Tuesday, June 17, 2008

2008 Wrap - Seattle

Seattle Thunderbirds

Jacob DeSerres: Should be the second or third WHL goaltender to go. Have heard late rumblings that he could go surprisingly high, which would mean early 2nd round to me. Otherwise, I'd guess he'll probably go in the 3rd, maybe 4th round at latest.

Prab Rai: Probably the only other Seattle player with much of a chance to go. Two-way ability plus his good speed might make him worth a pick in the last few rounds.

Others: Isak Quakenbush probably would have needed to drop the gloves a lot more to draw any interest. Brad Haber was probably hard to see for most scouts and isn't likely to go.

Looking Ahead to 2009: The 'Birds have lots of first year eligibles next year and will be a big draw for scouts next season. Sena Acolatse gets the most attention for now, since he's already played two full seasons and has terrific strength. Has already shown enough puck skill to be a 2nd rounder at this point and he could be a riser next year. Jeremy Boyer has an excellent shooting touch and could be an early round candidate if his skating improves a bit. Brenden Dillon and Steve Chaffin are a pair of bookend d-men have just enough raw ability and size to be interesting. They would be middle rounders at best right now, but will be watched closely. Brenden Silvester is speedy and competes, he's at least on the radar. And Charles Wells has a fair bit of skill and looks like he could turn into a good junior player.

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