As part of my blogging this season, I will be doing features on players I see throughout the year that are 2012 NHL draft eligible. I will call it "Officially On The Radar" and each post will be tagged as such to make it easy to search them down the line. This is my first installment.
The Moose Jaw Warriors are known for having big, strong, mobile defenseman. It looks as if they have another gem in Travis Brown.
At 6'2, Brown is an imposing figure on the blueline that loves to play tough and physical.
Despite that size, he's a very good skater and needs to be considered well above average for a large defenseman. He is not afraid to jump into the rush and join the play. Along with those offensive smarts, he also has nice offensive tools. He's a strong passer and has a solid shot.
Defensively, he also holds his own. In my viewings he's been very strong in his one on one defensive play. He's got a quick and active stick and features solid body positioning.
There are two things that I see holding him back in this, his draft year. He's a 17 year old rookie without a ton of experience. And secondly, he's playing on arguably the deepest blueline in the WHL. Ice time will be a challenge to come by, unless he's able to force the Warriors hand and have them trade a defender for a forward to make more room for him.
I really think Brown is an underrated prospect for the 2012 draft and if he can continue his strong start to this season, he will surely have his name called in Pittsburgh at the 2012 NHL draft.
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