08-09 Season

07-08 Season

Reference Tools

Site Help

TextBook
Textpattern
Txp Resources

RSS / Atom

Hawk's Problems Point to 2003 Bantam Draft · Wednesday June 20, 2007

After reviewing the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Bantam draft it is clear why the Portland Winter Hawks are having trouble putting together a competitive team. 2003 was a disastrous year for Hawk draft picks starting with their number 1 pick 10th overall forward Sasha Golin.

Golin as a right winger/centerman showed promise in 05-06 with 10 goals, 18 assists, in 68 games, but dropped off the map in 06-07 with only 1 goal, 6 assists in 39 games. The Hawks lost faith in Golin’s upside and moved to 5th round pick Matt Schmermund acquired in a straight up trade with Kamloops.

After round one it got worse for the Hawks proceeding to get nothing from their 2nd round highly rated D-man Eric Gryba who recently signed with Boston U and their 3rd round pick Rhett Rakhshani, a top forward making an impact at the U of Denver. Both chose collegiate hockey over Major Juniors and both are highly regarded by NHL scouts.

Without Michael Sauer a 4th round bantam pick, they would be left with no impact players in the draft. But the 06-07 season was so bad that they quickly dumped their older players with any value leaving the franchise to flounder with a truly developmental team of mostly untested 16, 17, and 18 year olds.

As part of the “ look to future/get younger movement” Sauer was traded to Medicine Hat at the end of 2007 season for two 16-year-old D-man prospects in Patrick Weircoich (a 2005 2nd round draft pick) and Lee Morrow (a 2005 9th round draft pick).

To date Patrick Weircoich is keeping his options open playing for the Junior A Burnaby Express in the BCHL, but this seems more and more like a kid that that is not sure whether the WHL is for him. He also may go the way of Gryba, Rakhshani, and Knelson to the US college route.

You only have to look at the success of the 2003 bantam draft to find out who is at the top and bottom of the US division in 06-07. Everett drafts and signs: Zack Hamill, Peter Mueller, Brady Calla and Leland Irving. Portland drafts Sasha Golin, Erick Gryba, Justin Mazurek and Rhett Rakhshani and signs only Golin and Mazurek.

2003 (Today’s 19 year olds)

Red indicates players on the current roster.

All in all 2002 was a much better draft for the Hawks with Brandan Dubinsky, Fraser McLaren, and Dustin Butler all proven WHL players and if Dubinsky would have stayed in the league as a 20 year old he would have been considered one of the top 5 forwards in the league.

2002 Draft (Today’s 20 year olds)

The book is not yet written on the class of 2004 crop of 18 year olds but there does seem to be some hopeful early signs with Colton Sceviour who could be the most talented player in the group that shown in 2006 that he could make a difference if he can stay healthy. Kurtis Mucha with a fantastic season as a 16 year old, playing on the worst defensive team in the league as a 17 year old, hopefully will contributed positively to his development as an 18 year old.

2004 Draft (Today’s 18 year olds)

Dion Knelson is the little fish that has turned into a big fish that got away to the U of Alaska along with his older brother Brandon. He is just what the Winter Hawks need today a smart, quick, young, gifted scorer. He was the second leading scorer with the Drumheller Dragons with 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points in 28 games. At the U of Alaska was voted top rookie and earned “honorable mention” honors for the CCHA All Rookie Team.

According to NHL Prospects, on the NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to Watch” listing, Dion Knelsen is one of four collegians listed as an “A” player, meaning that he is one of the top players eligible for the 2007 NHL draft.

— S. Blanchard

US Divisional News · Friday January 18, 2008

— S. Blanchard

Comment