Import draft lookahead

The next big event on the major junior hockey calendar - the 2012 CHL Import Draft - goes this Wednesday morning, and you can follow the results live on the CHL's site here. Before the big day arrives though, here's a quick rundown of which imports each WHL team currently has, how many they can pick on Wednesday, etc, etc.

Basic thing to keep in mind: teams are allowed to have two imports aged 19 and under on their roster. They may also have additional imports who are overagers for the coming season; they may have as many of those as they want, but come the October overage deadline they'll have to get down to two imports of any age on their roster. Teams may also retain the rights of other imports under age 20, provided those players are either in the NHL, or who have never reported to the CHL after being drafted in the 2011 (or earlier) import drafts. Clear as mud? Then here we go:

Brandon:
Current imports: Alessio Bertaggia (19), Bruno Mraz (19)
2012 draft options: Brandon has two first round picks in this year's import draft, as they acquired Saskatoon's pick in the Brayden Schenn trade. But the Wheat Kings have a dilemma, as they cannot use both those picks unless they drop or trade both of last year's imports, Bertaggia and Mraz. I suspect they will release Bruno Mraz to go back to his music career, but I would be surprised if they didn't want to bring Bertaggia back - which means they either have to trade Bertaggia, or (more likely) they will probably trade one of the first round picks.

Calgary:
Current imports: Alexander Gogolev (20), Victor Rask (19)
2012 draft options: Gogolev is an overager so the Hitmen can draft one more import with his spot - although as a two-spot player he likely wouldn't be brought back either way. When it comes to Rask, the Hitmen are probably going to swallow hard and hope he comes back to them next year, even though he could be sent to the AHL by his NHL team (Carolina). So, look for them to pick only one.

Edmonton:
Current imports: Martin Gernat (19), Kristians Pelss (20)
2012 draft options: Gernat should be back. Pelss has signed an NHL contract so he'll be gone - although as an overager they would make a pick to fill his spot anyway. So, look for the Oil Kings to make one pick.

Everett:
Current imports: Dominik Bittner (20)
2012 draft options: Bittner is an overager and has signed to play pro in Europe so he won't be back. Everett can make two picks and I expect they will.

Kamloops:
Current imports: Tim Bozon (18), Marek Hrbas (19)
2012 draft options: I suspect the Blazers plan to bring both these guys back, which means they can't make any picks. Look for them to trade their first rounder although it is very late in the first round so it doesn't have a lot of value.

Kelowna:
Current imports: Zemgus Girgensons (18), Teemu Pulkkinen (20), Filip Vasko (19)
2012 draft options: I'm sure they would dearly love to talk Girgensons into reporting but Girgensons was quite resistant to that idea last year. Girgensons falls into the "guys who never reported" category like Pulkkinen did/does, so they still have an opening to go along with the severely underwhelming Vasko. The Rockets don't have a first round pick this year - they traded it to Portland last year - so right now I suspect they keep Vasko and make one more pick. Or maybe they'll dump Vasko and try to pick up another pick in order to replace him.

Kootenay:
Current imports: none
2012 draft options: Can make two picks, although they have not picked in either of the last two drafts so who knows if they will. They could probably trade their first rounder (29th overall) if they're not going to use it.

Lethbridge:
Current imports: Juraj Bezuch (19), Albin Blomqvist (19)
2012 draft options: 'Canes have a nice high first round pick this year (17th overall) that they would probably like to use, but that's going to require them to drop/trade one of last year's two. Neither one of them really stood out last year so they're both candidates to be the unlucky dude IMO.

Medicine Hat:
Current imports: Patrik Parkkonen (19), Adam Rehak (20)
2012 draft options: Rehak went home in midseason last year for personal reasons. I doubt they bring him back. Either way, they can draft a new player with his spot since he is overage now. Parkkonen looked good enough that I think they bring him back for another year, so they probably only make the one pick.

Moose Jaw:
Current imports: Eric Arnold (20)
2012 draft options: Whether they're interested in bringing Arnold back next year as a two-spotter or not, the Warriors can make two picks and there's no reason why they wouldn't.

Portland:
Current imports: Sven Bartschi (20), Dmitrij Jaskin (19), Nino Niederreiter (20), Marcel Noebels (20)
2012 draft options: I know - Portland has FOUR imports on their list. They were able to do this because they dressed two of them only in practices and claimed they were the kids of guest coaches visiting from Switzerland. OK, I made that up....nobody would ever try to do anything like that, right. The real reason is that Niederreiter was in the NHL last year and Jaskin is one of those fuzzy "never reported" guys, even though he was originally drafted by the Hitmen in 2010 and dropped, then added by Portland. Anyway, bottom line is that Portland essentially has zero imports right now and so they can (and probably will) draft two. They have two first round picks which to do this with as well, since they own Kelowna's pick plus their own.

Prince Albert:
Current imports: Jonas Knutsen (19)
2012 draft options: Do the Raiders want Knutsen back? They can make one pick for sure and two if they decide to cut him loose, which is a possibility given his 12 points in 49 games. Teams don't bring Euro forwards over here to be checkers so these guys gotta produce to come back and I think it's possible that Knutsen didn't do enough to get a second chance. 

Prince George:
Current imports: Ricard Blidstrand (20), Marko Dano (18)
2012 draft options: Blidstrand won't be back so that's one pick for sure. Dano is a non-reporting player from last year's draft but there is a good possibility that he comes to North America next year, his NHL draft year (he is a late-birthdate '94) so the Cougars might want to hold a spot open for him. So they can make two picks but perhaps will make only one?

Red Deer:
Current imports: Patrik Bartosak (19), John Persson (20)
2012 draft options: Persson signed to play pro, so he's gone. Bartosak had the #1 goalie job for the Rebels last year before his season-ending injury so as long as he is healthy I am positive he is wanted back. So, the Rebels probably only make one pick.

Regina:
Current imports: Martin Marincin (20), Dominik Volek (18)
2012 draft options: Marincin is gone to the pros. Volek is kind of up in the air - he has apparently signed a pro contract in Europe but the Pats have (publicly anyway) said they believe he will be back in the WHL next year. For sure they will make one pick to replace Marincin. Whether they make a 2nd pick will depend on whether they really do believe Volek is coming back. 

Saskatoon:
Current imports: Andrey Makarov (19), Matej Stransky (19)
2012 draft options: Both these guys were contributors to the Blades last year as 18 year olds and will probably be even bigger contributors this year. Given that, plus their lack of a first round pick (traded to Brandon), I think the Blades may not make any picks this year.

Seattle:
Current imports: Dave Sutter (20)
2012 draft options: Whether or not Sutter returns as a two-spot player, the Birds can still make two picks and sort things out later. I suspect they will do just that.

Spokane:
Current imports: Marek Kalus (19), Dominik Uher (20)
2012 draft options: Uher has moved on to the pros and Kalus is certain to be welcomed back. So the Chiefs can make one pick.

Swift Current:
Current imports: Richard Nedomlel (19), Steffan Soberg (19)
2012 draft options: Nedomlel is a keeper. Soberg showed up, then abruptly went home. I'm not sure if he qualifies to be kept and not counted, since he DID report originally. I suspect the Broncos aren't interested in having him though if he doesn't want to play over here, so if they have to drop him to use that 20th overall pick, then I'm sure they will.

Tri-City:
Current imports: Nikita Nesterov (19), Michal Plutnar (18), Malte Stromwall (18)
2012 draft options: Nesterov is a non-reporting player so he doesn't count unless he decides to come to the CHL this year. Plutnar and Stromwall probably showed enough last year to both be brought back again this year (IMO anyway) so I think it's quite possible the Americans will make no picks.

Vancouver:
Current imports: Marek Tvrdon (19)
2012 draft options: The Giants already dropped the supremely disappointing Alex Kuvaev earlier this summer, leaving only Tvrdon - whose 74 points I am positive they will welcome back. So they can make one pick.

Victoria:
Current imports: Lucas Kralik (19)
2012 draft options: the Royals will be able to make one pick for sure since they only have Kralik. Whether they want Kralik back or not is the determining factor in whether they make a second pick. His 6 points in 42 games last year is rather paltry for an 18 year old on a team that scored a fair number of goals. I suspect they drop Kralik and make two picks.