June 21, 2004
2004 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Inside College Hockey will profile some of the best NHL Draft-eligible college players between now and when their names will be called, June 26-27 in Raleigh, N.C. Check back often to get the scoop on where you can expect your favorite players to go on draft day.


Forward
6-2 | 205
TRAVIS ZAJAC
North Dakota

2003-04 Statistics: 59 GP, 43-69—112 (Salmon Arm)

Central Scouting: 15th among North American skaters
The Hockey News: 24th

Background: The best of a bumper crop of prospects with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, a BCHL team that also produced North Dakota's Brady Murray, Zajac is headed to Grand Forks this fall.

Scout's Take: “He’s a multi-faceted player, and that makes him very attractive. He's strong, he sees the ice well, he can make great passes and he can finish on his own.

"He dishes the puck very, very well. He's got great timing as he crosses the blue line with the puck, finding the open man.

"He's a little bit older going in as a freshman at North Dakota, which will help. It should be a fluid transition for him this year, but he's going into a tough league and it's college hockey – time will tell."

INCH Projection: You don't find that combination of skills every day. Zajac will likely be the fourth college player taken, after Alvaro Montoya, Drew Stafford and A.J. Thelen (in some order).

"Scout's Take" is Inside College Hockey's exclusive evaluation of the player from one or more NHL scouts. Scouts were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.

Archives: Dartmouth's Grant Lewis | Maine's Mike Lundin | Michigan's Al Montoya | North Dakota's Drew Stafford | Michigan State's A.J. Thelen | Michigan State's David Booth | Minnesota's Blake Wheeler | Boston College's Cory Schneider

Send this to a friend

About Us | Advertiser Info | Site Map | Privacy Policy
© 2004 Inside College Hockey, Inc., All Rights Reserved