Team: Brandon Wheat Kings (Western Hockey League of the CHL)
DOB: August 22, 1991
Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Height: 6-0
Weight: 198 pounds
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Rankings:
International Scouting Services: 6th
The Hockey News: 6th
Red Line Report: 4th
TSN: 6th
McKeen's Hockey: 8th
Statistics:
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | ||
| 2008-09 | Brandon | WHL | 70 | 32 | 56 | 88 | +20 | 82 | 12 |
8 |
10 | 18 |
18 |
12 |
| 2007-08 | Brandon | WHL | 66 | 28 | 43 | 71 | +22 | 48 | 6 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
14 |
Why the Stars would want him:
Because he has it all; Brayden Schenn is a future number one center for whichever club drafts him, and he has the makeup to become a star in the NHL. His combination of grit, skill, character and leadership abilities makes him one of the highest sought after centers in the draft, with many scouts believing he will contribute at the NHL level much sooner rather than later.
NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire labeled him a mixture of Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton, with his ability to not only crash the net with the puck while also being able to make incredible passes.
"Brayden is of the power-forward ilk. He has learned a little about the NHL from his older brother Luke Schenn and he knows how to go to the net. He is a threat to score at all times on the ice and dishes the puck very effectively to his linemates in getting the amount of assists that he does. He takes the puck to the net with the kind of authority that a Jonathan Cheechoo does, yet has puck dishing capacities that maybe a Joe Thornton does. Both are tough players, both are tough to move out in front of the net and Brayden fits that ilk perfectly."
He's as much a playmaker as he is a goal scorer and he has the size to adjust to the physical play of the NHL. He has incredible hockey intelligence and and uses his blue-collar approach to the game to be as complete a player as possible. He is far from a defensive liability, and his hard work and grit have made him a force on both ends of the ice.
In short, he's a complete hockey player.
He is also the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn, last year's 5th overall draft pick. He has learned a lot from his brother about the adjustments needed to make it at the next level, which should expedite his development as he makes his way to the NHL.
Why the Stars might pass on him:
The only way the Stars would pass on Schenn is if a highly rated defenseman falls into their laps. Many scouts and mock drafts are all pretty much on the same page as to who the top four prospects are; 5-15 looks to be more of a crapshoot. This is an extremely talented group of players at the top of the draft, and a player taken 14th could easily have gone 7th. It all depends on the individual draft team's boards and who they have rater higher.
Les Jackson has stated (and who knows how closely Joe Nieuwendyk will adhere to this philosophy) that the Stars will draft whoever is rated highest on the draft board. There's a chance that Schenn falls to the Stars at #8, although it's perhaps a bit unlikely. He's has way too much upside for the teams in front of Dallas to pass on him.
Schenn is also expected to choose to return to the Brandon Wheat Kings next season, since the team is hosting the Memorial Cup in 2010, according to his Hockey's Future profile. The team will be heavily relying on Schenn to lead their push next season and while it's not unheard of for draft picks to stay in the CHL, it's not ideal for high first-round draft picks.
One interesting scenario could find both Jared Cowen and Brayden Schenn sitting there for the Stars to draft (how great of a situation might that be). If this happens, you have to believe that Jackson and Nieuwendyk go with Cowen, since the Stars system is already brimming with talent at the forward position and lacking on defense.