16.Prince Albert Raiders:Since approximately the 2003-2004 season,there is finally a sense of optimism buzzing around the Art Hauser Center because after a long stretch of incompetence, Curtis Hunt and Marc Habscheid have orchestrated a nucleus that has the potential to contend in the not so distant future.Given the state of the Eastern Conference and particularly the East division, they're certainly not going to short sight themselves knowing that organizations such as the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors are primed for deep runs so it's best advised to take a passive approach and be cognizant of the 2018-2019 season and beyond, where realistically they could put their best foot forward at a league title then.
Recognizing the scouting staff of the Raiders becomes imperative considering they have built from my perspective the best collection of 2000 born talent in the Western Hockey League..This hits home when analyzing Cole Fonstad and Spencer Moe. Along with Lane Kirk on defence and Carson Miller, this core HAS to be the group that Hunt zeroes in on and makes moves to assist the effort. I want to first touch on Moe. Spencer, from Calgary had fourteen points which in full honesty can't be extrapolated in any great detail with the team he had around him. I'm willing to ignore last year's point totals and instead recollect on the impact he had on games and what he'll be able to do with more experienced linemates. Here's a hot take for you, and I know to receive this honor he's contending with the likes of Tristen Nielsen out of Calgary, and Riley Stotts out of Speedy Creek but I think it stands to reason that Spencer Moe is the best 2000 born forward in the dub. I'll take it a step further in suggesting that regardless of where Moe has landed in glacially early draft rankings that he'll be a first round pick in the National Hockey League. The infamous kid line of Moe,Miller and Fonstad that was put together at select times will be a year older and expect to see all three point totals sky rocket. I'm looking at projected lineups they could ice and despite the aforementioned meager total of fourteen points, he'll lead the Raiders in scoring this season. What initially could be construed as an outrageous prognostication, keep in mind that out of expected returning forwards, forty three points was the high courtesy of Parker Kelly so it's not such a reach. When changing the tune to veteran forwards, the coaching staff will need to see strides out of Sean Montgomery. Pertaining to Montgomery, no denying his current trade value is obsolete and in a dream world they'd see Sean fly out of the gates to make him an endearing asset for clubs looking for those final upgrades in pursuit of the playoffs. In the category of disappointments, perhaps no one bigger then Montgomery because I distinctly remember him being a force in his rookie season and I wasn't witnessing the same level of drive in 16/17. Last season the cause for drop off was simple, his skating prowess deteriorated. It's one of those things that you can usually correlate with a nagging injury but with the fact that he nearly played a full schedule(suited up in sixty nine games) either conditioning was up to snuff for which I'm not directly implying or he channeled his inner Ken Daneyko and fought through every sweltering injury. This WAS a talent deprived team, emphasis on was because as I alluded to earlier the scouting staff has done a remarkable job and the influx of promising youthful talent is unprecedented. Whether or not he gets dealt at some point remains to be seen but with all these young guns competing for jobs and that goes well beyond the aforementioned kids line that was referenced at the top. I sound like a broken record commending the Regina Pat Canadian midget program but Eric Pearce is another remnant that will surely battle for a permanent position. I understand veterans are needed to stay afloat but with all of these studs chomping at a bit I tremble to think what the future holds for the Raider forwards. Nothing but up as Hockeytown North has something to cheer about.
As I probably excessively harped on in the forward forecast, the forwards will drive this team in years to come but when assessing this years version of the green and white, the defence is a noted strength. Not known for generating offence, this group as a whole is a steady Eddy and can be counted on making a crisp first pass. An interesting training camp battle will involve what to do with the two overagers Lochlan Morrison and Nick Heid. Presuming that Curtis Miske and Jordy Stallard have spots locked or at least should judging from the below average offence they project to fight through, Heid and Morrison will be in tough to crack the roster. Max Martin and Czech Republican Vojtech Budik will be the anchors, Lane Kirk and Zach Hayes will require everyday assignments, and 2016 first round pick Rhett Rinehart will be seeking a promotion to the Western League so that leaves little room for a twenty year old and that's not even including Brayden Pachal. This is the forward dillema all over again with the need to weigh this campaign against the future. I personally like Heid. I did a lot of reading last year and felt the most stout Prince Albert supporter was unnecessarily hard on him and seemingly could never do right(how I feel about this blog sometimes). Don't even dare attempt citing the +/- as a tangible argument as for the 94,532nd time I'll repeat that there's no more meaningless statistic in hockey, completely team dependant. My viewings were painting a picture of Heid's partners often time prone to the catastrophic turnover leaving him in no man's land.So to summarize sheer numbers have left Heid's roster spot in peril but the abuse he withstood last go around was unwarranted. Profiling someone that does indeed have a spot in the lineup sewed up, why don't we forecast what to expect out of Max Martin. Martin was the catch for the management staff that sent Brendan Guhle to the Prince George Cougars but the question I pose that viewed this team on the daily, did Max live up to the billing because from an outsider perspective I didn't leave all that overwhelmed. I just finished going on a tangent towards making Nick Heid a escape goat but wasn't Martin equally as guilty but is absconded by the fan base. Double standards if you ask me.The fact that Max went undrafted will (hopefully) lead to inspired hockey because I'll be the first to openly opine if Max was enough of a cornerstone player at the expense of the future Buffalo Sabre guilty. I was at the time in the camp of not liking the trade for P.A and nothing I saw in the second half calmed my fears. The coaching staff needs to stress the significance of simplification for Max because I don't doubt for a second that the potential isn't there but it's untapped. This is worth discussing because once Vojtech departs, Max transistions to the number one defenceman on the depth charts with the difference being the year Max is in charge will be the focal point for all preceding transactions. If they truly feel he can be that franchise d-man in 2018-2019 then all the more power to them but if not a mistake in his evaluation could lead to a lossed opportunity in a year where if things go right then the Ed Chynoweth Cup is in sight.
After further deliberation at least from a depth perspective, the goaltending position could project as the strength heading into 17/18. I spent the entire Prince George preview(see # 18) chronicling my belief that a fit exists amongst current back-up Nick Sanders and the Cougars so I won' go down that path again but I'll just say it's a nice scenario to have for Prince Albert giving them some much needed flexibility. Ian Scott was constantly peppered with rubber, averaging about 37 shots a night which isn't sustainable for someone looking to pad his statistics. Fortunately for Ian the Toronto Maple Leafs saw enough to use the one hundred and tenth overall selection on him. Over and above getting drafted, the Winnipeger has reached a point in his development where he's starting to garner international interest in the Hockey Canada program of excellence. Barring a miracle the 2018 World Juniors aren't in arms length but if his game is raised which should happen given the improving condition his junior club is in then the 2019 Championships hosted by Vancouver/Victoria should be an attainable goal of his.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Sunday, August 20, 2017
2017 Western Hockey League preview(Team 17)
17.Kamloops Blazers:My expectations for the 'Loops a year were sky high and even though the playoffs didn't materialize to form, a forty two, ninety point tally can't be ignored. Top end talent for the Blazers is few and far between after the graduation of Lane Bauer and likely graduations of Devin Sideroff and Rudolf Balcers. Any time you lose three players of that magnitude and I understand all teams go through it it's awfully difficult to recover and the onus will be on Don Hay to recoup the lost pieces and architect a plan that can claw the Blazers into the playoffs because it'll be a dog fight as they scrape for one of the last playoff positions.
Everyone will associate the strength of the 2017-2018 back end around Czech Republican Ondrej Vala and while he inevitably anchor things on the blue line, there are a couple of other young up and comers that deserve praise with that being Luke Zazula and Tylor Ludwar. We'll start with Ludwar as this is an interesting case. Coming off a banner year in 2015/2016 with the Midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians, internally Tylor had hoped to crack the Kamloops roster full time out of training camp and I'm sure was riddled with disappointment when the news came down that he was being re-assigned back to Midget. Before we evaluate what he can bring to the dinner table this season it's important that we credit the coaching staff of the Pat C's, Darren McKechnie this latest go around and current Regina Pat assistant coach Brad Herauf that was the bench general in 2015-2016. Throughout my time growing up, the Pat C's Midget program was largely hovered in disdain as seldomly was the team competitive nor was it producing many players to the next level but in the last five or so years the program has done a 360 and it's pumping out Western Hockey League players at an alarming rate.Obviously Kamloops made the determination that Tylor wasn't quite game ready but a half year back in Regina compounded by a couple roster moves allowed Ludwar to spend the second half in British Columbia which ideally for all involved can evolve into a top four role now. The best way to explain Tylor's game is resourceful. He doesn't lack in any one particular area and possesses a shot that would make Shea Weber clap. The Weber comparison is fabricated but given his age, entering his eighteen year old season he does indeed have an above average release from the point and given his offensive nature should be able to learn a thing or two from Vala. Shout out to the British Columbia regional scout(s) for advocating for a kid by the name of Luke Zazula in the FOURTH ROUND. Until conducting research for the piece I made the false assumption that he was seventeen or eighteen last year but come to find out he's a 2000 born pupil astonishes me when accounting for his on ice maturity. The sky is literally the limit for this kid and perhaps someone stationed in Kamloops can enlighten me if the reason for his draft slip was a NCAA scare because Luke demonstrated first round talent almost immediately. Whatever the reasons he becomes a highly sought after prospect for NHL teams next June and can see him going as high as the second round. Time will tell how Hay utilizes Zazula however my thinking is he's a strong candidate for the first pairing alongside Zala. Forgive me if I'm the only one but when I watch Luke lace them up, he bears a strong resemblance to Kale Clague. Always in the right position but just like Kale who was guilty of this early on his career he'd try to make plays too quick and would advised to slow the game down. I don't doubt for a second that this will be a visible improvement and he continues to receive tutelage from one of the games best coaches.
In a game against Lethbridge approximately half way into the season I couldn't believe the type of presence Jermaine Loewen displayed. He had a bulldog type of mentality, all over the ice. In that game mentioned, I believe although am not certain he may have accumulated at maximum one point but the impression you took away was he could've had multiple. I bring this up because when I looked back a his yearly statistics he only amassed a grand total of eleven points. Inconsistencies plagued Jermaine and in order to stay in Hay's good graces, a more asserted effort will be required. Maybe it's the name that is the root of all issues. I'm a baseball fan and its impossible to forget the hype built around him as in back in 2002 he was the fourth overall pick via the Baltimore Orioles an for a myriad of reasons he just couldn't put it together. After numerous failed expenditures as a pitcher, he eventually got into the business of switching positions, going from a pitcher to a left fielder and ultimately back to a pitcher. Tying this back around to Jermaine, when I watch games of his and observe the stat sheet it forces me to speculate if they(Blazers) would be better served giving Loewen a trial run at defence. He's obviously not contributing enough on the score sheet but conversely is built like a football player and is intimidating for a lot kids his age to engage in the corners with him.Most privy to the organization I think would at least entertain the notion but one of the flaws with the proposition(and I know there are many) is that as a team last year, Kamloops only netted 243 goals which was fourth worst in the conference and that total is bound to decrease with the aforementioned departures of Sideroff and Balcers along with hot shot prospect Massimo Rizzo electing to test the Penticton Vees of the BCHL en route to a NCAA scholarship. All of these holes were justifying the pouros ranking of seventeen. The offensive deficit issue will currently fall on the shoulders of Garrett Pilon. In the season preview I did last year I alluded to my belief that Pilon was destined for a breakout season after the Washington Capitals rewarded him with a third round selection but to be frank I'm still waiting for that breakout to occur. Time and time again I've seen cases in the Western Hockey League of players coming out of the gates slow only to dominate the league as they get older with Adam Brooks of the Pats being the most recent example and with a sixty five point season behind him, the trajectory of Brooks may be apt as in Brooks third full year he worked his way to sixty two points. The comparison is uncanny! Here's the issue, unless a miracle is adminsitered and somehow Sideroff or Balcers get sent back then no one could reasonably suggest that Pilon as your sole beneficiary of any offence is enough of a starting point, it's simply not. A scoring by committee approach will have to be used behind Garrett and one of those will have to include Abbotsford native Travis Walton. Don Hay displayed an incredible level of patience with Travis as a seventeen year old where he could've just as easily re-assigned him to a lower level but he showed loyalty and by the sake of not having many better options he has a third, maybe second line assignment locked up and the hockey gods in Kamloops will need at least twenty points or desperate phone calls will have to be made to opposing General Managers looking for trades.It's been a smoky summer in Kamloops, are we in store for a foggy winter?
The Dylan Ferguson era has commenced in Kamloops and I for one am amazed by the poise he showed this off-season in the midst of adverse situations. The NHL draft is always a stressful time for these young kids but try to put on the shoes of Ferguson who was riding the highest of highs getting selected by the Dallas Stars only to have to his rights immediately traded to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.What stimulated my fascination with Dylan was after the trade in which these types of trades of a newly minted prospect rarely happen he was bombarded with media requests for an eighteen year old kid he collected himself, elicited thought out answers and exuded gratefulness. The goaltending position is undoubtedly the most stressful in hockey and after seeing his character tested I can confidently conclude that the Blazers have wall between the crease, not just physically but mentally. Connor Ingram will begin the year with Syracuse of the American Hockey League's and it's Dylan's time to shine. Judging from everything I've witnessed this summer, he'll put any doubt to rest that he cannot only lead Kamloops to the playoffs but also vindicate the Knights in the acquisition we made. Goaltending as it has been for the last several years will again be the bread and butter of he organization.
Everyone will associate the strength of the 2017-2018 back end around Czech Republican Ondrej Vala and while he inevitably anchor things on the blue line, there are a couple of other young up and comers that deserve praise with that being Luke Zazula and Tylor Ludwar. We'll start with Ludwar as this is an interesting case. Coming off a banner year in 2015/2016 with the Midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians, internally Tylor had hoped to crack the Kamloops roster full time out of training camp and I'm sure was riddled with disappointment when the news came down that he was being re-assigned back to Midget. Before we evaluate what he can bring to the dinner table this season it's important that we credit the coaching staff of the Pat C's, Darren McKechnie this latest go around and current Regina Pat assistant coach Brad Herauf that was the bench general in 2015-2016. Throughout my time growing up, the Pat C's Midget program was largely hovered in disdain as seldomly was the team competitive nor was it producing many players to the next level but in the last five or so years the program has done a 360 and it's pumping out Western Hockey League players at an alarming rate.Obviously Kamloops made the determination that Tylor wasn't quite game ready but a half year back in Regina compounded by a couple roster moves allowed Ludwar to spend the second half in British Columbia which ideally for all involved can evolve into a top four role now. The best way to explain Tylor's game is resourceful. He doesn't lack in any one particular area and possesses a shot that would make Shea Weber clap. The Weber comparison is fabricated but given his age, entering his eighteen year old season he does indeed have an above average release from the point and given his offensive nature should be able to learn a thing or two from Vala. Shout out to the British Columbia regional scout(s) for advocating for a kid by the name of Luke Zazula in the FOURTH ROUND. Until conducting research for the piece I made the false assumption that he was seventeen or eighteen last year but come to find out he's a 2000 born pupil astonishes me when accounting for his on ice maturity. The sky is literally the limit for this kid and perhaps someone stationed in Kamloops can enlighten me if the reason for his draft slip was a NCAA scare because Luke demonstrated first round talent almost immediately. Whatever the reasons he becomes a highly sought after prospect for NHL teams next June and can see him going as high as the second round. Time will tell how Hay utilizes Zazula however my thinking is he's a strong candidate for the first pairing alongside Zala. Forgive me if I'm the only one but when I watch Luke lace them up, he bears a strong resemblance to Kale Clague. Always in the right position but just like Kale who was guilty of this early on his career he'd try to make plays too quick and would advised to slow the game down. I don't doubt for a second that this will be a visible improvement and he continues to receive tutelage from one of the games best coaches.
In a game against Lethbridge approximately half way into the season I couldn't believe the type of presence Jermaine Loewen displayed. He had a bulldog type of mentality, all over the ice. In that game mentioned, I believe although am not certain he may have accumulated at maximum one point but the impression you took away was he could've had multiple. I bring this up because when I looked back a his yearly statistics he only amassed a grand total of eleven points. Inconsistencies plagued Jermaine and in order to stay in Hay's good graces, a more asserted effort will be required. Maybe it's the name that is the root of all issues. I'm a baseball fan and its impossible to forget the hype built around him as in back in 2002 he was the fourth overall pick via the Baltimore Orioles an for a myriad of reasons he just couldn't put it together. After numerous failed expenditures as a pitcher, he eventually got into the business of switching positions, going from a pitcher to a left fielder and ultimately back to a pitcher. Tying this back around to Jermaine, when I watch games of his and observe the stat sheet it forces me to speculate if they(Blazers) would be better served giving Loewen a trial run at defence. He's obviously not contributing enough on the score sheet but conversely is built like a football player and is intimidating for a lot kids his age to engage in the corners with him.Most privy to the organization I think would at least entertain the notion but one of the flaws with the proposition(and I know there are many) is that as a team last year, Kamloops only netted 243 goals which was fourth worst in the conference and that total is bound to decrease with the aforementioned departures of Sideroff and Balcers along with hot shot prospect Massimo Rizzo electing to test the Penticton Vees of the BCHL en route to a NCAA scholarship. All of these holes were justifying the pouros ranking of seventeen. The offensive deficit issue will currently fall on the shoulders of Garrett Pilon. In the season preview I did last year I alluded to my belief that Pilon was destined for a breakout season after the Washington Capitals rewarded him with a third round selection but to be frank I'm still waiting for that breakout to occur. Time and time again I've seen cases in the Western Hockey League of players coming out of the gates slow only to dominate the league as they get older with Adam Brooks of the Pats being the most recent example and with a sixty five point season behind him, the trajectory of Brooks may be apt as in Brooks third full year he worked his way to sixty two points. The comparison is uncanny! Here's the issue, unless a miracle is adminsitered and somehow Sideroff or Balcers get sent back then no one could reasonably suggest that Pilon as your sole beneficiary of any offence is enough of a starting point, it's simply not. A scoring by committee approach will have to be used behind Garrett and one of those will have to include Abbotsford native Travis Walton. Don Hay displayed an incredible level of patience with Travis as a seventeen year old where he could've just as easily re-assigned him to a lower level but he showed loyalty and by the sake of not having many better options he has a third, maybe second line assignment locked up and the hockey gods in Kamloops will need at least twenty points or desperate phone calls will have to be made to opposing General Managers looking for trades.It's been a smoky summer in Kamloops, are we in store for a foggy winter?
The Dylan Ferguson era has commenced in Kamloops and I for one am amazed by the poise he showed this off-season in the midst of adverse situations. The NHL draft is always a stressful time for these young kids but try to put on the shoes of Ferguson who was riding the highest of highs getting selected by the Dallas Stars only to have to his rights immediately traded to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.What stimulated my fascination with Dylan was after the trade in which these types of trades of a newly minted prospect rarely happen he was bombarded with media requests for an eighteen year old kid he collected himself, elicited thought out answers and exuded gratefulness. The goaltending position is undoubtedly the most stressful in hockey and after seeing his character tested I can confidently conclude that the Blazers have wall between the crease, not just physically but mentally. Connor Ingram will begin the year with Syracuse of the American Hockey League's and it's Dylan's time to shine. Judging from everything I've witnessed this summer, he'll put any doubt to rest that he cannot only lead Kamloops to the playoffs but also vindicate the Knights in the acquisition we made. Goaltending as it has been for the last several years will again be the bread and butter of he organization.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
2017-2018 third annual Western Hockey League Preview(Teams 18-19)
19.Seattle Thunderbirds:Surmising what took place for the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2016-2017, winning the franchises first ever Western Hockey League championship, what we can take away initially is that one single bantam draft can completely overhaul an organization's fortune as for the Thunderbirds the 2012 Bantam Draft was one of epic proportions. In that now infamous 2012 draft, Seattle landed Mathew Barzal, Keegan Kolesar and Ethan Bear, 3/4 of the main core that propelled the team. Looking ahead to this season being as how the 2012 draft consists of the 1997 age group, all three I just mentioned have signed NHL contracts and are off to greener pastures. Extraordinate player turnover is just a part, albeit a big part of what General Manager has had to deal with as coach Steve Konowalchuk accepted a position with the Anaheim Ducks organization which meant a promotion for Matt O'Dette.O'Dette has a daunting task infront of with so many new faces expected to man the T-Birds lineup this fall however it's my thinking and hope that with a Western Hockey League banner in tow that a lengthy grace period is in order from the fan base with what will be a trying year.
I just finished admiring the success Farwell had with the 2012 draft class but the following haul wasn't nearly as impressive, particularly with the defenceman when it comes to the failed recruitment of Nashville Predator prospect Dante Fabbro. The 1998 age group as a whole leaves a lot to be desired and with Ethan Bear expected to graduate the onus falls on Jarrett Tyszka and Turner Ottenbreit to carry the torch. I should probably emphasize the fact that I understand that throughout the magical playoff run Turner carried the torch already with Bear experiencing a hand injury that set back his play ever so slightly. Hailing from Regina, I had the pleasure or because I'm a Pat fan the displeasure of seeing Turner play a lot last spring and let me tell you this giant is one mean S.O.B that conducts himself with an edge. He unfairly ensued himself in a plethora of controversy over his high hit on Adam Brooks in the final versus Regina but aside from whether I considered the discipline on the infraction to be adequate it's that unspoken intimidation that has opposition shaking in their socks. The dillema this management group will have is what to do with Turner because surely regardless of the fact that he's an overager he would conceivably be an attractive trade chip for a contending team but a storyline I'm eagerly waiting to see how it'll evolve is will Farwell hold on to veterans in the way of stubborn loyalty. Unlike Spokane where player movement or the lack there of could drastically alter their standing, I totally expect Seattle to struggle one way or the other so we'll see what steps are taken with a pulse on the future. Speaking of that very future, I'd be remiss if I didn't profile Sherwood Park native Jake Lee who as a fifteen year old got into two playoff games due to the Bear injury and other intermittent factors. This early on it's difficult to ascertain how comfortable of role Lee will get this season but what I like about Jake is his mobility as all you had to do is watch one T-Bird game to recognize a lot of the back end would make Derian Hatcher look fast. Okay apologies for that, that was a undeserved low blow for our reigning champions but I do think that because this will be a younger d-core that expectedly will be helmed in their own end a lot unlike last year, the lack of mobility will become more glaring. It won't happen immediately but a stellar training camp from Lee could correlate into himself seeing first pairing minutes alongside Turner. Another candidate could be fellow overager Austin Strand assuming he's one of the 20's that rises from the ashes.
Boy o boy I'm writing this piece and am starting to seriously question if I can continue to justify ranking Spokane below Seattle because the more research put into this article the more I'm doubting that the T-Birds can climb out of the U.S division basement. I think the defenceman as whole enter this fresh slate as a weakness but not more so then the forwards. I don't think any sane person could disagree and how could you with the impact forwards moving on. Five of their top six forwards are gone and I have a hard time imagining any team in the Canadian Hockey League not named the London Knights could withstand that. I'm trying to locate positives and one may be Matthew Wedman. Some chatter is beginning to hover around Seattle that given Wedman's underperforming nature and inability to secure a defined role that both parties would be better served moving on. In a couple regular season contests of Matthew I viewed I'll be the first to admit he wasn't noticeable but maybe we can start calling him Mr.April because despite limited action on the third/fourth line his compete level accelerated and I was left extremely impressed. Twenty points isn't anything to write home about but trust me when I say he's a presence out on the ice, likely the only thing needing refinement was his finish. I'm going to enlist a comparison that to some might come off as slanderous and probably is but Matthew Wedman could evolve into an Austin Wagner-esque specimen. I feel like Stephen A.Smith with the hot takes but then again I don't because in true Stephen A fashion he would inevitably compare Wedman to Sidney Crosby.The talent is there but the hands aren't yet. The prudent followers of the Western Hockey League will remember Wagner's first two years in the league and that he could given a pass on a swivel to a wide open net and would find a way to fire the puck at the goaltenders chest.It's a confidence thing and presuming Wedman is allocated legitimate top nine minutes and gets one to 'pop', they'll continue to drop(terrible pun on my behalf).Aside from Wedman where I can now safely name myself the president of his fan club, who else can contribute to fill the mammoth void left by those aforementioned future NHL'ers. Assessing the likely training camp battles, one name not to sleep on would be Connor Pyne. The wizard from White City(alliteration game is on point this evening) isn't guaranteed a roster spot as training camp begins but if he channels the type of offence he illustrate while a member of the Balgonie Prairie Storm Bantam program which was a large reason the T-Birds took a third round waiver on the kid then he could be one of those 2017-2018 surprises and his role could gradually increase. He's a power forward that needs to add strength, a similar build to Carter Ashton and once the weight reaches the height(listed at 6'1) then the Thunderbirds could have, surprise surprise, another Bantam Draft steal in their corner.
The kid can play. Although he looks twelve, Carl Stankowski played nothing like and was the Cinderella story of the 2017 playoffs and the sky is the limit pertaining to his potential. I was perusing a WHL forum the other day and it was bantered that with premature success that a letdown could be in order and I'm just not so sure.He's a diminuitive goaltender that in the eyes of NHL scouts raises red flags but his athleticism is second to one. His east-west positioning in the crease is a work of art and I lost count how many times when pitted against Kelowna in the conference final and Regina for the Chynowetch up he'd make cross ice saves look routine. What Carl will have to show in 2017-2018 is that he's durable and that his body won't break down over the course of a seventy two game regular season schedule. Being a long time fan of the Western Hockey League there has been some precedence of a rookie coming in, taking the league by storm and then immersing in the notorious sophomore slump, not quite to the extent of what young Stankowski accomplished but is has happened. I think back to Chad Davidson of the Regina Pats in the historic 2001 Memorial Cup run or Nick Pannoni with these very same Thunderbirds who as a rookie was a revelation but faded as his career carried on. Resiliency will be theme that we'll consistently draw back to for the Seattle goaltending situation.
18.Prince George Cougars: What could've been for the Prince George Cougars! In a campaign that saw the organization catapult to their first ever division banner, it was all for not in the post-season as they were stymied in the first round at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks. As training camp is fastly approaching, it's hard to argue with the assertion that there's a roster in greater flux in lieu of the plethora of permutations and combinations the Cougars could go in. I gather that Todd Harkins an company recognize that they have to scale back after last year's failed push and that was evidenced from the decision to trade one of the more proven twenties in the dub, Brad Morrison to the Vancouver Giants. Part of Harkins' madness could be tied in to his own family connections. Ever since Todd was given keys to the franchise, the majority of his moves were done with a watchful eye over the 2016/2017 season which incidentally revolved around his son Jansen. Repeating what I insinuated at the top, the Cougs did NOT meet expectations and with Jansen rumoured to be moving on with the Winnipeg Jet organization professionally, I'm of the theory he'll look to make moves around his other son Jonas who is geared to debut in the WHL full time this fall. He'll be cognizant in preparing that 2000 age group of his.
If I would've conducted this team profile a week ago I would've been stern in my beliefs that defensively this unit looks generally bleak but after the jaw dropping news that Detroit Red Wing first round Dennis Cholowski would be forgoing his NCAA commitment to join the Cougars it certainly makes you think twice over the proficiency of this back end.This blogger is stunned and perplexed over the timing unless you're a conspiracy theorist that I admittedly am at times and ponder if the only reason he signed on up north is to angle for a trade to a contender thus receiving more spotlight. Sure, Dennis is saying all of the right things at the moment but I've went on record stating it's a slap in the face to the Cougar fanbase that he wasn't having anything to do with the Cougar program when they were swimming in relevance and now a purported rebuild is underway now you come???? Was his experience at St.Cloud State such a sour one that he elected to jump ship? My thoughts on the matter are and I do vividly recall reading respected insider information that Dennis's stock was slipping amongst the Red Wings brass and this could be a last ditch effort to save grace with those who have turned skeptical over his abilities. He's completely off the World Junior radar and will need a sensational first three months to impress Dominique Ducharme and Brad McEwen. I'm going out on a limb that he's a good foot solider for PG the first half of the season and eventually they take advantage of the surprise addition and ship him off to either Portland or Regina.Whether or not Cholowski lasts the entire year in Prince George, it has to be discussed who else will be formidable stalwarts defensively. One name that will be competing for a job will be Jack Michell. In the 2015 draft, back to back picks were exhausted on Saskatoon Contact teammates Cole Beamin and Michell with Beamin going in the second with Jack getting nabbed in the third. Although Cole entered the draft as the more intriguing prospect of the two, as the Saskatchewan Midget AAA hockey league conssumated it was Michell who separated himself from the pack and became the Contacts top defender. It's unusual for two sixteen year olds(three if you presume Jonas Harkins has a spot in tow) to share a blueline but it's Michell who's proven he's more then WHL ready. Watching highlight packs when they came on it was abundant that Jack was a man playing against boys and unless the Cougars literally have no spot available it would be completely counter productive to send him back to that level. Tate Olson wasn't signed by a NHL club is naturally the leader, Josh Anderson and Ryan Schoettler are back and even if Jonas is afforded a spot, my 'math' isn't computing any equation that leaves Jack off the twenty five man roster.
The Prince George Cougars have seventy four overagers coming to camp correct? Okay so seventy four is a slight exaggeration but even with the departure of Brad Morrison that flux that I referenced in the opening rears it's ugly head. Tate Olson is a shoe in for a spot on defence but then who and when we dissect the forwards a lot of interesting options present themselves. Unless Jesse Gabrielle is gifted back from Providence which isn't happening then it's Aaron Boyd, Tanner Wishnowski, Shane Collins(defence), Brogan O'Brien and Jared Bethune competing for two spots. Unquestionably the most fascinating collection of twenty year olds to talk about because quite honestly sans Olson not one is truly an impact player. The ironic thing even though they have a million to choose from they could conceivably look to upgrade and bring in a million and one. All kidding aside out of the group just mentioned the one that stands out to me is Aaron Boyd. Hailing from Winnipeg Boyd's numbers have been mediocre over his four year career collecting forty six points but even if he'll never be a point producer what comes out in spades is his work ethic. He's never cheated and has an assailment of tools in the defensive zone. Where I would like to see more out of Boyd is his willingness to shoot the puck more. I just finished stating he's not a goal scorer but this isn't the same Western Hockey League of the nineties where it was smash mouth shut down hockey, it's open season for puck movement and it's time Aaron demonstrated leadership qualities and stopped playing with fear offensively. Success is irrelevant, willingness to adapt will send a louder message to the rookies and second years that are getting their feet wet. I pose the following question to the shrewd observers of this great league, is there a bigger enigma out there than Nikita Popugaev? I remember prior to the 2015-2016 when he had his name called by the Moose Jaw Warriors the premature word out there was that this guy is a special talent and would be a top ten selection in the NHL draft a YEAR LATER. The cynic in myself wasn't buying these premature proclaimations and had to go see with my own two eyes what we're dealing and those first couple viewings in the 2015-2016 season I was drinking the kool-aid. It mystifies me that we went from all that glamour early on that season to where we are now, a fourth round afterthought by the New Jersey Devils. When he exudes motivation I argue there isn't a more talented player in the league and what should scare opposing coaches this season is if he'll take the fourth round waiver as a slight and channel the talent everyone knows he had and have a Most Valuable player-esque season. I wouldn't rule it out but the only caveat is similarly to Cholowski will he be working the magic in Prince George the entire year? Selfishly I was hoping John Paddock of the Regina Pats would've put in the call to Harkins this summer and maybe he did because for the Memorial Cup hosts I couldn't of drawn up a better fit. The inconsistency in his repertoire could have this go any way, as low as a forty point season and as high as a 120 pt slurge.
"In goal for your Prince George Cougars is #35,Ty Edmonds."(O wait he graduated). "In goal is number #33 Nick McBride"(o crap, he's pursuing an education). So, uh who exactly is going to play goal this season. Is it Taylor Gauthier who was a prized possession going tenth overall in 2016? I'm of the opinion as is seemingly Richard Matvichuk that resting your laurels on a sixteen year old is a recipe for a disaster so by saying that I would totally expect this group to scour the trade market as fast as they can for a veteran starter. I was starting to brainstorm some names that would be logical acquisitions and a name that immediately come to mind would be the acquisition of Nick Sanders. Sanders, a member of the Prince Albert Raiders formerly of the Americans is a impending nineteen year old and with franchise goalie Ian Scott logging the majority of minutes in Northern Saskatchewan, Nicholas is surely chomping at the bit to see regular playing time and his numbers back it up. As everyone knows, a Prince Albert goaltender, I don't care if you're Scott or Sanders was hounded with rubber and still managing to piece together a .892 save percentage shouldn't go unnoticed. This kid has genuine game. Also garnering consideration dependant what comes of the Lasse Pettersen saga in Red Deer, Riley Lamb could be had at a reasonable price. I feel it's a necessity that a veteran is brought in.
I just finished admiring the success Farwell had with the 2012 draft class but the following haul wasn't nearly as impressive, particularly with the defenceman when it comes to the failed recruitment of Nashville Predator prospect Dante Fabbro. The 1998 age group as a whole leaves a lot to be desired and with Ethan Bear expected to graduate the onus falls on Jarrett Tyszka and Turner Ottenbreit to carry the torch. I should probably emphasize the fact that I understand that throughout the magical playoff run Turner carried the torch already with Bear experiencing a hand injury that set back his play ever so slightly. Hailing from Regina, I had the pleasure or because I'm a Pat fan the displeasure of seeing Turner play a lot last spring and let me tell you this giant is one mean S.O.B that conducts himself with an edge. He unfairly ensued himself in a plethora of controversy over his high hit on Adam Brooks in the final versus Regina but aside from whether I considered the discipline on the infraction to be adequate it's that unspoken intimidation that has opposition shaking in their socks. The dillema this management group will have is what to do with Turner because surely regardless of the fact that he's an overager he would conceivably be an attractive trade chip for a contending team but a storyline I'm eagerly waiting to see how it'll evolve is will Farwell hold on to veterans in the way of stubborn loyalty. Unlike Spokane where player movement or the lack there of could drastically alter their standing, I totally expect Seattle to struggle one way or the other so we'll see what steps are taken with a pulse on the future. Speaking of that very future, I'd be remiss if I didn't profile Sherwood Park native Jake Lee who as a fifteen year old got into two playoff games due to the Bear injury and other intermittent factors. This early on it's difficult to ascertain how comfortable of role Lee will get this season but what I like about Jake is his mobility as all you had to do is watch one T-Bird game to recognize a lot of the back end would make Derian Hatcher look fast. Okay apologies for that, that was a undeserved low blow for our reigning champions but I do think that because this will be a younger d-core that expectedly will be helmed in their own end a lot unlike last year, the lack of mobility will become more glaring. It won't happen immediately but a stellar training camp from Lee could correlate into himself seeing first pairing minutes alongside Turner. Another candidate could be fellow overager Austin Strand assuming he's one of the 20's that rises from the ashes.
Boy o boy I'm writing this piece and am starting to seriously question if I can continue to justify ranking Spokane below Seattle because the more research put into this article the more I'm doubting that the T-Birds can climb out of the U.S division basement. I think the defenceman as whole enter this fresh slate as a weakness but not more so then the forwards. I don't think any sane person could disagree and how could you with the impact forwards moving on. Five of their top six forwards are gone and I have a hard time imagining any team in the Canadian Hockey League not named the London Knights could withstand that. I'm trying to locate positives and one may be Matthew Wedman. Some chatter is beginning to hover around Seattle that given Wedman's underperforming nature and inability to secure a defined role that both parties would be better served moving on. In a couple regular season contests of Matthew I viewed I'll be the first to admit he wasn't noticeable but maybe we can start calling him Mr.April because despite limited action on the third/fourth line his compete level accelerated and I was left extremely impressed. Twenty points isn't anything to write home about but trust me when I say he's a presence out on the ice, likely the only thing needing refinement was his finish. I'm going to enlist a comparison that to some might come off as slanderous and probably is but Matthew Wedman could evolve into an Austin Wagner-esque specimen. I feel like Stephen A.Smith with the hot takes but then again I don't because in true Stephen A fashion he would inevitably compare Wedman to Sidney Crosby.The talent is there but the hands aren't yet. The prudent followers of the Western Hockey League will remember Wagner's first two years in the league and that he could given a pass on a swivel to a wide open net and would find a way to fire the puck at the goaltenders chest.It's a confidence thing and presuming Wedman is allocated legitimate top nine minutes and gets one to 'pop', they'll continue to drop(terrible pun on my behalf).Aside from Wedman where I can now safely name myself the president of his fan club, who else can contribute to fill the mammoth void left by those aforementioned future NHL'ers. Assessing the likely training camp battles, one name not to sleep on would be Connor Pyne. The wizard from White City(alliteration game is on point this evening) isn't guaranteed a roster spot as training camp begins but if he channels the type of offence he illustrate while a member of the Balgonie Prairie Storm Bantam program which was a large reason the T-Birds took a third round waiver on the kid then he could be one of those 2017-2018 surprises and his role could gradually increase. He's a power forward that needs to add strength, a similar build to Carter Ashton and once the weight reaches the height(listed at 6'1) then the Thunderbirds could have, surprise surprise, another Bantam Draft steal in their corner.
The kid can play. Although he looks twelve, Carl Stankowski played nothing like and was the Cinderella story of the 2017 playoffs and the sky is the limit pertaining to his potential. I was perusing a WHL forum the other day and it was bantered that with premature success that a letdown could be in order and I'm just not so sure.He's a diminuitive goaltender that in the eyes of NHL scouts raises red flags but his athleticism is second to one. His east-west positioning in the crease is a work of art and I lost count how many times when pitted against Kelowna in the conference final and Regina for the Chynowetch up he'd make cross ice saves look routine. What Carl will have to show in 2017-2018 is that he's durable and that his body won't break down over the course of a seventy two game regular season schedule. Being a long time fan of the Western Hockey League there has been some precedence of a rookie coming in, taking the league by storm and then immersing in the notorious sophomore slump, not quite to the extent of what young Stankowski accomplished but is has happened. I think back to Chad Davidson of the Regina Pats in the historic 2001 Memorial Cup run or Nick Pannoni with these very same Thunderbirds who as a rookie was a revelation but faded as his career carried on. Resiliency will be theme that we'll consistently draw back to for the Seattle goaltending situation.
18.Prince George Cougars: What could've been for the Prince George Cougars! In a campaign that saw the organization catapult to their first ever division banner, it was all for not in the post-season as they were stymied in the first round at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks. As training camp is fastly approaching, it's hard to argue with the assertion that there's a roster in greater flux in lieu of the plethora of permutations and combinations the Cougars could go in. I gather that Todd Harkins an company recognize that they have to scale back after last year's failed push and that was evidenced from the decision to trade one of the more proven twenties in the dub, Brad Morrison to the Vancouver Giants. Part of Harkins' madness could be tied in to his own family connections. Ever since Todd was given keys to the franchise, the majority of his moves were done with a watchful eye over the 2016/2017 season which incidentally revolved around his son Jansen. Repeating what I insinuated at the top, the Cougs did NOT meet expectations and with Jansen rumoured to be moving on with the Winnipeg Jet organization professionally, I'm of the theory he'll look to make moves around his other son Jonas who is geared to debut in the WHL full time this fall. He'll be cognizant in preparing that 2000 age group of his.
If I would've conducted this team profile a week ago I would've been stern in my beliefs that defensively this unit looks generally bleak but after the jaw dropping news that Detroit Red Wing first round Dennis Cholowski would be forgoing his NCAA commitment to join the Cougars it certainly makes you think twice over the proficiency of this back end.This blogger is stunned and perplexed over the timing unless you're a conspiracy theorist that I admittedly am at times and ponder if the only reason he signed on up north is to angle for a trade to a contender thus receiving more spotlight. Sure, Dennis is saying all of the right things at the moment but I've went on record stating it's a slap in the face to the Cougar fanbase that he wasn't having anything to do with the Cougar program when they were swimming in relevance and now a purported rebuild is underway now you come???? Was his experience at St.Cloud State such a sour one that he elected to jump ship? My thoughts on the matter are and I do vividly recall reading respected insider information that Dennis's stock was slipping amongst the Red Wings brass and this could be a last ditch effort to save grace with those who have turned skeptical over his abilities. He's completely off the World Junior radar and will need a sensational first three months to impress Dominique Ducharme and Brad McEwen. I'm going out on a limb that he's a good foot solider for PG the first half of the season and eventually they take advantage of the surprise addition and ship him off to either Portland or Regina.Whether or not Cholowski lasts the entire year in Prince George, it has to be discussed who else will be formidable stalwarts defensively. One name that will be competing for a job will be Jack Michell. In the 2015 draft, back to back picks were exhausted on Saskatoon Contact teammates Cole Beamin and Michell with Beamin going in the second with Jack getting nabbed in the third. Although Cole entered the draft as the more intriguing prospect of the two, as the Saskatchewan Midget AAA hockey league conssumated it was Michell who separated himself from the pack and became the Contacts top defender. It's unusual for two sixteen year olds(three if you presume Jonas Harkins has a spot in tow) to share a blueline but it's Michell who's proven he's more then WHL ready. Watching highlight packs when they came on it was abundant that Jack was a man playing against boys and unless the Cougars literally have no spot available it would be completely counter productive to send him back to that level. Tate Olson wasn't signed by a NHL club is naturally the leader, Josh Anderson and Ryan Schoettler are back and even if Jonas is afforded a spot, my 'math' isn't computing any equation that leaves Jack off the twenty five man roster.
The Prince George Cougars have seventy four overagers coming to camp correct? Okay so seventy four is a slight exaggeration but even with the departure of Brad Morrison that flux that I referenced in the opening rears it's ugly head. Tate Olson is a shoe in for a spot on defence but then who and when we dissect the forwards a lot of interesting options present themselves. Unless Jesse Gabrielle is gifted back from Providence which isn't happening then it's Aaron Boyd, Tanner Wishnowski, Shane Collins(defence), Brogan O'Brien and Jared Bethune competing for two spots. Unquestionably the most fascinating collection of twenty year olds to talk about because quite honestly sans Olson not one is truly an impact player. The ironic thing even though they have a million to choose from they could conceivably look to upgrade and bring in a million and one. All kidding aside out of the group just mentioned the one that stands out to me is Aaron Boyd. Hailing from Winnipeg Boyd's numbers have been mediocre over his four year career collecting forty six points but even if he'll never be a point producer what comes out in spades is his work ethic. He's never cheated and has an assailment of tools in the defensive zone. Where I would like to see more out of Boyd is his willingness to shoot the puck more. I just finished stating he's not a goal scorer but this isn't the same Western Hockey League of the nineties where it was smash mouth shut down hockey, it's open season for puck movement and it's time Aaron demonstrated leadership qualities and stopped playing with fear offensively. Success is irrelevant, willingness to adapt will send a louder message to the rookies and second years that are getting their feet wet. I pose the following question to the shrewd observers of this great league, is there a bigger enigma out there than Nikita Popugaev? I remember prior to the 2015-2016 when he had his name called by the Moose Jaw Warriors the premature word out there was that this guy is a special talent and would be a top ten selection in the NHL draft a YEAR LATER. The cynic in myself wasn't buying these premature proclaimations and had to go see with my own two eyes what we're dealing and those first couple viewings in the 2015-2016 season I was drinking the kool-aid. It mystifies me that we went from all that glamour early on that season to where we are now, a fourth round afterthought by the New Jersey Devils. When he exudes motivation I argue there isn't a more talented player in the league and what should scare opposing coaches this season is if he'll take the fourth round waiver as a slight and channel the talent everyone knows he had and have a Most Valuable player-esque season. I wouldn't rule it out but the only caveat is similarly to Cholowski will he be working the magic in Prince George the entire year? Selfishly I was hoping John Paddock of the Regina Pats would've put in the call to Harkins this summer and maybe he did because for the Memorial Cup hosts I couldn't of drawn up a better fit. The inconsistency in his repertoire could have this go any way, as low as a forty point season and as high as a 120 pt slurge.
"In goal for your Prince George Cougars is #35,Ty Edmonds."(O wait he graduated). "In goal is number #33 Nick McBride"(o crap, he's pursuing an education). So, uh who exactly is going to play goal this season. Is it Taylor Gauthier who was a prized possession going tenth overall in 2016? I'm of the opinion as is seemingly Richard Matvichuk that resting your laurels on a sixteen year old is a recipe for a disaster so by saying that I would totally expect this group to scour the trade market as fast as they can for a veteran starter. I was starting to brainstorm some names that would be logical acquisitions and a name that immediately come to mind would be the acquisition of Nick Sanders. Sanders, a member of the Prince Albert Raiders formerly of the Americans is a impending nineteen year old and with franchise goalie Ian Scott logging the majority of minutes in Northern Saskatchewan, Nicholas is surely chomping at the bit to see regular playing time and his numbers back it up. As everyone knows, a Prince Albert goaltender, I don't care if you're Scott or Sanders was hounded with rubber and still managing to piece together a .892 save percentage shouldn't go unnoticed. This kid has genuine game. Also garnering consideration dependant what comes of the Lasse Pettersen saga in Red Deer, Riley Lamb could be had at a reasonable price. I feel it's a necessity that a veteran is brought in.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
2017-2018 third annual Western Hockey League Preview(Teams 20-22)
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.
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.
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.
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