EVERETT — The first season of the Craig Hartsburg era for the Everett Silvertips was a rousing success, at least during the regular season.

The Tips will have to go to work if they want to make Hartsburg’s second season at the helm match the first.

Everett appears set to field a solid squad for the 2010-11 Western Hockey League season. However, the Tips will need players to step up if they want to again challenge for supremacy in the Western Conference.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Hartsburg, Everett’s head coach, said. “We’re going to be a different team and we’re going to have to go through probably some of the same process we went through this year, which is normal for junior hockey. But we’ll work at it just as hard again.”

Everett finished this season tied with Tri-City for the best record in the conference before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs, and the Tips have a wealth of players returning next season. Of the 24 players who were on the final roster, Everett could have as many as 18 back. Because of that, there’s a sense of optimism regarding next season’s team.

“It’s looking good,” said center Byron Froese, who’s a candidate to take over the captaincy. “We have good young guys coming up and we have good goalies. I think we just have to come back refocused and keep working hard for the coach.”

While the Tips won’t be losing many players, the ones they do lose were vital components to this season’s success.

Up front, Everett loses an entire top line as overage forwards Shane Harper, Chris Langkow and Zack Dailey exhausted their junior eligibility. Harper was the team’s leading scorer and MVP; Dailey was the team’s captain.

Defenseman Radko Gudas is another probable loss. The 19-year-old Czech rookie, who immediately became the team’s heart and soul, will be selected in the upcoming NHL draft and is eligible to play professionally next season. The Tips don’t expect Gudas to return as an overager, though he’d be welcomed back with open arms.

Goaltender Thomas Heemskerk is another candidate to play pro. The 19-year-old already signed with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Even if Heemskerk is returned to juniors for his overage season, Tips general manager Doug Soetaert said Heemskerk would likely be traded, with the Tips handing the goaltending reins to Kent Simpson.

“We’re going to lose some really good pieces,” Hartsburg said. “Harper, Langkow, Dailey and most likely Gudas — those are key guys on our team. Hopefully when we get back in September we have kids who are ready to take another step forward. Are they going to replace Harper? No. So it’ll be a process again to build and have everybody find their identity.”

The good news for Everett is the Tips have a solid foundation returning on the back end. It starts with Simpson, who finished second in the league in both goals against average and save percentage despite being just 17 years old. He’ll assume the bulk of the goaltending work and should be among the league’s best.

On defense, the Tips have a budding superstar in Ryan Murray. The 16-year-old rookie showed during the playoffs that he’s already capable of being a quality No. 1 defenseman. He’ll only be better and 17. With Rasmus Rissanen, Alex Theriau and overage candidates Chris de la Lande and Curtis Kulchar also in the mix, Everett should have plenty of experience on the blue line.

The area of concern is the offense. Harper, Langkow, Dailey and Gudas ranked among Everett’s top seven scorers. The trio of Froese, Tyler Maxwell and Kellan Tochkin, in their second season together as a line, combined for 198 points. However, they still have to prove they can produce against opponents’ top defenders. Clayton Cumiskey, Scott MacDonald and Dan Iwanski showed evidence down the stretch they can help pick up the offensive slack, but the Tips still need others to increase their contributions.

But the Tips are confident the resources are available to address the situation.

“I think we have the depth to start the season with what we have,” Soetaert said. “We feel pretty good about some of the younger players who will come in to battle for jobs.”

When it comes to newcomers, the focus will be on finding players who suit Hartsburg’s high-pressure style, which puts a premium on players who can skate and are willing to grind it out in the corners.

Among the candidates to fill positions up front are 17-year-olds Tyler Giebel and Manraj Hayer and 16-year-olds Jari Erricson and Jordyn Boyd. Giebel finished the season on Everett’s roster after a strong season playing midget hockey. All but Hayer already have signed WHL education contracts, and Hayer was a standout at the previous two training camps.

On defense, 17-year-old Evan Morden and 16-year-old Nicholas Walters are the top candidates to make the roster. Walters was the eighth-overall pick in last year’s bantam draft.

Soetaert described Everett’s other first rounder from last year, defenseman Seth Jones, as 50-50 to join the Tips next season. Jones, who has yet to commit to the WHL, could play for the U.S. National Team Development Program next season. Soetaert said the likelihood of Jones coming to Everett would increase in each successive year.

Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog