The Silvertips enjoyed a mostly smooth and steady first half, en route to claiming the top spot in the Western Hockey League’s U.S. Division standings with 56 points.
But there are still pressing questions surrounding the Silvertips as they begin the second half of their season at Spokane on Friday (7:05 p.m. puck drop). Here are three to monitor as the Tips look to repeat as Western Conference champions.
1. Does Everett add a top forward?
Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson has never been shy about his intentions this season. He’s attested that his team would benefit greatly from a top-six forward.
“The only thing that I also think is obvious, I think we need to add a bonafide goal scorer to our top-six guys,” he said. “That’s probably my assignment between now and the 10th of January. I’ll be continuing to investigate the potential and the options to do that as we move forward here through the Christmas break as we get closer to the 10th.”
But who will be available for Davidson and the Silvertips?
“I think there are a number of teams that are trying to decide if they’re going to stay pat or they’re going to buy a little or are they going to sell,” Davidson said.” I do certainly think they’re going to be a few good pieces out there and I just have to be patient to see if we can make a deal. We’ll see what’s available. It’s still a little bit foggy out there to say the least. There are some teams that certainly aren’t selling off yet but aren’t buying either and we’ll see what they decide between now and the 10th.”
All three of Everett’s major acquisitions this season were former Swift Current players — Sahvan Khaira, Artyom Minulin and Max Patterson. Calgary and Brandon are interesting potential trade partners. Both teams are right on the precipice of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but a few losses could convince those franchises to sell off assets. Some teams in the East may be influenced to sell due to Prince Albert’s appearing to be a juggernaut.
2. Will the lines settle down?
If you’ve been tracking Everett’s forward lines this season, it appears as if head coach Dennis Williams is either drawing names out of a hat or blending them all up and seeing what sticks.
Of course, the randomness has more to do with Williams exploring line chemistry more than anything else, but the Silvertips’ instability up front is something worth monitoring.
The Everett Silvertips lines have not only fluctuated game-to-game, but during games as well, as Connor Dewar often joins Riley Sutter and Bryce Kindopp in late-game situations, even though those three rarely start the game on the same line. The addition of Patterson, a center, from Swift Current was partially to move Dewar to his natural position on the wing, but he’s still played some games at center.
It’s possible the first question surrounding the Silvertips will dictate the second, as Everett’s addition of another high-caliber forward influences Williams to settle on set lines down the stretch. Until then, expect Williams to experiment.
3. How does Everett handle the Sean Richards situation?
As the roster currently stands, Everett overage forward Sean Richards is a vital component to the Silvertips roster composition, as he is a top-six forward and an alternate captain.
The issue with Richards is the repeat offender label he’s earned with the league for his overly physical play. Most recently, Richards was slapped with an eight-game suspension for a boarding major against Seattle on Dec. 8 and won’t be able to suit up until Jan. 6. He was suspended five games earlier this season for a hit against Seattle as well.
If Richards is suspended again by the league, the length will most certainly will exceed double-digits in terms of games missed. Hypothetically, if Richards is suspended again and receives a 12-game ban, he will have missed 25 total games of the regular season, which is 36.7 percent of the season. That’s a major chunk of the season to be without a top-six forward and alternate captain. What’s more, if Richards were to be hit with a suspension in the playoffs, then a key contributor will be missing at a crucial time.
Richards striking a balance between his aggressive style of play while having the discipline to stay on the ice is essential for the Silvertips in the second half.
“That all rests on Sean’s shoulders. Sean has been told multiple times that he needs to change his approach to playing the game and once you’ve been labeled, it’s even more magnified,” Davidson said. “He’s going to have to adapt and change the way the game is played today and the way he’s playing it. All the coaches can tell him time and time again about his approach to play and I can say the same thing and sort of reiterate what they’ve said to him. But ultimately Sean is going to have to figure it out and it’s not going to be good for him and it’s certainly not going to be good for our team if one of our three 20-year-olds is sitting in the stands.”
There is a possibility that Everett could try and acquire another 20-year-old and either release Richards or send him back in a trade, but the rush to dump Richards isn’t urgent. Richards has a reputation as an instigator, but he’s a skilled forward that already boasts double-digit goals and by all accounts, is a valued voice in the Silvertips’ dressing room.
But the repeat offender label looms over the second half of the year for Richards. He’ll have to either adapt or his team will suffer the consequences.
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