First, a question from a reader who is wondering if the current group of young defencemen in the WHL - specifically those eligible for the 2012 NHL draft - is the best group ever for one draft. Of course these things are impossible to measure until many years from now, but the evidence is certainly compelling that this is going to be a truly remarkable NHL draft class of blueliners from the WHL.
There are currently 14 defencemen in the WHL this year who are eligible for the 2012 NHL draft. There will be more next year of course - most 2012 draft eligible players are only 16 this year and many of those kids won't crack WHL rosters until next season, and some of those will become stars as well. But looking only at the kids who are in the league right now, it's looking like a very, very good group.
The 14 currently in the WHL, with size and current stats (GP-G-A-PTS, +/-):
Matt Dumba (Red Deer Rebels) - 6'0", 172 lb, 34-9-3-12-58, +4
Reid Gow (Spokane Chiefs) - 5'11", 182 lb, 24-2-5-7-12, +3
Brady Gaudet (Kamloops Blazers) - 5'11", 172 lb, 24-4-2-6-19, -8
Lucas Grayson (Red Deer Rebels) - 6'0", 171 lb, 19-0-1-1-41, -1
Josh Hanson (Portland Winterhawks) - 6'2", 195 lb, 22-1-0-1-8, +3
Keaton Lubin (Calgary Hitmen) - 5'11", 175 lb, 14-0-0-0-4, -5
Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips) - 6'0", 185 lb, 33-2-11-13-27, +16
Derrick Pouliot (Portland Winterhawks) - 5'11", 170 lb, 34-4-14-18-27, +6
Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings) - 6'4", 202 lb, 31-4-12-16-24, +11
Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw Warriors) - 6'0", 190 lb, 32-4-14-18-17, -1
Jaynen Rissling (Calgary Hitmen) - 6'3", 215 lb, 30-2-9-11-59, -15
Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets) - 6'1", 175 lb, 31-4-7-11-25, +1
Dalton Thrower (Saskatoon Blades) - 5'11", 178 lb, 33-3-6-9-42, +1
Nicholas Walters (Everett Silvertips) - 6'1", 185 lb, 19-0-1-1-29, -8
Murray, Rissling, and Thrower are all 17 year olds this year, but are late-1993 birthdate players who aren't NHL eligible until 2012. The rest are all 16 year olds this year.
Just looking at that list, I can see at least 5 players (Dumba, Murray, Pouliot, Reinhart, Rielly) who at this point are anywhere from "sure-thing" to "pretty good chance" bets at being NHL first round picks in 2012. A couple of those guys are probably even looking at possibly being top ten picks.
Three or four others on the list are a bit back of the calibre of those top five, but they all have another year and a half in the WHL to keep improving yet before the draft.
Just for comparison purposes, the number of WHL defencemen picked in the first round of recent NHL drafts:
2010: 2
2009: 1
2008: 4
2007: 6
2006: 1
2005: 0
What do you think? Could the 2012 group potentially be the WHL's best ever, both in number of high picks and in (super)star potential?
Secondly today, read this article about a minor hockey coach in Ontario who has been seriously shafted, if you ask me.
I get that the guy broke the rules and maybe could have handled things a little differently. But I don't think there's any question that morally he is completely in the right here. The punishment is grossly disproportionate to the crime - can the people in charge not see that? A few games suspension, that's fine...but this is ridiculous, especially in light of how the real perpetrator of the whole situation, the player who made the racist remarks, was suspended for only three games. His coach was given no punishment at all.
11 comments:
eric roy and ryan pulock of brandon are excellent d too!!
Yes they are, but they are not eligible for the NHL draft until 2013, not 2012.
I completely agree with your analysis of the Ontario coach situation. Ridiculous.
Luke Paulsen Kootenay is draft eligible this year.
Lots of players are draft eligible this season, but this article refers to the 2012 draft, where Paulsen will actually be in his 19 year old season.
The MHA cannot over rule Hockey Canada rules. HC sets a basic rules and regs and then provincial bodies add to it and so forth down the line but you cannot take away or overrule the governing body above you. According to HC Refusing to play is a year suspension. I agree that the coach did the right thing and I also think he knew the consequence and was prepared to take the suspension. What the local association missed out on was a teaching moment and any player coach or official that uses a racial slur should be dealt with more severely.
Just my two cents!
yes Paulsen will be in his 19 year along with a number of current WHL defensemen. Paulsen has been under rated and will get a long hard look this year along with a number of others.
I think that everyone is getting all bent out of shape over the N word being let loose in the heat of the moment. If that is the worst thing the young man gets called in his life he is lucky. Remember "Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" Lighten up Folks.
Tyler Vanscourt playing with the Spokane Chiefs this season is getting hard looks this year also after his return to the WHL. He also played with the Ice as a 16yr old
The Tyler Vanscourt that is a year past his draft year, undersized for a defenseman, and is a minus player despite playing on the team with the second best record in the west? I guess I will have to take your word for it...
Sorry you are never going to convince me a racial slur as blatant as that should be tolerated - AT ANY TIME. If I follow your logic, if a player hammers a kid into the boards from behind, significantly injuring the individual, it is OK because it was "heat of the moment". Any time I have seen this type of racial comment (unfortunately more than once) the kid hurling them out, has issues and it has been a repeat of unacceptable behaviour. I have no idea about this specific case but I would bet dollars to donuts the kid who got three games (and his coach) have been on the wrong side of ledger before.
Post a Comment