2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 7)

7.Swift Current Broncos: The exploits of Tyler Brown on the fateful day of April 15th,2017 will forever haunt the Swift Current Bronco faithful. As someone who dilligently watched each game of the series, the heavily favoured Regina Pats were done. Midway through the second frame with the Broncos leading 3-1 Tyler Brown made two seasons saving herculean stops if memory serves me correct against Conner Chaulk and Glenn Gawdin. A fourth goal there and the series is over and quite possibly it's the Swift Current Broncos that rival the Seattle Thunderbirds in the final. A couple  of signifcant losses to be sure in Arizona Coyote prospect Lane Pederson and Max Lajoie to be sure but I feel when singularly focusing on the Eastern division they have the best collection of players from the year 2000  down.The Moose Jaw Warriors may have something to say about that but it just speaks to the division moving forward when accounting that three teams have cracked the top seven.

Anytime you couple the conferences purest sniper(Tyler Steenbergen) with the conferences top puck distributor(Alexi Heponiemi) it instantly becomes  a lethal combination and for a consecutive year these two will anchor the top line who will look to improve last season's godly numbers.  First with Steenbergen, I'd imagine  his former coach with Swift,  Tucson Roadrunners bench boss Mark Lamb put in a good word with Coyote management as Arizona expended the one hundred and twenty eighth selection on Tyler after going undrafted his original draft year. Tyler was more then worthy of the draft pick as not only is he lauded for his world class shot what impressed me throughout last season was his aggressiveness and demeanor literally never taking a shift off. You see a some of the top end 'skill' guys in this league waiting for elite scoring chances to fall on their lap whereas with Tyler he creates his own chances by virtue of his hard work and that their is what separates himself from the pack. Even though he's now played three full seasons in the league, the jump from forty six points to ninety emphasized the sentiment that 2016/2017 was his breakout season and the adapatability from an opposition point of view will be interesting as  a game won't go by where he's not the focal point of the strategy that night.  This is an interesting segway into his running mate Heponiemi. The stardom and pasazz in his arsenal is second to none but what was noticeable as the regular season tailed off into the playoffs was that as the games got tougher there was a substantial dip in his game level.  This opinion is evidenced by the fact as when the games more important while the Broncos were trying to lock down a divisional playoff position which they ultimately did the numbers were beginning to decrease as in the last nine regular season games he was a -9 and in the final two games of each playoff series versus Moose Jaw and Regina he was held off the scoresheet in the pivotal games six and seven. At the top of this paragraph I labelled the Tampere,Finland import as  a top puck distributor which when on certainly is but it's one thing to be a premier distributor,it's a whole another animal to not forego other facets in the game and that's what was happening come post-season with his defensive discipline and getting knocked off pucks too easily. Some will construe this as an unfair critique but when your platform has been raised to the bar it has(Florida's 2nd round 2017 pick) people expect more and entering this campaign there will be those who will counting on an accumulation of one hundred points or more. In tennis everyone is enamored with Canadian sensation Dennis Shapovalov basically due to the fact that he was unknown before 2017 commenced but with success comes expectations and that's exactly what Alexi will be faced with now. As I've promised on a couple of different occasions, after this preview has been completed I plan on prognosticating my WHL award predictions and while  I haven't made any definitive decisions, chalk it up a strong likelihood that Logan Barlage will be my pre-season selection of league wide rookie of the year. Where Logan differentiates himself is with his size. Nothing against Peyton Krebs, Kirby Dach or Bowen Byram but I can't help but think that the Swift Current Broncos landed the best player from this draft class. The skill level is incontestable as in his Bantam Draft year with Humboldt he racked up sixty goals and from my observation he plays with fearlessness as when coach Viveiros inserted Logan into the lineup againsr Regina what began as a fourth line role quickly elevated to a top six/nine in the wake of devastating injuries sustained to Lane Pederson and Gawdin. He was engaging in post whistle scrums where often fifteen year olds scurry back to the bench. Assessing the potential depth chart I expect to see him begin on the second line with Glenn Gawdin and Kaden Elder which as I illustrated earlier will assist his pursuit en route to Rookie of the Year but then past that, who's going to bary the puck in the back of the net?  For Speedy Creek to be serious players in the division/conference for which they have every chance of being then one more forward via trade will be needed. Taking these rankings to heart I think someone such as Vince Loschavio would be a wonderful addition to this group as there's enough truculence in the forward ranks but perhaps just a little short in skill. It's a tall order to rely on Barlage and second year Riley Stotts on top six minutes with sparse depth behind them even though I firmly believe both could rise to the challenge and prosper.

You can't progress on any Swift Current Broncos preview without emphasizing what the career of Max Lajoie meant to the Broncos younger defenceman. The Ottawa Senators got some kind of value, securing the Calgary native in the fifth round. This truly shouldn't come as any surprise as the Senators are synonymous for stockpiling premier defenceman, we all know about Erik Karlsson and his trajectory and with last year's best defenceman in Canada coming on board with Thomas Chabot, and with Lajoie a couple years away the skies are bright in the Rideau Canal.  The mentorship Max exuded last year is guaranteed to have a positive effect on some of his prodigies, specifically Artyum Minulin. Now in the category of befuddlement over why a player wasn't drafted, someone please explain to me why Minulin was omitted from the theatrics at the United Center this past June. I can't fathom up any level of justification because Minulin's game continues to grow exponentially and that guidance from Max is a big reason for it. What I maybe didn't notice or took for credit it throughout Artyum's debut season in Canada in 2015/2016 was just how well rounded his game is. He's more then competent offensively tallying eighty three career points as a defenceman and that, not even analyzing the other attributes that make Minulin he player that he is,that doesn't get you drafted? For coach Manny Viveiros he had confidence to enlist him on all specialty teams, was on the first line penalty kill and was the second power play unit. The knock amongst scouts was his choppy skating but at least from my perspective the skating wasn't such a crutch as the 2016/2017 campaign progressed. Here's one of my theories asto why Minulin didn't have his name called. I began to slide down this slope during the Red Deer Rebels preview but I'm starting to form the impression that in the Western Hockey League circles the sentiment that Europeans who elect to come over to the dub are inferior to most who get brought over to the Quebec Major Junior or Ontario leagues. This bias is incredibly egregious as it's certainly not true but unfortunately unless a European spends time on the World Junior grand stage they get buried from the national media spotlight. This possibly is an indictment of a greater disservice that the main television provider for the Canadian Hockey League, Rogers Sportsnet doesn't promote the Western Hockey League enough and that's why Scouts have formed this incorrect presumption that the Western Hockey League is a second tier league for which it's not.Minulin will now be tasked with  leading the backend against what guarantees to be the leagues most explosive division. Another route worth exploring for Swift Current is the perceived imbalance between forwards and defenceman on this club. The top four as it stands right now will be Minulin,Colby Sissons, Dom Schiemann, and Sahvan Khaira but where it gets complicated is if someone such as Jake Hobson  displays throughout pre-season that he as well deserves to be a part of the conversation  pertaining to Viveiros' top four stalwarts. The trend that is taking over the game of hockey is that whether professional or amateur(junior) the increased importance of locking down a top four and not spending as much time concerning who oversees the bottom two pairing. In the National Hockey League for instance, the salary cup world dictates the kind of financial surplus they can afford allocating out to the top four while usually being forced to employ afterthoughts on the bottom pairing to make ends meet. In the junior hockey landscape, financial backing isn't the determining factor when putting together a roster but conventional widsom is that most teams unless teams such as the Regina Pats who have a spot in the National Championship in tow, the unwritten rule is to try and find playing time for their sixteen and seventeen year olds and slowly work them in. Presuming Hobson is the five guy(Jackson Alexander would've been if had chose to commit) then contemplating packaging someone such as Dom Schiemann to acquire one more forward may be what this organization needs if it desires to get past the Moose Jaw Warriors or Regina Pats in what vows to be a riveting playoff series(bookmark this for when this series materializes in late March). I cited the name of Vince Loschavio in the forward but to get the Kootenay Ice interested it may take the services of Dom to do so.

Safe to say any Bronco fan will tell you that an unquestionable weakness as the winter approaches ie between the pipes. Jordan Papirny was a wall after getting brought over from the Brandon Wheat Kings to enhance last year's playoff drive and as I implied if it wasn't for a couple once in a blue moon saves out of Regina goaltender Brown then Swift Current booked a ticket to the conference final. I can't even fathom how devastating the loss was for the fans as that second round was intense filled with vitrol but it just showed how close this program is to breaking out. The hope from Broncos administration is that Papirny's resume that he brought with him can prove to be motivating for someone like Taz Burman as he envies to have the same reputation as his own overage season approaches. Taz has been around the block a bit having stops with Red Deer, Seattle and now Swift Current and I'm honestly sure if he has the fortitude to withstand a full year of being a Major Junior starter. His time in Seattle was a cup in coffee but from what I recollect as a member of the Rebels he was shaky with a susceptible glove hand. Bailey Brkin is waiting in the wings but he has to be a show stopper every once in a while to relay confidence to the troops in front of him.

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 8)

8.Victoria Royals:The ranking of eight with Victoria scares me due to the increasing amount of uncertainties around roster deployment. On the surface I'm convinced if Victoria returns all of their pieces that are eligible then it's within reason that they could compete with Kelowna for the B.C division crown but on the other hand if those surrounded with the clouded future don't get returned to the Island then this particular rendition will be better situated around the ten to twelve position. The pleasant attribute about the Royals last year was that the younger players on the team, the bottom six forwards and bottom defence pairing were immediately proficient in their own end but the trick this year will be if some of them can contribute on the score sheet.The Royals were very top heavy a year ago and that'll have to change as the less headway perennial superstar Matthew Phillips is privy to the more first year Head Coach Dan Price will be reliant on the likes of Eric Florchuk and Kaid Oliver, two individuals that struggled to remain in the good graces of Dave Lowry who was notorious for strictly depending on two lines. O and did I mention that the status of Tyler Soy remains up in the air? Not  a more difficult organization to pin down a placement.

I know the following should be centered around the forwards and in a roundabout way it but as I implied in the opening the fact that this Royal regiment was so top heavy falls squarely on the shoulders of the former coaching staff for which I'm aware Dan Price entered the bench as a first year assistant a year ago but the defincicies this team is destined for are a result of some of the younger forwards, I mentioned a couple in Oliver and Florchuk who essentially rode the pipe and had their development stunted.  I still think the former thirteenth overall pick Fort Saskatchewan native has high potential but in reality for the sake of long term production would've been better served spending another year in Midget as opposed to sputtering on the fourth line, receiving in the ball park of seven to eight minutes a night. The coaching presence on Lowry who I know has moved on to the Los Angeles Kings struck me as a coach who sided with veterans with merit or not wasn't in the business of furbishing future Royals. An apt comparison when comparing this within Western Hockey League circles would be former Kootenay Ice head coach and more recently Erie Otters bench boss Kris Knoblauch. The 2010-2011 championship version of the Ice was an antagonistic bunch that was a nuisance to play against with their relentless speed and their penchant for skating right on that fine line between discipline and senselessness judging from the vast amount of penalty minutes it accumulated.  The game wasn't as free flowing  as it presently is but nonetheless they teetered that line whilst using intimadation tactics all the way to the Ed Chynoweth Cup. You're reflecting internalizing that a league championship was won so where there's no harm there's no foul which looking at short term stands correct but where the shortsightedness stemmed from was that particular team trotted out three lines the entire regular season through the playoffs and the few kids that were kept around for the run sans Sam Reinhart were stymied in complacency, they  weren't getting any better. Adam Rossignol and Erik Benoit had high pedigree rising into the major junior ranks but were spectators for the first two years which in a convoluted way set the Ice on path they've been on for the last six years. The difference between this regime in Victoria and that nucleus in Cranbrook was a league championship. No one is questioning the Royals' competence over this stretch as they've fielded competitive teams but I just hope Lowry' s insistence to ride the veterans hasn't set new Head Coach Price back too far. Speed game has been prevalent on the Island with the now graduated Jack Walker getting the bulk of recognition in that facet but the speed skating torch if you will has been passed over to Dante Hannoun. Hannoun, the modern day Colton Yellow Horn doesn't pack a big punch, a 'McGregor punch' if you will but boy can he fly.. For me in my viewings of Hannoun he has trouble mapping together a sixty minute game. When Dante is engaged in the play and showing emotion by throwing the body around every once in a while there ain't many better but when he settles for being a perimeter player scoring chances aren't being created.  The interesting thing about Hannoun is his playing style is eerily similar to Matthew Phillips and because Matthew has forged a  much more consistent career to date you begin to question if that's the reason he's been bypassed the last two NHL drafts. His numbers, fifty eight in 2015/2016 jumping up to sixty four last season are the type of output that should go hand in hand with a NHL draft selection. The stance most scouts are conceivably taking is because Hannoun is playing second fiddle to Phillips which can't be denied that he's drawing preferable assignments which again can't be argued but my rebuttal to that is what can you change? Unfortunately even though at it's core the Canadian Hockey League prides itself on development it's also a business and for ownership to prosper financially it needs to field a winning product which is why the legitimate hockey fan would know that getting Dante off the second line and permamently clearing a position beside Matthew would pad his stats because by virtue of doing this you've decimated any semblance of depth.Besides Phillips and Hannoun on together 5 on 5 isn't practical as although they're both world class players some sand paper is needed for puck retrieval. Look at the peculiar alignment of Sam Steel and Dawson Leedahl. Dawson could come nowhere near the skill level of Sammy in fact I'm not even sure Dawson could go toe to toe with infamous enforcer John Scott. These examples are being cited to illustrate that the dream alignment of Phillips and Hannoun may be desirable to the fan base but Coach Price will know that he'll need the two of them to  lead their own lines especially if Tyler Soy doesn't return.

As just stated the uncertainty of Tyler Soy's home this winter will cause many a sleepless nights for Cam Hope and Dan Price when the deadline comes to submit their opening day roster. Inexperience on the back end is ubiquitous as they've said final goodbyes to last year's number one defenceman Chaz Reddekopp. As the Royals bowed out at the hands of the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference quarterfinals the consensus was that he probably wouldn't be back but some were still clinging onto hope that would change. That shimmer was optimism was erased in mid April when Chaz earned an entry level deal with the Los Angeles Kings. The ironic turn of events here was that his Coach was hired on by the Kings a month and a half later so that presumed good repoire he and Dave had could lead to a quick ascension through the farmhand. Based off of the fact that the signing was consummated in April it gave the organization ample time to assess it's next move and they chose to scour the trade market landing Anthony Bishop from Seattle at the expense of Blake Bargar. With Bishop I'm mostly unfamiliar because even though I saw Seattle plenty in the league final his role was so minimal that it was impossible to gauge his upside. As I griped about pertaining to the Rebels and in fairness to the Rebels they're committed to seeing the youthful cycle through for a team in Victoria that finds themselves in a weak division, only two nineteen year olds and no current twenties won't cut it as they refuse to let the now slip by. Who out there could be available you ask?  The frame of mind of Saskatoon Blade management is not yet known but if you take these rankings and preview with a grain of truth(I'll let you know in early November if you can) that Saskatoon projects out as a midpack team especially when you account for that within my top seven you're going to have three teams from the East division not to mention the fact that the team out in the Queen City will be making a hard push with the Memorial Cup carat in site then when an internal evaluation of their own team is complete dangling Evan Fiala may be a wise maneuver and if so Victoria should be running to  the phones. Fiala would be a nice contrast for this edition as the theme of the forward group will be skillfulness and speed and Evan is going to always attend to his own zone and to be afraid to send a message to opposition which would be a welcome site for the aforementioned. Continuing down this Fiala angle there is NO chance the Blades will even entertain moving Evan until closer to January because for too long the franchise has hovered around mediocrity not having hit the thirty win plateau in five years so they'll be patient......until reality sets in that meddling in mediocrity is inevitable again. When discussing defenceman who are currently on roster,as pre-season commences my math dictates that two spots are up for grabs. Scott Walford, Ralph Jarratt, Bishop and Mitchell Prowse are assured roster positions so their will be a select few grasping for limited spots. One of those names is Jonny Lambos. Full disclosure this may be all for not as I can't discern whether Lambos has agreed to a standard player educational agreement with the club so if he hasn't and is pursuing other options then I apologize but if he's vying for a roster spot then it's my perception he has the upper hand. The inclusion of Lambos would be an important one as a lot of what they possess on the back end are defensive minded mentalities, hardly any pure offence. He looks to attack at every opportunity and if he does land a roster spot look for him to be handed second unit power play assignments. The one knock on him is a lack of physicality which from a managerial perspective wouldn't concern me as he's only sixteen and growth and physical maturity will come with age. I could've sworn I read or heard somewhere that he wasn't sold on the major junior route which has prompted trepidation on my part even profiling but if he indeed is island bound then it'll be even sunnier in already beautiful British Columbia.

To insinuate that the goaltender position is an area of weakness would be a boldfaced lie. In a span of two years in the league with only one year as a starter,  Griffen Outhouse has quickly become one of the league's best goaltenders, only arguably behind Everett's Carter Hart and Lethbridge's Stuart Skinner. He in my books was already an elite goaltender but he made headlines nationally due to his heroics in that first round playoff series against Everett. In the sixth and final game of the series, the one that went into the sixth overtime and set Canadian Hockey League records, Outhouse recorded an unbelievable seventy five saves in the loss. If he wasn't a known commodity then he most definitely is now. As I attempted to imply, likely rather poorly the defence isn't the fleetest of foot which means an increased amount of odd-man rushes that will force Outhouse to be even more spectacular.  The heir apparent to Outhouse is no slouch either in Dean McNabb from Davidson,Saskatchewan. If some remember the surname McNabb it's because his older brother Brayden once starred for the Kootenay Ice(jeez, lots of Ice references in this preview). His 2016/2017 team, the Regina Pat Canadians another team who throughout the course of this season preview I feel like I've advocated for a lot was a model organization last season thanks in large part to the play of McNabb. McNabb rose to the challenge and was outstanding in the playoffs into the Hockey Canada Telus Cup and if anything it showed the Royal administration that he's a big game hunter and will have no problem comfortably handling the reigns once Griffen turns professional.The last point I wanted to make with Victoria before I sign off is that through this preview I stressed uncertainty but with a second place division all but locked up it would be calculated to take advantage of this and not sell off in a year where you're virtually guaranteed a second round berth.

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 9)

9.Red Deer Rebels: Huge props go out to Owner/General Manager/Coach Brent Sutter for adequately restocking the shelves so soon after making a serious push as host team at the 2015 Memorial Cup. Brent wears a lot of hats within the organization and knew what the mandate was as that 2015/2016 campaign pushed forward, stockpile as many assets as possible without keeping a watchful eye on the future. We're going to see more of the same this year out of Regina, the May of 2018 hosts of the Canadian Hockey League championship but where I must give Brent full marks is restoring relevance for this franchise in such short order. Naturally last year was a rollercoaster as the team had limited resources to choose from but when I project this year's edition any acquisition that was completed for that special season bares no real consequence when addressing the depth of the Rebels.Not rushing players who were fringe on reaching the league and shrewd trades has meant that there's no doubt in my mind that Red Deer will prove to be competitive and we're arising to the point in these rankings where the number nine rated Rebs are in the darkhorse classification. A few timely bounces go their way and a spot in the Conference final is an attainable goal.

Two years ago, the reputation this organization had developed was one of truculence. They were big, difficult to play against and didn't take any short cuts. Two of my favourite Western Hockey League players over the last decade were Adam Musil and Evan Polei. As this league and hockey in general is evolutionzing into a speed and skill game, Musil and Polei were throwbacks and bucked that trend. For nostalgic reasons and it's easy to ascertain judging from the title of this blog that  I was/am a huge fan of the Mighty Ducks trilogy everytime I witnessed Adam and Evan step out on the ice I immediately reminisced. the infamous Bash Brothers. From all accounts both Evan and Adam displayed exemplary leadership on the ice and if you were on the fence as to whether that was true, the awarding of captaincy for the 2016/2017 to the big #25 Musil should cement that thought. They were always the spark, when they got down a crash N' bang shift lifted the morale instanteously. The legendary Dean Portman and Fulton Reed fulfilled the same semblance. That's a long tangent for two players that are no longer with the organization but the importance of that inclusion is because that WAS how the incarnation of Rebel teams conducted themselves but with the group assembled, the game plan will be a far cry from yesteryear. The 2017/2018 cast of characters upfront will be built around finesse. The only current top six forward that plays with even a little bit of sand paper is Lane Zablocki and as Lane illustrated during his magical playoff performance he has the propensity to fire a puck or two in the net.  The theme of finesse could be directly correlated to their blockbuster summer acquisition, re-acquiring former Rebel Mason McCarty from the Saskatoon Blades. The trade took me by surprise, not necessarily because Saskatoon shipped him out which was forced due to a influx of quality twenty year olds on Saskatoon's roster but mainly because  I didn't expect Red Deer to be active seeking veterans. Before the McCarty trade I saw promise but I would qualify that by saying that best case scenario would've been a first round playoff exit at the hands of the Lethbridge Hurricanes to now like I forecasted earlier will be in competition with Medicine Hat for a conference final berth. It does beg the question how Sutter intends to use his former pupil.Even though he's listed as a right winger courtesy of Eliteprospects.com, I know factually that he has played some center past, the extent of that center repetition I can't explicitly say but because Lane Zablocki is better suited remaining at  right wing thanks to the advantages he creates retrieving pucks from the corners based off of his size, I suffice to say that on this team transitioning to a permanent number one center is a safe bet.  For someone who purportedly despises the Import 'draft'(don't we all) he's had a recent string of good luck. From Michael Spacek who enjoyed two monstrous seasons in the black,red and white to Alexander Alexeyev who I'll share my thoughts when the defence analysis commences, finding one yet alone two impactful imports is unique but another one has entered the stable who has thick NHL bloodlines with Robert's son Kristian Reichel entering the fray. Two immediate thoughts when it comes to Robert's kid and that is for starters for WHL standards it's becoming rarer and rarer for teams in the league to recruit kids with World Junior experience for which the Czech Republican has in spades, in other words it's reassuring for the coaching staff and the fan base that someone with a solidified track record is coming over and be counted on to play top line minutes.Robust Red Deer supporters along with essentially all other markets throughout the CHL have seen Europeans come and go that they didn't know a lick about prior only to see them fall flat on their face and look completely out of place.. Remember the likes of Tomas Polak and Alexei Zhurba? No, well Brent Sutter wishes he didn't either. Secondly with Kristian's birth year being 1998 it signals a  sign of confidence from Brent to the rest  of his players that he strictly believes that his troops have what it takes contend otherwise he would've settled for a younger, developmental piece. The momentum it should provide the locker room will hopefully have a ripple effect as the McCarty's and Zablocki's of the world can grasp on meaningful hockey potential while inserting another 1998 into the lineup leaves breathing room for the future in a point worth repeating that the more capable veterans you have the better some of the incoming rookies and second years will be for it. Two of the more captivating prospects are Justin Svenson and Chris Douglas and getting tutelage from someone like Kristian who is slated to again suit up for the Czech Republicans for a second consecutive efforts will only reap benefits.

The Red Deer Rebels barring any more trades will unquestionably ice the youngest blueline in the league come opening night and that's not meant as a negative connotation. No twenties, two nineteens but one of which is Jared Freadrich who could be argued he's destined for a 4/5 role, the rest of the crop is eighteen years of age or younger.  Trading Josh Mahura was a necessary evil at the sake of long term betterment which opened the door for some that maybe didn't expect to compete for top four minutes so soon. At the top of the barrel(I feel like I'm using rural references too often, no idea why) is someone that rose to the occasion of lofty expectations until sustaining a freak lower body injury that shut him down for the second half of the season in Alexander Alexeyev. Aside from and I concede this is high praise but aside from Edmonton's Will Warm and Moose Jaw's Josh Brook he's a top three 1999 born defenceman in this league.  This hulking 6'3 186 pound defenceman plays mean and towards the end of his shortened campaign I was beginning to notice he was growing a penchant for controlling the puck, making calm passes inside the trolley tracks and beginning to evolve into more of a complete player whereas in the first handful of games he just sat back and didn't get involved in the offensive zone.  A player that came into his own during this rookie season in the Dub was Carson Sass. In a regular season game against Regina at a juncture where Red Deer still laid claim to Mahura there may have been an injury or two which elevated Carson in the lineup and let me tell you he didn't look out of place and at least from my inspections this was his coming out party. Ironically enough for Pat fans he spent most of the game paired alongside Mahura and it was one of those afternoons where Mahura couldn't do anything right but the seventeen year old Sass was the last line of defence and worked his team out of unenviable positions. Regina won the game but Sass may of won the proverbial war as perhaps Sutter  saw enough out of the Melville,Saskatchewan product that day that he felt the need to allocate more playing time which in the long run saw Josh switch addresses. Sass wasn't drafted last year much to my chagrin but a full year healthy because keep in mind that Sass spent his sixteen year old season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League so my working theory is that National Hockey League scouts need  to see more of him to justify a selection. With Alexeyev a lock to have his name called next summer and Dawson Barteaux a high probability if Sass can work his way into the good graces there's an outside chance that Red Deer could have an unprecedented three defenceman drafted from the same class heck maybe even if a fourth if former sixteenth overall Bantam selection Jacob Herauf blossoms into a consistent WHL'er. In summarization, there likely isn't a brighter defensive core league wide and you can presume that the ranking of ninth means it'll be a tall order to catch the league's elite this winter but if the defence continues to gel together around the 99/00 age groups then we'll be discussing the strength of the team that could catapult them to a 2018/2019 league championship.

Grayson Pawlenchuk and Mason McCarty are virtual overage locks and there's one other headed to camp this fall, that being Danish Lasse Pettersen. Now because they've only enlisted three twenty year olds to training camp, technically they don't have to make any rash decisions with Lasse however by saying all of that it would be a backwards decision to retain an overager as a back up by virtue of Riley Lamb back in the fold and it's my vantage point that Riley is deserving of another full year between the pipes.  A winning record of 14-12, a save  percentage of .899 on a team that had  a minus nineteen goal differential is respectable and when you compare those to Lasse's numbers his record and save percentage were inferior so I can't fathom the purpose of holding onto him. The optimal solution for Lasse is spend the first month or so being a  supportive battery mate of Riley until the Rebels administration can scour the market for another overage position player and if he performs well you never know how the goaltending is going to shake out in the markets of Moose Jaw or Tri-City so a door may open unbeknownst to him. The likely more important justification for not securing Pettersen's services for the duration of this year is because of who's next in line, this is a young individual who I'm prematurely labelling the next Carter Hart in Byron Fancy. The truth of the matter is universally goaltenders are not ready to play at the age of sixteen but when you're dealing with the best goaltender to come out of the Bantam Draft since, as I said Carter Hart then it becomes imperative to slowly work him in. This is how I foresee the dilemma panning out, it'll be a three goaltender rotation for the first month until a propitious destination for Pettersen is agreed upon and from that point forward Byron can learn the league while being mentored by Lamb. Once the year of mentorship has been exhausted then you're probably staring your 2018/2019 starting netminder in the face. Again, tremendous upside and depth for this organization in all facets. This season will be good, next season promises to be extravagant.

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 10)

10.Lethbridge Hurricanes:I'll take this  moment to pat myself on the back here as over the last two seasons I've correctly the eventual final matchup in the pre-season. I'm going for the three peat and although the Hurricanes don't quite make the grade I will be the first to admit that although my hometown Regina Pats were my pre-season pick in 2016/2017, I backed off that prediction a tad and indicated  to a couple close friends of mine shortly before the post-season commenced that I changed my stance and thought Lethbridge was going to reign supreme in the East. The Canes endured  a valiant playoff effort, battling all the way to game six of the conference final. It shows how strongly I feel about this organization moving forward. Local folk hero Tyler Wong has left junior hockey behind onto professional pastures but not before narrating one of the most poetic careers in franchise history.New leadership will need to be identified.

Through the epic Conference final featuring the Hurricanes and Pats, one thing was abundantly clear and that was without the heroics of goaltender Stuart Skinner that the defence would've been exposed far greater then it ended up being. Numerous times were odd man rushes created stemming from a lack of size on the back end only to time and time again get bailed out by the Edmonton product Skinner.  The root of  the issue that hurt them last year and I project to cripple them again is they're egregiously undersized truly one through seven. The one exception to that rule would've been Balgonie,Saskatchewan stalwart Brennan Riddle who was in competition for one of the overage spots but I've been led to believe that the team and himself have mutually parted ways, was it due to the training camp injury or confirmation that a spot wasn't going to be set aside, I'm not exactly sure but either way the calling card on Brennan was his physicality, a trait sorely missing from the rest of the Hurricanes D. My last point on Brennan before I transition to other defenceman is if the parting ways wasn't in lieu of injury then I can't help but feel that signalling towards Brennan Menell over Riddle is a lapse in judgement  as the skillset Menell provides can be found from many others in the Canes arsenal whereas as I mentioned, the strengths of Riddle are more of a novelty.The one player who could conceivably replace the shut down role of Riddle is someone I'm very with familiar with, that being former Regina Pat defenceman Brady Pouteau.  Hearkening back to last January everyone and their grandmother knew there was a logjam on the Pat D core and someone had to go.That someone ended being Brady which is fine as I figured a change of scenery would equate to more playing time but  what I hated was the compensation. He's a certifiable WHL'er and bluntly a seventh wasn't enough. Devout Hurricane and Pat fans that had their eyes glued to that aformentioned series would surely all cosign that at different points Pouteau was the most consistent defenceman in Brent Kisio's stable.The perception was that the more ice time and responsibility he was awarded that his confidence would continue to grow. It's a scary proposition for fellow Eastern conference participants that the unspoken confidence is bound to again prosper as barring a pre-season meltdown we can pencil him in as a top four defenceman. Daring proclamation here, the type of proclamation that will throw Hurricane fans up in arms is I'm not at all sold on their resident golden boy, Calen Addison. For this piece I re-examined the order of the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft for which he went second overall have concluded that in a redraft he goes number fifteenth maximum.Here's my paramount concern with Calen, being as how he's a defenceman by definition, I'm privy to zero defensive discipline. Now before you throw your tablets to the ground after reading this, try to decipher my explanation. He's sixteen, kids develop at different paces, I'm on board with all of that and even with that the sore point is when they're stapled in their own zone, he's NEVER positioned correctly, a lost puppy would be an apt analogy.  I'd love to be a fly on the wall inside the Hurricanes film study with Calen to observe what message is being pressed down because right now whatever message is being sent,it hasn't been received. You begin to opine if Kisio's systems are too complicated for the now second year and I truly think this has merit as when I viewed this summer's Ivan Hlinka tournament, an event because of the sparse preparation time doesn't utilize complex game plans in a week and a half event. In this event, Calen was masterful, he exuded an inner belief and was flying all over the ice and importantly in response to my criticisms his attentiveness to the defensive game was more purposeful. This has me theorizing that dumbing down the structure should transcribe to a more complete dominant player and when I pen my 2018/2019 preview nothing but positive things to write about Addison.

I feel as if this particular team preview is full of unpopular opinions which won't lose this blogger any sleep but I'm just clamouring to the hope that the opinions, while borderline absurd can be met with deep thoughtfulness and begin to engage in these stimulating conversations which will elicit a wide variety of point of views. After all, in my synopsis for this season preview I did promise a "likely way out to lunch" preview so I'm relatively confident I'm holding up my end of the bargain. Here's another one, even though in the realm of this 2017/2018 the worth of Tyler Wong is rendered irrelevant, I'm convinced that the most important forward on last year's squad and again this season was and will be unsigned Buffalo Sabre prospect Giorgio Estephan. Although many adjectives are fair descriptors for Giorgi, the one that pops up in the top of my head is composed. The uninitiated may transpose Estephan's non existent emotion on the ice as disinterest but from my perspective he may be the best in the Western Hockey League in slowing the game down and letting nothing fluster him. In a round about way he reminds of a lesser Jason Spezza. When you watch Spezza play, at least when I watch Jason go to work he doesn't exactly wow you with flash or exuberance but it's a calmness and not allowing defenceman up in his grill to distract him while making a rushed play. Not just in hockey but in society when you deal with 16-20 year olds it's about unmasking the immaturity of that individual and resigning to their eccentric, often times devilish antics. This relates to the game of junior hockey because when you assemble twenty two teenagers together there's always going to be a glimmer of trying to one up each other, whether that  means outdoing your teammate in a goal celebration or which teammate can dish out the hardest hit, seemingly these kid like tendencies don't faze or motivate the 20 going on 40 year old Giorgio. Now, it's not all hunky dory in the  Estephan camp as a reason rumoured for the Sabres choosing not to sign him to a entry level deal is that he doesn't adapt to the flow of the game all that well. He from the outside looking is a hard minded player that once he has something ingrained in his head he chooses to hold to those principles at all costs against the betterment of the team. It was clear as day that a tactic used by Pat head coach John Paddock in that conference final was  to engage physically at every chance and nothing I saw showed Estephan attempting anything to counteract that. When a player gets harassed in the corner or is getting hacked in front of the net a proven counter measure is to hit back and in situations such as this I really wish the league would track stats as I can safely if recorded the tally would be zero.He has impressive puck skills and a maturity that is beyond his years but in order to secure a pro contract next spring it's crucial he develops an all around game. The 2017/2018 season will not be the las we hear of  Giorgio Estephan.  Mark my word! Next on the docket has to be  2017 playoff revelation not named Carl Stankowski in Whitehorse native Dylan Cozens. To put it mildly he captured the imagination of all Western Hockey League fans by accumulating eight points in twelve playoff games.....as a fifteen year old. What jumps off the page first is his height at such a tender age. Measured out at 6'2, 159 LBS for his Midget season which saw him suit up for the Yale Hockey Academy, presuming that measurement occured in the pre-season, the sky is literally the limit and I couldn't even hazard a guess to the height limitations in the future. Getting away from his legendary playoff romp continuing down this height angle, most would raise an eye over a fifteen year old who's already 6'2 and guaranteed to keep growing  if said player's growth spurt would ultimately effect his coordination and skating. From my vantage point, for a tall fellow his skating stride is satisfactory and it's the way he motors up the ice eases any future concerns over a proverbial wall being hit. Speaking of hitting a wall, when the scoring dried out Coach Brent showed no hesitation in inserting Dylan into a top six assignment and when weighing the impact of the loss to Tyler Wong due to graduation, a hole has opened up for the number one line right winner. Dylan enters camp as a center but it's not uncommon for teams to experiment with line combination and positions so if it's determined that their's not a plausible fit on Giorgio's right side than all of a sudden young Dylan becomes a prime candidate. IF he receives considerable playing time on the top unit it'll justify having him on my short list for the Rookie of the Year award.

You can blame my buddies for this abbreviated goaltender prognosis for Lethbridge as I'm tired and ready for bed!  We engaged in a spirited debate over the handling of exiled former Baylor Football Head Coach Art Briles and the decision that saw the Hamilton Tiger Cats hire but later rescind the contract offer amid intense fan and media backlash. While I personally commend all parties finally choosing to come to their senses, although no credit given to the Tiger-Cat organization as this was a disaster from minute one, Mr.Briles is a pig who overlooked sexual offences that took place on his campus and has no business associating with the Canadian  Football League, at it's core family entertainment. This is a polarizing topic and with my group of friends immersed in all sorts of different opinions on the subject matter, the long winded discussion cut back on my allotted time to focus on the Hurricane netminders. I'll quickly summarize by saying this, it's no secret Stuart Skinner fights inconsistencies which is a paramount reason for why his draft stock slipped in the National Hockey League having his name called by the Edmonton Oilers seventy eighth overall where back last fall some  scouts had Stuart Skinner ranked as high as a late first rounder. When those purported inconsistencies  are behind him there aren't many in the business better and what must eat away at him is knowing full well that there's nothing he can do in the first half to supplant a spot on the 2018 World Junior team. The elephant in the room in Carter Hart isn't going anywhere which hinders any possibility of Stuart getting the nod internationally.

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 11)

11.Calgary Hitmen: Entering last year I was under the stern belief that the Calgary Hitmen were contenders which was met with plenty of questioning.  In fairness to the readers of this blog they were 100% correct. I didn't envision the goal scoring to be so anemic with Cow town only accumulating two hundred and fifteen goals, fifth worst in the conference. The defence held up to expected standards but weren't assisted consistently enough by the forwards which led to a decidedly titled time of possession in the defensive zone. Puck control was a glaring red flag. Some changes were administered in the front office with long time Kootenay Ice owner Jeff Chynoweth now overtaking the General Manager's position and NCAA convert Dallas Ferguson coming over from Alaska-Fairbanks. I know virtually nothing pertaining to Ferguson's coaching style but one thing is for certain, putting a premium on offence is imperative. The brand implemented particular in 2016/2017 won't suffice in the run and gun genre of hockey that we currently reside in. I respect the fact that the strength of this club is on the back end but basic offensive fundamentals must be preached or they will stay entrenched in this rut.

Am I out of line comparing this Hitmen organization to that of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sense that Tampa Bay who called upon Brad Johnson under center that year was solely reliant on it's defensive escapades while employing Pop Warner football tactics to make due offensively.Whatever structure former Head Coach Mark French encouraged last year must be scrapped and somehow,someway there's got to be a philosophical shift in getting this group of forwards to play with speed. I grant that could be because the cast of characters didn't allow a different configuration to deployed but aside from the counter productive game  planning most nights from my viewings they looked very lethargic.After analyzing the depth charts it is true that they don't possess a wide array of team speed so we must dissect what can be done to rectify this issue. Stretch passes are becoming the norm in this era and by opening up the ice surface it'll force the oppositon defence to back off and in lieu of this should allow further free spaces for the centers cutting through the middle. The irony of me critquing the overall velocity of this group is they do lay claim to one of the Western Hockey League's finest skaters in Matteo Gennaro. It was a general observation the lineup as a whole but certainly doesn't apply to Matteo. I was listening to an interview between Hitmen play by play broadcaster Brad Curle and  the 'Pipeline Show' host Guy Flaming(great interview btw) and Brad was fairly confident as am I that Gennaro will return for his twenty year old season. In the same corresponding interview Brad shared his thoughts that four guys were battling for three positions and that there was the assertion that him and I respectfully disagree. From my vantage point IF Matteo continues down the junior route then it becomes three guys for two spots. With all due respect to fellow overagers Jakob Stukel, Brady Reagan and the newly acquired netminder Nick Schneider they are not on the same level and I'll take it a step further by classifying Matteo as a top three twenty year old league wide. The beauty about Gennaro is his acumen for excelling in all areas over the ice.  He's made seismic leaps in the O-zone with as he increased his goal output from eighteen in 2015/2016 to forty three last year. It's not just that for why I consider him a special player, he also  is a 'world class' penalty killer. My adage(it's not mine at all, I ripped it off somebody) is that you find me someone with superb wheels and I'll point out a great penalty kill and that description fits him to a T. A full healthy season and the coveted fifty goal mark on an improving Calgary team isn't out of the realm of possibilities.  Matteo is the present but who exactly the future? That honour gets handed to Fort St.John,BC masterpiece Tristen Nielsen. Don't let the 2016/2017 statistics paint a picture that doesn't exist as the point total doesn't match up with on ice performance. It's actually quite astonishing that when you do the post-mortem on his season that he only computed seven points,  unfathomable really! If I had to sum up Tristen in a short sentence it would be doesn't back down.Rarely will you see a player that exudes such tenacity, nevertheless a sixteen year old rookie. There are a multitude of reasons I wanted to profile him but not the least of which was wrapping this around to my original hypothesis of the Hitmen notoriously playing at a dinosaur pace. Tristen can skate and I begin to wonder whether part of the problem a year ago was that his linemates couldn't  keep up and the hope is that coach Ferguson notices this and lends a hand to Nielsen's development by testing him alongside Gennaro. A mentor aiding the student scenario.  It's not uncommon for coaches to place highly regarded prospects with veterans often times yielding positive results. I'll never forget that during the 2011-2012 WHL playoffs a fifteen year old Moose Jaw  Warrior by the name of Brayden Point was called up for the playoffs en route to the conference final and saw time with Quinton Howden and Justin Kirsch. His play was garnering such good reviews that he begun to inherit significant power play time. If Nielsen playing beside veterans can translate to a career in the Brayden Point ball park then Hitmen supporters will be through the roof.

I'll repeat my stance that defence is where it all starts for Calgary. Carolina Hurricane prospect Jake Bean naturally plays a big role in that but he's not the sole contributing piece at their disposal. I thought Belarusian Vladislav Yeryomenko was fantastic in first year venturing into North America  Not to label an entire continent one way but it's my experience that Europeans,  especially European defenceman come in and during the rookie seasons play with a severe level of tentativeness. That supposed adaption period memo seemingly didn't reach Vladislav. His adaptability learning new systems, languages and cultures was expedited. Where I'll give former coach French credit and I'm curious to see whether Ferguson carries similar principles is the decision to eventually pair up Bean with Yeryomenko was brilliant.  You can say what you want about Jake and I've definitely been harsh in my assessment over the past couple years but coupling the two together is the perfect contrast as with Bean joining the rush at every chance, Vladislav can be the last line of defence, a role he's very comfortable feeling.  By saying that what would happen sporadically is the back check would zone in on Jake so much so that they would ignore the Belarusian(I grew tired of typing out the name) and he'd swoop in and for a "defensive defenceman" he recorded a commendable twenty five points.  I spoke earlier to my insistence that the Hitmen would have three overagers competing for two spots but to clarify barring an unforeseen circumstance(trade, pre-season injury etc) that the decisions have likely already been made. Stukel and Gennaro are too important for the offence and Nick Schneider was an off-season  acquistion so it appears Brady will have to latch onto somewhere else across the league or else pursue the Junior A route. That compounded by the realization that ice time needs to be found for young studs in Drea Espositio and Jackson Van der Leest, the writing is very much on the wall. Let's talk about Drea Esposito from  Winnipeg who fell to the fifth round of the 2015 Bantam Draft.Van Der Leest will deservedly receive increased attention over his own draft position but I argue that Esposito is in a position to pitch in extensively. Another own end minded defence, like seriously Bean may have to direct all scoring chances himself, similarly to Yeryomenko(ok I typed it one more time) he takes care of his own end before averting his attention to other aspects and although some may view this as an unfair comparison, the only thing separating Vlady(18) and Drea(17) are age. Truthfully carbon copies of one another.  As a member of the wildly successful Winnipeg Wild Midget program,  I think I may of cited this already once or twice he did register above average levels of scoring touch so it'll come down to whether or not they're ready to push Drea up the depth charts so his own inner confidence can rise. It'll be a tough ask with Bean,Yeryomenko, Jameson Murray and Van Der Leest by virtue of draft position pre ordained inside the top four. It'll take a stellar first couple months combined with Drea capitalizing on an increased assignment while Jake tends to an extended look at Hurricanes camp/World Juniors.

The goaltending position for Calgary is where I hold my hottest take. If Cody Porter at the time of this writing has landed on his feet with a different Western Hockey League organization then I congratulate him but to my knowledge he hasn't. To put it bluntly Porter was handled very poorly by this team on levels that we haven't seen since maybe Isiah Thomas with the Boston Celtics(or, did that just happen?) For Porter to be discarded only to eventually bring in another twenty year old in Nick Schneider is inexcusable. He'd be the first to admit that 2016/2017 was an injury plagued campaign however by working his way back to be physically ready for playoffs when he could've just as easily mailed it in shows resilience and how was he paid back you ask? That's right......with his outright release. Like I implied I have no idea what options exist for Cody, sometimes overagers get contacted by teams from the O or the Q in search of  a goalie and I'm hopeful something will materialize because when 100% he was one of the best tenders in this league. Schneider and Porter's save percentages were virtually identical the last two years and it can't be argued that Porter backstopped an inferior team. Schneider had such little support amongst Medicine Hat Tiger hierarchy that they were left little choice but to haul in Mike Bullion from Portland in an attempt to save the season. This is the guy you're choosing to "upgrade" with? Give me a break!

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Preview(Team 12)

12.Brandon Wheat Kings:What the Brandon Wheat Kings were able to accomplish over the course of a two year stretch dating from the 2014-2015 campaign through 2015-2016 was nothing short of extraordinary reaching back to back finals, ultimately conquering the competiton in 2015/2016. The consistency shown over those two seasons is rare and the expected turnover heading into 2016/2917 tempered with realistic achievements and it showed marred in an injury plagued year from Nolan Patrick led Brandon to a feeble first round exit at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The questionable return of now Philadelphia Flyer prospect will be a storyline worth following for Wheatie fans as the permanent loss of Patrick will not only rid themselves of a valuable trade asset but immediately leave the season in peril. Remember, this is a projection on how the season is 'projected' to shake out as the Wheaties on paper are better than the given ranking of twelve.

It's been said 2016/2017 was a great evaluation tool for the Wheat Kings coaching staff spearheaded by David Anning as for most players on the squad, true colors were shown without the likes of Jayce Hawryluk, John Quenneville and Tim McGauley to disguise individual mistakes. When comparing some of the key players statistics to the next, a chunk of the core failed to meet with requirements when pressed with larger assignments. The carat of playing alongside Nolan Patrick not withstanding how little he played(only suited up for thirty three regular season games) was a significant one but also something where I felt the coaching staff erred in. As training camp approached a year coming off two banner seasons and given the state of some of their divisional rivals, the Swift Current Broncos and Regina Pats to name a couple, the decree should of read one of development. When focusing in on the forward group there wasn't a lot of development going on. Did the sheer potential of a conference championship three cloud the judgement of those in charged? I doubt it but for most hockey observers we weren't able to get a good or any read at all on some of the future including Caiden Daley,  Connor Gutenberg and Cole Reinhardt. Too many times Anning would resort to three line hockey leaving those mentioned in the dust of playing time. The follow up to all of this is whether enough was shown of those three when did they receive their limited ice time. First with Caiden Dailey and I know he was highly regarded out of the 2015 draft but hockey intelligence was sparse. I saw a player that consistently would pursue an aggressive forecheck which is a posiive but when he got the puck never knew what to do with it. If he can pair the visible aggression with the prolific he showed as a member of the Winnipeg Wild then I think they have something to write home about but until it's all put together, Anning will rightfully be tentative in allocating increased ice time. As much as I'm trepadatious with the 2017/2018 outlook of Daley, Gutenberg has sixty point potential as early as this season. Although as I opined in the opening the chance does exist that Patrick could get sent back to Brandon but whether he does or not he'll be rewarded with an extended look in the NHL thus opening the door to top line minutes for Connor. Tanner Kaspick will be pencilled in as the Wheaties forward but in my eyes not the most talented, that approbation gets bestowed upon the eighteen year old Gutenberg.  The difference amongst Kaspick and Gutenberg is night and day. Connor with his bull dog north south game is a puck hound that if not this year in the near future could reach the forty goal plateau. Whereas with Kaspick, the recognition he's given as a third line checking center is just and it's that very skillset that may propel Tanner  to a spot on the World Junior team. What plagued Tanner was he tried to do too much last year as he figured with the injuries building up, namely Patrick that he had to take on a purely offensive role which by virtue reduced his defensive propensity. His penalty killing prowess which some would have you believe was in the upper echelon league wide became out of sync. My fondest memory of Tanner was during his seventeen year old season him and the beleaguered Duncan Campbell formed of the premier shut down duos. Getting back to basics will open doors for Tanner that he doesn't currently see. Wrapping this back around to Gutenberg, the fact that both he and Tanner are natural centers will complicate matters when Anning pieces together a lineup but given any other options, lining up Kaspick and himself on the first line appears to be his only play.

Referencing back to my 2016/2017, I echoed the notion that I had some reservations over Kale Clague and as last season progressed those fears were quickly erased. In fact as an eighteen year old setting foot in his third full season I knew that Kale wanted to infiltrate himself into more of a leadership role after primarily being utilized as a third pairing defenceman throughout Brandon's championship run. The departures of Ivan Provorov and current Binghamton Senator staple Macoy Erkamps could've left the back end in shambles but Kale took charge and inserted himself as the number one rearguard in short order. His first half was so successful that it led to a World Junior selection camp invitation eventually winning one of the seven spots.  The reason for the aforementioned reservations as last season began were due the proneness of getting beat on routine one on one battles often times at the expense of an inferior player. Additionally, his lauded shot wasn't anything spectacular but that was until then as seemingly after hearing his name called by the Los Angeles Kings his confidence skyrocketed. The point total dropped from forty three to forty which should be taken with a grain of salt as the state of the team worsened but I can't be the only one who noticed more purpose in his game. The passes were crisper, the shot was getting through and physically he was holding his own efficiently in important puck battles. His arch reminds me of former Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giant Paul Albers. The assumption is that he'll pave out a greater professional career then Albers given his lofty NHL draft status but just in the way they initially disappointed at least through my eyes only to become dominant in all facets once provided  tangible role. I spoke about possible transition with the Wheaties and a snip it of that is about the probability of Clague eventually getting traded. It'd be a difficult acquisition to sign off on with the meager outlook of those behind him on the back end but a necessary one as again with the Regina Pats,  Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos projected to very strong playing for fourth can't be the goal. The Regina Pats gift wrapped Morgan Klimchuk to Brandon when their push was made, it wouldn't surprise me to see the favour reciprocated with him being sent to the Queen City. There or PDX.  Irregardless if Kale leaves or not, the depth is thin and it'll be up to the coaching staff to identify Western Hockey League calibre talent. Someone like 2016 first round bantam selection Braden Schneider may be thrust into the spotlight sooner then ready but as I've already talked about a couple times over the course of this preview, in today's NCAA-CHL raging war, a first round nod all but assures a roster spot at sixteen. Haven't seen much of Braden other then the Saskatchewan Midget AAA playoffs. The Prince Albert Mintos, his club team were the favourite in the provincial Midget league but essentially skated to mediocre results followed by a unfortunate playoff showing.The reports on Braden were that he joined the rush frequently and has a work in progress shot. Does that sound like someone you may be familiar with? It should as Kale Clague had a similar scouting report out of Lloydminster. Opportunity aplenty for Braden or at least there better be with aside from European Daniel Bukac the other four positions are very much in limbo? An upgrade in the overage department is likely recommended because with Logan Thompson clamping down to the starting goaltender assignment, General Manager Grant Armstrong may scour the league for upgrades over current options James Shearer and Kade Jensen. A young player like Braden has drawn in at the perfect time and hopefully if the cards are played right we're talking about him in the same light as we're talking about Clague.

At the sake of not repeating myself, winning the Lotto Max may be prove to be an easier task then locating a capable goalie in this league. In no way shape or form do I believe Logan Thompson has what it takes to carry the load but who does? Logan had his moments last season and his size, listed a 6'2 is definitely advantageous but he was ripe for the catastrophic rebound and that is something that will have to be fined tuned with Goalie Coach Tyler Plante. Unless goalies are growing off trees then it'll be another long year between the pipes. The re-emergence of Plante would be kind of cool, eh?

2017-2018 Western Hockey League Season Preview(Team 13)

13.Everett Silvertips: The Kevin Constatine era is officially behind us. Constatine was a controversial coaching figure in the state of Washington as he was often chastised for his trap coaching tactics.In all fairness to Constantine,who's now went to coach overseas this clouded perception he built up througout the years was outdated as over the last couple seasons the goal output from the 'Tips was in the middle half in 2017-2018. They were a team a year ago that pushed the pace enough to exceed their 229 goals for total and the bigger issue was they were talent deficient in the forward core. In comes Dennis Williams and I don't know exactly what kind of structure he prefers but regardless of the coaching philosophies, because the organization went all out in pursuit of the Ed Chynoweth by bringing in the likes of Aaron Irving, they're ear marked for a transitional season. In all likelihood I've seeded Everett too high but we'll see what Williams can pull out of his hat.

It goes without saying that the departures of Noah Juulsen and Aaron Irving are impossible shoes to fill. You can't continue on seamlessly when you lose arguably two of the top five defenceman in the dub last season but after examining who's coming back and which fresh faces will arrive and contend for a top six role I've come to the surmisation that the long term outlook is favourable. Primed for a breakout season is Gianni Fairbrother. I originally thought after the heroics he displayed for the Burnaby Winter Club that he would be a prime candidate to be a unforeseen roster inserton but evidently after reading between the lines it was clear that Everett was not in favor of having a sixteen year old back there when in their heart of hearts thought a pinnacle season was on the horizon. Fairbrother didn't sulk and headed back to a North Vancouver Midget club and showcased the type of talent and vision Silvertip nation can expect for years to come. In Silvertip terminology filtering way back in the archives the best comparable may be Shawn Heshka but with more offensive potential. If Williams wisely slows Fairbrother into the regular rotation he over the next year will evolve into a more consistent 5 on 5 player but where he'll be able to chip in right away is on the power play. A problem from my memory was under Constantine's 2016-2017 edition they had no threat from the back end on the power-play.Anyone who reads and claims Montreal Canadian prospect Noah Juulsen was proficient on the power play is delusional because as good as Noah in all other facets, generating offence on the man advantage is an area where Noah couldn't pull his weight. With a very young defence in the cards, Kevin Davis being the only true veteran with tangible WHL experience,coach Dennis will present plenty of specialty time for Gianni.It's his spot to lose. Speaking of that Kevin Davis, when he looks around at his counterparts he'll start thinking he's a senior citizen or something My projections have Davis(20), a probable team captain candidate,Wyatte Wylie(18), Fairbrother(17), Jake Christiansen(18), Montana Oneybuchi(17) and Ian Walker(17) which for Major junior standards is very young. Two initial thoughts....1)the ever hyped Max Goldade can't come soon enough and 2)Unless their's a disconnect between coaching staff and franchise goaltender Carter Hart then General Manager Gerry Davidson better find a way to snag a veteran over or Hart(and Davis) are going to receive enough bumps and bruises that will last a lifetime. Back to Davis who had an exceptional season will have to replicate the successes and act as a mentor for the youngens on this squad. Davis is Mr.reliable that without any hesitation can say will be on the top power play and penalty kill units. Logging 35 minutes a night is not out of the realm of possibilities.

The childlike defence will have to be buoyed by the forwards, but can it after equal amount of turnover upfront? Dominic Zwerger as an import was never coming back for his overage season however the loss of Eetu Tuulola stings because the decision to stay overseas wasn't a sure bet when the off-season began. Granted the Silvertips have two new imports scheduled to arrive in Pavel Azhgirey and Martin Fasko-Rudas and realizing one of the two has the chance of meeting or hopefully surpassing the value of Tuulola you always felt Tuulola was a safer bet as the Calgary Flames saw something they admired expending the 156th overall selection in the summer of 2016. The theme of this forward synopsis and realistically the entire organization will be proven talent. We know the galactic levels Patrick Bajkov can reach after finishing an outstanding season which saw the Nanaimo native lead the team in points with seventy eight but can he duplicate the feat with a different set of linemates? Conventional wisdom would state that the logical iniative would see him get paired with Matt Fonteyne on the top unit but taking into consideration the amount of inexperience throughout this lineup,will Williams split them apart searching for balanced scoring? Personally I would as even though they have pre existing chemistry, it's important for both Patrick and Matt to spread the wealth and show the ropes to some of the younger folk. A beneficiary of this line of thinking could be Ethan Browne. Browne not only is the brightest rearguard they possess in the farm but given the cyclic nature of junior hockey he will be counted on to be the present aswell. What if he's not ready you ask? Doesn't matter and can't matter and here's why: The NCAA-WHL recruitment war is at an all time high and simply put teams throughout the Western Hockey League can't afford a patient development because they know without assurances of prompt playing time it'll burn bridges that aren't repairable. To make matters worse in 2017 because this is a growing trend in Western Canada with these hockey academies laying claim to 95%(if not more) of the top prospects, word of mouth spreads fast and if a players family feels slighted by said organization then they will share their disappointment to the next parent who in all actuality will disapprove of their kid comittting to the league. Is it right or healthy for the game that this is happening? No and for someone like Browne who I'm not at all insinuating that he has extraordinate guarantees in place but to set an example for down the line. The sad reality as well is that often times jumping in when not ready drastically stunts development. I think back to the case of 2008 Kootenay Ice selection Brendan Hurley. Hurley throughout his turbulent tenure with the Ice demonstrated some endearing power forward tendencies and it did seem with the proper tutelage he could've thrived in the Western League but with Brendan thrust in as a sixteen year old he lost confidence early and never recovered. I hope the insistence to throw Ethane Brown in the fire won't prove to have the same consequences.  A storyline I'm looking forward to following during training camp is the progression of Orrin Centazzo. Centazzo in a limited role showed signs of capability and what really stuck out like a sore thumb was the shot in his arsenal. The role he'll be allocated will be determined in the pre-season but similarly to Fairbrother whether or not he sees regular even strength action, put him in the hash with that Corey  Perry-esque wrister and he instantly becomes an asset for the coaching staff. Skating needs work.

You can ascertain after scouring through this preview that problems and decisions are present throughout the lineup but the goaltending position ain't one of them. There's only one team a year that can lay claim to the Canadian Hockey League's top goaltender and the Silvertips have been blessed with that distinction the past couple of seasons and a three peat is destined. That is unless an intriguing scenario presents itself. For you friendly chaps that have been following this preview dilligently then you'll notice that the Tri-City Americans haven't been rated yet and spoiler alert....they're not coming any time soon. Where I'm going with this is, is it at all possible that two 'hated?' divisional rivals would engage in a blockbuster that could see Carter Hart get shipped off to the Ams to put the finishing touches on their championship run? It's been reported that after news broke that Americans goaltender Evan Sarthou chose to attend school and forego his last season and Patrick Dea now in camp, it's not a impossibility that if Dea can't shut the door a uniform change for Carter should at least not be laughed at.