Would any of our 15,000 or so 20 year olds next year would have any interest with you guys next year
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Would any of our 15,000 or so 20 year olds next year would have any interest with you guys next year
better talent coming up next year than possibly any team in the WHL. When added to the current quality young players on the Canes, and having high draft picks again this summer they should be a great team for years to come. All of this hinges on having good, if not great coaching. The 4 probable best prospects for Lethbridge are as follows:
POS..NAME . . . . . AGE . LEAGUE.. GP . G . .A . . PTS . SCORING RANK
F. Giorgio Estephan 15 . . . AB . . . 32 17 + 30 = 47 . . . . 3rd
F. Colt Conrad . . . . 15 . . .MB . . . 39 25 + 42 = 67 . . . . 2nd
F. Kolten Olynek . . .16 . . .SK . . . 38 31 + 38 = 69 . . . . 2nd
D. Bryton Sayers . . .16 . . SK . . . .44 12 + 41 =53 . . .. . 8th
Giorgio Estephan (drafted 2012 #4) at 5'11" 170 lbs is the biggest of the 4 prospects, and maybe the best of all of the Canes prospects. Estephan puts up very good numbers wherever he plays. Last year Giorgio won the AMBHL (Bantam) scoring race in his draft year with 43 goals and 57 assists for 100 points in 32 games. (He may not have put up the numbers that this years super prospect Tyler Benson did with his record smashing 146 points, but Estephan was the #1 scorer in his draft year). Estephan continues to put up the points and win hockey games which to me is the best indicator of his talent. His SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics Midget team is going to the AMBHL playoff final series in a few days. Estephan is having a really good playoff to date and has 4 goals and 6 assists in 9 games.
Colt Conrad (drafted 2012 #53) at 5"9" 160 lbs is another small player in the Hurricane's stable who will have a shot at making Lethbidge's roster next year as a 16 year old. This kid put up points like almost no one else in Midget Hockey this year other than maybe last years #1 overall bantam pick, Matthew Barzal who as a 15 year old, won the BC Midget league scoring title. While Conrad may well have placed 2nd in the Manitoba Midget league scoring race, he played less games than the scoring champion and actually had the most PPG in the MMHL. Perhaps to make up for being deprived of the regular season scoring championship simply because of the number of games he played, he has absolutely torn up the MB Midget playoff scoring race. Colt is number one by a mile with an astounding 22 points in just 9 games. He has 7 goals and 15 assists for nearly 2.5 points per game. Yes Colt is undersized, but his offensive talent seems to be second to none in Midget Hockey in Western Canada.
Kolten Olynek (drafted 2011 #26) at 5'6" 152 lbs soaking wet is another of the Canes small but prolific scorers in the pipeline. Kolten put up nearly 2 points per game in the SK midget league this year. Like Colt Conrad in the Manitoba Midget league, Olynek finished 2nd in the scoring race, but also like Colt, he finished with the best points per game average at just under 2 ppg. Another undersized but offensively gifted player that should make the Canes roster next year.
Last but not least is Bryton Sayers, a 16 year old 5'10" 180lb defenseman from the SK Midget league who the Canes drafted 48th overall in 2011. Sayers finished the 2012/13 season as the top scoring D-man in the SMHL, and was the 8th highest scorer overall in the league. Another undersized player for his position as a D-man but obviously a potential excellent Power Play and offensive Dman for the Hurricans.
Some pretty impressive talent, at least at the Midget level. If that translates to talent in the infinitely more difficult league that is the WHL, we'll have to wait and see. Succeeding in the WHL will depend on many many variables, not the least of which is just plain old fashioned luck.
A few posts up someone commented on the amount of defensemen returning. My question is, where does a guy like Sayers fit in at 17 or would he be a player poised to return to AAA as his Prince Albert Mintos are hosting the Western Regional Tournament.
Just read over of HF that Dietz signed with MTL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bocephus
It is not IF they fire Rich it must be when! After 4 years of sub par performances , he and his assistants must pay the price!!! These young kids deserve a fresh new voice!! Wake up board and do the right thing for once!
Just watched global and an interview with the President. He says they are right where they expect and wanted to be in the rebuild. That's some high expectatioins.
Listened to the last media round table. The best point I heard, although there were many (much credit to Pat, Fred, Paul and Dylan) was that results wise, nothing has changed in four years. Something has to change for next year.
They also brought up the whole 5 year re build thing. Where does that come from? Gregg Drinnan is very connected but that is how he sees things, yet many franchises around the league have proven this to be very exaggerated.
They made a lot of good of good points. Not winning back to back games meant that the Canes were essentially done Feb 6 or so. Youth and injuries as excuses for the fourth straight year. Not replacing key players on the back end as they left,or got hurt, and knowing that every year Johnston gets hurt.
Great post Hurricanes Rock.
Where is the size in our prospects? They look to have some skill but not one is over 6'. The other thing I'm skeptical about is that all teams are just as excited about their prospects as the Canes are, there are a ton of good players out there in midget hockey.
And who plays net next year?
Actually in 2010, didn't the Canes bid for the Mem Cup here in 2013. That would be 3 yrs into a re-building program. Right where we want to be??? Nonsense. The old norm was a 3 yr rebuilding program, now it has moved to five? Please tell Vcr, Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, Kootney, ah s--t, tell the whole league to get with the five year program. :confused::confused::confused::confused::(Quote:
Originally Posted by Bocephus