Scouting Reports: WHL – Sam Steel, Adam Brooks, Cale Fleury, Nick Henry, Callan Foote.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

McKeen's Hockey welcomes Kevin Olexson.  In his own words "I reside in the sunny Okanagan in the beautiful city of Kelowna. I was born and raised in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I spent many freezing days and nights on outdoor rinks and watching hockey games in small arenas. This is my second year of analyzing and writing about prospects."

Sam Steel, Regina Pats

Skating: Steel is a strong skater who is quick with good speed and agility. He’s really smooth on his feet, takes quick, strong, powerful strides, is very agile and moves around the ice easily. Speed is a huge part of his game, and he accelerates quickly and uses it to his advantage. He has great wheels and can burn defenders as he will catch them off guard and blow by them as he shifts gears. He’s also sturdy on his feet, and despite being light framed, he doesn’t get knocked around. Steel has impressive edgework, maintains his balance well while working his edges nicely to change angles and maneuver around defenders. He can make hard cuts and sudden shifts,  and is really smooth on his skates. Grade: 55

Shot: Steel has a very good shot, and a range of them. He has a good accurate wrist shot that snaps off his stick.  He has a really quick release, and the puck comes off of his stick instantly in the slot. He also possesses a good slap shot, with good velocity and accuracy that he should use more. He’s good at shifting his body and maneuvering to change the angle of and get off different shots. Grade: 55

Skills: Steel is a highly skilled player with exceptional passing skills and top notch vision. He sees the ice very well, is patient with the puck and can create open ice and space for himself and his teammates by attracting defenders with his puck dangling abilities. He’s a smooth passer with great hands who makes nice crisp passes to his line mates, and is able to thread passes to them through crowded areas setting up great scoring chances. Steel is a good faceoff man with quick hands who likes to play a puck possession game. He likes to carry the puck and stickhandle up the ice, along the boards or in traffic while using his high end peripheral vision to open lanes and find open teammates. Grade: 60

Smarts: Steel is an extremely smart player who is offensively gifted yet defensively smart. He always hustles back to help out in his own end by dropping down low in front of the net, and is very rarely caught out of position. He has very strong hockey sense and understands the game very well. His positioning is great, and he knows where to be or go, and works his way in to high scoring areas. He has incredibly high hockey IQ, is a reliable two-way player who uses good instincts along with an active stick to break up passes and create turnovers. He has the ability to both read and adjust to the plays on the ice, and has to the skill and fortitude to make sure that he gets to where he needs to be. He uses his speed effectively to effectively transition his team from defense to offense and gets himself open or breakout passes.  Grade: 65

Physicality: Steel plays a game that is heavy on finesse and does not throw the body around a lot. He will engage in board and puck battles, and does dig for pucks, but not by using his body, as he does not play overly physical. Steel is a smaller player, and needs to add to his light frame. As he is only 18, he will fill out and add strength. Grade: 45

Summary: Steel has been a proven scorer at every level, and has really stepped up this season to lead the Regina Pats to a top ranking. Anaheim selected him in the first round of last year’s draft at the 30^th position, and will certainly be a real steal and quality pick.  After being a surprising cut from Canada’s junior team, Steel has continued to dominate the WHL. Steel is a scoring threat every time he steps on the ice, and makes the players around him better. He is primarily known for being a playmaking center, but has developed himself in to a first rate finisher with 32 goals in 35 games and buries the puck with ease. He is a hardworking two-way center, who is versatile and plays in all situations. Steel plays the game with speed, has excellent vision, smarts, and puck skills. He loves to have the puck on his stick, is creative with the puck, and has no trouble handling the puck at top speeds.  He is a good puck mover, is very calm with the puck on his stick, and his passing skills are elite. Steel is a smart player with good anticipation who reads the plays well and can adapt to the situations at hand.

Skating: Brooks is a solid skater with good speed, agility and balance. He keeps a wide stance, is very solid on his skates, and uses strong strides to accelerate quickly with a good top speed, and gains speed quickly through the neutral zone in transition. He has good footwork and navigates himself very well in traffic and in tight spots. Grade: 55

Shot: Brooks has a very accurate wrist shot and triggers a quick release when he lets it go. His shot is above average, and he should use it more. He likes to shoot in close to the net, otherwise he is looking to make a play. Brooks gets the puck off really quick on his one timers, and he also has a soft touch and easily picks the high corners. He has great hand eye coordination around the net and gets his stick on a lot of pucks for deflections.  He has a quick hard snap shot or wrist shot, and gets good shots sliding back from the puck and changing angles. Grade: 55

Skills: Brooks is a highly skilled player who has been extremely reliable and stepped up and taken leadership of the Pats. He has great passing skills with quick hands who distributes the puck very well and can get the puck where it needs to be. He has good vision, is a very good puck handler who controls and protects the puck really well. He has good awareness, especially in the offensive zone and is always involved in the game. Grade: 55

Smarts: Brooks is a very smart player with high hockey IQ and good instincts. He reads the play very well and sees openings and breakdowns, and has good anticipation being able to take away space and set up teammates. He is used in all situations and is able to play well in his own zone and help transition his team to offense in a hurry. Brooks can react well, and make adjustments to adapt his game, which is why he has been successful. Grade: 60

Physicality: Brooks may not be the biggest guy on the ice, but he stays low and is solid on his feet. He plays with grit and does not shy away from the physical game. He will make a hit and stand his ground, or take a hit and make the play. He is not afraid to go the net or get involved in the corners or along the boards. Grade: 50

Summary: Brooks has really come a long way in the past two seasons in Regina. From getting very little playing time in his first two season with the Pats, he has been a student of the game and has paid his dues, matured, and turned in to a well rounded player. He could be labelled as a late bloomer, and with his emergence last season where he led the WHL in scoring, he has been even more dominant this season. One would expect that with an overage player, but he has learned to adapt his game, and works hard each and every shift on the ice. He is a dependable two-way player who competes hard each and every night, and his consistency has earned the trust of his coaches and teammates. Brooks is a good playmaker who sees the ice very well, will play in all situations, and does all of the little things right. Brooks has good speed and likes to play the game at high speed. He is been a great influence with his teammates as many of them have elevated their games around Brooks, who last year finished 50 points ahead of his team’s next leading scorer. Brooks also plays a gritty game, can be physical, and can get under the skin of his opponents. He is always involved in the play and somehow finds himself in the center of it. Whether he is cutting through the middle of the ice on the offensive zone to the net or stretching out the defenders to set up teammates for good scoring opportunities, there is always something happening when he is on the ice.  Brooks should translate into a solid 2^nd or 3^rd line center in the NHL, and is definitely ready for the AHL.

Cale Fleury, photo by Cranbook Photo

Skating: Fleury is a smooth skater with good speed. He takes quick strong steps and has good acceleration. He makes hard stops with fast foot work to move the opposite direction and elude attackers.  He has good balance, is strong on his feet and can walk the blue line to make good passes or change his angle to get off good shots on net. Grade: 50

Shot: Fleury has a great shot, quick, hard and accurate. He likes to shoot, and finds shooting lanes to get pucks to the net. He has a strong accurate one timer that comes off his stick quickly. He also possesses a nice quick and deceptive wrist shot that generally finds its way to the net. Grade: 55

Skills: Fleury is a highly skilled player that is growing and developing every game as he gains more and more confidence. He is a great puck mover, makes nice crisp hard passes, and makes good first passes out of the zone to start the breakout. He is comfortable with the puck on his stick and likes to carry the puck and get involved up the ice. He has good hand eye coordination and active stick, always getting his stick in the way and deflecting pucks and breaking up plays. In the offensive zone, he manages to get his stick on shots and passes for deflections and redirections on net.  His good passing skills give him opportunities to get good shots off as he can fool defenders, then pull back and change angles to get off a quick hard wrist shot. Sometimes he tries too hard to create things and tries to force pucks, but with more maturity he will become more patient and give himself and his team mates more time and space. Grade: 50

Smarts: Fleury is a smart player who is well disciplined, and can support and lead his teammates. He does a lot of things right away from the puck, and plays a strong man to man game as well as good zone coverage, keeping opponents at bay and maintaining his position. He has an active stick, breaking up plays and deflecting passes, and likes to join the play in transition. He reads plays well, and puts himself in the right spots and positions.Grade: 50

Physicality: Fleury plays aggressively and has a strong physical game. He is a strong kid with decent size who likes to engage and plays with an edge. He will lay big punishing hits, and step up and drop the gloves when needed. He is strong on the puck, battles hard to block out opponents, and wins puck battles. He protects the puck very well when it is on his stick and he moves up the ice, is not afraid to go in to corners or engage in front of the net. Grade: 55

Summary: The younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Haydn Fleury, Cale Fleury is the leader of a young rebuilding Kootenay Ice squad. Although things have not been all good down in Kootenay, the Ice are happy to have a young talent like Fleury in their fold. He is a smooth skating defenceman comfortable with the puck on his stick, likes to join the rush, and has good passing and puck skills. Despite his poor plus minus numbers (-23), he is sound in his own end positionally, and man to man. It looks bad because he is the leader on a young team that is rebuilding and is not stacked with talent, so many of the older , more experienced teams seem to push the play on the young Ice squad. He works hard on and off the ice, and is respected by his peers and teammates. He is maturing and developing quickly and gaining confidence with each and every shift. He has good size, is strong on his skates, has good offensive instincts and a great shot.

Nick Henry, photo by Keith Hershmiller

Skating: Henry is a strong skater that has good speed. He keeps a low stance, is light on his skates, and accelerates very quickly with short quick steps and strong crossovers. He moves easily around the ice, and is able to get behind defenders where they have a hard time catching him. He will get faster and stronger as he develops. Grade: 50

Shot: Henry has really heavy shot and likes to shoot and fire from all over the ice. He has a range of shots that he uses. Whether a nice low hard wrist shot with good velocity as it comes off of his stick, or a good slap shot that he really leans in to and gets full extension on. He has a quick release on his one timer and wrist shot as the puck just snaps off his stick. He can shoot short side coming in on net, or change his angle, push the puck and shoot far side as he pulls the goalie and defender away. He has good accuracy, a good quick release, and a really hard one timer. Grade: 55

Skills: Henry is a playmaker with finishing ability who has really good offensive instincts. He has good hand eye coordination, and can lean back to pick up pucks and get underneath them for good scoring chances. He likes to handle the puck, especially down low, keeps his head up and can thread nice passes to teammates for good scoring opportunities. Grade: 55

Smarts: Henry has good puck skills and offensive smarts. He has good net presence, likes to go to the net with his stick on the ice, and capitalizes on loose pucks and mistakes. He has the tendency to slide in to the slot for a one timer or quick release, and scores a lot from the slot or at the doorstep. He follows the play well, keeps his head up, and goes to the net. Grade:50

Physicality: Henry has decent size, but I never witnessed him play a physical style. He considers himself a rugged winger, but does not push the physical edge. The way that his club has played this season, there is no reason for him to do so. Grade: 45

Summary: This is Henry’s first year in the WHL, and he has the luxury of playing with the best team in Canada, and learn from guys like Steel and Brooks. Henry will learn to adjust and adapt to the WHL game where he will mature and get stronger, and learn to develop his two-way game. He plays a hard game, and likes to go to the net with the puck on his stick, where he will jump on loose pucks and capitalize on rebounds. He has good net presence and positioning, and goes to the net with his stick on the ice in which he benefits from quite often. He considers himself a playmaker, but has shown that he has great finishing skills as well. He turns and shoots quickly, likes to cycle low, and uses his speed to forecheck hard and create turnovers.  He has a very good shot that he will use just about anywhere on the ice.

Cal Foote #25 of Kelowna Rockets, Prospera Place, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze)

Skating: Foote is a much better skater than he is given credit for. He is a good skater for his size, and really does surprise with his speed and agility. He uses a wide stance, and takes strong powerful strides when he gets going. He picks up speed in stride, has fast feet and takes quick steps, but is not the fastest skater and does not have a great top end speed. With his size, he seems to hunch over a bit, and his skating can look a little clunky at times as he adjusts to different scenarios or reaches for passes instead of moving towards them. He even appears slow at times because he is so big, but he moves well, and skates the puck out of danger nicely using his body to shelter the puck and block out forecheckers.  Once he gets moving he looks solid taking long strides, moving his feet quickly to build up momentum. Grade: 50

Shot: Foote is pass first defenseman who has a real cannon for a shot. He has a lot of power and gets off hard shots. He keeps his shot low and creates rebounds and bounces for teammates in front of the net. Foote also has a great wrist shot that he leans on and flexes his stick which snaps the puck with good force towards the net. He is able to place his wrist shot high from inside the point which catches opponents off guard. Grade: 55

Skills: Foote is a highly skilled player who keeps things simple, thinks pass first and makes smart decisions with the puck. He has strong passing skills, and good puck skills in general. He distributes the puck very well and makes a strong first passes out of his zone. He is very calm and collected with the puck on his stick, keeps his head up and is always looking to make plays. He has very good and active stick, as he gets it out to poke check easily and deflects pucks away.  He is also very active with his feet or skates in controlling or moving the puck. Grade: 55

Smarts: Foote is an extremely smart player for his age, and has excellent hockey sense and IQ. He plays a really sound game in his own zone, and plays a defense first style, always taking care of business in his own zone first and foremost. He reads plays, can react to them, and uses an active stick to get into shooting and passing lanes to both break up plays and clear pucks out of dangerous areas. He understands his role on the ice and how to play in every situation.  He keeps his head up and is aware of what is going on around him, and keeps things simple on the ice. He plays great one on one, takes away space and ice, closes gaps quickly, and separates players forcing them outside and around the perimeter.  He plays calm and composed, uses his large frame to protect the puck, block and box out opposing forwards. He likes to pinch and sneak in offensively, and he knows that he does not have the speed to catch up once forwards are behind him. Instead he knows to hustle back and supports his teammates by getting himself into good positions to take away passes and options to take away scoring opportunities. Grade:55

Physicality: Foote is a big defenseman who is almost NHL ready from a physical perspective. He has great size and strength, and is still growing and filling out. Although he does not play overly physical, he still plays physical enough to intimidate his opponents. He is strong on the puck and along the boards, and makes good use of his size and strength. He can be physical along the boards and in the corners, and can hold off forecheckers and be an intimidating force. Grade: 60

Summary: The ceiling is high for Kelowna Rockets prospect Cal Foote. He is a smart, confident and consistent two-way defender who plays a defense first game, who can also contribute offensively from the back end. He is a shutdown type of defenseman who competes hard, and dominates in his own zone with his exemplary defensive play. He tends to be underrated as he plays a simple game making one high percentage play after another, and frequently goes unnoticed with his style of play. Obviously his size and strength are big factors to his game, and he really knows how to use it all to his advantage. He plays in all situations, is highly popular with his teammates and has great leadership qualities. With his play on the back end, it helps support his teammates and gives them confidence to open up for a quick transition game. He plays such a smart game, and is rarely ever caught out of position. He holds the line well offensively and is usually the first man back as he reads plays so well and is able to adjust. All in all, he’s a complete player who has all of the skills and makeup to be a top two defenseman in the NHL.