Rated Rockets: Kelowna's Draft-Eligible Prospects

[RGM81]

http://kelownarockets.com/article/th...ntral-scouting

Three members of the Kelowna Rockets have been listed in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings for the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Shane McColgan was rated 102nd, Zach Franko was 105th, and Jessey Astles was ranked 192nd among North American skaters who are eligible for the draft this coming summer.
McColgan, a native of Manhattan Beach, California, leads the Rockets in scoring this season. The 18-year old right winger is in his second season with the Rockets. In 37 games this season with the Rockets McColgan has 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points to lead Kelowna in scoring. In 71 games last season in McColgan's rookie season, the nifty playmaker had 69 points and was runner-up for the WHL rookie of the year.
Franko is in his rookie season with Kelowna after playing in the MJHL in his home town of Winnipeg last season. A 5-foot-10 left wing, Franko is fourth on the Rockets in scoring with seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points. That puts the speedster at fifth in the WHL among rookies this season.
Astles, from Coquitlam, is in his second year with the Rockets. The bruising right wing has five points and 66 penalty minutes for the Rockets and has become a feared hitter at just 17.
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft will take place in Minnesota June 24 and 25.

I was somewhat surprised to see McColgan ranked that far down the list. He's been touted often as a likely first-round draft choice so for him to be 102nd on the list may hurt those chances.

[Wickabee]

Watched the Rockets win 5-2 over the Western Conference leading Portland Winterhawks tonight. A couple of things came to mind:
1 - McColgan will go higher than that, possibly way higher, how he's rated that low is quite beyond me.
2 - If Franko continues to play like he did tonight, he'll go higher as well. Man, was he on tonight.
3 - Has Adam Brown been drafted yet? Every game I go to he gets to a point where you can see on his face that nothing else is getting past him. Once that attitude shows itself, the game is over and he shuts the door. Happened at the end of the first tonight after a momentary concentration lapse that led to 2 quick Portland goals. Once he made the resolve, the door was closed. Few goalies can actually show that kind of resolve, it's a special talent reserved for special goalies and I really think he's the best goalie Kelowna has had since Swanson. He also makes me think "Kelly Who? Guard? Never heard of him."

[RGM81]

Brown was draft eligible in 2010 and nobody took him. I get the sense that if he continues his play he may end up getting a tryout somewhere but usually once you get passed over as a goalie, you have to search out other options. May end up in Europe at some point. You be nice to Kelly. LOL

[Wickabee]

That's too bad. If you ask me, Brown should be moving to the NHL soon and Barrie should be studying to become a dentist or something. I think this is Brown's breakout year and I really hope he gets a tryout. He just has an attitude that is tough to find in goalies, even guys who've already made the big leagues.

The only knock I can find against Franko is his size. Hoping he grows some.

I never liked Guard. Some of it might have had something to do with the whole arena shouting "Guard" during the Canadian anthem (I also hate watching them play American teams for the crowd shouting "Rockets" during the anthem). Guard was overrated, though. Honestly, with the defense he had in front of him, I could have set CHL records in net. He rode behind a great team and took a bunch of the credit. It kind of shows by what he's done since.

[RGM81]

They did have a pretty good D corps when he was around, that's for sure. It's no coincidence that out of that group you've got an NHL captain, a guy who will be one someday, and one other viable NHL'er.

[Wickabee]

Where's Card these days?

[RGM81]

Germany.