One To Watch: San Jose Sharks

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Hockey's Future currently ranks San Jose in the bottom third for prospect depth but I have a feeling the Sharks are laughing about that these days. Tomas Hertl leads the NHL in rookie scoring right now and Matt Nieto is also having a productive first year in the NHL. 

The HF write up is right though when the subject of depth comes up; there isn't much in the Sharks' system. Freddie Hamilton, Sean Kuraly and Rylan Schwartz lead the short list of notables. And then there's the players they took in the 1st round this past June. 

2012 Choice: Sean Kuraly - The freshman had a decent year at Miami although his 12 points was dwarfed by fellow rookie Riley Barber's 39. Already this year Kuraly has 6 points although the RedHawks are only 4 games into the campaign. The former Indiana Ice forward was a dangerous offensive weapon in this final year in that league. 

My selection as One To Watch for San Jose this year comes after the jump. 

One To Watch: Columbus Blue Jackets

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A new chapter has begun in Columbus with a new-ish President, a new GM and new expectations after getting so close to making the playoffs last season. John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen have a history of taking a struggling team and turning them around and the Blue Jackets have shown vast improvements over the last two years. 

Some of the depth of the organization has to be credited to former GM Scott Howson and his staff; Under Howson's watch the club drafted names like Boone Jenner, Oscar Dansk, Ryan Johansen, Matt Calvert and John Moore. 

2012 Choice: Oscar Dansk - It wasn't the season that the Swedish goalie nor the Erie Otters were hoping for as Dansk was pretty average in his rookie OHL campaign. His team finished dead last in the Western Conference but this year both Dansk and the Otters are on the rebound. 

My selection for One To Watch in 2013-14 comes after the jump. 

One To Watch: Chicago Blackhawks

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One of the great NHL stories of the last decade, in my opinion, has been the return to prominence of the Chicago Blackhawks. One of the Original Six, a franchise deep in history and legends had become a bottom feeder in the league without a glimmer of hope for fans to cling to. That changed in the early 2000's and resulted in a Stanley Cup win in 2010. 

The Hawks steady climb back to the top was done mostly from within as the club built through the draft. Strong drafting has continued and so the Hawks remain a franchise to be feared and respected.

Goaltending at the NHL level has become a question mark for Chicago and the Hawks have used a number of draft picks in recent years to stockpile at that position. Chicago has drafted five goalies in the last three years, almost all of them very late in the draft. Brandon Whitney and Matt Tomkins are the two most recent and they join Kent Simpson, Mac Carruth and Swede Johan Mattson in the organization. 

Defencemen have been a particular success story in Chicago going back to Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. More recently, Dylan Olsen (who played 28 games last year), Joe Gleason, Nick Mattson, Adam Clendening, Michael Paliotta and Dillon Fournier have deepened the waiting pool even more.

Fans have their fingers crossed that 2012 1st round pick Teuvo Teravainen becomes the steal many of them believe he could be. 2011 1st rounder Mark McNeill is looking to finish his WHL career in playoff fashion with Prince Albert. Some forwards have already played some NHL games like Brandon Pirri, Brandon Saad and Jeremy Morin. 

The guy I settled on for this series has yet to play a NHL game although he was selected five drafts ago. Injuries and perhaps salaries have combined to delay his arrival but maybe that will change this year. 

Everett to Name New GM Wednesday

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The Everett Silvertips have called a news conference on Wednesday where they will name their new General Manager. As we reported a couple of weeks ago, we're still hearing that it will be Garry Davidson, the current Director of Player Personnel for the Portland Winterhawks.

Portland Scout to be new Everett GM?

Some talk today that the replacement for Doug Soetaert in Everett may come from a U.S. Divisional rival. Just whispers right now but the name Garry Davidson has come up. The Manitoba native played minor pro hockey during the 1970's, coached in the BCHL during the 1990's and is currently the Director of Player Personnel for the Portland Winterhawks.

We are attempting to book a representative from the Sivertips as a guest for TPS on Saturday morning. By then we may have more to talk about than simply the release of Soetaert.

Silvertips Fire Soetaert

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Breaking news coming out of Everett that the Silvertips have fired General Manager Doug Soetaert. Beat writer Nick Patterson broke the news on Twitter about an hour ago.

I touched base with a handful of league executives. Some expressed shock, one called it "classless" and another suggested that it wouldn't take long for Soetaert to land on his feet again elsewhere in the WHL if that was what he wants.

Big Trade for the Oil Kings [Updated]

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Just becoming official... The Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired banished Everett Silvertips scorer Tyler Maxwell. The 'Tips receive a 3rd round pick in 2012 and prospect Griffen Foulk who was a 8th round pick in 2010.

2012 Draft Blog: Ryan Murray

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He captained Canada at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Tournament and suited up for Canada at the 2010 World Under 18 championship. This December Ryan Murray is hoping to wear the maple leaf once again in Edmonton for the World Junior Hockey Championship for the 20 and under crowd. Murray is also expected to go very high in the NHL draft, with most expecting him to be the first defenceman drafted in June. ISS has him ranked 3rd, and we expect NHL Central Scouting will have him in a similar spot if not higher when it's list comes out.

Each year we're please to bring you blog entries written by players in their NHL draft year. Defencemen Michael Matheson and Cody Ceci introduced themselves in October and now here is the first entry from Everett Silvertips captain, Ryan Murray.

Saturday Morning Special - Aug 20th

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Who says there is no hockey to talk about in the summer? Saturday morning we had a show that was wall-to-wall hockey featuring a couple of newcomers to TPS, a former TEAM 1260 personality, a regular media contributor from the Hockey East conference and possibly Dean Millard's favorite segment since I blindsided him with an Andy Moog wedding present back in Season 2.

Rebels, Hawks get out the broom: WHL playoff round up

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did a lot of damage to the Edmonton Oil Kings with his hands, and vision. But it was the Red Deer Rebels leg/knee that did the Kings in for good Thursday night in Edmonton.

WHL Western Conference Playoffs - Who Wants In?

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There are 4 teams still looking to clinch a spot in the WHL's Western Conference; Prince George is in 7th with 66 points followed immediately by Everett with 66. Currently on the outside looking in are the Kamloops Blazers with 63 points and Seattle with 61.

The T-Birds have the biggest hill to climb as they'll need to run the table and hope the clubs ahead of them all fail to pick up points. That won't happen though because, although PG and Kamloops each only have two games left, they are against each other so points are guaranteed.

It's become a bit of a snail race though as the four teams have combined to win just 15 of their last 40 games, Seattle has 6 of those victories.

Crazy playoff thoughts follow...

Hartsburg To Undergo Heart Surgery. "Chewey" On the mend

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Everett Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg will undergo heart surgery and will be lost to the club for atleast the first half of the season. The Tips release can be found here. Obviously the main concern is Hartsburg's health, but you have to wonder how this will effect the Tips, if it does at all. They're currently 5-2-1-1 in what might be the most competitive division in all of junior hockey, with apologies to the mid-west division of the OHL. 4 of the 5 teams in the WHL's U.S division are atleast 3 games above .500 and Portland leads the way with an 8-2-1 mark.

Meanwhile Brandon Wheat King assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk is getting closer to returning to the bench. In early August 'Chewey' suffered a broken back after falling at the rink in Brandon. Former Wheat King and Gylywoychuk teammate Mike Vandenberghe took over the assistant coaching duties, but word is 'Chewey' is set to return December 1st.

Ferraro A Silvertip, Froese A Rebel

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Red Deer and Everett have swapped forwards, and for the Rebels they rid themselves of a potentially ugly training camp situation. In exchange they get a guy who has played internationally for Canada before and was taken at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

This n' That - Early July '10

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A surprisingly busy start to the NHL off-season has provided plenty of fodder for fans around the league. There have also been other rumblings from the major junior, minor pro and NCAA ranks as well, some of which has gone largely unnoticed by the mainstream media. As always, when it affects the future of hockey, it attracts the attention of The Pipeline Show.