HabLover said:
Are both guys headed to the NCAA next year?? I believe Bertram is headed to Boston College, but I'm not sure about Cogliano?
If so, who will do better between these two future stars?
Don't know enough about Cogliano but can tell you that Bertram is the real deal. He started to stand out at the CWG where he was, imho, as good an underager as there was there (and yes, I know that will get the usual responses) - in addition to leading a very strong Alberta squad in points, he also lead in hits, showed solid back check, a great work ethic, and a flair for seeing the ice.
Back in Alberta, he was rookie of the year this year in a no-contest decision. He continues to play physical, gritty, skilled and hard working hockey. He has also had the advantage of great coaching with Rybalka (who also coached Team Alberta to the Gold and took Camrose to the final game of the RBC last year with Bertram playing a big role for an underager). He has improved a lot.
The Kodiaks are also looking like they are about to take another run for the RBC this year, and although I suspect they don't quite have the same horses, I would not count them out. So - Bertram continues to gain key experience and develop his game.
As to BC, we will see how quickly he adapts as he is going to be both young and a bit small when he gets there. I have no doubt that he will be an NCAA star and deserve a lot of attention, but next year may turn out to be a development year.
Or...he might surprise a lot of people and show he is already ready for the next step when he arrives. If that happens, look for big things.
The draft gets deferred for at least a year so comparisons to non-NCAA 87's are probably meaningless.
