MONTREAL'S AUBRY AND PARKES EARN NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING DRAFT RANKING

Central Scouting has released their final rankings for the 2010 NHL entry draft and Montreal has two forwards that have earned a spot on the North American Player List. Centerman Louis-Marc Aubry (seen in photo) is ranked 87th, while right winger Trevor Parkes earned a final rank of 197.

Aubry, an 18 year old junior aged player this past season, provided Montreal with size up front along with his steady two-way play. With 15 goals and 33 points in 66 games played, Aubry is by no means a huge offensive threat. But what he does does well is bring a competitive element to each game. He wants to win. At 6'3" and 186 lbs Aubry is considered a big body in the Q. His skating is strong and he's rarely caught out of position. Aubry likes to keep his shifts short which is a good habit not often seen in Junior players. In terms of potential, I'm sure NHL scouts are projecting him as a 3rd or 4th line NHL centerman.

Parkes, also an 18 year old junior aged player during the 2009-2010 season, made the Juniors on a try out basis after being overlooked in the OHL ranks. The right winger scored 27 goals and 47 points in 66 games played. Parkes' strengths are his hands (if you've seen him in a shootout, you know how this guy can dangle), a fast release on his shot and his strong two way play (Parkes led the Juniors with a plus/minus rating of +19). While he's not the prettiest skater, he is strong on his feet and doesn't mind a physical game. In terms of size Parkes is listed at 6'1" and 170 lbs but appears to be a bit bigger. I would imagine that NHL scouts are treating Parkes as a bit of a project type prospect. While he carries many attractive qualities his skating remains a skill that requires improvement.

On another note, once highly toughted Montreal right winger Guillaume Asselin was bounced from Central Scouting's list all together and enters the spring as an unranked player. While it is highly unlikely he'll get drafted this spring, there remains a chance that with a strong performance during the 2010-2011 Asselin could change the minds of the scouts and earn a rank for the 2011 NHL entry draft.

For more information on Central Scouting's NHL draft rankings, check out the below links:

Louis-Marc Aubry's Central Scouting NHL Draft Profile:
www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail.htm?dpid=2191

Trevor Parkes' Central Scouting NHL Draft Profile:
www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail.htm?dpid=2375

Full Central Scouting NHL Draft Rankings:
www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectbrowse.htm?cat=1&year=2010