on national TV. Touted going into the season as a probable first-round pick, Turris steadily climbed up the ranks throughout the course of a very strong season in the BCHL. In 53 regular season games, Turris racked up 66 goals and 55 assists for 121 points. While there is no question his statistics are inflated by playing junior “A” hockey, there is equally no denying Turris’ impressive raw talent.

Turris is a fast player with great hockey sense, puck -handling skills and shooting accuracy. He has very good positioning in the offensive zone and creates a chance almost every time he touches the puck. He’s a very lean player at this point, but he knows how to avoid getting hit and his game is not reliant on overpowering the opposition. Rick Lanz, his coach in Burnaby, used him in all situations this past year and wasn’t afraid to keep him on the ice for minutes at a time – a practical example of Turris’ impressive stamina.

The main criticism of Turris is the fact that he spent the season playing against lesser competition in the BCHL. However, Turris’ vast skill supersedes all other factors and he will almost certainly be selected in the top three on Draft Day. He has the raw talent to potentially develop into a first-line game breaker.

2. Riley Nash, C
2006/07 Team: Salmon Arm Silverbacks
2007/08 Team: Cornell
6'1, 175 lbs.
DOB: 5/9/89 Shoots: Right
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 64th among North American skaters

Not many people in the hockey world knew much about Riley Nash going into this season. He spent the 2005-06 hockey season playing major midget and only appeared in a handful of BCHL games (mostly playoff) at the very end of the year for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. He broke onto the scouting radar this year however with some big offensive numbers including 38 goals and 46 assists in 55 regular season games.

Of this year’s BCHL class, Nash may be the most guaranteed to play in the NHL in some capacity. There are more skilled players and better goal scorers, but Nash offers an impressive all-around, mature game that is unique among 17 and 18-year-olds. He plays very well along the boards and has very good mobility although he’s not a particularly fast skater. He probably needs to add 20 lbs of muscle if he’s going to be able to excel on the boards in the professional ranks – but going the NCAA route gives him more time to build the muscle mass he will need later in his career.

Nash could be a surprise first-round pick on draft day but will likely be chosen in the second round. He is probably a future third-line player, but he could conceivably end up as the defensively conscious player on a well-rounded second line at some point in his career. Whoever ends up with Nash will have a great character player in their system.

3. Casey Pierro-Zabotel, C
2006/07 Team: Merritt Centennials
2007/08 Team: Michigan Tech
6'1, 205 lbs.
DOB: 11/8/88 Shoots: Left
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 75th among North American skaters

FULL STORY