Well, it’s been a couple of months since we spoke with GM Czepiel. Luckily we were able to catch up with him here in Vegas; the site of the 2018 CCHL entry draft.
Puljujarvi - what happened? “I’ve always been the first to admit that I have a lot to learn about running a hockey team. The opportunity to take over a CCHL team came out of nowhere and honestly, I was unprepared. It continues to be a learning process with some bumps in the road. After free agency, I brought in our team of scouts in order to put a strategy together for our inaugural draft. The common sentiment was that this was a very deep draft and it would make more sense for us to have quantity over quality. Siberia is in a position to win now, had a ton of picks and was looking for quality instead of quantity. In other words, we matched up perfectly. Siberia paid what we felt was a fair price and acquired Puljujarvi to play next to McDavid. We understand that we once again upset our fan base and will continue to offer full refunds and exchanges at the pro shop for all Puljujarvi merchandise. However, we are thrilled with the six quality players we were able to draft thanks to that trade.”
Draft recap - “This being our first draft, it was definitely a learning experience. Not only were we focused on selecting the right players for the future of our franchise but we were also learning about the other CCHL general managers and their drafting strategies. We hope that will help us in future drafts. It will take a few years to know how we did, but we are extremely optimistic.”
Czepiel on the draft - “One of the worst kept secrets was that Wahlstrom was our main target. We see him as a future first line wing with 40 plus goal potential. He was a no-brainer for us at pick number 4. Bode Wilde was the first player that we scouted back in February once we took over the franchise. Back then he was projected to be a top 10 pick, we were absolutely thrilled to get him at pick 30. Given my reputation, it should be of no surprise that I was able to swing a few deals during the draft. We added a current CCHL defenseman that should help our power play and projects to be a top 4 defenseman, along with a two highly touted goaltending prospects. Those deals will become official once the draft is complete and the trade freeze is lifted. As a rebuilding franchise, we didn’t have one specific need so we're looking to take the best available player with every pick. I believe we finished with a well-rounded draft class. Forwards: Wahlstrom, O’Brien, Eriksson, Karlsson, Lauko, Jenkins and Hutsko. Defensemen: Wilde, Tychonick, Utunen, Barteaux, and Demin. Goaltender: Vehvilainen. We are thrilled with every pick and have high expectations for each player. We truly believe that our draft was a success, and are just as excited by our picks at the end of our draft as our early selections. I really feel that we got some steals at the end with Toni Utunen and Dawson Barteaux.
Summer League play - “Summer league play is more than halfway through and I’ll be the first to admit that the team is performing much better then I thought possible. The entire roster is playing well but the play of Zibanejad and Halak has been unbelievable. Barring injuries, there is growing optimism around a possible run at a playoff berth.”
The Loons currently sit at 8-6-2 and head coach Craig Janney has the team playing with confidence. Yes, it is only the summer league but with each victory, the fan base is growing and becoming more invested in the team. Let’s just hope Czepiel doesn’t screw it up the way he has screwed up the Pirates - but we will leave that alone for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment