The Silvertips are keeping a close eye on their own players at this year’s NHL draft, which takes place tonight and tomorrow in Montreal. However, there’s one other player worth keeping an eye on: Jordan Schroeder.
Schroeder, a late birthdate 1990, is a high-scoring center from the University of Minnesota who is expected to be a lottery pick tonight. He also happens to be on Everett’s protected list.
And I was told today by Everett general manager Doug Soetaert, who is in Montreal for the draft, that he just had his first face-to-face meeting with Schroeder. It was nothing formal, more a greeting than anything else, so Everett fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. However, both parties have now put faces to voices heard over the phone.
It’s still a longshot for the Tips to end up with Schroeder. Even if Schroeder decides to sign immediately with the team that drafts him, there’s a chance he’ll be able to jump straight to the NHL as a 19-year-old. But if he’s picked by the right team (from an Everett standpoint), signs and is deemed not quite ready for the NHL, Everett will be the destination. Having Craig Hartsburg in place as coach certainly doesn’t hurt Everett’s attractiveness to potential recruits, either. So who knows, maybe there’s glimmer of hope for the Tips.
But there was a glimmer of hope with Kyle Okposo, too, and that never panned out. Nevertheless, it’s still fun to speculate.
—- UPDATE, 7:15 p.m.
Schroeder just went 22nd overall to the Vancouver Canucks. I have no idea whether the Canucks are an organization that favors major junior or not. But I do know they’d have a heck of a shorter trip to see him playing in Everett than in Minnesota.
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