Brayden Pachal – McKeen's Hockey

FANTASY: The Weekly Look Ahead – Week 1 – October 10 – 15 – Teams with a favourable schedule and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:18:21 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 24: Look on Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) during the Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadiens game on January 24, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the first edition of my weekly look ahead. In this column, I’m going to highlight teams I believe have a particularly favorable schedule for the upcoming week and zero in on some potentially undervalued/underappreciated players on those squads who might be in line for a strong week. Going forward I’m also going to highlight hot players on those teams, but of course given that the regular season hasn’t started yet, I can’t really do that justice. I will make mention of preseason standouts instead this week, but please keep in mind that exhibition stats need to be taken with a large helping of salt.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins might not be the team they were a year ago, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them start the season 2-0-0. They’ll begin the campaign with two home games, first against the rebuilding Blackhawks on Wednesday, then Saturday they’ll host Nashville, which is likely to be a middle-of-the-pack team.

Chicago’s offense is now led by Taylor Hall and Connor Bedard, so it will be interesting if nothing else, but Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom is a pretty sorry goaltending duo that the Bruins should be able to take advantage of.

I’m particularly interested to see how Charlie Coyle does this week. The 31-year-old had 44 and 45 points in each of his last two campaigns, so he hasn’t been a major part of Boston’s attack, but there is the potential for him to play a bigger role in the post-Patrice Bergeron/David Krejci era. He’s gotten a chance to work alongside Brad Marchand during the preseason, which is a great opportunity for him. We might also see the NHL debut of Matthew Poitras. He has plenty of offensive upside and could begin the campaign in a middle-six role, so keep an eye out for that.

Boston was just 2-2-2 in the preseason, but David Pastrnak did stand out with two goals and four points in three appearances. Pavel Zacha, who might start the campaign on a line with Pastrnak, recorded three assists in three games.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have three games slated for their opening week. They’ll first host Ottawa on Wednesday, then play road contests versus Los Angeles and Anaheim on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Kings and Senators are projected to be playoff contenders, but not the cream of the crop, while Anaheim is still looking to the future.

The Kings were also the only one of those three opponents to finish in the upper half of teams in terms of goals allowed per game last year and even then, just barely – LA ranked 16th. To be fair, Ottawa did sign Joonas Korpisalo over the summer while the Kings scooped up Cam Talbot, so there has been turnover in net, but this still looks like a potentially favorable grouping for the Hurricanes’ forwards.

Perhaps we’ll see Jesperi Kotkaniemi get off to a strong start. The 23-year-old set career highs last year with 18 goals and 43 points in 82 contests, but the 2018 third overall pick still has room to grow. That’s especially true when you consider he averaged just 14:44 of ice time in 2022-23. He might start this campaign on the second line with Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas. Speaking of Teravainen, he had just 37 points last season, but is a huge bounce back candidate.

Carolina went 3-3-0 during the preseason with Michael Bunting doing particularly well, providing three goals and four points in three contests. Bunting, signed from Toronto, might end up playing a pretty big role with the Hurricanes. He’s been seeing time alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line and crucially has also slotted into the first power-play unit.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have only two games this week, but it’s an away-and-home series against Vancouver on Wednesday and Saturday. The Canucks are a weird team. They clearly have some star talent and goaltender Thatcher Demko might have a comeback season if he stays healthy, but they seem caught in that weird middle ground between building for the future and focusing on the present, with the outcome that they look mediocre on paper.

The player I’ll be most interested in during those two games will be Connor Brown. He didn’t record a point in four contests last season and the 29-year-old has never contributed more than 43 points in a single campaign – and even then, it was back in 2019-20 – but Brown has been seeing time on the top line with Evander Kane and Connor McDavid.

Brown is new to the Oilers, but not new to McDavid. The duo spent two years together with the OHL’s Erie Otters where they were two of the main driving forces of that squad’s attack. It’s been a while since Brown was that kind of offensive leader, but playing with McDavid should help.

Brown had two goals and three points in four preseason contests, which is solid, but it’s nothing compared to McDavid’s four goals and seven points in four exhibition games. Defenseman Evan Bouchard was also a preseason standout with six assists in five outings.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils will start the campaign with home games against Detroit and Arizona on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The Red Wings are a team on the rise, but they’re still questionable to even make the playoffs while Arizona likely still needs significantly more work.

Luke Hughes will be fun to watch as he begins his rookie campaign. While Bedard is understandably seen as the favorite for the Calder Trophy going into this campaign, Hughes is very much in the conversation too. The 20-year-old defenseman had 10 goals and 48 points in 39 NCAA games with the University of Michigan last season followed by a goal and four points in five appearances with New Jersey between the regular season and playoffs.

The big X-Factor is how much of a role will Hughes play off the bat. It’s hard to say what his even-strength role will be initially, but there’s a strong chance he’ll serve on the second power-play unit.

Also, while it must be said over and over again that preseason stats don’t mean much, it will be interesting to see if the Devils are able to carry any momentum from their 7-0-0 exhibition run into the regular season. In particular, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer dominated with nine, eight and five points, respectively – each in four preseason contests.

Pittsburgh Penguins

After falling short of the playoffs last year, the Penguins made significant changes over the summer to try to push back into contention with their most notable addition being defenseman Erik Karlsson. With their aged roster, a lot is on the line in 2023-24, and Pittsburgh has a golden opportunity to start off on the right foot. The Penguins will host Chicago on Tuesday, play in Washington on Friday and then host Calgary on Saturday. All those three teams joined the Penguins in the most recent draft lottery.

Between that favorable schedule and the absence of Jake Guentzel (ankle), Drew O'Connor might hit the ground running. O'Connor had four goals and five points in four exhibition games and while, yes, it’s preseason stats, it also seemed to be enough to demonstrate to the Penguins that he’s deserving of temporarily playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust while Guentzel recovers.

If you want a real stretch, I have a little interest in Jeff Carter. He had just 29 points in 79 contests last season and is inching towards his 39th birthday on Jan. 1, so not much is expected of him. That said, he’s projected to start the campaign on the Penguins’ second power-play unit, which is an underrated assignment. Obviously, the top unit should do better, but getting anyone from that group is naturally costly. Meanwhile, the second unit is (due to the acquisition of Karlsson) now headlined by Kris Letang, who is immensely overqualified for his new role. This could be a pretty effective unit and Carter is one of the easiest to obtain from it.

As already noted, O’Connor was a preseason standout for Pittsburgh, but Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell did well too, each recording three points in three games.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay will begin the campaign at home Tuesday versus Nashville before facing Detroit and Ottawa on the road Saturday and Sunday, respectively. None of those three teams made the playoffs last year, though to be fair, all three of them should be in the mix in 2023-24. Still, the Lightning should be looking to take at least two of three against those middle-of-the-road squads.

The big X-Factor is goaltending. The Lightning won’t have Andrei Vasilevskiy (back), so they’ll probably have to rely on Jonas Johansson for two of those three starts. With how strong of an offensive team Tampa Bay is, Johansson seems like a strong pickup for the duration of Vasilevskiy’s absence.

Outside of Johansson, Conor Sheary is worthy of consideration. After signing a three-year, $6 million contract with the Lightning over the summer, Sheary seems to be settling in on a line with Steven Stamkos. That could be a significant boost for Sheary, who had 53 points in 61 contests with Pittsburgh in 2016-17, but has struggled to replicate that success since, most recently recording 15 goals and 37 points in 82 contests with Washington.

Steven Stamkos is also worth keeping an eye on. Obviously, he’s a star and is expected to put up big numbers regardless, but even by his standards, he might have a big start to the campaign. Stamkos expressed disappointment with the lack of offseason discussion about a contract extension, and he could make the Lightning literally pay for waiting by coming out strong this campaign.

During the preseason, Brandon Hagel and Sheary were two of the Lightning’s best performers, each recording four points (Hagel in four games, Sheary in five). Johansson saved 94 of 96 shots during exhibition play.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights will start their defense of the Stanley Cup with a difficult home game versus Seattle on Tuesday. However, they’ll follow it up with what should be a pair of comparatively easy contests: one in San Jose on Thursday and a contest back in Vegas versus Anaheim on Saturday.

Vegas won’t have defensemen Alec Martinez (upper body) or Zach Whitecloud (upper body) this week, which opens the door to both Brayden Pachal and Ben Hutton dressing in the Golden Knights’ opener. Neither player is a significant offensive threat, but if you’re in the market for blocks, hits or penalty minutes, then Pachal is worth taking in the short-term. Pachal had eight PIM, 12 blocks and 27 hits in 10 contests with Vegas last season. He also had 90 PIM in 55 contests with AHL Henderson – his second straight 90 PIM campaign at the AHL level.

Adin Hill and Logan Thompson should also be good for some situational starts this week. It might be best to avoid going with Vegas goaltending Tuesday if you can, but Hill and Thompson are likely to split the San Jose/Anaheim contests. The Sharks and Ducks ranked 25th and 31st, respectively, in terms of goals per game in 2022-23 and neither is likely to be a major offensive threat this year.

Vegas was a mediocre 3-3-1 in the preseason, but Jack Eichel managed to score two goals and eight points in four contests while Jonathan Marchessault finished with three goals and seven points in three appearances.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS EDMONTON OILERS – Oilers have been a freight train since the trade deadline, but return of Stone, team defense, make Vegas a tough out

Scott Cullen — Mon, 01 May 2023 22:30:22 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - NOVEMBER 19: Vegas Golden Knights Defenceman Nicolas Hague (14) clears the puck from Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) in the first period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Las Vegas Golden Knights on November 19, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

VEGAS vs. EDMONTON

After dispatching the Los Angeles Kings in six games in Round 1, the Edmonton Oilers head into a second-round matchup against the Pacific Division winning Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights might have finished higher in the standings, but the Oilers are the team that is both favored to win the series, and one of the top favorites to capture the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers have been a freight train since the trade deadline, so it appears that they have momentum on their side, but the Golden Knights made short work of the Winnipeg Jets in the first round and are not likely to be an easy out.

Forwards

One of the benefits of having two superstars is that it is so difficult to shut down both. As ridiculous as it sounds, the Kings could have felt okay limiting Connor McDavid to three goals and 10 points in six games (a 41-goal and 137-point pace in 82 games) in the first round, but then Leon Draisaitl notched seven goals and 11 points in the series. They combined for 11 power play points in the first round.

The Oilers received four points against Los Angeles from wingers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, and Klim Kostin. Edmonton’s depth forwards may not be scoring much, but they are controlling play. Edmonton controlled more than two-thirds of expected goals against Los Angeles when Kostin, Derek Ryan, Warren Foegele, and Ryan McLeod were on the ice.

For the Oilers to make a Stanley Cup run, they will need production from more than McDavid and Draisaitl, and it appears that they have enough quality depth to handle that responsibility.

The Golden Knights don’t have elite scorers like McDavid and Draisaitl, but there is still plenty of forward talent on hand.

Jack Eichel finally arrived in the playoffs, for the first time in his career, and he contributed three goals and five points with 17 shots on goal in five games against Winnipeg, a good start. Eichel’s line is not the most dangerous for the Golden Knights, though.

Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone both had eight points in the first round, and Brett Howden chipped in four points, while the trio controlled 60.7% of expected goals while outscoring Winnipeg 5-1 during five-on-five play.

Forward depth is a strong suit for the Golden Knights. William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Reilly Smith are proven performers, even though Marchessault managed just two assists in Round 1. Vegas has also received quality contributions from the likes of Michael Amadio, Ivan Barbashev and hard-hitting wingers Keegan Kolesar and William Carrier. The return of Carrier to the lineup bumped Phil Kessel to the press box for Game 5 against Winnipeg.

While Vegas looks like they might have an edge in forward depth, the question is whether that is going to be enough to overcome two of the most prolific scorers in the league.

Defense

When the Oilers moved out Tyson Barrie as part of the deal to acquire Mattias Ekholm at the trade deadline, Evan Bouchard was the defender set up to step into a first unit power play role. While Bouchard and Ekholm were effective at evens against Los Angeles, controlling 54.7% of shot attempts and 51.4% of expected goals during five-on-five play. Bouchard kicked it up a notch on the power play, though, scoring eight of his 10 first-round points with the man advantage.

The Oilers outscored the Kings 5-2 when the pairing of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci were on the ice during five-on-five play, but Edmonton managed just 45.2% of shot attempts and 45.8% of expected goals in those situations, so there is some defensive vulnerability.

Brett Kulak, Vincent Desharnais, and Phillip Broberg round out the defense corps and all three had solid underlying numbers against the Kings. Desharnais was outscored 5-2, but that seems like randomness since the Oilers were controlling 62.8% of expected goals with Desharnais on the ice.

The Golden Knights used eight defensemen in Round 1, with Brayden Pachal and Ben Hutton getting into the lineup as injury replacements for Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb.

Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez were the top pair against Winnipeg. The Golden Knights controlled 51.6% of expected goals and outscored the Jets 8-3 with that duo on the blueline. Theodore and McNabb both missed Game 5 against the Jets, but when they were on the ice together Vegas had 56.1% of the expected goals during five-on-five play against Winnipeg.

Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud are a strong third pairing for Vegas, when the team is healthy. They can move up the depth chart when Theodore and McNabb are out.

Vegas is a strong defensive team, allowing 2.78 all-situations expected goals against per 60 minutes, the third lowest rate in the first round.

Goaltending

Edmonton’s rookie netminder Stuart Skinner started all six games against the Kings in the first round, winning three. He was pulled after the first period in Game 4, with Jack Campbell stopping 27 of 28 shots to lead the Oilers to a pivotal victory. Skinner was an above average starter during the regular season but had a .890 save percentage against Los Angeles. If the Oilers are going to go on a Stanley Cup run, they will need better than .890 goaltending.

Even though he played just 11 games for the Golden Knights in the regular season, spending most of the year in the AHL after recovering from hip surgery, Laurent Brossoit was the clear starter in goal going into the series against Winnipeg, and Brossoit posted a .915 save percentage in five starts. He may not be one to steal too many victories, but solidly average goaltending can go a long way.

This is not a series in which either team can be supremely confident in their goaltending. Anything can happen with a goalie in the small sample of a playoff series, but the range of outcomes is practically infinite when it comes to relatively unproven options like Skinner and Brossoit.

Special Teams

Edmonton had a historically strong power play during the regular season, and it was even better in the first round against Los Angeles, ranking first among playoff teams with 20.96 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-four play. This is an area where Edmonton’s elite talent takes over.

The Golden Knights power play ranked 10^th with 7.06 goals per 60 during five-on-four play in the first round. That comes after ranking 19^th in goals per 60 during the regular season, so there is a clear difference in quality between the two teams when they have the man advantage. This is standard for the Oilers, of course.

While Edmonton’s penalty killing ranked 11^th in the first round with 11.87 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill was torched for five goals in 14:45 of four-on-five play (20.34 goals against per 60 minutes) against Winnipeg, the second worst rate in the first round of the postseason. Vegas allowed 85.42 shots against per 60 during four-on-five play in Round 1, the only team to surrender more than 70 shots against per 60. That’s a small sample, but it is ugly in a small sample.

If Vegas’ penalty killing is indeed a liability, then facing an Oilers power play that has been historically great figures to be an enormous problem.

Conclusion

Momentum is riding with the Oilers and even though they finished two points behind the Golden Knights in the standings, Edmonton had a better goal differential and had the league’s best record (17-2-1) after the trade deadline. That leads to Edmonton being favored even though Vegas holds home ice advantage.

Vegas has been an excellent defensive team and has been boosted by the return of Mark Stone for the playoffs. Is that enough to help them hold off the Oilers? It’s possible, but I’m still leaning towards the superstars carrying the series for Edmonton. Oilers in 6.

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:22:04 +0000

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots. The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Kaid Oliver. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens - who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachal ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Jonny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorrin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ), and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.