On Monday I wrote about the uncertainty surrounding Everett this offseason. There’s all kinds of speculation about who will be here next season. That includes the questions about who will be back from this season’s team, and I’ll discuss those in depth below.
But lost in the shuffle has been one important question: Who will provide leadership next season?
Everett had a tremendous leadership group this season. The overage trio of Kohl Bauml, Ben Betker and Brayden Low served as the team’s captains and did an incredible job of leading, with Tips coach Kevin Constantine describing them as the best leadership group he’s had with Everett.
But those three have graduated and won’t be back next season. If there was a default fourth leader on the team this season it was goaltender Austin Lotz, and with Carter Hart winning the No. 1 goaltending position late in the season it’s hard to see Everett keeping Lotz next season as an overager. So there’s a good chance he’ll be gone, too.
Looking at the rest of the potential returners, there’s no obvious candidates for leadership positions. It’s not like last offseason, when it was clear Bauml, Betker and Low (if they were on the team) would be part of the captaincy group. None of the potential returning players has ever worn a letter for Everett. From what I know about the personalities of those players, there’s no sure-fire choice to be one of the captains next season. Maybe Noah Juulsen.
Constantine talked about this season’s leaders having a hunger. Those three captains had been in Everett for a while and had never won anything. They were extremely motivated to accomplish something in their junior careers, so when the opportunity presented itself this season they went above and beyond the call of duty. Will next season’s team, having now hung a banner, have that same hunger? It will be important for the Tips to find some leaders to forge the path necessary to build up on this season’s success.
Who will be among those candidates? That’s a good question.
Let’s start with Everett’s overage situation. The Tips have seven candidates for their three overage roster spots: forwards Nikita Scherbak, Carson Stadnyk, Remi Laurencelle, Logan Aasman and Jake Mykitiuk, defenseman Cole MacDonald, and goaltender Austin Lotz.
Scherbak is as signed first-round NHL draft pick, so he’s likely to be playing professionally next season. I’ve already mentioned the situation with Lotz. It would seem, based on the numbers, that Stadnyk, Laurencelle and MacDonald are the frontrunners.
But it’s not that simple. Everett also has a situation with its imports. Scherbak is likely gone. But it’s also possible fellow Russian forward Ivan Nikolishin won’t be back. Nikolishin, who’s spent two seasons with Everett, may choose to remain in Russia next season after receiving few looks from the NHL during his time in the WHL. The Tips may have to fill two import roster spots for next season, and who knows what position those players will play or whether they will report.
Then there’s the case of defenseman Tristen Pfeifer. Pfeifer came out of nowhere to be a quality player for the Tips as an 18-year-old rookie. However, it was revealed after the season that Pfeifer suffered multiple concussions this season, including one that ended his season. What will his health situation be for the start of next season?
Add in the questions about which Everett prospects will show up next season (for more on this see Wednesdsay’s post), and the positions of need with regards to overagers (or imports for that matter) are yet to be determined. Everett general manager Garry Davidson didn’t rule any of the players out of contention during exit meetings.
Everett will have a good group of 18-year-old returners next season, led by Juulsen and fellow defenseman Kevin Davis. The Tips will have a 17-year-old goaltender who’s already impressed in Carter Hart. And 19-year-old winger Dawson Leedahl is a tremendous all-around player. But for every answer the Tips have among their returning players, there’s a question that envelops another.
Next: 2015-16 preview: Incoming (Auston Matthews?)
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