2007 signed/unsigned

With the deadline for NHL teams to sign their 2007 draft picks or else lose their rights coming up on us, here's the WHLers who were selected in that draft and their current contract situation.

First, the signed players:

Thomas Hickey, Seattle Thunderbirds (4th overall, Los Angeles Kings)

Karl Alzner, Calgary Hitmen (5th overall, Washington Capitals)

Zach Hamill, Everett Silvertips (8th overall, Boston Bruins)

Keaton Ellerby, Kamloops Blazers (10th overall, Florida Panthers)

Brandon Sutter, Red Deer Rebels (11th overall, Carolina Hurricanes)

Colton Gillies, Saskatoon Blades (16th overall, Minnesota Wild)

Jonathon Blum, Vancouver Giants (23rd overall, Nashville Predators)

Mikael Backlund, Kelowna Rockets (24th overall, Calgary Flames)

Jim O'Brien, Seattle Thunderbirds (29th overall, Ottawa Senators)

Nick Ross, Vancouver Giants (30th overall, Phoenix Coyotes)

Taylor Ellington, Everett Silvertips (33rd overall, Vancouver Canucks)

Michal Repik, Vancouver Giants (40th overall, Florida Panthers)

Dana Tyrell, Prince George Cougars (47th overall, Tampa Bay Lightning)

Oscar Moller, Chilliwack Bruins (52nd overall, Los Angeles Kings)

T. J. Galiardi, Calgary Hitmen (55th overall, Colorado Avalanche)

Garrett Klotz, Saskatoon Blades (66th overall, Philadelphia Flyers)

Spencer Machacek, Vancouver Giants (67th overall, Atlanta Thrashers)

John Negrin, Swift Current Broncos (70th overall, Calgary Flames)

Drayson Bowman, Spokane Chiefs (72nd overall, Carolina Hurricanes)

Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Vancouver Giants (80th overall, Pittsburgh Penguins)

Brett Sonne, Calgary Hitmen (85th overall, St. Louis Blues)

Tyson Sexsmith, Vancouver Giants (91st overall, San Jose Sharks)

Justin Falk, Spokane Chiefs (110th overall, Minnesota Wild)

Colton Sceviour, Lethbridge Hurricanes (112th overall, Dallas Stars)

Keith Aulie, Brandon Wheat Kings (116th overall, Calgary Flames)

Mark Santorelli, Chilliwack Bruins (119th overall, Nashville Predators)

Jamie Benn, Kelowna Rockets (129th overall, Dallas Stars)

Cody Almond, Kelowna Rockets (140th overall, Minnesota Wild)

Jordan Knackstedt, Moose Jaw Warriors (189th overall, Boston Bruins)

Carson McMillan, Calgary Hitmen (200th overall, Minnesota Wild)

Frazer McLaren, Moose Jaw Warriors (203rd overall, San Jose Sharks)

Paul Postma, Calgary Hitmen (205th overall, Atlanta Thrashers)

Dan Gendur, Everett Silvertips (206th overall, Vancouver Canucks)

These guys all have nothing to worry about....they'll be moving on to pro hockey next year. Some of them were already pros this past season.

Now for the unsigned players:

Alex Plante, Calgary Hitmen (15th overall, Edmonton Oilers)

Justin McCrae, Spokane Chiefs (102nd overall, Carolina Hurricanes)

Mitch Fadden, Tri-City Americans (107th overall, Tampa Bay Lightning)

Dwight King, Lethbridge Hurricanes (109th overall, Los Angeles Kings)

Linden Rowat, Regina Pats (124th overall, Los Angeles Kings)

Brett Leffler, Regina Pats (125th overall, Washington Capitals)

Milan Kytnar, Saskatoon Blades (127th overall, Edmonton Oilers)

Ondrej Roman, Spokane Chiefs (136th overall, Dallas Stars)

Torrie Jung, Edmonton Oil Kings (183rd overall, Tampa Bay Lightning)

Ryan Molle, Swift Current Broncos (207th overall, New Jersey Devils)

These guys all need to sign by the end of this month or else their NHL teams lose their rights. I believe Kytnar may be an exception because he was actually drafted from a European team, but all the others were drafted from the WHL so the rule applies to them.

If they do not sign, Fadden becomes an unrestricted free agent, while all the others will re-enter the 2009 draft pool and will become unrestricted free agents if they are not re-selected.

I think the Oilers want to get Plante signed, he's the only first rounder in the bunch and he had a terrific season this year so there's no reason why they would not want him in the fold. And I would be surprised if the Stars didn't want to get Roman locked up too. 

Everybody else....not such sure things. They all have some question marks and so I think they're probably going back into the draft. But I've been wrong before....Dwight King is probably the best of the rest, he is a dominant player when he wants to be, and therein lies his problem: is he consistent enough to be a good pro prospect? Rowat's a good goalie but the Kings are an organization that has seven goalies under contract already. Do they have room for an 8th? I think the Kings' signing of Hitmen goalie Martin Jones as a free agent tryout last fall might have slammed the door in Rowat's face in SoCal. We'll see. Fadden is a dynamic offensive player who comes with a reputation of not being a team player; will that rep hurt him? Actually, if I were him, I wouldn't even bother negotiating with Tampa Bay, just wait to become a UFA and then you can negotiate with 30 teams instead of 1. Somebody will sign him. Jung had a good season this year with the Oil Kings but is that enough to erase his so-so 17 & 18 year old seasons in Kelowna? McCrae's a good heart and soul guy but he is coming off a serious injury and had a very poor season numbers-wise this year after returning. Brett Leffler had the best year of his career this year but also had the worst of his career in 07-08 right after being drafted; which is the real Brett Leffler? And Ryan Molle was a project pick who hasn't progressed much since being drafted. He's not a bad player, just an average WHLer and those don't usually move on to the pros.