The potential overagers that we discussed yesterday aren’t the only players who will be returning to Everett, of course.
The Tips will have a strong contingent of returning 1997- and 1999-born players. The 1998-born class? Well, that’s pretty thin due in large part to missing out on Tyson Jost and Patrick Khodorenko, Everett’s top two picks in the 2013 bantam draft. In fact, Carter Hart is the only 2013 Tips draftee to play in Everett this past season.
Leading the way for the 1997-born returnees on offense are Matt Fonteyne and Patrick Bajkov. The two linemates play well together and are poised for strong seasons after impressive campaigns in 2015-16. Fonteyne broke out with 16 goals and a team-best 32 assists while Bajkov, a possible late-round NHL draftee in June, scored 18 goals with 28 assists. Per head coach Kevin Constantine, Bajkov finished his 18-year-old season much stronger than his 17-year-old campaign.
“If you go back and track his points I think he had one even-strength point in his last 22 games as a 17-year-old,” Constantine said. “I thought he really became one of our harder-working players in the last 25 games. There was a significant change in his approach to the game in the finish of this year compared to the finish of last year, and that’s given me a little bit of excitement that there’s a bit of light bulb going off in terms of becoming as complete a player as possible, which is what we always request.”
Devon Skoleski is also a potential 1997-born returnee, as is Austrian Dario Winkler. According to Everett general manager Garry Davidson both Winkler and 1998-born Russian Yan Khomenko would like to come back, so we’ll see how that plays out.
Rookie forwards Connor Dewar and Brian King had 16-year-old seasons that give promise for the future. Riley Sutter was hurt for most of the final third of the season, so it remains to be seen what he will do as a 17-year-old. Spencer Gerth joins Khomenko and Hart as the only other 1998-born player returning from the 2015-16 season.
On defense the Tips remain stacked with 19-year-olds Noah Juulsen and Kevin Davis poised to return. Davis certainly will be back. Juulsen is a signed first-round pick of Montreal and could possibly make the Canadiens roster next fall, but that isn’t considered likely at this juncture.
Jake Christiansen will also return after a fine rookie campaign that saw him work his way into the regular defensive rotation and even play up with the offense on a couple of occasions when the situation warranted it.
We talked about the overage candidates on defense yesterday and it’s probably safe to assume at least one if not two of the Brycen Martin-Tristen Pfeifer-Lucas Skrumeda trio will be back on the blueline. The Tips also have 2000-born Gino Fairbrother, who played in three postseason games, and 1999-born SnohomishCounty native Wyatte Wylie, who appeared in one. Both should have a decent shot to make the team after what amounts to an extended audition with the Tips at the end of the season.
The Tips are set at goaltender for the time being. Hart will enter his 18-year-old year likely as a second-round NHL draft pick and should be in Everett for at least two more seasons. Mario Petit showed himself to be a capable backup during the Portland series.
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