The Moose Jaw Warriors will select at No. 50 and 77 in the 2021 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, the league announced last week.
ICYMI: the @CHLHockey has announced the Order of Selections for the 2021 CHL Import Draft, scheduled for Wednesday, June 30.
DETAILS ? | https://t.co/qa119CMli1 pic.twitter.com/H500X645W5
— The WHL (@TheWHL) June 17, 2021
The draft itself, which allows all 60 CHL teams to select players from outside North America to fill their two import slots each, will be held online the morning of Wednesday, June 30.
It is expected that Moose Jaw will fill one of its two import spots with projected Top 3 National Hockey League draft pick Marty Rysavy of the Czech Republic, whom the Warriors picked sixth overall in the last Import Draft.
They had clearly hoped to use their other slot for highly-touted Swedish goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, but his major junior rights were dealt to the Portland Winterhawks earlier this month as the likelihood of the projected Top 10 NHL pick coming to play junior in North America seems doubtful at best.
With the Warriors’ recent acquisition of veteran goalie Carl Tetachuk from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and returning 2003-born puck stopper Brett Mirwald in place, and a potentially explosive group of forwards, it is therefore expected by this writer that Moose Jaw general manager Jason Ripplinger and his staff will be looking to add to its blueline with a potential import pick.
In the likes of captain Daemon Hunt, and returnees Denton Mateychuk, Cole Jordan, and Cory King, Moose Jaw has plenty of potential for offence from the defence; so the best use of the pick looks to be a solid-yet-mobile defence-first defenceman, one who can lighten the load of that role from the likes of Lucas Brenton, and standout Hub rookie Max Wanner. Where they would look to find such an imported defenceman is likely a guarded secret, but if the Warriors stick to their tried-and-tested habit of taking Czech skaters, options might include David Spacek, the son of NHLer Jaroslav, fellow Czech U18 national teamer (who captained Rysavy’s national team this past May) in the solidly built Jakub Sedivy, or even Czech World Junior Vladimir Kremlacek.
Captain on captain abuse as Jakub Sedivy (#2021NHLDraft) plasters Nikita Chibrikov (#2021NHLDraft) into the wall. #U18Worlds https://t.co/Ypo6jYrQCY pic.twitter.com/1FfAHDdds6
— Eliteprospects (@eliteprospects) May 1, 2021
Whichever way Ripplinger goes, he and Moose Jaw brass have stated on numerous occasions that they are making a run at a championship this year coming up, so expect them to take big swings at adding talent right now.
