The Everett Silvertips held off the Portland Winterhawks to claim the US Division title last year, but found themselves once again eliminated from the playoffs thanks to the same Winterhawks. The good news is that defense will once again be a strength, as Carter Hart established himself as the goaltender of the present and the future. Noah Juulsen is also likely to return, helping a strong blue line unit that will be searching for goals thanks to Nikita Scherbak's likely departure for the pros. Seeing Auston Matthews sign with a team in Switzerland also hurts, as he could have swung the scales in the Silvertips' favor.
Portland saw their run of four straight Finals appearances end last season, and a weak blue line was the culprit. This year, the blue line figures to be the strong point, with newcomers Caleb Jones and Jack Dougherty joining the team while Adin Hill will have a full year as a starter in goal. The biggest question mark is how the Winterhawks will replace both Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan, which means Paul Bittner will have to step up his game. Chase DeLeo could return as an overager, which will help out.
If any team could be considered a front runner in the US Division this year, it's the Seattle Thunderbirds. Of course, they will have to find someone to fill Shea Theodore's shoes, as he made things go from the blue line. They also lose Taran Kozun, who graduated, but were able to pick up Taz Burman from Red Deer. Matt Barzal will return, which gives the Thunderbirds their best player up front, while Jamal Watson provides some leadership from his time in Lethbridge.
The Spokane Chiefs set themselves up nicely at the Bantam Draft. The question is whether first overall pick Ty Smith will step in this season or if he waits until next season. Even with that question, the Chiefs are in good position, as Kailer Yamamoto returns as the team's best offensive option. Garrett Hughson is likely to return as one of three overagers, which will get the team set in goal for next season until Tyson Verhelst is ready to assume the starter's role. The blue line will be one year wiser, as they were one of the younger units in the WHL, but will they be better?
The Tri-City Americans will once again be strong in their own end, as Evan Sarthou will step in as the starter in net and have Brandon Carlo and Parker Wotherspoon leading the blue line unit. Sarthou held his own when Eric Comrie was away on WJC duty, something the Ams should feel comfortable about. The major problem is that he will have to keep the team in it most nights, as they still haven't adequately addressed the problem of scoring goals, and haven't since the days of Brendan Shinnimin and Patrick Holland.
No comments:
Post a Comment