Hello folks,
Every year I like to share my predictions for professional sports. For the National Football League, I'll compile a list for how I see the season playing out followed by administering out a few prominent awards.
AFC
East:
1.New England(3)
2.Buffalo(6)
3.Miami
4.New York Jets
South:
1.Jacksonville(2)
2.Indianapolis
3.Houston
4.Tennessee
North:
1.Pittsburgh(4)
2.Baltimore(5)
3.Cincinnati
4.Cleveland
West:
1.Kansas City(1)
2.Oakland
3.Denver
4.San Diego
NFC
East:
1.New York Giants(4)
2.Philadelphia
3.Dallas
4.Washington
North:
1.Green Bay(1)
2.Minnesota(5)
3.Chicago
4.Detroit
South:
1.Carolina(2)
2.Tampa Bay(6)
3.New Orleans
4.Atlanta
West:
1.Los Angeles(3)
2.Seattle
3.Arizona
4.San Francisco
PLAYOFFS
Wildcard:
(6) Buffalo @ (3)New England=New England
(5)Baltimore @ (4)Pittsburgh=Baltimore
(6)Tampa Bay @ (3)Los Angeles=Tampa Bay
(5) Minnesota @ (4) New York Giants=Minnesota
Divisional:
(5) Baltimore @ (1)Kansas City=Baltimore
(3) New England @ (2)Jacksonville=New England
(6) Tampa Bay @ (1)Green Bay=Green Bay
(5) Minnesota @ (2) Carolina=Minnesota
Championship:
(5) Baltimore @ (1) New England=Baltimore
(5) Minnesota @ (2) Green Bay=Green Bay
Super Bowl:
(5) Baltimore @ (2) Green Bay=Baltimore
MAJOR AWARDS
Coach of the Year:Gus Bradley(Jackonsville)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: DT Sheldon Rankins(New Orleans)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: RB Derrick Henry(Tennessee)
Defensive Player of the Year:OLB Robert Mathis(Indianapolis)
Offensive Player of the Year:QB Aaron Rodgers(Green Bay)
Thursday, August 18, 2016
2016-2017 Pre-Season Western Hockey League Report(Teams 9 and 10)
10.Prince George Cougars-Tonight on a junior hockey forum I got into a harmless scuffle about whether or not my ranking was too extreme pertaining to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. I'm not one to backdown from my assertions easily but when I really examined my list, I asked myself who would I possibly move down to elevate the ranking of the Hurricanes? I looked at my list a few times and had trouble pinning but then it donned on me right before I was to begin the Cougars synopsis that I have Prince George at number ten. I'm self doubting this ranking a little bit as there are some noticeable flaws in the structure of this team and could be persuaded to alter my opinion ever so slightly. Ultimately what led me to this number was the expectations that were bestowed upon them last year, albeit that weren't met but with the core in tact again heading into 2016/2017, these same expectations should remain in tow. Mark Hollick took the fall for last year's second half tail spin and the jury is out whether former Dallas Star great Richard Matvichuk can be the voice that will correct the demons hovering around the dressing room but as mentioned, there's an abundance of talent here and the Cougars will need to advance to the second round for this year not to be considered a mitigated disaster.
Before I get started with my thoughts with the forwards, let's address this purported awkward environment that has been created with the Prince George Cougars administration. Don't get wrong, the way things are conducted in Prince George are miles ahead with the way things used to be handled. A different ownership has been brought to the forefront headlined by Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis and all is good from a stability perspective as rumours of relocation persisted under previous guideship. However when Todd Harkins was hired on as the General Manager in Summer 2014, the original semantics of this situation didn't look from this bloggers perspective as it screamed a recruitment tactic to lure young Jansen, Todd's son to Prince George. I'm not here tonight to opine that Jansen was ever wavering but to seal the deal bringing in Todd put pen to paper. Jansen is a top talent, is he as prominent as some will have you believe, don't think so but he unequivocally is a number one center. The spoken awkwardness that I eluded to earlier deals with the external favouritism that those outside the organization can't help but think exists. He had a very suspect fifty seven points a year ago and was arguably their fourth best forward but when push came to shove who took the all important face offs late in games? It certainly wasn't the more deserving Brad Morrison. The other coach/son relationship that was prevalent in the Western League although I'm sure I'm missing somebody obvious was Brandon and Brent Sutter. When Brandon was a Rebel, he was clearly an upper echelon talent carrying his defensive exploits to the World Junior Hockey Championship so it wasn't a question of belonging, it's a question of his teammates buying into the team concept knowing full well that Brandon would probably be given preferential treatment and wouldn't be held accountable for mistakes. The Rebels, expectations aside never flourished during the Brandon/Brent experiment and at least partially I liken the correlation to some jealousy amongst his teammates. The Cougars haven't succeeded under the Harkins leadership regime and what was just explored with my Red Deer example applies to Northern B.C. Toxic environment or not, a winning culture hasn't subsited and one wonders if this is starting to aggravate center Brad Morrison. The 2012 seventh overall Bantam Pick came to the Cougs under great fan fare and that translates into a player with professional aspirations. The Western Kelowna product ended up hearing his name called in the fourth round by the New York Rangers, while I'm sure he's grateful for being drafted, there's irrefutably some dissension brewing that he had to wait until the fourth. I'm not meaning to rag on Jansen but unless new coach Matvichuk has plans to convert one to the wing, Brad may favour a change of scenery if it means staying on the second line. I just touched on Morrison, speculating onto whether he's content with his role, well the "next" Brad Morrison could very well be Jackson Leppard. Forgive me if my memory has failed but I'm positive one of the two regular season games Jackson was pencilled in for last season happened to be when the Cougars visited Regina but if it wasn't, then a game I saw on WHL Live streams left me amazed. Already at 6'2, he's going to continue to fill out his body. In a very small sample size(one game) the best Western Hockey league comparable I could come up with is Carter Ashton. Ashton wasn't an elite scorer in this league and I don't anticipate Jackson will be one either but it's the intangibles that stand out, At the major junior level, I'd be surprised if he ever exceeded the twenty goal plateau as he's erratic with the puck but skates exceptionally well, the prototypical power forward if you will. The type of skill set Leppard brings to the table is he'll crash and bang to make a play, not a mannerism that usually comes with a sixteen year old entering the league. The comfortability he'll take, and I want to predicate this by saying it's a stretch, from playing alongside Justin Almeida, a player who'll able to bond with Jackson over their shared minor hockey affiliation playing for the North Shore winter club will better acclimatize Jackson to the rigors of the league. I could go on and on about the potential of Jackson but I honestly believe the Ashton comparison does him justice. Without truly knowing the type of style Matvichuk will implement due to knowing very little about his coaching background, I'll be interested to see whether it varies from the up tempo Hollick way of doing things. although if we apply the type of player Richard was in the National Hockey League to the way he may teach the game a rugged,resistive approach could be in store. Is this the right approach, probably not as Prince George is built around brazen speed but if this is indeed the fabric installed then a player like Colby McAuley could prosper. Looking at the roster breakdown, I'd be foolish not to agree with the notion that the Cougars have a weaker crop of 1996's sans the consistent defenceman Sam Ruopp who the assumption is will be back. I would normally advocate that General Manager Harkins look into acquiring a twenty year old forward but with the market so thin already, not sure if this is a realistic possibility. This is where Colby steps in and becomes that trusted presence. As a 1996 born, he has got to scrap the fighting from his repertoire. No team, I don't care the circumstances can afford to have an overager there with the sole responsibility of fighting. I'm not fully implying that's all he can offer an organization as McAuley's forty one points over the past two seasons tell a different story but the 156 PIM is a major red flag for me. It's simple, this projects out as an one dimensional team and if McAuley can stay out of the box he'll be that one individual that'll be sent out late in the games and kill an important penalty. If he resorts back to last year's habit, then Harkins will be left with no choice but to upgrade in a sparse market.
I would imagine, I haven't talked to many that are close to the Cougars organization, that a lot of these fans are satisfied with the forward depth but cringe over the defenceman that are set to patrol the blueline. I don't share this belief in the slightest, and I'll be the first(okay maybe not the first) to admit that aside from Sam Ruopp who is universally revered in the league, some of these other defenceman aren't respected and for that this back end is a perceived weakness. One particularly that I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up is Tate Olson. Ruopp's just like his brother, former Prince Albert Raider Harrison is a stud and somebody you can safely insert as a number one defenceman but it's Tate who I have no doubt is the most talented and has the highest upside. As I specified earlier, I'm not one who has any familiarity with Matvichuk the coach but disregarding the coaching aspect Matvichuk has been through the ups and downs of professional hockey and the tips he would've picked up along the way will be invaluable to this Cougar core. Having played with two of the league's great defenceman in Sergei Zubov and Derian Hatcher the wealth of knowledge he's acquired is unquantifiable. From Zubov's smooth skating and ability to make stellar reads in the offensive zone to Hatcher's punishing style, he's seen all designs at the highest level. Prince George's hockey operations staff will describe Tate as a burgeoning puck mover but where his real strengths lie are to intercept passes at his own blueline. This seems like such an exact observation but if you take the time to watch a complete shift of Olsen's, focus on his active stick as he's really good about interrupting a team's momentum into the zone. This active stick has contributed to his increasing numbers. I don't want to take any credit away from the positive influence Ruopp has had on him but as I mentioned earlier, Ruopp has a lower ceiling where Tate will be in the American Hockey League playing a key role as early as next year. The small criticism of Olsen that I have and to clarify it's very small is that his back skating needs a minor undertaking.It's more of a concern when he's in a close knit one and one race because he can usually position himself well enough that hardly does he get caught flat footed. I'm a proponent on what he can accomplish and while my award predictions will come after the preview is complete, he's on the short list for the Western Conference Defenceman of the Year nominee. The name Reed Perepeluk will mean very little to people enamored with this organization.......for now as he's someone you'll be hearing lots of in the near future. Originally from Yorkton,Saskatchewan he made the peculiar move as a fifteen year old to head to the Prince George area and immerse in the British Columbia Minor Midget league. A move like this is very rare but it shows dedication to the franchise. I'm only going to assume a move such as the one Reed partake in was done in unison with the Cougars and there's a high probability Reed will crack the roster full time this campaign. If this move was family related and nothing more then it's a classic case of me reading too much into the situation. The scouting report I have on Reed is that he's not afraid of the physical contact, not the greatest skater but has a Fulton Reed-esque shot. I've heard the name of Griffen Reinhart thrown around describing Reed's game. What that explains to me is he'll be someone that won't see a lot of five on five minutes for this 16/17 season but will have the know how to weave his way through penalty killing assignments. He's tough to play against and my suspicion is the water cooler conversation going around the Prince George area come this fall will be how in the heck did Reed fall to the sixth round? It's a question I ask myself but the bottom line your franchise now has a good, possibly great one in Perepeluk.
Training camp is going to decide a lot but none more than the wide open goaltending battle. Consensus is that Nick McBride has the leading edge on the starter reigns but that is open for ample debate. Twenty year old Ty Edmonds isn't going to sit around and die, he's going to push the impending competition to the max. Additionally the name of Tavin Grant could throw a wrench into the plans. I can't formulate any scenario that would have the Cougars again riding the tandem of McBride and Edmonds with Grant waiting in the wings. Captain
Sam Ruopp is expected back and with the aforementioned McAuley fulfilling a needed role upfront it essentially comes down to either retaining Edmonds or holding on to defenceman Shaun Dosanjh. I can't see anyone convincing me otherwise that there's any real difference skill wise between Ty and Nick and with McBride being a 1997 born he wins the race for that reason. Twenty year olds, specifically goalies are nearly impossible to trade so it's plausible that Edmonds may have to finish his career in Junior A. Exciting times for Nick because even though in the opening I alluded to the possibility that this organization may have been ranked marginally too high, it'll be a competitive club nonetheless and McBride will be quintessential to the plight of the team.
9.Brandon Wheat Kings-Is there a more deserving individual to finally after years of exemplary service receive a promotion than Kelly McCrimmon? McCrimmon who was hired on by George McPhee's expansion Las Vegas staff in preparation for the 2017/2018 NHL season will thrive in the role as the Assistant General Manager because there aren't many, if any at all that are more in tune with what kind of player has what it takes as his talent assessments are on fleek 90% of the time, The Wheat Kings are your Western Hockey League defending champions but are in the midst of an organizational change that will see, if various reports are true which I amount to where there's smoke there's fire will name David Anning as it's next Head Coach. A good choice because as the Wheat Kings look to enter a new phase in their program, a younger innovative coach might be admissible to accepting mistakes from the surplus of young players that will be in camp this season as with expectations lowered, though not too much lower. That will be the misconception most will have with the Wheaties this coming season, are they the league favourites, no but the mastery of McCrimmon was that clearly during contending years he would stock the fridge full of brand name products, but it was the no name grub unnoticeable in the back of fridge that turns into award winning cuisine if cooked right. McCrimmon always knew the proper temperature to set the stove at which supplanted his icon status but the onus will now likely be on Anning to assess the frigidness of some of these unheralded sixteen years olds as a previous penchant of McCrimmon was to not rush a rookie into the lineup. With a league championship now in pocket and with McCrimmon out the door I would imagine this philosophy and direction from management will be more lenient to allow not just the younger players, but allowing Anning himself to grow. There's still a lot to like about this coming year being driven by possible(not likely) first overall pick Nolan Patrick.
I could throw out a million superlatives the way of Nolan Patrick but there's nothing I could write about him that hasn't already been said. He will enter the campaign as the pre-season consensus to win the Most Valuable award but there's a couple blemishes on the scorecard that need correcting. I do wonder at times whether Nolan has mentally checked out from knowing that it would take multiple unforeseen circumstances for him not to play in the NHL in 17/18. The press came out heavy even before last season commenced that Patrick would inevitably be the number one overall pick two years in advance and you fear that he let the accolades get to his head. This may have attributed to his slow start last go around as Jayce Hawruyluk and Quenneville took the team on their back early with Nolan in the back seat enjoying the ride. If I was a NHL scout I'd be weary of this as a star player as we've seen out of Connor McDavid and Mitch Marner in recent years relish being the one that has the puck on their stick in high octane moments and rise to the occasion. Conversely wit the Wheat Kings star I've been noticing somebody who is a sound player in all three zones but lacks the flash to singlehandedly take over the game. I don't think any Wheat King fan would argue with the thought that on last year's team that Jayce, Quenneville and even McGauley when healthy played with more passion. I don't know whether lackadaisical is the right adjective but that will to win isn't evident at all times. From my vantage point he's a frustrating player to watch develop because as I just mentioned, he's a monster in all facets when his head's on straight. He's built like a power forward, has one of the games best wrist shots and channels his inner Ramzi Abid when stick handling and dangling through defenders. You're reading this and I absolutely know the thought going through most of your heads, "who does this clown think he is scolding unarguably the league's best player in the last five years, I mean does he not see that he accumulated 102 pts?". Points aside as I can't stress enough he was benefited more by his linemates then his linemates benefited playing with him I just know there's more in the tank. Special players are never satisifed and it's the external display of being content has me cautious deeming him a special player. He's a good player that has NHL superstar potential. The name Joe Thornton has been used in comparison and while that's flattering, a more apt National Hockey League comparison would be New York Ranger Derek Stepan. Watching the way Stepan has stepped into the Ranger lineup and effectively has earned an all around game mantra is how I see Patrick fitting in with whatever NHL club chooses him. Contrary to popular belief I don't see him going first overall and it will be very interesting if a McCrimmon employed Las Vegas ends up siding with his former pupil. Could you imagine if the Vegas expansion comes to the podium next summer and passes on McCrimmon? That finally may be what it takes for the sports media to forget about this bizarre Ryan Lochte robbing scandal. Because a few top end guys are gone, no need to repeat the names for a third time at best I'm calling for Nolan to tally eighty points. As much as folks across the dub over appreciate the value of what Nolan can offer, there's a glaring under appreciation for one Duncan Campbell. First let me acknowledge that the overage conundrum exists and their are four quality players fighting for three spots. In reality it's only three for two as Goaltender Jordan Papirny barring something drastic will be between the pipes again. Tyler Coulter, Duncan Campbell and Reid Duke are the three in question and I'll play ball by agreeing that Campbell is the least talented out of the bunch but possesses fundamentals that make him more valuable then Reid and Tyler. All four are deserving of remaining in the league and if I were a betting man which I am then Reid will be the one they'll attempt to move and my inkling is Swift Current could be a wise trading partner but that's neither here nor there. Duncan is one of those players that works incredibly hard and can be a ready replacement spelling a struggling player on the top two lines. Versatility resembles Duncan in spades as not only can he if needed play on the top two, he has the speed to act as a shut down for the oppositions top players. Such a smart hockey player, he's the type of property that every team needs and Anning will salivate over the intangibles Duncan will showcase. It will be difficult to lose the scoring out of Reid Duke with most of the snipers leaving town but as a reward for Duncan's patience, I see his inclusion as a formality. I promised I'd forecast my thoughts on the youth movement. Caiden Daley will be assured a spot but the forward I want to analyze is Jeremy Klessens. I respect a player like Jeremy because he knew heading into this sixteen year old season last year he was deserving of a position in this league but with the direction that the Wheaties were headed a spot for a fringe sixteen year old wasn't in the cards. He buckled down, forewent another year in Midget AAA by heading to the Olds Grizzlies of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and physically matured. If there was any question which I don't think there was about him being ready for the marathon regular season scheduled those were answered in Olds. As far as what went into the decision to forego a season if Midget eligibilty, I'm unsure but from experience with Junior A hockey I can tell you that it takes a toll on your body because it's a league that has an older average age per team due to the number of twenty year olds you can have on your squad so if he withstood the grind he'll do admirably in Major Junior. That's why he slipped in his Bantam Draft year was due to inquests regarding his physical wherewithal. He's not going to be counted upon to produce any consistent offence as he'll see time on the fourth line but not being intimated will serve him well when those nineteen and twenties look to get under his skin. Brandon isn't going to have a lot of skill in the bottom six which is why he'll not only make the team but be a must to have his name pencilled in the lineup. A greasy player with skill best defines Jeremy.
Who's going to fill the massive shoes of departing Ivan Provorov? Throughout the course of this off-season I've read rumblings that Ivan could possibly return but I'm having none if it. If Provorov does happen to return than I've ranked Brandon far too low. Kale Clague will be asked by Coach Anning to oversee the back end and I'm just not sure if he's up for the task. I'm getting the impression that the just most are getting is I'm dumping on Brandon players but that's not the case. To that I'll say I have reservations with some of the higher end they claim to but admire their overall depth which led me to the ranking of number nine. I'm not for a second insinuating that James Shearer will diminish the role or need of Clague but Shearer is someone, a local product just like Campbell that was caught in a numbers game a year ago and will embark on a more permanent role. He doesn't fall too far off the tree from graduated Macoy Erkamps. Both are intense players who are undersized but it's the work ethic that sets them apart. I realize he's already nineteen and this conceivably could be his final year in Major Junior but what breaks the comparison of Macoy and James is James isn't as all over the place in his own zone. Macoy would drive McCrimmon nuts as he knew his was responsibility was be the safe guard for Provorov's gambling style but would still pinch at an inopportune time and create odd man rushes against Papirny. A Shearer turnover won't be something Papirny will have to worry about as James is much smarter positionally. What the coaching staff will look to instill in his game is to actually be more assertive and take more chances.Sitting back is generally reserved for players trying to find his feet in the league but James is now nineteen so this type of mindset won't be tolerated. I hope but am not quite sure if Shearer will see any power play time but I sincerely hope he does as the last time he recieved any whatsoever was with Steinbach in Junior A and he showed a propensity to thrive. It's a simple mandate for James, either he shows signs of competence and sticks it out with the Wheat Kings or if he caves under the increased role pressure he'll find himself in Steinbach quicker then he wants. The other defenceman I want to profile this evening is Schael Higson. If I were a Blades fan, I would've been furious that they let go of Schael, a trade for I will never understand the logic. From a Saskatoon perspective, already having smaller core forwards such as Ryan Graham and Cam Hebig, Shmyr wasn't exactly a team requirement. For Braylon it's a fantastic opportunity one he likely wouldn't of gotten here in Brandon but nonetheless a tall defenceman with an excellent stride isn't someone I'd be throwing away in the recycling bin. Saskatoon's loss is Brandon's gain. Higson for some reason couldn't adapt to the structure McCrimmon was illustrating but the fact that earlier I spoke about a more innovative coach in Anning now on board could be good for the young players, this rings very true for Higson. He's now officially out of the doghouse now into Anning's penthouse. I spoke of his skating stride earlier, is it ever effortless! It's a hard game to assess because there are just some players, former Tri-City American Logan Stephenson comes to mind that it from the exterior it doesn't look like they're exerting much energy, It seems this lack of clarity revolving around what kind of player Higson goes all the way back to his Bantam draft years where he went undrafted. I have heard he he wasn't committing to the league hense why he went undrafted but it's a classic case of a player not garnering enough respect because of the shortage of intensity. He's coming into his third season and the Wheaties can't afford to have Schael in and out of the lineup. Consistency, consistency. This core is a whole is a definite weakness by wanting to abstain from any further critique on the individual defenceman, I've come to the realization that adding a veteran defenceman would be a sensible proposition. Scouring the lists from some of the teams I've previewed earlier in these lists, a name such as Keoni Texeira(POR) would be a great addition. The kind of player that would interest the BWK would be someone on a cheaper price tag as their not going to exhaust any prime resources. Getting back to a conference final isn't out of the realm for this squad but they're not going to sell the farm to do it.
Jordan Papirny is back in the saddle. From a technical point of view, there were some pittfalls that decimated performace in the first couple of years as a member of the Wheat Kings. His glove was a needed area of improvement You know who doesn't receive enough credit? Goaltending Coach Matt Cockell. Cockell, probably better known for his work with the National women's team is purportedly not coming back to Brandon this winter which is a blow because he helped Jordan become one of the better netminders in the league and a professional prospect. Logan Thompson will occupy the back-up position once again but with Thompson nineteen and Papirny in his last year, I'd imagine the preference would be to find a seventeen or eighteen year old which in turn could cost Logan his job.
Before I get started with my thoughts with the forwards, let's address this purported awkward environment that has been created with the Prince George Cougars administration. Don't get wrong, the way things are conducted in Prince George are miles ahead with the way things used to be handled. A different ownership has been brought to the forefront headlined by Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis and all is good from a stability perspective as rumours of relocation persisted under previous guideship. However when Todd Harkins was hired on as the General Manager in Summer 2014, the original semantics of this situation didn't look from this bloggers perspective as it screamed a recruitment tactic to lure young Jansen, Todd's son to Prince George. I'm not here tonight to opine that Jansen was ever wavering but to seal the deal bringing in Todd put pen to paper. Jansen is a top talent, is he as prominent as some will have you believe, don't think so but he unequivocally is a number one center. The spoken awkwardness that I eluded to earlier deals with the external favouritism that those outside the organization can't help but think exists. He had a very suspect fifty seven points a year ago and was arguably their fourth best forward but when push came to shove who took the all important face offs late in games? It certainly wasn't the more deserving Brad Morrison. The other coach/son relationship that was prevalent in the Western League although I'm sure I'm missing somebody obvious was Brandon and Brent Sutter. When Brandon was a Rebel, he was clearly an upper echelon talent carrying his defensive exploits to the World Junior Hockey Championship so it wasn't a question of belonging, it's a question of his teammates buying into the team concept knowing full well that Brandon would probably be given preferential treatment and wouldn't be held accountable for mistakes. The Rebels, expectations aside never flourished during the Brandon/Brent experiment and at least partially I liken the correlation to some jealousy amongst his teammates. The Cougars haven't succeeded under the Harkins leadership regime and what was just explored with my Red Deer example applies to Northern B.C. Toxic environment or not, a winning culture hasn't subsited and one wonders if this is starting to aggravate center Brad Morrison. The 2012 seventh overall Bantam Pick came to the Cougs under great fan fare and that translates into a player with professional aspirations. The Western Kelowna product ended up hearing his name called in the fourth round by the New York Rangers, while I'm sure he's grateful for being drafted, there's irrefutably some dissension brewing that he had to wait until the fourth. I'm not meaning to rag on Jansen but unless new coach Matvichuk has plans to convert one to the wing, Brad may favour a change of scenery if it means staying on the second line. I just touched on Morrison, speculating onto whether he's content with his role, well the "next" Brad Morrison could very well be Jackson Leppard. Forgive me if my memory has failed but I'm positive one of the two regular season games Jackson was pencilled in for last season happened to be when the Cougars visited Regina but if it wasn't, then a game I saw on WHL Live streams left me amazed. Already at 6'2, he's going to continue to fill out his body. In a very small sample size(one game) the best Western Hockey league comparable I could come up with is Carter Ashton. Ashton wasn't an elite scorer in this league and I don't anticipate Jackson will be one either but it's the intangibles that stand out, At the major junior level, I'd be surprised if he ever exceeded the twenty goal plateau as he's erratic with the puck but skates exceptionally well, the prototypical power forward if you will. The type of skill set Leppard brings to the table is he'll crash and bang to make a play, not a mannerism that usually comes with a sixteen year old entering the league. The comfortability he'll take, and I want to predicate this by saying it's a stretch, from playing alongside Justin Almeida, a player who'll able to bond with Jackson over their shared minor hockey affiliation playing for the North Shore winter club will better acclimatize Jackson to the rigors of the league. I could go on and on about the potential of Jackson but I honestly believe the Ashton comparison does him justice. Without truly knowing the type of style Matvichuk will implement due to knowing very little about his coaching background, I'll be interested to see whether it varies from the up tempo Hollick way of doing things. although if we apply the type of player Richard was in the National Hockey League to the way he may teach the game a rugged,resistive approach could be in store. Is this the right approach, probably not as Prince George is built around brazen speed but if this is indeed the fabric installed then a player like Colby McAuley could prosper. Looking at the roster breakdown, I'd be foolish not to agree with the notion that the Cougars have a weaker crop of 1996's sans the consistent defenceman Sam Ruopp who the assumption is will be back. I would normally advocate that General Manager Harkins look into acquiring a twenty year old forward but with the market so thin already, not sure if this is a realistic possibility. This is where Colby steps in and becomes that trusted presence. As a 1996 born, he has got to scrap the fighting from his repertoire. No team, I don't care the circumstances can afford to have an overager there with the sole responsibility of fighting. I'm not fully implying that's all he can offer an organization as McAuley's forty one points over the past two seasons tell a different story but the 156 PIM is a major red flag for me. It's simple, this projects out as an one dimensional team and if McAuley can stay out of the box he'll be that one individual that'll be sent out late in the games and kill an important penalty. If he resorts back to last year's habit, then Harkins will be left with no choice but to upgrade in a sparse market.
I would imagine, I haven't talked to many that are close to the Cougars organization, that a lot of these fans are satisfied with the forward depth but cringe over the defenceman that are set to patrol the blueline. I don't share this belief in the slightest, and I'll be the first(okay maybe not the first) to admit that aside from Sam Ruopp who is universally revered in the league, some of these other defenceman aren't respected and for that this back end is a perceived weakness. One particularly that I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up is Tate Olson. Ruopp's just like his brother, former Prince Albert Raider Harrison is a stud and somebody you can safely insert as a number one defenceman but it's Tate who I have no doubt is the most talented and has the highest upside. As I specified earlier, I'm not one who has any familiarity with Matvichuk the coach but disregarding the coaching aspect Matvichuk has been through the ups and downs of professional hockey and the tips he would've picked up along the way will be invaluable to this Cougar core. Having played with two of the league's great defenceman in Sergei Zubov and Derian Hatcher the wealth of knowledge he's acquired is unquantifiable. From Zubov's smooth skating and ability to make stellar reads in the offensive zone to Hatcher's punishing style, he's seen all designs at the highest level. Prince George's hockey operations staff will describe Tate as a burgeoning puck mover but where his real strengths lie are to intercept passes at his own blueline. This seems like such an exact observation but if you take the time to watch a complete shift of Olsen's, focus on his active stick as he's really good about interrupting a team's momentum into the zone. This active stick has contributed to his increasing numbers. I don't want to take any credit away from the positive influence Ruopp has had on him but as I mentioned earlier, Ruopp has a lower ceiling where Tate will be in the American Hockey League playing a key role as early as next year. The small criticism of Olsen that I have and to clarify it's very small is that his back skating needs a minor undertaking.It's more of a concern when he's in a close knit one and one race because he can usually position himself well enough that hardly does he get caught flat footed. I'm a proponent on what he can accomplish and while my award predictions will come after the preview is complete, he's on the short list for the Western Conference Defenceman of the Year nominee. The name Reed Perepeluk will mean very little to people enamored with this organization.......for now as he's someone you'll be hearing lots of in the near future. Originally from Yorkton,Saskatchewan he made the peculiar move as a fifteen year old to head to the Prince George area and immerse in the British Columbia Minor Midget league. A move like this is very rare but it shows dedication to the franchise. I'm only going to assume a move such as the one Reed partake in was done in unison with the Cougars and there's a high probability Reed will crack the roster full time this campaign. If this move was family related and nothing more then it's a classic case of me reading too much into the situation. The scouting report I have on Reed is that he's not afraid of the physical contact, not the greatest skater but has a Fulton Reed-esque shot. I've heard the name of Griffen Reinhart thrown around describing Reed's game. What that explains to me is he'll be someone that won't see a lot of five on five minutes for this 16/17 season but will have the know how to weave his way through penalty killing assignments. He's tough to play against and my suspicion is the water cooler conversation going around the Prince George area come this fall will be how in the heck did Reed fall to the sixth round? It's a question I ask myself but the bottom line your franchise now has a good, possibly great one in Perepeluk.
Training camp is going to decide a lot but none more than the wide open goaltending battle. Consensus is that Nick McBride has the leading edge on the starter reigns but that is open for ample debate. Twenty year old Ty Edmonds isn't going to sit around and die, he's going to push the impending competition to the max. Additionally the name of Tavin Grant could throw a wrench into the plans. I can't formulate any scenario that would have the Cougars again riding the tandem of McBride and Edmonds with Grant waiting in the wings. Captain
Sam Ruopp is expected back and with the aforementioned McAuley fulfilling a needed role upfront it essentially comes down to either retaining Edmonds or holding on to defenceman Shaun Dosanjh. I can't see anyone convincing me otherwise that there's any real difference skill wise between Ty and Nick and with McBride being a 1997 born he wins the race for that reason. Twenty year olds, specifically goalies are nearly impossible to trade so it's plausible that Edmonds may have to finish his career in Junior A. Exciting times for Nick because even though in the opening I alluded to the possibility that this organization may have been ranked marginally too high, it'll be a competitive club nonetheless and McBride will be quintessential to the plight of the team.
9.Brandon Wheat Kings-Is there a more deserving individual to finally after years of exemplary service receive a promotion than Kelly McCrimmon? McCrimmon who was hired on by George McPhee's expansion Las Vegas staff in preparation for the 2017/2018 NHL season will thrive in the role as the Assistant General Manager because there aren't many, if any at all that are more in tune with what kind of player has what it takes as his talent assessments are on fleek 90% of the time, The Wheat Kings are your Western Hockey League defending champions but are in the midst of an organizational change that will see, if various reports are true which I amount to where there's smoke there's fire will name David Anning as it's next Head Coach. A good choice because as the Wheat Kings look to enter a new phase in their program, a younger innovative coach might be admissible to accepting mistakes from the surplus of young players that will be in camp this season as with expectations lowered, though not too much lower. That will be the misconception most will have with the Wheaties this coming season, are they the league favourites, no but the mastery of McCrimmon was that clearly during contending years he would stock the fridge full of brand name products, but it was the no name grub unnoticeable in the back of fridge that turns into award winning cuisine if cooked right. McCrimmon always knew the proper temperature to set the stove at which supplanted his icon status but the onus will now likely be on Anning to assess the frigidness of some of these unheralded sixteen years olds as a previous penchant of McCrimmon was to not rush a rookie into the lineup. With a league championship now in pocket and with McCrimmon out the door I would imagine this philosophy and direction from management will be more lenient to allow not just the younger players, but allowing Anning himself to grow. There's still a lot to like about this coming year being driven by possible(not likely) first overall pick Nolan Patrick.
I could throw out a million superlatives the way of Nolan Patrick but there's nothing I could write about him that hasn't already been said. He will enter the campaign as the pre-season consensus to win the Most Valuable award but there's a couple blemishes on the scorecard that need correcting. I do wonder at times whether Nolan has mentally checked out from knowing that it would take multiple unforeseen circumstances for him not to play in the NHL in 17/18. The press came out heavy even before last season commenced that Patrick would inevitably be the number one overall pick two years in advance and you fear that he let the accolades get to his head. This may have attributed to his slow start last go around as Jayce Hawruyluk and Quenneville took the team on their back early with Nolan in the back seat enjoying the ride. If I was a NHL scout I'd be weary of this as a star player as we've seen out of Connor McDavid and Mitch Marner in recent years relish being the one that has the puck on their stick in high octane moments and rise to the occasion. Conversely wit the Wheat Kings star I've been noticing somebody who is a sound player in all three zones but lacks the flash to singlehandedly take over the game. I don't think any Wheat King fan would argue with the thought that on last year's team that Jayce, Quenneville and even McGauley when healthy played with more passion. I don't know whether lackadaisical is the right adjective but that will to win isn't evident at all times. From my vantage point he's a frustrating player to watch develop because as I just mentioned, he's a monster in all facets when his head's on straight. He's built like a power forward, has one of the games best wrist shots and channels his inner Ramzi Abid when stick handling and dangling through defenders. You're reading this and I absolutely know the thought going through most of your heads, "who does this clown think he is scolding unarguably the league's best player in the last five years, I mean does he not see that he accumulated 102 pts?". Points aside as I can't stress enough he was benefited more by his linemates then his linemates benefited playing with him I just know there's more in the tank. Special players are never satisifed and it's the external display of being content has me cautious deeming him a special player. He's a good player that has NHL superstar potential. The name Joe Thornton has been used in comparison and while that's flattering, a more apt National Hockey League comparison would be New York Ranger Derek Stepan. Watching the way Stepan has stepped into the Ranger lineup and effectively has earned an all around game mantra is how I see Patrick fitting in with whatever NHL club chooses him. Contrary to popular belief I don't see him going first overall and it will be very interesting if a McCrimmon employed Las Vegas ends up siding with his former pupil. Could you imagine if the Vegas expansion comes to the podium next summer and passes on McCrimmon? That finally may be what it takes for the sports media to forget about this bizarre Ryan Lochte robbing scandal. Because a few top end guys are gone, no need to repeat the names for a third time at best I'm calling for Nolan to tally eighty points. As much as folks across the dub over appreciate the value of what Nolan can offer, there's a glaring under appreciation for one Duncan Campbell. First let me acknowledge that the overage conundrum exists and their are four quality players fighting for three spots. In reality it's only three for two as Goaltender Jordan Papirny barring something drastic will be between the pipes again. Tyler Coulter, Duncan Campbell and Reid Duke are the three in question and I'll play ball by agreeing that Campbell is the least talented out of the bunch but possesses fundamentals that make him more valuable then Reid and Tyler. All four are deserving of remaining in the league and if I were a betting man which I am then Reid will be the one they'll attempt to move and my inkling is Swift Current could be a wise trading partner but that's neither here nor there. Duncan is one of those players that works incredibly hard and can be a ready replacement spelling a struggling player on the top two lines. Versatility resembles Duncan in spades as not only can he if needed play on the top two, he has the speed to act as a shut down for the oppositions top players. Such a smart hockey player, he's the type of property that every team needs and Anning will salivate over the intangibles Duncan will showcase. It will be difficult to lose the scoring out of Reid Duke with most of the snipers leaving town but as a reward for Duncan's patience, I see his inclusion as a formality. I promised I'd forecast my thoughts on the youth movement. Caiden Daley will be assured a spot but the forward I want to analyze is Jeremy Klessens. I respect a player like Jeremy because he knew heading into this sixteen year old season last year he was deserving of a position in this league but with the direction that the Wheaties were headed a spot for a fringe sixteen year old wasn't in the cards. He buckled down, forewent another year in Midget AAA by heading to the Olds Grizzlies of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and physically matured. If there was any question which I don't think there was about him being ready for the marathon regular season scheduled those were answered in Olds. As far as what went into the decision to forego a season if Midget eligibilty, I'm unsure but from experience with Junior A hockey I can tell you that it takes a toll on your body because it's a league that has an older average age per team due to the number of twenty year olds you can have on your squad so if he withstood the grind he'll do admirably in Major Junior. That's why he slipped in his Bantam Draft year was due to inquests regarding his physical wherewithal. He's not going to be counted upon to produce any consistent offence as he'll see time on the fourth line but not being intimated will serve him well when those nineteen and twenties look to get under his skin. Brandon isn't going to have a lot of skill in the bottom six which is why he'll not only make the team but be a must to have his name pencilled in the lineup. A greasy player with skill best defines Jeremy.
Who's going to fill the massive shoes of departing Ivan Provorov? Throughout the course of this off-season I've read rumblings that Ivan could possibly return but I'm having none if it. If Provorov does happen to return than I've ranked Brandon far too low. Kale Clague will be asked by Coach Anning to oversee the back end and I'm just not sure if he's up for the task. I'm getting the impression that the just most are getting is I'm dumping on Brandon players but that's not the case. To that I'll say I have reservations with some of the higher end they claim to but admire their overall depth which led me to the ranking of number nine. I'm not for a second insinuating that James Shearer will diminish the role or need of Clague but Shearer is someone, a local product just like Campbell that was caught in a numbers game a year ago and will embark on a more permanent role. He doesn't fall too far off the tree from graduated Macoy Erkamps. Both are intense players who are undersized but it's the work ethic that sets them apart. I realize he's already nineteen and this conceivably could be his final year in Major Junior but what breaks the comparison of Macoy and James is James isn't as all over the place in his own zone. Macoy would drive McCrimmon nuts as he knew his was responsibility was be the safe guard for Provorov's gambling style but would still pinch at an inopportune time and create odd man rushes against Papirny. A Shearer turnover won't be something Papirny will have to worry about as James is much smarter positionally. What the coaching staff will look to instill in his game is to actually be more assertive and take more chances.Sitting back is generally reserved for players trying to find his feet in the league but James is now nineteen so this type of mindset won't be tolerated. I hope but am not quite sure if Shearer will see any power play time but I sincerely hope he does as the last time he recieved any whatsoever was with Steinbach in Junior A and he showed a propensity to thrive. It's a simple mandate for James, either he shows signs of competence and sticks it out with the Wheat Kings or if he caves under the increased role pressure he'll find himself in Steinbach quicker then he wants. The other defenceman I want to profile this evening is Schael Higson. If I were a Blades fan, I would've been furious that they let go of Schael, a trade for I will never understand the logic. From a Saskatoon perspective, already having smaller core forwards such as Ryan Graham and Cam Hebig, Shmyr wasn't exactly a team requirement. For Braylon it's a fantastic opportunity one he likely wouldn't of gotten here in Brandon but nonetheless a tall defenceman with an excellent stride isn't someone I'd be throwing away in the recycling bin. Saskatoon's loss is Brandon's gain. Higson for some reason couldn't adapt to the structure McCrimmon was illustrating but the fact that earlier I spoke about a more innovative coach in Anning now on board could be good for the young players, this rings very true for Higson. He's now officially out of the doghouse now into Anning's penthouse. I spoke of his skating stride earlier, is it ever effortless! It's a hard game to assess because there are just some players, former Tri-City American Logan Stephenson comes to mind that it from the exterior it doesn't look like they're exerting much energy, It seems this lack of clarity revolving around what kind of player Higson goes all the way back to his Bantam draft years where he went undrafted. I have heard he he wasn't committing to the league hense why he went undrafted but it's a classic case of a player not garnering enough respect because of the shortage of intensity. He's coming into his third season and the Wheaties can't afford to have Schael in and out of the lineup. Consistency, consistency. This core is a whole is a definite weakness by wanting to abstain from any further critique on the individual defenceman, I've come to the realization that adding a veteran defenceman would be a sensible proposition. Scouring the lists from some of the teams I've previewed earlier in these lists, a name such as Keoni Texeira(POR) would be a great addition. The kind of player that would interest the BWK would be someone on a cheaper price tag as their not going to exhaust any prime resources. Getting back to a conference final isn't out of the realm for this squad but they're not going to sell the farm to do it.
Jordan Papirny is back in the saddle. From a technical point of view, there were some pittfalls that decimated performace in the first couple of years as a member of the Wheat Kings. His glove was a needed area of improvement You know who doesn't receive enough credit? Goaltending Coach Matt Cockell. Cockell, probably better known for his work with the National women's team is purportedly not coming back to Brandon this winter which is a blow because he helped Jordan become one of the better netminders in the league and a professional prospect. Logan Thompson will occupy the back-up position once again but with Thompson nineteen and Papirny in his last year, I'd imagine the preference would be to find a seventeen or eighteen year old which in turn could cost Logan his job.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
2016-2017 Pre-Season Western Hockey League Report(Team 11)
11.Red Deer Rebels-The second round series of the 2015-2016 WHL Playoffs pitting the Rebels against the my hometown Regina Pats was easily some of the most exhilarating hockey I've had the pleasure of watching. Not since the 2006-2007 final that saw Medicine Hat take on Vancouver have I been so invested in a series but unfortunately for us in Regina, Red Deer prevailed in a tight knit seven games. The Rebel brand that Coach and General Manager Brent Sutter has implemented throughout his on and off stay was strayed away from while they were working their way to hosting the Memorial Cup Tournament.Historically, the pattern that has been followed is a rugged team that prides itself on a unrelenting forecheck but in this past Memorial Cup year they were a puck possession team and Brent Sutter specifically brought in players that fit that mold at the trade deadline. Some will argue with this opinion which I can respect but let's take a second to understand that Luke Philp isn't an overly physical player. I as well was wrongly under the premise that Philp favoured the heavy hitting game before he came to Red Deer but seeing him enough in the second half I slowly started to understand that the actual strength of Luke's game is, aside from being a premier penalty killer is to get infront of the net and wreak havoc for the goaltenders. Luke recurrently would engage in a cycle game and more times than not would shy away from the big hit to make certain the cycle created open space for the snipers like Michal Spacek and Jake DeBrusk at the hash. Ironically it was the player who nearly missed the entire campaign with a wrist injury that showed no fear taking opposing defenceman for a ride in Connor Bleackley. A fallacy heading into the season is that the Rebels are losing all of their expected contributors. Bleackley is gone as he's now signed with the St.Louis Blues, but aside from the overagers that have exhausted their junior eligibility and defenceman Haydn Fleury that's all from the crop that won't return to Red Deer. And yes, if you didn't notice that is me making the bold proclamation that Jake DeBrusk will return for another year. DeBrusk struggled last year. I equate it partially to adapting to a new environment but other than that, their are some deficiencies in his game that need correcting and although I classified him as a "sniper" earlier, an adjective I feel guilty about using, he really needs to uncover more of a complete game. I'll grant you he had a better Memorial Cup tournament but don't let the point per game pace in the playoffs fool you, he was invincible 95% of the time.
I saw Red Deer enough through the regular season to form enough strong opinions but the fact I was able to see them up close and personal substantiated some of my beliefs. First, let me lay the foundation for my thoughts towards Adam Musil. To ensure the proper groundwork is laid, I have ton share that I was very lukewarm with his brother David during his stint with the Vancouver Giants. He just like Adam was hyped about coming into this league and was essentially able to pick his own landing spot due to a loop hole in his declared residency(another blog post for another day). With the Giants, Musil didn't live up to the unfair pedestal he was put up to, From my viewings in the last year while a member of the Bakersfield Condors, his overall game has improved. A Musil will always come with some skating deficiencies but as he's matured he's been able to put his body to good use. It was the underwhelming advancements when David was being coached by legendary junior general Don Hay that left me skeptical when the name Adam popped up in WHL prospect circles. Not much vividness from how he performed in his rookie 2013-2014 season but the only thing I took away then was his lack of compete more than anything else. Transitioning from year two to last season for him was a ravishing change. His foot speed had come leaps and bounds to a point where he was assigned to take face offs against a lot of the top centers from across the league. From what I was reading as the 2015-2016 playoffs were commencing, a lot of our so called "insiders" were marvelling at Musil's faceoff acumen and back checking strength but to be fair to the player, his point production was a little more than half ass. Everytime I was privy to the Rebels a consistent observation I left with was that Musil and Evan Polei were there two best players. Statistics don't cement this opinion however sometimes a players worth goes well beyond the statistics and that's exactly the case with these two., Aside from the fact that the two impressed me personally and I'm not naive enough to know that's subjective but what maybe catches the eye more than anything is the chemistry these two have developed. They possess such corresponding skill sets. The way they skate to the way they forecheck, off the top of my head I can't single out any duo in the league that better compliments each other. You just know that Brent Sutter will have no problem lunging out these two in key situations. Primarily used as a third line shut down role a year ago, with the some of the key cogs from last year's Memorial Cup now gone, at the very least they'll lock down second line minutes with the outside possibility of them seeing top line time. An unfailing trait of this preview is to give attention to the more unheralded players. I enjoy doing this as it's one thing to share thoughts on a player that a million others already have, it's another thing to dig deep on the unsung heroes. A unsung hero on this club is somebody I thought was destined to be drafted but wasn't in Brandon Hagel. I think I've came up with the reason for why Brandon didn't have his name called to the podium, it's his leisurely approach to how he conducts himself on the ice. When he finds himself in an offensive situation as was often the case playing alongside Michal Spacek and Jake DeBrusk when the now departed Import Nikolishin was injured he looked good paired with the two future NHL'ers(how could you not) but it was his carelessness with the backcheck that likely shied some pendants away. I'm absolutely guilty of doing this personally and so are many others and that's we forgets these are kids. The Morinville product will turn eighteen in a few short days and I have to constantly remind myself of that because he lacks an overall maturity in his game. To improve this reputation amongst NHL scouts because I wholeheartedly he has professional potential he'll need to rely on Sutter who has been through the gamut in the show and knows how to instill work ethic in this players, I mean isn't a Sutter family trademark. Whether or not DeBrusk is returned, and it would clearly benefit Brandon if this happens he'll be handed an increased role granted he buys into the all around game philosophy that Sutter will hammer down and could very well play alongside the aforementioned Polei and Musil, wouldn't that be a fun line to watch! I need to see because I full well know he's capable at least a sixty point campaign out of him.
Is there a more imposing enigma in the Western Hockey League, specifically the Central Division then Colton Bobyk? If I was a General Manager heading into this season, Bobyk would be on my wish list, although it's not as if he's available, or I wouldn't imagine he would be anyway. Skeptics would tell you that there are more holes in his game then a Graham DeLaet putter but I'm willing to ignore the shortcomings to glamour over the striking strengths. He's an asset if for no other reason then his booming shot but what I saw was someone who took pride in using his shot as a decoy and often times would dump it off to Nelson Nogier or Josh Mahura. That's very important as when I reminisce over a players who are physically superior to their opposition, the usual outcome is they try to outdo their capabilities thinking they can push through everybody. Former Swift Current Bronco and Saskatoon Blade Davin Heintz was a good example of a player who tried to parlay his rambunctious style and just run through everybody and his statistical line suffered because of it. I bet you weren't expecting a Heintz reference in this posting but the reason for the inclusion is to provide an adverse example of what a player like Bobyk could've been and it's about time we shower respect his way as he's earned it. I'm always left fascinated on what a year after hosting the Memorial Cup looks like. Generally speaking there's enough holdover that the team remains competitive, it's the following year that major growing pains persist. Someone like Bobyk will benefit from this but so should newly selected Russian Alexander Alexeyev. Brent has been critical about some Europeans in recent memory so I'll take solace in knowing that if Brent was satisfied enough to merit a selection because there have been times, one year anyway when it was decided to go import-less when a spot was open that he has major junior calibre. Hypothetically, if he materializes he could be a three year Rebel with the late 1999 birthday and that could be a blessing or a curse. I know virtually nothing about Alexeyev so I'm not going to pretend that I do but the reason I brought him up was the age because as the roster is shaking out for 16/17, he could be the youngest commodity because my current projection has no 2000 born players this go around. Jacob Herauf will be in consideraion for a spot but something worth noting is that Sutter is very loyal at times almost to a fault but with many Rebels scaling back their roles at the betterment of the team Brent will want to reward those individuals were permanent spots. Herauf's time will come, just not sure how much ice in Red Deer he'll see this year,
Let's break this down..... Perhaps it's a reach predicting that Jake DeBrusk will get returned for his overage season as I suggested earlier in this entry but if that comes to fruition, an interesting dilemma will have been created. Bobyk, being a local product and all should be safe however with the lack of respect he gets, that's not a formality. Polei is a certainty so what this boils down to if all three come back where does that leave Rylan Toth? Trevor Martin is gone to Junior A, that's known but has Toth shown enough compounded by the fact that there a plethora of goaltenders on the market who could be construed as upgrades. This is likely a non starter as I'm sure I'm the only one on this planet that has Jake getting more junior seasoning but IF it does I would imagine Toth would be exiting Red Deer. #Sorrynotsorry when I say that I'm left disenchanted everytime I'm privy to Toth between the pipes. When scouting goaltenders if I haven't already made it clear enough I'll again endorse the viewpoint that statistics pay little dividends when assessing goalies, I look for the subtle idiosyncrasies that differentiate this rare brand apart, how do they recover after a goal against, do they get riled up easily? Questions like this are significant for determining if building around said goaltender is sustainable? Inconsistencies are why I'd move away from Rylan but I doubt they will.
I saw Red Deer enough through the regular season to form enough strong opinions but the fact I was able to see them up close and personal substantiated some of my beliefs. First, let me lay the foundation for my thoughts towards Adam Musil. To ensure the proper groundwork is laid, I have ton share that I was very lukewarm with his brother David during his stint with the Vancouver Giants. He just like Adam was hyped about coming into this league and was essentially able to pick his own landing spot due to a loop hole in his declared residency(another blog post for another day). With the Giants, Musil didn't live up to the unfair pedestal he was put up to, From my viewings in the last year while a member of the Bakersfield Condors, his overall game has improved. A Musil will always come with some skating deficiencies but as he's matured he's been able to put his body to good use. It was the underwhelming advancements when David was being coached by legendary junior general Don Hay that left me skeptical when the name Adam popped up in WHL prospect circles. Not much vividness from how he performed in his rookie 2013-2014 season but the only thing I took away then was his lack of compete more than anything else. Transitioning from year two to last season for him was a ravishing change. His foot speed had come leaps and bounds to a point where he was assigned to take face offs against a lot of the top centers from across the league. From what I was reading as the 2015-2016 playoffs were commencing, a lot of our so called "insiders" were marvelling at Musil's faceoff acumen and back checking strength but to be fair to the player, his point production was a little more than half ass. Everytime I was privy to the Rebels a consistent observation I left with was that Musil and Evan Polei were there two best players. Statistics don't cement this opinion however sometimes a players worth goes well beyond the statistics and that's exactly the case with these two., Aside from the fact that the two impressed me personally and I'm not naive enough to know that's subjective but what maybe catches the eye more than anything is the chemistry these two have developed. They possess such corresponding skill sets. The way they skate to the way they forecheck, off the top of my head I can't single out any duo in the league that better compliments each other. You just know that Brent Sutter will have no problem lunging out these two in key situations. Primarily used as a third line shut down role a year ago, with the some of the key cogs from last year's Memorial Cup now gone, at the very least they'll lock down second line minutes with the outside possibility of them seeing top line time. An unfailing trait of this preview is to give attention to the more unheralded players. I enjoy doing this as it's one thing to share thoughts on a player that a million others already have, it's another thing to dig deep on the unsung heroes. A unsung hero on this club is somebody I thought was destined to be drafted but wasn't in Brandon Hagel. I think I've came up with the reason for why Brandon didn't have his name called to the podium, it's his leisurely approach to how he conducts himself on the ice. When he finds himself in an offensive situation as was often the case playing alongside Michal Spacek and Jake DeBrusk when the now departed Import Nikolishin was injured he looked good paired with the two future NHL'ers(how could you not) but it was his carelessness with the backcheck that likely shied some pendants away. I'm absolutely guilty of doing this personally and so are many others and that's we forgets these are kids. The Morinville product will turn eighteen in a few short days and I have to constantly remind myself of that because he lacks an overall maturity in his game. To improve this reputation amongst NHL scouts because I wholeheartedly he has professional potential he'll need to rely on Sutter who has been through the gamut in the show and knows how to instill work ethic in this players, I mean isn't a Sutter family trademark. Whether or not DeBrusk is returned, and it would clearly benefit Brandon if this happens he'll be handed an increased role granted he buys into the all around game philosophy that Sutter will hammer down and could very well play alongside the aforementioned Polei and Musil, wouldn't that be a fun line to watch! I need to see because I full well know he's capable at least a sixty point campaign out of him.
Is there a more imposing enigma in the Western Hockey League, specifically the Central Division then Colton Bobyk? If I was a General Manager heading into this season, Bobyk would be on my wish list, although it's not as if he's available, or I wouldn't imagine he would be anyway. Skeptics would tell you that there are more holes in his game then a Graham DeLaet putter but I'm willing to ignore the shortcomings to glamour over the striking strengths. He's an asset if for no other reason then his booming shot but what I saw was someone who took pride in using his shot as a decoy and often times would dump it off to Nelson Nogier or Josh Mahura. That's very important as when I reminisce over a players who are physically superior to their opposition, the usual outcome is they try to outdo their capabilities thinking they can push through everybody. Former Swift Current Bronco and Saskatoon Blade Davin Heintz was a good example of a player who tried to parlay his rambunctious style and just run through everybody and his statistical line suffered because of it. I bet you weren't expecting a Heintz reference in this posting but the reason for the inclusion is to provide an adverse example of what a player like Bobyk could've been and it's about time we shower respect his way as he's earned it. I'm always left fascinated on what a year after hosting the Memorial Cup looks like. Generally speaking there's enough holdover that the team remains competitive, it's the following year that major growing pains persist. Someone like Bobyk will benefit from this but so should newly selected Russian Alexander Alexeyev. Brent has been critical about some Europeans in recent memory so I'll take solace in knowing that if Brent was satisfied enough to merit a selection because there have been times, one year anyway when it was decided to go import-less when a spot was open that he has major junior calibre. Hypothetically, if he materializes he could be a three year Rebel with the late 1999 birthday and that could be a blessing or a curse. I know virtually nothing about Alexeyev so I'm not going to pretend that I do but the reason I brought him up was the age because as the roster is shaking out for 16/17, he could be the youngest commodity because my current projection has no 2000 born players this go around. Jacob Herauf will be in consideraion for a spot but something worth noting is that Sutter is very loyal at times almost to a fault but with many Rebels scaling back their roles at the betterment of the team Brent will want to reward those individuals were permanent spots. Herauf's time will come, just not sure how much ice in Red Deer he'll see this year,
Let's break this down..... Perhaps it's a reach predicting that Jake DeBrusk will get returned for his overage season as I suggested earlier in this entry but if that comes to fruition, an interesting dilemma will have been created. Bobyk, being a local product and all should be safe however with the lack of respect he gets, that's not a formality. Polei is a certainty so what this boils down to if all three come back where does that leave Rylan Toth? Trevor Martin is gone to Junior A, that's known but has Toth shown enough compounded by the fact that there a plethora of goaltenders on the market who could be construed as upgrades. This is likely a non starter as I'm sure I'm the only one on this planet that has Jake getting more junior seasoning but IF it does I would imagine Toth would be exiting Red Deer. #Sorrynotsorry when I say that I'm left disenchanted everytime I'm privy to Toth between the pipes. When scouting goaltenders if I haven't already made it clear enough I'll again endorse the viewpoint that statistics pay little dividends when assessing goalies, I look for the subtle idiosyncrasies that differentiate this rare brand apart, how do they recover after a goal against, do they get riled up easily? Questions like this are significant for determining if building around said goaltender is sustainable? Inconsistencies are why I'd move away from Rylan but I doubt they will.
Monday, August 15, 2016
2016-2017 Pre-Season Western Hockey League Report(Teams 12 and 13)
13.Everett Silvertips-Credit to the Everett Silvertips for having an updated roster on their official website. This is more than I can say about some other teams, just an aside I wanted to get off my chest. If you're naive enough to believe some of the press out there they'd have you repeating that the Silvertips style is the most mundane. boring style ever advertised in Canadian Hockey League history. While comparing them to the '04-05 Rimouski Oceanic would be an injustice, the truth is the characteristics that Head Coach Kevin Constantine advocates is a little more modern then most will sign off on. This is the same franchise after all, not all under the tutelage of Constantine the stingiest observers will point out I may add, that produced the likes of Peter Mueller,Zach Hamill, and Kyle Beach. The three names that I just mentioned bring up an interesting correlation. It's an absolute fact that none of the three transitioned into serviceable National Hockey League careers after all three were higher NHL picks and I have a theory behind that. It's such a structured program that they run in Everett that some of their skilled players who flourish graduate to their respective NHL clubs and aren't adaptable enough because it's entrenched in their D.N.A to abide by strict X's and O's but when to use Mueller as an example, he left Everett,Washington and immediately set foot in Glendale,Arizona taking orders from the Great One and you just know Gretzky encouraged freedom and creativity, traits that Mueller had expunged under K.C. Historically, and I'll even include Leland Irving in this by saying that not many Silvertips have gone on and escaped the wrath of Constantine and at what point, something that's been voiced by a lot of Tips fan does General Manager Garry Davidson change the culture because as the developmental reputation worsens so does your chances of recruiting top prospects.
I'm not going to sit here and lie by saying I get to witness a lot of Everett Silvertips contests throughout the regular season but the few I did see, team speed up front was prevalent. The 15/16 version, not to beat a dead horse by re questioning the approach entailed by Constantine was fast but had offensive limitations. Analyzing the make up of the roster and you'll begin to notice, I certainly did that they lack that go to presence. I love what Graham Millar provided in a secondary role last year and with the graduations of top scorers Remi Laurencelle, who can I just say was vastly underrated during his tenure and Carson Stadnyk, an expanded role should open up for somebody, and I hate even theorizing on something like that because there are internal factors that are concealed to the outside observer, could we be looking at Everett's next captain? Scoring will be at a premium but Millar with his speed down the right wing will be looked upon to drive the net hard and pick up those garbage goals that are very much needed. I found last year with Graham that even though he possessed outstanding wheels refused to head the net instead constantly hovering around the perimeter. Philosophically,if I was given the opportunity to speak with Graham I'd attempt to instill the fact that a mindset change is needed if he has ANY aspirations of turning professional after this season. In minor hockey, and a shout-out to eliteprospects.com for making this information available somebody like Graham had the same size and speed and thus was a scoring machine. What some players entering the dub fail to realize and without knowing the kid personally I won't necessarily paint Graham with the same brush is that the very players you're playing and dominating against in Bantam and Midget, only a minuscule percentage of those players advance to the next level so it's important you have a short memory and are willing to re-define yourself. The point I'm attempting to hammer down is if Graham utilizes that top end speed that most pendants know he has and adds a physical element, it'll do wonders for the chances of the Silvertips heading into this campaign. I'm constantly reminding myself that Millar is now twenty so it's important to temper expectations but with somebody with the enticing potential of a Connor Dewar, the sky is literally the limit and Connor looks to lead the next wave of up and comers. Dewar, already awarded with the Tips Rookie of the Year title a year ago was astonishingly a fifth round pick that Davidson hit a grand slam with, and not just any slam. a GianCarlo 584 ft type shot. What has me excited about the prospects of Connor is that not only does his game exude maturity of a nineteen year old in this league, there's the unspoken confidence that he recieved last year seeing tangible time on the power play. As talked about in these previews and more of a general observation is that too many sixteen year olds are pass happy but such is not the case with Dewar. He loves to score and has done so at every level. What could possibly hold him back this year you ask? The harshest critics of a Constantine coached team will opine Dewar will be coddled and held back which is a complete misnomer. Undeterred by this faulty logic I will again reference my opening where I stated that Constantine has overseen some of the league's most gifted scorers in recent memory and are we to blame him for failed professional progression, not a chance! That's like saying legendary Ontario Hockey League coach Brian Kilrea deserves blame that former OHL mega star Corey Locke didn't convert into a sniper at the next level. Completely ludicrous. I'm re-reading my opening and now am partially regretting even notating my advocation that Garry Davidson consider a coaching change to reinvigorate the culture. I do think Kevin is a quality coach, the premise I was attempting to represent is that perception is half the battle, and tactics aside, if parents and players coming through the ranks believe that they're not going to get the necessary exposure then Garry Davidson is fighting a losing battle and his hand will be forced. I unequivocally believe that with the anticipated power play opportunities, the penchant to want to shoot all bodes well for Dewar to accumulate a twenty five goal season.
Keep in mind I'm well aware I'm going to receive backlash for the following comment. Noah Juulsens; game leaves a lot to be desired. There I said it. I could go into detail about how with the current defensive depth the Montreal Canadians have compiled that Noah is no longer a worthwhile fit in Montreal but to keep this in an Everett realm, for those not familiar with the work of Noah or Everett as a whole, think former Swift Current Bronco defenceman Dillon Heatherington. The biggest problem that I take out of the game of Noah is that he's susceptible to the costly turnover and doesn't have the foot speed to make up for his wrongdoings. Noah along with the coaching staff I'm sure has worked diligently in refining his puck skills where in reality from where I stand, if he simplifies his game the points will follow. He has a Ryan Pulock-esque shot, I don't think anyone would ever question me saying that but unlike Pulock he sacrifices the proper positioning on the ice to find the open shooting lane. Entering his nineteen year old campaign, he's bigger and stronger then most his age and with all that being said, if he lets the game come to him the team will be better served for it. To toot my own horn for a second, my knowledge of the Western Hockey League is substantial and while I'm perfectly comfortable describing my thoughts on Head Coaches and prospects alike, I shy away from bringing the Assistant coach into the profile for the simple fact that there's a unfamiliarity with about 95% of them league wide. Mitch Love though, someone I fondly remember from his playing days as a Swift Current Bronco and Silvertip could do wonders for Juulsen's development. Love had a reputation of being a trusted defensively responsible forward could teach Noah a thing or two about patience and defense first. I get rambly, loyal readers of this blog have long known this but there's a method to my madness and by referencing the strengths of Love, I'm implying that Juulsen's calling card should be that of a stay at home defenceman. His statistics back this up.. Twenty seven points in nearly a full season of work doesn't exactly scream offensive dynamo even though that's what he aspires to be. The age old dillema of doing what's best for the team opposed to doing what makes the most sense for you is the constant struggle and the hope is that Love and Constantine with a little guidance from the Canadiens can make him grasp the concept that at the next level you're not going to be a point producer and if he takes this advice to heart fans in Everett will react positively to a more all around game. The next defenceman I want to elaborate on is an individual that I wouldn't stipulate is even guaranteed to make the squad but it's time Tip nation acquaints itself with Gianni Fairbrother. If the reason why he fell to the fourth round in 2015 was due to NCAA temptations then good on Everett for taking a waiver but let me tell you folks, Gianni is going to be a monster in this league and I suspect we'll be hearing his name being called in the first round of the 2019 draft(late birthday). As I eluded just a moment ago there may be some pressure from Tip management and the Fairbrother family to allow him to better season by playing another year of Midget but I myself am undoubting in my belief that he'd be ready to contribute this fall. Fairbrother's offensive game needs some fine tuning but in the videos I've watched on the player, I literally can't remember seeing a fifteen year old exhibit so much poise. The game looks so slow, pressure from opposing forwards doesn't seem to bother him at all as I vividly recall one tape where I believe his team was killing a penalty and the opposition employed what appeared to be a triple team forecheck and what did Fairbrother do....weaved his way through one of the forecheckers and then cut infront of his own net to evade the other two., He's a special player with that level of calmness. I will admit his skating needs work and the aforementioned offensive escapades will come with time and I keep reminding myself he's fifteen and will get stronger. I can't stress enough how when you see him in person, you'll be shocked by his hockey I.Q.
In net, to start what I wanted to look at is my befuddlement I have with the Tips decision to acquire Lasse Petersen from the Spokane Chiefs. The reports I've received indicate that Mario Petit is more then a capable backup option for starter Carter Hart so it has you asking why the transaction was made.When I began these previews, in the very first one I did with the Kootenay Ice I was brainstorming goaltending upgrade options and listed Mario Petit as an option. This was all before I had a facepalm moment forgetting that the Ice already acquired their upgrade in former Giant and Oil King Payton Lee but my intuition that a trade is likely remains in effect. The problem becomes and I'm probably overvaluing Petit which team could use him to either fill a starting vacancy or upgrade the backup? I don't have a concrete answer for that because it's not as if he's overly young being nineteen and all but the one team that make sense is the Brandon Wheat Kings. He wouldn't start this year as Jordan Papirny remains in tow but would be the heir apparent for next season. The U.S Division looks to be decent, at least that's how I'm forecasting it and if that holds true the Silvertips will need Carter Hart to prove to the Philadelphia Flyers that a mistake wasn't made selecting him in the second round. Read my Lethbridge Hurricane preview and my true thoughts on goalie valuation will be known but getting this back to Carter, it's not unrealistic to suggest that it's nearly impossible for him to replicate his Canadian Hockey League goaltender of the year results from a year ago and that spells major trouble for Everett. Players entering a season naturally set goals for themselves and based with what he's got to work with, keeping his GAA under 2.50 and a save percentage over .900 should be attainable. Repeating as Goalie of the year is next to impossible but if Everett wishes to contend in the daunting U.S Division then this will be a pre-requisite.
12.Swift Current Broncos-An under reported story in Bronco land in recent seasons was the work now ex General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb put in adminstratively with some shrewd acquistitions.The ones that stick out are the 2012 trade that brought over Brett Lernout from the Saskatoon Blades and Carter Rigby coming over as an overager from Kelowna. I didn't particularly care for the value returned for sniper Jake DeBrusk but it went beyond just the trades he made. The bantam drafts over the last five years were stellar headlined by the incoming Riley Stotts who I'll feature shortly or how about landing Tyler Steenbergen in 2013. Steenbergen I understand is a polarizing figure that some fans in Speedy Creek haven't attached to but I like what I see. As a talent evaluator Lamb excelled at, his head coaching responsibilities weren't always fulfilled as promised. I think throughout the course of his tenure which began in 2009 the team has struggled on the ice and his unwillingness to correct glaring transgressions didn't go unnoticed by this blogger. After a surprising promotion which saw him land a job with Tucson of the American Hockey League the reigns have now been handed over to Emmanuel Viveiros. Very little is known about Viveiros across North America hockey circles but one concept is clear, this team has been left in great hands for Manny to put his own stamp on and after years of relative obscurity, a different message could be just what the doctor ordered heading into 2016/2017.
I want to begin this preview by enlighting you folks on the Swift Current Broncos sparse twenty year old situation. At this time barring trades the three twenties expect to be Prince Albert native Jordan Harris, Calvin Spencer and Austin Adamson. I foresee a strong likelihood that Swift Current will look to upgrade these spots early in this season as Adamson and Harris I'm unsure are the type of commodoties you want hanging around as an overager. Spencer on the other hand will fit in just fine as the Broncos desperately try to secure a playoff position. I don't necessarily think it's even a question that they'll be dancing in late March but to be on the safe side, it's imperative they receive a weighty contribution out of Calvin. Without knowing the individual personally, I'm sure as an American born player there had to be mixed emotions leaving a Thunderbirds team that everybody and their grandmother knew was going to contend but I hope for his sake he appreciates the feeling of being wanted and embraces the challenge. Ideally when apprising his skill set, he's better suited as a third line center who can work his magic on the wall gauging from his lanky 6'1 frame.When I ponder the name of Calvin Spencer the first thing that comes to mind is work ethic. He's a tireless worker that will benefit from added playing time under a new coaching regime. When I look at how the depth chart is shaping up front, there's a lot of skill expected in the lineup but not a lot of truculence. I mentioned Stotts who I'm really high on and I'll feature after I finish up with Spencer but because Calvin has the size to match up with some of the league's bigger defenceman and relating this to the Eastern Division I think of guys like the Russian Rubinchuk who the Blades just secured a commitment from and Hilsendager from the Regina Pats, they'll need Calvin to wear these types out down low creating open space for the gifted players on the roster. I'm skeptical if aside from Spencer is this team is too small as a whole because even some of their "bigger" players play a softer game.Logan Barlage will solve some of those concerns when he debuts in 17/18 but for now I just wanted to illustrate the importance of Spencer. Riley Stotts.....what can I say. The 2015 Bantam Draft was a very deep one however I'm not ready to forgive every team not named the Spokane Chiefs for passing on Riley with the first twelve selections. Addison as depicted earlier on in this drawn out preview I'm giddy over and of course with first overall selection Ty Smith the Chiefs have the next Jared Cowen on their hands but for every other team from then until thirteen, all I can say is I shake my head! Because Smith and Addison are both defenceman and the only two I'd even consider ranking ahead of Riley, it's no secret that I perceive Stotts having the most skill. He's a game in every sense of the word, as an underager with the Winnipeg Wild of the Midget AAA league he scored a team high thirty one goals and the thing that impresses me most, and there's lots to choose from is his ability to make a play at top flight speed. I draw upon serious Tyler Seguin vibes as he reads the ice so quickly and his motor never stops, very much like Seguin. Also for a man of his stature, his shot is definitely WHL ready. If the Stotts' family was left blindsided by the Lamb resignation, I hope they read this entry because as much as Mark had a built in coaching philosophy, a fresh, younger perspective that Viveiros will provide I maintain is a better spot for Riley to thrive in. In 2016/2017, the intention is to make the playoffs, the 2017/2018 outlook will be conference finals and when in 2018/2019 Stotts is eighteen along with a seventeen year old Barlage, unquestionable league favourites. All day could be spent fantasizing over the deep prospect pool, it's that good, best in the league with the only franchise that rivals the "farm" of the Broncos could be the Kelowna Rockets which is a scary thought as you'll notice Kelowna has yet to be mentioned in this preview, stocked now and in the future. I won't go so far asto formally declare Stotts as my Rookie of the Year Pick, my awards will be posted after all teams have been completed but let's just day he's the heavy frontrunner.
It's been proven that some players just aren't prime fits with some coaches. Max Lajoie was touted coming into the Broncos system but solely judging off of his fifth round draft selection from the Ottawa Senators, it's been a disappointing go of things. At one point in time, and this assertion slowly faded as the 2015-2016 campaign sorted itself out that Lajoie may have been in the conversation as a possible first rounder. He has the tools that enable you to think that all is not lost and that the Senators hopefully for the Broncos sake stumbled on one of the year's biggest steals. What I thought was factual after watching him play in 2014/2015 actually warped into his kryptonite and that's his skating. I don't know whether he was experiencing nagging injuries because as I just indicated I bore witness to a truer skater two years ago, and if I come to learn he was it would explain a lot. Simplification is a coveted discipline from junior hockey players and it applies to the game of Max. If he could just learn to focus on making a good first pass, knowing when to back off when the opposition has a comfortable opening pertaining to the breakout. These skills are taught to you in minor hockey and I'm not trying to come off as a hockey coach because I'm anything but it's infuriating at times watching Max because I see a complete hockey player that lacks consistency. In first two years, he's been a minus player and an internal goal should be to try and at the very least attempt to convert to 0. As a general statement the Broncos possess a deeper team and the record should reflect that, no reason why this isn't attainable. Another defenceman I'm choosing to chronicle is none other than Suhvan Khaira. Due to Mark Taraschuk abruptly choosing not to call Swift Current home, it's opened the door for an additional top four spot up for grabs, a position that Khaira is firmly in the running for. When I learned of the decision of Taraschuk I was left disappointed as Mark was caught in a numbers game in Brandon and was beginning to find his game in Speedy Creek. To go on another one of my tangents, I find that the Western Hockey League as a whole has to do a better job of retaining it's players who find themselves in situations they're less then delighted with. Continuing on with Taraschuk, how is a player like that supposed to deal by getting traded away from a perennial contender like the Wheaties last season to a team who essentially was riding out the year whist just trading their superstar DeBrusk. What I'm about to propose may seem extreme but a necessary evil to keep all parties motivated in our great league. Right now, the league's educational agreement is setup in such a way that guarantees a year of paid education for each year of service. In the current composition what's stopping players from playing a year or two in our league, deciding that the league for whatever reason is something they no longer want to pursue. Listen,we live in a country that supports freedom and for that I'm forever grateful being a Canadian citizen but I'm also a proponent of Major Junior and protecting our league. Okay, reverting back to my theory what I suggest that if a player voluntarily walks away from the league WITHOUT being dropped from the protected list and chooses to play in an ulterior league which may or may not be the case with Mark, he then automatically loses any CIS/technical college funding he may of had. I'm becoming aggravated that lately too many player are boycotting particular markets and the buck needs to stop somewhere. I hope you enjoyed my latest but not last tangent, it's a consistent feature of this blog. The beneficiary of Mark leaving is the aforementioned Khaira. What an athletic specimen if I do say so myself. I spent a good portion critiquing the skating of Max but with Suhvan, skating is the least of his worries. I recollect a game last year where Swift Current was up against the Brandon Wheat Kings, stud defenceman Ivan Provorov was up to his usual antics dangling the entire line of defence and eventually found himself in a foot race with Khaira. Advantage Provorov, right? Wrong! I remember as Provorov was crossing the blue line in this one and one working left to right, he may of had an inch or two of room of Suhvan but he kept up stride for stride and knocked the puck loose. You truly don't know how fast someone is until their up against arguably the fastest player in the dub(Austin Wagner may have something to say about that) and then shows he can hold his own. I would imagine most fans attending Broncos games regularly have long admired his reliableness in his own end but the area that needs refinement, heck it needs a complete 360 done to it is his offensive awareness. Reading this you're surely asking what offensive awareness. Not to poke fun at Suhvan but I've seen defenceman in Pee Wee Hockey show more swagger when handling the puck. Speaking of someone I watched a lot in 2009-2010 with the Regina Pats, former Chilliwack Bruin Mitch McColm and you would shudder every time he tried to push the puck. Normally having someone on roster who is a one dimensional player can be worked through but Viveiros requires a top four role being filled, working on skill enhancement in training camp will be an urgent priority. Don't misconstrue my thoughts on the player, I'm liking what I see, it's just a tad humorous when reminiscing on his restrictions.
Training camp will pit Travis Childs against Taz Burman. If one of these goalies has already been parted ways with it, excuse my oversight but with slight blame going out to these websites as the lack of updates is alarming. I made a similar error when previewing the Kootenay Ice not realizing Payton Lee was acquired by the Ice and I'd hate to make the same mistake twice. Personal preference would have me leaning towards Burman but the truth of the matter is they're both nineteen and skated to similar statistics last season so basically flip a coin. I've been very complimentary on the Broncos chances,after all I have them ranked twelfth but the goalies in store scare me. Neither would be considered certifiable WHL starters and I'll again throw out the names of Brody Wilms(MJ) and Mario Petit(EVT) as plausible fits for the coaching staff as they look to find a two/three year starter. Predicting a trade in the Western Hockey League is about as likely as the placing a parlay of Major League baseball bets all of which are based off of not only who wins but by how much(would it kill the Blue Jays to lose by six tonight?) If the goaltenders stay the same, it'll be an intriguing pre-season battle but I'll look for Burman to capitalize on what he learned in playing for the Western Conference's best team from last year in Seattle and use that wealth of knowledge appropriately.
I'm not going to sit here and lie by saying I get to witness a lot of Everett Silvertips contests throughout the regular season but the few I did see, team speed up front was prevalent. The 15/16 version, not to beat a dead horse by re questioning the approach entailed by Constantine was fast but had offensive limitations. Analyzing the make up of the roster and you'll begin to notice, I certainly did that they lack that go to presence. I love what Graham Millar provided in a secondary role last year and with the graduations of top scorers Remi Laurencelle, who can I just say was vastly underrated during his tenure and Carson Stadnyk, an expanded role should open up for somebody, and I hate even theorizing on something like that because there are internal factors that are concealed to the outside observer, could we be looking at Everett's next captain? Scoring will be at a premium but Millar with his speed down the right wing will be looked upon to drive the net hard and pick up those garbage goals that are very much needed. I found last year with Graham that even though he possessed outstanding wheels refused to head the net instead constantly hovering around the perimeter. Philosophically,if I was given the opportunity to speak with Graham I'd attempt to instill the fact that a mindset change is needed if he has ANY aspirations of turning professional after this season. In minor hockey, and a shout-out to eliteprospects.com for making this information available somebody like Graham had the same size and speed and thus was a scoring machine. What some players entering the dub fail to realize and without knowing the kid personally I won't necessarily paint Graham with the same brush is that the very players you're playing and dominating against in Bantam and Midget, only a minuscule percentage of those players advance to the next level so it's important you have a short memory and are willing to re-define yourself. The point I'm attempting to hammer down is if Graham utilizes that top end speed that most pendants know he has and adds a physical element, it'll do wonders for the chances of the Silvertips heading into this campaign. I'm constantly reminding myself that Millar is now twenty so it's important to temper expectations but with somebody with the enticing potential of a Connor Dewar, the sky is literally the limit and Connor looks to lead the next wave of up and comers. Dewar, already awarded with the Tips Rookie of the Year title a year ago was astonishingly a fifth round pick that Davidson hit a grand slam with, and not just any slam. a GianCarlo 584 ft type shot. What has me excited about the prospects of Connor is that not only does his game exude maturity of a nineteen year old in this league, there's the unspoken confidence that he recieved last year seeing tangible time on the power play. As talked about in these previews and more of a general observation is that too many sixteen year olds are pass happy but such is not the case with Dewar. He loves to score and has done so at every level. What could possibly hold him back this year you ask? The harshest critics of a Constantine coached team will opine Dewar will be coddled and held back which is a complete misnomer. Undeterred by this faulty logic I will again reference my opening where I stated that Constantine has overseen some of the league's most gifted scorers in recent memory and are we to blame him for failed professional progression, not a chance! That's like saying legendary Ontario Hockey League coach Brian Kilrea deserves blame that former OHL mega star Corey Locke didn't convert into a sniper at the next level. Completely ludicrous. I'm re-reading my opening and now am partially regretting even notating my advocation that Garry Davidson consider a coaching change to reinvigorate the culture. I do think Kevin is a quality coach, the premise I was attempting to represent is that perception is half the battle, and tactics aside, if parents and players coming through the ranks believe that they're not going to get the necessary exposure then Garry Davidson is fighting a losing battle and his hand will be forced. I unequivocally believe that with the anticipated power play opportunities, the penchant to want to shoot all bodes well for Dewar to accumulate a twenty five goal season.
Keep in mind I'm well aware I'm going to receive backlash for the following comment. Noah Juulsens; game leaves a lot to be desired. There I said it. I could go into detail about how with the current defensive depth the Montreal Canadians have compiled that Noah is no longer a worthwhile fit in Montreal but to keep this in an Everett realm, for those not familiar with the work of Noah or Everett as a whole, think former Swift Current Bronco defenceman Dillon Heatherington. The biggest problem that I take out of the game of Noah is that he's susceptible to the costly turnover and doesn't have the foot speed to make up for his wrongdoings. Noah along with the coaching staff I'm sure has worked diligently in refining his puck skills where in reality from where I stand, if he simplifies his game the points will follow. He has a Ryan Pulock-esque shot, I don't think anyone would ever question me saying that but unlike Pulock he sacrifices the proper positioning on the ice to find the open shooting lane. Entering his nineteen year old campaign, he's bigger and stronger then most his age and with all that being said, if he lets the game come to him the team will be better served for it. To toot my own horn for a second, my knowledge of the Western Hockey League is substantial and while I'm perfectly comfortable describing my thoughts on Head Coaches and prospects alike, I shy away from bringing the Assistant coach into the profile for the simple fact that there's a unfamiliarity with about 95% of them league wide. Mitch Love though, someone I fondly remember from his playing days as a Swift Current Bronco and Silvertip could do wonders for Juulsen's development. Love had a reputation of being a trusted defensively responsible forward could teach Noah a thing or two about patience and defense first. I get rambly, loyal readers of this blog have long known this but there's a method to my madness and by referencing the strengths of Love, I'm implying that Juulsen's calling card should be that of a stay at home defenceman. His statistics back this up.. Twenty seven points in nearly a full season of work doesn't exactly scream offensive dynamo even though that's what he aspires to be. The age old dillema of doing what's best for the team opposed to doing what makes the most sense for you is the constant struggle and the hope is that Love and Constantine with a little guidance from the Canadiens can make him grasp the concept that at the next level you're not going to be a point producer and if he takes this advice to heart fans in Everett will react positively to a more all around game. The next defenceman I want to elaborate on is an individual that I wouldn't stipulate is even guaranteed to make the squad but it's time Tip nation acquaints itself with Gianni Fairbrother. If the reason why he fell to the fourth round in 2015 was due to NCAA temptations then good on Everett for taking a waiver but let me tell you folks, Gianni is going to be a monster in this league and I suspect we'll be hearing his name being called in the first round of the 2019 draft(late birthday). As I eluded just a moment ago there may be some pressure from Tip management and the Fairbrother family to allow him to better season by playing another year of Midget but I myself am undoubting in my belief that he'd be ready to contribute this fall. Fairbrother's offensive game needs some fine tuning but in the videos I've watched on the player, I literally can't remember seeing a fifteen year old exhibit so much poise. The game looks so slow, pressure from opposing forwards doesn't seem to bother him at all as I vividly recall one tape where I believe his team was killing a penalty and the opposition employed what appeared to be a triple team forecheck and what did Fairbrother do....weaved his way through one of the forecheckers and then cut infront of his own net to evade the other two., He's a special player with that level of calmness. I will admit his skating needs work and the aforementioned offensive escapades will come with time and I keep reminding myself he's fifteen and will get stronger. I can't stress enough how when you see him in person, you'll be shocked by his hockey I.Q.
In net, to start what I wanted to look at is my befuddlement I have with the Tips decision to acquire Lasse Petersen from the Spokane Chiefs. The reports I've received indicate that Mario Petit is more then a capable backup option for starter Carter Hart so it has you asking why the transaction was made.When I began these previews, in the very first one I did with the Kootenay Ice I was brainstorming goaltending upgrade options and listed Mario Petit as an option. This was all before I had a facepalm moment forgetting that the Ice already acquired their upgrade in former Giant and Oil King Payton Lee but my intuition that a trade is likely remains in effect. The problem becomes and I'm probably overvaluing Petit which team could use him to either fill a starting vacancy or upgrade the backup? I don't have a concrete answer for that because it's not as if he's overly young being nineteen and all but the one team that make sense is the Brandon Wheat Kings. He wouldn't start this year as Jordan Papirny remains in tow but would be the heir apparent for next season. The U.S Division looks to be decent, at least that's how I'm forecasting it and if that holds true the Silvertips will need Carter Hart to prove to the Philadelphia Flyers that a mistake wasn't made selecting him in the second round. Read my Lethbridge Hurricane preview and my true thoughts on goalie valuation will be known but getting this back to Carter, it's not unrealistic to suggest that it's nearly impossible for him to replicate his Canadian Hockey League goaltender of the year results from a year ago and that spells major trouble for Everett. Players entering a season naturally set goals for themselves and based with what he's got to work with, keeping his GAA under 2.50 and a save percentage over .900 should be attainable. Repeating as Goalie of the year is next to impossible but if Everett wishes to contend in the daunting U.S Division then this will be a pre-requisite.
12.Swift Current Broncos-An under reported story in Bronco land in recent seasons was the work now ex General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb put in adminstratively with some shrewd acquistitions.The ones that stick out are the 2012 trade that brought over Brett Lernout from the Saskatoon Blades and Carter Rigby coming over as an overager from Kelowna. I didn't particularly care for the value returned for sniper Jake DeBrusk but it went beyond just the trades he made. The bantam drafts over the last five years were stellar headlined by the incoming Riley Stotts who I'll feature shortly or how about landing Tyler Steenbergen in 2013. Steenbergen I understand is a polarizing figure that some fans in Speedy Creek haven't attached to but I like what I see. As a talent evaluator Lamb excelled at, his head coaching responsibilities weren't always fulfilled as promised. I think throughout the course of his tenure which began in 2009 the team has struggled on the ice and his unwillingness to correct glaring transgressions didn't go unnoticed by this blogger. After a surprising promotion which saw him land a job with Tucson of the American Hockey League the reigns have now been handed over to Emmanuel Viveiros. Very little is known about Viveiros across North America hockey circles but one concept is clear, this team has been left in great hands for Manny to put his own stamp on and after years of relative obscurity, a different message could be just what the doctor ordered heading into 2016/2017.
I want to begin this preview by enlighting you folks on the Swift Current Broncos sparse twenty year old situation. At this time barring trades the three twenties expect to be Prince Albert native Jordan Harris, Calvin Spencer and Austin Adamson. I foresee a strong likelihood that Swift Current will look to upgrade these spots early in this season as Adamson and Harris I'm unsure are the type of commodoties you want hanging around as an overager. Spencer on the other hand will fit in just fine as the Broncos desperately try to secure a playoff position. I don't necessarily think it's even a question that they'll be dancing in late March but to be on the safe side, it's imperative they receive a weighty contribution out of Calvin. Without knowing the individual personally, I'm sure as an American born player there had to be mixed emotions leaving a Thunderbirds team that everybody and their grandmother knew was going to contend but I hope for his sake he appreciates the feeling of being wanted and embraces the challenge. Ideally when apprising his skill set, he's better suited as a third line center who can work his magic on the wall gauging from his lanky 6'1 frame.When I ponder the name of Calvin Spencer the first thing that comes to mind is work ethic. He's a tireless worker that will benefit from added playing time under a new coaching regime. When I look at how the depth chart is shaping up front, there's a lot of skill expected in the lineup but not a lot of truculence. I mentioned Stotts who I'm really high on and I'll feature after I finish up with Spencer but because Calvin has the size to match up with some of the league's bigger defenceman and relating this to the Eastern Division I think of guys like the Russian Rubinchuk who the Blades just secured a commitment from and Hilsendager from the Regina Pats, they'll need Calvin to wear these types out down low creating open space for the gifted players on the roster. I'm skeptical if aside from Spencer is this team is too small as a whole because even some of their "bigger" players play a softer game.Logan Barlage will solve some of those concerns when he debuts in 17/18 but for now I just wanted to illustrate the importance of Spencer. Riley Stotts.....what can I say. The 2015 Bantam Draft was a very deep one however I'm not ready to forgive every team not named the Spokane Chiefs for passing on Riley with the first twelve selections. Addison as depicted earlier on in this drawn out preview I'm giddy over and of course with first overall selection Ty Smith the Chiefs have the next Jared Cowen on their hands but for every other team from then until thirteen, all I can say is I shake my head! Because Smith and Addison are both defenceman and the only two I'd even consider ranking ahead of Riley, it's no secret that I perceive Stotts having the most skill. He's a game in every sense of the word, as an underager with the Winnipeg Wild of the Midget AAA league he scored a team high thirty one goals and the thing that impresses me most, and there's lots to choose from is his ability to make a play at top flight speed. I draw upon serious Tyler Seguin vibes as he reads the ice so quickly and his motor never stops, very much like Seguin. Also for a man of his stature, his shot is definitely WHL ready. If the Stotts' family was left blindsided by the Lamb resignation, I hope they read this entry because as much as Mark had a built in coaching philosophy, a fresh, younger perspective that Viveiros will provide I maintain is a better spot for Riley to thrive in. In 2016/2017, the intention is to make the playoffs, the 2017/2018 outlook will be conference finals and when in 2018/2019 Stotts is eighteen along with a seventeen year old Barlage, unquestionable league favourites. All day could be spent fantasizing over the deep prospect pool, it's that good, best in the league with the only franchise that rivals the "farm" of the Broncos could be the Kelowna Rockets which is a scary thought as you'll notice Kelowna has yet to be mentioned in this preview, stocked now and in the future. I won't go so far asto formally declare Stotts as my Rookie of the Year Pick, my awards will be posted after all teams have been completed but let's just day he's the heavy frontrunner.
It's been proven that some players just aren't prime fits with some coaches. Max Lajoie was touted coming into the Broncos system but solely judging off of his fifth round draft selection from the Ottawa Senators, it's been a disappointing go of things. At one point in time, and this assertion slowly faded as the 2015-2016 campaign sorted itself out that Lajoie may have been in the conversation as a possible first rounder. He has the tools that enable you to think that all is not lost and that the Senators hopefully for the Broncos sake stumbled on one of the year's biggest steals. What I thought was factual after watching him play in 2014/2015 actually warped into his kryptonite and that's his skating. I don't know whether he was experiencing nagging injuries because as I just indicated I bore witness to a truer skater two years ago, and if I come to learn he was it would explain a lot. Simplification is a coveted discipline from junior hockey players and it applies to the game of Max. If he could just learn to focus on making a good first pass, knowing when to back off when the opposition has a comfortable opening pertaining to the breakout. These skills are taught to you in minor hockey and I'm not trying to come off as a hockey coach because I'm anything but it's infuriating at times watching Max because I see a complete hockey player that lacks consistency. In first two years, he's been a minus player and an internal goal should be to try and at the very least attempt to convert to 0. As a general statement the Broncos possess a deeper team and the record should reflect that, no reason why this isn't attainable. Another defenceman I'm choosing to chronicle is none other than Suhvan Khaira. Due to Mark Taraschuk abruptly choosing not to call Swift Current home, it's opened the door for an additional top four spot up for grabs, a position that Khaira is firmly in the running for. When I learned of the decision of Taraschuk I was left disappointed as Mark was caught in a numbers game in Brandon and was beginning to find his game in Speedy Creek. To go on another one of my tangents, I find that the Western Hockey League as a whole has to do a better job of retaining it's players who find themselves in situations they're less then delighted with. Continuing on with Taraschuk, how is a player like that supposed to deal by getting traded away from a perennial contender like the Wheaties last season to a team who essentially was riding out the year whist just trading their superstar DeBrusk. What I'm about to propose may seem extreme but a necessary evil to keep all parties motivated in our great league. Right now, the league's educational agreement is setup in such a way that guarantees a year of paid education for each year of service. In the current composition what's stopping players from playing a year or two in our league, deciding that the league for whatever reason is something they no longer want to pursue. Listen,we live in a country that supports freedom and for that I'm forever grateful being a Canadian citizen but I'm also a proponent of Major Junior and protecting our league. Okay, reverting back to my theory what I suggest that if a player voluntarily walks away from the league WITHOUT being dropped from the protected list and chooses to play in an ulterior league which may or may not be the case with Mark, he then automatically loses any CIS/technical college funding he may of had. I'm becoming aggravated that lately too many player are boycotting particular markets and the buck needs to stop somewhere. I hope you enjoyed my latest but not last tangent, it's a consistent feature of this blog. The beneficiary of Mark leaving is the aforementioned Khaira. What an athletic specimen if I do say so myself. I spent a good portion critiquing the skating of Max but with Suhvan, skating is the least of his worries. I recollect a game last year where Swift Current was up against the Brandon Wheat Kings, stud defenceman Ivan Provorov was up to his usual antics dangling the entire line of defence and eventually found himself in a foot race with Khaira. Advantage Provorov, right? Wrong! I remember as Provorov was crossing the blue line in this one and one working left to right, he may of had an inch or two of room of Suhvan but he kept up stride for stride and knocked the puck loose. You truly don't know how fast someone is until their up against arguably the fastest player in the dub(Austin Wagner may have something to say about that) and then shows he can hold his own. I would imagine most fans attending Broncos games regularly have long admired his reliableness in his own end but the area that needs refinement, heck it needs a complete 360 done to it is his offensive awareness. Reading this you're surely asking what offensive awareness. Not to poke fun at Suhvan but I've seen defenceman in Pee Wee Hockey show more swagger when handling the puck. Speaking of someone I watched a lot in 2009-2010 with the Regina Pats, former Chilliwack Bruin Mitch McColm and you would shudder every time he tried to push the puck. Normally having someone on roster who is a one dimensional player can be worked through but Viveiros requires a top four role being filled, working on skill enhancement in training camp will be an urgent priority. Don't misconstrue my thoughts on the player, I'm liking what I see, it's just a tad humorous when reminiscing on his restrictions.
Training camp will pit Travis Childs against Taz Burman. If one of these goalies has already been parted ways with it, excuse my oversight but with slight blame going out to these websites as the lack of updates is alarming. I made a similar error when previewing the Kootenay Ice not realizing Payton Lee was acquired by the Ice and I'd hate to make the same mistake twice. Personal preference would have me leaning towards Burman but the truth of the matter is they're both nineteen and skated to similar statistics last season so basically flip a coin. I've been very complimentary on the Broncos chances,after all I have them ranked twelfth but the goalies in store scare me. Neither would be considered certifiable WHL starters and I'll again throw out the names of Brody Wilms(MJ) and Mario Petit(EVT) as plausible fits for the coaching staff as they look to find a two/three year starter. Predicting a trade in the Western Hockey League is about as likely as the placing a parlay of Major League baseball bets all of which are based off of not only who wins but by how much(would it kill the Blue Jays to lose by six tonight?) If the goaltenders stay the same, it'll be an intriguing pre-season battle but I'll look for Burman to capitalize on what he learned in playing for the Western Conference's best team from last year in Seattle and use that wealth of knowledge appropriately.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
#bb18 Power Rankings(Week of August 14th)
In Big Brother history, the aftermath of a double eviction usually alters the path of the game, and the lead up to the double in the eighteenth edition(I suppose only fifteenth edition as the first four seasons were double immune) didn't disappoint. My early season winner pick Bridgette much to Rob Cesternino's disdain was sacrificed at the benefit of no one. The aftermath of this double also attributed to a lot of social media goers declaring Natalie as the new favourite for the stretch run, an opinion with what I share no agreeance. A revelation was made on last Thursday's episode that we were in store for our second special Friday episode which has the mass speculating that perhaps we're on the verge of a second "Battle Back". I can buy this premise if the Round Trip ticket isn't used on Thursday as if it is the weeks left don't allow another houseguest to re-enter. I do, surprise surprise have an unheard of theory that speaks to the scenario if indeed the Round Trip ticket is activated. Let's first squash the possibility of a Friday recap. Recaps are a thing of the past as with spoilers and the presence of Social media the need doesn't exist.How about this potentially transpiring, on Friday(once again only if the Round Trip's happening), I would call this the "Jury Speaks twist". I don't necessarily believe or would advocate a jury member coming back in the house so the competition that would be held Friday held between Da'Vonne, Bridgette, Zakiyah and whoever's evicted on Thursday would compete for an additional vote for NEXT Thursday's eviction. The caviot being that the vote would be unbeknownst to the houseguest and when Julie reveals the results after thr votes had been tallied, at that point the houseguests will be informed that one extra vote is in play for that week only. Imagine in this scenario where we'd,be down to eight houseguests and we reach a 3-2 vote, sometimes strategically, and then it's explained that say someone like Da'Vonne casts that sixth and deciding vote and completely shakes up the game. I love it! Off to the rankings...
8.James-"I'm a straight shooter, I'm going to tell Paulie that I've turned on Zakiyah". Right James......because ruining a blindside definitely endears yourself to America! Also, how does he benefit by showing his hand to two physical targets in Corey and Paulie that he is now public enemy #1 with?? Simply put, James has read this situation painstakingly wrong. I'll spew off my thoughts towards the behaviour of Paulie at the appropriate time but Paulie's presence was aiding James as Paulie unequivocally trusted James and when the time came to turn on "Jatalie", it was not James who was in imminent danger. Some perusing this will suggest that what James did was the honourable thing ensuring Natalie was protected from Paulie's wrath but I'm sorry, Big Brother awards no points for protecting your showmance. It's not as if James knows this or even cares as his ulterior reasons for wanting to be in the house have been discussed at nauseum but losing your partner in crime does wonders for an individuals game. We can draw on the examples of Liz Nolan from his own Big Brother seventeen, and Hayden Moss from Big Brother twelve to quickly name a couple.Free agency, very much like in sports can be advantegeous as the pay day is large when pen is put to paper. Free agency in the Big Brother house often amounts to a hefty pay check at day's end. One of the most frustrating contestants in the games history.
7.Nicole-RHAP correspondent Alex Kidwell at some point in time this week sent out a clever tweet regarding Nicole. At the expense of digging through his endless tweets to quote I'll paraphrase by saying it was something along the lines of "Paul can't believe that Nicole is aware of an all guys alliance and yet is okay being a part of it". Sincerest apologies go out to Mr.Kidwell if I butchered that tweet but the premise stands, Nicole is getting Britney Haynes'd whilst leading us to believe she's a "Super Fan". In fairness to Nicole, she has hinted subtle remarks over the course of the last few days that she's aware she's on board a sinking ship but conversely refuses to do anything about it. Openings are there for the taking and it starts with Michelle. Michelle publically called here out at the last live show or whatever you want to call it but the relationship can be healed, and both parties need such to happen. Admittedly Nicole needs Michelle more then the latter but at this point Corey seems insistent to continue bro-ing down whether Paulie exits or not and because when push comes to shove there are some that are adamant that she's a bigger threat than Corey, this is an extremely unenviable position for her to be in. When Nicole engages in social conversations which happens few and far between she comes across so timid and friendly that people don't want to target her but when she hides behind the boys, most find it dangerous. Getting rid of Bridgette was the correct strategical play for most of them guys in the house and although Natalie and Michelle lost a trusted allie this is where Nicole has to run to! Her times running out, she waits any longer and she could be out next week.
6.Paulie-Coincidence that I ranked the three remaining returnees in the bottom consecutively? I think not. For clarification the reason Paulie is not at the top of this list is because I don't automatically correlate forsure going home with being the worst player. I'm fully aware of the veto result and understand he's been handed his pink slip figuratively speaking but if somehow the tide turns he still poses an outside chance at them winner's circle whereas James and Nicole do not. Okay, the behaviour this week, undefendable to say the least. Jordan Parhar from Big Brother Canada three sent out a tweet this week disparaging the game of Senor Calafiore where I added the P.R hit the Calafiore name has taken is shocking. From golden boy to being despised. It really has been a trainwreck, not strategically but personality wise. The attacks mocking Natalie's physical features is disgusting and then to laugh it off like nothing happened raises major red flags. He took a game move personally, wasn't the first and won't be the last. The increasing level of entitlement he's displayed has me wondering if he let the fact that in the first three to four weeks whatever he said was taken straight to the bank get too his head and now can't handle having to work for his position. From my vantage point, I don't doubt Paulie is genuinely a decent person outside this house but dude start playing the game, scrap this quitting the game talk and show us that you wanting to be the next Derrick Levasseur is no smoke screen. All is not lost.
5.Natalie-Did I miss the part where based off the double eviction results, Natalie has now won this game? Is Natalie no longer the worst player in this game? Yes. Is Natalie aligned with the game's most incompetent player in the history of the show? Yes. Did her work on Michelle curry favor to her group? Yes, but to classify her as the game's best player is like saying Andrea Bargnani is destined to win the 2017 NBA MVP award. Not happening!!! There are positively thousands of avenues I could explore when critiquing her game but we'll explore her expanded exterior presence when it comes to how Natalie is viewed by the opposition. Natalie, not James will be exposed if Corey or Paulie are fortunate enough to win Head of Household. Her house position she's stumbled across would be great if we were in the final five/final four but it's too early. The laid back, innocent Natalie that wasn't viewed as a threat is the Natalie I wanted to see at this juncture. Far too vocal and outspoken for my liking, with the way the game WAS playing out prior this week, I foresaw the potential scenario where she could've found herself in a final three with Michelle and Bridgette if the Travelling nurse didn't succumb to the double which would've all but ensured a final two spot and a legitimate shot at the title. Now, unless her James and Michelle win out which let's face it won't happen, there's no WAY she gets past the final four.. The premature coronation has started, I'm here to squash it.
4.Victor-I briefly considered ranking Victor dead last but then it dawned upon me that unlike the Natalie group which he's currently part of in a distant sense, it's, not out of the realm that he could win out. Still won't win thought. I would personally never cast my vote for somebody who was granted a second chance but that's not what I wanted to orate. Am I the only one and I can't be as the edit is heavily pushing this angle that Paul is playing Victor like a fiddle? I'm not even sold Paul would take Victor to the final two as he's positioning himself comfortably with Michelle. As much as Paul wanting to chop Paulie can be reasoned with, in that conversation Paul and Victor had on the Sunday episode where Victor openly worried if nominating Paul and Corey would put a bounty on his back and buddy you're correct. Paul's leading you up the stairs of the Verruckt(no ill content meant) where you should be the safety inspector prompty assessing the safety of the move. Victor thinks Paulie has his best interests at heart which right there has ended his chances. I compare this dynamic to Big Brother twelve with the Enzo and Matt Hoffman relationship. Matt's strategical reputation benefitted Enzo who excelled in the social game but when the time came Enzo chopped Matt when he was no longer useful. Sadly Victor, you're the Matt in this scenario.
3.Michelle-Super fan in reality television is over used and Big Meech bends the terminology to the greatest degree. I like Michelle, always have, an attractive gal that seemingly has a career set for hersel after this show consummates. At the beginning of this game her strategy seemed comprehendable but then towards the middle where she inaugurated a petty feud with Bridgette that was visibly one sided her game began to sour. The TSN (Canadian Sports network) turning point for me was when she baried the hatchet with Bridgette and started taking to heart what Bridgette and Paul were feeding to her. It could've very easily been Michelle who bit the bullet in the second half of the double. As crazy as it sounds there are now a ton of permutations and combinations that compute to a Michelle victory. Her best move now and I kind of eluded to this earlier is re aligning with Nicole. Newsflash to all, Nicole is NOT the most popular within that house right about now and I'm convinced that if we got down to jury questioning between these two young Michigan born and bred girls, Michelle stands a strong change of outlasting the returning player.
2.Corey-I've been high on Corey's game all season and my rankings have reflected such. Unless the Paul/Victor faction have a sudden change of philosophy, Corey's staying and although he'll lose his shield of Paulie, a shield of Nicole remains in the game. I would imagine and hope that the other houseguests, particularly Victor are weary of Corey's challenge propensity especially in a physically themed challenge but the fact that the house questions Corey's intelligence plays right into his hands. Down the stretch, it's generally a rule of thumb to participate in more mental challenges than physical so with this being said, Corey won't be a priority for the majority alliance. Also, if I'm correct about how this game will play out, which who are kidding I'm probably way off base then a potential mending of the fences between Michelle and Nicole translates into Corey being brought in. I can't remember a season of Survivor or Big Brother that a player that carries the type of build Corey has be viewed as such an afterthought. Tyson from Survivor: Blood v Water comes to mind but it's a rarity.
1.Paul-For a brief time, albeit very brief I worried that Paul wouldn't see past his delusion of caving to Paulie's every need but if this past week is any indication, any concerns anyone had with his game have been alleviated. He's really castings only home run this year, he's a delight from all levels. Strategically he's not a lost puppy, he vocalizes outstanding diary rooms, he plays to the fans but not in an annoying vein as is the case with James. I was teetering on my belief if Paul was the one that was going to ship this game. As of this wriitng, I'm more convinced then ever that not only will Paul be the recipient of America's Favourite Player but also shoe-in to win this game. That's right.....a shoe in. I fail to find one facet where he's faltered over the last couple weeks and with Paulie likely going home, he will lead his alliance all the way to end with shields everywhere he turns.Victor will go when they've enough of challenge domination. Nicole will go when she falls on Corey's sword. Michelle will go because Paul will find a better goat to take to the finals. Team" Friendship" all the way for this blogger!
8.James-"I'm a straight shooter, I'm going to tell Paulie that I've turned on Zakiyah". Right James......because ruining a blindside definitely endears yourself to America! Also, how does he benefit by showing his hand to two physical targets in Corey and Paulie that he is now public enemy #1 with?? Simply put, James has read this situation painstakingly wrong. I'll spew off my thoughts towards the behaviour of Paulie at the appropriate time but Paulie's presence was aiding James as Paulie unequivocally trusted James and when the time came to turn on "Jatalie", it was not James who was in imminent danger. Some perusing this will suggest that what James did was the honourable thing ensuring Natalie was protected from Paulie's wrath but I'm sorry, Big Brother awards no points for protecting your showmance. It's not as if James knows this or even cares as his ulterior reasons for wanting to be in the house have been discussed at nauseum but losing your partner in crime does wonders for an individuals game. We can draw on the examples of Liz Nolan from his own Big Brother seventeen, and Hayden Moss from Big Brother twelve to quickly name a couple.Free agency, very much like in sports can be advantegeous as the pay day is large when pen is put to paper. Free agency in the Big Brother house often amounts to a hefty pay check at day's end. One of the most frustrating contestants in the games history.
7.Nicole-RHAP correspondent Alex Kidwell at some point in time this week sent out a clever tweet regarding Nicole. At the expense of digging through his endless tweets to quote I'll paraphrase by saying it was something along the lines of "Paul can't believe that Nicole is aware of an all guys alliance and yet is okay being a part of it". Sincerest apologies go out to Mr.Kidwell if I butchered that tweet but the premise stands, Nicole is getting Britney Haynes'd whilst leading us to believe she's a "Super Fan". In fairness to Nicole, she has hinted subtle remarks over the course of the last few days that she's aware she's on board a sinking ship but conversely refuses to do anything about it. Openings are there for the taking and it starts with Michelle. Michelle publically called here out at the last live show or whatever you want to call it but the relationship can be healed, and both parties need such to happen. Admittedly Nicole needs Michelle more then the latter but at this point Corey seems insistent to continue bro-ing down whether Paulie exits or not and because when push comes to shove there are some that are adamant that she's a bigger threat than Corey, this is an extremely unenviable position for her to be in. When Nicole engages in social conversations which happens few and far between she comes across so timid and friendly that people don't want to target her but when she hides behind the boys, most find it dangerous. Getting rid of Bridgette was the correct strategical play for most of them guys in the house and although Natalie and Michelle lost a trusted allie this is where Nicole has to run to! Her times running out, she waits any longer and she could be out next week.
6.Paulie-Coincidence that I ranked the three remaining returnees in the bottom consecutively? I think not. For clarification the reason Paulie is not at the top of this list is because I don't automatically correlate forsure going home with being the worst player. I'm fully aware of the veto result and understand he's been handed his pink slip figuratively speaking but if somehow the tide turns he still poses an outside chance at them winner's circle whereas James and Nicole do not. Okay, the behaviour this week, undefendable to say the least. Jordan Parhar from Big Brother Canada three sent out a tweet this week disparaging the game of Senor Calafiore where I added the P.R hit the Calafiore name has taken is shocking. From golden boy to being despised. It really has been a trainwreck, not strategically but personality wise. The attacks mocking Natalie's physical features is disgusting and then to laugh it off like nothing happened raises major red flags. He took a game move personally, wasn't the first and won't be the last. The increasing level of entitlement he's displayed has me wondering if he let the fact that in the first three to four weeks whatever he said was taken straight to the bank get too his head and now can't handle having to work for his position. From my vantage point, I don't doubt Paulie is genuinely a decent person outside this house but dude start playing the game, scrap this quitting the game talk and show us that you wanting to be the next Derrick Levasseur is no smoke screen. All is not lost.
5.Natalie-Did I miss the part where based off the double eviction results, Natalie has now won this game? Is Natalie no longer the worst player in this game? Yes. Is Natalie aligned with the game's most incompetent player in the history of the show? Yes. Did her work on Michelle curry favor to her group? Yes, but to classify her as the game's best player is like saying Andrea Bargnani is destined to win the 2017 NBA MVP award. Not happening!!! There are positively thousands of avenues I could explore when critiquing her game but we'll explore her expanded exterior presence when it comes to how Natalie is viewed by the opposition. Natalie, not James will be exposed if Corey or Paulie are fortunate enough to win Head of Household. Her house position she's stumbled across would be great if we were in the final five/final four but it's too early. The laid back, innocent Natalie that wasn't viewed as a threat is the Natalie I wanted to see at this juncture. Far too vocal and outspoken for my liking, with the way the game WAS playing out prior this week, I foresaw the potential scenario where she could've found herself in a final three with Michelle and Bridgette if the Travelling nurse didn't succumb to the double which would've all but ensured a final two spot and a legitimate shot at the title. Now, unless her James and Michelle win out which let's face it won't happen, there's no WAY she gets past the final four.. The premature coronation has started, I'm here to squash it.
4.Victor-I briefly considered ranking Victor dead last but then it dawned upon me that unlike the Natalie group which he's currently part of in a distant sense, it's, not out of the realm that he could win out. Still won't win thought. I would personally never cast my vote for somebody who was granted a second chance but that's not what I wanted to orate. Am I the only one and I can't be as the edit is heavily pushing this angle that Paul is playing Victor like a fiddle? I'm not even sold Paul would take Victor to the final two as he's positioning himself comfortably with Michelle. As much as Paul wanting to chop Paulie can be reasoned with, in that conversation Paul and Victor had on the Sunday episode where Victor openly worried if nominating Paul and Corey would put a bounty on his back and buddy you're correct. Paul's leading you up the stairs of the Verruckt(no ill content meant) where you should be the safety inspector prompty assessing the safety of the move. Victor thinks Paulie has his best interests at heart which right there has ended his chances. I compare this dynamic to Big Brother twelve with the Enzo and Matt Hoffman relationship. Matt's strategical reputation benefitted Enzo who excelled in the social game but when the time came Enzo chopped Matt when he was no longer useful. Sadly Victor, you're the Matt in this scenario.
3.Michelle-Super fan in reality television is over used and Big Meech bends the terminology to the greatest degree. I like Michelle, always have, an attractive gal that seemingly has a career set for hersel after this show consummates. At the beginning of this game her strategy seemed comprehendable but then towards the middle where she inaugurated a petty feud with Bridgette that was visibly one sided her game began to sour. The TSN (Canadian Sports network) turning point for me was when she baried the hatchet with Bridgette and started taking to heart what Bridgette and Paul were feeding to her. It could've very easily been Michelle who bit the bullet in the second half of the double. As crazy as it sounds there are now a ton of permutations and combinations that compute to a Michelle victory. Her best move now and I kind of eluded to this earlier is re aligning with Nicole. Newsflash to all, Nicole is NOT the most popular within that house right about now and I'm convinced that if we got down to jury questioning between these two young Michigan born and bred girls, Michelle stands a strong change of outlasting the returning player.
2.Corey-I've been high on Corey's game all season and my rankings have reflected such. Unless the Paul/Victor faction have a sudden change of philosophy, Corey's staying and although he'll lose his shield of Paulie, a shield of Nicole remains in the game. I would imagine and hope that the other houseguests, particularly Victor are weary of Corey's challenge propensity especially in a physically themed challenge but the fact that the house questions Corey's intelligence plays right into his hands. Down the stretch, it's generally a rule of thumb to participate in more mental challenges than physical so with this being said, Corey won't be a priority for the majority alliance. Also, if I'm correct about how this game will play out, which who are kidding I'm probably way off base then a potential mending of the fences between Michelle and Nicole translates into Corey being brought in. I can't remember a season of Survivor or Big Brother that a player that carries the type of build Corey has be viewed as such an afterthought. Tyson from Survivor: Blood v Water comes to mind but it's a rarity.
1.Paul-For a brief time, albeit very brief I worried that Paul wouldn't see past his delusion of caving to Paulie's every need but if this past week is any indication, any concerns anyone had with his game have been alleviated. He's really castings only home run this year, he's a delight from all levels. Strategically he's not a lost puppy, he vocalizes outstanding diary rooms, he plays to the fans but not in an annoying vein as is the case with James. I was teetering on my belief if Paul was the one that was going to ship this game. As of this wriitng, I'm more convinced then ever that not only will Paul be the recipient of America's Favourite Player but also shoe-in to win this game. That's right.....a shoe in. I fail to find one facet where he's faltered over the last couple weeks and with Paulie likely going home, he will lead his alliance all the way to end with shields everywhere he turns.Victor will go when they've enough of challenge domination. Nicole will go when she falls on Corey's sword. Michelle will go because Paul will find a better goat to take to the finals. Team" Friendship" all the way for this blogger!
2016-2017 Pre-Season Western Hockey League Report(Team 14)
14.Edmonton Oil Kings-Eyebrows were raised when the Edmonton Oil Kings elected not to trade some of their veterans at the expense of immersing in a short lived playoff run. While most pendants, myself included classified this as a misstep for long term aptitude, it nearly amounted to sheer genius as the Oil Kings gave the heavily favoured Brandon Wheat Kings a scare and then some. The veterans I'm referring to were Brett Pollock, Aaron Irving and Dysin Mayo. There is a high probability that both Mayo and Irving will return for their twenty year old season but it greatly diminishes the trade value if that's something General Manager Randy Hansch wants to explore closer to the January trade deadline. Scoring goals, a requirement in the wonderful game of hockey that Edmonton WILL skirmish through. A little later on this preview, I will ideally illustrate the verdure of the Oil Kings back end however their forwards is a work in progress to put it lightly. The rookies and second year players will be given ample opportunity to strut their stuff and that's exciting because opportunities allow roles to be defined that otherwise couldn't of existed.The structure that the Oil Kings exhibited in recent memory will be vastly different. The big, gnarly style the EOK preached just isn't applicable for the current players on staff and I for one am intrigued what the post Pollock era will look like.
How about this for an interesting theory, there will be some people who will entertain the notion that the Oil Kings fully immersed in a rebuild are moving to the new state of the art Rogers Place at the wrong time. These same people will believe that it would've been wise to capitalize on the excitement of the new arena by fielding a competitive turn. I for one have taken the adverse opinion where this is actually a GREAT time for a rebuild because whether this team is looking like the '95 Bulls or the '99-current Cleveland Browns fans will flock the facility due to the brand new look and excitement that facilitates such a move. What a tremendous feeling for some of these younger more appealing forwards such as Kobe Mohr and newly acquired Russian Artyom Baltruk who regardless of standing will play to a packed house. Let's discuss Mohr specifically. Part of the issue with Kobe last year plagued a lot of their younger players and that was coach Steve Hamilton's insistence on riding his older players to increase the playoff chances. I feel like I'm profiling an abundance of Lloydminster born players and that speaks to their prospering minor hockey system where Mohr is just another success story. The message with Kobe is that he plays a lot bigger then his size specifies. A great skater, a seeming pre requisite to crack the Oil Kings lineup ever since their inception. I know I'm contradicting myself when in the opening I stressed that a change of philosophy would be promoted but in all reality the style of Mohr correlates to the penchant players of a previous generation remember when suiting up against Edmonton. I'm curious asto how he'll be utilized here I presume for this year he'll work his way up to a third line role likely starting with Colton Kehler and Kole Gable who I foresee transitioning to center and planking the two. It's more important then ever to allow Mohr playing time with players his age as if the cards are dealt right this group could be a threat to win the Central divison in time for the 2018-2019 when teams like Calgary and Red Deer expect to be in the same stage Edmonton is situated in now. The theme I wanted to parlay in these Oil King forward preview is roles. Aside from the aforementioned in your face reputation the Oil Kings have carried historically, the roles, more clear cut then most other junior organizations have largely stayed in tact. Heart and soul players featuring Luke Bertolucci, Brandon Lockerby and Dylan Wruck have enamored this organization throughout the years and the difficult part about assessing this year's squad is they lack a lot of what defines a typical Oil King. Getting back to Mohr, he has a particular skill set is filled with contrivances that on the surface don't appear to meet the Oil King eye test, but in the end play right into the strength of Coach Hamilton. I'll elaborate on what I mean by this, as much as I maintain Mohr can fill a feisty role that Bertolucci left open, the stingent Oil fans won't agree because they weren't able to see Kobe in an actionable role last season but they're soon going to find out that Kobe has the pertinent skills to be that aggravating presence that every team needs and dare I prognosticate has more skill then Kobe. I'm reading this back and am realizing I've spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time describing the escapades but it's due to the cupboards being primarlily bare. Back to the word of the hour, role, Kobe can fulfill one but can any other reciprocate the feat? Not sold yet. One other forward that deserves my attention is Belarusian Artyom Baltruk. With Dario Meyer's announced departure this off-season an open import spot was created for Artyom. As general managers across the Canadian Hockey League have long stated, the chances of landing an impact European is slim to none, a crapshoot if you will. For every Pavel Brendl who heads West and wipes the competition to the floor, there are a million others, to name a few, Kamil Vavra(Regina), Roman Prazak(Portland) and Anders Lovdahl(Lethbridge) that succumbed to the North American game and could be considered "draft busts". From what I've gathered pertaining Baltruk and keep in mind that although Edmonton isn't always guaranteed to hit a home runs, they sprinkle in the occasional single and double but something that is important to touch on is the market size is very prevalent when an import weights whether or not they want to make the leap to North America. With the brand new center set to debut that was an added perk when recruiting their Europeans. I don't know whether he'll manufacture a home run or a triple etc etc in Artyom's short stay in Northern Alberta but the scouting report I've read is he possesses a big shot to go along with gargantuan body. Referencing some Oil King alumni, Hansch and company would be ecstatic if Artem delivered productivity similar to Thomas Vincour. I'm unsure why Tomas couldn't hold down a spot with the Dallas Stars and has since jettisoned back to Europe as I remember how dominant he was donning the Oil Kings logo. Baltruk will at times, and he'll have to show signs of adaption, allocate first line minutes. In an area of weakness Mohr and Baltruk will have to skate their way to career years if not the goal scoring department will run completely dry and fans will resonate their thoughts to why management didn't smell the coffee in 15/16 and make the necessary moves.
Ben Carroll's offence will sorely be missed as he's one of the few in this regiment that possessed natural offensive instincts. Stopping the opposition isn't so much of a concern, it's assisting the fringe forwards with puck movement that leaves me petrified. Readers of this entry will look at the Edmonton Oil Kings statistics from last season and conclude that in actuality, Carrol was only third in defenceman scoring but noticed how I used the words "natural instincts" because while Aaron Irving and Dyson Mayo are simply better hockey players leading to more playing time, Carroll was the only one who displayed a competence with carrying the puck and having enough foot speed that he can jump into the play at no disservice to his defensive responsibilities. I've already provided the indisputable notion that Mayo and Irving are this club's two best d-man who are legitimate professional prospects however in my viewings last year, Carroll always dazzled. Whomever you felt the best defenceman was last year, it's a moot point now as we must now jump ahead to thoughts for 16/17. It's not difficult when clamoring for the bigger picture that the Oil Kings would've been wise to trade one or both of Aaron and Dysin because even with these exceptional leaders, I don't see it changing the plight of this year's struggles. Irving is somebody I want to touch on as I remember getting crucified last year for mentioning that I thought he was the best defensive defenceman in the league. In a one on one battle, there isn't anybody right now in the league I'd rather have then Irving back skating against some of the higher echelon forwards. His active stick is an asset, the hand eye coordination rivals that of a tennis player, it's absolutely stunning how quick it is. Presuming that Irving is paired alongside the aforementioned Mayo, although an argument could be made they'd be better off dispersing the wealth, the two are terrific compliments because of Aaron's penchant for his slithering puck stealing abilities and Dysin's hard hitting reputation. Steve Hamilton when analyzing the hand he's been dealt defensively will likely call upon Brayden Gorda to provide him the luxury of splitting up his two veterans whilst allowing Gorda a chance to strut his abilities in the top four. Growing up in Saskatchewan, my familiarity with a lot of the prospects in the Alberta Bantam leagues is faint at best but Brayden was one that I was eager to follow his development as I considered him going in the third round as a mega steal. If he was weighing NCAA options and would only play for his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings then this information was unbeknownst to me but otherwise the Oil Kings appraised his glowing skillset correctly. Surely, conveying that patience should be preached with Gorda is an obvious assertion as most sixteen year olds enter the league with caution but the poise that he put on display the majority of the season would have you believing you were looking at a eighteen/nineteen year old defenceman. My report on Gorda has been appobrative but it leads me to a different discussion, are Oil Kings fans ready to be patient with young Brayden, all of their young defenceman to be more specific. The Edmonton fan base, very much unlike their senior circuit club have been blessed with veteran contending teams and don't know to handle a retooling enterprise. Aside from a difficult 2009-2010 campaign, the Oil Kings who were granted a franchise before the 07/08 season weren't shrouded in the expected bumps that precede an expansion franchise. Right off the hop, even in the opening year they only amounted twenty two wins but from watching that team closely it was a competitive 22 W's and the direction was clear, a team with strong ties to a NHL franchise was not going to accept losing seasons.....perhaps they should've relayed that memo to the Oilers. Gorda allocating first line responsbilities will be a tough pill to swallow for the City of Champion but a necessary evil as the plan is to re stock the fridge en route to replicating the 2014 Memorial Cup Championship. The point is that Gorda in all actuality is not ready for the added resposnbility and the onus is on Irving and Mayo to ensure they can pass down what they learned from their own predecessors. Brayden is a very aggressive individual, a trait that scouts look for. The talent is their but what's important to most is does have he the confidence to put what he shows in practice into high pressure game situations. On a couple of occassions, shifting away from said aggressiveness, I find when he's in the other teams end he resorts to the pass too often and isn't willing to let his shot loose. Funny enough, I know a lot of the "experts" had similar reservations regarding Calgary Hitmen star defenceman Jake Bean two years ago and in his draft year, his willingness to shoot seemingly came out of nowhere. In my 2016 draft rankings blog, my draft rankings shed a negative light on what I thought of Bean and by no means am I ready to compare the two however I will buy into the similarity that in order for Gorda to raise his draft stock, he just needs to play his own game and by doing so, NHL scouts will flock in spades.
I'd love to know how Edmonton supporters felt about Patrick Dea's progression,or lack thereof from a year ago. In 2014-2015, when filling in for incumbent starter and current Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Tristan Jarry was remarkable, posting a 11-5-1 record. Last year however when given the starting role, the record doesn't indicate how porous he actually was. The team in many facets had holes to fill but that doesn't forgive Patrick for the lack of preparedness he entered the campaign with. Edmonton needed a backstop who could stomach a hefty load each night even though they were largely a veteran team, skill was a missing link and due to that reason they were hemmed in deep needing herculean netminding from Patrick, which he didn't deliver. The struggles bring us to an interesting dillema heading into this season, what do the Oil Kings do with twenty year old Alec Dillon. The internet records that I bustled through indicate hasn't been signed by the Los Angeles Kings who own his National Hockey League rights but if he was this is a moot point. Dillon fought through nagging injury issues a season ago and could use another year of junior conditioning and if all holds true, what message is that sending to Dea who saw the bulk's load of work in 15/16. My gut says, and once again apologies if Dillon isn't expected back and I'm talking out of my you know what is that the Victoria native will get every opportunity to exhaust his junior eligibility by being Edmonton's starter. On a team that will navigate through growing pains, a twenty year old as the last resort isn't the worst schematic ever drawn up.
How about this for an interesting theory, there will be some people who will entertain the notion that the Oil Kings fully immersed in a rebuild are moving to the new state of the art Rogers Place at the wrong time. These same people will believe that it would've been wise to capitalize on the excitement of the new arena by fielding a competitive turn. I for one have taken the adverse opinion where this is actually a GREAT time for a rebuild because whether this team is looking like the '95 Bulls or the '99-current Cleveland Browns fans will flock the facility due to the brand new look and excitement that facilitates such a move. What a tremendous feeling for some of these younger more appealing forwards such as Kobe Mohr and newly acquired Russian Artyom Baltruk who regardless of standing will play to a packed house. Let's discuss Mohr specifically. Part of the issue with Kobe last year plagued a lot of their younger players and that was coach Steve Hamilton's insistence on riding his older players to increase the playoff chances. I feel like I'm profiling an abundance of Lloydminster born players and that speaks to their prospering minor hockey system where Mohr is just another success story. The message with Kobe is that he plays a lot bigger then his size specifies. A great skater, a seeming pre requisite to crack the Oil Kings lineup ever since their inception. I know I'm contradicting myself when in the opening I stressed that a change of philosophy would be promoted but in all reality the style of Mohr correlates to the penchant players of a previous generation remember when suiting up against Edmonton. I'm curious asto how he'll be utilized here I presume for this year he'll work his way up to a third line role likely starting with Colton Kehler and Kole Gable who I foresee transitioning to center and planking the two. It's more important then ever to allow Mohr playing time with players his age as if the cards are dealt right this group could be a threat to win the Central divison in time for the 2018-2019 when teams like Calgary and Red Deer expect to be in the same stage Edmonton is situated in now. The theme I wanted to parlay in these Oil King forward preview is roles. Aside from the aforementioned in your face reputation the Oil Kings have carried historically, the roles, more clear cut then most other junior organizations have largely stayed in tact. Heart and soul players featuring Luke Bertolucci, Brandon Lockerby and Dylan Wruck have enamored this organization throughout the years and the difficult part about assessing this year's squad is they lack a lot of what defines a typical Oil King. Getting back to Mohr, he has a particular skill set is filled with contrivances that on the surface don't appear to meet the Oil King eye test, but in the end play right into the strength of Coach Hamilton. I'll elaborate on what I mean by this, as much as I maintain Mohr can fill a feisty role that Bertolucci left open, the stingent Oil fans won't agree because they weren't able to see Kobe in an actionable role last season but they're soon going to find out that Kobe has the pertinent skills to be that aggravating presence that every team needs and dare I prognosticate has more skill then Kobe. I'm reading this back and am realizing I've spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time describing the escapades but it's due to the cupboards being primarlily bare. Back to the word of the hour, role, Kobe can fulfill one but can any other reciprocate the feat? Not sold yet. One other forward that deserves my attention is Belarusian Artyom Baltruk. With Dario Meyer's announced departure this off-season an open import spot was created for Artyom. As general managers across the Canadian Hockey League have long stated, the chances of landing an impact European is slim to none, a crapshoot if you will. For every Pavel Brendl who heads West and wipes the competition to the floor, there are a million others, to name a few, Kamil Vavra(Regina), Roman Prazak(Portland) and Anders Lovdahl(Lethbridge) that succumbed to the North American game and could be considered "draft busts". From what I've gathered pertaining Baltruk and keep in mind that although Edmonton isn't always guaranteed to hit a home runs, they sprinkle in the occasional single and double but something that is important to touch on is the market size is very prevalent when an import weights whether or not they want to make the leap to North America. With the brand new center set to debut that was an added perk when recruiting their Europeans. I don't know whether he'll manufacture a home run or a triple etc etc in Artyom's short stay in Northern Alberta but the scouting report I've read is he possesses a big shot to go along with gargantuan body. Referencing some Oil King alumni, Hansch and company would be ecstatic if Artem delivered productivity similar to Thomas Vincour. I'm unsure why Tomas couldn't hold down a spot with the Dallas Stars and has since jettisoned back to Europe as I remember how dominant he was donning the Oil Kings logo. Baltruk will at times, and he'll have to show signs of adaption, allocate first line minutes. In an area of weakness Mohr and Baltruk will have to skate their way to career years if not the goal scoring department will run completely dry and fans will resonate their thoughts to why management didn't smell the coffee in 15/16 and make the necessary moves.
Ben Carroll's offence will sorely be missed as he's one of the few in this regiment that possessed natural offensive instincts. Stopping the opposition isn't so much of a concern, it's assisting the fringe forwards with puck movement that leaves me petrified. Readers of this entry will look at the Edmonton Oil Kings statistics from last season and conclude that in actuality, Carrol was only third in defenceman scoring but noticed how I used the words "natural instincts" because while Aaron Irving and Dyson Mayo are simply better hockey players leading to more playing time, Carroll was the only one who displayed a competence with carrying the puck and having enough foot speed that he can jump into the play at no disservice to his defensive responsibilities. I've already provided the indisputable notion that Mayo and Irving are this club's two best d-man who are legitimate professional prospects however in my viewings last year, Carroll always dazzled. Whomever you felt the best defenceman was last year, it's a moot point now as we must now jump ahead to thoughts for 16/17. It's not difficult when clamoring for the bigger picture that the Oil Kings would've been wise to trade one or both of Aaron and Dysin because even with these exceptional leaders, I don't see it changing the plight of this year's struggles. Irving is somebody I want to touch on as I remember getting crucified last year for mentioning that I thought he was the best defensive defenceman in the league. In a one on one battle, there isn't anybody right now in the league I'd rather have then Irving back skating against some of the higher echelon forwards. His active stick is an asset, the hand eye coordination rivals that of a tennis player, it's absolutely stunning how quick it is. Presuming that Irving is paired alongside the aforementioned Mayo, although an argument could be made they'd be better off dispersing the wealth, the two are terrific compliments because of Aaron's penchant for his slithering puck stealing abilities and Dysin's hard hitting reputation. Steve Hamilton when analyzing the hand he's been dealt defensively will likely call upon Brayden Gorda to provide him the luxury of splitting up his two veterans whilst allowing Gorda a chance to strut his abilities in the top four. Growing up in Saskatchewan, my familiarity with a lot of the prospects in the Alberta Bantam leagues is faint at best but Brayden was one that I was eager to follow his development as I considered him going in the third round as a mega steal. If he was weighing NCAA options and would only play for his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings then this information was unbeknownst to me but otherwise the Oil Kings appraised his glowing skillset correctly. Surely, conveying that patience should be preached with Gorda is an obvious assertion as most sixteen year olds enter the league with caution but the poise that he put on display the majority of the season would have you believing you were looking at a eighteen/nineteen year old defenceman. My report on Gorda has been appobrative but it leads me to a different discussion, are Oil Kings fans ready to be patient with young Brayden, all of their young defenceman to be more specific. The Edmonton fan base, very much unlike their senior circuit club have been blessed with veteran contending teams and don't know to handle a retooling enterprise. Aside from a difficult 2009-2010 campaign, the Oil Kings who were granted a franchise before the 07/08 season weren't shrouded in the expected bumps that precede an expansion franchise. Right off the hop, even in the opening year they only amounted twenty two wins but from watching that team closely it was a competitive 22 W's and the direction was clear, a team with strong ties to a NHL franchise was not going to accept losing seasons.....perhaps they should've relayed that memo to the Oilers. Gorda allocating first line responsbilities will be a tough pill to swallow for the City of Champion but a necessary evil as the plan is to re stock the fridge en route to replicating the 2014 Memorial Cup Championship. The point is that Gorda in all actuality is not ready for the added resposnbility and the onus is on Irving and Mayo to ensure they can pass down what they learned from their own predecessors. Brayden is a very aggressive individual, a trait that scouts look for. The talent is their but what's important to most is does have he the confidence to put what he shows in practice into high pressure game situations. On a couple of occassions, shifting away from said aggressiveness, I find when he's in the other teams end he resorts to the pass too often and isn't willing to let his shot loose. Funny enough, I know a lot of the "experts" had similar reservations regarding Calgary Hitmen star defenceman Jake Bean two years ago and in his draft year, his willingness to shoot seemingly came out of nowhere. In my 2016 draft rankings blog, my draft rankings shed a negative light on what I thought of Bean and by no means am I ready to compare the two however I will buy into the similarity that in order for Gorda to raise his draft stock, he just needs to play his own game and by doing so, NHL scouts will flock in spades.
I'd love to know how Edmonton supporters felt about Patrick Dea's progression,or lack thereof from a year ago. In 2014-2015, when filling in for incumbent starter and current Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Tristan Jarry was remarkable, posting a 11-5-1 record. Last year however when given the starting role, the record doesn't indicate how porous he actually was. The team in many facets had holes to fill but that doesn't forgive Patrick for the lack of preparedness he entered the campaign with. Edmonton needed a backstop who could stomach a hefty load each night even though they were largely a veteran team, skill was a missing link and due to that reason they were hemmed in deep needing herculean netminding from Patrick, which he didn't deliver. The struggles bring us to an interesting dillema heading into this season, what do the Oil Kings do with twenty year old Alec Dillon. The internet records that I bustled through indicate hasn't been signed by the Los Angeles Kings who own his National Hockey League rights but if he was this is a moot point. Dillon fought through nagging injury issues a season ago and could use another year of junior conditioning and if all holds true, what message is that sending to Dea who saw the bulk's load of work in 15/16. My gut says, and once again apologies if Dillon isn't expected back and I'm talking out of my you know what is that the Victoria native will get every opportunity to exhaust his junior eligibility by being Edmonton's starter. On a team that will navigate through growing pains, a twenty year old as the last resort isn't the worst schematic ever drawn up.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
2016-2017 Pre-Season Western Hockey League Report(Teams 15 and 16)
16.Lethbridge Hurricanes-In doing my research for this piece I'm unsure if I forgot or was unaware completely that Brayden Burke was once Red Deer Rebel property. The trade that landed the Canes Burke in exchange for Riley Sheen and a fifth round pick was a franchise defining trade as it's safe to say Burke may be blessed with the league's best scoring touch and coming back and after getting passed over, particularly after posting 109 points this year, he's out for blood and I marvel on what his point totals could look like this campaign. However, and this is important, the Hurricanes as is usually the case in the junior hockey cycle have lost a lot of key cogs and Brayden will not have the same level of supporting cast now so I'm questioning if Burke can do as much with far less at his disposal.
You can't partake in a Lethbridge Hurricanes preview without trivializing over their murky twenty year old situation. It's anybody guess how General Manager Peter Anholt who I for one am convinced is one of the best talent assessors in the business has a dilemma on his hands. When most teams are granted the luxury of having multiple twenty year olds to choose from, generally the quandary filters out naturally but in Lethbridge's case,it will make for a lot of sleepless nights in early to mid September for Peter. Who Peter stumbles on at the end of the day is out of my control although from my vantage point I'm siding with Wong, Pankewiecz and Lindgren unless Nielsen is miraculously returned to the organization but frankly Tim Tebow has a better chance of playing a game in the majors than that transpiring. Due to having no control over the matter, eventually a team will smarten up and covet my hockey knowledge but I digress as I will primarily focus on forwards I know will head back to the Windy City. One of these offensive dynamos happens to be Barrett Sheen. It's ironic that I'm choosing to depict the trajectory of Barrett as his cousin Riley like mentioned was part of the heist that secured Burke's services to Lethbridge. My recollection on Riley is a little fuzzy other then the fact that he had superb wheels so it's hard to know exactly if Riley and Barrett share a similar skillset but one adjective best describes Barrett, brute. Is he an "offensive dynamo" as I portrayed earlier? No,that's just me having fun but what can't be denied is his work ethic and his propensity to lay the intimidating hit. A north-south skater, he has an unusual skating stride but it's effective as his long limber legs make amends for a stride that not many coaches would advocate. This rugged style that Barrett brings to the table in a convulated way eases the tension Anholt might have as a result of fellow twenty year old Carter Folk then becoming expendable. Some may disagree with the following statement but I view Folk and Sheen as carbon copies of one another. Folk's just an older version of Sheen. It pains me to say this as Folk is a local Saskatchewan product but I'm not sold Carter is going to find a home in major junior unless he's one of those content moving out to Quebec and may have to resort to Junior A. What impressed me the most when watching the Lethbridge Hurricanes when they squared off against the Pats in quarterfinal playoff action last season, well first of all the fact that anything exhilarated me do not construe as an insult as I know a lot of Hurricane fans were left shaking their head with how poorly the series went was Giorgio Estephan's faceoff acumen. Estephan was a monster in the series as Adam Brooks is considered league wide to be one of the better faceoff takers but Estephan held his own. Divisiveness ensued during the infamous Drake Berehowsky tenure as reportedly the family of Giorgio wasn't comfortable having their son play under Drake who was developing a troublesome reputation pertaining to player alienation and in some rare cases as was the story with Brad Lukowich, alienating fellow coaches. All privy to the inner workings of the Western Hockey League are aware that the Berehowsky employment set back the reputation of the once proud franchise so we can't sit here faulting Giorgio for not wanting to endeavour into a unhealthy working environment. The stormy waters finally cleared out, concessions were made and Estephan finally donned the Red, White, and Blue. His faceoff strength has been well documented by now but there are some areas of his game that need improvement. He has a satisfactory pair of mitts but his skating needs conditioning. The stride unlike Sheen is visibly pleasing but too many times over the last couple seasons is he just ever so slightly behind the play. I concede that it may be a mirage as you're drawn to the speed of his former linemates Tyler Wong and Brayden Burke therefore by comparison Estephan looks like Hal Gill. If he can improve on the skating, he's been blessed with a decent all around game, vision and the shot all pass the smell test, it's time for him to put it all together and strive for the ninety point plateau. Regarding the forwards, and feasibly this could apply to all positions, as good of a year as the Hurricanes had in 15/16 and it was needed after consecutive snoozers, I do subscribe to the theory that they could've been a little more sensible in evening out the age groups. The Central division win was an aberration and I think the early season success forced Anholt to put the blinders on and ignore foreseeable sustainability. Knowing that they were going into this problem now, it was a mistake in my eyes not to trade either Folk or Wong at the trade deadline. Both were having exceptional years and both would've garnered an arm and a leg on the market. I profiled Sheen yes but as a whole the 1998 age group is very weak in Hurricane land and every report I've read, they're a little thin with the 2000's and they had attractive pieces to correct that wrong. Was a division win that much more important then say still making the playoffs and finishing third in the central? Time will tell how much that comes back to be their Achilles heel.
Losing Andrew Nielsen to the Marlies will not go unnoticed. When some of you finish reading this preview, you may form the opinion that this ranking is too low and not giving the Canes enough credit, well to that I say it's the concerning depth behind the loss of Nielsen that led to this ranking. I feel like I'm contradicting myself as I'm about to conduct a rave review of Calen Addison. Yes, I did just remark that the issues with the 2000 depth as a conclusive observation but a generality doesn't apply to every individual and I'd be a fool(unless you think I'm one already) if I were to knock the alluring skillset of Addison. Addison, who's approaching his rookie season is your prototypical puck moving defenceman. Being from Brandon, I'm only going to assume, and you know what they say about assumptions that he grew up idolizing the likes of Colby Robak and Ryan Pulock but it's the game of Robak that harkens visible similarities. Size aside as Addison is only currently listed at 5'9 and Robak is 6'3, but Robak was a soft 6'3, played a small mans game. Addison for being that short has excellent lower core strength and with that shouldn't have any problem adapting to the next level. There was a calculated reason why I brought up the name of Robak and that's because when I remember Colby play in junior, the size was unquestioned but his artistry was on full display, and he took chances a lot of the times in the opposing end. There'd be plays watching Colby when at the point he'd elect to make a pass cross ice that left you shuttering in amazement that he even tried. It's with a similar confidence that Calen purportedly plays with that will make a fan favourite in quick order. This is the trend I'm noticing as rookies are entering the league differentiating from year's past.I tell this to my friends all the time, my introduction to junior hockey which carved my passion was the 2001 Memorial Cup hosted in Regina. Brendan Bell, a member of the Ottawa 67's and eventual World Junior participant was seventeen throughout that tournament and keep in mind he was a NHL prospect at that juncture. He had a solid tournament,and I know you're thinking, "it was back in 2001, how does he remember?" Well, I have a peculiar memory like that and that tournament holds a special place in my heart which is why getting back to Bell it was noticeable that his stellar play amounted to making conservative, unassuming plays. That back in 2001 made you a good prospect. Fast track to 2016 and if you're not showing the creativity to make plays at a tender age, scouts will sour. Climate has changed and Calen fits into the mold of a player who sacrifices defensive pride for being counted upon in the rush. The last defenceman on the docket tonight is the Delta, BC born Nick Watson. I can't help but feel their's an untapped potential offensively. There are astounding differences between the games of Addison and Watson. While Addison exudes confidence, Watson could take a page out of Calen's book as his rookie season was filled with unsuredness and trepidation. If he made one stretch pass, please speak up. Modern era hockey requires stretch passes, a need to at times think outside the box as the forechecks now a days are just far too tenacious to sit back and let the play come to you. I'm genuinely surprised coach Brent Kisio didn't instill a pre requisite of pushing the puck up the ice at all costs which is surprising because when you review the style the Hurricanes practiced, it was up tempo with the defence activating to create odd man rushes. Watson was the anomaly in this group and I'll be looking for more swagger this fall.
I could spend this time sharing my true thoughts on impending number one goaltender Stuart Skinner and while he's a fine goaltender, I'm going to use this platform to illustrate my aggravation on teams still to this day selecting goaltenders in the first round as building blocks. I can be swayed to postulate that Skinner is one of the better 1998 born goaltenders in the dub but at what cost? I hope my preview clarifies that the Hurricanes have a gaping hole in the 1998 department and even through that, they're enamored with this delusion that they can win from the goaltender upwards,a theory disproved time and time again. How did the Seattle Thunderbirds fare with Calvin Pickard manning the net? What about the Montreal Canadiens with Carey Price, I haven't any noticed new banners hanging from the rafters since 1993. In fact, 1993 was probably the last time you built around a netminder and won and to defend this argument, Patrick Roy was not a high pick in his NHL entry draft. Goaltenders progress at different speeds than positional players do. Do the Dallas Stars regret choosing Jack Campbell with the eleventh overall pick in 2010? Absolutely, aside from the obvious fact that the Stars have now parted ways with the American goalie, this is a contending club that could've used a stud like Vladimir Tarasenko. Goalies are a dime a dozen, for every hot shot coming into the league like Stuart Skinner, there a million other Jordan Papirny's of the world that weren't touted but have become capable commodities. I think this team is going to struggle regardless this year, but you can only imagine what last year would've looked like had they went in a different direction with that particular Bantam Draft and added an impact player. First round goaltenders is not a winning strategy, an overdue truthism that teams for whatever reason don't pick up on.
15.Victoria Royals- Was there a faster team last year? That was the perception they instilled to the rest of the Western Hockey League as they just pushed the pace to no end and rightfully so because particularily upfront you had the likes of Jack Walker, Tyler Soy and Vladimir Bobylev that displayed Darren Helm-esque speed and it created a trademark for Royal hockey. However, as the old adage indicates all good things must come to an end after accumulating a Western Conference high two hundred and eighty one goals in the regular season but had the output dried up completely in the playoff and I have a theory for that. I was listening to an iteration of one of the insider clips on one of the major television networks as the playoffs were winding down, I believe it was TSN radio's Jeff O'Neill but don't hold that against me that formulated the thought that you get to the playoffs with a formidable offence, case in point Victoria but reign victorious in the playoffs with an astronomically efficient defence. The overused defence wins championships analogy. Ironically, defensive exploits weren't the Royals kryptonite as the once feared offence became obsolete.Reverting back to my theory, and even though I didn't elude to this possibility in the Lethbridge preview, the small stature caught up to them. It's the nature of the beast where teams clamp down and disinfect offensive attacks in the playoffs and when you can't fight through traps you automatically find yourself behind the eight ball. I've long been a proponent of focusing on size with the realization being that the smaller teams generally get weeded out come April with the rare exception being the 2016 Memorial Cup champion London Knights although it doesn't hurt having Canada's best junior in Mitch Marner. The bottom line is there are alot of players to get excited about with this incoming group but I do have concerns with the defensive core sans Joe Hicketts and the repeated lack of height with the forwards. It'll be a dog fight to make the playoffs although only two teams missing the playoffs in the West( we need a crossover) assists their cause.
The Royals have in their stable one of the more intriguing prospects league wide in Matthew Phillips. In the few occasions I was fortunate enough to watch Matt play, I wasn't overly impressed which is why I find it astonishing that he racked up the points he did. In my analysis of Phillips, I surmise that we're staring at a player that can't be the go to player on the line, he moreso capitalized on teams game planning for Tyler Soy and Alex Forsberg(we'll get to Soy later on) and was the beneficiary of playing against second and third defensive pairings. With the graduations of Jack Walker and Logan Fisher, Phillips will be a more of a focal point when breaking down game tapes readying for the Royals and color me not convinced he can replicate what he accomplished a season ago. His proneness to shy away from the tough areas allowing his linemates to fight for loose pucks may have worked when he had aggressive linemates but would be a failed way of positioning himself this season when Dave Lowry will need him to step up his all around game and be an asset in all areas. I was thinking about this and got to asking myself has there been a player who exuded a similar presence to Phillips in the WHL in recent memory and one name actually came to mind. Kruise Reddick formerly of the Tri-City Americans is a shining example of a player who advanced his statistics being able to hide behind Colton Yellow Horn and Jason Reese as a seventeen year old but as those two exited his statistics dropped off. I reference the junior career of Kruise because I can see Phillips taking a similar turn. I simply can't stress enough the likelihood of teams within his own division ensuring that their top pairs are out immediately when Matthew sets foot. He may as well already get acquainted with names such as Cal Foote and Tate Olson who won't be exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon. Lowry has had a fair level prosperity coaching in the Western Hockey League, his international escapades leave a lot to be desired and I'll be watching to see what adjustments are made to open up more space for Matt. Now Tyler Soy on the other hand, not written with a mean intent, but are NHL scouts blind???. After being left hanging in 2015, the Anaheim Ducks took a chance on him with the two hundred and fifth overall pick. It's degrading to the work Soy put in that A)he wasn't selected at all in '15 and B)his outstanding Under eighteen tournament in the summer 2015 compounded with his tremendous season in Victoria wasn't enough to merit a top three round selection. I honestly believed it was a formality that he was going to be picked within the first three rounds, but clearly I'm seeing something scouts are not. He's a complete player, his one hundred and eighty career points speak for itself but the area I wanted to touch on was his defensive awareness. You won't find many players especially in Junior who have the penchant for the back of the net but also take pride in penalty killing and engaging in the back check to the extent Soy does. Soy's speed fits in just fine with the skating deftness the Royals promote, essentially hes' a Victoria Royal in every sense of the word. If I was left in charged for evaluating for the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championships, Soy at the very least would be on my invite list but sadly with the way Hockey Canada has compiled their lists in recent years, a seventh round pick virtually has no shot. I think Soy is their best player, an assertion made clear with my skepticism regarding Phillips progression. Lowry favors the cycle sometimes to his own detriment and due to Soy's down low work he's able to handle the rigors that this kind of play can provide. I've forecasted both Soy and Phillps, now it's time to deliver a brief synopsis on this crop as a whole. First of all,who am I kidding as nothing I do is a brief but I'll opine this pertaining to the forwards. The B.C division with the way I see it as a smaller reputation which will conceivably aid the Royals but if I"m correct and Victoria emerges in a dog fight for the final position a date with likely number one seed Seattle Thunderbirds(spoiler alert) would be a disastrous matchup. Seattle would make the Chinese men's Olympic basketball team look small so good luck to Victoria not getting run out of the building. After last year's pleasant ride it may be advisable for Lowry and Hope to cut their losses and try to package some of their compelling assets. Too small for tangible playoff success combined by the atrocity of the defense, see below is why the Royals are appropriately ranked fifteen.
These defence will cause fans of Victoria to go to bed having endless nightmares. The catalyst holding this fringe group in Joe Hicketts is gone so basically it'll be a free for all for opposing teams visiting the Island. Not known for his offence, Marsel Ibragimov plays a fierce game, His plus minus of plus thirty one indicates to me that he's exerting his physical advantage and as he grows a year older this will only strengthen. Where Ibragimov tends to get caught is I think he's aware he's stronger then most so I find he takes that for granted. Just because you can routinely handle somebody in front of the net doesn't mean you can get scrambly chasing after the puck carrier and then miss your assignment and just expect to get back. Not necessarily from a junior point of view but if Marsel chooses to proceed to the professional circuit then these types of liberties will have to be abolished. I maintain Ibragimov will be the most reliable member of the back end but that doesn't say much when Lowry and company are going to have to try innovative ways to insulate some of the unproven stalwarts into contributable roles. Somebody like Ralph Jarratt for example may have to carry the buck offensively. Transitioning from a third line d pairing role to now quite possibly first pairing minutes is a seismic leap but I'm sure he'll be amicable to the added responsibility. This is Ralph's draft year and any time you're on the precipus of being drafted and being afforded a top role you quickly become a motivated player. While Jarratt is probably headed for a role he's not ready for, the theme of overstepping your boundaries defensively will be a common occurrence for this tandem. It's just the case at times where all you can do as a management staff is just pray that the players asked to exceed their will can do just that. Totally out of their control, Jarratt does possess some swagger to his game as when enrolled in the Pursuit of Excellence program he put up admirable offensive numbers and these numbers could inflate in 2016/2017 with the expected power play time coming his way. I say that but also internally ponder whether with the lack of experience on the back end if Lowry could employ a five forward power play setup. Within the realm of possibilities to be sure. To put it mildly, Dave Lowry has worked some miracles in the past, arguably with more and if this unit becomes competent throughout the season then Lowry deserves NHL attention.
With the troubling defenceman in front of him, I'm sure there will be some nights that Griffen Outhouse will literally want to lock himself in an outhouse at the avoidance of getting bombarded by pucks. Coleman Vollrath had a praiseworthy season in 2015-2016 which unfortunately limited the playing time Griffen received but with Coleman aging out, the pressure falls solely on Griffin. When Griffen was called upon to action he ran with it as he tallied a 18-3-3-1 record with a splendid .937 save percentage. The calming influence in Joe Hicketts as mentioned earlier is gone to Grand Rapids(AHL) so it'll be impossible to replicate these kind of numbers again. Goaltenders as I've eluded to several times are the most difficult to assesss because it falls back on the quality of the team often times. Technically he has no glaring issues and if he comfortably handle the barrage then I foresee no reason why he'll go unnoticed by National Hockey League clubs again.
You can't partake in a Lethbridge Hurricanes preview without trivializing over their murky twenty year old situation. It's anybody guess how General Manager Peter Anholt who I for one am convinced is one of the best talent assessors in the business has a dilemma on his hands. When most teams are granted the luxury of having multiple twenty year olds to choose from, generally the quandary filters out naturally but in Lethbridge's case,it will make for a lot of sleepless nights in early to mid September for Peter. Who Peter stumbles on at the end of the day is out of my control although from my vantage point I'm siding with Wong, Pankewiecz and Lindgren unless Nielsen is miraculously returned to the organization but frankly Tim Tebow has a better chance of playing a game in the majors than that transpiring. Due to having no control over the matter, eventually a team will smarten up and covet my hockey knowledge but I digress as I will primarily focus on forwards I know will head back to the Windy City. One of these offensive dynamos happens to be Barrett Sheen. It's ironic that I'm choosing to depict the trajectory of Barrett as his cousin Riley like mentioned was part of the heist that secured Burke's services to Lethbridge. My recollection on Riley is a little fuzzy other then the fact that he had superb wheels so it's hard to know exactly if Riley and Barrett share a similar skillset but one adjective best describes Barrett, brute. Is he an "offensive dynamo" as I portrayed earlier? No,that's just me having fun but what can't be denied is his work ethic and his propensity to lay the intimidating hit. A north-south skater, he has an unusual skating stride but it's effective as his long limber legs make amends for a stride that not many coaches would advocate. This rugged style that Barrett brings to the table in a convulated way eases the tension Anholt might have as a result of fellow twenty year old Carter Folk then becoming expendable. Some may disagree with the following statement but I view Folk and Sheen as carbon copies of one another. Folk's just an older version of Sheen. It pains me to say this as Folk is a local Saskatchewan product but I'm not sold Carter is going to find a home in major junior unless he's one of those content moving out to Quebec and may have to resort to Junior A. What impressed me the most when watching the Lethbridge Hurricanes when they squared off against the Pats in quarterfinal playoff action last season, well first of all the fact that anything exhilarated me do not construe as an insult as I know a lot of Hurricane fans were left shaking their head with how poorly the series went was Giorgio Estephan's faceoff acumen. Estephan was a monster in the series as Adam Brooks is considered league wide to be one of the better faceoff takers but Estephan held his own. Divisiveness ensued during the infamous Drake Berehowsky tenure as reportedly the family of Giorgio wasn't comfortable having their son play under Drake who was developing a troublesome reputation pertaining to player alienation and in some rare cases as was the story with Brad Lukowich, alienating fellow coaches. All privy to the inner workings of the Western Hockey League are aware that the Berehowsky employment set back the reputation of the once proud franchise so we can't sit here faulting Giorgio for not wanting to endeavour into a unhealthy working environment. The stormy waters finally cleared out, concessions were made and Estephan finally donned the Red, White, and Blue. His faceoff strength has been well documented by now but there are some areas of his game that need improvement. He has a satisfactory pair of mitts but his skating needs conditioning. The stride unlike Sheen is visibly pleasing but too many times over the last couple seasons is he just ever so slightly behind the play. I concede that it may be a mirage as you're drawn to the speed of his former linemates Tyler Wong and Brayden Burke therefore by comparison Estephan looks like Hal Gill. If he can improve on the skating, he's been blessed with a decent all around game, vision and the shot all pass the smell test, it's time for him to put it all together and strive for the ninety point plateau. Regarding the forwards, and feasibly this could apply to all positions, as good of a year as the Hurricanes had in 15/16 and it was needed after consecutive snoozers, I do subscribe to the theory that they could've been a little more sensible in evening out the age groups. The Central division win was an aberration and I think the early season success forced Anholt to put the blinders on and ignore foreseeable sustainability. Knowing that they were going into this problem now, it was a mistake in my eyes not to trade either Folk or Wong at the trade deadline. Both were having exceptional years and both would've garnered an arm and a leg on the market. I profiled Sheen yes but as a whole the 1998 age group is very weak in Hurricane land and every report I've read, they're a little thin with the 2000's and they had attractive pieces to correct that wrong. Was a division win that much more important then say still making the playoffs and finishing third in the central? Time will tell how much that comes back to be their Achilles heel.
Losing Andrew Nielsen to the Marlies will not go unnoticed. When some of you finish reading this preview, you may form the opinion that this ranking is too low and not giving the Canes enough credit, well to that I say it's the concerning depth behind the loss of Nielsen that led to this ranking. I feel like I'm contradicting myself as I'm about to conduct a rave review of Calen Addison. Yes, I did just remark that the issues with the 2000 depth as a conclusive observation but a generality doesn't apply to every individual and I'd be a fool(unless you think I'm one already) if I were to knock the alluring skillset of Addison. Addison, who's approaching his rookie season is your prototypical puck moving defenceman. Being from Brandon, I'm only going to assume, and you know what they say about assumptions that he grew up idolizing the likes of Colby Robak and Ryan Pulock but it's the game of Robak that harkens visible similarities. Size aside as Addison is only currently listed at 5'9 and Robak is 6'3, but Robak was a soft 6'3, played a small mans game. Addison for being that short has excellent lower core strength and with that shouldn't have any problem adapting to the next level. There was a calculated reason why I brought up the name of Robak and that's because when I remember Colby play in junior, the size was unquestioned but his artistry was on full display, and he took chances a lot of the times in the opposing end. There'd be plays watching Colby when at the point he'd elect to make a pass cross ice that left you shuttering in amazement that he even tried. It's with a similar confidence that Calen purportedly plays with that will make a fan favourite in quick order. This is the trend I'm noticing as rookies are entering the league differentiating from year's past.I tell this to my friends all the time, my introduction to junior hockey which carved my passion was the 2001 Memorial Cup hosted in Regina. Brendan Bell, a member of the Ottawa 67's and eventual World Junior participant was seventeen throughout that tournament and keep in mind he was a NHL prospect at that juncture. He had a solid tournament,and I know you're thinking, "it was back in 2001, how does he remember?" Well, I have a peculiar memory like that and that tournament holds a special place in my heart which is why getting back to Bell it was noticeable that his stellar play amounted to making conservative, unassuming plays. That back in 2001 made you a good prospect. Fast track to 2016 and if you're not showing the creativity to make plays at a tender age, scouts will sour. Climate has changed and Calen fits into the mold of a player who sacrifices defensive pride for being counted upon in the rush. The last defenceman on the docket tonight is the Delta, BC born Nick Watson. I can't help but feel their's an untapped potential offensively. There are astounding differences between the games of Addison and Watson. While Addison exudes confidence, Watson could take a page out of Calen's book as his rookie season was filled with unsuredness and trepidation. If he made one stretch pass, please speak up. Modern era hockey requires stretch passes, a need to at times think outside the box as the forechecks now a days are just far too tenacious to sit back and let the play come to you. I'm genuinely surprised coach Brent Kisio didn't instill a pre requisite of pushing the puck up the ice at all costs which is surprising because when you review the style the Hurricanes practiced, it was up tempo with the defence activating to create odd man rushes. Watson was the anomaly in this group and I'll be looking for more swagger this fall.
I could spend this time sharing my true thoughts on impending number one goaltender Stuart Skinner and while he's a fine goaltender, I'm going to use this platform to illustrate my aggravation on teams still to this day selecting goaltenders in the first round as building blocks. I can be swayed to postulate that Skinner is one of the better 1998 born goaltenders in the dub but at what cost? I hope my preview clarifies that the Hurricanes have a gaping hole in the 1998 department and even through that, they're enamored with this delusion that they can win from the goaltender upwards,a theory disproved time and time again. How did the Seattle Thunderbirds fare with Calvin Pickard manning the net? What about the Montreal Canadiens with Carey Price, I haven't any noticed new banners hanging from the rafters since 1993. In fact, 1993 was probably the last time you built around a netminder and won and to defend this argument, Patrick Roy was not a high pick in his NHL entry draft. Goaltenders progress at different speeds than positional players do. Do the Dallas Stars regret choosing Jack Campbell with the eleventh overall pick in 2010? Absolutely, aside from the obvious fact that the Stars have now parted ways with the American goalie, this is a contending club that could've used a stud like Vladimir Tarasenko. Goalies are a dime a dozen, for every hot shot coming into the league like Stuart Skinner, there a million other Jordan Papirny's of the world that weren't touted but have become capable commodities. I think this team is going to struggle regardless this year, but you can only imagine what last year would've looked like had they went in a different direction with that particular Bantam Draft and added an impact player. First round goaltenders is not a winning strategy, an overdue truthism that teams for whatever reason don't pick up on.
15.Victoria Royals- Was there a faster team last year? That was the perception they instilled to the rest of the Western Hockey League as they just pushed the pace to no end and rightfully so because particularily upfront you had the likes of Jack Walker, Tyler Soy and Vladimir Bobylev that displayed Darren Helm-esque speed and it created a trademark for Royal hockey. However, as the old adage indicates all good things must come to an end after accumulating a Western Conference high two hundred and eighty one goals in the regular season but had the output dried up completely in the playoff and I have a theory for that. I was listening to an iteration of one of the insider clips on one of the major television networks as the playoffs were winding down, I believe it was TSN radio's Jeff O'Neill but don't hold that against me that formulated the thought that you get to the playoffs with a formidable offence, case in point Victoria but reign victorious in the playoffs with an astronomically efficient defence. The overused defence wins championships analogy. Ironically, defensive exploits weren't the Royals kryptonite as the once feared offence became obsolete.Reverting back to my theory, and even though I didn't elude to this possibility in the Lethbridge preview, the small stature caught up to them. It's the nature of the beast where teams clamp down and disinfect offensive attacks in the playoffs and when you can't fight through traps you automatically find yourself behind the eight ball. I've long been a proponent of focusing on size with the realization being that the smaller teams generally get weeded out come April with the rare exception being the 2016 Memorial Cup champion London Knights although it doesn't hurt having Canada's best junior in Mitch Marner. The bottom line is there are alot of players to get excited about with this incoming group but I do have concerns with the defensive core sans Joe Hicketts and the repeated lack of height with the forwards. It'll be a dog fight to make the playoffs although only two teams missing the playoffs in the West( we need a crossover) assists their cause.
The Royals have in their stable one of the more intriguing prospects league wide in Matthew Phillips. In the few occasions I was fortunate enough to watch Matt play, I wasn't overly impressed which is why I find it astonishing that he racked up the points he did. In my analysis of Phillips, I surmise that we're staring at a player that can't be the go to player on the line, he moreso capitalized on teams game planning for Tyler Soy and Alex Forsberg(we'll get to Soy later on) and was the beneficiary of playing against second and third defensive pairings. With the graduations of Jack Walker and Logan Fisher, Phillips will be a more of a focal point when breaking down game tapes readying for the Royals and color me not convinced he can replicate what he accomplished a season ago. His proneness to shy away from the tough areas allowing his linemates to fight for loose pucks may have worked when he had aggressive linemates but would be a failed way of positioning himself this season when Dave Lowry will need him to step up his all around game and be an asset in all areas. I was thinking about this and got to asking myself has there been a player who exuded a similar presence to Phillips in the WHL in recent memory and one name actually came to mind. Kruise Reddick formerly of the Tri-City Americans is a shining example of a player who advanced his statistics being able to hide behind Colton Yellow Horn and Jason Reese as a seventeen year old but as those two exited his statistics dropped off. I reference the junior career of Kruise because I can see Phillips taking a similar turn. I simply can't stress enough the likelihood of teams within his own division ensuring that their top pairs are out immediately when Matthew sets foot. He may as well already get acquainted with names such as Cal Foote and Tate Olson who won't be exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon. Lowry has had a fair level prosperity coaching in the Western Hockey League, his international escapades leave a lot to be desired and I'll be watching to see what adjustments are made to open up more space for Matt. Now Tyler Soy on the other hand, not written with a mean intent, but are NHL scouts blind???. After being left hanging in 2015, the Anaheim Ducks took a chance on him with the two hundred and fifth overall pick. It's degrading to the work Soy put in that A)he wasn't selected at all in '15 and B)his outstanding Under eighteen tournament in the summer 2015 compounded with his tremendous season in Victoria wasn't enough to merit a top three round selection. I honestly believed it was a formality that he was going to be picked within the first three rounds, but clearly I'm seeing something scouts are not. He's a complete player, his one hundred and eighty career points speak for itself but the area I wanted to touch on was his defensive awareness. You won't find many players especially in Junior who have the penchant for the back of the net but also take pride in penalty killing and engaging in the back check to the extent Soy does. Soy's speed fits in just fine with the skating deftness the Royals promote, essentially hes' a Victoria Royal in every sense of the word. If I was left in charged for evaluating for the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championships, Soy at the very least would be on my invite list but sadly with the way Hockey Canada has compiled their lists in recent years, a seventh round pick virtually has no shot. I think Soy is their best player, an assertion made clear with my skepticism regarding Phillips progression. Lowry favors the cycle sometimes to his own detriment and due to Soy's down low work he's able to handle the rigors that this kind of play can provide. I've forecasted both Soy and Phillps, now it's time to deliver a brief synopsis on this crop as a whole. First of all,who am I kidding as nothing I do is a brief but I'll opine this pertaining to the forwards. The B.C division with the way I see it as a smaller reputation which will conceivably aid the Royals but if I"m correct and Victoria emerges in a dog fight for the final position a date with likely number one seed Seattle Thunderbirds(spoiler alert) would be a disastrous matchup. Seattle would make the Chinese men's Olympic basketball team look small so good luck to Victoria not getting run out of the building. After last year's pleasant ride it may be advisable for Lowry and Hope to cut their losses and try to package some of their compelling assets. Too small for tangible playoff success combined by the atrocity of the defense, see below is why the Royals are appropriately ranked fifteen.
These defence will cause fans of Victoria to go to bed having endless nightmares. The catalyst holding this fringe group in Joe Hicketts is gone so basically it'll be a free for all for opposing teams visiting the Island. Not known for his offence, Marsel Ibragimov plays a fierce game, His plus minus of plus thirty one indicates to me that he's exerting his physical advantage and as he grows a year older this will only strengthen. Where Ibragimov tends to get caught is I think he's aware he's stronger then most so I find he takes that for granted. Just because you can routinely handle somebody in front of the net doesn't mean you can get scrambly chasing after the puck carrier and then miss your assignment and just expect to get back. Not necessarily from a junior point of view but if Marsel chooses to proceed to the professional circuit then these types of liberties will have to be abolished. I maintain Ibragimov will be the most reliable member of the back end but that doesn't say much when Lowry and company are going to have to try innovative ways to insulate some of the unproven stalwarts into contributable roles. Somebody like Ralph Jarratt for example may have to carry the buck offensively. Transitioning from a third line d pairing role to now quite possibly first pairing minutes is a seismic leap but I'm sure he'll be amicable to the added responsibility. This is Ralph's draft year and any time you're on the precipus of being drafted and being afforded a top role you quickly become a motivated player. While Jarratt is probably headed for a role he's not ready for, the theme of overstepping your boundaries defensively will be a common occurrence for this tandem. It's just the case at times where all you can do as a management staff is just pray that the players asked to exceed their will can do just that. Totally out of their control, Jarratt does possess some swagger to his game as when enrolled in the Pursuit of Excellence program he put up admirable offensive numbers and these numbers could inflate in 2016/2017 with the expected power play time coming his way. I say that but also internally ponder whether with the lack of experience on the back end if Lowry could employ a five forward power play setup. Within the realm of possibilities to be sure. To put it mildly, Dave Lowry has worked some miracles in the past, arguably with more and if this unit becomes competent throughout the season then Lowry deserves NHL attention.
With the troubling defenceman in front of him, I'm sure there will be some nights that Griffen Outhouse will literally want to lock himself in an outhouse at the avoidance of getting bombarded by pucks. Coleman Vollrath had a praiseworthy season in 2015-2016 which unfortunately limited the playing time Griffen received but with Coleman aging out, the pressure falls solely on Griffin. When Griffen was called upon to action he ran with it as he tallied a 18-3-3-1 record with a splendid .937 save percentage. The calming influence in Joe Hicketts as mentioned earlier is gone to Grand Rapids(AHL) so it'll be impossible to replicate these kind of numbers again. Goaltenders as I've eluded to several times are the most difficult to assesss because it falls back on the quality of the team often times. Technically he has no glaring issues and if he comfortably handle the barrage then I foresee no reason why he'll go unnoticed by National Hockey League clubs again.
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