NHL draft tracker: Ben Thomas, Calgary Hitmen

Ben Thomas is brutally honest about whether he met his expectations for his rookie season.

The young Calgary Hitmen defender got on the NHL draft radar by exhibiting a light pair of feet at the end of his 6-foot-2, 193-pound frame as a newcomer with his hometown team. Thomas, who is Central Scouting Service's No. 86-ranked North American skater, hit most of the marks that a 17-year-old should but believes he could have delivered more.

"I think I continued to grow a little bit, but I actually feel like my play might have dropped down a bit from the first half," says Thomas, who counted seven goals and 31 points while toiling in all 72 Hitmen games. "I did get more comfortable and I worked on some other things that were weaknesses in my game. Overall, it was good but I don't think the second half was as good as the first half.

"For every young player, consistency is something that you're going to have to work on throughout your career," adds Thomas, who teamed up with Hitmen teammates Travis Sanheim and Jake Virtanen to help Canada win the bronze medal at the IIHF under-18 championship in April.

Thomas, who got his feet wet in junior by skating for the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Calgary Mustangs and Calgary Canucks in 2012-13 is bent on being a more focused performer in his post-draft year. He typically plays a composed, if not overly heavy game, and wields his stick judiciously; he had only 10 minor penalties across the final 56 regular-season games.

"When I'm on my game, I can make things happen," says Thomas. "If I do that more often it will make me a better player."

1. How did you benefit personally from having two teammates (Sanheim and Virtanen) also in their draft years?

"It definitely helped. When you have other guys who are going through the same thing, you can talk with them and see how they feel about it. Maybe get some advice. I leaned on those guys a lot."

2. Outside of your parents, who has had the biggest influence on your career?

"Probably my coaches in Calgary. They were pretty hard on me but they were crucial for my development."

3. Who is the most challenging forward to go up against in the WHL?

"Leon Draisaitl [of the Prince Albert Raiders]. He's big, he's got some skill and he's a good player."

4. If hockey never existed, which sport would you play?

"Football, probably. My dad played a lot of rugby when he was younger. It's not as popular here, so football. I go to a couple Stamps games every year."

5. Where is your favourite road rink?

"Probably say Saskatoon. I love playing there. I always play well there."

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