EVERETT — Austin Lotz is getting an extended stay with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.
As a result, one of the Everett Silvertips’ remaining roster moves will be put on hold for a bit.
It was announced Tuesday that Lotz, Everett’s No. 1 goaltender, advanced to main training camp with the Canucks. Lotz impressed during his time with Vancouver’s rookies over the weekend at the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., and the rookie camp invitee has been asked to stay another week.
Lotz, a 19-year-old from St. Adolphe, Manitoba, was passed over in each of the past two NHL drafts. Last year, he received an invitation to attend rookie training camp with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, but did not advance past rookie camp.
This year, however, Lotz stood out during his rookie camp. He backstopped the Canucks in two of their three games at the Young Stars Classic, and although he allowed 10 goals on 72 shots, he was credited with keeping Vancouver in the games as the Canucks were substantially outshot in both contests. That earned Lotz an invite to main camp, a rare feat for a non-drafted player.
Vancouver’s main camp begins Thursday and runs through Monday, taking place mostly in Whistler, B.C. As a result, Lotz will be unavailable for Everett’s season opener Saturday against Seattle at ShoWare Center in Kent.
That development delays Everett’s decision on who will be Lotz’s back-up this season.
One of Everett’s most visible roster battles during the preseason was for the back-up goaltender position as three players — 17-year-olds Nik Amundrud and Mario Petit and 16-year-old Carter Hart — were in contention.
The Tips made one move following the weekend, cutting Petit. He appeared in three games during the preseason, compiling a 3.39 goals against average and .839 save percentage. Petit now will play this season for the Steinbach Pistons of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
That leaves Amundrud and Hart. Both players spent time with Everett last season — Amundrud served as the back-up after Daniel Cotton was suspended by the team late in the season, while Hart was called up on two occasions. Amundrud never appeared in a game, while Hart became the first 15-year-old in franchise history to receive a start, showing great promise in his two appearances.
In the preseason. Hart was slowed by a groin injury, preventing him from playing in Everett’s first five preseason games. Meanwhile, Amundrud was nearly perfect during the preseason, allowing just one goal on 54 shots during four appearances to finish atop the league’s preseason goaltender standings with a 0.50 goals against average and .981 save percentage.
“The guys played really well in front me, I didn’t face that many shots every game,” Amundrud said. “They helped me out when I needed it and I helped them out when they needed it.
“I feel like I started with a strong camp and brought that into preseason,” Amundrud added. “Hopefully everyone saw that.”
Hart recovered in time for Everett’s final two preseason games and was nearly as good. Receiving the majority of the time in those two games, Hart finished with a 1.33 goals against average and .952 save percentage. So, the Tips have a tough decision on their hands.
“When Carter went in he was solid last year,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “He nursed his way through a groin injury (during the preseason), but was very good in his first night out against Seattle. Amundrud never got a chance last year and he’s been nothing but excellent. He went into four games (in the preseason) and he was really good in all four games.”
Everett also has a tough decision to make with regards to its overagers. The Tips currently have four overagers — defenseman Ben Betker and forwards Kohl Bauml, Zane Jones and Brayden Low — for three roster spots.
Betker is currently at rookie training camp with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, but if he’s returned to the Tips he’ll take one spot. Therefore, in all likelihood it will come down to a choice of two of the three forwards.
It’s nearly an identical situation to last season, when Everett had a defenseman and three forwards competing for the three overage spots. The situation was ultimately resolved when winger Reid Petryk was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings shorty after the regular season began.
“All those guys understand it’s a competition, and I wish we could keep all four because we like the attitude and abilities of all four,” Constantine said. “But we can’t, so their approach has been perfect: control what you can control and go out and play. We don’t know yet, Ben could get signed and placed in the AHL, so that might solve the whole thing. Like last year, if it comes down to it, we’re going to have to make a decision.”
On paper, Low likely would have been viewed as the odd-man out prior to training camp. However, Low packed on muscle during the offseason, then led the team in scoring in both training camp and the preseason, notching three goals and five assists in six preseason contests.
“You never know how it’s going to play out,” Low said. “I did what I could. I thought we had some good chemistry with guys I was playing with. I’d like to think I could be here as a 20-year-old, but as soon as you start thinking that things change. So, I’m just taking it day-by-day and I really hope I have a future here in Everett.”
All three overage forwards have looked good in the preseason. Bauml, a fourth-year Silvertip who’s recovering from shoulder and leg injuries that cut last season short, finished with two goals and three assists in four preseason games. Jones, who also came to camp in great shape after slimming down during the offseason, had a goal and two assists in five preseason contests.
Everett has time before it has to make a final decision on its overagers, as the overager cutdown deadline is Oct. 15.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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