This is done without taking into consideration the possibility of an NHL lockout which could change which players are returned to the WHL from the NHL. In general I assumed that any players who have signed pro contracts are gone from the WHL, and did not consider them for overage spots.
Comments, etc are welcome - this is just one person's opinion so feel free to disagree in the comments section.
Brandon Wheat Kings:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brandon Anderson (G), Dominick Favreau (F), Michael Ferland (F), Ryley Miller (D), Mark Stone (F), Kevin Sundher (F)
Thoughts: Anderson, Ferland, Stone, and Sundher have signed NHL contracts and will be considered gone although Anderson's struggles over the last two years could open the door to him being returned to junior. If Anderson isn't back, they have Favreau, Miller, and an opening for a third player. Although I'm thinking Favreau is ripe for upgrading if the Wheaties have the opportunity - he's not a top-six forward like you'd like your overagers to be.
Calgary Hitmen:
Last year's 19 year olds: Trevor Cheek (F), Danny Gayle (F), Alex Gogolev (F), Spencer Humphries (D), Brooks Macek (F), Cody Sylvester (F)
Thoughts: no pro contracts here so they all could/should be back, although Gogolev's status as a two-spot player makes it less likely for him in my view. He could very well find pro work in the Russian league. Humphries was Calgary's best defenceman some nights last year and Sylvester is the probable team captain so they're both likely back for sure. Leaves them to pick one of Cheek, Gayle, and Macek for the third spot, with the other two likely being traded, as they're good enough to play in the league. Cheek or Macek is probably the third guy they keep if you ask me.
Edmonton Oil Kings:
Last year's 19 year olds: Ryan Aasman (D), T.J. Foster (F), Kristians Pelss (F), Mark Pysyk (D), Dylan Wruck (F)
Thoughts: Pelss and Pysyk have signed NHL deals and are gone. Aasman was a short-term fill-in from Jr A last year and I don't think he's in the plans for 2012-13. That leaves Foster and Wruck with spots (solid players, both) and the team has one vacancy they can fill.
Everett Silvertips:
Last year's 19 year olds: J.T. Barnett (F), Dominik Bittner (D), Cody Fowlie (F), Ryan Harrison (F), Kent Simpson (G)
Thoughts: Simpson has signed an NHL deal and Bittner has signed in Germany, so they are both gone. That leaves forwards Barnett, Fowlie, and Harrison as Everett's overage trio. They can use veteran experience on the blueline (if they lose Ryan Murray) and in net though so don't be surprised if they swap one of the forwards for an O/A at another position.
Kamloops Blazers:
Last year's 19 year olds: Jordan Depape (F), Ryan Hanes (F), Cam Lanigan (G), Austin Madaisky (D), Brendon Ranford (F), Dylan Willick (F)
Thoughts: Madaisky has signed an NHL contract so he's gone. Lanigan I think is out simply because he lost his starting job to Cole Chevaldave and nobody keeps overage backup goalies. I'm not sure Lanigan gets much interest around the league, he had one decent season in Edmonton in 09-10 but has really struggled in 1.5 years in Kamloops. Of the remaining four forwards, I think Ranford, DePape, and Willick are the obvious three to keep. Hanes might have a chance if one of those guys (Ranford) gets himself an NHL free agent deal before the season starts. On the other hand, Kamloops is pretty loaded at forward and don't really need three overage forwards so maybe they'll be looking to deal one of Ranford/DePape/Willick for a veteran overage defenceman. Just speculating.
Kelowna Rockets:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brett Bulmer (F), Mitchell Chapman (D), Spencer Main (F)
Thoughts: Bulmer has signed an NHL deal so he's gone. Chapman should have a spot, although the Rockets are deep in veteran defencemen and might decide they don't need an overage defenceman as much as they need more veteran forwards, so who knows. Main is a tough call, he missed almost all of last year with injury and even before the injury hadn't really developed into the kind of player the Rockets probably expected when they used a high bantam pick on him in 2007. Does he get a chance to earn an overage spot in camp? I'd give him at least that much.
Kootenay Ice:
Last year's 19 year olds: Drew Czerwonka (F), Joey Leach (D), Dylan McKinlay (F), Brock Montgomery (F), Luke Paulsen (D), Elgin Pearce (F), Max Reinhart (F)
Thoughts: Reinhart is gone pro with his NHL deal. All the others could/should be back though, so the Ice have a logjam here with six guys competing for three spots. Explains why they traded John Niebrandt to Vancouver this summer already. I don't envy the Ice the job of trying to pick three of the other six though. But let's take a shot at this.....looking at their roster, I'm going to guess that the Ice go with 1D and 2F for their overagers. So for the defenceman, it's Leach vs Paulsen. I gotta take Leach there. Paulsen can play in the league somewhere though. Then for forwards, it's pick two of Czerwonka, McKinlay, Montgomery, and Pearce. I think Czerwonka is the team captain next year so he stays. But the choice of one of the other three is a tough, tough pick. All three of them probably play in the league somewhere. I'm going to keep.....McKinlay. But it could be Montgomery or Pearce just as easily too. The Ice should be able to stock up some nice 2013 bantam picks for trading all these guys they can't keep.
Lethbridge Hurricanes:
Last year's 19 year olds: Nick Buonassisi (F), Graham Hood (F), Daniel Johnston (D), Tyler Kizuik (D), Landon Oslanski (D), Ty Rimmer (G)
Thoughts: All six should be back, so the Hurricanes are going to have some good battles for their three overage spots. It seems safe to say that Rimmer has a spot since they paid a high price for him and also traded their only other veteran goaltender two weeks back. Buonassisi should have a spot, and I would pick Johnston from the group of three defencemen to complete their overage trio. I think Hood and Oslanski should have a chance to find jobs somewhere else in the league.
Medicine Hat Tigers:
Last year's 19 year olds: Tyler Bunz (G), Emerson Etem (F), Kale Kessy (F), Scott McKay (F), Alex Theriau (D)
Thoughts: Bunz and Etem are off to the NHL. That leaves them with Kessy, McKay, and Theriau. That could be their three there, unless they want to upgrade one of those guys (McKay?).
Moose Jaw Warriors:
Last year's 19 year olds: Eric Arnold (F), Cody Beach (F), Quinton Howden (F), Justin Kirsch (F), Kendall McFaull (D), Dylan McIlrath (D)
Thoughts: Arnold (Europe), Beach, Howden, and McIlrath are all gone to the pros. That leaves them with Kirsch and McFaull, plus one opening to add another guy.
Portland Winterhawks:
Last year's 19 year olds: Sven Bartschi (F), Mac Carruth (G), Cody Castro (D), Pearce Eviston (F), Joe Morrow (D), Marcel Noebels (F), Taylor Peters (F), Brad Ross (F), Troy Rutkowski (D), Jason Trott (F)
Thoughts: Bartschi, Carruth, Morrow, Noebels, and Ross are signed in the NHL and will be gone. Castro, Eviston, and Trott probably aren't even in the conversation for overage spots as they aren't top-6 forwards or top-4 defencemen candidates. That leaves Peters and Rutkowski, who are no doubt both welcomed back enthusiastically by the Hawks. The team would have one vacancy they can fill....or they could keep one of the aforementioned Castro, Eviston, or Trott, but I don't see it.
Prince Albert Raiders:
Last year's 19 year olds: Anthony Bardaro (F), Austin Bourhis (F), Antoine Corbin (D), Tyler Hart (D), Luke Siemens (G), Tyler Yaworski (D)
Thoughts: All six of these guys are eligible to be back, since none of them has a pro contract. They traded for Siemens so you have to think he has a spot locked up. Bardaro is the leading returning scorer so he likely has a spot secured as well. The third spot has to be between Corbin and Yaworski......Bourhis and Hart aren't going to fall among the 66 best '92s in the league. I think I'm taking Yaworski if I had to pick between the two.....but I can see the case for Corbin too.
Prince George Cougars:
Last year's 19 year olds: Ricard Blidstrand (D), Dallas Ehrhardt (D), Campbell Elynuik (F), Greg Fraser (F), Dan Gibb (D), Brock Hirsche (F)
Thoughts: Blidstrand has signed in Sweden so he's gone. The others are all eligible to return. Hirsche missed most of last season with a shoulder injury but I assume he is going to be healthy enough to play this coming season. So to figure this out: I think Elynuik is out as he doesn't fit the mold of a top-six forward. Fraser is a keeper. Ehrhardt probably is too. That leaves Gibb and Hirsche for the third spot. I think it's possible they don't keep either one of those guys and instead trade for a third guy...maybe a defenceman.
Red Deer Rebels:
Last year's 19 year olds: Turner Elson (F), Charles Inglis (F), Adam Kambeitz (F), John Persson (F), Alex Petrovic (D)
Thoughts: Elson, Persson and Petrovic have signed NHL contracts and should be gone. That leaves Inglis and Kambeitz, which is a good duo. The Rebels could really use some more experience on the blueline (Matt Dumba is their only returning d-man with more than 55 games experience in the league) so it wouldn't surprise me to see them use the open spot for an overage defender.
Regina Pats:
Last year's 19 year olds: Matt Hewitt (G), Colton Jobke (D), Martin Marincin (D), Tanner Olstad (F), Andrew Rieder (F), Lane Scheidl (F), Brandon Underwood (D), Jordan Weal (F)
Thoughts: Jobke, Marincin, and Weal have all signed NHL deals and should be considered gone. Hewitt was Mr. Everything for the Pats last year and is a lock to have a spot. Underwood probably has a spot too since the Pats will once again need all the veteran defencemen they can find - after losing Jobke and Marincin they're going to have exactly two defencemen with more than 55 games in the league, and Underwood is one of those two. And I think Scheidl easily takes the forward spot over Olstad and Rieder, who I suspect end up in Jr. A.
Saskatoon Blades:
Last year's 19 year olds: Chris Collins (F), Connor Cox (D), Josh Nicholls (F), Brenden Walker (F)
Thoughts: Only four guys to choose from but these are four pretty good players who should all be in the league somewhere this year. I think Collins is probably the odd man out of this group, assuming none of the other three (Nicholls?) signs an NHL free agent deal.
Seattle Thunderbirds:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brad Deagle (D), Brandon Glover (G), Braeden Laroque (D), Luke Lockhart (F), Chance Lund (F), Calvin Pickard (G), Brendan Rouse (F), Dave Sutter (D)
Thoughts: Pickard is off to the AHL and Sutter has signed in Switzerland, so they are gone. They traded for Glover so from that I would assume he'll be getting a spot and be the #1 goalie. This probably means they will take 1D and 1F as their other two overagers. So, Deagle vs Laroque for the "D" spot; I'm taking Deagle. Lockhart/Lund/Rouse for the forward spot; I think I have to go with Lockhart. Lund and maybe Rouse might get some interest around the league.
Spokane Chiefs:
Last year's 19 year olds: Blake Gal (F), Brenden Kichton (D), Dominik Uher (F), Davis Vandane (D), Dylan Walchuk (F)
Thoughts: Uher is off to the pros, while the Chiefs will no doubt be waiting to see whether the NY Islanders decide to sign Kichton come training camp time. Gal and Walchuk should have spots; whether Vandane has one probably depends on whether Kichton comes back.....or who else is available.
Swift Current Broncos:
Last year's 19 year olds: Andy Blanke (F), Jordan Evans (D), Erik Fleming (D), Christian Magnus (F), Ryon Moser (F), Dalton Reum (D)
Thoughts: None of these guys have pro contracts so they all could be back to compete for spots. I suspect Moser will have a spot, plus one of the other forwards - likely Magnus. That leaves one spot for a defenceman; Evans missed almost all of last season with a concussion; I have not heard whether he'll be able to return. If he can, does he get the spot over Fleming and Reum? I'm going with Yes.
Tri-City Americans:
Last year's 19 year olds: Drydn Dow (D), Justin Feser (F), Patrick Holland (F), Nathan MacMaster (F), Jordan Messier (F), Jesse Mychan (F), MacKenzie Royer (F), Derek Ryckman (D)
Thoughts: Holland has signed in the NHL and is gone. MacMaster was released already this summer so he is gone too. Royer missed almost all of last season with injury; I don't see him being in the team's plans even if he is healthy, since he's not a top-six kind of guy. That leaves five guys (Dow, Feser, Messier, Mychan, Ryckman) for three spots. Feser is a no-brainer for a spot. And I think Messier gets one too. That leaves probably Dow for the third spot - but Ryckman can play in the league too and Mychan sure looked good for the Americans after coming over from Everett so it's tempting to see what more he can do with a chance. I have to go with Messier as the 2nd forward though....somebody might give Mychan another look.
Vancouver Giants:
Last year's 19 year olds: Brendan Gallagher (F), Taylor Makin (F), Jordan Martinook (F), John Neibrandt (D), Wes Vannieuwenhuizen (D), Tyler Vanscourt (D)
Thoughts: Gallagher has signed a pro deal and is gone. Martinook was a 2nd round pick in the June NHL draft so there is a good chance that he will sign and will also be gone. They traded for Niebrandt so usually that means he'll have one of the spots, which leaves Makin, Vannieuwenhuizen, and Vanscourt for the other two spots. Nobody plays three overage defencemen so that probably means the lone forward, Makin, has a spot and then either Vannieuwenhuizen or Vanscourt has the third spot. One brings offence, one brings size and toughness. I'm keeping Vannieuwenhuizen if I'm them.
Victoria Royals:
Last year's 19 year olds: Jamie Crooks (F), Michael Forsyth (F), Zach Habscheid (D), Keith Hamilton (G), Tyler Stahl (D)
Thoughts: Habscheid has said he won't be back as an overager. None of the rest of the guys are signed and so they should all be back to compete for spots. I think Crooks and Stahl are good picks for two spots. As returning #1 goalie I would have thought Hamilton would have a spot, but the Royals' selection of a goalie in the Import draft sure puts Hamilton's job in jeopardy since neither overagers nor imports tend to be used as backup goaltenders. So if Hamilton is out, then who is in? Forsyth doesn't fit the bill as a top six guy. Off to the trade market then?
