The Copper & Blue, an Edmonton Oilers community

8. D David Musil (Vancouver Giants, WHL)

The WHL’s biggest surprise in 2009-10, Czech import David Musil managed to not only match the hype built up about him in his home country, but somehow exceed it. On the radar of scouts ever since debuting at the men’s level at the age of 15, Musil was so highly sought-after that the WHL had to hold a special lottery just for his rights. The son of former NHLer Frank Musil, David posted a stunning +33 rating along with an equally impressive 32 points.

Based on that, how could he possibly not be in our top five? The 6’3, 191 lbs rearguard is an excellent prospect, don’t get us wrong; he compares favorably to the likes of Luke Schenn and Karl Alzner. However, the 2011 class is much deeper than expected.

While he looks like Bambi at times on the ice with his long, awkward skating style, Musil can generate a reasonable amount of speed. In addition, his body is almost always in the right place and he quietly, reliably does an excellent job of clearing out the puck.

However, one needs to look at the context of his team to understand where his points came from. No fewer than three players on the Giants potted over a point a game. In addition, regardless of whether Musil was on the first or second pairing, he was inevitably paired with a very strong offensive defenseman- either Kevin Connauton, who posted 72 points, or Neil Manning, a 59-point player.

Generally shy about engaging much in the offensive side of the game and perhaps not blessed with anything more than average offensive acumen, Musil will be strongly tested this upcoming season; Connauton (VAN) and leading scorer Craig Cunningham (BOS) may opt to jump to the AHL this year, meaning he will be relied up on to not only play in his own zone but move the puck. If he succeeds, there’s a possibility a team will like him as much as Florida liked Erik Gudbranson.