Tristan Langan – McKeen's Hockey

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

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:49 +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 Western Conference matchups look like this:

Western Conference

Kyle Olson, Tri-City Americans

Now, to the US division, which has really stepped up the past few years, as these clubs have much huge strides are now one of the best divisions in the WHL. Let’s start with the division leading Everett Silvertips, who finished with a record of 47-16-2-3, good for 99 points and another division win. They face off against the Tri-City Americans, who have been dismal down the stretch, going 1-6-3 to finish off the season.

Despite the 12-point differential between these two teams, and the rough finish by Tri-City, the Silvertips bested the Americans by winning five of the eight meetings against them in relatively close games. Everett is hoping that Washington Capitals pick Riley Sutter (14-27-41) will be ready to go for the playoff, after sustaining a lower body injury back in December, keeping him off the ice for most of the season. He has recently been skating on his own accord and getting ready. If he won’t be able to go, the Silvertips will be led by the Minnesota Wild draft pick Conor Dewar (36-45-81), who led the team in scoring and has been great all season for Everett. He will be helped out by Bryce Kindopp (39-34-73), Zack Andrusiak (38-26-64) who was acquired midway through the season from the Seattle Thunderbirds and had 25 points in 29 games, and Max Patterson (14-25-39) who was also picked up halfway through the season from the Swift Current Broncos.

Tri-City will rely on Parker AuCoin (42-42-84) who has been their offensive workhorse this season, along with Anaheim Ducks pick Kyle Olson (21-49-70), Nolan Yaremko (28-38-66), Riley Sawchuk (21-33-54) , and rookie Krystof Harabik (21-30-51) to crack the tough Silvertips defence and put some pucks in the net.

Defensively, the Silvertips are almost a blueprint or model for success, as they once again had the fewest goals against them. The blue line is bolstered by Philadelphia Flyers prospect Wyatte Wylie (11-36-47), Jake Christianson (12-32-44), and draft-eligible Gianni Fairbrother (10-26-36). Tri-City picked up Aaron Hyman (10-40-50) in a trade earlier this season with the Regina Pats, and he will log most of the minutes for them. Alongside of him will be rookie Samuel Stewart (0-18-18), and Domm Schmiemann (3-12-15) who will be relied upon to keep things organized in their own end.

We have a good matchup in goal between Dustin Wolf (41-15-2-2) of the Silvertips, and Beck Warm (32-23-5) of the Americans. Wolf replaced parting goaltender Carter Hart as he made his way to the Philadelphia Flyers, and in all honesty, has stepped in and has not missed a beat. The Silvertips have a really good system going, and the numbers that Wolf has put up, are equally impressive if not better than those of Hart. Wolf boast a fabulous 1.69 GAA, and a whopping save percentage of 0.936%, and adding seven shutouts to the process.

Warm on the other end, put up a goals against of 2.94 and a save percentage of 0.916%. Both goaltenders have played well against the other this season and were equally impressive. Wolf shutout the Americans twice in the last three games against Tri-City and allowed only one goal in the other game. While Warm has been more than shelled by the Silvertips this season, as he was peppered over and over the 8-game series against Everett, posting a 2.41 GAA and a smoking hot 0.941 save percentage.

This should be a low scoring series in which the goaltenders do battle to put their team over the top. The Silvertips should have their top centre back in the fold as Sutter gets closer and closer to a return. They also went out and added an abundance of experience, as they added Max Patterson, Sahvan Chair, Artyum Minulin, from last year’s WHL Championship Swift Current Broncos team, and Robbie Holmes of the Regina Pats, all who have played in last year’s Memorial Cup. The Silvertips are really working hard as they keep getting closer and closer to winning the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup. Will this be the year? The Americans seem to have trouble putting the puck in the net against Everett and will have to overcome that to have a chance in this series as Everett is a stingy club who doesn't allow many goals.

Pick - Silvertips in 6

Joachin Blichfield of the Portland Winterhawks. Photo by Gary Peterson/Portland Winterhawks

We have one of the best matchups in this year’s playoffs as the Spokane Chiefs and Portland Winter Hawks square off in an evenly matched series, and the regular season proves just that. Spokane took the regular season series 3-2-0-1 outscoring the Hawks by a 29-27 margin. Spokane enters the playoffs on a 3-game win streak, and an 8-2 run at the end, while Portland lost their last two games, and went four and six down the stretch.

Spokane has more balanced scoring in their lineup as Riley Woods (29-46-75) led them. He will be joined up front by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (20-23-43), who only played in 32 games for the Chiefs. Eli Zummack (15-53-68), Jake McGrew (31-23-54), draft eligible Luke Toporowski (21-28-49), and rookie Adam Beckman (32-30-62) who has been more than impressive this season, will round out the attack for Spokane.

Portland has the dynamic duo of Joachim Blichfeld (53-61-114), and Cody Glass (15-54-69) to lead their charge. Blichfeld, who went undrafted but inked a deal with the San Jose Sharks, led the league in both scoring (with 114 points) and goals (53), as he tied Tristan Langan of the Moose Jaw Warriors for the goal lead. Vegas Golden Knights selection Glass, helped Blichfeld, as they were more than dominate this season when together, and dangerous every time they stepped on the ice. Glass has missed a substantial part of the season with an injury, and the Hawks hope that he will be back and ready to play as they are going to need him. Alongside of them, Jake Gricius (27-34-61), draft-eligible Reece Newkirk (23-36-59), and Josh Paterson (24-30-54), acquired in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades, will provide support and secondary scoring.

The Chiefs have the WHL’s top defensemen this season in Ty Smith (7-62-69) to lead them. Maple Leafs prospect Filip Kral (10-26-36), and Nolan Reid (17-34-51) will be counted on to keep Blichfeld and Glass in check. Jared Freadrich (15-33-48) was the top producing defencemen on this team this year, and draft eligible players in Clay Hanus (8-19-27) , and Brendan DeJong (7-20-27) playing well, this should be a close one.

In goal, Bailey Brkin (27-11-1) backstops the Chiefs with his 2.75 GAA and 0.914 save percentage, while it looks like Joel Hofer who went 9-8 for Portland with a 3.18 GAA and 0.911 save percentage will lead the Hawks.

This will be one of those series that can go either way, as these teams are evenly matched in most aspects. With only a one point difference in the standings, and the even record between them this season, you could almost flip a coin to see. Both teams can score, both have NHL quality players in Anderson-Dolan and Glass, both have a nice balanced scoring system, and whichever team can withstand the least amount penalties, should get the edge.

There are game breakers on both sides, but I expect Ty Smith to have a big impact on this series and help his team to the next round. If Playmaking centre Cody Glass can’t lace them up, that would be a big blow to his team, as he is a difference maker. If the Chiefs defence and goaltending can keep Blichfeld and Glass at bay, then the Chiefs should have no problems. Goaltending will be another key in this series, as will who wins the special teams battle.

Pick - Chiefs in 7

Bowen Byram

Down to the BC Division where we were graced with a tie breaking play in game to kick off the playoffs between Kamloops and Kelowna. But let’s start with the division leading Vancouver Giants, who went on a run in 2019 to erase a 16-point Silvertips lead to overtake them as the Western Conference Champions, finishing second overall in the WHL standings. They now get ready to face the Seattle Thunderbirds in their first-round matchup. The season series between these two teams looks fairly equal on paper and stats; 2-2 records, both teams scoring 11 goals, and everything that should set you up to believe there is an upset story in the making.

Seattle finished with a 7-1-1-1 record while riding a winning streak of three games. The Giants go in to this year’s playoffs with an 8-1-1 record to finish, while sporting a 3-0-1 streak. So yes, we look even again. The T-birds and Giants finished 9th and 11th respectively in goals scored, but that’s where things seem to end in similarities.

The Giants finished second overall and boast a very good hockey club. Their forward group is led by Davis Koch (28-50-78), Calgary Flames prospect Milos Roman (27-33-60), recent acquisition Jadon Joseph (22-31-53) who came over from Lethbridge and managed to carve out 28 points in 32 games, and rookie Justin Sourdif (23-23-46). Seattle’s forward group is led by Matthew Wedman (40-37-77), Noah Philp (26-49-75), Nolan Volcan (27-30-57), Andrej Kukuca (25-32-57), Henrik Rybinski (8-32-40) who came over from the Medicine Hat tigers and put up 35 points in 33 games.

Defensively, the Giants have a phenomenal blue line, led by arguably the best draft eligible defender for this year Byram Bowen (26-45-71) who scored 26 goals, and will be sure to see his name go early at this year’s draft right there in his back yard of Vancouver. Dylan Plouffe (8-27-35), and Washington Capitals prospect Alex Kannok Leipert (5-14-19) will help anchor up the blue line and support their tight system and goaltenders. Seattle also has some nice defenders, Montreal selection Jarrett Tyszka (8-22-30), draft eligible prospect Jake Lee (3-21-24), and rookie Simon Kubicek (9-19-28) will be by their goalies’ side.

In net, the Giants have arguably the best tandem going in David Tendeck (24-10-2-1), and Trent Miner (24-5-1-1). Both goalies finished near the top in most categories, and basically split games all season. Miner shows a GAA at 1.98 with a save percentage of 0.924% with three shutouts, while Tendeck has a 2.48 and a 0.911 save percentage. Seattle has two rookie goalies that they have been relying on. Roddy Ross (16-5-1-2) has a 2.76 GAA and a 0.919 save percentage, and his counterpart Cole Scweibius had a 3.89 GAA and 88.6 % save percentage.

The offence provided by both clubs are pretty close, but Vancouver has dominated with special teams, and seem to have much more depth than the T-Birds. Their defence and goaltending are outstanding, and they seem to have more difference makers. The Giants also lost twice to Seattle, both early in the season, and seemed to have turned it on after Christmas in which they defeated Seattle twice in that span, most recently a 5-1 drubbing near the end of the season. There is no reason to think that this dominance won’t continue, as the Giants seem primed and ready to roll.

Pick - Giants in 5

Finally……let’s get to the Victoria Royals and Kamloops Blazers, which should be another fun series to watch. These teams come in to this playoff matchup with Victoria taking the regular season series 5-3-0-1, with most of the games being close. That saying……the Blazers did play playoff hockey down the stretch as they battled their way in to the last playoff spot and just refused to be denied. The Royals have been in a comfortable spot for some time now, as they were well below the Giants yet far enough above Kelowna and Kamloops not to worry, so they have been in coast mode for a bit.

The Royals have been without some of their key players and leaders for a period of time now as they have missed leading scorer Kaid Oliver (27-22-49), and power forward Kody McDonald (20-22-42) who are both out indefinitely with upper body injuriesand would be welcome additions to the roster. Meanwhile, the Royals are led by D-Jay Jerome (23-19-42), import player Igor Martynov (11-31-42) to provide offence.

Kamloops has been carried by Zane Franklin (28-40-68), and Connor Zary (24-43-67). Orren Centazzo (18-33-51), and Dallas Stars prospect and Captain Jermaine Loewen (28-18-46) have also been contributing to help this club with its push. Scott Walford (9-38-47), Ralph Jarrett (6-9-15), Mitchell Prowse (3-18-21), and Jameson Murray (3-16-19) will all have to pitch in to make life easier for net minder Griffin Outhouse with the lack scoring up front the Royals. Rookie Quinn Schmeimann (5-23-28), Luke Zazula (3-24-27), and Montana Onyebuchi (5-15-20) will all be very active and get lots of play in this series.

In goal, Griffin Outhouse (27-16-1) has been great for the Royals, with a 2.81 GAA and a 0.913 save percentage. He has only played two-thirds of a season for the Royals, and they hope that he is well rested for they playoff push. He will have to come up big for them to move on especially without two of their leading scorers. Blazers starting goalie, and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Dylan Ferguson (17-24-4) has been out injured for much of this playoff run, but has received a clean bill of health to return. A tough decision will have to be made as the Blazers have ridden the coat tail of 16-year-old rookie (and Victoria native) goalie Dylan Garand (11-7-2-1), who has been lights out for them. Garand played down the stretch as a clutch performer going 6-0-1, with an excellent 1.93 GAA and a 0.930 save percentage.

This series will be close to the end and will ultimately comedown to a goaltending duel once again. Which goalie will get the nod for the Blazers? Will they ride the hot hand? Injuries will play a big part in this, especially if Victoria does not get their leaders back. The Blazers come in to this with confidence and swagger after finishing the season 5-0-1, and then defeating the Kelowna Rockets in the tie breaker game. They also defeated the Royals in the last three meetings they had, including 6-1 and 8-0 drubbings. They will come out with lots of energy, and really push the Royals, who come in to these playoffs going 4-5-1. Outhouse and the Royals defence will be pressed and will need a complete effort to withstand the push from the resilient Blazers, who are riding a wave of momentum.

Pick - Blazers in 6

LINK TO EASTERN 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.