State of the Loons ; Post Deadline Edition

With the trade deadline behind us, the CCHL season is now in the home stretch. The Loons have lost their hold on the top seed in the CCHL but are still hanging onto the top seed in the Corfield conference. As expected GM Czepiel made some moves at the deadline, mainly to strengthen the Loons overall defense. Pageau and Gourde both have reputations as strong defensive forwards, McNabb and Hamhuis are stay at home, physical defensemen. However, as often is the case this year, additions to the roster have sent the Loons into a slump as the teams searches to find the right line combinations. The Loons are playing their worst hockey of the year right now and have gone 4-6 in their past 10 games. Wisborg has gotten hot as of late and are right back into the race for the conference title, while Seattle has been trading blows with the Loons all season long. 

Then late last night a story broke that is being called #Goaliegate. Seattle, along with a few other CCHL teams have been found guilty of breaking CCHL rule Q.1. Admittedly there are a lot of rules to keep track of in the CCHL but this one has massive ramifications on the team and the playoff race. Due to an oversight by the Reign head coach, Corey Crawford was allowed to play more than the league allows and now the Reign will have to forfeit 30 points, and thus crippling their playoff hopes.

Capeside has 14 games to go and has a 5 point lead on Wisborg and a game in hand on the Donuts. Portland has gotten hot lately and is within 10 points while both the Thunder and Musicmen have games in hand on the Loons. Goaliegate has definitely put the Loons in a great position to have a first round bye in the playoffs but all that can quickly fall apart if Coach Janney can't get this team to turn it around. A championship team is supposed to get hot before the playoffs not the other way around.

Siberia Looks to next season...

The trade deadline is over in the CCHL and there was a flurry of trades (and yes Fleury was also traded). The Icecats traded away a couple of veterans that signaled a retooling of a team that was considered a contender for the Kehler Cup at the start of the season.

The frustrations of a tough season wore us down and it was time to acknowledge that the season was over. This would not be the season that the Icecats win their first championship in franchise history. Heck, we may not even make the playoffs. We did set ourselves up to come back stronger next year.

By trading Ryan Johansen and Justin Williams, we cleared nearly $11 million in salary this year and $8 million next year. We also gained some young players who can contribute immediately next year and more pieces for the future. In Alexander Alexeev, we get a high caliber dman, which softens the loss of Quinn Hughes earlier this year. Danault is in line to take over the 3rd line C duties from Johansen for this year and next. Donskoi can play 3rd line RW or come in and sub.

The core of the team is intact. McDavid, Bergeron, Nuge, Stone, Palmieri, Ehlers, Burns, Parayko, etc. With the additions of key young players, next season such as likely rookie of the year runner up Rasmus Dahlin, Miro Heiskanen, Andreas Johnsson, Lucas Wallmark, Oskar Lindblom and others, the Icecats have plenty of youth to infuse or trade to make a run for the cup next season. We have not been shy to swing big deals to bring in big names to go for it.

All in all, the future is still bright in Siberia (but still darn cold! ), but the wait is now for next season.

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 18

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners:  Volume 18

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record:  1 wins, 0 losses, 3 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  33 wins, 24 losses, 10 OT Loss = 76 points total.  Currently sit in 4th place in the Canosa Conference, 9th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 21.0% (13th); Penalty Kill – 80.0% (8th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Center Vincent Trocheck (23G – 52A = 75 pts; 11th Overall in the CCHL)

It was a busy week for the Miners, as they landed a 5 out of a possible 8 points in their four games to remain in 4th place in the Canosa Conference.  The bad news, they lost 3 of the 4 games played, but the good news was that all of their losses came via overtime or shootout.  With a little luck, the Miners could have secured a couple more points, and increased their hold on a playoff position for this season.

With the trade deadline last week, the Miners did make one minor move to address their depth on defence, sending Gustav Forsling and prospect Spencer Martin to Springfield in exchange for veteran Jason Demers.  Demers is a significant step up defensively over Forsling and will immediately slot into a top 4 role with the Miners.   He is a pending UFA after the season.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Adrian Kempe

Kempe is a tall, solidly built forward, with the ability to play both center and wing.  He has a shoot-first tendency but is not a true goal scorer.  He is a powerful and explosive skater but is not smooth in his technique.  He has adequate stick-handling abilities, yet there’s still some room for growth when it comes to his playmaking skills and overall vision.  His defensive zone positioning is structured and composed and compliments that with an active stick.  He would benefit from playing the body a bit more in the defensive zone.  He has the potential to be a solid player but there are concerns about his true finishing touch and that will lower his status as a top CCHL scorer.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Grigori Denisenko

Denisenko is further away from contributing in the CCHL, than some of the players in his draft class.  His high-speed puck handling, full of silky dangles and accurate passing ability, suggest that the style of game will translate over time to higher levels of competition.  He is also a fine skater, owning an explosive first few steps, a smooth stride, and agility.  The questions about Denisenko’s game, involve his seeming lack of interest away from the puck, and his ability to play physical while staying on the good side of the disciplinary line.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2021-22.

What can be learned from Dayton?

Back in the Fall, Dayton had loaded up on high end prospects and had created a roster of 3rd liners for the most part. Which made sense, as Dayton was coming into a season of patience and continued rebuild of the next great Musicman team.

I figured the team would be a possible bottom 5 team, but to expect more than that, didn't make sense. A bunch of really young kids and 3rd line grinder types, isn't going to beat many opponents.

We won our first two games of the season, both overtime wins over Portland.

Then came two more wins and the team was 4-0-0 after the first week. After the first ten games of the season, we were 7-3-0, happy as a clam with our performance.

After the next ten games, the 'Men sat in first place with a 14-6-0 record.

No, I didn't understand what was going on, at all..

Feeling a little frisky, I made a couple moves, beefed up my offense a bit, added another top 4 dman and waited to see the team go on another little roll.

Dayton played roughly .500 hockey for about a month and fell back in the Conference standings.

I made a few more deals and went all in.

Brought in Sid. Brought in Suter. Dubnyk, Kuznetsov, etc...

Most of my best prospects were gone...

But, on paper, the Dayton roster was as good as anyone's in the league.

Dayton then went on a 25 game romp to the top of the overall standings and now awaits the first round bye and a great opportunity to win our fifth CCHL Championship.

Well, not really...

Not. At. All.

Dayton went on a prolonged losing streak of sorts and dropped like a rock to 8th place in the conference.

Facing some financial issues, I decided that I could easily keep losing by trading away some of my older star players, add to my prospect base. By 10:00pm trade deadline night, the team had been cut to the bone, 34 Million bucks had been cut from our payroll and a dozen or so draft picks were stored away for the Summer Draft.

Of course, Dayton would limp to the end of the regular season, right?

Sigh...

Nope...

The Musicmen have the 3rd best record in the CCHL over the last ten games.

Go figure...

As some have said, maybe I had too many stars on my roster. I felt I'd been careful on maintaining a good mix of offensive, defensive, physical and skill players. An effective blend of scorers, passers, etc...

I tried dozens of combinations with my lines and the settings of strategy - none of which worked.

I can't say I understand what the hell's going on, I can't.

But, my experience may be instructive for others. Unlike APBA, where I suspect DAY would've been a tough team to beat, Simon is a entirely different beast.

I think overloading a lineup can be detrimental in the long run. Regardless of the balance, stacking a lineup may be the wrong way to go.

I'm learning, we're all learning, but I think the teams that combine a good but not crazy-ass great team with effective strategy and attentiveness will fare the best going forward.

What a weird season...

What now for the Musicmen?

With the 2019 trade deadline behind us, a good question lingers as to what should be expected from the Dayton Musicmen for the rest of the 2018-19 CCHL regular season.

With Voracek, Suter, Benn, Marchand, Edler, etc gone via trades, will the 'Men slowly fade as the season runs out? Or, rather, will they return to the level of play they enjoyed in the start of the season, where with an admittedly modest amount of talent, they played a solid defensive game combined with the steady play of Devan Dubnyk and "just enough" offense to prevail more often than not?

With the 6th lowest payroll going forward, the team should be on solid footing come the off season, when they're expected to be players in the annual UFA Bidding frenzy. "I suspect we'll be looking for some solid dmen, maybe two, a 2nd line winger and then some grinders for our bottom six roles." said GM Bill Corfield.

Players not expected to return include forwards Alex Steen and Tom Kuhnhakl as well as veteran defensemen Dan Girardi and Johnny Oduya.

Negotiations are already underway with Center Sidney Crosby. It is expected Crosby will be offered a 4 year, $36,000,000 million dollar contract remain with Dayton for the rest of his career. RFAS's expected to be offered contracts include Goalie Laurent Brossoit, forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jared McCann and Daniel Sprong. Dmen expected to be resigned are Michael Del Zotto and Erik Gustafsson.

"Don't forget we'll have Danny Sprong for the entire season. The move to Anaheim seemed good for him but he's still a ways away from a top six job, that's for sure..." said Corfield...

The Dayton net seems stable with Dubnyk, Brossoit and Subban handling the duties.

GM Corfield is hoping to see some playoff revenue come in from a playoff series or two. "Two series would get us at least $4.5M bucks which could sign us 3-4 of our bottom six guys, Yes, that would be great."

Never a dull moment in Southwest Ohio, is it?

Around the CCHL: Trade Deadline, Playoff races, etc....

TRADE DEADLINE:  A very busy 2019 trade deadline has come and gone and what a busy last 6 hours it was! 61 players changed teams and several teams have been reshaped.

Question: What do Alex Radulov, Patrick Laine, Jason Spezza, Tyson Barrie, Roberto Luongo, PK Subban, Shea Weber, and Brian Boyle all have in common?

Answer: They and several other big names were all traded in the last few days...

Who will do well? Who won't? Time will tell.



PLAYOFF RACES: We have great playoff races in both conferences this season and with about 13 games left in the regular season, I think just three teams, (GIL, PAR and REK) are out of the playoff picture.

In the Canosa Conference, MIN sits atop the conference but most of the teams chasing the Norsemen have games in hand. Any slip by MIN could result in a falling back in the conference standings, even to the point where Blake may find his boys playing and not relaxing in the opening round of the CCHL playoffs.

HAM holds 2 games in hand and the Millers have 4 games over MIN. The Norsemen control their own destiny.

Six teams are all within just three points for the other three Canosa playoff spots. Of the six teams, (SUD, VEG, ISL, SPR, SIB & FNT) the Isotopes have the fewest games played and now would be a great time to string together a few wins. VIC sits behind the pack by six points and while now out of it, really needs points and fast...

In the Corfield Conference, the Loons remain the best team in the CCHL but have hit a bit of a cold stretch going just 5-5-0 in the last ten games. SEA sits in second, six pts. behind and likewise has gone a bit cold, with just 8 points in their last ten games.

The Donuts sit just 3 points behind SEA and NIA finds themselves just 1 point behind Wisborg in 4th place.

POR sits alone in 5th place 4 pts. behind NIA, but 7 pts. ahead of the sixth place Chinook, who have a slim 1 point lead over the teams right behind them.

Those two teams - Fort Erie and Dartmouth - are tied with 68 pts. and 66 games played.

Finally, 2 points behind both the Lakers and Falcons and 3 pts. behind sixth place CGY are the Dayton Musicmen.

Dayton has played the fewest games in the league, just 60 whereas most of the teams above them have played 65 games already.

If the Musicmen can put a run together for the next couple weeks, the will shoot up in the standings. So in a similar way to the Isotopes, DAY controls its destiny and after reshaping its roster by mostly moving big name players (and contracts) out the door, it remains to be seen if DAY was too impatient by moving players at the deadline or wise and pragmatic to do so...

Stay tuned, the next few weeks should be very interesting...

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 17

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners:  Volume 17

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record:  1 wins, 1 losses, 0 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  32 wins, 24 losses, 7 OT Loss = 71 points total.  Currently sit in 4th place in the Canosa Conference, 9th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 20.8% (13th); Penalty Kill – 80.2% (9th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Center Vincent Trocheck (22G – 50A = 72 pts; 13th Overall in the CCHL)

 It was a “status-quo” type of week for the Miners, as the CCHL schedule saw them only play two games this past week.   The Miners would split the two games but still remain in a playoff position, sitting in 4th place in the Canosa Conference.

With the trade deadline this week, and with little activity expected from the Miners at this point, the players in the room know they are the ones that management is counting on to lead them to the franchise’s first postseason birth.

“We like our group in here.  We are tight knit and everyone knows their role,” stated Miner's winger Zach Hyman.  “We know it sound cliché, but the goal is just to get to the dance.  You never know what can happen once you get in.”


MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Anthony Mantha

Mantha is a tall and lanky winger who features a potent wrist shot and an array of shooting capabilities.  Not the smoothest of skaters, Mantha can change gears driving 1-on-1, and uses that to blow past defenders.  His startup quickness isn’t as efficient and that is the area in which he lacks.  He has quick, soft hands with good control as a puck handler and is always looking to shoot first.  His one flaws, is that he tends to play a one-way game. He likes free wheeling in open ice but he needs to be more determined in traffic and will lose steam once a play fizzles out.  This can lead him to being a bit soft and uninvolved defensively.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Filip Hronek

Hronek came to the Miners via trade from Fort Erie earlier this season.  He struggled to make an impact as an 18-year-old in the Czech men’s league, so Hronek came to the OHL and had zero adjustment period to the North American game.  One year later, his transition from the OHL to the AHL went just as smoothly. He is a very good puck rushing blueliner but he could stand to recognize danger a little better. He has also been sheltered, so his ability to play tough minutes is still a question but aside from that, he plays a very mature game with the puck and is not very far at all from the CCHL.  Expected CCHL arrival:  2019-20.

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 17

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record:  1 wins, 1 losses, 0 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  32 wins, 24 losses, 7 OT Loss = 71 points total.  Currently sit in 4th place in the Canosa Conference, 9th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 20.8% (13th); Penalty Kill – 80.2% (9th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Center Vincent Trocheck (22G – 50A = 72 pts; 13th Overall in the CCHL)

It was a “status-quo” type of week for the Miners, as the CCHL schedule saw them only play two games this past week.   The Miners would split the two games, but still remain in a playoff position, sitting in 4th place in the Canosa Conference.

With the trade deadline this week, and with little activity expected from the Miners at this point, the players in the room know they are the ones that management is counting on to lead them to the franchise’s first post season birth.

“We like our group in here.  We are tight knit and everyone knows their role,” stated Miners winger Zach Hyman.  “We know is sound cliché, but the goal is just to get to the dance. You never know what can happen once you get in.”

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Anthony Mantha

Mantha is a tall and lanky winger who features a potent wrist shot and an array of shooting capabilities.  Not the smoothest of skaters, Mantha can change gears driving 1-on-1, and uses that to blow past defenders.  His startup quickness isn’t as efficient and that is the area in which he lacks. He has quick, soft hands with good control as a puck handler and is always looking to shoot first.  His one flaws, is that he tends to play a one-way game. He likes free wheeling in open ice but he needs to be more determined in traffic and will lose steam once a play fizzles out. This can lead him to being a bit soft and uninvolved defensively.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Filip Hronek

Hronek came to the Miners via trade from Fort Erie earlier this season.  He struggled to make an impact as an 18-year-old in the Czech men’s league, so Hronek came to the OHL and had zero adjustment period to the North American game.  One year later, his transition from the OHL to the AHL went just as smoothly. He is a very good puck rushing blueliner but he could stand to recognize danger a little better. He has also been sheltered, so his ability to play tough minutes is still a question but aside from that, he plays a very mature game with the puck and is not very far at all from the CCHL.  Expected CCHL arrival: 2019-20.

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 16

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners:  Volume 16

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record:  0 wins, 3 losses, 1 OT loss.

Miners League Standing:  31 wins, 23 losses, 7 OT Loss = 69 points total.  Currently sit in 4th place in the Canosa Conference, 9th overall in the CCHL.

Miners Special Teams:  Power Play – 21.2% (13th); Penalty Kill – 80.0% (10th)

Miners Scoring Leader:  Center Vincent Trocheck (21G – 49A = 70 pts; 11th Overall in the CCHL)

After going 6-3-1 in their previous 10 games, the Miners could not have picked a worst time to have an off week.  The Miners went 0-3-1 for the week, but somehow even with their performance this past week, the Miners still remain in 4th spot in the Canosa Conference, and but the gap has closed 5 points ahead of 7th place Springfield, who has 2 games in hand.

“Brutal……just (expletive) brutal.  There is no point in sugar coating what this past week was for us”, stated Miners defenceman Andy Greene.  “It just goes to show how quick things can change in the CCHL. One week were are on a good roll and then the next week, our wheels fall off and we look worse than the Anaheim Ducks!  It’s embarrassing.”

 With just 20 games remaining in the CCHL season and the playoff race being as tight as it is, the Miners can ill-afford to have a repeat of last week and hope to taste post season action for the first time in franchise history.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK:  Travis Konecny

Simply put, Konecny is a fiery competitor with great hands in tight, balanced skating and world class lateral agility.  He likes to beat the goalie laterally, stretching him out to create – and exploit – those holes created. He has an excellent shot with a heavy and quick release which allows him to pick his spots.  Konecny is also a heads up playmaker and is very accurate with his passes. Despite being a bit undersized, he will take hits to make a play. He continues to work on his game, and has the potential to become an effective penalty killer.  A natural leader, it would not be a surprise to see him wear a letter at some point in his career.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW:  Ian Mitchell

Mitchell is another modern, undersized blueliner, who currently plys his trade in the NCAA with Denver.  The Canadian World Junior player is a tremendous skater with good hockey sense and plays with poise, skill, and confidence. Although his shot is somewhat lacking to expect a fulltime role on the power play, Mitchell does move the puck very well.  Away from the puck, he makes up for his lack of size with hard work and great stick placement. He needs another two years with the Pioneers before themaking the jump to the CCHL, but he still projects as a probable second-to-pairing blueliner at his highest level.  Expected CCHL arrival: 2023-24.

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 15

A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 15

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record: 3 wins, 1 loss, 0 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 31 wins, 20 losses, 6 OT Loss = 68 points total. Currently, sitting in 4th place in the Canosa Conference, 8th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 21.0% (13th); Penalty Kill – 80.3% (8th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Vincent Trocheck (20G – 47A = 67 pts; 8th Overall in the CCHL)

As we start to get into the home stretch of the CCHL season, the Miners have picked a good time to
play some of their best hockey, in order to solidify a playoff spot the season. This past week, the Miners sported a 3-1-0 record and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. That record has vaulted the Miners into 4th spot in the Canosa Conference, and now 7 points ahead of 7th place Siberia.

“It’s just having everybody skating and working hard and I think we’re not forcing plays like we might have been earlier in the season”, stated Miners center Vincent Trocheck. “We’re getting pucks in deep and grinding the other team down, and right now we are getting results.”

With just over two weeks until the trade deadline, the Miners got into the act making a minor move
last week. The Miners sent little used, veteran defenseman to Hamilton in exchange for a 2020 5th round pick. Sudbury only retained $500,000 in the transaction but they were able to get a future asset and save some money for the pending unrestricted free agent.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Shea Theodore

The highly touted Theodore is starting to reach his potential and is continuing to develop into a
skilled puck mover with talented hands and solid in-close finesse skills. He strong skating allows him to jump in and support the attack. He makes a good first pass and looks for simple outlet route. However, he is not without risk. At times, he can opt for a low-percentage play and can be guilty of over-handling or getting fancy. While a good skater going forward, he is not as mobile backward and sometimes has trouble keeping the game in front of him defending the rush. He will need to get stronger as he sometimes struggles to contain power moves to the net and he could be more physical.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Liam Foudy

Foudy was always viewed as more athlete than a hockey player. Seen more as a depth player on
usually strong London Knights, but he took on a more prominent role after a series of veteran players left last season and he has flourished. Foudy is a brilliant skater, one of the best in junior hockey, and he may just be scratching the surface of what he can do with and to a puck. He will develop more as he spends more time playing in a top-six role. Expected CCHL arrival: 2022-23.

State of the Loons; Midseason Prospect Report

Capeside started off the year looking to rebuild their farm system in order to build for the future. After a strong 2018 entry draft, it seemed that the Loons were fulfilling that mission. However, Capeside's success this year has forced Czepiel to change on the fly and many of those assets have been moved in order to push for the playoffs. When looking at the Loons it is important to remember what the Ottawa roster and prospects looked like when the franchise was moved to Capeside. The Barracudas top goal scorer was Brett Ritchie and there was not a top 100 prospect in the organization. The Loons roster is now filled with young exciting players like Dubois, Vrana, Arvidsson, Debrusk, and Murray. And while the prospects may not have the same depth as it did earlier in the year, there are still some high potential players at the top.

1. Rasmus Kupari - C 

Rasmus was recently acquired in a trade with Victoria that sent highly regarded prospect Quinn Hughes to the Ronin. The center position was identified as an area of weakness within the organization, Kupari and Bowers will hopefully change that. Kupari was selected 16th in the 2018 CCHL draft and has since shown that he should have gone higher. Kupari is a highly skilled offensive centerman that has been putting in the work to be more of a complete two-way center. Kupari was given an increased role on this year's Finnish junior team on the top line and had solid results with 5 points in 7 games, but more importantly a +3 while going against the opposition's top lines. The Loons envision Kupari as their future second line center.

2. Oliver Wahlstrom - RW

Wahlstrom was selected 4th overall by the Loons this year and has not yet lived up to those expectations. The BC Eagles were expected to be a powerhouse this year with Wahlstrom on the top line, neither of those is working out. Early in the year, there were rumors of Wahlstrom being unhappy at BC and possibly leaving to go overseas or to juniors in Canada. Wahlstrom remains at BC and his production has picked up as of late but not dominating as was expected. Wahlstrom did have a solid World Junior tournament where many scouts listed him as one of the top players on team USA. Wahlstrom was expected to be 1 and done at BC and possibly signing with the Islanders in the spring. Wahlstrom's lackluster play may have altered those plans and may need another year at BC.

3. Ryan Donato - LW

Donato was not expected to be on the Loons' prospect list, but the physicality of the NHL exposed Donato. Ryan has an elite shot but will need time to improve his strength on the boards and with the puck. If Donato can use his time in the AHL to develop those skills there is no reason why he still won't be a 30 goal scorer at the NHL level.

4. Bode Wilde - D

Wilde slipped to the second round in the draft but he has done all that he can to prove that all those teams made a huge mistake passing on him. Bode has torn up the OHL with 50 points (13/37) in 42 games, but most impressive is the +12 on the year. Many of the question marks that cause Wilde to slip in the draft were around his play in the defensive zone. Bode has done well in answering those questions. Wilde's success, along with the play of the young dmen on Loons, allowed Czepiel to trade Hughes and bring in Kupari.

5. Shane Bowers - C

Bowers started off his sophomore year at BU slowly and questions started to arise if Bowers success as a freshman were because Tkachuk was his linemate. However, Bowers has really turned it up lately and is back on pace to equal the 32 points he put up last year. Bowers has mentioned many times that he expects to turn pro after 2 years at BU but another year at BU might be in store. With McKinnon on the top line in Colorado Bowers will never see top line duties but at World Juniors Bowers was Canadas best penalty kill and showed that he can be effective as a two-way center. With Dubois and Kupari ahead of him on the Loons depth chart Bowers will be a fantastic third line center.

6. Jakub Lauko - C/LW

It's not often that a third-round pick if offered an ELC right away, but after a eye-opening camp, the Bruins jumped at the chance to sign Lauko. Along with being one of the fastest skaters in hockey, Lauko has a well-rounded game at just 18 years old. Lauko performed well at World Juniors and is just under a point per game pace in the QMJHL for the Huskies. Lauko projects to be a top 6 wing for the Loons with the possibility of developing into a top liner.

7. Zach Senyshyn - RW

Whenever anyone talks about Senyshyn the first thing that is always mentioned is what a mistake he was being taken as a mid-first round pick, always being compared to players that were taken after him. Senyshyn hasn't done a lot to stop those concerns but he has improved year after year at every level and this year is the same. Senyshyn has already scored more goals then he did during his first season in the AHL. What is most impressive is the way he is scoring in the AHL. Zach was drafted as a speed first finesse winger but has developed a more physical game in the AHL and is consistently scoring in the dirty areas in front of the net for Providence. His board play has greatly improved and is proving that he is NHL ready.

8. Jay O'Brien - C

Struggles were expected for O'Brien as he made the jump from prep school hockey to the NCAA, but we don't know if the lack of production is from the increase in competition or because of the two dirty hits Jay took which have resulted in concussion issues. O'Brien expects to play at least 3 years at Providence so this year will just be an adjustment year - hopefully...