There are five Victoria Royals鈥� bantam draft picks playing in the 2019 Western Hockey League final. But the final is between the Vancouver Giants and Prince Albert Raiders.
The one thing the 15-year-olds selected in the 2019 WHL bantam draft need to know is that they might not end their junior careers with the team that selects them today in Red Deer. That鈥檚 just the nature of the beast.
鈥淵ou are really looking into a crystal ball when you are scouting and selecting 14-15 year-olds,鈥� said Royals GM Cameron Hope, from Red Deer.
Not only will trades alter career trajectories, but so will late bloomers who will come on and surpass those selected today. Players not selected in the WHL bantam draft include Jamie Benn, Shea Webber, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan and numerous other eventual NHLers. Neither was Griffen Outhouse picked. All he did was graduate from the Royals this spring as the seventh-winningest goaltender in WHL history.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e throwing darts after the fourth round or so,鈥� said Hope.
Another major issue is the number of top bantam prospects who have declared for the U.S. collegiate NCAA.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a concern [for those in the WHL],鈥� said Hope. 鈥淏ut there are parallel development models and that will always be the case.鈥�
It will come to a head today when the Winnipeg Ice, with the top selection in the 2019 WHL bantam draft, will have to decide whether to take a chance and select forward Matthew Savoie, who is considered a generational player and can鈥檛-miss future NHLer, but who has committed to the University of Denver of the NCAA. The question is, do the Ice take Savoie first overall and then try to talk him out of going the NCAA route? If they take Savoie and fail to convince him to turn his back on the NCAA, then they will have gotten nothing out of the first overall selection. But what if they pass on him and he eventually decides to play in the WHL?
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to answer what they [Ice] will do,鈥� said Hope.
But that鈥檚 for Ice GM Matt Cockell to worry about. Hope has his own draft board to consider.
The Royals, based on season finish, would have selected 10th overall today in the first round, but that slot will go to the Brandon Wheat Kings as part of the 2018 trade for forward Tanner Kaspick. The Royals will select 19th overall in the first round, which was a pick acquired from the Saskatoon Blades in the 2018 trade for forward Eric Florchuk.
The Royals have two second-round picks, their own at No. 32, and another at No. 39 acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Royals also have the No. 4 selection (48th overall) in the third round, acquired from the Prince George Cougars.
WHL teams rarely pick for need, because that can change from season to season in junior hockey.
鈥淲e look for the best player available,鈥� said Hope.
Don鈥檛 be surprised if it鈥檚 another Islander. The Royals picked a franchise-high four Island players among the 12 they selected in the 2018 WHL draft, including first-rounder Nolan Bentham of Victoria 13th overall in the first round. The other three were Cage Newans of Parksville, 147th overall in the seventh round, goaltender Keegan Maddocks of Langford, 165th overall in the eighth round, and defenceman Ross Roloson of Victoria, 200th overall in the 10th round.
It highlighted a banner 2018 WHL draft for Island players, with two chosen among the first 23 selections and three in the first three rounds. Winger Kobe Verbicky of Victoria was the first player selected in the second round, 23rd overall to the Edmonton Oil Kings, while defenceman Ty Gibson of Victoria went in the third round, 64th overall to the Everett Silvertips. A trio of Campbell River products were also selected: forward Parker Bell, 102nd overall in the fourth round to the Tri-City Americans, defenceman Brayden Ross, 139th overall in the sixth round to the Kamloops Blazers, and forward Brian Majic, 175th overall in the eighth round to the Swift Current Broncos.
鈥淭here are even more Island players in play on the draft board this year than there were last year,鈥� said Hope.
鈥淭he Island associations are doing a really great job of developing players.鈥�
Expected to come off the board fairly early today are twins Jason and Ryan Spizawka and Julian Cull, all of Victoria.
Hope said the depth is such this year that the Royals will not trade down from the 19th overall selection. That player will become the Royals鈥� eighth first-round selection since the franchise moved to the Island in 2011. Because of trades, the Royals did not have first-round selections in both 2016 and 2017.
ICE CHIPS: Proving that nothing is forever after draft day, the five Royals鈥� draft picks in the 2019 WHL final between Vancouver and Prince Albert are: Hannoun, Noah Gregor, Jeremy Masella and captain Brayden Pachal of the Raiders and captain Jared Dmytriw of the Giants.
