How good would Banks turn out?

I've always wondered what others thought. Here's my take:

Banks is easily the best player on the team. He has true talent and would be a phenom for his age. He is the type of player that if he kept on progressing would easily be a 1st round pick in the NHL Entry Draft. He's the type of player that just about every person in Minnesota would know about by the time he was 16 if not sooner. He would probably leave the prep school at age 16 and play in the OHL or another junior league to improve his draft standing and be seen against tougher competition.

Banks would basically be the next Johnny Toews or Sidney Crosby. Him being on varsity as a freshman in D3 is simply a reflection of that superior skill. We mainly see his offensive prowess in the movies, but he also have some serious defensive skills that are hinted at in the 3rd movie. When he made the varsity team in D3, he was put as the center of the 3rd line. The 3rd line almost always used as a checking line. Given that we know Banks is a great scorer, his positioning on the 3rd line shows that his defensive game is up there with his offensive game play. He would be a true 2-way forward in the mold of Stevie Y.

The filmmakers are saying something to us with Banks number in the movies. When he was on the Hawks, he wore #9. #9 is a number that is known in hockey to have been worn by greats on the Original Six franchises. The Golden Jet (Bobby Hull) wore it for my beloved Blackhawks. Gordie Howe wore it during his amazing career with the Red Wings, and Marice "Rocket" Richard wore #9 when he won his many Cups with the Habs. When Banks moved to the Ducks, #9 was taken so he naturally took #99. I think everyone knows that #99 is retired throughout the NHL in honor of the greatest player to ever tie on a set of skates.

-"It's in the net! They score! They score! The 'Hawks win the Stanley Cup!" - John Wiedeman WGN 720