When Josh Manson came to the BCHL with the Salmon Arm SilverBacks, he showed promise as a big forward who could skate, get on the forecheck and chip in offensivley.
In his second BCHL season, he established new highs for goals, assists and penalty minutes. As a defenceman.
The Anaheim Ducks took notice and selected him in the sixth round of the NHL Entry Draft. Manson was not listed on the latest NHL Central Scouting rankings but wound up being one of just two players drafted, along with Victoria's Joel Lowry, that played in the BCHL last season
Manson made the switch to defence early this past season at the recommendation of SilverBacks head coach Tim Kehler and the move worked brilliantly. Not only did Manson make the transition smoothly, he excelled on the back end and drew the attention of college and pro scouts.
For someone still new to the position, there's a lot of upside to like about Manson. Another selling point is the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenceman's bloodlines. His dad is Dave Manson who played 1103 games in the NHL and racked up 2,792 penalty minutes.
The younger Manson showed offensive flair from the blueline this past season scoring 12 goals and 35 assists while handling penalty kill and power play time and often facing the opposing team's top scorers.
Manson is supposed to return to Salmon Arm for another season before heading to Quinnipiac University in 2012.
