Swando
03-23-2014, 11:09 PM
I have not renewed my tickets yet for the new season even though the "deadline" lol has passed. This year was a disaster at the beginning.. a great surprise in the middle and a let down in the last 1/4 of the season.
If we look ahead to next year here is what I see..and I think Bonner will have to work some magic or the building may be empty.
Not back from this years team: Thrower, Traber, Franson,(for sure) and I think being released will be Lofthouse,McEvoy,Trzonkowski, AHL bound is Kulak and Europe bound is Volek. I believe that Rathjen will be marketed and traded if possible or released.
That leaves us with a FORWARD line up of : Sward, Hamilton ( as 20 yr olds)
Ronning (17), Baer(17),Stukel (17-injured this year) Foster(18), Popoff(19), Houck(19), Benson(16)and maybe Leone (18)......how does this boost ones confidence??
Okay let's look at the DEFENSE.. where we are much more established it seems with returning players and draft picks ready to step in. As mentioned Thrower and Kulak are gone leaving us : Dosanjh (17) Morrison(19) Atwal (18) Osipov (18) Geertsen (19)
Goalie: Payton Lee (18) has redeemed his mid season collapse to give confidence to having him as the starter and Kubic(16) or Shugrue (16) as potential back ups.( both were high bantam picks!)
Therefore seeing a very depleted line up one can expect Bonner to be busy after the playoffs. We have a lot of high draft picks coming of age but with our draft history that really means didily squat!! 1st rounders =(Spooner(22- big BUST), Hodder(21) bust Sward (20?),Ast(19)on hold but bust for us.. 2nd Rounders.. Kohlhauser,Simpson,Roach,Zalitach, Bellerive
ADVANCING HIGH PICKS from last years draft. Benson- 1st overall bantam pick, Barberis Ist round Defense, McKinsty D, Kubic G..
Scenerios:
Stand Pat as I thought they should have done this year..but I do realize that older "bigger" players help the younger Ronnings and Baers develop confidence.
Trade some of our amassed draft picks for proven players
Draft as high as possible and see how the picks turn out .
Regardless I do not seeing us a being a Memorial Cup Host with much chance unless we do what Saskatoon did last year and basically put their franchise back 5 years with nothing to show for it! I don't want the Mem Cup as it makes the ownership make decisions based on money rather than US>>THE FANS THAT MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Personally I like the Kelowna Rockets approach.... they "always" seem to trade from a position of strength.. getting Bell, Olsen yet giving up little in the overall picture. Look at the past drafts and you do not seeing Kelowna jumping all over the board like the Giants. They draft WELL and need to trade less often!!
If we look ahead to next year here is what I see..and I think Bonner will have to work some magic or the building may be empty.
Not back from this years team: Thrower, Traber, Franson,(for sure) and I think being released will be Lofthouse,McEvoy,Trzonkowski, AHL bound is Kulak and Europe bound is Volek. I believe that Rathjen will be marketed and traded if possible or released.
That leaves us with a FORWARD line up of : Sward, Hamilton ( as 20 yr olds)
Ronning (17), Baer(17),Stukel (17-injured this year) Foster(18), Popoff(19), Houck(19), Benson(16)and maybe Leone (18)......how does this boost ones confidence??
Okay let's look at the DEFENSE.. where we are much more established it seems with returning players and draft picks ready to step in. As mentioned Thrower and Kulak are gone leaving us : Dosanjh (17) Morrison(19) Atwal (18) Osipov (18) Geertsen (19)
Goalie: Payton Lee (18) has redeemed his mid season collapse to give confidence to having him as the starter and Kubic(16) or Shugrue (16) as potential back ups.( both were high bantam picks!)
Therefore seeing a very depleted line up one can expect Bonner to be busy after the playoffs. We have a lot of high draft picks coming of age but with our draft history that really means didily squat!! 1st rounders =(Spooner(22- big BUST), Hodder(21) bust Sward (20?),Ast(19)on hold but bust for us.. 2nd Rounders.. Kohlhauser,Simpson,Roach,Zalitach, Bellerive
ADVANCING HIGH PICKS from last years draft. Benson- 1st overall bantam pick, Barberis Ist round Defense, McKinsty D, Kubic G..
Scenerios:
Stand Pat as I thought they should have done this year..but I do realize that older "bigger" players help the younger Ronnings and Baers develop confidence.
Trade some of our amassed draft picks for proven players
Draft as high as possible and see how the picks turn out .
Regardless I do not seeing us a being a Memorial Cup Host with much chance unless we do what Saskatoon did last year and basically put their franchise back 5 years with nothing to show for it! I don't want the Mem Cup as it makes the ownership make decisions based on money rather than US>>THE FANS THAT MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Personally I like the Kelowna Rockets approach.... they "always" seem to trade from a position of strength.. getting Bell, Olsen yet giving up little in the overall picture. Look at the past drafts and you do not seeing Kelowna jumping all over the board like the Giants. They draft WELL and need to trade less often!!