Scout
10-07-2008, 07:08 PM
Courtesy Alan Caldwell
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Few notes for a Tuesday....
Another rookie import has been sent home after failing to make the grade; 18 year old Calgary forward Edgars Ulescenko has been returned to Latvia after being a healthy scratch in 6 of the Hitmen's first 8 games. Ulescenko was pointless in the two games he did play and was apparently not adjusting well to the North American game or to life on this side of the pond. The move leaves the Hitmen with only sophomore forward Bostjan Golicic for imports.
The Hitmen also reassigned 16 year old forward Cody Beach to his midget team in Kelowna, getting the Hitmen down to 26 players. Once they pare two overagers from the roster, they'll probably be close to their final roster for the season. Beach getting reassigned means there will be no Beach vs Beach matchup when the Hitmen meet the Silvertips this season. Everett's Beach was returned to them by Chicago yesterday.
With Beach coming back to Everett, there are now 6 junior-aged WHL players remaining in NHL camps, and all six of them look like they're going to be there to start the season. The six are Chilliwack forward Oscar Moller (L.A. Kings), Kelowna defenceman Luke Schenn (Toronto), Lethbridge forward Zach Boychuk (Carolina) and defenceman Luca Sbisa (Philadelphia), Red Deer forward Brandon Sutter (Carolina), and Saskatoon forward Colton Gillies (Minnesota). Gillies has apparently been told he has made the Wild for the season and won't be coming back. The rest of them, whether they come back probably depends on how they do in the first few games of the NHL season. Once they've played 10 NHL games, their contract kicks in for the full season, so once they hit that mark it's less likely they would be sent back since the NHL club would basically be losing a year of their three-year rookie deals. They CAN still be sent back after ten games (contrary to some reports out there - I can name you several players who were sent back to junior past the ten game mark) but it's probably a heckuva lot less likely.
One of the 07-08 WHLers that most observers felt was a sure bet to be in the NHL this season, won't be - at least to start the year. Washington has sent defenceman Karl Alzner to the AHL in what they say is purely a salary cap move and not based on his play. With this potentially being the last year of the CBA, there is no performance bonus cushion in this year's cap and since Alzner's rookie contract is probably loaded with performance bonuses, he probably represents a $2 or $3 million or so cap hit for the Capitals instead of the $600,000 or $700,000 he would in a normal year. (If I'm not making sense, Bob McKenzie of TSN explains it a lot better than me). Sucks for Alzner, and this is another issue that could be a factor for some of those above WHLers trying to stick in the NHL.
One minor trade in the WHL yesterday, Prince George sending 19 year old rookie forward Cody Rainaldi to Portland for future considerations. I'd guess the futures are dependant on whether Rainaldi sticks with the Hawks for a specified period of time.
Still with Portland, it's sounding like Tweedledee and Tweedledum could be in their last week of owning the Winter Hawks. WHL commish Ron Robison says he's going to recommend that the sale of the team to Calgary oilman Bill Gallacher be approved at the WHL Board of Governors meeting next Wednesday. Gallacher is expected to clean house in the hockey operations department (new coach, new G.M.) once he owns the team so these have to be tough times for Rich Kromm et al.
And lastly, I can't be the only one who, while watching Jim Vandermeer get pummeled by Steve MacIntyre on the weekend, was wondering who Donovan Rattray was cheering for....
Scout
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Few notes for a Tuesday....
Another rookie import has been sent home after failing to make the grade; 18 year old Calgary forward Edgars Ulescenko has been returned to Latvia after being a healthy scratch in 6 of the Hitmen's first 8 games. Ulescenko was pointless in the two games he did play and was apparently not adjusting well to the North American game or to life on this side of the pond. The move leaves the Hitmen with only sophomore forward Bostjan Golicic for imports.
The Hitmen also reassigned 16 year old forward Cody Beach to his midget team in Kelowna, getting the Hitmen down to 26 players. Once they pare two overagers from the roster, they'll probably be close to their final roster for the season. Beach getting reassigned means there will be no Beach vs Beach matchup when the Hitmen meet the Silvertips this season. Everett's Beach was returned to them by Chicago yesterday.
With Beach coming back to Everett, there are now 6 junior-aged WHL players remaining in NHL camps, and all six of them look like they're going to be there to start the season. The six are Chilliwack forward Oscar Moller (L.A. Kings), Kelowna defenceman Luke Schenn (Toronto), Lethbridge forward Zach Boychuk (Carolina) and defenceman Luca Sbisa (Philadelphia), Red Deer forward Brandon Sutter (Carolina), and Saskatoon forward Colton Gillies (Minnesota). Gillies has apparently been told he has made the Wild for the season and won't be coming back. The rest of them, whether they come back probably depends on how they do in the first few games of the NHL season. Once they've played 10 NHL games, their contract kicks in for the full season, so once they hit that mark it's less likely they would be sent back since the NHL club would basically be losing a year of their three-year rookie deals. They CAN still be sent back after ten games (contrary to some reports out there - I can name you several players who were sent back to junior past the ten game mark) but it's probably a heckuva lot less likely.
One of the 07-08 WHLers that most observers felt was a sure bet to be in the NHL this season, won't be - at least to start the year. Washington has sent defenceman Karl Alzner to the AHL in what they say is purely a salary cap move and not based on his play. With this potentially being the last year of the CBA, there is no performance bonus cushion in this year's cap and since Alzner's rookie contract is probably loaded with performance bonuses, he probably represents a $2 or $3 million or so cap hit for the Capitals instead of the $600,000 or $700,000 he would in a normal year. (If I'm not making sense, Bob McKenzie of TSN explains it a lot better than me). Sucks for Alzner, and this is another issue that could be a factor for some of those above WHLers trying to stick in the NHL.
One minor trade in the WHL yesterday, Prince George sending 19 year old rookie forward Cody Rainaldi to Portland for future considerations. I'd guess the futures are dependant on whether Rainaldi sticks with the Hawks for a specified period of time.
Still with Portland, it's sounding like Tweedledee and Tweedledum could be in their last week of owning the Winter Hawks. WHL commish Ron Robison says he's going to recommend that the sale of the team to Calgary oilman Bill Gallacher be approved at the WHL Board of Governors meeting next Wednesday. Gallacher is expected to clean house in the hockey operations department (new coach, new G.M.) once he owns the team so these have to be tough times for Rich Kromm et al.
And lastly, I can't be the only one who, while watching Jim Vandermeer get pummeled by Steve MacIntyre on the weekend, was wondering who Donovan Rattray was cheering for....
Scout