Hello all and welcome back to another edition of what projects to be an informative, yet a likely way out to lunch season preview of the Western Hockey League. In the preview, I go in depth with each team whilst chronicling my thoughts on the teams forwards, defenceman and goaltenders. As a disclaimer I rank teams in 2017-2018 by deciphering how I view their chances of hoisting the Ed Chynoweth cup. Teams will be pegged in ascending order from one through twenty two. Twenty two will be the organization who unfortunately could find itself stuck in the basement to the number one team who I've identified as the team to beat this winter. This forthcoming dub campaign no doubt will be an exciting one as the Canadian Hockey League is set to celebrate it's one hundreth anniversary. And to conclude this very brief synopsis, I'd like to thank those who took the time to scour through this "comprehensive" preview and strongly encourage any type of feedback/word of mouth you could provide this preview. Thanks a ton and thoroughly enjoy!
22.Edmonton Oil Kings: Aside from the inevitable expansion rut the 2007-2008 campaign brought them, the Oil Kings have been a model of consistency from the outset. That was until a needed rebuild was implemented by General Manager Randy Hansch last season. Tremendous growing pains were had from the Oil King brass in 2016-2017 and while some see reason for optimism, in all actuality this group is still a year or two away from renewed relevance. In last year' s second half, statistically Edmonton was the league's worst ultimately sliding to a twenty three win season and the initial worry I have is are there enough horses in the stable to overcome last year's disappointing tenure, this blogger doesnt't believe so.
There's a new sheriff in town on the backend and that is taking nothing away from the smooth skating Will Warm but incoming 2001 born Matthew Robertson takes the realm as the organization's new franchise defenceman. No question about it, the Robertson lineage is deep in Oil Kings county with brother Tyler a graduating member of the organization a year ago. What I expect the mandate to be this season,or what I hope it will be any way with both General Manager Hansch and Head Coach Steve Hamilton respected hockey men is that they will allow Matthew to sink or swim under pressure because in a couple years time the expectation will be that Matthew can lead the blueline to the type of prominence that the likes of Keegan Lowe and Cody Corbett bestowed on the 2013-2014 championship unit. While Matthew develops a well rounded game, the coaching staff will need the aforementioned Will Warm to steaily improve and in all reality become this team's number one defenceman. If I'm an Oil Kings fan, Warm is the player that provides the most intrigue as in select viewings last year he was unquestionably their best defenceman, most certainly after Aaron Irving was dealt away to Everett. He's an offensive defenceman, I fully understand some may scoff at the notion but those same skeptics please keep in mind that Edmonton was an offensively starved group generally speaking and while no doubt it could be most of the same again that can't change the perception of the type of player Will is and it irks me that his lack of statistical accolades may have robbed him of hearing his name called at this summers draft. I'm about to go on a bit of a tangent here but the further down you read the more and more you will know that this is a common occurence but what grinds my gears are some programs perceptively receive preferential treatment when it comes to players from their team getting selected. The London Knights and Quebec Remparts are the poster child for this tangent and it isn't right that just because Warm resided on a struggling team that for a lack of a better word he should be "victimized" pertaining to draft prospects. Is he a different player last season if he's on the Regina Pats or Seattle Thunderbirds? No chance which is why I'm banking on Warm playing with a chip on his shoulder and continually elevating his play.
It's no secret that the kryptonite of last year's squad circled around the clubs inability to put the puck in the net. In my viewings last season and I will again preface that they were limited the one forward in particular who left me unenamoured was local product Trey Fix-Wolansky. Forgive the pun but there's a lot in his repertoire that needs fixing. Here's another fact, Trey will enter training camp as the team's most dynamic forward which will surely cause headaches for Hamilton and staff. My biggest take away when watching Fix-Wolansky is his defensive game needs major refinement. Taking nothing away from his sparkling creative toolbox but someone in the regime has to hammer down that the best offence is a good defence and being their best forward he has to develop a propensity to become trusted to kill penalties A lot of these younger forwards were blessed to receive tutelage from one of the best two way forwards in the dub, that being Lane Bauer who finished his career off in Kamloops and the player I feel is best suited to fulfill what Lane left behind is Davis Murray. Murray who primarily was used as a fourth liner is entering his eighteen year old season and plays with and edge, a trait sorely missing for this regime upfront. Murray has a sound structured game but the age old question is can he score at this level? The reason I vouch a firm yes is because by being given an increased role throughout the lineup naturally he'll see time alongside more talented players and I scoured his statistics before coming to Edmonton he was a serviceable offensive specimen in his Sherwood Park minor midget days. The telling sign will be whether he's willing to show a little more flare and creativity as last year he was resigned to abbreviated shifts with the occasional scrap. I have faith Davis can put it all together and so should the City of Champions. To finish off my forward evaluation, after I detailed what a projected lineup could look like it's become apparant to me that the blue line has enough depth that it may be worthwhile to expend some of that depth in order to bring in another forward. With Robertson,Warm,Ethan Cap and Brayden Gorda expected to eat up the majority of the top four minutes, I'm speculating that it could make sense to explore the trade market of the Kyle Yewchuk's or the newly acquired Conner McDonald's of the world to open up some playing time for stalwarts such as Jayden Platz and more importantly to address a greater deficiency
It's my belief that the Oil Kings and overage netminder Patrick Dea have parted ways. If this has proved to be incorrect than my information is faulty but for the time being I'm operating under the principle that a different direction is being paved and I expect that path to be manned by Josh Dechaine. Critiquing a goaltender when immersed in a rebuild is a near impossible task but the nineteen year old St.Albert native who posted a .876 save percentage over seventeen starts in 16/17 at the very least can be a bridge for the highly touted A fourth round bantam pick over early NCAA fears, everything I've heard and read that without the NCAA fish dangling in the pond that he would'e been in the first round radar so whether or not he receives many starts in 17/18, the 2018-2019 campaign is the beginning of the Boston Bilous era.
21.Kootenay Ice:The new Matt Cockell led ownership group has restored faith in the dwindling Cranbrook fan base and while 2017-2018 will be flooded with transition, this is genuinely the first time in three to four years that a tangible, supported plan has been put in motion. Until the last couple seasons, the previous Chynoweth family owned operation was a model of consistency. Historical revisionists seem to have forgotten that what the Chynoweth family did for the city of Cranbrook was unprecedented as from the 1998-1999 season up until 2015-2016 jaunt, the Ice went seventeen years without missing the post-season. It was an incredible feat and while the road has been recently bumpy met with inconsistent attendance the hope here that rock bottom has passed and it's nothing but up for the beautiful city of Cranbrook.
I'm no Montreal Canadien fan to put it mildly but don't take my reservations of Cale Fleury as a correlation with the team that drafted him. I'm not as feverish over the game of Fleury as most are. I spent some time in the Oil Kings breakdown griping over my feelings that some programs in the Canadian Hockey League seem to have a reputation which increases the amount of drafted players so forgive me for contradicting myself as the Kootenay Ice can never be accused of a drafting bias but with Fleury the reputation isn't exactly attached to the logo on the front of the sweater but more precisely with the name on the back as his older brother Haydn was a first round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes. Wasn't a proponent of Haydn throughout his draft year and the same visible flaws apply to the game of Cale. Plus/minus I've stated a plethora of times is a meaningless stat in my books but that doesn't mean to say that a glaring propensity of the younger Fleury is to jump into the play at inoppportune tmes. I get it, the cynics of mine(which are plentiful) will argue that this new brand of hockey necessitates the needs for aggression but defensive awareness remains paramount and this is an area Cale needs to latch down at. A year older, a year more mature and he'll have to be as at this current juncture I fail to zero in another top pairing defenceman and that's if you consider Fleury to be one. Unfortunate circumstances have hindered the Ice d-core by the loss of Troy Murray and I won't begin to speculate the reasons for is absence are but regardless the potential overage defenceman won't be with the Ice and I'm grasping at straws piecing together a top four. Slovakian Import Martin Bodak elected to report to Cranbrook but I couldn't begin to forecast what type of defenceman he is but I would hope Cockell and his staff did the necessary homework before bringing him over. As I see fit currently, Fleury will be flanked by Bodak,Dallas Hines and forme Medicine Hat Tiger Jordan Henderson and with Krebs and McClennnon the future upfront the question that needs to be asked who's going to be manning the blueline in 2018-2019?
The aforementioned youthful movement is upon us and this latest cycle will be spearheaded by first overall pick in the 2016 Bantam Draft Peyton Krebs and not too far behind will be 2002 born Wainwright,Alberta product Connor McClennon. The question in the present is what will newly minted Head Coach James Patrick do to properly acclimatize Krebs into the league while ensuring that one eye is focused on the now while the other is cognizant of the future. The presence of Vince Loschavio is a great springboard for young Krebs to witness what it takes to succeed at the next level. With limited offensive adversaries a year ago, I was amazed at the fortitude Loschavio displayed when some may look at he was left with through transition and begin to sulk but what Vince did was admirable in the sense that he embraced the leadership role particularly in the second half. In 2017, there were only three regular season contests where he was held off the scoresheet and considering he was consistently matched up against the opposition's top pairing defenceman that revelation holds that much more credence. The sticking point for the organization will be what to do with the nineteen year old Loschavio as the trade deadline nears. An interesting connotation this winter will be that of who was selected as Head Coach, that being the uncle of Nolan Patrick, James. James saw first hand what it took for his nephew to battle the pressures of a NHL draft year and I'm not comparing the plight of Nolan to Vince but entering this fall the sole mission of Vince is to turn the heads of NHL scouts in what will be his third crack at the can. What both parties are praying for is a exceptional first few months to raise the asset value and cash in on a January package. At this current time I view Tri-City and Everett as great fits especially if the premise is to trade him out of the conference. The second part to the Loschavio equation is the effect it hopefully will have on Krebs. I think back to yesteryear and remember specific situations where players entered the league with lofty accreditation and were mentored by cagey veterans. Whether it was Jordan Eberle looking after Jordan Weal, Jeremy Colliton overseeing Kyle Chipchura or Max Reinhart coddling younger brother Sam, mentorship is the name of the game and will be crucial for the sustainability of Krebs that players such as Loschavio and Colton Kroeker correctly show him the ropes. Another player I was extremely complimentary of a year ago was Barrett Sheen however when I let his performance with Kootenay sink in as a whole I was left underwhelmed. His brother Riley was a workmanlike soldier with not much in the way of offence but doesn't excuse Barrett who was formerly of the Lethbridge for only producing a meager eighteen points. The skating has always been strong, it's a mark of the Sheen lineage but with that skating he needs to develop some hockey IQ in the other teams end. It's just not the stone hands that concern me with Barrett, it's the discipline. In the current brand of hockey, one hundred and twenty nine penalty minutes is unacceptable and under a new coaching staff that won't be tolerated. Playing on the edge has it's advantages but a fine line must be drawn between being on the edge and crossing it. As a league veteran now, adapt or he may get on the wrong side of James Patrick.
There doesn't appear to be any goaltender competition at camp as with twenty year old Mario Petit being shipped over via trade and Langley native Jakob Walter established behind them, these two will be between the crease come late September. The acquisition of Petit I find fascinating as I remember murmuring two years ago that with Carter Hart comfortably patrolling the Everett crease that Mario would have himself a new home much sooner but for whatever reason that just didn't happen. Part of the reasoning of why this was is due to the fact that Petit's play levelled off with the Silvertiips and that perceived trade value dipped. I have a theory for why this is/was. Carter Hart is a world class goaltender, no such bold proclamation is being made here but in fairness to Mario when you know you're saddled behind someone that refuses to leave, I can imagine it could be quite difficult to maintain focus. Last year,11-5 record not withstanding could be chalked up as disappointing but as he plays for a pro contract in his final junior season he has a new lease on life.
20.Spokane Chiefs:Let me preface this by saying that by no means on paper do I think the Spokane Chiefs enter this season with the league's third worst roster but part of this preview prides itself on projections and one of the primary reasons for such a pourous ranking out of Spokane is what I view as the organizational mandate as the campaign is set to conssumate. You won't have me arguing over the core that is Edmonton Oilers first round Kailer Yamamoto and Jaret Anderson-Dolan however when assessing the long term sustainability of the franchise, it's paramount that relatively new operating general Scott Carter puts his defining stamp on the team because I'm of the viewpoint that what this Chiefs team could top out at is mediocre and that is no way of overseeing a hockey team. Given the climate of the U.S Division, with the core players in tact I see Spokane finishing no higher then third which begs a riveting question, is this outlook enough to convince Carter that the time may be of the essence to explore trading the likes of Yamamoto and Anderson-Dolan? I'm banking on the fact that this administration will come to it's senses and for the sake of team success two to three years down the line that the necessary steps are taken in what I'm construing as a transitional year.
While some of you out there could perceive the forward group as the strength of this club(see below), I have a differing perspective when it comes to the nucleus of this squad. It's no secret that this is a very important year for the draft eligible and former first overall pick Ty Smith. Additionally, I would imagine he's going to play with a giant chip on his shoulder as summer draft polls have rated Moose Jaw Warrior defenceman and rights holder to the league's greatest name in Jet Woo ahead of Smith which has to light a fire under him. No denying that Woo had a fantastic Hlinka tournament but I don't think it's fair for either Jet and Ty that theyr'e getting compared because the harsh reality is their different defenceman. Strength, as is most often the case with sixteen year olds was a daily hurdle for Smith and him getting pushed around in his own zone wasn't an uncommon occurrence. For myself personally, I believe a more apt comparison for Smith is Brandon Wheat King Kale Clague and what's funny about that is I spent the first year of Clague's junior career contemplating what all the fuss was about but the more you watch him play the more you gravitate to the opinion that he may never be proficient in his own zone, you can only hope that'll mature with age but he's great with the puck and that shouldn't be overlooked. I reckon what I'm about to say may be met with a hint of snorty derision but his ultimate upside has Duncan Keith written all over it. Was Keith a coveted junior, not necessarily and by virtue of this more scouts practiced patience and even though Ty was bantam dynamo out of Lloydminster that doesn't mean that us in the hockey community can't do the same. Different development for everyone. Another backender I'm giddish about is Deer Valley,SK product Nolan Reid. Contrary to popular belief the community of Deer Valley is known for more than it's scenic golf course. Fact or fiction Reid was the prized acquisition in the Saskatoon trade that cost them Evan Fiala. I've been plauditory of Reid the second Nolan set foot in the Western Hockey League. This is my third league preview and I'm fairly certain in each one I've spent far too much time dissecting his positive attributes. With the Blades I slowly began to form the impression that the coaching staff grew tired of his gambler-esque routine on the ice but as I've touched on a few times already throughout this preview, defenceman such as Nolan that takes risk are essential in this offence or bust era that we live in. A Dan Lambert-Nolan Reid partnership is intriguing to this blogger.
I could go into further detail of where I visualize both Kailer and Jaret ending up but that's not the purpose of this entry. We must ascertain what next move enlies and which youngsters could seize the moment and earn proverbial brownie point for new bench boss Dan Lambert. From what I recollect, Lambert's teams in Kelowna were fast and full of aggression so I expect more of the same as he witnesses first hand what he has to work with upfront. Off the cusp a player that seemingly fits the mold of a Lambert coached hockey team would be Riley Woods. In Regina, the parting ways of Woods(albeit with Wyatt Sloboshan the return) was viewed with a myriad of controversy because hockey pendants in Southern Saskatchewan considered Woods as a potential building block for Regina's 2018 Memorial Cup pursuit. I'm sure I'm already preaching to the choir with this 'astute' observation but when you watch him play, isn't he partially reminiscent to say that of former Prince George Cougar Troy Bourke? Similar in the way they have that small yet evasive stride and they're always thinking pass. What Riley didn't get in Regina but was coveting was opportunity. Before the trade deadline as the Pats were marred in injuries Woods begun to receive power play time and did not look out of place. The jury is still out on how Lambert intends to utilize him and in Riley's defence I don't think former coach Nachbaur did a great job maximizing Woods' skillset and as I mentioned at the top, the speed and moxy he showcases offensively is right up Lambert's wheelhouse so from an outsiders perspective this appears to be a great fit. Assuming he's entitled to the appropriate amount of power play time, we could see an astronomical jump in production. Thirty four points in 2016-2017, topping sixty is within reach. To call the Import Draft an actual draft would be a disservice to all other drafts conducted across other sporting leagues. I've previously shared my grievances on how I feel the Import Draft is a flawed process that doesn't equate to equal opportunity for all teams Canadian Hockey League wide. By saying that, the Chiefs are one of the few teams in recent memory that have been accustomed to some good fortune with the Europeans. Sure, they've experienced some duds along the way as all teams have but scouting reports indicate that they've hit a home run with Milos Fafrak. Early on this season once Kailer is back from NHL camp, betting money would tell you that Milos will receive ample time flanking him until the organizational hierarchy is better straightened out. What does that exactly mean for Milos? Well, it's simple, feed Yamamoto the puck and soak in the brilliance that #17 plays with because it will only help his own professional prospects by picking the brain of a sure fire NHL'er. Expect to see Fafrak get plenty of T.V time playing for the Slovaks at the 2018 World Juniors in Buffalo!
The all Red Deer goaltending battery of Jaynen Sittler and Dawson Weatherill is a thing of the past. What happened to Sittler's statistics a year ago remain an anomaly but no looking back, it's all about pushing forward. The incoming goaltending battle projects to feature Weatherill and Declan Hobbs. The poker hand hasn't been tipped as of yet however it's my belief Dawson is deserving of another full year between the crease. The G.A.A of 3.58 I indirectly blame to the coaching style of Nachbaur. Dawson will be the first to admit that last year was down all around but I think Nachbaur had mentally checked out at some point in the realm that some of his defensive implemenation were counter productive to team success. Nachbaur will be better off back in the pro ranks(or so I think) but more importantly as stalwarts such as Ty Smith physically mature, the numbers of Weatherill will naturally increase and I'd wager that by the end of the year he'll be considered a top 10-15 goaltender in the Western Hockey League.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Sunday, June 25, 2017
2017 NHL Draft Post Rankings
What I've elected to do is as opposed to providing a grade to each player or team based off of draft performance, something I've embarked on in previous occasions, I have ranked the National Hockey League club 1 through thirty one taking into effect the entire draft summarization. Enjoy!
1.Colorado Avalanche:
Not taking into account the tomfoolery that has become the Duchene debacle, Joe Sakic and company had a VERY productive weekend in Chicago. The supposed knock against third overall pick Cale Makar was the calibre of competition in the Alberta Junior Hockey League was not up to snuff with it's Major Junior and European counterparts but this is a long disproved fable(ie Tyson Jost). The conclusion that I've drawn up is that Makar projects as the second most potent player from the 2017 class only behind first overall pick Nico Hischier. In the later rounds, they zeroed in on a gem from an individual who just completed his first year with Penn State in Denis Smirnov. A trend that has increased exponentially are Europeans coming overseas and stationing themselves in North America at a young age and beginning their development cycle in the USHL. In Makar and Smirnov, the apparent drafting strategy was to target unconventional sources and this blogger is adament that for this reason the Avs win the weekend.
2.San Jose Sharks:
Not the flashiest of drafts but under the watchful eye of Doug Wilson and Tim Burke the Sharks were able to accumulate a collection of workmanlike players at the top combined with committing heist in the sixth with Ottawa 67 Alexander 'Sasha' Chemelevski. The selection of Chemelevski totally won me over as I maintain he possesses first round pedigree. I'm not naive enough to not realize that a couple things contributed to his late round selection billing. For starters he suffered through an injury riddled 2015-2016 campaign which resulted in a mid-season trade from the Sarnia Sting to Ottawa. However one of the primary reasons that I can't wrap my head around the slip was because in the world that revolves around recency bias, he was unarguably America's best player at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. Puzzling fall to the say the least. The other pick that had me intrigued was that of Mario Ferraro. Another USHL disciple(I swear this lovefest wasn't planned), Mario came on strong in 2016-2017, really demonstrating his versatility and by year's end became Des Moines top defenceman. As surmised in the opening with the exception of Chemelevski, stockpiling character and on ice responsibility was the name of the game for the Sharks regime.
3.Detroit Red Wings:
No, I didn't insert the Red Wings in the third position for perhaps landing the name of the draft in Kasper Kotkansalo. The logic for instilling the Wings in the third spot was aside from sixth round pick John Adams who I will confess was not familiar with prior to the draft each and every selection that was made was a player that I had ranked higher then he got picked.Coming from Western Hockey League circles, the player I want to discuss is Red Deer Rebel Lane Zablocki. It's been said, a theory for which I'm not in agreeance with let it be known that Zablocki needed a change of scenery from the Regina Pats to re-invigorate his vast potential. Unfortunately for us Pat supporters, the pendants got their wish with Lane shipped off to Red Deer. His 'suspect' skating abilities gets overblown as in truth his skating stride is complimentary. Where he thrives is with unrivaled aggressiveness,borderline over the edge at times but it's that very aggressiveness that allows him to win puck battles and showcase the lethal shot of his. He was dynamite in the 2017 playoffs and that should serve him well as we enter the 2017-2018 campaign for which he'll look to justify the Red Wings selection. It really was a record setting third round as along with Zablocki they landed hulking Peterborough Petes center Zach Gallant. The comparison that keeps coming back to Gallant is Nick Bjugstad and for a third round steal, Detroit will be thrilled if he lives up to the billing.
4.Vancouver Canucks:
Everyone and their grandmother was convinced that when Jim Benning and staff stepped up to the podium that Windsor Spitfire Gabe Vilardi would be the natural selection but he opened the skeptic floodgates when it was announced that Elias Pettersson from Timra was the newest member in Canuck nation. Now, for myself I had pegged Petterson to the 'Nucks in my mock so I'll take this millisecond to pat myself on the back for correctly prognosticating the teams direction. I wasn't certainly as feverish with Vilardi as some others in the hockey community and after breaking down the landscape of their forward department it donned upon me that to steal Brian Burke's favourite word, it already had enough truculence and aside from the aging Sedin twins it lacks a lot of pure skill. I don't know whether Elias and the twins will ever cross paths in B.C but nonetheless it creates an interesting diverse set of centers up the middle for years with Pettersson and Bo Horvat. Everytime I see a high school player from Minnesota drafted, I automatically ask myself whether I'm staring at the next Jordan Schroeder(consensus bust) or Ryan Suter(stalwart for years). I honestly believe that when it comes to the analysis of fourth rounder Jack Rathbone, I see enough promise in his game that he could be someday project as a 3/4 defenceman. A little like Troy Stetcher in the sense that they're both diminutive and are excellent skaters but where I believe Rathbone differentiates in a positive manner is he plays a meaner game. Fascinated to see how his game will develop over the next couple of seasons as he's slated for the Ivy League with Harvard.
5.Anaheim Ducks:
The Ducks draft maneuvering got going on Saturday after not holding on to a first round selection on Friday. They may as well of picked on Friday as with the fiftieth overall selection they landed Victoriaville Tigre star Maxime Comtois. In the fall, the majority of scouting services had Comtois projected as a top five selection and I'm not implying that his production in 2016/2017 justified maintaining that premium ranking however in my viewings I don't think he deserved to fall as far as he did. Something to keep in mind, particularly those that will scoff at myself handing the Ducks the fifth best draft grade is sometimes to reach the pinnacle of the sport you have to take chances and be prepared that their is an oft chance that it could flop back in your face. I compare this particular selection to that of the 2012 NBA draft when the Golden State Warriors selected Draymond Green. Comparing hockey to basketball is comparing apples to oranges but the essence of my theory that while in his last year Draymond was just one of many on a stacked Michigan State team and a lot of high ranking basketball scouts were weary that if he was just a benefit of a star studded lineup. I feel this makes for an apt comparison because the point needed making is in order to remove biases you sometimes have to look beyond the individual and determine if the player is getting dragged along or hindered by the team he or she plays on. In Maxime's case, it very well could be a case of a mediocre Tigre unit weighing hi down. As you can ascertain, I commend the pick.
6.Montreal Canadiens:
It's as if the mandate from director of scouting Trevor Timmins was to stay out West.......to identify defenceman. Amazingly, four of their seven selections were defenceman from the Western Hockey League and when you account for the fact that their arguable best defensive prospect is Noah Juulsen, also a Western Hockey League alumnus, then it should be no surprise if in a couple years if there's a heavy dub flavour on the backend. Out of the four d-man taken(Walford,Brook,Tyszka and Fleury) it's Josh Brook from the Moose Jaw Warriors and Jarrett Tyszka from the reigning champion Seattle Thunderbirds that stand out. Josh Brook is somebody that in the Jaw this year was forced to assume an important role due to the suspect, young depth around him. From the outset there is nothing that jumps off the page with his game but after a Josh Brook performance you have difficulty pinpointing any mistakes. He's steady Eddy out on the ice and as the Moose Jaw Warriors begin gearing towards next year he will again be bestowed with first flight minutes. In regards to Tyszka, his physicality goes unnoticed and at the tender age of seventeen he's already begun to impose his will against opposing forwards. His offensive game needs work but if he can continually to steadily develop then filling into the mold of someone like Marco Scandella. Some may be skeptical over their insistence to stay within one region but kudos to the Bergevin regime for a job well done.
7.Toronto Maple Leafs:
A diverse draft from the standpoint that they ventured into a couple picks via overseas, a couple from the Canadian Hockey League and one from the Ontario Junior A ranks. What seals the deal for player selection in the Maple Leafs draft room is the teachability factor. Some teams undoubtedly the 'Best player available' mantra but other teams like the Maple Leafs view each pick with a purpose to ensure a deficiency is met. Look no further then the gentlemen at the top of their board in Tim Liljegren. It's no secret that the biggest hole on the squad is locating legitimate top four defenceman. Similarly to the Ducks Max Comtois, Liljegren was at the top of draft boards as the year began but perhaps after getting out of his element in a Swedish men's league and after a nasty bout with mono his stock had soured but a fluke ailment wasn't about to scare off the defensively deprived Leafs. We can laugh about it now but some of the same red flags were waved at a little known defenceman from Ottawa named Erik Karlsson and how silly would've the Sens have looked as some other organizations did straying away from Erik? The upside is endless and I genuinely believe we may look back perplexed how he(Tim) wasn't a top ten lottery snag. The other pick worth mentioning was in the sixth round where they landed Ryan McGregor from Sarnia. I admittedly didn't know what to expect in terms of which round Ryan could see his name called but the 411 on McGregor is leadership. The Sting were marred in a transitional phase losing New Jersey Devil blue chip Pavel Zacha but in a rare occurrence a 1999 born took and thrived upon being named team leader. The inclusion in te leadership group speaks volumes for Ryan.
8.Tampa Bay Lightning:
Stevie Y ain't scared of the Russians. When you take a dive into Yzerman's past, I'm certain this shouldn't surprise anyone as the Red Wing ninety dynasty was spearheaded by a strong Russian presence and I guarantee the biggest takeaway he took from his mentor Ken Holland was to not be scared off by nationality. The "Russian factor" is real but in my opinion the fear that this factor presents to respective General Managers is overblown.It boils down to research and risk versus reward. The two Russians coming over to Tampa in this draft, Alexander Volkov from St.Petersburg and Alexei Lipanov who's reportedly en route to the Barrie Colts have been heavily scrutinized to ensure compatibility and at the end of the day the risk is worth taking as the potential optimization far exceeds the inherent risk. Some will work out, Nikita Kucherov and Vasilevskiy are core members of the organization now while someone like Nikita Gusev who never found his way to Northern Florida has since had his rights shipped off to Vegas. A 2:1 ratio when it comes to high end talent is deemed acceptable from the Lightning brass.
9.New Jersey Devils:
When I was determining my pecking order for these rankings, one of the main criteria was whether I felt a player was brought in much lower then I had projected them to go. In my eyes the right choice was made making Nico Hischier the first Swiss national to become a first overall pick but you're not given a pass just because you accomplished the obvious. One of the steals of the draft is with the thirty sixth selection when playmaking center Jesper Boqvist was tabbed. I fully understand if timidness is attached to this pick from the Devil fan base as I vividly recall a certain playmaking Swede from the 2008 draft who I had massive expectations in Matthias Tedenby flop harder then Zidane in a FIFA World Cup match. This is a new era in Swedish hockey, the development programs implemented in Sweden are night and day from say even 2008. The prospects coming over are more well rounded then ever in all facets. Boqvist has the knack of being a premium passer but don't let his creativity take away from his adequate penalty killing abilities Coach John Hynes if he's there long enough to see the progress of Boqvist(they better start gaining respectability) will have no issue throwing Boqvist out in all situations. Additionally beyond the Boqvist pick, shout out for tagging New Hampshire sensation Reilly Walsh in round #3. Here's the cold hard truth, for whatever reason controversy gets labelled to an American high-school kid because pendants don't believe they're receiving enough quality competition. Would I imagine these kids would be harder to judge from a professional standpoint? I do but it's only fair if we reserve judgement until said players reaches it's next destination(heading to Harvard). If you haven't noticed by now I favour risk taking for the most part and the expending the third on Walsh falls under that category.
10.Carolina Hurricanes:
Some ceilings are higher than others and when it comes to the game of Martin Necas,his ceiling is one of the highest. I'm fairly sure they touched on this on the Sportsnet telecast this past Friday night but it can't be stressed enough that he was absolutely electric playing for the Czech Republic at last year's Under eighteen championships. Low and behold, Czech Republic's best player and it's my personal opinion that Martin was the most impressive when grouping all players together. Only fifteen points in forty one games playing for Kometa Brno which I find troubling and it probably speaks to the fact that he'd be best served coming over to North America and playing a year in the Canadian Hockey League.....maybe to the Regina Pats as the Memorial Cup?(This Pat fan can hope). Throughout that tournament that I've referenced the player that kept coming back to me was a fellow Czech Jakub Voracek. The comparison to Voracek is an apt one because the way he's able to slow the game down and utilize his teammates is uncanny. Simply put the game is played at his pace. In my books he's a top five selection in any draft and residents of Raleigh should be jubilant. How about the third round selection, seventy third overall from the Brandon Wheat Kings Stellio Mattheos? The knock on Matteos is that he's never been asked to carry the load playing behind some pretty special player over the last couple seasons, especially the dream team that was the 2015-2016 Wheaties. Second overall pick Nolan Patrick was essentially a no-go the entire season with injury and some scouts were anticipating better production but the reason I like this pick is because we need to keep mind that forgetting about Patrick for a second, Brandon was decimated with injuries and the individuals David Anning had playing with Stellio were not first line calibre but his hands were cuffed with limited options.This most definitely stymied his production. While he has yet to show a propensity of leading a line, put him with comparable players and he'll flourish. Great pick!
Okay for the rest from 11-31. While I could continue delving into detailed synopsises, this is strictly recreational for the time being as I'm not getting paid and I've went into enough detail with the top ten teams. I'll list my teams regarding draft performance 11-31 whilst notating my favourite pick of there's..................................
11.Boston Bruins:Jack Studnicka 53 OVR(Oshawa Generals)
12.Winnipeg Jets:Skyler McKenzie 198 OVR(Portland Winterhawks)
13.Los Angeles Kings:Gabriel Vilardi 11 OVR (Windsor Spitfires)
14.Nashville Predators:Grant Mishmash 61 OVR (USNTDP)
15.Calgary Flames: Adam Ruzicka 109 OVR(Sarnia Sting)
16.Florida Panthers:Max Gildon 66 OVR(USNTDP)
17.St.Louis Blues:Klim Kostin 31 OVR(Dynamo Moscow)
18.Vegas Golden Knights:Nick Campoli 158 OVR(North York OJHL)
19.Arizona Coyotes:Mackenzie Entwistle 69 OVR(Hamilton Bulldogs)
20.Edmonton Oilers:Stuart Skinner 78 OVR(Lethbridge Hurricanes)
21.Ottawa Senators:Shane Bowers 28 OVR(Waterloo USHL)
22.Chicago Blackhawks:Evan Barratt 90 OVR(USNTDP)
23.New York Rangers:Morgan Barron 174 OVR(St.Andrews College)
24.Minnesota Wild:Mason Shaw 97 OVR(Medicine Hat Tigers)
25.Philadelphia Flyers:Isaac Ratcliffe 35 OVR(Guelph Storm)
26.Columbus Blue Jackets:Daniil Tarasov 86 OVR(Ufa Russia)
27.Buffalo Sabres:Marcus Davidsson 37 OVR(Djurgarden)
28.Dallas Stars:Miro Heiskanen 3 OVR(HIFK Finland)
29.Pittsburgh Penguins:Jan Drozg 152 OVR(Leksand Sweden)
30.New York Islanders:Robin Salo 46 OVR(Sport Finland)
31.Washington Capitals:Benton Maass 182 OVR(Elk River Minnesota)
1.Colorado Avalanche:
Not taking into account the tomfoolery that has become the Duchene debacle, Joe Sakic and company had a VERY productive weekend in Chicago. The supposed knock against third overall pick Cale Makar was the calibre of competition in the Alberta Junior Hockey League was not up to snuff with it's Major Junior and European counterparts but this is a long disproved fable(ie Tyson Jost). The conclusion that I've drawn up is that Makar projects as the second most potent player from the 2017 class only behind first overall pick Nico Hischier. In the later rounds, they zeroed in on a gem from an individual who just completed his first year with Penn State in Denis Smirnov. A trend that has increased exponentially are Europeans coming overseas and stationing themselves in North America at a young age and beginning their development cycle in the USHL. In Makar and Smirnov, the apparent drafting strategy was to target unconventional sources and this blogger is adament that for this reason the Avs win the weekend.
2.San Jose Sharks:
Not the flashiest of drafts but under the watchful eye of Doug Wilson and Tim Burke the Sharks were able to accumulate a collection of workmanlike players at the top combined with committing heist in the sixth with Ottawa 67 Alexander 'Sasha' Chemelevski. The selection of Chemelevski totally won me over as I maintain he possesses first round pedigree. I'm not naive enough to not realize that a couple things contributed to his late round selection billing. For starters he suffered through an injury riddled 2015-2016 campaign which resulted in a mid-season trade from the Sarnia Sting to Ottawa. However one of the primary reasons that I can't wrap my head around the slip was because in the world that revolves around recency bias, he was unarguably America's best player at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. Puzzling fall to the say the least. The other pick that had me intrigued was that of Mario Ferraro. Another USHL disciple(I swear this lovefest wasn't planned), Mario came on strong in 2016-2017, really demonstrating his versatility and by year's end became Des Moines top defenceman. As surmised in the opening with the exception of Chemelevski, stockpiling character and on ice responsibility was the name of the game for the Sharks regime.
3.Detroit Red Wings:
No, I didn't insert the Red Wings in the third position for perhaps landing the name of the draft in Kasper Kotkansalo. The logic for instilling the Wings in the third spot was aside from sixth round pick John Adams who I will confess was not familiar with prior to the draft each and every selection that was made was a player that I had ranked higher then he got picked.Coming from Western Hockey League circles, the player I want to discuss is Red Deer Rebel Lane Zablocki. It's been said, a theory for which I'm not in agreeance with let it be known that Zablocki needed a change of scenery from the Regina Pats to re-invigorate his vast potential. Unfortunately for us Pat supporters, the pendants got their wish with Lane shipped off to Red Deer. His 'suspect' skating abilities gets overblown as in truth his skating stride is complimentary. Where he thrives is with unrivaled aggressiveness,borderline over the edge at times but it's that very aggressiveness that allows him to win puck battles and showcase the lethal shot of his. He was dynamite in the 2017 playoffs and that should serve him well as we enter the 2017-2018 campaign for which he'll look to justify the Red Wings selection. It really was a record setting third round as along with Zablocki they landed hulking Peterborough Petes center Zach Gallant. The comparison that keeps coming back to Gallant is Nick Bjugstad and for a third round steal, Detroit will be thrilled if he lives up to the billing.
4.Vancouver Canucks:
Everyone and their grandmother was convinced that when Jim Benning and staff stepped up to the podium that Windsor Spitfire Gabe Vilardi would be the natural selection but he opened the skeptic floodgates when it was announced that Elias Pettersson from Timra was the newest member in Canuck nation. Now, for myself I had pegged Petterson to the 'Nucks in my mock so I'll take this millisecond to pat myself on the back for correctly prognosticating the teams direction. I wasn't certainly as feverish with Vilardi as some others in the hockey community and after breaking down the landscape of their forward department it donned upon me that to steal Brian Burke's favourite word, it already had enough truculence and aside from the aging Sedin twins it lacks a lot of pure skill. I don't know whether Elias and the twins will ever cross paths in B.C but nonetheless it creates an interesting diverse set of centers up the middle for years with Pettersson and Bo Horvat. Everytime I see a high school player from Minnesota drafted, I automatically ask myself whether I'm staring at the next Jordan Schroeder(consensus bust) or Ryan Suter(stalwart for years). I honestly believe that when it comes to the analysis of fourth rounder Jack Rathbone, I see enough promise in his game that he could be someday project as a 3/4 defenceman. A little like Troy Stetcher in the sense that they're both diminutive and are excellent skaters but where I believe Rathbone differentiates in a positive manner is he plays a meaner game. Fascinated to see how his game will develop over the next couple of seasons as he's slated for the Ivy League with Harvard.
5.Anaheim Ducks:
The Ducks draft maneuvering got going on Saturday after not holding on to a first round selection on Friday. They may as well of picked on Friday as with the fiftieth overall selection they landed Victoriaville Tigre star Maxime Comtois. In the fall, the majority of scouting services had Comtois projected as a top five selection and I'm not implying that his production in 2016/2017 justified maintaining that premium ranking however in my viewings I don't think he deserved to fall as far as he did. Something to keep in mind, particularly those that will scoff at myself handing the Ducks the fifth best draft grade is sometimes to reach the pinnacle of the sport you have to take chances and be prepared that their is an oft chance that it could flop back in your face. I compare this particular selection to that of the 2012 NBA draft when the Golden State Warriors selected Draymond Green. Comparing hockey to basketball is comparing apples to oranges but the essence of my theory that while in his last year Draymond was just one of many on a stacked Michigan State team and a lot of high ranking basketball scouts were weary that if he was just a benefit of a star studded lineup. I feel this makes for an apt comparison because the point needed making is in order to remove biases you sometimes have to look beyond the individual and determine if the player is getting dragged along or hindered by the team he or she plays on. In Maxime's case, it very well could be a case of a mediocre Tigre unit weighing hi down. As you can ascertain, I commend the pick.
6.Montreal Canadiens:
It's as if the mandate from director of scouting Trevor Timmins was to stay out West.......to identify defenceman. Amazingly, four of their seven selections were defenceman from the Western Hockey League and when you account for the fact that their arguable best defensive prospect is Noah Juulsen, also a Western Hockey League alumnus, then it should be no surprise if in a couple years if there's a heavy dub flavour on the backend. Out of the four d-man taken(Walford,Brook,Tyszka and Fleury) it's Josh Brook from the Moose Jaw Warriors and Jarrett Tyszka from the reigning champion Seattle Thunderbirds that stand out. Josh Brook is somebody that in the Jaw this year was forced to assume an important role due to the suspect, young depth around him. From the outset there is nothing that jumps off the page with his game but after a Josh Brook performance you have difficulty pinpointing any mistakes. He's steady Eddy out on the ice and as the Moose Jaw Warriors begin gearing towards next year he will again be bestowed with first flight minutes. In regards to Tyszka, his physicality goes unnoticed and at the tender age of seventeen he's already begun to impose his will against opposing forwards. His offensive game needs work but if he can continually to steadily develop then filling into the mold of someone like Marco Scandella. Some may be skeptical over their insistence to stay within one region but kudos to the Bergevin regime for a job well done.
7.Toronto Maple Leafs:
A diverse draft from the standpoint that they ventured into a couple picks via overseas, a couple from the Canadian Hockey League and one from the Ontario Junior A ranks. What seals the deal for player selection in the Maple Leafs draft room is the teachability factor. Some teams undoubtedly the 'Best player available' mantra but other teams like the Maple Leafs view each pick with a purpose to ensure a deficiency is met. Look no further then the gentlemen at the top of their board in Tim Liljegren. It's no secret that the biggest hole on the squad is locating legitimate top four defenceman. Similarly to the Ducks Max Comtois, Liljegren was at the top of draft boards as the year began but perhaps after getting out of his element in a Swedish men's league and after a nasty bout with mono his stock had soured but a fluke ailment wasn't about to scare off the defensively deprived Leafs. We can laugh about it now but some of the same red flags were waved at a little known defenceman from Ottawa named Erik Karlsson and how silly would've the Sens have looked as some other organizations did straying away from Erik? The upside is endless and I genuinely believe we may look back perplexed how he(Tim) wasn't a top ten lottery snag. The other pick worth mentioning was in the sixth round where they landed Ryan McGregor from Sarnia. I admittedly didn't know what to expect in terms of which round Ryan could see his name called but the 411 on McGregor is leadership. The Sting were marred in a transitional phase losing New Jersey Devil blue chip Pavel Zacha but in a rare occurrence a 1999 born took and thrived upon being named team leader. The inclusion in te leadership group speaks volumes for Ryan.
8.Tampa Bay Lightning:
Stevie Y ain't scared of the Russians. When you take a dive into Yzerman's past, I'm certain this shouldn't surprise anyone as the Red Wing ninety dynasty was spearheaded by a strong Russian presence and I guarantee the biggest takeaway he took from his mentor Ken Holland was to not be scared off by nationality. The "Russian factor" is real but in my opinion the fear that this factor presents to respective General Managers is overblown.It boils down to research and risk versus reward. The two Russians coming over to Tampa in this draft, Alexander Volkov from St.Petersburg and Alexei Lipanov who's reportedly en route to the Barrie Colts have been heavily scrutinized to ensure compatibility and at the end of the day the risk is worth taking as the potential optimization far exceeds the inherent risk. Some will work out, Nikita Kucherov and Vasilevskiy are core members of the organization now while someone like Nikita Gusev who never found his way to Northern Florida has since had his rights shipped off to Vegas. A 2:1 ratio when it comes to high end talent is deemed acceptable from the Lightning brass.
9.New Jersey Devils:
When I was determining my pecking order for these rankings, one of the main criteria was whether I felt a player was brought in much lower then I had projected them to go. In my eyes the right choice was made making Nico Hischier the first Swiss national to become a first overall pick but you're not given a pass just because you accomplished the obvious. One of the steals of the draft is with the thirty sixth selection when playmaking center Jesper Boqvist was tabbed. I fully understand if timidness is attached to this pick from the Devil fan base as I vividly recall a certain playmaking Swede from the 2008 draft who I had massive expectations in Matthias Tedenby flop harder then Zidane in a FIFA World Cup match. This is a new era in Swedish hockey, the development programs implemented in Sweden are night and day from say even 2008. The prospects coming over are more well rounded then ever in all facets. Boqvist has the knack of being a premium passer but don't let his creativity take away from his adequate penalty killing abilities Coach John Hynes if he's there long enough to see the progress of Boqvist(they better start gaining respectability) will have no issue throwing Boqvist out in all situations. Additionally beyond the Boqvist pick, shout out for tagging New Hampshire sensation Reilly Walsh in round #3. Here's the cold hard truth, for whatever reason controversy gets labelled to an American high-school kid because pendants don't believe they're receiving enough quality competition. Would I imagine these kids would be harder to judge from a professional standpoint? I do but it's only fair if we reserve judgement until said players reaches it's next destination(heading to Harvard). If you haven't noticed by now I favour risk taking for the most part and the expending the third on Walsh falls under that category.
10.Carolina Hurricanes:
Some ceilings are higher than others and when it comes to the game of Martin Necas,his ceiling is one of the highest. I'm fairly sure they touched on this on the Sportsnet telecast this past Friday night but it can't be stressed enough that he was absolutely electric playing for the Czech Republic at last year's Under eighteen championships. Low and behold, Czech Republic's best player and it's my personal opinion that Martin was the most impressive when grouping all players together. Only fifteen points in forty one games playing for Kometa Brno which I find troubling and it probably speaks to the fact that he'd be best served coming over to North America and playing a year in the Canadian Hockey League.....maybe to the Regina Pats as the Memorial Cup?(This Pat fan can hope). Throughout that tournament that I've referenced the player that kept coming back to me was a fellow Czech Jakub Voracek. The comparison to Voracek is an apt one because the way he's able to slow the game down and utilize his teammates is uncanny. Simply put the game is played at his pace. In my books he's a top five selection in any draft and residents of Raleigh should be jubilant. How about the third round selection, seventy third overall from the Brandon Wheat Kings Stellio Mattheos? The knock on Matteos is that he's never been asked to carry the load playing behind some pretty special player over the last couple seasons, especially the dream team that was the 2015-2016 Wheaties. Second overall pick Nolan Patrick was essentially a no-go the entire season with injury and some scouts were anticipating better production but the reason I like this pick is because we need to keep mind that forgetting about Patrick for a second, Brandon was decimated with injuries and the individuals David Anning had playing with Stellio were not first line calibre but his hands were cuffed with limited options.This most definitely stymied his production. While he has yet to show a propensity of leading a line, put him with comparable players and he'll flourish. Great pick!
Okay for the rest from 11-31. While I could continue delving into detailed synopsises, this is strictly recreational for the time being as I'm not getting paid and I've went into enough detail with the top ten teams. I'll list my teams regarding draft performance 11-31 whilst notating my favourite pick of there's..................................
11.Boston Bruins:Jack Studnicka 53 OVR(Oshawa Generals)
12.Winnipeg Jets:Skyler McKenzie 198 OVR(Portland Winterhawks)
13.Los Angeles Kings:Gabriel Vilardi 11 OVR (Windsor Spitfires)
14.Nashville Predators:Grant Mishmash 61 OVR (USNTDP)
15.Calgary Flames: Adam Ruzicka 109 OVR(Sarnia Sting)
16.Florida Panthers:Max Gildon 66 OVR(USNTDP)
17.St.Louis Blues:Klim Kostin 31 OVR(Dynamo Moscow)
18.Vegas Golden Knights:Nick Campoli 158 OVR(North York OJHL)
19.Arizona Coyotes:Mackenzie Entwistle 69 OVR(Hamilton Bulldogs)
20.Edmonton Oilers:Stuart Skinner 78 OVR(Lethbridge Hurricanes)
21.Ottawa Senators:Shane Bowers 28 OVR(Waterloo USHL)
22.Chicago Blackhawks:Evan Barratt 90 OVR(USNTDP)
23.New York Rangers:Morgan Barron 174 OVR(St.Andrews College)
24.Minnesota Wild:Mason Shaw 97 OVR(Medicine Hat Tigers)
25.Philadelphia Flyers:Isaac Ratcliffe 35 OVR(Guelph Storm)
26.Columbus Blue Jackets:Daniil Tarasov 86 OVR(Ufa Russia)
27.Buffalo Sabres:Marcus Davidsson 37 OVR(Djurgarden)
28.Dallas Stars:Miro Heiskanen 3 OVR(HIFK Finland)
29.Pittsburgh Penguins:Jan Drozg 152 OVR(Leksand Sweden)
30.New York Islanders:Robin Salo 46 OVR(Sport Finland)
31.Washington Capitals:Benton Maass 182 OVR(Elk River Minnesota)
Friday, June 16, 2017
My 2017 NHL Mock Draft
My 2017 NHL two round Mock Draft(Final edition) June 15th,2017
1.New Jersey Devils- F Nolan Patrick(Brandon WHL)
2.Philadelphia Flyers-F Nico Hischier(Halifax QMJHL)
3.Dallas Stars-D Miro Heiskanen(HIFK Helsinki)
4.Colorado Avalanche-D Cale Makar(Brooks AJHL)
5.Vancouver Canucks-F Gabe Vilardi(Windsor OHL)
6.Vegas Golden Knights-F Casey Mittelstadt(Eden Prairie HS Minnesota)
7.Arizona Coyotes-F Michael Rasmussen(Tri-City WHL)
8.Buffalo Sabres-F Elias Pettersson(Timra Sweden)
9.Detroit Red Wings-F Martin Necas(Brno Czech Republic)
10.Florida Panthers-F Owen Tippett(Mississauga OHL)
11.Los Angeles Kings-F Cody Glass(Portland WHL)
12.Carolina Hurricanes-F Klim Kostin(Dynamo VHL Russia)
13.Winnipeg Jets-D Tim Liljegren(Rogle Sweden)
14.Tampa Bay Lightning-F Lias Andersson(HV71 Sweden)
15.New York Islanders-D Urho Vaakaainen(Blues Finland)
16.Calgary Flames-D Cal Foote(Kelowna WHL)
17.Toronto Maple Leafs-D Juuso Valimaki(Tri-City WHL)
18.Boston Bruins-D Erik Brannstrom(HV71 Sweden)
19.San Jose Sharks-F Nick Suzuki(Owen Sound OHL)
20.St.Louis Blues-F Josh Norris(USNTDP)
21.New York Rangers-F Isaac Ratcliffe(Guelph OHL)
22.Edmonton Oilers-F Eeli Tolvanen(Sioux City USHL)
23.Arizona Coyotes-F Kristian Vesalainen(HPK Finland)
24.Columbus Blue Jackets-D Josh Brook(Moose Jaw WHL)
25.Montreal Canadiens-F Ryan Poehling(St.Cloud St)
26.Chicago Blackhawks-F Shane Bowers(Waterloo USHL)
27.St.Louis Blues-D Henri Jokiharju(Portland WHL)
28.Ottawa Senators-D Nicholas Hague(Mississauga OHL)
29.Dallas Stars-F Maxime Comtois(Victoriaville QMJHL)
30.Nashville Predators-F Jesper Boqvist(Timra Sweden)
31.Pittsburgh Penguins-F Grant Mishmash(USNTDP)
Round two:
32.Colorado Avalanche-F Robert Thomas(London OHL)
33.Vancouver Canucks-F Kailer Yamamoto(Spokane WHL)
34.Vegas Golden Knights-F Mackenzie Entwistle(Hamilton OHL)
35.Arizona Coyotes-G Jake Oettinger(Boston University
36.New Jersey Devils-F Filip Chytil(ZPS Zlin Czech Republic
37.Buffalo Sabres-G Michael Dipietro(Windsor OHL)
38.Detroit Red Wings-F Mason Shaw(Medicine Hat WHL)
39.Dallas Stars-D Pierre-Olivier Joseph(Charlottetown QMJHL)
40.Florida Panthers-F Kole Lind(Kelowna WHL)
41.Los Angeles Kings-F Jaret Anderson-Dolan(Spokane WHL)
42.Carolina Hurricanes-F Jonah Gadjovich(Owen Sound OHL)
43.Winnipeg Jets-F Jason Robertson(Kingston OHL)
44.Philadelphia Flyers-D Max Gildon(USNTDP)
45.Tampa Bay Lightning-F Alexei Lipanov(Barrie OHL)
46.New York Islanders-G Stuart Skinner(Lethbridge WHL)
47.Ottawa Senators-F Matt Strome(Hamilton OHL)
48.Tampa Bay Lightning- D Dmitri Samorukov(Guelph OHL)
49.New Jersey Devils-D Conor Timmins(Sault Ste.Marie OHL)
50.Anaheim Ducks-F Morgan Barron(Sioux City USHL)
51.St.Louis Blues-F Marcus Davidsson(Djurgardens Sweden)
52.Carolina Hurricanes-D Jarrett Tyszka(Seattle WHL)
53.Boston Bruins-F Ostap Safin(Sparta Prague Czech Republic)
54.Buffalo Sabres-D Eemeli Rasanen(Kingston OHL)
55.Vancouver Canucks-G Ukko-Pekka Luukhonen(HPK U20)
56.Montreal Canadiens-F Joni Ikonen(Frolunda Sweden)
57.Chicago Blackhawks-D Jacob Paquette(Kingston OHL)
58.Montreal Canadiens-D Will Warm(Edmonton WHL)
59.Toronto Maple Leafs-D Ian Mitchell(Spruce Grove AJHL)
60.Anaheim Ducks-D Robin Salo(Liga)
61.Nashville Predators-G Keith Petruzzelli(Muskegon USHL)
62.Carolina Hurricanes-F Stellio Mattheos(Brandon WHL)
1.New Jersey Devils- F Nolan Patrick(Brandon WHL)
2.Philadelphia Flyers-F Nico Hischier(Halifax QMJHL)
3.Dallas Stars-D Miro Heiskanen(HIFK Helsinki)
4.Colorado Avalanche-D Cale Makar(Brooks AJHL)
5.Vancouver Canucks-F Gabe Vilardi(Windsor OHL)
6.Vegas Golden Knights-F Casey Mittelstadt(Eden Prairie HS Minnesota)
7.Arizona Coyotes-F Michael Rasmussen(Tri-City WHL)
8.Buffalo Sabres-F Elias Pettersson(Timra Sweden)
9.Detroit Red Wings-F Martin Necas(Brno Czech Republic)
10.Florida Panthers-F Owen Tippett(Mississauga OHL)
11.Los Angeles Kings-F Cody Glass(Portland WHL)
12.Carolina Hurricanes-F Klim Kostin(Dynamo VHL Russia)
13.Winnipeg Jets-D Tim Liljegren(Rogle Sweden)
14.Tampa Bay Lightning-F Lias Andersson(HV71 Sweden)
15.New York Islanders-D Urho Vaakaainen(Blues Finland)
16.Calgary Flames-D Cal Foote(Kelowna WHL)
17.Toronto Maple Leafs-D Juuso Valimaki(Tri-City WHL)
18.Boston Bruins-D Erik Brannstrom(HV71 Sweden)
19.San Jose Sharks-F Nick Suzuki(Owen Sound OHL)
20.St.Louis Blues-F Josh Norris(USNTDP)
21.New York Rangers-F Isaac Ratcliffe(Guelph OHL)
22.Edmonton Oilers-F Eeli Tolvanen(Sioux City USHL)
23.Arizona Coyotes-F Kristian Vesalainen(HPK Finland)
24.Columbus Blue Jackets-D Josh Brook(Moose Jaw WHL)
25.Montreal Canadiens-F Ryan Poehling(St.Cloud St)
26.Chicago Blackhawks-F Shane Bowers(Waterloo USHL)
27.St.Louis Blues-D Henri Jokiharju(Portland WHL)
28.Ottawa Senators-D Nicholas Hague(Mississauga OHL)
29.Dallas Stars-F Maxime Comtois(Victoriaville QMJHL)
30.Nashville Predators-F Jesper Boqvist(Timra Sweden)
31.Pittsburgh Penguins-F Grant Mishmash(USNTDP)
Round two:
32.Colorado Avalanche-F Robert Thomas(London OHL)
33.Vancouver Canucks-F Kailer Yamamoto(Spokane WHL)
34.Vegas Golden Knights-F Mackenzie Entwistle(Hamilton OHL)
35.Arizona Coyotes-G Jake Oettinger(Boston University
36.New Jersey Devils-F Filip Chytil(ZPS Zlin Czech Republic
37.Buffalo Sabres-G Michael Dipietro(Windsor OHL)
38.Detroit Red Wings-F Mason Shaw(Medicine Hat WHL)
39.Dallas Stars-D Pierre-Olivier Joseph(Charlottetown QMJHL)
40.Florida Panthers-F Kole Lind(Kelowna WHL)
41.Los Angeles Kings-F Jaret Anderson-Dolan(Spokane WHL)
42.Carolina Hurricanes-F Jonah Gadjovich(Owen Sound OHL)
43.Winnipeg Jets-F Jason Robertson(Kingston OHL)
44.Philadelphia Flyers-D Max Gildon(USNTDP)
45.Tampa Bay Lightning-F Alexei Lipanov(Barrie OHL)
46.New York Islanders-G Stuart Skinner(Lethbridge WHL)
47.Ottawa Senators-F Matt Strome(Hamilton OHL)
48.Tampa Bay Lightning- D Dmitri Samorukov(Guelph OHL)
49.New Jersey Devils-D Conor Timmins(Sault Ste.Marie OHL)
50.Anaheim Ducks-F Morgan Barron(Sioux City USHL)
51.St.Louis Blues-F Marcus Davidsson(Djurgardens Sweden)
52.Carolina Hurricanes-D Jarrett Tyszka(Seattle WHL)
53.Boston Bruins-F Ostap Safin(Sparta Prague Czech Republic)
54.Buffalo Sabres-D Eemeli Rasanen(Kingston OHL)
55.Vancouver Canucks-G Ukko-Pekka Luukhonen(HPK U20)
56.Montreal Canadiens-F Joni Ikonen(Frolunda Sweden)
57.Chicago Blackhawks-D Jacob Paquette(Kingston OHL)
58.Montreal Canadiens-D Will Warm(Edmonton WHL)
59.Toronto Maple Leafs-D Ian Mitchell(Spruce Grove AJHL)
60.Anaheim Ducks-D Robin Salo(Liga)
61.Nashville Predators-G Keith Petruzzelli(Muskegon USHL)
62.Carolina Hurricanes-F Stellio Mattheos(Brandon WHL)
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
BM's Muddled Mindtrip:June 7th,2017
Five random thoughts from this very random sports blog that I will share weekly.
1) "He's a starter"
Were the words spoken from Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll towards his organization's decision into electing not to sign the controversial former San Francisco 49'er pivot. Let me get this straight Pete, you're adament that Kap is a starter in the National Football League but given the reduced cost that he'll cost you presently, he's not a viable option to stand behind Russell Wilson? Here's my stance on the matter, by going public presenting the notion that he deserves to play in the league was a failed attempted spin to suggest that he's doing Colin a favor by allowing him to continue testing the open market but I can read through the lines here, a mandate came down from ownership wanting no part with the P.R hit the team would take signing a glorified bench player.
2) "Surrounding Tyler Benson?"
I'll be the first to admit that prior to the acquisition of twenty year old Matt Bradley, as a firm Regina Pat supporter I was hoping the Patties could've capitalized on the litany of twenty year olds the Prince George Cougars possessed and bought low on Brad Morrison. Nothing against Bradley and what the now unsigned Montreal Canadien bluechipper projects to bring to the table but I will say even though it was all but guaranteed that Morrison would relocate to a new organization, I'm shocked that Vancouver ended up being the destination. It's an interesting organizational directional move as the majority if not all the pendants across dub circles wouldn't of had Vancouver pegged as major contenders but the managerial regime in the lower mainland disagrees. Whether or not you like the move for the G-men which by the way cost a second round pick, the essence I wanted to harp on is the Morrison moves makes it much less likely that Tyler Benson will see a new home this year whereas this blogger prematiurely and falsely assumed Benson's name could be in play at the January trade deadline.
3) "Next wave of personable NHL stars"
Growing up in a steadfast hockey environment I was instantaneously hooked on the classic installments of Hockey Night in Canada with Ron and Don but like many hockey "superfans" throughout the years, the aura of Don Cherry has begun to wear off and likely it took me longer than most to come to this conclusion. Before game four of the Stanley Cup finals, Sportsnet aired what has become an annual segment dating back to the mid nineties where Mr.Cherry himself huddles up that year's version of the games top prospects and conducts a brief interview. This year more than many others it was completely cringeworthy watching these kids awkwardly weave through Cherry's interviewing style by battling through questions that in no way shape or form related to hockey in the slightest(favourite car, music etc).The kids appeared more nervous and unsettled answering the questions then they conceivably would before their National Hockey League debuts. I'm in full support of our top prospects from this great game showcasing their personalites but Sportsnet/CBC owes these kids an experienced and CURRENT broadcaster in assisting with breaking the ice allowing for a more natural, relaxed interview.
4) "Going Young?"
This can safely be classified as a tumultuous off-season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders headed into the 2017 campaign. Head Coach and General Manager, possibly unsurprisingly,parted ways with fan favourite Darian Durant and this blogger was one of the few that was a proponent of the move especially considering that the aftermath included the signing of Texas Longhorn great Vince Young..The issue that I have now taken with how the Riders training camp has evolved is that sans the hamstring injury that Young endured which is simply uncontrollable, it's my opinion that Young was never given a fair shake to strut his stuff and the job was Kevin Glenn's to lose.The same Kevin Glenn who throughout the course of his CFL career has shown limitations as in 2017 I remain skeptical that Glenn can lead the Green and White to prominence and for the lack of a better alternative I was and am hoping that at some juncture the former Tennessee Titan will see significant time behind center.
5) "Goin,goins gone!"
As a stern supporter of the Toronto Blue Jays, I can already foresee how the conundrum in the middle infield is going to shake out. Troy Tulowitzki for many factors, not at least of which the size of his contract has assured himself as a mainstay in the infield(however much I'd love to see him dealt) and due to John Gibbons' propensity to shift the versatile Darwin Barney occasionally in the outfield, presumably his job is safe.Starting second baseman Devon Travis has become somewhat of an enigma in the sense that in April he was channeling his inner Russ Adams(couldn't hit if his life depended on it) to warping into a poor man's Bret Boone in May. His inconsistent play has led to massive frustration amongst the fan base, it's been the injuries that have created a real prisoner's dillema for the Jays. Injuries aside, his purported potential has eliminated any chance General Manager Shapiro considers moving him. That leaves us with arguably my favourite player on the Jays in Ryan Goins. I famously got into a debate with FAN 590 broadcaster Mike Wilner a couple of summers ago pertaining to Goins's usefulness as Wilner famously stated he wouldn't have Goins bat tenth but sadly with the route this season has taken Toronto, holding onto a valuable fourth infielder doesn't feel feasible. I don't think I'm entering the bold ledger when I suggest that Ryan Goins is the best defensive shortstop in the game today which should translate into a handsome return.Barring anymore freak injuries my gut reaction is he'll be an Arizona Diamondback by the end of the month.
4) "Going Young?"
This can safely be classified as a tumultuous off-season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders headed into the 2017 campaign. Head Coach and General Manager, possibly unsurprisingly,parted ways with fan favourite Darian Durant and this blogger was one of the few that was a proponent of the move especially considering that the aftermath included the signing of Texas Longhorn great Vince Young..The issue that I have now taken with how the Riders training camp has evolved is that sans the hamstring injury that Young endured which is simply uncontrollable, it's my opinion that Young was never given a fair shake to strut his stuff and the job was Kevin Glenn's to lose.The same Kevin Glenn who throughout the course of his CFL career has shown limitations as in 2017 I remain skeptical that Glenn can lead the Green and White to prominence and for the lack of a better alternative I was and am hoping that at some juncture the former Tennessee Titan will see significant time behind center.
5) "Goin,goins gone!"
As a stern supporter of the Toronto Blue Jays, I can already foresee how the conundrum in the middle infield is going to shake out. Troy Tulowitzki for many factors, not at least of which the size of his contract has assured himself as a mainstay in the infield(however much I'd love to see him dealt) and due to John Gibbons' propensity to shift the versatile Darwin Barney occasionally in the outfield, presumably his job is safe.Starting second baseman Devon Travis has become somewhat of an enigma in the sense that in April he was channeling his inner Russ Adams(couldn't hit if his life depended on it) to warping into a poor man's Bret Boone in May. His inconsistent play has led to massive frustration amongst the fan base, it's been the injuries that have created a real prisoner's dillema for the Jays. Injuries aside, his purported potential has eliminated any chance General Manager Shapiro considers moving him. That leaves us with arguably my favourite player on the Jays in Ryan Goins. I famously got into a debate with FAN 590 broadcaster Mike Wilner a couple of summers ago pertaining to Goins's usefulness as Wilner famously stated he wouldn't have Goins bat tenth but sadly with the route this season has taken Toronto, holding onto a valuable fourth infielder doesn't feel feasible. I don't think I'm entering the bold ledger when I suggest that Ryan Goins is the best defensive shortstop in the game today which should translate into a handsome return.Barring anymore freak injuries my gut reaction is he'll be an Arizona Diamondback by the end of the month.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
BM's Muddled Mindtrip:May 31st,2017
Five random thoughts from this very random sports blog that I will share weekly.
1) "Tiger out in the Woods"
The rise and fall of Tiger Woods was well documented in the Winter of 2009 where his personal indiscretions made waves globally and basically from that point forward it was Eldrick's mission to garner back respect from so many that it had been lost through. Little did we know(okay perhaps some called his career trajectory to fall off a cliff) that his adulterous ways were just the beginning into this unfortunate chapter that forced him on the mend several times in way of chronic injuries.Let the record be shown that when it came to the mid two thousands Tiger/Phil debate,I was firmly on the side of lefty and to put it bluntly it hasn't upset me whatsoever that Tiger has fallen off the golfing scene,and that was before the arrest on Monday,May 29th for a DUI was made public.The fact of the matter is this,during his record breaking run he gave off vibes of sheer arrogance,as if to say he was bigger then the PGA Tour. Karma has came back to bite him in the you know what and I have a difficult time imagining he'll ever reach major prominence again.
2) "OHL skillset translatable to the 'Chell?"
The 2017 Memorial Cup has concluded which you would've thought may have hushed the critics who closely follow the Arizona Coyotes but quite to the contrary where Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome was handed the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.In lieu of this proceeding,Arizona faithful are now re-examining whether the right selection was made when in 2015 it chose Strome over the polarizing Maple Leaf phenom Mitch Marner,two OHL stalwarts. I've never been a huge proponent of Dylan as although I admit his skating has made great strides, when I compare it to the NHL level,even Marner, it's not comparable.While tensions from the aforementioned Coyote fanbase may ease in the immediate, I'll say I told you so right now that there will calls to send Strome down to the AHL within a couple years, not dissimilar to Curtis Lazar and Jake Virtanen. Great junior player capped of a marvelous junior career but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
3) "More the Merrier"
Kudos to Curling Canada this past week by making the executive decision by adding two additional teams into both it's men'sand women's "Road to the Roar" pre-trials event.After careful deliberation, it was determined that when weighing the closeness of the races for the respective genders that as opposed to denying the olympic dream to four deserving rinks, preventing what was originally going to be a tiebreaker amongst Briane Meilleur and Karla Thompson, this appeases the majority if not all the parties. However the interesting loophole with all of this pre-trials 'drama' is teams manipulating the system to retain a spot even though after this 2016-2017 season a couple teams publically declared disbandment only to conveniently do some roster tinkering to maintain eligibility.It's one thing to pursue the Olympic dream, I can only imagine the satisfaction in that but I would hate to be those select teams who just missed out because teams you won't see play together on tour in 2017-2018 take a crack at the Olympic can at their expense!
4)"No Jim Van Horne or Teresa Kruze"
Any child that grew up in the late eighties through the mid nineties would've been mesmorized by the sultry, transcendent voices of the likes of Jim Van Horne, Teresa Kruze,Gino Reda among many others on the iconic TSN Sportsdesk highlight shows.It's a random thought, well aware of that but the vintage Sportsdesk tapings shaped who I am today as it began my evolution into the sports fanatic I've become. Those shows back in the earlier Sportscenter days were memorable for the simple fact that unlike the modern era we're not seeing thousands of permutations and combinations in relation to who's hosting the nightly shows. The bottom line, settling in with familiar duos will allow TSN's modern era, headlined by Kate Beirness and Nabil Karim to form unbreakable chemistry and allow the viewer to grow up with a known pair. It's what made Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole so popular before there endeavour to Lbaos Angeles(glad they're back on Canadian airwaves in September) and what made the likes of the aforementioned Van Horne,Kruze,John Wells and so many other legendary broadcasters stalwarts on Canadian television.
5) "In hibernation"
I'll be the first to admit, I prognosticated a National Central repeat for the Chicago Cubs as a sheer inevitability. Fast forward to the completion of May 31st on the baseball calendar and shockingly the Cubbies find themselves at 25-27, good enough for third place in the division. So what's happened through the confines at Wrigley that's led to the sudden dehumanization of the once lovable losers? I have a couple theories. To begin with, although manager Joe Maddon is often celebrated for his innovative tactics, perhaps he's let his own convoluted mind get in the way of fielding the best possible lineup. Baseball pendants credit Maddon for coming up with having the pitcher bat eighth which due to the copy cat society that we live in, many other managers have preceded to follow suit but to me this strategy only works when you have a competent swinging pitcher in the lineup. From a Cubs perspective it works when Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are on the hill as both can hold their own but when hurlers like Brett Anderson and John Lackey arrive at the dish,some would argue within the Chicago fan base that former Blue Jay Alfredo Griffin may be a preferable option(youtube Alfredo Griffin). Secondly, I respect the loyalty that Maddon has towards his disciples coming off the 2016 World Series triumph but at some point he has to start rewarding players for, for a lack of a better phrase, who give a damn. Ironically enough Kyle Schwarber didn't play a prominent role in the Cubs attack until his late return against Cleveland in the World Series, yet is thrown to the wolves daily hitting a concerning .174. If it's injury related then I would be willing to scale back the criticism as to why Javier Baez has been relegated to a secondary role. My biggest point of contention is that Albert Almora Jr and Baez aren't being thrust into more important assignments and Schwarber who hasn't shown the propensity to hit a beach ball can do no wrong. Favouritism much!
1) "Tiger out in the Woods"
The rise and fall of Tiger Woods was well documented in the Winter of 2009 where his personal indiscretions made waves globally and basically from that point forward it was Eldrick's mission to garner back respect from so many that it had been lost through. Little did we know(okay perhaps some called his career trajectory to fall off a cliff) that his adulterous ways were just the beginning into this unfortunate chapter that forced him on the mend several times in way of chronic injuries.Let the record be shown that when it came to the mid two thousands Tiger/Phil debate,I was firmly on the side of lefty and to put it bluntly it hasn't upset me whatsoever that Tiger has fallen off the golfing scene,and that was before the arrest on Monday,May 29th for a DUI was made public.The fact of the matter is this,during his record breaking run he gave off vibes of sheer arrogance,as if to say he was bigger then the PGA Tour. Karma has came back to bite him in the you know what and I have a difficult time imagining he'll ever reach major prominence again.
2) "OHL skillset translatable to the 'Chell?"
The 2017 Memorial Cup has concluded which you would've thought may have hushed the critics who closely follow the Arizona Coyotes but quite to the contrary where Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome was handed the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.In lieu of this proceeding,Arizona faithful are now re-examining whether the right selection was made when in 2015 it chose Strome over the polarizing Maple Leaf phenom Mitch Marner,two OHL stalwarts. I've never been a huge proponent of Dylan as although I admit his skating has made great strides, when I compare it to the NHL level,even Marner, it's not comparable.While tensions from the aforementioned Coyote fanbase may ease in the immediate, I'll say I told you so right now that there will calls to send Strome down to the AHL within a couple years, not dissimilar to Curtis Lazar and Jake Virtanen. Great junior player capped of a marvelous junior career but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
3) "More the Merrier"
Kudos to Curling Canada this past week by making the executive decision by adding two additional teams into both it's men'sand women's "Road to the Roar" pre-trials event.After careful deliberation, it was determined that when weighing the closeness of the races for the respective genders that as opposed to denying the olympic dream to four deserving rinks, preventing what was originally going to be a tiebreaker amongst Briane Meilleur and Karla Thompson, this appeases the majority if not all the parties. However the interesting loophole with all of this pre-trials 'drama' is teams manipulating the system to retain a spot even though after this 2016-2017 season a couple teams publically declared disbandment only to conveniently do some roster tinkering to maintain eligibility.It's one thing to pursue the Olympic dream, I can only imagine the satisfaction in that but I would hate to be those select teams who just missed out because teams you won't see play together on tour in 2017-2018 take a crack at the Olympic can at their expense!
4)"No Jim Van Horne or Teresa Kruze"
Any child that grew up in the late eighties through the mid nineties would've been mesmorized by the sultry, transcendent voices of the likes of Jim Van Horne, Teresa Kruze,Gino Reda among many others on the iconic TSN Sportsdesk highlight shows.It's a random thought, well aware of that but the vintage Sportsdesk tapings shaped who I am today as it began my evolution into the sports fanatic I've become. Those shows back in the earlier Sportscenter days were memorable for the simple fact that unlike the modern era we're not seeing thousands of permutations and combinations in relation to who's hosting the nightly shows. The bottom line, settling in with familiar duos will allow TSN's modern era, headlined by Kate Beirness and Nabil Karim to form unbreakable chemistry and allow the viewer to grow up with a known pair. It's what made Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole so popular before there endeavour to Lbaos Angeles(glad they're back on Canadian airwaves in September) and what made the likes of the aforementioned Van Horne,Kruze,John Wells and so many other legendary broadcasters stalwarts on Canadian television.
5) "In hibernation"
I'll be the first to admit, I prognosticated a National Central repeat for the Chicago Cubs as a sheer inevitability. Fast forward to the completion of May 31st on the baseball calendar and shockingly the Cubbies find themselves at 25-27, good enough for third place in the division. So what's happened through the confines at Wrigley that's led to the sudden dehumanization of the once lovable losers? I have a couple theories. To begin with, although manager Joe Maddon is often celebrated for his innovative tactics, perhaps he's let his own convoluted mind get in the way of fielding the best possible lineup. Baseball pendants credit Maddon for coming up with having the pitcher bat eighth which due to the copy cat society that we live in, many other managers have preceded to follow suit but to me this strategy only works when you have a competent swinging pitcher in the lineup. From a Cubs perspective it works when Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are on the hill as both can hold their own but when hurlers like Brett Anderson and John Lackey arrive at the dish,some would argue within the Chicago fan base that former Blue Jay Alfredo Griffin may be a preferable option(youtube Alfredo Griffin). Secondly, I respect the loyalty that Maddon has towards his disciples coming off the 2016 World Series triumph but at some point he has to start rewarding players for, for a lack of a better phrase, who give a damn. Ironically enough Kyle Schwarber didn't play a prominent role in the Cubs attack until his late return against Cleveland in the World Series, yet is thrown to the wolves daily hitting a concerning .174. If it's injury related then I would be willing to scale back the criticism as to why Javier Baez has been relegated to a secondary role. My biggest point of contention is that Albert Almora Jr and Baez aren't being thrust into more important assignments and Schwarber who hasn't shown the propensity to hit a beach ball can do no wrong. Favouritism much!
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
BM's Muddled Mindtrip:May 24th,2017
Five random thoughts from this very random sports blog that I will share weekly.
1)"PR over Performance"
From a very young age, Jordan Spieth was anointed as golf's "next one". Given the state of the PGA Tour, filled with parody, was this label a fair one? Not necessarily from my vantage point considering when you breakdown the game of Spieth, statistics will suggest that he doesn't excel in one particular category that knocks you out of your chair however it's the methodical, course management approach that has become his bread and butter but the reason this Texan came to the forefront was how he's been trending as of late, of note in 2017 and whether buying his own press is affecting his own brand. Case in point his 2017 season where granted he's picked up a W at the historic Pebble Beach but has missed the cut three times, most recently missing consecutive cuts. In his hay day Tiger Woods wouldn't miss three cuts in three years let alone in two months. What I've been noticing is that when you tune in to a Spieth press conference, the common denominator is he continuously harps on patience and course management which as mentioned has become his calling card but to transition back into the Dustin Johnson and Jason Day category, he has to start to stop concerning himself with perception from media and fans alike and begin concentrating on the facets that will carry the twenty three year old to the winners circle more frequently.
2)"Mem Cup Dub Flub"
The Seattle Thunderbirds bowed out last night at the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup by going winless at 0-3. The early prognosis on the aforementioned outcome after perusing message boards was one of disgust. Here's the truth of the matter, if league commissioner Ron Robison had even the faintest hope of success for Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds and for any future league winner then its about time he have a spirited conversation with CHL head honcho David Branch about the trading practices in other leagues as with the way the Ontario and Quebec rosters construct the rosters comparatively to that of the WHL, it's next to impossible to compete in the modern day Memorial Cups. Take a look at the Erie Otters and host Windsor Spitfires specifically and how in the year 2017 they were expending draft picks in 2025! It's re-assuring noting that some kid playing novice hockey just beginning to skate is being affected by these transactions. Expendng future assets to ensure not parting with anything or anyone in the immediate vicinity has zero consequence on these organizations and needs to be kiboshed immediately. By doing so, it'll put this great championship back on a level playing field.
3) "Maria Maria"
Controversy ensued this week as organizers of tennis' Rogers Cup enabled Maria Sharapova with a wildcard main draw entry days after Roland Garros executives had just laid down the proverbial hammer by denying Maria an invitation to participate in the upcoming Grand Slam. The Roland Garros decision makers were lauded by fans and fellow players for determining that Sharapova should not be rewarded for her cheating behavior in which she tested positive for a banned substance that led to a year ban already so to throw this back on those who were adamantly opposed to Maria getting awarded main draw perks, has she not already served her time? In a long winded instagram post when the suspension was first announced,Maria illustrated repentance for her actions and admitted her mistake I can't help but feel she is unfairly being made the poster child and has become the victim of gender bias. Why is it that when greats such as Yankees pitcher Andy Pettite or Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun commit similar infractions are they not ostracized from the powers to be in the sport but when Maria had tested positive she was egergiously condemned. The very same critics in the media roasting her have to be held accountable when citing similar examples and need to self-assess how they treated past incident which I can assure you are nowhere near as severe as what I'll classify as "Sharapova-gate"
4) "What's fair is fair"
Let me qualify this below rant by stressing that you won't find a bigger fan of TSN's James Duthie than myself but his opposition to the shootout for this past Sunday's IIHF World Championship gold medal final is counter productive for his network desperately trying to increase it's rankings. Listen, Duthie is a hockey purist and understandably any hockey purist won't appreciate a hockey game decided by a glorified skills competition HOWEVER for a casual fan of hockey and sport, the finality of a shootout becomes extremely exciting and I guarantee there were a few nine year old kids, after Sweden had claimed the gold medal over Canada that scurried out to the streets to re-enact their favourite players move.I know my nine year old self would've done this.As someone pointed out on radio this week, the World Cup of Soccer has long been notorious for having the shootout decide instant classics and you won't find a more popular event globally then the World Cup. The message I'm attempting to get across is no, the shootout isn't "fair" but fair doesn't necessarily always breed ratings.Excitement does.
5) "Medicine Hat Pats"
Have the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats ever become recurrent trading partners! From the October 2013 acquistion that brought Regina overager Boston Leier to Medicine Hat shipping in stalwarts Dryden Hunt and Kyle Burroughs for their 2014-2015 playoff push, the two sides engaged in yet another deal this time with Matt Bradley coming over to Regina to aid their 2018 Memorial Cup hosting push. By doing so, the Pats had to unfortunately say goodbye to former first round pick goaltender Jordan Hollett. Nothing against the 2015 Montreal Canadien selection Bradley but my hope was and would've been that our most appealing trade chip in the eighteen year old Hollett would've netted more then a twenty year old in return. Pulling away from my thoughts on how this deal effects the on ice product, this deal was spearheaded primarily by Coach and GM's John Paddock's loyalty. The Leaderpost did a feature on the acquisition and in a quote from Paddock he indicated that in his exit meeting with Jordan he told the youngster that he would be playing next year and that he just couldn't guarantee that would be in Regina. Again, you can rightfully argue if enough was extracted for Jordan but with him being a good soldier, a two year backup, he did him right by ensuring he'll go somewhere where he'll see the crease. This type of operation bodes well for the future as any parents who may have reservations with sending their kid to the Western Hockey League will now have seen that this ownership group looks after their players and optimizes their potential by ensuring they're in the proper environment.
1)"PR over Performance"
From a very young age, Jordan Spieth was anointed as golf's "next one". Given the state of the PGA Tour, filled with parody, was this label a fair one? Not necessarily from my vantage point considering when you breakdown the game of Spieth, statistics will suggest that he doesn't excel in one particular category that knocks you out of your chair however it's the methodical, course management approach that has become his bread and butter but the reason this Texan came to the forefront was how he's been trending as of late, of note in 2017 and whether buying his own press is affecting his own brand. Case in point his 2017 season where granted he's picked up a W at the historic Pebble Beach but has missed the cut three times, most recently missing consecutive cuts. In his hay day Tiger Woods wouldn't miss three cuts in three years let alone in two months. What I've been noticing is that when you tune in to a Spieth press conference, the common denominator is he continuously harps on patience and course management which as mentioned has become his calling card but to transition back into the Dustin Johnson and Jason Day category, he has to start to stop concerning himself with perception from media and fans alike and begin concentrating on the facets that will carry the twenty three year old to the winners circle more frequently.
2)"Mem Cup Dub Flub"
The Seattle Thunderbirds bowed out last night at the 2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup by going winless at 0-3. The early prognosis on the aforementioned outcome after perusing message boards was one of disgust. Here's the truth of the matter, if league commissioner Ron Robison had even the faintest hope of success for Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds and for any future league winner then its about time he have a spirited conversation with CHL head honcho David Branch about the trading practices in other leagues as with the way the Ontario and Quebec rosters construct the rosters comparatively to that of the WHL, it's next to impossible to compete in the modern day Memorial Cups. Take a look at the Erie Otters and host Windsor Spitfires specifically and how in the year 2017 they were expending draft picks in 2025! It's re-assuring noting that some kid playing novice hockey just beginning to skate is being affected by these transactions. Expendng future assets to ensure not parting with anything or anyone in the immediate vicinity has zero consequence on these organizations and needs to be kiboshed immediately. By doing so, it'll put this great championship back on a level playing field.
3) "Maria Maria"
Controversy ensued this week as organizers of tennis' Rogers Cup enabled Maria Sharapova with a wildcard main draw entry days after Roland Garros executives had just laid down the proverbial hammer by denying Maria an invitation to participate in the upcoming Grand Slam. The Roland Garros decision makers were lauded by fans and fellow players for determining that Sharapova should not be rewarded for her cheating behavior in which she tested positive for a banned substance that led to a year ban already so to throw this back on those who were adamantly opposed to Maria getting awarded main draw perks, has she not already served her time? In a long winded instagram post when the suspension was first announced,Maria illustrated repentance for her actions and admitted her mistake I can't help but feel she is unfairly being made the poster child and has become the victim of gender bias. Why is it that when greats such as Yankees pitcher Andy Pettite or Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun commit similar infractions are they not ostracized from the powers to be in the sport but when Maria had tested positive she was egergiously condemned. The very same critics in the media roasting her have to be held accountable when citing similar examples and need to self-assess how they treated past incident which I can assure you are nowhere near as severe as what I'll classify as "Sharapova-gate"
4) "What's fair is fair"
Let me qualify this below rant by stressing that you won't find a bigger fan of TSN's James Duthie than myself but his opposition to the shootout for this past Sunday's IIHF World Championship gold medal final is counter productive for his network desperately trying to increase it's rankings. Listen, Duthie is a hockey purist and understandably any hockey purist won't appreciate a hockey game decided by a glorified skills competition HOWEVER for a casual fan of hockey and sport, the finality of a shootout becomes extremely exciting and I guarantee there were a few nine year old kids, after Sweden had claimed the gold medal over Canada that scurried out to the streets to re-enact their favourite players move.I know my nine year old self would've done this.As someone pointed out on radio this week, the World Cup of Soccer has long been notorious for having the shootout decide instant classics and you won't find a more popular event globally then the World Cup. The message I'm attempting to get across is no, the shootout isn't "fair" but fair doesn't necessarily always breed ratings.Excitement does.
5) "Medicine Hat Pats"
Have the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats ever become recurrent trading partners! From the October 2013 acquistion that brought Regina overager Boston Leier to Medicine Hat shipping in stalwarts Dryden Hunt and Kyle Burroughs for their 2014-2015 playoff push, the two sides engaged in yet another deal this time with Matt Bradley coming over to Regina to aid their 2018 Memorial Cup hosting push. By doing so, the Pats had to unfortunately say goodbye to former first round pick goaltender Jordan Hollett. Nothing against the 2015 Montreal Canadien selection Bradley but my hope was and would've been that our most appealing trade chip in the eighteen year old Hollett would've netted more then a twenty year old in return. Pulling away from my thoughts on how this deal effects the on ice product, this deal was spearheaded primarily by Coach and GM's John Paddock's loyalty. The Leaderpost did a feature on the acquisition and in a quote from Paddock he indicated that in his exit meeting with Jordan he told the youngster that he would be playing next year and that he just couldn't guarantee that would be in Regina. Again, you can rightfully argue if enough was extracted for Jordan but with him being a good soldier, a two year backup, he did him right by ensuring he'll go somewhere where he'll see the crease. This type of operation bodes well for the future as any parents who may have reservations with sending their kid to the Western Hockey League will now have seen that this ownership group looks after their players and optimizes their potential by ensuring they're in the proper environment.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
BM's Muddled Mindtrip:May 17th,2017
This blog has been guilty of inconsistent entries and the onus for that falls squarely on my shoulders. I used to pride myself on endeavouring on essay pieces and while that will happen from time to time again,it donned upon me that there was a certain randomness that differentiated this sports blog from many others so it's important(in my opinion) that I encapsulated on that and as opposed to sticking to singular themes, to drive the passion and to maintain consistency I'm hellbent on publishing a weekly segment focused on five musings from the World of sports in no particular order or reason that I deem worth ranting about. As the avid readers of the blog are well aware, the Western Hockey League remains an entrenched passion of mine thus comprehensive coverage will be attempted to be continued throughout the season but as the "off-season" has begun compounded by my willingness to reinvigorate this enterprise, I thoroughly hope you'll enjoy what I'm choosing to title,"BM's Muddled Mindtrip"
1) "Si woo-ing major titles"
It's happened. Many in the golfing industry we're hesitant to acknowledge this obvious ascertation in the yester-year but similarly to that of the LPGA tour,, the PGA Tour is in the midst of it's own "Asian invasion" and debate is rampant whether this is a good or bad thing for the tour. The standard argument is that the language barrier hurts marketability amongst the majority of the Asian stars but that's flawed when surmising that global growth has skyrocketed and just take a look at the winners list of the last two years to understand that it takes a very naive individual to believe that golf is singularily America's game for it is now. Hideki Matsuyama may be labelled as the modern men's game pioneer and his two 2016-2017 PGA tour wins,four altogether validate that hypothesis but there is a particular twenty one year old Korean star by the name o Si Woo Kim that broke through at the 2017 Players Championship and assuming he can circumvent his required military duty) an immediate major title is in his vicinity.
2) "Low of Oil"
Peter Chiarelli and coach Todd McClellan have rejuvenated the City of Champions pertaining to their professional hockey team but after bowing out in the seventh game of round two against the Anaheim "should be mighty" Ducks, critics out of Northern Alberta have since begun to chime in over the futures of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Reports went so far to suggest that Jordan could be exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights which I chalk up as a ridiculous notion. The bias is certainly beaming through being as Jordan once shone for my hometown Regina Pats and for the record I haven't been the biggest fan of his play over the last calendar year but shame on those trying to tell me that he has negative value and couldn't bring back B level defensive stalwart,I refuse to believe it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a player who tallied fifty one points often times getting relegated to third line duty.If you accept the fact that he'll never be a first line winger, topping out as a complimentary second liner then a team looking for an upgrade at wing will reap the benefit. I predict that the Oil will wrongfully elect to hold on to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while packaging out Eberle.Prediction is that by July 1st, Jordan will find himself alongside Noah Hanifin and the Carolina Hurricanes.
3) "Unwarranted loyalty"
A fascinating topic worth discussing is what is the proper way of handling loyalty for organizations that reign victorious is balancing loyalty versus grading performance. Case in point,Cubs lead off hitter and left fielder Kyle Schwarber. This is as unique of a case as ever because while manager Joe Maddon rigthfully looks to reward the escapades from a year ago, Schwarber up until the World Series against the pitching deprived Cleveland Indians wasn't part of the picture as he was rehabbing an earlier suffered 2016 injury. The cold hard truth is that Kyle is hacking at a measly .187 pace, in other words not the type of statistics that a very innovative manager in Maddon would condone or stroke the ego of. SIx home runs in one hundred and thirty nine plate appearances is respectable but perplexing at the same time for why he isn't being dropped down to a more power position in favour of a Kris Bryant or Addison Russell, who's on base percentages have greatly exceeded that of Kyle.I could never question the tactics of Maddon but perhaps it's time to take a page out of the book from Ned Yost where the 2015 champions have demoted once leadoff staple Alex Gordon to the nine slot.
4) "Cosmo Kramer"
When news broke that the City of Regina in partisan with "Soccer day in Saskatchewan" was announcing that Spanish soccer giant Valencia FC would rival the New York Cosmos in a friendly my first thought was the Valencia had agreed to play a power from the MLS. The false original presumption was that the Cosmo's were New York's,MLS organization but further research proved that the New York City FC were property of the MLS and the Cosmos were a member of the previously unheard of North American Soccer League. Second observation related to this is what is a team that lays claim to international superheroes in Nani and Rodrigo doing in the same galaxy against what would be the equivalent of a ECHL hockey team locking horns with the New York Islanders. My fear is, not a big enough fear to not attend as the announcement intrigued me is Valencia will use the friendly for developmental purposes and field their "C" team. The closest that Nani and Rodrigo may come to Regina is the iconic "Hotel Regina" located in Milan.
5) "Lonzo lottery"
The NBA draft lottery is complete.The lottery capitvated me so much so that I failed to tune in but it was the aftermath that lured me back in Any astute basketball fan knows that the Boston Celtics engaged in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, perhaps in what will go down as the worst basketball transaction in history where, courtesy NBA.com sent Kevin Garnett,Paul Pierce,Jason Terry and D.J White to Brooklyn in exchange for Gerald Wallace,Kris Humphries,Marshon Brooks and Keith Bogans and Kris Joseph ALONG with three first round picks, the last of which in 2017 ended up being first overall. This deal was conssumated in 2013,essentially around the time where the prime of the great Garnett and Pierce began to wind down. If this very deal transpired in 2003 I wouldn't even wink an eye but given the state of the current franchises, the soundbite given by then Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is now legendary as at the time he stated" Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets". No Mikhal, that day you aided a now young juggernaut Celtics franchise. The embarrassment of riches the Celtics now have in the stable is borderline unfair. From Kelly Olynyk to Jae Crowder to Isiah Thomas, the proud Celtics project to be dominant for many years. The only caveat is it has created an interesting dillema for Celts management with what to do with the selection. Do they trade the pick to enhance the 2017-2018 regime? Do they pick Washington alum Point Guard Markelle Fultz pairing him up with another Huskie alum in Thomas OR do they do the inconceivable and welcome in Lonzo Ball and his nutcase father Lavar. The latter is very unlikely as knowing Lavar he'll probably demand they replace the statue in front of the Boston Gardens of Bobby Orr with one of his son.
1) "Si woo-ing major titles"
It's happened. Many in the golfing industry we're hesitant to acknowledge this obvious ascertation in the yester-year but similarly to that of the LPGA tour,, the PGA Tour is in the midst of it's own "Asian invasion" and debate is rampant whether this is a good or bad thing for the tour. The standard argument is that the language barrier hurts marketability amongst the majority of the Asian stars but that's flawed when surmising that global growth has skyrocketed and just take a look at the winners list of the last two years to understand that it takes a very naive individual to believe that golf is singularily America's game for it is now. Hideki Matsuyama may be labelled as the modern men's game pioneer and his two 2016-2017 PGA tour wins,four altogether validate that hypothesis but there is a particular twenty one year old Korean star by the name o Si Woo Kim that broke through at the 2017 Players Championship and assuming he can circumvent his required military duty) an immediate major title is in his vicinity.
2) "Low of Oil"
Peter Chiarelli and coach Todd McClellan have rejuvenated the City of Champions pertaining to their professional hockey team but after bowing out in the seventh game of round two against the Anaheim "should be mighty" Ducks, critics out of Northern Alberta have since begun to chime in over the futures of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Reports went so far to suggest that Jordan could be exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights which I chalk up as a ridiculous notion. The bias is certainly beaming through being as Jordan once shone for my hometown Regina Pats and for the record I haven't been the biggest fan of his play over the last calendar year but shame on those trying to tell me that he has negative value and couldn't bring back B level defensive stalwart,I refuse to believe it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a player who tallied fifty one points often times getting relegated to third line duty.If you accept the fact that he'll never be a first line winger, topping out as a complimentary second liner then a team looking for an upgrade at wing will reap the benefit. I predict that the Oil will wrongfully elect to hold on to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while packaging out Eberle.Prediction is that by July 1st, Jordan will find himself alongside Noah Hanifin and the Carolina Hurricanes.
3) "Unwarranted loyalty"
A fascinating topic worth discussing is what is the proper way of handling loyalty for organizations that reign victorious is balancing loyalty versus grading performance. Case in point,Cubs lead off hitter and left fielder Kyle Schwarber. This is as unique of a case as ever because while manager Joe Maddon rigthfully looks to reward the escapades from a year ago, Schwarber up until the World Series against the pitching deprived Cleveland Indians wasn't part of the picture as he was rehabbing an earlier suffered 2016 injury. The cold hard truth is that Kyle is hacking at a measly .187 pace, in other words not the type of statistics that a very innovative manager in Maddon would condone or stroke the ego of. SIx home runs in one hundred and thirty nine plate appearances is respectable but perplexing at the same time for why he isn't being dropped down to a more power position in favour of a Kris Bryant or Addison Russell, who's on base percentages have greatly exceeded that of Kyle.I could never question the tactics of Maddon but perhaps it's time to take a page out of the book from Ned Yost where the 2015 champions have demoted once leadoff staple Alex Gordon to the nine slot.
4) "Cosmo Kramer"
When news broke that the City of Regina in partisan with "Soccer day in Saskatchewan" was announcing that Spanish soccer giant Valencia FC would rival the New York Cosmos in a friendly my first thought was the Valencia had agreed to play a power from the MLS. The false original presumption was that the Cosmo's were New York's,MLS organization but further research proved that the New York City FC were property of the MLS and the Cosmos were a member of the previously unheard of North American Soccer League. Second observation related to this is what is a team that lays claim to international superheroes in Nani and Rodrigo doing in the same galaxy against what would be the equivalent of a ECHL hockey team locking horns with the New York Islanders. My fear is, not a big enough fear to not attend as the announcement intrigued me is Valencia will use the friendly for developmental purposes and field their "C" team. The closest that Nani and Rodrigo may come to Regina is the iconic "Hotel Regina" located in Milan.
5) "Lonzo lottery"
The NBA draft lottery is complete.The lottery capitvated me so much so that I failed to tune in but it was the aftermath that lured me back in Any astute basketball fan knows that the Boston Celtics engaged in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, perhaps in what will go down as the worst basketball transaction in history where, courtesy NBA.com sent Kevin Garnett,Paul Pierce,Jason Terry and D.J White to Brooklyn in exchange for Gerald Wallace,Kris Humphries,Marshon Brooks and Keith Bogans and Kris Joseph ALONG with three first round picks, the last of which in 2017 ended up being first overall. This deal was conssumated in 2013,essentially around the time where the prime of the great Garnett and Pierce began to wind down. If this very deal transpired in 2003 I wouldn't even wink an eye but given the state of the current franchises, the soundbite given by then Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is now legendary as at the time he stated" Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets". No Mikhal, that day you aided a now young juggernaut Celtics franchise. The embarrassment of riches the Celtics now have in the stable is borderline unfair. From Kelly Olynyk to Jae Crowder to Isiah Thomas, the proud Celtics project to be dominant for many years. The only caveat is it has created an interesting dillema for Celts management with what to do with the selection. Do they trade the pick to enhance the 2017-2018 regime? Do they pick Washington alum Point Guard Markelle Fultz pairing him up with another Huskie alum in Thomas OR do they do the inconceivable and welcome in Lonzo Ball and his nutcase father Lavar. The latter is very unlikely as knowing Lavar he'll probably demand they replace the statue in front of the Boston Gardens of Bobby Orr with one of his son.
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