Top NHL draft prospect Sam Reinhart has big weekend — 5 goals in 2 games (VIDEO)

Being a top NHL draft prospect means Sam Reinhart will be a focal point of Team Canada talk as the 18-year-old tries to show he can handle a leading offensive role at the world junior.

At the very least, the Kootenay Ice's star centre is headed into the proving ground of the Subway Super Series flush with confidence after a five-goal binge in two Kootenay Ice home wins over the Brandon Wheat Kings over the weekend. The third-year centre exhibited the maturity in his game on Saturday, outworking New York Islanders first-round pick Ryan Pulock for his first goal of the night and later finding a skew of space to snap off a shot for a dagger power-play goal.

That was an encore to a hat trick on Friday when Kootenay beat Brandon 7-3. The notable part of that trifecta came on Reinhart's first goal, when he protected the puck from Pulock's swiping before distributing the puck to Jaedon Descheaneau and being set up to wire in the return feed.

The short-handed goal in the third period after an offensive blueline turnover by Brandon's Rene Hunter was just a crowning touch.

The big weekend gives Reinhart 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points over 28 games, tying him for fourth in the Western Hockey League scoring race. The North Vancouver, B.C., native has factored into 52.3 per cent of the Ice's goals, so yes, he is fulfilling the promise that was evident since well before the Ice used him in the playoffs as a 15-year-old in 2011.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.