Flaming Hot Takes

Flaming Hot Takes – Bantam Draft Edition

Written by Guy Flaming on

Flaming Hot Takes – Bantam Draft Edition

As the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft nears, I wanted to touch on a few things that I’ve learned over the years and a few thoughts on the overall event.

DRAFT AGE

  1. Let’s get this one out of the way and right out front; the WHL should raise the age of its draft by a year matching both the OHL and the QMJHL. This is not a new argument. I’ve been saying this on The Pipeline Show for well over a decade and I am far from the only person to express the same view.
  2. The main reason the WHL provides is that due to the geographical footprint of the league, the extra year allows families a longer time frame to mentally, academically and financially prepare for their 16-year-old son to move what could be four provinces away or out of the country. I’m told that the extra time is often needed for academic reasons although no specifics have really been given to me on that.
  3. My counter argument to the “footprint” explanation is that in 2019, the world is a LOT smaller than it was 20 years ago. With Skype and FaceTime, Facebook and Twitter, Instagram and text messaging, a family in Winnipeg is essentially as close to one of their sons playing in Lethbridge as they are to the other son playing in Prince George or Portland.
  4. As for the schooling argument, the league has come a very long way in terms of their commitment to academics and as far as I know, all the teams handle those issues not the player’s families.
  5. It’s my opinion that the real reason the WHL sticks with the current Bantam draft format of selecting 14 and 15-year-olds is to give teams first crack at players before they can be approached by NCAA programs. To which I say “MAN UP. If you truly believe in your league and that it is the best path for a player’s personal and professional development, then make the don’t be afraid of the change.” The OHL isn’t. The QMJHL isn’t.
  6. In the OHL a team can draft to fill holes for the coming season. Drafting a player creates excitement for a team’s fanbase and a club that just struggled gets to add a potential impact player and the fans know that better times are right around the corner. However, in the WHL, that initial draft buzz dies in a week because the player won’t actually be able to dress for the team for another 18 months.
  7. I have talked to a number of WHL General Managers and scouts over the years and the vast majority would like to see age of the draft increased too because it would make their job easier. Another year of development would give scouts a better chance of projecting the WHL impact of a player. GMs would also better know if the NCAA is in play or not in specific situations. The greater chance of not making a mistake will make teams more successful and that means a better league; a better product.

BEING DRAFTED

  1. I talk to a lot of players on The Pipeline Show and one of the questions I usually ask of the WHL guys is to look back at their bantam draft day experience. Many of them got to stay home from school while others followed along with the draft on their phone as the rounds unfolded. Most of the players say it was one of the best days of their young life. For others, it was the opposite.
  2. What should not be lost on any player who gets chosen during the bantam draft tomorrow is that whether you are a 1st round pick or an 11th round pick, nothing is guaranteed to you. Sure, a 1st rounder will get more chances but every player will have to earn their place in the WHL.
  3. Likewise, every year there are players who go unselected that will go on to not only make the WHL but become impact performers and earn professional opportunities.
  4. Jordan Eberle was a star in the WHL. He was chosen in the 7th round of the 2005 bantam draft. Tyler Johnson was an 11th round pick the same year by the Spokane Chiefs. Brendan Gallagher was an 9th round selection in 2007, Adam Lowry a 4th in 2008, Damon Severson a 9th in 2009. More recent examples include Brandon Carlo (10th round, 2011), Travis Sanheim (9th round 2011) and Carter Hart (8th round 2013).
  5. What do former NHL stars Joffrey Lupul, Jarome Iginla, Darcy Tucker, Dan Hamhuis, Scottie Upshall, and Shane Doan have in common? The same thing as Jake Bean, Brandon Hagel, Zack Andrusiak, Ryan Hughes and Joel Hofer. NONE of them were chosen in the WHL Bantam Draft.
  6. Being drafted into the WHL is an honour and should be celebrated but it does little more than open a door. The same goes for those who don’t get selected by a WHL team. If you want it badly enough, you’ll get there whether you are drafted or not. What happens on draft day doesn’t mean nearly as much as what happens after draft day.

THIS YEAR

  1. Kudos to the crew at DraftGeek that put together a comprehensive guide for fans ahead of the WHL Bantam Draft. I know that I personally do not have time to watch bantam hockey, I get to know players once they reach the WHL level but I have to draw the line somewhere so for me, these guys provide a great service. They aren’t the only ones out there but I had Brayden Sullivan on the show last week and he shared the guide with me so wanted to give them a public thank you.
  2. I’ll be stunned if Winnipeg, armed with a pair of 1st round picks, doesn’t take Matthew Savoie 1st overall even in the unlikelihood that he and brother Carter detour from their commitment to the University of Denver. The brothers won’t go to Denver until 2020-21 so the Ice will have a lot of time to work on their sales pitch. Perhaps it will work. I haven’t spoken directly to the Savoies but the impression I get is that Denver isn’t concerned at all about the ICE acquisition of Carter Savoie’s rights and the probability of Winnipeg drafting Matthew. It’s also been suggested to me that the only WHL team the Savoies would possibly detour for is the one in their home town. If true, and that is a large IF, then the smart thing for Winnipeg to do is to draft Savoie, getting the rights to both of them so that down the road they can hold them for a King’s ransom – an Oil Kings ransom.
  3. One of the teams I’m going to be watching on Thursday is Kamloops. I’ve got a lot of respect for what Matt Bardsley did in Portland, especially in years where the Winterhawks didn’t have many picks to work with. The Blazers have multiple picks in the 1st, 4th and 7th
  4. Likewise, the Brandon Wheat Kings who have a trio in the 1st, two in the 3rd and another triple dose of picks in the 5th Whether they use them all or use them to wheel and deal is definitely worth watching.
  5. I always wonder who and when the first goaltender will be chosen. Unlike the NHL, WHL clubs can’t afford to wait five or six years for a goalie to develop and with how much a teenager can change physically, it has to be a real challenge for scouts. I remember goalies that came through Edmonton that seemed to be six inches taller in August than they were at the summer camp three months earlier.
  6. Likewise, when the the top ranked Americans start being snapped up and by which team? Certainly intrigued to see who takes a shot at North Dakota recruit Trey Ausmus out of Minnesota.
  7. Last year the Edmonton Oil Kings made a couple of draft day trades that went a long way towards the success the team enjoyed this season. The additions of overagers Vince Loschiavo and Quinn Benjafield were significant upgrades for the club. Will there be a few of those deals made by teams this year?
  8. New drinking game: Get your shot glass ready for “We went with what we felt was the best player available”, “we were surprised he was still available for us” and “200-foot player”. You’ll be unconscious in an hour.
  9. Lastly, I’ve been to the WHL Bantam Draft and I have to say, unless you are working for the team or have deep insight into the players available for selection, it’s extremely boring. I wonder if the WHL would ever consider moving it to a weekend and going the QMJHL route with a more public event format. The ‘Q’ format is basically a mini-NHL version with players and families in attendance, the whole stage presentation with the podium, the putting on of jerseys and posing for pictures. Would that make it better? I don’t know. I just feel bad for the people that have to cover the current draft.

“The Prospect Guy”… Guy Flaming has covered the world of hockey prospects since the 2002-03 season and has built relationships over that time with scouts, coaches, general managers and media contacts across North America and at several different levels of the sport.