Sure Kamloops is turning the corner and I expect them to be much better next season as will Winnipeg with that core they have.
2019-2020 WHL regular season thread
- Thread starter wetcoast
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Sure Kamloops is turning the corner and I expect them to be much better next season as will Winnipeg with that core they have.
FWF
Cheers
One of the most revitalized players in the league has to be Johnny Ludvig. When he was drafted last year, I feel it was solely for his outstanding defense in his own zone, great at blocking shots. Although, getting drafted has completely changed his output on the ice. Still great defensively, but now with all the confidence from being selected and being named Portland's captain, his offensive output has increased tremendously. Ludvig takes way more point shots, and displays a great set of hands in numerous situations. Mark my words, can be a great TWD for Florida in the upcoming years. Such a mature player with an outstanding IQ.
It's come out of seemingly nowhere. I don't know if its just summer training or the Florida training camp but something has obviously clicked with him this year and I am happy to see it. We desperately needed a dman that we could rely on for offense after the loss of Freadrich and we made no obvious move to replace those points. Looks like Johnny took it upon himself to take over that role. I still see him as a DFD in the pros but maybe he just had a slightly different development curve than others, it wouldn't be surprising considering he came all the way from Jr. B.
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Anyone know where I can find a Leatherbridge Cozens jersey? Checked the team site and the online store is under construction and not up.
FWF
Cheers
I would try and help but there is a dumb baseball player with the same name and he floods out the google searches. Might have to wait for the website, unless you wanna travel to Lethbridge and buy one at their team store, maybe phone em up.
Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL Premier Edge Away Jersey XL Red | eBay
Some ebay sellers will put custom printing on them for you for an extra fee. Or you can try and take it somewhere local.
So far, that is not the case. Byram hasn't even looked good in the games I've seen him play in. Right now, they aren't the team to beat. I think this start is a bit of a shock right now.
FWF
Cheers
Oh, he's been embarrassing, at least on his standards. I've seen him twice live now, and it's like he's lost all what made him so special. He's still a great player and I expect him to fall out of the little slump and he'll reform back into character, but so far he's just been a bummer to watch.
Well if the season was only 14 games long....come back at the end of the season things will change.
As long as the Giants have that backend and goaltending, I wouldn't be laughing too hard. But they need some offense in the worst way. But right now as is, Kamloops after 14 games is the team to beat. But as we in Kamloops know all too well, disappointment is something we've become accustomed too.
Rockets grab another "ok" overager in Kobe Mohr. Are they really expecting Mohr and Sass to run the show? Yikes. You know damn well Hamilton wanted Max Martin and Ryan Hughes.
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
In a trade that doesn't make much sense to me from a Swift Current perspective, the Broncos traded import forward and current leading scorer Joona Kiviniemi to the Giants for import forward Sergei Alkhimov and a 6th round bantam draft pick.
Alkhimov was mediocre at best with the Giants this year and has a pretty unimpressive whl career to date. Kiviniemi may have been winning the Broncos scoring race basically by default with 10 points in 15 games but that's still a decent offensive player shipped out for a guy that looks like a glorified 3rd liner at best and a mid-round bantam pick. I feel like there has to be more going on here, like Kiviniemi wanted out to a bigger market/better team since he's NHL draft eligible or has behind the scenes issues or something.
Alkhimov was mediocre at best with the Giants this year and has a pretty unimpressive whl career to date. Kiviniemi may have been winning the Broncos scoring race basically by default with 10 points in 15 games but that's still a decent offensive player shipped out for a guy that looks like a glorified 3rd liner at best and a mid-round bantam pick. I feel like there has to be more going on here, like Kiviniemi wanted out to a bigger market/better team since he's NHL draft eligible or has behind the scenes issues or something.
Definitely helps the Giants alot and hopefully works out better for them than the Budy trade.
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
Welp, it might not:
Interesting that he had already shown to have been with the team to participate in practice at the LEC and do some of the standard "new player" stuff like take video and pictures for use in press materials and stadium graphics and whatnot.
As bad as it sounds, I kind of hope this is a temporary family emergency and that he'll be back and not that the Giants traded for a guy that flaked on them. Though even if they did, Alkhimov is not really a loss at all and they've been decent with the forwards they've had in Kiviniemi's absence.
Though really they could use a proper 2C because Evan Patrician is miscast in the role. Maybe they're waiting for Cole Shepard to take the reins, but it's presumptuous to assume he wouldn't potentially be better served by staying a winger this season.
Kamloops again dominates the Rockets. Man Bruce has the most work to do ever, to build a team that can even make the playoffs, let alone be a Memorial Cup contender.
Captain is way too soft, head coach is pretty abysmal, no depth, defence shaky.
Captain is way too soft, head coach is pretty abysmal, no depth, defence shaky.
HockeyPops
Registered User
- Aug 20, 2018
- 7,461
- 6,439
I wonder if any posters would care to comment on the Soo Greyhounds recent acquisition of Bailey Brkin?
Hounds flip OA goalies
Hounds flip OA goalies
The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
Seems like a reasonable trade for both teams. The Giants get a year younger and get a guy who had a good offensive season last year to help provide more punch from the blueline (that said, ye gods that -77. And no that's not a typo. And also yes, standard +/- usefulness disclaimer). The Broncos get a veteran d-man who can play top 4 minutes and provide toughness and physicality and who gets to play closer to home and with his younger brother.
I am curious if any Broncos or other eastern conference fans have some insight on if Horning is as much of a trainwreck defensively as that -77 might suggest, or if that was some sort of hiccup and he's not really that bad.
So Byram has been disinterested this year and now he gets a "rest" away from the team, I think the coach is trying to get him to reset and show like last year compared to this year.
BurnEmUp
Registered User
- Feb 27, 2009
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Well I don't about anyone else, but I sure didn't expect the Hurricanes to be top three in the league and also the highest scoring team a third of the way thru the season.
Definitely a top heavy team (Cozens, Okuliar, Addison, Cotton) but the depth is young and starting to come along nicely as well. Plus the goaltending is solid. Have to hand it to Anholt and Kisio.
Definitely a top heavy team (Cozens, Okuliar, Addison, Cotton) but the depth is young and starting to come along nicely as well. Plus the goaltending is solid. Have to hand it to Anholt and Kisio.
