Everett Silvertips
Everett welcomed 13 new players into their organization on Thursday, adding a good mix of young players. They only took one goalie and one American but we like the picks they made. They added players who were quick and poised and who can make plays at both ends of the ice. Offensively they took quicker players who play up tempo type of games. Defensively it looks like they added more well-rounded two way players. Overall we think it was a good draft for Everett and if the player pans out then we think it’s a good start to a potential rebuild in Everett.
1st Round Selection
Ronan Seeley (20th Overall) – One of the most improved defenders in the draft, Seeley is a two-way defender who draws a lot of comparisons to Ivan Provorov. He has the ability to close the gap quickly and be physical that no a lot of defenders his age can do. Offensively he has become much more poised and mobile with the puck. We believe he will step in nicely to the Everett back end at the age of 16 with a good build of strength and quickness.
Notable Picks
Jackson Berezowski (44th Overall) – A well rounded offensive player who makes his decisions quickly and can make and finish plays. He led the SBAAHL in scoring this past season with 87 points in 30 games played. He attacks with speed and utilizes his vision well on the rush. We like his upside to potentially become a top six player on the Everett Silvertips line up some day.
Blake Lyda (86th Overall) – A goalie who really came on at the end of the year, Lyda is an athletic goalie who isn’t the biggest but moves well in his crease. The only player drafted out of the Edmonton teams this past season, we think Lyda could potentially step in for Hart someday with proper development next season.
Ryley Morgan (152nd Overall) – Morgan is coming off of a good season with one of the top teams in Western Canada (St. Albert Sabres). He is a quick versatile winger who plays with speed and attacks you head on. Deadly off the rush with his breakaway speed and ability to create separation. Potential to really be a depth player at the next level.
Nic Porchetta (218th Overall) – One of our highest ranked players available at this pick, Porchetta is a dynamic two-way player who takes a beating but continues to get up. He has a tonne of offensive upside and has quickness in his hands + feet. Future bottom six center who plays a versatile role.
Conclusion
We think they Everett did a good job of going after players who can play at the speed of the WHL. We think players like Hinds, Lyda, Morrison, Johnson are all long term projects but players who show high upside and big time potential. Seeley is a great start to rebuilding that d-core as there really aren’t any defenders like him. With the last pick they took a two-way player we were high on in Austin Spiridakis who just flat out competes. We think fans will see a bunch of guys from this class stepping into the rosters at some point in their teenage years.
