It’s that slow time in the WHL calendar year. Everyone is off on vacation. We are just about a month from training camps kicking off, though, so let’s take a look at the overage situations for each of the 22 WHL teams. Keep in mind, the guess is purely my opinion on what I think will happen.
We would love to hear your opinion as well in the comments below.
Everett Silvertips:
- Lucas Cullen (Forward)
- Max Patterson (Forward)
Bryce Kindopp (Photo by Chris Mast) - Bryce Kindopp (Forward)
- Jake Christiansen (Defense)
- Wyatte Wylie (Defense)
-Connor Dewar and Riley Sutter move on as NHL-signed 1999-born players.
-Robbie Holmes was moved back to Regina, taking him out of the mix for Everett.
My Guess: Kindopp, Christiansen, and Wylie.
Kindopp had an incredible season, partnering with Dewar to give the ‘Tips one of the more potent duos in the league. He nearly hit 40 goals and registered 73 points. Kindopp is a lock to come back, if available, and try to lead the way offensively.
Wylie was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018 and there’s a chance he gets signed between now and the start of the season, taking him out of the mix. If he is not, look for him to return to Everett and lead the way on the blue line.
Christiansen put up 44 points, just three behind Wylie’s team-leading for d-men 47 points. If both come back, this is one of the better blue lines in the Western Conference.
If Wylie does move on, Patterson is a great fit here for Everett. They lose some center depth with Sutter leaving, and when he was healthy, the player who took nearly as many faceoffs and was relied upon as a key center was Patterson.
It would not shock me if Everett gets quite the return for either Christiansen or Patterson, and there is an argument to be made that Patterson’s ability to be their number one center, along with all of his playoff experience, is something they need more than yet another really good WHL d-man.
Kamloops Blazers:
- Zane Franklin (Forward)
- Kobe Mohr (Forward)
- Jackson Caller (Defense)
-Travis Walton committed to the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL, essentially taking himself out of the overage mix for Kamloops.
My Guess: Franklin, Mohr, and Caller.
Zane Franklin came in via a trade with Lethbridge and was a point-per-game player for the Blazers. Orrin Centazzo, Connor Zary, and he look to lead the forward group for a Kamloops team aiming to improve in the standings.
Mohr had 27 points in 66 games up front, and Caller had four points in 45 games after being brought in via a trade with Saskatoon. The hometown blueliner and Mohr are the only other overage options outside of Franklin and will be looking for big overage seasons.
Kelowna Rockets:
- Leif Mattson (Forward)
- Kyle Topping (Forward)
-The Rockets moved Conner Bruggen-Cate over to the Seattle Thunderbirds and had Erik Gardner retire from hockey last January, leaving them one short of the three overagers.
My Guess: Topping, Mattson, and ?.
The 2020 Memorial Cup hosts are sure to make a few trades before the January trade deadline, but they just have the two 1999-born players currently. Topping led the team in scoring last season with 69 points, and Mattson was tied for second with 63. They both should be on the opening night roster. Kelowna struggled scoring last season and could use all the proven scoring they can get — at least until some moves are made. They could very well get creative and add a professionally signed 20-year-old as Regina did with Jesse Gabrielle back in 2018.
Portland Winterhawks:
- Jake Gricius (Forward)
- Josh Paterson (Forward)
- Lane Gilliss (Forward)
- Matt Quigley (Defense)
-Cody Glass is not coming back.
-Portland traded goalie Shane Farkas to Victoria at the WHL Bantam Draft.
My Guess: Gricius, Paterson, and Quigley.
Paterson was brought in, with Ryan Hughes going the other way, at the trade deadline. He played on the wing and in the middle, potting 22 points in 27 regular season games and led the team in playoff scoring with six points in five games. He will be back.
Gricius could very well be playing professionally somewhere if you ask Mike Johnston. He certainly has the size to jump right up to the AHL, but despite San Jose inviting him to two development camps and a training camp, Gricius was not drafted and does not have a contract yet. If he is eligible to come back, he will take the second spot.
The last spot is a tough one. Quigley is the most experienced defenseman on a depleted unit with the loss of Brendan De Jong and Jared Freadrich, but he did not have a good 19-year-old season by his own standards. After putting up 22 points as an 18-year-old, he had just 11 points in only 20 fewer games last season. The other option is depth forward Lane Gilliss. He is a hard working forward who seems to be a leader on the team. If the Winterhawks do bring in blue line help somehow, Gilliss could get the nod over Quigley. Until then, it’s too much of a need for Portland for them to pick Gilliss over Quigley, in my opinion.
Prince George Cougars:
- Josh Maser (Forward)
- Ryan Schoettler (Defense)
- Austin Crossley (Defense)
-Cameron MacPhee played just two games for the Cougars in 2018-19 and just 65 total WHL games in three seasons for them and the Medicine Hat Tigers. I did not see it anywhere that he was released, but doubt he comes back to P.G.
My Guess: Maser, Schoettler, and Crossley.
A team that struggled to score in 2018-19, Prince George lost their top scorer to the KHL in Vladislav Mikhalchuk. Next on the scoring list is Maser, and after 28 goals in 2017-18 and 30 last season, he is a threat to break through and go 40-plus.
Schoettler put up a quiet 32 points from the blue line and is a big player on what should be a pretty good blue line for the Cougars with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Cole Moberg, Rhett Rhinehart, and their other overage d-man Crossley. The tough-as-nails Crossley brings size and the ability to get under the skin of the opponent to the table and is a strong option for the last overage spot.
Seattle Thunderbirds:
- Matthew Wedman (Forward)
- Jaxan Kaluski (Forward)
- Andrej Kukuca (Forward) (Import)
- Conner Bruggen-Cate (Forward)
- Baron Thompson (Forward)
- Jarret Tyszka (Defense)
-Wedman was taken by the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Draft and will likely get a long look in their system before he could possibly come back.
-Tyszka was taken by Montreal in the 2017 NHL Draft but was not signed and is now a free agent.
My Guess: Wedman, Kukuca, and Tyszka.
I think eventually Wedman comes back, and he seems primed for a big season in the WHL. Look for him near the top of WHL scoring, as long as he does not miss too much time to start the season.
Tyszka has shown big glimpses of immense talent. Should he have a great start to his year, an entry-level contract will come flying at him. He certainly has all the talent.
For the last spot, Seattle complicated matters by bringing Conner-Bruggen-Cate in as part of the return from Kelowna for Jake Lee and Dillon Hamaliuk. They also drafted Tim Stutzle, a top prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft in the CHL Import Draft. Seattle already has defenseman Simon Kubicek coming back, so if Stutzle comes over, Kukuca taking up two spots would be an issue.
However, if he does not come over, Seattle will have some good choices among their overagers, including the Slovakian sniper. He piled up 57 points in his first season and was more than a point-per-game in the playoffs.
Baron Thompson, who is headed to the Dauphin Kings of the MJHL, was added by Seattle and so might be at training camp. I have a hard time believing he will beat out any of the three I picked.
I think that Seattle will just hold on to Kukuca, Bruggen-Cate, and Tyszka until Wedman comes back and then have to decide which one they cannot keep.
Spokane Chiefs:
- Ethan McIndoe (Forward)
- Noah King (Defense)
- Filip Kral (Defense) (Import)
- Bailey Brkin (Goalie)
- Reece Klassen (Goalie)
-Jake McGrew (San Jose) and Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LA Kings) are both signed to pro deals.
-Kaden Hanas, who was a late addition this last season, is no longer on their protected list.
-Goalie Dawson Weatherill was also taken off their protected list after his season was ended in 2018-19 due to injury.
My Guess: McIndoe, King, and Brkin.
Like the Portland Winterhawks last season, much of their hopes for the 2019-20 campaign rests on whom they get back and who goes pro.
I’ve gone back and forth on Kral. It just seems more and more that the defenseman will go professional in 2019-20. He has proven himself at the WHL level, and I’m sure he can earn a spot on the Marlies. He should get a chance.
San Jose still does not have an ECHL team, meaning that McGrew could very well follow the likes of Noah Gregor and Joachim Blichfeld back to the WHL for an overage season, despite having a pro contract.
My thought is that neither comes back, leaving spots for some other 1999-born players.
McIndoe fell short of his previous season’s regular season total with 40 points, but came through big in the playoffs with six goals, six assists, and 12 points. He’s a strong net front presence on the power play and has shown the ability to find loose pucks in and around the crease. This is a valuable asset in hockey.
King should have another spot. He came over from the Swift Current Broncos, and with Manny Viveiros coming in as the Chiefs new head coach, he knows what the new coach likes from his players. He partnered with Ty Smith to form a strong shutdown pairing in the playoffs. If Smith comes back from the New Jersey Devils for his 19-year-old season, the two could be one of the better pairings in the Western Conference.
So if McGrew and Kral do not come back, the last spot is between two goalies. Brkin played really well at times and took the Chiefs on a deep playoff run. Spokane did sign an 18-year-old import in Lukas Parik, who seems set to get a lion’s share of starts as a third-round NHL Draft pick of the L.A. Kings. Of Klassen and Brkin, the latter seems the most likely to split time with Parik.
Tri-City Americans:
- Kyle Olson (Forward)
- Krystof Hrabik (Forward) (Import)
- Dom Schmiemann (Defense)
- Beck Warm (Goalie)
-Defenseman Riley Bruce was taken off of their protected list.
My Guess: Olson, Schmiemann, and Warm.
Warm was a work horse for the Americans last season. He played in 61 regular season games and put up a 2.94 GAA and 0.916 save percentage, despite facing a WHL high 2,102 shots. Warm bailed out the Ams many times and could have another gear that takes him to the very top of WHL goalies.
Olson was named captain earlier this month. He was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2017, but was surprisingly not signed and is now a free agent. He is the leader, in my opinion, if you are looking at who might earn a pro contract with a strong overage season. Olson had 70 points in 62 games and is the only one of the top-six scorers for the Americans I am expecting back.
Hrabik is yet another import, overage player who is a strong option for both an overage and an import spot. But like many of the others, I just don’t see him making his way back. He came over and scored 21 goals in his first season in the WHL, adding 30 assists for 51 points. While the Americans could certainly use his offense, a pro contract could very well be there for him to sign somewhere.
Schmiemann is a strong overage option as well. He put up 15 points from the blue line and plays a hard nosed game. With Aaron Hyman and Roman Kalinichenko moving on, an older blue liner like Schmiemann could fill a valuable role.
Vancouver Giants:
- Owen Hardy (Forward)
- Brayden Watts (Forward)
- Jadon Joseph (Forward)
- Milos Roman (Forward) (Import)
- Dylan Plouffe (Defense)
- Landon Fuller (Defense-has played some forward)
- David Tendeck (Goalie)
My Guess: Joseph, Roman, and Plouffe.
Roman piled up 60 points last season but is still waiting to be signed by the Calgary Flames, who drafted him in 2018. Roman was the best player on the ice many times last season, tallying 60 regular season points and 12 in the playoffs. With Yannik Valenti leaving, and the Giants drafting just one player — forward Samuel Knazko — the writing seems to be on the wall, spelling out Roman’s return.
Joseph came over from Regina and took his game to next level. After just six points in 13 games in Regina, he piled up 28 in 32 games in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs. With Jared Dmytriw, Davis Koch, and Dawson Holt all not coming back, the Giants are in need of the surefire offense Joseph brings.
The most proven player among the bunch is one I am not expecting back, and that is goalie David Tendeck. Together with Trent Miner, the Arizona Coyotes-drafted netminder was part of the best goalie duo in the league last season. He posted a 0.918 save percentage and 2.38 GAA in 17 playoff games and a 2.48 GAA and 0.911 save percentage in 38 games during the season; Miner’s numbers were better in the regular season but worse in the playoffs.
The key is Tendeck’s age. Miner is two years younger and now a NHL draftee himself (Colorado). If Tendeck comes back to the WHL, look for the Giants to move him to another team. Even though he’s an overager, they should get a healthy return.
As much as they need Joseph and Roman, Vancouver may need what Plouffe brings even more. If fourth-overall NHL Draft pick Bowen Byram stays in the NHL with the Avalanche, Plouffe could see a lot more ice time. The veteran d-man put up 35 regular season points and then took off in the playoffs with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points. He was their leading scorer at different points in their run to the WHL final.
I’ve got Watts and Hardy — a couple strong forwards who could find a spot with another team — and Fuller on the outside looking in.
Victoria Royals:
- Scott Walford (Defense)
- Jameson Murray (Defense)
- Will Warm (Defense)
- Shane Farkas (Goalie)
-Igor Martynov is not coming back as an overage and import.
-Forward Tanner Sidaway was taken off of their protected list.
My Guess: Walford, Warm, and Farkas.
This got a lot simpler with Sidaway and Martynov out of the equation. Walford was drafted by Montreal in 2017 but not signed. He is now a free agent. He was a work horse last season, playing for the team in every role and regularly leading the team in ice time (by my guess).
The Royals also added veteran d-man Warm from Edmonton and could find room for the right shot blue liner. Murray, who played well, putting up 19 points in 59 games, seems to be playing for that overage spot with Warm.
Farkas also came over in an off-season trade, after putting up a 2.71 GAA and a 0.906 save percentage with the Portland Winterhawks last season. He excelled against the B.C. Division and thus seems primed for a big season with the Royals, if he can keep that trend up.
