First of all, it is a bit sad to see the season end for this group of bantam players and parents. This was the first year of business for our publication and blog and the parents and players I had the pleasure to deal with this year will be tough to beat.
I just wanted to run through the western elite hockey prospects list and compare it to what transpired and determine if it is a valid venture to continue to pursue in future years or not. It is next to impossible to project who will actually go where in terms of team selection, it just takes one team to through the draft order off. I'm more wanting to consider the provincial top 10-15 for each province and the ranking by the first rew rounds as well as position, so here we go!
British Columbia - Top 10
1. F- Jake Virtanen 1st (Calgary Hitmen) WEHP Ranking (1st province, 3rd overall)
2. F- Ryan Gropp 6th (Seattle Thunderbirds) WEHP Ranking (2nd province, 4th overall)
3. D- Joe Hicketts 12th (Victoria WHL Club) WEHP Ranking (3rd province, 16th overall)
Second Round
4. D- Josh Thrower 23rd (Calgary Hitmen) WEHP Ranking (5th province, 24th overall)
5. G- Payton Lee 28th (Vancouver Giants) WEHP Ranking (1st Goalie, 2nd Goalie overall)
6. F- Mitchell Walter 31st (Edmonton Oil Kings) WEHP Ranking (6th round)
7. F- Ryan Simpson 35th (Vancouver Giants) WEHP Ranking (6th round)
8. F- Tyler Sandhu 42nd (Portland Winterhawks) WEHP Ranking (7th province, 33rd overall)
Third Round
9. F- Michael Holub 49th overall (Seattle Thunderbirds) WEHP *limited reports/viewing
10. D- Riley Stadel 51st overall (Kelowna Rockets) WEHP Ranking (4th province, 22nd overall)
Summary
The top 5 look pretty much bang on in terms of what teams actually picked and Peyton Lee was the 2nd best goalie in the end as well. Tyler Sandhu did slip to the 2nd round as projected. However, it is apparent we missed the boat on Ryan Simpson and Michael Holub as well as Mitchell Walter being selected so high. Other than that, our top 7 BC prospects all went in the top 10 picks for the province, not bad I guess.
Alberta - Top 10
1. D- Brycen Martin 2nd (Swift Current Broncos) WEHP Ranking (1st province, 2nd overall)
2. F- Reid Duke 5th (Lethbridge Hurricanes) WEHP Ranking (2nd province, 5th overall)
3. F- Ty Mappin 7th (Everett Silvertips) WEHP Ranking (3rd province, 7th overall)
4. D- Aaron Irving 9th (Edmonton Oilkings) WEHP Ranking (6th province, 12th overall)
5. D/F - Kord Pankewicz 11th (Brandon Wheatkings) WEHP Ranking (13th province, 31st overall)**
6. D- Zach Gonek 13th (Swift Current Broncos) WEHP Ranking (5th province, 11th overall)
7. F- Brayden Point 14th (Moose Jaw Warriors) WEHP Ranking (10th province, 26th overall) **
8. F- Blake Penner 18th (Medicine Hat Tigers) WEHP Ranking (9th province, 25th overall)
9. F- Tanner Macmaster 19th (Spokane Chiefs) WEHP Ranking (7th province, 13th overall)
10. F- Thomas Foster 20th (Vancouver Giants) WEHP Ranking (20th province, 3rd Round)
Summary
No real surprises at all here as was the case in a few instances from BC. The only players who were in the WEHP top 10 from the province not pick in that range were Conner Bleakley who was ranked 4th in the province and 9th overall but he still went in the first round. The other was our 8th ranked Albertan John Quennville who fell all the way to the 3rd round. I still like his two-way game potential and Brandon may have a good one at that spot. Jordan Papirny our top ranked goalie went in the first round as well. The only players who vaulted up to the first round were: Kord Pankewicz but in fairness to Kord, we had him in the first round for most of the year and it was un clear in terms of whether his forward/Defense back and forth situation would hurt him. Thomas Foster isn't a huge surprise to be drafted in the first round or as the 10th overall from the province but it is sure a minor surprise regardless. All and all pretty good. Brayden Point is not surprising at all to be picked that high, he could went higher or lower and we ranked him in the middle at 26th.
Saskatchewan - Top 10
1- D- Ryan Pilon 3rd (Lethbridge Hurricanes) WEHP Ranking (1st province, 1st overall)
2. F- Reid Gardiner 8th (Prince Albert Raiders) WEHP Ranking (2nd province, 7th overall)
3. D- Jordan Harris 10th (Prince George Cougars) WEHP Ranking (6th province, 20th overall)
4. F- Rourke Chartier 15th (Kelowna Rockets) WEHP Ranking (4th province, 15th overall)
5. F- Miles Warkentine 16th (Moose Jaw Warriors) WEHP Ranking (3rd province, 10th overall)
6. F- Collin Shirley 17th (Kootenay Ice) WEHP Ranking (7th province, 21st overall)
Second Round
7. F- Dakota Odgers 24th (Swift Current) WEHP Ranking (NR due to injury all year) Top 10 talent
8. F- Kolten Olynek 26th (Lethbridge Hurricanes) WEHP Ranking (5th province, 18th overall)
9. F- Carter Amson 29th (Lethbridge Hurricanes) WHEP Ranking (10th province, 35th overall)
10. F- Josh Uhrich 33rd (Moose Jaw Warriors) WEHP Ranking (12th province, 44th overall)
Summary
Again, we missed just two picks here in the top 10 from this province as our 8th and 9th ranked Saskatchewan kids in Rhett Gardner and Braden Oleksyn were replaced by Dakota Odgers (NR) and Josh Uhrich (12th). Neither are a suprise as Odgers was regarded as a top 15 pick prior to his injury in the entire draft and Uhrich went right where he should.
Manitoba - Top 10
1. D- Jordan Thomson 4th (Kamloops Blazers) WHEP Ranking (1st province, 6th overall)
Second Round
2. F- Adam Brooks 25th (Regina Pats) WEHP Ranking (2nd province, 17th overall)
3. D- Austin Douglas 27th (Seattle Thunderbirds) WEHP Ranking (10th province, 3rd round)
4. F- Jayce Hawryluk 32nd (Brandon Wheatkings) WEHP Ranking (7th province, 3rd round)
5. F- Dane Schioler 36th (Regina Pats) WEHP Ranking (6th province, 3rd round)
6. D- Reid Zalitach 38th (Vancouver Giants) WEHP Ranking (11th province, 4th round)
4th Round
7. D- Kristjon Finnson 74th (Prince Albert) WEHP Ranking (NR - limited viewing)
8. F- Dallas Starodub 77th (Brandon Wheatkings) WEHP Ranking (5th province, 3rd round)
9. D- Taylor Fisher 78th (Prince Albert Raiders) WEHP Ranking (3rd province, 2nd round)
5th Round
10. F- Michael Fortin 92nd (Portland Winterhawks) WEHP Ranking (NR - limited viewing)
Summary
Traditionally the most difficult province to scout. Our 4th ranked prospect from the province David Dunn fell to the 6th round and the 8th and 9th ranked players Ryley Lindgren and Brett Kitt fell out of the top 10 but I'm a believer still in both those players that they should've made it higher. Although Kitt went 11th in the province and Lindgren 12th overall in the province and David Dunn went 13th in the province. So our the WEHP Top 10, they all went in the top 13.
14 comments:
Evan Reid from Royals not drafted? hmmmmm.
I have watched Evan for years, and have met he and his dad at several camps. Whoever signs this kid, finds themselves a real steal. His family is top notch. Always positive things to say about everyone else and their kids.
There were a few top Draft picks that were not selected. Very strange draft for sure..Scouts may have their reasons but still very strange..
Trader B, not sure your comments are accurate about player & family, the opposite likely has something to do with lack of selection!
reid does not have much of a physical side to his game not that big of a surpirse,
bigger surprise is that Robinson from the Royals is missing!
Funny how carousel works with the Royals kids this year. Leonidas gets cut AAA. Leonidas makes AB cup, Van Horne doesnt. Van Horne, Leonidas drafted, Reid/Robinson not. Interesting how different opinions of coaches/scouts impact same players at different times. Leonidas should have played AAA based on what I saw this year, but then again, lots of questions about that Royals coach I've heard.
cmon whole thing is a crapshoot.some players picked won.t pan out and others skipped will progress into good players.scouts r making educated guesses and really there's no science.all i can say to the guys that didn't get picked it actually opens more doors than for the ones who are picked,keep working to improve your game and things will work out for the best,,,trust me i was one of those guys that was passed over but i am actually thankful cause it made me take stock of ny game and i was able to pursue other options i didn't know were there,
Biggest suprise to me was lack of BWC guys to get drafted only 2 that I saw? Guess they were a hard working team rather then skill based unlike years before. Some people have been telling me that alot of them are interested in the ncaa which is why scouts didn't want to gamble on them in case they turn to the other side in a few years! What's your guys take on that team? Also I didn't think virtanin looked all that good in medicine hat, maybe it was because he team wasn't doing well? Congrats to him and everyone else that got drafted, and to the guys that didn't who cares! Tons of guys in the whl aren't drafted and whl honestly isn't the definite best way, you can go ncaa or whl and get where you want to go!
A few surprises from Sask. Brodie Scheutte from the
South not drafted, and how did Duret drop out of
the first round? He lead the Center Four League
in points last season.
Congrats to the kids who went to the teams they hoped for.Thoughts on which whl teams did well in the draft?
interesting point about the Royals coach? if you look at their D you would have expected at least 4 drafted, if not all of them given the talent they had, also little shocking on fwds results in draft, it makes you wonder how much of a role a coach plays in getting his players selected or not selected? looks like Royals coach under delivered here along with other areas!
Hey Tyler ... I wonder if in these bantam drafts that after the first 100 or so kids that sometimes kids just get lost in the shuffle and get forgotten about by teams? I saw some kids from a few teams that played in that St Albert tourney from across the west that I was surprised were not taken. Some have alluded to BWC and the Royals kids not being picked.
While I do not know the Royals coach personally, I know the kids and most in tht quadrant come from the community hockey area Trails West.
Everyone in Calgary knows what these kids are like---a reflection of their parents..no community likes the parents from Trails West because of their behavior...of course this is a genteralization but stereotypes oare often rooted in truths. Take a look at the talent that comes out of this area...genaerally quite good ad some very good players (shinkaruk with Med Hat and Morrissey with PA), but not a ton of kids drafted to the WHL because the scouts know and hear what these kids are like...no mystery to me at all why some kids who are deserving of beng drafted hockey wise but not the kids or parents you would want areound your dressing room, with your parent group or on your team...Leonidis not on AAA because of these reasons...made AB cup because of a clean slate and a coach who has no idea who he is....much better that being drafted 200 and some but...all the reasons are above...i don't think the coach is the problem why these kids did not get drafted....its systemic and everyone in Calgary knows it
Im a Royals parent. My son drafted and ironically no ab cup. Royals team had 7 kids drafted. Compare the following.
Bisons = 7 kids
Sabres = 6 kids
Kamloops = 7 kids
Abbotsford = 6 kids
Somebody below noted that ALL 6 d-men should have been drafted? What an accomplishment having 7 on 1 team drafted. Maybe Bisons coach underperformed too. Maybe Kamloops same boat. Coaches have nearly zero impact on drafted players. Biggest variables for draft are talent and size. Team play will be taught by WHL team come the time.
The draft (or some parent expectations) must be VERY watered down in this day and age if people expect a single team to have 10-12 draft picks.
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