E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Travis Ewanyk #77

By Eldon MacDonald

77. Travis Ewanyk - “Mr. Teammate” - C/LW - Canada

Vitals: Size - 6’1”, 184 lb.; Shoots left; Born 29-Mar-93
Team: Edmonton, WHL
2010-11 Stats: 72-16-11-27-126-(-3) + WHL playoffs 4-0-1-1-13-(-1) + U18 7-0-1-1-4-(+1)

Rankings:
42 - ISS per TSN
67 - The Scouting Report's Top 100
HM - Bob MacKenzie's June Poll of Scouts (HM = 61 to 85)
77 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
77 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
85 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (66th North American skater)
90 - Cory's Pronmans Top 100
Draft result:
74 - Edmonton Oilers

The math is very simple, if you want to win, you need a teammate like Travis Ewanyk. Not the biggest guy, not the fastest guy, not the most skilled guy, he is the guy who has your back, takes the key face-offs in the defensive zone, kills the penalties, plays a shutdown role when needed, creates energy for the whole team with his checking and open ice hitting. Redline Reports’s Kyle Woodlief had this to say about him after the U18’s - http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sport...895/story.html - "Wow. Ewanyk was a revelation in Germany. He has better hands and stick skills than I realized and his fire and passion are unmatched."

Bottom line, if you want a third or fourth line winner, you want Travis Ewanyk. While he doesn’t necessarily have second round skills, don’t be too shocked if someone calls his name out in the second (think Dalton Smith last year) although third is more likely.