EVERETT – Today the Western Hockey League’s newest team, the Edmonton Oil Kings, stocks its roster for its inaugural season.
Meaning one of the Everett Silvertips will soon be an ex-Silvertip.
Everett is set to lose a player during today’s expansion draft. Thus the Tips will bid farewell either to a player they’ve gotten to know well, or a player they hoped to know well in the future.
“It’s hard, but that’s the process,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said. “We know with our depth we’re probably going to end up losing somebody pretty decent, either a decent prospect or a decent roster player.”
Edmonton will select one player from each of the other 21 teams’ 50-player protected list to give itself a base for the upcoming season.
It’s the second straight year the WHL franchises have had to contend with an expansion draft. Last year the Chilliwack Bruins got their crack, with the Bruins taking 1989-born right wing Matt Meropoulis from Everett. Meropoulis became one of Chilliwack’s best defensive forwards and also scored the goal that clinched a playoff spot for the Bruins.
The format for the expansion draft is the same as last year. Each team can protect either 16 or 15 players. If a team protects 16 players, then three of them must be overagers for the upcoming season. A team protecting 15 players can choose players of any age. Players born in 1991 and 1992 are exempt. The protected lists must be submitted by 7:45 a.m., with the Oil Kings having until 2 p.m. to make their selections.
Soetaert said the Tips will go with the 16-player option, meaning three of Everett’s eight 1987-born players are safe from the draft.
“It was a decision we had to make,” Soetaert said about protecting three overagers instead of putting the full focus on younger players. “We know there’s going to be a decent player available to them in every category. Veteran player, young player, middle-of-the-road player, there will be some good players available.”
One of the dilemmas Everett faces is whether to protect its potential pros. Center Peter Mueller and defenseman Dane Crowley are both considered even-odds bets to play professionally next season – as a 20-year-old, Crowley will be able to play professionally in the minor leagues; as a 19-year-old, Mueller’s only option is the NHL. That wasn’t an issue last year as Everett had firm knowledge of whether its players were going to play pro or not.
However, Soetaert indicated leaving the potential pros, especially Mueller, exposed is too great a risk.
“I understand (Mueller) is close to signing an agreement, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to play in Phoenix next year,” Soetaert said. “We assume he’s going to, but we’ll protect Peter Mueller in our draft.”
Two teams have avoided the expansion draft thanks to previous deals. During May’s bantam draft, Regina traded second- and third-round picks along with 16-year-old forward Brent Raedeke to Edmonton in exchange for a second-round pick and exemption from the expansion draft. Also, Kamloops avoided the expansion draft by sending 19-year-old center Brendan Dowd to Edmonton, as well as allowing its director of player personnel, Randy Hansch, to join the Oil Kings as their new assistant general manager.
Soetaert said he talked to Edmonton a couple times about making a deal to avoid the draft, but the teams were unable to come to an agreement.
Simpson pays a visit: Kent Simpson, Everett’s first-round pick in this year’s bantam draft, was in town Monday to pay his first visit to the Tips.
Simpson, a goaltender from Edmonton, Alberta, was able to visit because his father was in Seattle on business. He and his parents were given a tour of the facilities and were able to soak up a bit of Everett.
“It’s a great town,” Simpson said about his first impression. “It’s small, but with lots of attitude – and support for the Silvertips, for sure.”
And Soetaert liked what he saw about Simpson, too.
“Kent is very focused, a very committed young man,” Soetaert said. “I think he’d like to start training camp tomorrow, seeing the building and the community. He’s all about playing for the Everett Silvertips, so we’re excited about that.”
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