Far Off "Random" Thoughts

[Tipped Off]

It's interesting to look at the makeup of the Tips roster.

current Tips Roster by birth year:
1990: 3
1989: 8
1988: 7
1987: 5
1986: 3

If we just look ahead to next season, we see that Fiala will be an overage Euro. As a 2nd round NHL draft pick he's probably gone one way or the other. Since WHL teams can only have one Euro next season (and even if they could have two), it certainly wouldn't be an overager anyway, it will be Vartovnik, more than likely.

That leaves four players for the overage slots...Sonne, Alic, Campos & Smyke. All forwards/Centers. No defensemen. On Top of that, these aren't even the strongest offensive minded forwards we have on the team. I could see Sonne and Campos as returners, but you'd have to think we'd trade for a 20 year old Defensemen type.

Interestingly enough, I think the one piece we are missing for a strong run at the Mem cup THIS year is a big strong defensive minded guy. So what do we have a lot of? 88's and 89's. FIFTEEN of them to be exact.

So here's my question...what would you give up for nice 19 year old defenseman (this year, 20 next season) and what's out there?

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/npthree/Tips%20Stuff/roster.jpg

[ihlemic10]

Why one euro next year?

[Tipped Off]

But that's what Hockey Canada has implemented (and I'm pretty sure teh WHL did, but I can't guarantee that). It really doesn't matter, Fiala will either be with a pro team (AHL/NHL) or, like Hromas, off doing something else. It's hard to take up both an overage spot and a Euro spot with one player.

[Redwic]

It's interesting to look at the makeup of the Tips roster.

That leaves four players for the overage slots...Sonne, Alic, Campos & Smyke. All forwards/Centers. No defensemen. On Top of that, these aren't even the strongest offensive minded forwards we have on the team. I could see Sonne and Campos as returners, but you'd have to think we'd trade for a 20 year old Defensemen type.

Interestingly enough, I think the one piece we are missing for a strong run at the Mem cup THIS year is a big strong defensive minded guy. So what do we have a lot of? 88's and 89's. FIFTEEN of them to be exact.

So here's my question...what would you give up for nice 19 year old defenseman (this year, 20 next season) and what's out there?

Assuming that he isn't snatched up by some AHL team or something in the offseason, I really hope that Campos returns next season. If you look at his career hockey stats, and read past articles about him, you will see why I think that way.

I agree with your assessment of fifteen 88's & 89's... Although the majority of the team's talent is based within those birth-years, that also means they might be the best trade-bait. It's generally safer (& better) to keep the team's age-groups balanced, and we certainly don't want to end up in a situation like Kelowna, which started 12 19-year olds last season but only returned one. You don't want to put too many eggs in one basket, so to speak.

As for trading for a strong defensive-minded 19-year old this season who can return next season... I couldn't agree more. That is actually what the team attempted last season with Fransoo (sort of); if you look back at past interviews & articles with Constantine, he mentioned that keeping Fransoo for his 20-year old season was always the original intent. There lies the potential problem: I would hate for us to give up a very talented 88 or 89 for a 19-year old, who does so well this season that he does not even return for his 20-year old season. But then again, our team needs to keep the opposition (division rivals & Vancouver, primarily) from countless scoring chances, while at the same time having the ability to not be pushed around, so it could be a good gamble to take.

Speaking of Vancouver, did anyone else notice that after only eight games, they already have THREE players with +10 ratings & SIX total players with 9+ points? Wow!

[ihlemic10]

I figure they will only have about 10-15 losses total this year, definetly no back door cup run for them.

[Jimmy]

Whoa, a lot of local boys. :clap:

[Tipped Off]

18 - Canada
9 - BC
4 - AB
4 - SK
1 - NB
6 - U.S
2 - CA
2 - AK
1 - WA
1 - MN
1 - Czech republic
1 - Slovakia

[Tipped Off]

You can remove one player from the above equation:

Silvertips send Ius down

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer

Matt Ius got caught in the numbers game.

The Everett Silvertips' right wing was a victim of Everett's depth up front, as well as his age, and was reassigned Monday.

The 16-year-old Ius, Everett's second-round pick in the 2005 bantam draft, is considered one of the Silvertips' top prospects. However, with Everett having so many capable forwards, Ius didn't dress for any of the Silvertips' first six games. The WHL also instituted a rule this season requiring 16-year-olds to play in at least 40 games, an unlikely prospect for Ius.

Therefore, in order to stay within the league rules, as well as let Ius develop through playing, he was reassigned to Burnaby of the British Columbia Hockey League.

With Ius gone, Everett now has 25 players on its roster - 15 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders. One of those forwards, 19-year-old left wing Ondrej Fiala, is not expected back until November as he rehabilitates from offseason knee surgery.