NHL draft tracker: Brandon Carlo, Tri-City Americans

Towering Brandon Carlo appears to be on a fast track to pro hockey success.

The big man's skills need refining, but the Tri-City Americans' Carlo passed a major checkpoint earlier this season when he was one of two draft-year defencemen, along with Boston College's Noah Hanifin, to play for Team USA in the world junior championship. That helped Carlo, who has manchild dimensions at 6-foot-4¾ and 198 pounds, improve his anticipation.

"World juniors was an unbelievable experience for me, I definitely came back with confidence," Carlo, who is NHL Central Scouting's No. 16-ranked domestic skater, said in a recent interview. "Along with that, the speed of the game there was unbelivable. So coming back, it was a little easier to play in the WHL."

Tri-City, racked by injuries, has been bar-the-door defensive team for much of the season, which has limited opportunities for Carlo and other defencemen to freewheel. There is a belief that the Clorado Springs, Colo., native has the agility and awareness to participate fully in the offence, along with being a big body in the defensive zone.

Carlo is willing to be patient, just as he was with his choice to play in the Western Hockey League instead of pursuing college hockey.

"I took my time with everything," said Carlo, who has three goals and 23 points across 54 points for Tri-City, with 74 penalty minutes. "I got drafted and that opened me up to the possibility of the WHL," he said. "I went to USHL camps, visited a couple of colleges. With the way I was progressing, my size and things like that, I felt like the WHL was the fastest route to the NHL. It is very like the NHL with the schedule, you're coming in as a 16-year-old and playing a pro-style schedule."

1. You're an American player playing in the Canadian Hockey League, taking a similar path to Seth Jones. What do you like about his game? Is it a game you like to emulate?

"Absolutely. I feel like if I stepped up my offensive game a bit more I could better emulate him. Overall, I like the way he plays, he's a great defenceman, good stick, makes a great first pass."

2. What other NHL defencemen do you study closely?

"I like to watch Marc Staal of the New York Rangers. I feel like he's a good defenceman for me to model my game after. He plays pretty simple and straightforward."

3. Who's been the toughest forward you have faced in the WHL?

"In the WHL, we've got a couple guys. I played against (Kelowna's) Leon Draisaitl, he was in the NHL half the year (with the Edmonton Oilers). He's just a big guy that has the strength to be in the NHL so that makes him tough to play against."

4. When you think of teammates in Tri-City, who's someone who's been a significant help to you?

"In the WHL last year, I had Mitch Topping as my D partner. He was a 20-year-old and he definitely helped me out. When I made mistakes, he was there for me. Definitely a good character guy."

5. As a taller player, did you go through a period where you were growing and had to adjust constantly?

"Just throughout bantam and midget hockey was when I learned to get on my feet a little more and stop being a little Bambi out there, Absolutely, that was my progression period."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.