From: Edmonton Sun by Jim Matheson
Joe Colborne will be one of the intriguing question marks going into Friday's first round of the NHL entry draft in Ottawa.
Colborne, who had 90 points in 55 games for the Camrose Kodiaks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season and was named Canada's junior A player of the year, is exactly what every NHL GM is dying to get his mitts on: a large centre with soft hands.
Many scouts, however, have questions about his willingness to get those hands dirty for somebody who's six-foot-five and just over 200 pounds. Maybe that's because the Calgary-born Colborne usually had the puck in junior A. He was clearly better than everybody else.
Colborne could go 10th, or 20th, in the first round. He has plenty of skill, but might drop down the list in a draft year that's top-heavy with defencemen.
He has yet to decide whether he will attend the University of Denver on a scholarship in the fall or play in the WHL, likely for the Tri-City Americans (LetsGoDU Edit: We had better hope that this is sloppy journalism & not a fact based rumor).
Colborne might well be there when the Oilers pick 22nd. He's confident with his abilities, but needs to get stronger.
"There's a huge upside there, even though there are negatives, too. He's got so much potential and if everybody is wiped out (selected) at 22, we'd have to consider him," said Prendergast.
"The red flag isn't the league (AJHL) he plays in, it's the way he plays. There's a lot missing some nights, but he has a lot to bring, too."
Colborne, who had 90 points in 55 games for the Camrose Kodiaks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season and was named Canada's junior A player of the year, is exactly what every NHL GM is dying to get his mitts on: a large centre with soft hands.
Many scouts, however, have questions about his willingness to get those hands dirty for somebody who's six-foot-five and just over 200 pounds. Maybe that's because the Calgary-born Colborne usually had the puck in junior A. He was clearly better than everybody else.
Colborne could go 10th, or 20th, in the first round. He has plenty of skill, but might drop down the list in a draft year that's top-heavy with defencemen.
He has yet to decide whether he will attend the University of Denver on a scholarship in the fall or play in the WHL, likely for the Tri-City Americans (LetsGoDU Edit: We had better hope that this is sloppy journalism & not a fact based rumor).
Colborne might well be there when the Oilers pick 22nd. He's confident with his abilities, but needs to get stronger.
"There's a huge upside there, even though there are negatives, too. He's got so much potential and if everybody is wiped out (selected) at 22, we'd have to consider him," said Prendergast.
"The red flag isn't the league (AJHL) he plays in, it's the way he plays. There's a lot missing some nights, but he has a lot to bring, too."
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