Everett passes on import draft

As expected, the Tips did not select a player in today’s CHL import draft.

Everett indicated its intentions earlier in the offseason when the Tips traded their first-round pick to Regina in exchange for Regina’s first-rounder in 2009. Everett also already has two Europeans on its roster in Russiann center Vitaly Karamnov and Slovakian left wing Lukas Vartovnik.

So Karamnov and Vartovnik appear set to be Everett’s Euros next season. There are two ways of looking at this. On one hand they’re very safe Euros. The Tips know they’re going to report, the two have already adjusted to both North America and Everett (and seem to get along with their teammates), and the Tips know what they’re getting with both of them. On the other hand, neither has yet shown the ability to be an impact offensive player, and the Tips are going to need impact offensive players next season with the loss of Zach Hamll and Dan Gendur. The import draft is one of the few ways of acquiring instant-impact players at no cost, but decided to pass. Of course, there’s a belief in the organization that Karamnov in particular is ready for a breakout.

Nikita Filatov, the sixth-overall pick in this year’s NHL draft, was the No. 1 selection by the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. The Portland Winter Hawks, holders of the top pick by a WHL team, took Russiam right wing Maxim Trunev.