EVERETT — As the book closes on one hockey season a new tome opens to the next almost immediately. One of the biggest questions in the opening chapter is what the Everett Silvertips will look like in the 2016-17 season.
This doesn’t figure to be like last offseason, when the Auston Matthews/Tyson Jost/Patrick Khodorenko drama played out with all three players choosing different routes. Yet the primary need remains the same: offense.
“We have to get out there and figure out how to add some people that might bring some offense to our team,” general manager Garry Davidson said. “There might be the possibility of some of our younger guys stepping up and filling those roles. There is also the potential of looking at the Euro draft situation at the end of June. And the third way is trying to acquire that from other teams via trade.”
The Tips will certainly look for increased production from returning forwards Matt Fonteyne, Patrick Bajkov and Connor Dewar.
Other players in the organization who could get a shot to produce on offense include 2014 second-round bantam pick Bryce Kindopp (20 goals, 25 assists in 42 total games with the Lloydminster Bobcats), 2015 first-round pick Brett Kemp (22 goals, 33 assists in 46 total games with the Yorkton Maulers) and former Junior Silvertip Sean Mallonee (17 goals, 28 assists in 34 total games with the North Iowa Bulls). All three players have signed with Everett.
Tristen Pfeifer, Lucas Skrumeda and Brycen Martin are all potential overage defensemen while Noah Juulsen and Kevin Davis will be in their 19-year-old seasons on Everett’s blueline. Mackenzie Dwyer is also a candidate to return depending on how quickly he recovers from ACL surgery.
Martin’s rights are held by the Buffalo Sabres and there is a chance he could play professionally next season. In addition, Juulsen has signed with Montreal and could play for the Canadiens next season, but that isn’t considered likely.
Beyond the projected returnees there appears to be no shortage of players who could fill in on defense next season. It’s a list that includes 2014 draftee and Snohomish County product Wyatte Wylie, 2015 third-round bantam pick Montana Onyebuchi and 2015 fourth-round pick Gino Fairbrother, who saw extended ice time in the postseason because of injuries to Pfeifer and Juulsen.
Carter Hart will return at goaltender for his 18-year-old season, while Mario Petit is entering his 19-year-old campaign. Petit proved a capable backup in limited action this season.
Both current European-born players — Yan Khomenko and Dario Winkler — are eligible to return and Davidson is under the impression both want to do so. However neither one was a key offensive contributor, so the Tips could look elsewhere if they choose.
“We’re certainly not too worried about that now — once the bantam draft is over we’ll shift our attention over to the Euro draft,” Davidson said. “I’ll reach out to them directly after the bantam draft and give them some time to reflect on how the season went.”
Khomenko, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, is a 1998-born forward, which is a very thin year for Tips players. That could help his cause despite tallying just five goals and three assists in 46 games. Winkler is a 1997-born Austrian forward who had seven goals and five assists in 57 games this season.
Remaining is the biggest question of all: which of the six potential overage players will fill the three allowed slots? In addition to the aforementioned Pfeifer, Skrumeda and Martin, forwards Dawson Leedahl, Brandon Ralph and Graham Millar are all entering their 20-year-old seasons.
According to head coach Kevin Constantine those decisions depend on a number of variables that will take time to sort themselves out.
“If all six of our guys are interested in playing in the league and can’t play here the hope is that they can play somewhere, but you gotta go through the summer,” Constantine said. “There is a lot that could change. The player has got to want to be here and not have signed an NHL contract. And from that pool you pick what works for your team, but you often don’t make that decision until September.”
This past season’s overagers — Carson Stadnyk, Remi Laurencelle and Cole MacDonald — combined for 58 goals and 85 assists as the Tips reached the second round of the Western Conference playoffs for the second straight year.
“I think when you look at our team on paper we really overachieved and that’s a real credit to the coaching staff,” Davidson said. “They did a very good job taking what we had and getting most out of them. It’s also a credit to the players. They bought into what was being asked of them and played a real team game, which is what we needed to do to be successful.”
One of these years, however, the Tips hope to drop the “over” from their label and simply become “achievers.”
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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