What to watch for this weekend

Published 9:07 am Friday, September 2, 2011

So what should a Silvertips fan be looking out for during this weekend’s preseason tournament? The Tips currently have 33 players still with the team. That number will eventually have to get down to somewhere in the range of 23 — approximately 14 forwards and seven defensemen, along with two goalte

nders.

Therefore, this weekend it’s time for those on the bubble to convince general manager Doug Soetaert and head coach Mark Ferner they belong on the team this season. Here’s a look at how things stand right now at each position:

Forwards (19): Josh Birkholz (91), Tyler Maxwell (91), Cody Fowlie (92), Ryan Harrison (92), Jesse Mychan (92), Vladimir Dolnik (93), Tyler Giebel (93), Manraj Hayer (93), Zach McPhee (93), Josh Winquist (93), Kohl Bauml (94), Jordyn Boyd (94), Jari Erricson (94), Trent Lofthouse (94), Carson Samoridny (94), Michael Bell (95), Ryan Chynoweth (95), Dawson Leedahl (96), Ty Mappin (96).

Skinny: Leedahl and Mappin are 15-year-olds and thus ineligible to make the team this season, so really it’s 17 players vying for about 14 or 15 spots. However, this is complicated by Hayer and Lofthouse being out at least a month because of injuries. Also, Birkholz, Maxwell and Harrison will be heading to NHL camps next week, and with the 15-year-olds likely heading home after the weekend, that leaves just 12 forwards available for next weekend’s preseason games at Tri-City’s tournament. So don’t expect any moves to be made here anytime soon. When they eventually are made, there’s no guarantee the cuts will come from the bottom of the list. Everett’s going young this season, so veterans who haven’t shown they can be impact players could be equally vulnerable.

Defensemen (10): Brennan Yadlowski (91), Dominik Bittner (92), Evan Morden (93), Ryan Murray (93), Darian Henry (94), Nick Walters (94), Austin Adam (95), Tye Hand (95), Cole MacDonald (95), Andrew Weich (95).

Skinny: The four returners (Yadlowski, Morden, Murray, Walters) and Bittner are safe. That means the rest are essentially competing for two spots. Henry probably has the inside track on one spot because he’s 17. Everyone else is 16 and it would be hard for the Tips to carry two 16s. Those players are subject to the 40-game rule, and with five lineup spots spoken for — and with all those 16-year-olds being the type who would need to be eased into the lineup — it’d be difficult for Everett to get two 16-year-olds into 40 games.

Goaltenders (4): Luke Siemens (92), Kent Simpson (92), Andy Desautels (94), Austin Lotz (95).

Skinny: This is a legitimate battle and we’ll get to see it play out in full view during the preseason, as Simpson won’t feature in any of the preseason games because of a combination of his injury and Chicago Blackhawks camp. Siemens just beat Desautels out for the back-up spot last season. It would seem to be Desautels’ job to lose, with the Tips going younger this season. But Desautels hasn’t quite found his legs yet, Siemens has looked good, and now Lotz may have played himself into contention with some solid displays. I really don’t know which direction the Tips will go.