Previewing the Draft: Cam Fowler

Name: Cam Fowler
Position: Defense
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 18
Home Country: United States
Playing In: Ontario Hockey League (Juniors)

Join me after the jump for scouting reports.....
Scouting  Reports

Rangers Tribune: A few months ago, if you would have asked a scout who they thought would go first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the response likely would have been defenseman Cam Fowler. However, as time has went on and Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin have further established themselves, he has lost some of the spotlight. Still, he is a part of what I like to call the "Big Three", which are the top three prospects who are almost guaranteed to be drafted first, second or third. I have a feeling Fowler will go third, but regardless, whichever team claims him will be very happy with what they are getting.

As we saw in the World Junior Championships back in January, Fowler is a dynamic offensive-defenseman who has always been known to put up stunning numbers for a blue-liner. For that reason, I would compare Fowler to Mike Green of the Washington Capitals. Green is talented offensively but is not as steady in his own zone. That is the exact description that is most commonly applied to Fowler.

Hockey's Future: In his OHL rookie season, Fowler played in 55 games for the Windsor Spitfires. He scored 8 goals and added 47 assists for 55 points while posting a +38 rating for the season. In 19 playoff games, Fowler scored 3 goals and added 11 assists for 14 points as he and his Spitfires' teammates won the OHL championship for the second consecutive year. Fowler won a gold medal as a member of the Team USA squad that won the Under-20 2010 World Junior Championships. He played for Team Cherry at the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game. Read More...

NHL Fanhouse: For a time, it looked like Fowler might have the chance to overtake Taylor Hall and/or Tyler Seguin. Instead, Central Scouting dropped him a bit (to fifth), and it doesn't appear he will go higher than third in the draft.

About the only flaw in his game is that the physical side hasn't come along like many figured it would. That doesn't mean Fowler is a soft player, but a guy of his size is expected to assert himself more in the hitting game than Fowler has at times.

Where Fowler excels is with the puck. He has a good shot, and makes great passes. Fowler is at home as quarterback for the power play, but don't mistake him as a purely offensive player. Read More...

The Hockey News: Cam Fowler made a smooth adjustment to the OHL after coming over from the U.S. national team development program and, while some scouts would like to see him play a more physical game, his skating and poise have been mesmerizing. "He's as good as a skater as you're going to find in the draft," one scout said. "But I find sometimes you get so enamored with the fact that he already is an NHL-caliber skater that you forget about his shortcomings.....[He] is really going to struggle if he doesn't get more accustomed away from the puck." (Read more in THN Draft Preview 2010 edition)

Projected to be Drafted: 3rd overall

What should the Rangers do in the first round of the draft?