Swift Current Broncos
Last Season: 11-51-4-2-28 points
You had to know it was coming. The Broncos went all in during the 2017-18 WHL season and won the franchise’s first WHL title in 25 years. But to reach that pinnacle, the Broncos moved out young and talented players and draft picks.
The chicken came home to roost in 2018-19 as the Broncos dropped their first seven games and 15 of their first 16 en route to the worst record in franchise history.
During the season, new head coach and director of player personnel Dean Brockman moved out older players and brought in a bunch of draft picks, setting the team up for the future. One of those trades was acquiring six draft picks from the Portland Winterhawks for goalie Joel Hofer. Defenseman Connor Horning and forward Ethan Regnier were the lone players left who played significant minutes for the 2017-18 WHL champions.
Losses: Since they moved out so many older players during last season, the losses are not as significant as they are with most teams. Forward Tanner Nagel and defenseman Matthew Stanley aged out of the league, and forwards Tyler Lees and Ian Briscoe did not come back. Overage forward Zachary Cox and and defensemen Christian Riemer (2000) and Austin Herron (2001) were all released just yesterday.
Additions: 19-year-old forward Brandon Machado came into camp, after playing for Saskatoon and Winnipeg last season. Defenseman Kasper Puutio came over from Finland in the CHL Import Draft, and Jake Kustra was scooped up off waivers from Victoria. The Broncos also made a couple moves in recent weeks. 2002-born defenseman Hendrik de Klerk was acquired from Spokane, and 2000-born forward Brecon Wood was dealt for from Seattle.
Three story lines for this season:
Veteran guys give them a boost?
The expectations are really low again this year with Swift Current again expected to be the team slotted in at the bottom of the WHL standings. They have some players that were buried on the depth chart a bit in other places that could put some stats up if they get top-six or top-four minutes. Machado and Kustra could be guys who do just what Alec Zawatsky did last season when he came to the Broncos. Machado has five career markers.
Kustra also brings in 189 games himself and, if anything, will make things tough on playmakers in and around the net. Kustra had his best season under Brockman back with the Blades when he had 18 points. He should get the opportunity to put up that kind of numbers again.
Finnish pipeline bring forth oil?
Joona Kivivniemi showcased an incredible shot at times during his first season in the WHL. He led the Broncos with 16 goals last season, and he should be set up well on the power play alone to improve on that number. The second season for an import in the league is always key, and Kiviniemi could very well double that number of goals. For a team that struggled for much of the year at scoring, he is extremely important.
The new import also comes from Finland in Puutio. He had two assists in two preseason games and, by all accounts, was a natural fit with the Broncos. He should push for top-four minutes and could be the playmaker from the back end the team needs.
Poulter pull a Hofer?
Joel Hofer faced a ton of shots last season and impressed enough for Portland to unload the cupboard to acquire him. Isaac Poulter then stepped in as the next man up. He ended his 2018-19 season with a shutout and then put one up in the preseason as well. He will likely face a boatload of shots just like Hofer did, and the Broncos need him to weather the storm against a tough Central Division and give his team a chance to win tight, low scoring contests. That seems to be the recipe at least in the early going, until some more scoring comes through and shows itself.
