January 2019

[chopper]

There will in all likelihood be some very tough decisions going forward. In fact even the balance of this season will be interesting. Right now the Pats have 7 d-men and Evans is expected back in a couple weeks. Since they have signed Mitchell and brought him up for the balance of the season, it would appear that someone will need to be sent down in order to get playing time. The fact that Zonneveld and Feist in particular have stepped in and done very well make it move difficult. In light of their rather pedestrian play one might be tempted to move out one of the OA d-men to give the young guys the extra reps. That of course is unlikely to happen with JP.

Looking to next season the Pats are set up to return Walker, Evans, Feist, Zonneveld, Sedov and Mitchell. That's 6 d-men who could possibly return. I sense there will be some modification to that group by the time the dust settles.

Locating/signing/acquiring etc some offensively gifted forwards appears to be an obvious need. Streu and Pratt look to be pretty good bets to return as OA's. Streu has been scoring at a .71 ppg and that should translate to at least 50 points next year. A quality OA scorer or stud d-man may be an order for the other OA. I think rookies Alkimhov, Krane and Nijhoff (sort of rookie) have done fairly well up front. Massier, Wright, and Dubinsky have a ways to catch up. Morriseau although not a rookie hasn't played much and is a complete mystery. The last two years draft classes offer more questions than answers IMO.

I noticed that on the weekly report Max Paddock has been changed to "indefinite" regarding his illness. Did he not have an illness last year at about the same time? Very unfortunate and untimely for both he and the team.

The walk back to your car is a lot colder this year with the way these games are unfolding. The one night we get 9 pp's we still lose..egads! Chris Jones resigned and has now left for the Browns, Rod Pedersen is resigning as the voice of the Riders so things in sport change quickly and surprisingly. At this juncture it's hard to say what will be and what won't. I do believe that a lot more and a lot harder work will be needed to assemble a team for next season. It won't happen this year but next season they should have a third coach behind the bench handling the d-corps. They really have a big challenge in front of them and nothing taken for granted.

[chopper]

It's been pretty quiet on the team's home front. Nothing from the team or LP which is quite strange. The team's play notwithstanding it's youth has been at best uninspired with only scattered glimpses of hopefulness. Beyond the youth aspect a lot of hockey people I know feel there are still lots of concerns, perhaps even beyond the current and upcoming players. The recovered draft picks while obviously helpful and needed, are still several years away from being impactful for the team. A lot of things need to happen and go right, for this team to even become relevant over the next couple of seasons.

It was surprising to see both Erik Gardiner and Liam Hughes retire from hockey while both of their teams are doing pretty good. It's an extremely big blow to Lethbridge who made the big trades with Regina to compete or even go for it all. Then they trade for Hughes to solidify their goaltending and all of a sudden…poof. They now have two young goalies and their chances have taken a big hit. I noted that Max Paddock is still listed as "indefinite" regarding his illness. There has been zero information on him. I've heard nothing on Morriseau either. He's not even listed on the Weekly Report. He went from "Indefinite" to not being listed at all. I surmise that he must have been shut down for the season but they usually say "season ending". Pesenti is back to Midget and Woodside is now up. Without Max I can't see to many wins the rest of the way. It sadly does appear we may rival the awful 2005 season.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

Everybody a few years back including myself were perplexed when paddock didnt seem to want to bring gardiner aboard as a 16 year old, nevermind a 17. He had the size shot and stats for both years, and we had room on the roster, but the brass clearly didnt see a good fit here unlike holmes who didn't have the same skills but was more versatile and mentally prepared than gardiner.

Doesn’t seem like much changed after two yrs, and id say the staff made the right call with the trade, though moving him to a more successful program didnt seem to do much for him. Yeah, hilsendager looked to end up being the best player in that trade(despite being a throw in)...but it was unlikely he wouldve found the extra gear here like in kelowna. Sometimes thats just how it is with scenary changes...and though Smart had a very similar fate to gardiner(looks like he left his team in kootenay as well) he was still better for us in a position we needed filled, and of course he was a notable piece to the Fleury trade(cant say they wouldve wanted gardiner). At least in both cases we were able to salvage degrading assets and have coaches who make the unpopular decisions swiftly

[chopper]

Just read on the LP that Morriseau has been shut down for the season. Considering this is his third or fourth concussion it is absolutely the right thing to do. His health long term is more important than the game. It sounds like they will have discussions in the off season to see if he is ready mentally and physically ready to try again. There have have been success stories in the past regarding players coming back and doing well. There are also those who have decided that the risks outweigh the benefits and decided to pursue their lives in another direction. Considering what this young man has been through one can only wish him the best.

And an up note is that Max Paddock's illness has been moved from indefinite to day to day, and has returned to practicing with the team. That is good news for the team if he is able to return playing. He is clearly the best goalie we have both roster wise and prospect wise. In this season it's a bit of good news. Ryker Evans should soon be ready to resume playing. He was one of brighter lights before his injury. Good to see them both back.

[chopper]

Oh my God, it seems like we've been living in a deep freeze this year. Hope everyone is Ok.

While it's been been very difficult to find much to be happy about this season when it come to the Pats, this latest road trip has gone exceptionally well. No matter what happens in Edmonton they will be at least .500….win

It's nice to see Kolle do what he's doing. He is capable of this and it's what many thought he could bring. Blake Allan is staring to contribute and do some positive things.

To me seeing Ryker Evans play starting to elevate is encouraging. As he gets bigger and stronger he will be a force. He has great offensive instincts and is learning how to play defence quite well. We really missed him while he was on injury.

[chopper]

After some pretty good hockey in the last ten days, it all came to an end last night with a thud. I listened to Struch's post game remarks and have to agree wholeheartedly with him. From being there and watching the game live, they were very bad. From the goaltending on out nobody gave a crap about effort or team play. I think they started to believe they were somehow now a talented team, and that couldn't be any further from the truth. They need to work hard just to have any chance whatsoever. Individual selfish play with their limited talent will never work. I'm sure Struch gave them that message.

This has been a tough season with almost no really high points or players to be really excited about. I can say that MJ has a young team as well but the difference is they are a very talented and fast group that have played consistently good all season. They will be very highly positioned next season. Management has done some things right in MJ. They were supposed to stumble but they did not and have a nucleus to be strong for some time.

The draft and recovered draft picks are great for 3-4 years down the road. The Pats will need over the next year or two much more than they delivered this year. They have a few pieces but will need many more to become relevant again. They need an infusion of talent and it remains to be seen as to how they accomplish that.

[chopper]

After watching that effort it's truly real hard to say the boys deserved the W but sometimes that's how it goes. For 40 minutes we did virtually nothing, and Max had his second bad game in a row. Max can be an exceptional goalie but his consistency has always hurt him. Carter Hart was also taken late in the bantam Draft but unlike Hart, Max tends to have too many peaks and valley's. Consistency often isn't there. We were the beneficiaries of a number of very fortuitous bounces tonight, and you simply have to take them and move on. There is obviously lots wrong with this team but that can't be corrected this current season. One would hope that some guys are trying to prove points and play for something. The take away from tonights game makes that very hard to recognize.

[Reider]

You make a lot of great points, many of which I agree with. However, I think if we are being fair, the Pats have had some high points to be excited about. Despite the team being sellers and being a young team without elite talent, they've been able to beat every team in their division at least once and they've also beaten the top two teams in the Central division as well (Lethbridge and Edmonton). Beating the Raiders on Dec 30th in Prince Albert, while the Raiders were the #1 ranked team in the country was a huge win for them. It was the Raiders' first home loss of the season. Beating Lethbridge, while Lethbridge had Leschyshyn and Henry on their team (post trade) was huge. Beating Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Brandon were all notable wins. Beating Edmonton 4-0 was a big win even though it was Edmonton's 3rd game in as many nights and they had a bunch of players scratched (due to illness I believe).

Max Paddock and Dean McNabb have both had games where they have stood on their heads. Austin Pratt scoring 22 goals so far this year after not scoring a single goal last year in a Pats uniform has been huge for the team. Some of the young players have taken small steps forward.

The Pats got down early on Kootenay last night and most of Kootenay's goals looked soft, but credit to Pats for not giving up and for coming back to win. Dean McNabb came in and shut the door and the Pats found ways to put the puck in the net. That's not the way you want to win a hockey game, but I think the Pats need to take it and move on.

Unfortunately, in the big picture, the Pats do need to play more consistent hockey and they do need to find ways to improve their overall talent next year, but considering what the team is this year, they've earned some big wins and have had some moments to be excited about.

[chopper]

You make a lot of great points, many of which I agree with. However, I think if we are being fair, the Pats have had some high points to be excited about. Despite the team being sellers and being a young team without elite talent, they've been able to beat every team in their division at least once and they've also beaten the top two teams in the Central division as well (Lethbridge and Edmonton). Beating the Raiders on Dec 30th in Prince Albert, while the Raiders were the #1 ranked team in the country was a huge win for them. It was the Raiders' first home loss of the season. Beating Lethbridge, while Lethbridge had Leschyshyn and Henry on their team (post trade) was huge. Beating Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Brandon were all notable wins. Beating Edmonton 4-0 was a big win even though it was Edmonton's 3rd game in as many nights and they had a bunch of players scratched (due to illness I believe).

Max Paddock and Dean McNabb have both had games where they have stood on their heads. Austin Pratt scoring 22 goals so far this year after not scoring a single goal last year in a Pats uniform has been huge for the team. Some of the young players have taken small steps forward.

The Pats got down early on Kootenay last night and most of Kootenay's goals looked soft, but credit to Pats for not giving up and for coming back to win. Dean McNabb came in and shut the door and the Pats found ways to put the puck in the net. That's not the way you want to win a hockey game, but I think the Pats need to take it and move on.

Unfortunately, in the big picture, the Pats do need to play more consistent hockey and they do need to find ways to improve their overall talent next year, but considering what the team is this year, they've earned some big wins and have had some moments to be excited about.

You're right in that Pratt may be the biggest revelation of this season. He has started to reach some of the potential he was supposed to have. We have some adequate 17 year old rookies but they won't be confused with Beckman from Spokane. We don't have any young players who have had a real breakthrough seasons and that's worrisome. If Pratt has the right players around him next season he could be a really good OA which the Pats will need.

Winning games against good teams doesn't mean much. Actually means between slim and none; and Slim left town! In 2016-17 the Pats lost 20 times to teams below them in the standings, and a couple times to Kootenay if memory serves me right. Poor teams winning against good/exceptional teams happens all the time. When good teams play teams with poor records, often times they suffer from 'psychological softness". They don't play with the urgency or character they should. Combine that with poor teams playing above their talent level with something to prove, often leads to upsets. You can't read anything into those wins.

There is little they can do except try to play spoilers, gain experience, and perhaps attempt to reach some personal goals.

[Reider]

Hey chopper, you are not wrong and I do not disagree with you, but the reason for my last post was because of one of your earlier statements:

This has been a tough season with almost no really high points or players to be really excited about.

Perhaps we will have to agree to disagree on this one, but even though regular season wins do not mean much come playoff time, they are a source of excitement (a high point) for fans and the team at the time of the victory, especially when they are notable. For instance, giving the Raiders their first home loss halfway through the season was definitely one high point for the fans and team at the time. As well as the other examples I provided.

It's interesting that you used the 2016-2017 team losing 20 games as an analogy that regular season games do not mean anything. Because that very same team won 52 regular season games games, but was unable to win a Championship. However, that team had even more high points and players to be excited about. That was one of the most exciting seasons in a very long time, despite that teams' 52 regular season wins not meaning much in the big picture (no Championships were won).

I know that this year is a down year and there does not appear to be any future superstar players or championship caliber teams in sight, but that is besides the point. I believe that there have been some high points this year, despite it being a losing season, so I listed some of them. If you don't think the examples I listed in my last post are high points for the team or fans in a down year, then so be it. We will just have to agree to disagree.

Were you not happy or excited as a fan when the Pats beat PA in PA? Or when the Pats beat a Lethbridge team that had Leschsyhyn and Henry on their roster? Or when the Pats came back to beat the Ice the other night, despite playing poorly to start the game?

The one thing I will say about the young players is that we have to be patient and not write them all off yet. Dubinsky was 15 when the season started and a lot of the other young players do not have a lot of experience in the league yet. This is a great year to just let them get as much ice-time as possible and we'll see how things turn out over the next couple of / few years. This is Austin Pratt's best year and he is 19. Jeff De Wit (as a 20 year old) is finally scoring goals, Adam Brooks didn't do much as a 15/16 year old either etc.. Riley Krane and Sergei Alkhimov have each scored more than 10 goals this year, so it would be great if they could produce more next year (20+ goals each would be huge). It would be great if Nijhoff could be a bigger producer next year as well. As a 17 year old this year, he produces at a rate of .30pts/g. I don't know what his ceiling is, but he should get better and produce more as he gets older. The young defensemen will have to take a step forward next year as well.

In terms of the rebuild overall, there's still a lot of work to be done and it's going to take a while. It would be great if the Pats could be competitive year after year like some of these other teams in the CHL (Portland, London etc..).