THUNDERBIRDS

2017-2018 WHL season preview: Where will Seattle end up?

Sep 22, 2017, 11:18 AM | Updated: 11:19 am

The Seattle Thunderbirds will begin their WHL title defense Saturday night at the ShoWare Center (K...

The Seattle Thunderbirds will begin their WHL title defense Saturday night at the ShoWare Center (Keith Hershmiller)

(Keith Hershmiller)

By Tim Pigulski and Andy Eide

Summer is over and its time for WHL hockey, yet again.

While the defending champion Seattle Thunderbirds don’t get going until Saturday night at the ShoWare Center, the WHL kicks off its season Friday night with a slew of games.

With that, we bring you our sixth annual WHL season preview.

How will Seattle fare? Who will win the whole thing? Who’s going to lead the league in scoring?

All the answers are here:

Can Seattle win the U.S. Division?

Andy Eide:  The Thunderbirds have lost too much veteran fire power to make a run at a division crown this season. The division has improved and it will come down to the two powerhouse clubs, Portland and Tri City. Seattle’s rivals to the south, the Winterhawks, got people excited this summer when New York Islanders first-round pick Kiefer Bellows left Boston University and headed to Portland. He’ll join a line with Sklyer McKenzie and Vegas first-round pick Cody Glass. That will form one of the best lines in the league and will make Portland dangerous. Tri City returns a good deal of offense as well. Michael Rasmussen – a Detroit first-round pick – is back and healthy and will head a club that includes threats Juuso Valimaki, Morgan Geekie and impressive rookie Sasha Mutala.

Both Portland and Tri City have some questions on the back end and in goal and the division may go to whichever team answers those questions the most. Overall, the Americans may have more depth while Portland has the bigger names. In the end, that depth will vault Tri City to its first division title since 2011-12.

Tim Pigulski: Unfortunately for Seattle, it’s going to take a lot of things going right for them and wrong for the other four teams in the U.S. Division for the T-Birds to win it. Seattle loses too much firepower to be able to just outscore teams night in and night out, even if their defense can be very good again. It’s not out of the realm of possibility as there is still talent throughout the T-Birds lineup, and if a few guys really break out it could change things, but other teams in the U.S. Division — Spokane, Portland and Tri-City all come to mind — have built their rosters to compete this year as Seattle’s major pieces have moved on.

Who will lead the T-Birds in scoring?

TP: At this point, Sami Moilanen looks like a good candidate to lead the T-Birds in points. He’s a year younger than Nolan Volcan and two years younger than Donovan Neuls, who appear likely to join Moilanen on the team’s top line. Moilanen had one fewer point than Volcan (who I believe is the second best option here) last season in six more contests, but being a year younger and not being fully adjusted to the WHL, I think that Moilanen has a higher ceiling to add to his point totals. Don’t be too surprised either if someone like Turner Ottenbreit has a Brenden Dillon-esque evolution and continues to develop his offensive game, leading to a significant jump in points.

AE Second year import Sami Moilanen is probably the favorite here and the Finnish product should have a productive year. He’s quick, plays with no fear and is coming off an impressive rookie campaign that saw him pot 21 goals and 43 points. He should improve on those numbers this year, playing on Seattle’s top line. His linemate Nolan Volcan will also be in the mix as the 19-year-old totaled 44 points last year. Zack Andrusiak led the team in preseason scoring and could be a dark horse to keep an eye on here but don’t be surprised if 20-year-old Donovan Neuls ends up being the team’s leading scorer. Neuls showed last year, in the playoffs, that he can score some goals. He ended up with eight goals and 23 points in 20 post season games and will now be centering the top line. With that, more opportunities on the power play will come his way and it could very well lead to big things for him.

Most important newcomer?

AE: Seattle will feature a number of rookies on its roster this season and the most important will be defenseman Jake Lee. The 2016 first-round Bantam pick came up for a cup of coffee last season but will step into a full-time role this year. He has all the physical tools to play the position and will need to start to learn the mental side of things. His development is what is important here. Lee isn’t going to push the Thunderbirds over the top of the standings now, but if he continues to hone his game he could end up being one of the cornerstones to a Seattle run in the years to come.

TP: I think the most important newcomer for the long run is import pick Nikita Malukhin, as Seattle will be counting on him to develop over the next couple of seasons and be a very strong player when this young group has grown up. But for this season, the most important newcomer is Noah Philp. Philp will have every opportunity to make a name for himself in Seattle as he’ll be playing in the middle following the graduation of so many centers. In preseason Philp showed he has the skill and size to score a lot more than the 22 points he had last year. He’ll be one of the aforementioned players who could really make a difference in where the T-Birds end up in the standings.

Who will be the T-Birds MVP?

TP: Carl Stankowski is the easy choice here, even if he will miss the first month of the season due to injury. Stankowski could’ve been the MVP of the playoffs last season when he locked up the T-Birds’ number one goaltending spot for the foreseeable future. If not Stankowski, Ottenbreit seems like a strong candidate once again. He was named team captain yesterday and his influence will have a lasting effect on the young guys, but he’ll also be a top-pairing defenseman and I expect his offensive contributions to grow into the 50-point range.

AE: The afore mentioned Neuls will be Seattle’s most valuable player this year. This is the over-ager’s last go around in the WHL and he wants to make it a memorable one for him. Not only will he be centering Seattle’s top line but expect to see Neuls on the ice in every big situation. Penalty kill? Yes, he is one of Seattle’s most accomplished penalty killers. Power play? Yes, his offensive production late last season and in the playoffs guarantee that Matt O’Dette will use him. Late game defensive zone faceoffs? Yes, even though Neuls never played center until the second half of last year, when the game is on the line, he’ll be hopping over the boards. Not only for the faceoff but for his defensive play.

Who is the sleeper in each conference?

AE: In the West keep an eye on the Spokane Chiefs, who missed the playoffs a year ago. They have a lot of talent in the likes of Kailer Yamamoto, Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Ty Smith. Like many of the top clubs, they need to settle their goaltending and defensive situation but the Chiefs will not be an easy out for anyone this season. New head coach Dan Lambert has had success in the WHL before, winning the league title with Kelowna in 2015, and he knows how to handle a talent-laden club like he’s inherited in Spokane. While they probably don’t have enough to overcome Tri City and Portland, they will not be a welcome sight come playoff time for any team.

In the East, the Swift Current Broncos could be a sleeper team. The Broncos have some scoring up front in the likes of Tyler Steenbergen, Aleski Heponiemi, and Glenn Gawdin. To shore up their goaltending, Swift Current pulled off a trade earlier this week to bring in former T-Bird Logan Flodell to occupy one of its 20-year-old slots. Flodell is coming off a strong year in Saskatoon that saw him set a new career mark with a .912 save-percentage and he will give the Broncos a much needed presence on the back end. The Broncos play in a tough division but like Spokane in the West, will not be an easy out come playoff time.

TP: In the West, there are quite a few question marks as so many clubs have gone through major transitions this offseason, particularly in the U.S. Division. They’ve had so much success over the past few seasons it may be tough to call them a sleeper, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Victoria Royals. They have an outstanding 19-year-old goaltender in Griffen Outhouse who will be their backbone and a good number of returning players, led by Matthew Phillips, who should score over 100 points this season, and Scott Walford, a third-round draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens.

In the East, Swift Current turned some heads last postseason when they took Regina to seven games in the second round of the playoffs, leading the series 3-1 at one point. They appear primed to build on that success this season with high scorers Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi returning up front and former T-Birds netminder Logan Flodell now manning the crease.

Who wins each conference and the league?

TP: Regina is my favorite to win the Eastern Conference and the league, even though they’re already guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup as the host team. The Pats gave Seattle a run for their money last year and still hold on to a number of good pieces from that runner-up team. I’d also expect that they make multiple moves throughout the season to shore up any potential weaknesses they discover throughout the year, as Memorial Cup host teams are apt to do.

The West is a much tougher conference to predict, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of Portland or Tri-City take control this season. Both return a number of talented players from last year’s playoff teams, including at least one high draft pick who will develop into some of the league’s best this season. The Kelowna Rockets always seem to find themselves near the top of the standings and they too have a number of good returning players, but I’m not sure their goaltending situation has been completely settled.

AE: All eyes will be on the Regina Pats out in the Eastern Conference. Last year’s league runner-ups are hosting the Memorial Cup this season and will most likely be looking to bolster up their roster. They’ll have to because they have lost some firepower from the team that took on Seattle in the finals. Regina also has a strong threat in its division from the Moose Jaw Warriors. Head coach Tim Hunter has a lot of strong players returning to Moose Jaw this year and that list includes stars like Jayden Halbgewachs, Brett Howden, Noah Gregor, and Jett Woo. They are inexperienced in net, and the job appears to fall to returning vet Brody Willms, who has never been a number one guy. If Willms can’t hold up, the Warriors will be in the goalie market but they should still have enough talent to outlast Regina and win the Eastern Conference.

In the West, the Kelowna Rockets will be strong again –aren’t they every year – but it looks like the conference title will come down to one of the U.S. Division teams. Portland and Tri City will not only battle it out for the top spot in the division, but in the playoffs as well. Of course, with the WHL playoff format what it is, the two will most likely have to settle things in the second round. Tri City has more depth up and down its lineup and if the goalie combination of Patrick Dea and Beck Warm can hold up, look for the Americans to make it to the WHL Finals.

In the finals, Moose Jaw will prevail which will lead to an interesting Memorial Cup tournament that will feature two teams from the WHL’s Eastern Division.

Who will lead the WHL in scoring?

AE: Regina’s Sam Steel and Spokane’s Yamamoto are candidates to be on top of the WHL’s leader board but both will miss significant time due to NHL camps and World Junior Championship invites. That will cut down on the number of games they play in the league and could keep them out of the scoring race. Because of that, look for Moose Jaw’s Halbgewachs to lead the league in points. Last year, he ended up fifth in the scoring race with 50 goals and 101 points. As an over-ager now, those lofty numbers could get even higher playing with another loaded team.

TP: Assuming he returns to Regina, Sam Steel led the WHL in points last year and should do the same this season, even if he misses some time with the Anaheim Ducks and at World Juniors. Kailer Yamamoto in Spokane and Cody Glass in Portland could be good choices as well. It may all come down to who plays the most games in the WHL this season, but it’s hard to pick against Steel after he averaged nearly two points per game as an 18-year-old. This year, the WHL game will probably look almost too easy for the Ducks’ former first-round pick.

Who will be the first WHL player picked in the NHL Draft?

TP: It won’t be anything like last year, where Nolan Patrick was clearly going to be the first WHL player selected in the draft. A breakout season by any number of players could catapult them up the draft boards, but Spokane’s Ty Smith looks like the safe bet right now. The former first overall Bantam Draft selection was given every opportunity last season to prepare him for this year and beyond, where he’ll quarterback the Chiefs’ power play and grow into a top-pairing d-man. He’s not the biggest rearguard out there, but NHL teams seem to care more and more about offensive acumen than the ability to deliver bone-crushing hits these days, which will work heavily in Smith’s favor.

AE: It’s a down year for the WHL when it comes to NHL Draft prospects. Two defensemen however, are among the top guys who could see their names called early in next spring’s draft. Moose Jaw’s Woo and Spokane’s Smith are both on the NHL Central Scouting list and are the two WHL’ers who realistically have a shot at going in the first round. Both players are similar in style, both can move the puck and after successful rookie seasons, should have increased roles on good hockey teams. Woo is a bit taller and that may give him the edge come draft day. Look for the Winnipeg product to be the first WHL player selected in June.

Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge has some moves to make this offseason. (Brian Liesse/T-Birds photo)...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge dishes on the upcoming offseason

Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge will make some moves this summer to improve his club. Will they be big ones?

3 years ago

Seattle’s Keltie Jeri-Leon celebrates his final WHL goal Sunday against Spokane. (Brian Liess...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds end strange and hard season on a high note with dominating win over Spokane

The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt with a lot of adversity this season but end on a high note.

3 years ago

Keltie Jeri-Leon plays his final WHL game for the Thunderbirds Sunday night. (Brian Liesse)...

Andy Eide

Keltie Jeri-Leon set to play his final WHL game as Thunderbirds face Spokane Sunday

After five seasons, Seattle's lone over-aged player, Keltie Jeri-Leon will play his final junior game Sunday night.

3 years ago

Seattle rookie Scott Ratzlaff won his first WHL game in his first start. (Judy Simpson/TC Americans...

Andy Eide

Scott Ratzlaff earns first WHL win as Thunderbirds beat Tri-City

Behind a rookie goalie, the Thunderbirds kicked off the season's final weekend with a 5-2 win in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans.

3 years ago

The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate after snapping a six-game losing streak Sunday night. (Brian Lie...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds enjoy winning again after snapping six-game losing streak

The Seattle Thunderbirds have been scuffling but battled against a good Portland Winterhawks club to snap a six-game losing streak.

3 years ago

Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer fights for position Sunday in Portland. (Megan Connelly/Winterha...

Andy Eide

Dealing with adversity, young Thunderbirds drop pair of games in Portland

Injuries and penalties have thrown a ton of adversity at the young Thunderbirds which showed up in a pair of losses at Portland this weekend.

3 years ago

2017-2018 WHL season preview: Where will Seattle end up?