Season Preview

I'm going to keep the reviews fairly light, because I'm rusty.  I've barely watched the Tigers let alone the WHL very much the last 2 seasons.   

Brandon Wheat Kings

Goaltenders (B)  - Their starter will be Carson Bjarnason whom was a backup on Canada's Under 18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold winning team. He is only 18 this season. They will have a couple other rookies battling for the backup job.  I'm giving a B here because they don't have the depth at backup yet. This could be a B+ or an A- if their starter plays really well. Goalies are fairly volatile and their is potential this rating is too high and too low.

Defenceman (B-)

 At first glance it looks like they may lack experienced depth. Mason Ward and Logen Hammett will likely anchor the top pairing. again my knowledge is lacking but my understanding is they are average defenceman.     They do have a couple interesting kids who are 16,17 but that is quite young still. They brought over an 18 year old import to help their depth.  I feel like they are also volatile in this position in terms of skill as they could have both good or bad seasons.

Forwards (B+)

Their strength looks to be the forward group. They'll have a very elite top line. If they can spread that out they should be able to dress a very solid top 2 lines. They have 3 WHL first round picks turning 18 who are all primed for big Up years, as well as NHL drafted Jake Chiasson.  They are probably another impact forward away from bumping into the A- category, but their depth up front looks really good

Questions

They have 4 Overagers. 3 Forwards and a Defenceman.  They may have an OA forward who can put up .65-.75 PPG for sale. If they sell a defenceman, their defence will be an achilles heel and I'd downgrade them  C+

Draft Positioning
Their 19 year old age group had 2 extra 2nd round picks, but they didn't work out. Their 18 year old group has 3 first round picks and an early draft order. Those extra picks in those age groups suggest they should be making noise at forward this season. They also have 3 first round picks in the 16 year old group, so it suggests they should have some really young talent stepping up. It suggests that they should be near the middle rungs and pushing up.

Overall

My first instincts is that this looks like a team that will be fighting for the middle rungs of the playoff ladder. Their offense looks too good to miss the playoffs. If their defence was more experienced I'd push them up a notch or two.  

 Edmonton Oil Kings

It's never about what you loose, but what you keep. Having said that the Oil Kings lost a kings ransom worth of depth.  They already made a trade in the off-season, trading away one of their bigger scorers who may or may not come back for 2 roster players and a 2nd round pick.

Goaltending: C+

Their backup last season on the best team in the league had a .846 save percentage as a 17 year old. That could be misleading as he may not have faced many shots. 

 They also have 2 rookies in camp.  Their will be a lot of new faces in Edmonton so they may be under-load often and with no experienced veteran guys I feel like a C+ is a worthy ranking. 

Defence: C+:

They have a decent mix of ages on the back-end, but high end skill is shallow.  Their work-horses will be Logan Dowhaniuk back for his overage year and Ethan peters who is a 19 year old. After that the depth falls off.

Forwards: C+

Very Top Heavy. Future NHL'er Dylan Guenther may start the season in Arizona with the Coyotes. The coyotes have no real reason to keep him as they are dressing a borderline AHL lineup. Once he is back whatever line is one should be able to score at will.   They should have import Jakub Demek back for another PPG forward. Overage Jaxsen Wiebe compliments the rest of the higher skilled forwards.  

After that depth falls off dramatically with a lot of younger players. I expect some selling at the deadline

Questions

Does Dylan Guenther come back as a 19? He could probably make Arizona because they are terrible, but it may not be a good idea to do so. I think they should give him a few NHL games and send him back. Play him at the world Juniors and the Oil Kings trade him for some exceptional value.

Draft Positioning

They modified their roster to go for it last season. After that they have late picks and few picks in the top rounds, so the depth they have will be behind other teams.  

Overall

They will be at the bottom of the totem poles for a few seasons recovering. It was unlucky that they had big UP years during pandemic shortened seasons.

I think they will be near the bottom of the rungs because I also expect them to sell.  I have their offence as one of the worst in the league and that is with counting Dylan Guenther scoring at a 1.75ppg rate and 19 year old Import Jakub Demek at a 1.2PPG rate. Very likely both players may be shipped off at the trade deadline.

Red Deer Rebels 

Goaltending (C)  They had a big unfortunate and unexpected blow. Expected starter Chase Coward(19) did not report to camp with a congenital defect to his lower body. They made a trade in the off-season to shore this area up, but have 2 goalies with no whl experience.  It's uncertain if chase will return this season. If he does it boosts this rating to an A-.  If that doesn't happen this position will be volatile and could be a weakpoint.

Defence (A-)
Defence is a big strong point for the rebels. They have some depth. Christoffer Sedoff,  Tanner Brown and Blake Gustafson are 3 OA's. The rebels will likely part with 1 of them. 
The rebels have another pair of strong 18's in Mats Lindgren, Jace Weir and Hunter Mayo That gives them 5 strong defenders. They also have a young 17 year old import stepping in freshly drafted.

Forwards (A-)
Their forward core looks average on an initial graze through, but IMO has a lot of potential. I think this will be a hidden strength for them. They have some guys who broke out last season. (Kalan Lind, Kai Uchacz, Jhett Larson) who could be poised for big years.  Combine that with Ben King and some older veterans in Jayden Grubbe and Craig Armstrong and their is the makings for a very solid group with a good mix of ages. Maybe I'm over-rating them, but with an older defensive group I think their is some hidden scoring by committee potential. I could see them getting stronger as the season goes on.

Questions
They have 2 overagers for sale.  Their goaltending situation could be their Achilles heel. They have some dark horse strength, but goaltending may hold them back.

Draft Positioning
Their 16's through 19's had early draft positioning. They did do some tinkering, but their draft positioning suggests they should be at a place of strength right now. 

Overall
They have strong depth and skill in their lineup. I just get a feeling that they may start slow and finish very strong with the uncertainty in the goaltender position and some players who maybe ready to take a step forward in their game.

I would say they would be near the top rungs of the ladder with the exception that their goaltending is very poor and inexperienced.  It is tough to see an 18 year old with 1 game experience or an 16/17 combo carrying the load. 

If they can shore up the back-end they will be near the top of the East, but it's a big enough hole that could sink them further back into the middle rungs.

Moose Jaw Warriors

Goaltending (A-)

20 year old Connor Ungar was traded from the Rebels to Moose Jaw.  He was a split time starter last year as a 19 year old. They also have an 18 year old backup who played in 18 games last season.

Defence (A-)

Their have an older defensive group highlighted by NHL 1st round pick 18 year old Denton Mateychuk who put up 1ppg numbers on the back-end.  They are complimented by 19 year old and NHL draft pick Max Wanner and overage Cole Jordan.   For depth they have 19 year old Lucas Brenton and 18 year old Matthew Gallant, giving them 5 players 18 or older

A couple solid 19's and a couple 18's on the back-end.   I don't know enough about their defenceman to give a better rating, but judging on stats they look very solid on the back-end.

Forwards(A-)
They have some heavy young firepower and a good compliment of 19's.  Jagger Firkus will be 18 and he put up 1.21PPG last season as a 17 year old. Brayden Yager is 17 and he put up almost a PPG last season. Complimented with 19 year old Eric Alairie who should be a ppg player, 19 year old Atley Calvert and a couple of import picks with Robert Baco and Martin Rysavy who will be at or near that figure.  You could say their forward group is similar to Red Deer.

Questions

They have room for a 3rd overager. I suspect they would go with a forward. Another forward near the ppg mark could really power some of the 18's to put up very strong years. 

Draft Positioning

Moose jaw had an interesting strategy because their were 3 years in a row where they had no 2nd or 3rd round picks in years where they had mid to later draft positions.   Their draft positioning based off that with later picks suggests they should have a slightly weaker team.

However their drafting jumps out to me in a big way. They have done extremely well with what they had.  Their 2019 draft was incredible. They had no 2nd, or 3rd round pick, but their 1st and 4th rounders turned into incredible players.  Their 1st overall selections in 2018 and 2020 were also elite players. Their Import selections are good players. They have found some players picked up as free agents who are contributing like Atley Calvert and NHL 7th rounder Maxximus Wanner.

 By all means it looks like they will have a couple interesting good seasons predicated on insanely excellent drafting and recruiting and I'm going to watch this going forward because what they are doing is working. 

Overall 

Moose Jaw is likely in the A Tier this season. I expect them to compete in the top rungs of the East Division.  They have an older solid defensive core. They have a great young offense and veteran presence. They have another room for an Overager spot.. Their youth is impressive.  Next season they should still have some elite players at both offense and defence.

Prince Albert

Goaltending (A)

19 Year old Belarus goaltender Tikhon Chaika is back for his 2nd season as a starter. He was their starter last season putting up a .904 save percentage.  18 year old Max Hildebrand will be back in net as the backup. 

Defence (A-)

It looks like they will have an older veteran group and this will be a strength. 20 year olds Landon Kosior and Trevor Thurston to go along with 1st round NHL draft pick 19 year Nolan Allen, will anchor the blueline with a very strong presence. Their top 4 are 19 or older.

Forwards (B)

Good Top line: Forwards Evan Herman, Sloan Stanick and 4th round NHL draft Pick Carson Latimer, should all be near the ppg mark.  Import Vladisalv Shilo will be their secondary scoring presence up front. After that depth falls off. Their age mix is decent, but they have a bunch of inexperienced youth in the bottom 6.  

Questions

4 Overagers in camp. Do they keep Keaton Sorenson(F) or Trevor Thurston(D). I think they'll go with thurston. 

Draft Positioning

Suggests a slightly above average crop of 19's, an insane 20's,  and a slightly below average 17+18 year old core. The 15 and 16's should be slightly above average. Basically it suggests an average team, slightly top heavy with weaker depth.  

Overall 

Everything I see tells me average. They aren't going to be pushovers as they have some really good players in all 3 positions. They just lack depth on forward.  From what I've seen teams with strong back-ends can outperform their offensive reach. 

  IF their younger players can provide depth they have a shot to push up from the mid-rungs of the ladders. If they cannot provide depth, they do have a lot of very tasty pieces for trade bait and potential to fall back especially if a key injury occurs.  They also have an extra 1st round pick already in next years draft from Edmonton. I'd place them in the 5th to 7th category

Regina Pats

Goaltending (B+)

 They traded for an overage in Koen MacInnes who was a split starter in Everett as a 19.  They also have last seasons split starters with 19 year old Drew Sim and 18 year old Matthew Kieper. A big battle here.

Defence (C+)

They have a lot of older defenceman. 4 guys are 19, but 3 of them are pure depth guys. They will be led by NHL 3rd round pick and 10 year old import Stanislav Svozil, and 18 year old Layton Feist. After that the depth tends to fall off.  

I don't know enough to read their defence. It's tough to tell based on stats if a defenseman is a good stay at home guy, or the lack of offensive production is just a lesser quality defenseman. I do see that they have 2 guys with decent point production but after that it falls off quick. It feels like they lack some depth on the back-end as predicated by their later draft positions in the older age groups.

It looks like in training camp they have some decision to either go with an older crew, or go with some youth and experience. It's both possible they try to add for Bedard, but they could also have a disappointing season and have top of the line trade bait.

Offense (A-)

They have some HEAVY HEAVY firepower up front. Connor Bedard, Tanner How, and overage forward Cole Dubinsky.  They have a solid 2nd line with Zach Stringer, Borya Valis, and newly acquired import and 3rd round NHL Draft Pick Alexander Suzdalev. I've pegged Connor Bedard at a ridiculous 2 PPG pace as he scored at a 1.61 PPG pace in his 16 year old season....that is insane, nuts, those numbers don't happen with anything other than generational players. 

Questions

They have 4 Overagers on their roster. Likely a decision between defenceman Luke Bateman and Jakob Brook. This is likely Connor Bedards last season in the WHL. If they can't make a push he would demand a kings ransom in a trade.

Draft Positioning

They are still suffering from going for it in 2016-2017 as their 19 and 20 year old age groups had no first,2nd or 3rd round picks in those corresponding draft years, so their older talent maybe lesser quality.

 Their 17 group should be strong with the #1 overall pick in Connor Bedard as well as 2 extra 4th round picks, but their 16 year old draft might be slightly weaker with a late 1st, and no 3rd rounder.  Their recent drafts are mixed, they have a lot of deals and a lot of picks that aren't their own. Their is no set conclusion from here other than their older group maybe weaker.

 

Overall

Their offense and overage goaltender are strong points. They don't have much of a 4th line so when the game is on the line you can expect them to run 2 lines. I don't have a good read on their defence, but it doesn't look elite and could be a weakness. Their offence could catapult them into a home ice playoff. I could see them fall and drop back as well.  

Saskatoon

Goaltending (C-)

Their goaltending has a combined 14 games of experience. They have 2 18 year old's, and a rookie in camp. This is probably a weakpoint.

Defence(C+)

Overage Aidan De La Gorgendiere will anchor their blueline. 19 year old Charlie Wright is likely to be alongside him on the top line. The blades do have 4 defenceman 19 or older, but 2 of them are depth defenceman that may not play as 20's. They seem to be missing 2nd line caliber defenceman

Offense (A)

The blades have 2 very good offensive lines and that will be a big strongpoint. They have 6 forwards that should hit near the PPG mark. even with a terrible defence and goaltending the potential is there for Home Ice playoff spot potential.  However, they also have 7 forwards that are 17 or younger. They are going to be a team that overplays their top 2 lines when the going gets tough because depth is not there. I could see trades happening for more experienced depth vs their younger depth.

Questions

They have room for a 3rd Overager slot. Their pre-season interviews state they think they can make some noise this year. They could use both depth up front and another defenceman. 

 

Draft Positioning

They made so many trades this is a poor metric for them. They spent 5 years out of the playoffs from 2013-2018. They should have been SWIMMING in talent now as all those higher draft picks should be blooming. 

Overall

It's like they concentrated on offence and forgot about everything else. Their roster is very top heavy and they have weak depth.  I think it would make sense to use the extra Overage slot getting a defenceman, and then perhaps deal one of their older depth 19's for a return on forward.

I see them as a 2nd/3rd place team after an overage acquisition and some tinkering. Because of the weaker depth they could potentially run cold against the better teams with more depth. Their is a lot of volatility here.

Winnipeg

Goaltending (A-)

17 year old Daniel Hauser was a split-time starter with the majority of games. It's very rare to see a 17 year old be the main backstopper, but he did go undrafted in the NHL entry draft. (likely due to his size at 5'9). NHL likes seeing goalies 6'2 or bigger.  Winnipeg was heavily, heavily scouted last season with 3 first round NHL draft Picks.

Hauser will be back for another season as their main guy. He was their main guy in the playoffs last season. We may see them look to add for depth purposes on a run as their other 2 goalies in camp don't have much WHL experience. 

Defence (B)

Ben Zloty and  NHL first round pick Carson Lambos anchor the back-end. They do have an older group with 5 of their top 6 18 or older.  But 3 of their 18 year olds look "fresh" as they lost 3 of their top 6 defenceman last season.

At first glance they look a bit top heavy and they lack depth; however their top line D pairing are exceptional players. 

Offence (A+)

OMG. Their top end offensive potential is insane, IF they get everyone back from pro's. My projections have 3 players scoring at a higher pace than 1.5 PPG ratio. Followed with 2 more at around 1.3-1.4 ppg pace, and another one at just over 1ppg.    (That doesn't include 2 defenceman who will be over the ppg mark). Or a 4th overage forward who they also have, but may have to deal away. That makes 8 guys in total who should reach that mark.

Connor Geekie and Matthew Savoie were the #11, and #9 overall NHL draft picks. More on them in the questions section.

 They do seem a little lean on the potatoes part of their lineup. They have 6 PPG forwards(not including the extra overager) and 2 more that are close by. After that it's all rookies.  They may want another 3rd line body or 2.

Questions

Winnipeg has 4 overages' on the roster. 3 of them are forwards who will be at a point per game pace. Mikey Milne was drafted in his 2nd year of eligibility with Minnesota in round 3. He hasn't signed yet, so he is probably back.  Winnipeg also has the #9th and #11th overall NHL draft picks in Matthew Savoie and Connor Geekie.  When players are taken that high their is always a risk of them being plucked into the NHL at 18. 

I've read it's likely both are back. Buffalo(Savoie) has 13 signed NHL players. It could be likely that he starts the season in the NHL and then gets sent back.  Geekie is with Arizona and they should be in no rush to bring their prospects up. He too could see a game or 10 of action before being sent back.  As such winnipeg could be slow starters with their draft picks away at camp.

Draft Positioning

They have 3 NHL first round draft picks on their roster. They also have a 17 year old who put up a 1ppg pace as a 16 year old who may be another future 1st rounder. 

Their whl draft is unique. In 2019 they had the first and 2nd overall picks with Matthew Savoie and Connor Geekie. The year after they had the 2nd overall pick with defenceman Carson Lambos. Those groups have matured and so has their talent.

Their 15-17th age group has a lot of picks missing with late draft positioning.  This suggests a Top Heavy roster, which is relatively true and in 2 years they will be weaker.

Overall

I could say top heavy, but they are so Top heavy it should carry their team to an amazing year. They do lack of a bit of depth. If injuries bite, especially on the back-end it could play a concern. I see them adding depth at every position. They won't need stars, they may just need some bodies to not give up goals. so it doesn't become a concern. I don't know enough about their roster to conclude on if they have that depth or not, so it's possible I'm out to lunch by suggesting that. If their is a year to go for It, it's this season. I expect them to be top Dog

Calgary Hitmen

Goaltending(A)

One of the few Eastern Conference teams with a set starter and backup. Brayden Peters(20) the overage started most games last season with .906 save percentage and was backed up by now 18 Ethan Buenaventure. The hitmen also have a couple younger goalies looking to crack the roster.

Defence (B)

Their defence is really old. They have 5 19 year olds on the roster; however I think all but 2 are more of the depth type quality and not the top 4 pairing type.   They also have 4 17 year olds looking to crack the roster.  I don't really see top end depth, but a bunch of solid 3rd - 5th type defenceman.  For that I'm going to rate them as a B as the depth looks average.

Forwards (B)

I would consider their forward group average. 3 near PPG forwards, then 6 forwards who I project around the .4 - .6 ppg mark.  So decent depth, but they may run into secondary scoring issues at times.

Questions

They have room to add an Overage. I could see them getting younger with removing some of the 19 depth defenceman and adding an overage.  Or we could see them add depth up front. They can't really go wrong

Draft Positions

When I look at the hitmen they look average and "stuck".  Their draft positioning suggests they should be right in the middle of the pack with mid round picks from their 17 through 19 year old drafts. Too good to be bad, but not bad enough for good drafting positions.

 

Their 16 year old class maybe slightly weaker with no 2nd round pick and a late US prospects pick.

They do look like they should be building around their 15 year old draft class. They drafted in the early rounds, with 2 extra 2nd round picks. If they could compliment next draft, or their 16's it would set them up well for a few years down the road.

Overall

They have depth at all positions. They have 18 players who are 18 or older and as such maybe more likely to float in the higher middle rungs in the standings.

Lethbridge

Goaltending (B+)

Overage Bryan Thomson is back. He was their starter last season as the canes finished as the 7th seed.

Backup Jared Picklyk is back for his 19 year old season. They also have a couple younger goaltenders still in camp. They have a bit of a decision to make.  Next year they have a strong crop of overagers. They may be better suited to trade their 19 year old and bring up a rookie goaltender. This will allow them to keep an extra Overage next season. Their also may be some demand for a 19 year old goaltending this season.

Defence (A-)

They have some experience on the back-end with 3 19 year olds and 18 year old Logan McCutcheon who put up good numbers last season as an undersized 5'9 156 defenceman. Their top 4 is pretty solid. 

Offence (A-)

They have a well balanced group in terms of ages. All 3 of their 20's are forwards. Their top 6 are 19 or older. They have 3 players who I think will come very close to a ppg pace, and 3 more lurking around that area in a 2nd line role. 

Questions

Do they make a push or become sellers? Both options maybe available to them. They will probably see how the season goes and make a path forward from there.

Draft Positioning

Their draft positions was rather mixed. Bunch of traded picks.They  didn't have a 1st/2nd round pick in their 18 year old age group so that suggests the 18 yr old core may have weak depth. 

Overall

They have a maturing group of players. Like calgary they have some depth to their roster.

Their will be a degree of turnover the next couple season. I think their will be a lot of temptation to add to this group. I see them as competing for a Home Ice playoff spot.

Edit: Recently made a trade to upgrade an Overage Forward spot.

Swift Current

Goaltending (A-)

They have 2 NHL drafted goaltenders. 20 year old  6'7 Alexander Gage who was a split-starter/backup last season for Winnipeg. As well as 18 year old Reid Dyck who played in 23 games last season. Both goalies still seem a little raw by their numbers, but if NHL teams have drafted them it means they show potential. 

Defence (B)

Led by NHL first round pick Owen Pickering and Overage Sam McGinley. They have a nice balance of ages, but they also have 4 of their 8 guys as 17 or younger. I'm unsure what to think of this. Their top 4 looks decent enough so I'll grade them a B. 

Forwards (B+)

They have a very strong group of up and coming 18 year old forwards who should get better as the season goes on including 3 NHL draft prospects in Josh Davies, Josh Filmin, and connor Hvidston. Pair that up with Overage Raphael Pelletier and 18 year old Matthew Ward and that is 5 players on or close to the PPG mark.  

Questions

They have 4 overage's on the roster, but I think it's an easy decision.

Draft Positioning

The pandemic years with no playoffs was a benefit for them as they had drained their cupboards for the run in 2017-2018. They've had 4 years of terrible seasons because of it. They were able to recoup a lot of draft picks but it still left their 2018 draft with a single 3rd round pick. That draft of players is 19 this season, so they will be lean there.  The 18 year old group has an extra 1st rounder and an extra 4 picks in rounds 3 and 4. That group could be stronger than normal.  They do have lots of early picks coming up through the 17 and younger age group and we should see them start becoming strong over the next couple seasons.

Overall

Their 19 year old group is lean, but they have an exceptional 18 year old forward group. I keep thinking they could be a big dark-horse, to hmm maybe it will take another year before they get stronger....

Medicine Hat Tigers

Goaltending (B-)

19 year old Beckett Langkow is the starter in his 3rd season with 30 games experience. The backup is 16 year old rookie Ethan McCallum. It's on the rare side to see a goalie make the team at 16. It could be a sign the Tigers found a good one.  20 year old Garin Bjorklund is gone to pro's.

Last year Langkow's stats were underinflated because of such a young team with limited scoring potential. The Tigers still have a youngish team and Langkow is still likely to be peppered. He started the season off strong last season, but when you are getting peppered every game with odd man rushes it's easy to loose confidence.

Defence (B)

They have an older backend with 3 19's and an 18 year old. Anchored by Dru krebs and Bogdans Hodass. They also have a bunch of younger guys with 3 17's.  The depth looks pretty good as their are quite a few teams with very weak defensive depth this season. Tigers could be fielding trade calls all season. 

Forwards (B)

They completely changed their overage group adding 3 players with Dallon Melin, Alex Dover, and 20 year old Import Oskari Kuntonen. They also have Overage Brendan Lee on the roster,.   It's extremely rare to see a first year overage import.   They will also likely start 15 year old Gavin McKenna in Medicine Hat for a few games as previously stated in media interviews.

I count them as having ten players popping in at at least a .5ppg rate. I counted the entire Eastern Conference and they lead the league in that category. 

They have 3 2nd lines. They just don't have a bona-fida top line.  Secondary Depth is a strong point for the Tigers and their game will be to wear the opposition out.  Tyler Mackenzie could probably get close to a point per game pace. 

 Their depth maybe able to pushup to a B+ Category.

Questions

They have 4 Overage forwards. 3 of them are New to the Team. 

Draft Positioning

Suggests their 20 year old group should be weaker with the 2nd last pick in that draft.   The 19 year old draft was just average and unfortunately their star pick Cole Sillinger only played for 1 year, so that kinda makes the current group below average because of it.

 The Tigers had 8 extra picks in the top 3 rounds in the 15 to 18 year old age groups.

Where the Tigers shine is the 2021, and 2022 drafts. (The 15 and 16 year old age group). They have early draft picks with an extra 1st, 2nd and 3rd.  That's a 2-3 year wait until those picks are ripe.  

The positive thing about taking Gavin McKenna first overall is that he has a late birthday and as such guaranteed to play in his 18 year old Junior season because if you are born after Sept 15th, you don't get draft until you turn 18. His birthday is December 20th.

Overall

The hype is still a couple years away, but this season they have potential to be surprising due to their depth.  AT first glance you don't see elite talent, but they have the most depth out of every team in the East. Their 3rd and 4th lines will likely have edges on their competition.

 It is a year of tinkering and they have already tinkered quite a bit trading away Ashton Ferster, James Venne and releasing Noah Danielson who I projected at a .75ppg pace(although he hadn't played a full season because of injuries)

 They may face interesting questions at the deadline as they have some  3 19 year old defenceman that maybe heavily sout after. They may be offered a bunch for them, but it could also hurt their playoff push chances. 

Tiered Standings

Championship Tier: 

Winnipeg

Home Ice Playoff Tier

Red Deer/Moose Jaw/

Middle to bottom rungs

Swift Current/Calgary/Prince Albert/Regina/Brandon/Lethbridge/Medicine Hat/Saskatoon

Bottom Rungs

Edmonton

This was very very difficult to separate teams. I see volatility everywhere. So many teams with strong elements, and weak elements.  Some teams have great offence, but poor defence, some teams have great depth but no elite talent. Some teams have great depth, but poor goaltending...

Who wins and looses in that scenario? Their were times I had both calgary, Lethbridge, swift current,calgary and saskatoon up a rung higher. Then I'd compare them to one of the other teams and I'd think they are awfully close in talent and drop them. 

Usually when I have troubles making a ranking it's a sign of parity. I expect a super tight and close race. The only prediction I'll make is that their will be a 1 game tiebreaker to make the playoffs.

 

Interesting Notes

I think Edmonton will become trade deadline sellers even though they may not be 100% out of it. They still have a potent top line, but for their long term development it may be wise to become sellers. 

I think Saskatoon is the team most likely to trade to add to their team. They have 7 potential ppg players and the ability to add another Overage.  Their depth is an issue and I dropped them a rung because of it, but I do think they may seperate themselves from the pack and Join the Home Ice playoff tier after making some moves. 

Regina is also in a weird spot because they have a generational talent, yet the supporting cast is weak.

Red Deer has a strong roster, but goaltending issues....

Medicine Hat doesn't really have top line offence, but they could have the best overall depth with 10 players that could hit the .5 ppg mark. 

Goal Scoring Index

This is my estimation of offensive potential. Winnipeg is a clearcut runaway

Winnipeg 317  

Moose Jaw 263   (May increase after adding an OA)

Red Deer: 263 

Regina: 258  

Swift Current 233  

Lethbridge 234  

Calgary 221  
Brandon 216   

Saskatoon: 217   (This will increase after adding an OA)
Medicine Hat: 209    

Prince Albert: 195   
Edmonton 199   

Projected Point Per game Players

Winnipeg: 8

Saskatoon: 7

Moose Jaw 4 ( 1 close)

Red Deer 3 (2-3 knocking on the door)

Brandon: 3 

Price Albert: 3

Swift Current 3 (Another one close)

Regina 3

Lethbridge 3

Calgary 3

Edmonton: 2

Medicine Hat:0 (Mackenzie or Dover could be close)