25 WHL Players To Watch in 2012-13
 

Just posted this piece. Discuss!

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/20...n-2012-13.html

Great article. It's nice to read someone who understands Jr. hockey. I'm excited about seeing all the guys you mentioned. I agree on Lowry. He has serious upside. Too bad he was hurt last year. Would've made the Vause line a little more deadly. I'm interested to see more of McNeill too, kind of a Jekyll/Hyde guy.

Shinkaruk and Virtanen will both be fun to watch too. Good year to be seeing some eastern conference games.

Wow, that's some high praise level for McColgan when you consider the studs Saskatoon had before. (Schenn, Elliot)

It's true, it's high praise. But, when at comes to pure skill and hands, he's definitely in the discussion.

Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it.

Great article, about half way through it so far an loving it. You're definitely my favourite source of WHL info!

I'm actually looking to purchase a bunch of Giants tickets, which teams would you suggest watching to see some really dynamic, dominant talents? Not necessarily looking for stacked teams, but teams with a few guys I can really focus on, players who could potentially turn into impact NHLers down the road. I'm thinking the Winterhawks, the Oil Kings, the Tigers (just for Shinkaruk really) and the Warriors (for Rielly, I'm a Leafs fan after all). Any other suggestions? Think these are good picks team-wise, or are there other teams I should be looking at? I'm going to try to get to around 4-6 Giants games in total (in the regular season).

I felt bad for Skapski last night. He made some really good saves, but there was a ton of pressure on him most of the night. I wouldn't really call any of the goals that went in "soft". A lot of the Ice players were screening him in the worst possible ways. He seems like a really decent goaltending prospect.

Rattie but no Dumba?

Really like Jamal Watson. Hopefully he can put up a good year and be in the conversation to be drafted by the end of the year.

Lowry and Rielly for me, lucky that you're in both players' division RS. We know they're talented and this is their year to finally be able to show it all off. Both are huge dynamic talents can't wait to see what a full, healthy season brings for these two, should be some dominant campaigns.

Joe Hicketts, Morgan Rielly. Tim Bozon in Kamloops should rip it up. And it's time for the Lazar train to get going.

Sorry, can't list every player.

I think you nailed it with teams like Portland and Edmonton. Red Deer would be solid, to see Dumba. Besides that, I would recommend watching Kamloops. Not a ton of high-end prospect talent, but a fantastic team overall.

I gotta disagree.

At least two or three of the goals had no business ending up in the back of the net.

Is Bartschi going to play in WHL this year again or is he eligible for AHL?

ahl/nhl

Glad to see Tvrdon get a mention

He's not in the WHL.

Tvrdon is awesome, I hope he can improve on his great rookie seson.

How many of those were garbage goals though? He is pretty weak on the rebounds, that is certain. But at least from what I saw, he has a fast glove. And I am not sure if anyone was tracking blocked shots from that game, but I wasn't seeing much from the Ice.

None of them.

He failed to make the save. These werent rebound tap ins.

The Cole Benson goal was one of the bad ones. There was at least one more, and Im pretty sure there were two more.

Lowe's goal I wouldn't call soft. His own team screened him. Samuelsson's was pretty bad I admit. I believe it was the Benson goal that was the rebound tap in from the bad side angle wasn't it? Or that might have been Baddocks...

I didn't get a good look at st Croix's goal, I can't really comment on it.

Fine lol, you win on the bad goals standpoint. But some of the saves he did make were great. He looked pretty panicked at times, maybe its just his age.

The Benson goal just got lost in his pads from a bad angle and trickled through into the net.

I wouldnt say the Lowe goal was bad necessarily. I was sitting in the corner by the glass in the end the Ice were defending in the first and third.

Not saying he is a bad goalie. Was the first time I saw him play, first game of the year and all that, just an observation that two or three of the goals were pretty weak imo.

i hope McColgan gets a contract from NYR. he needs to get signed.

So who should I keep an eye on tonight...Seattle vs Portland? Im specifically wondering about 2013 prospects as I know a lot about the teams older players.

I would be following Seth Jones the entire game. I would imagine a bunch of scouts are going to be there doing the same thing.