WHL preview: East Division

By Ryan McCracken on September 22, 2018.

Swift Current Broncos

Last season: 48-17-5-2, second in East Division, won WHL championship

Head coach and director of hockey operations: Dean Brockman (third WHL season, first with team)

Assistant coaches: Brandin Cote (first season), Scott Dutertre (first season)

Key losses: Head coach Manny Viveiros (Edmonton Oilers); director of player personnel Jamie Porter (Edmonton Oil Kings); forwards Glenn Gawdin, Matteo Gennaro, Giorgio Estephan (overage); D Savhan Khaira (traded to Everett); F Aleksi Heponiemi (signed in Finland); and signed NHL draft picks G Stuart Skinner, defencemen Colby Sissons and Josh Anderson, and forwards Tyler Steenbergen and Beck Malenstyn all vying for pro jobs.

The 20-year-olds: Forwards Kaden Elder, Tanner Nagel, Andrew Fyten; defencemen Artyom Minulin and Ryan Pouliot. At least two must be moved out by the Oct. 10 deadline.

The imports: Finnish rookies F Joona Kiviniemi and D Roope Pynnonen.

Key returnees: Elder (18 goals) and Minulin (13) are the only returnees who scored more than 10 times last season. Goalie Joel Hofer didn’t see much playing time behind Skinner, but nonetheless was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues at this year’s NHL draft.

New faces: Too many to list. The Broncos’ 25-man roster as of Monday included nine rookies and another five WHL veterans who are new to Swift Current. Rookie Isaac Poulter will back up Hofer.

Watch for: Who’s going to score the goals. The final 14 forwards in camp had a combined 112 WHL goals, with 95 of those belonging to four players.

Noteworthy: The Broncos scored big with each of their three previous Finnish import picks — G Eetu Laurikainen in 2012, D Julius Honka in 2014 and Heponiemi in 2016.

Did you know: Other new faces with the Broncos this year include Gary Aubin (replacing Jamie Porter), 10 of their 11 scouts and director of business operations Nathan MacDonald.

Prognosis: The Broncos paid handsomely for last season’s championship glory — the third title in team history and first since 1993. Barring several break-out seasons or surprise pro camp returnees, it will be a battle to stay out of the East Division basement.

Brad Brown/Prairie Post

Moose Jaw Warriors

Last season: 52-15-2-3, first in East Division, lost in second round of playoffs to Swift Current.

General manager: Alan Millar (ninth season).

Head coach: Tim Hunter (fifth season).

Assistant coaches: Mark O’Leary (seventh season), Scott King (fourth season) Matt Weninger (goalies, second season).

Key losses: Two world junior gold medalists (C Brett Howden and D Kale Clague), WHL scoring champion C Jayden Halbgewachs (70-59 – 129), LW Brayden Burke (113 points), LW Tanner Jeannot (40 goals), NHL drafted import defencemen Oleg Sosunov and Dmitri Zaitsev and starting goalie Brody Willms (who is out for the year with a hip injury).

The 20-year-olds: D Brandon Schuldhaus, C Tristin Langan and either D Dalton Hamaliuk (Spokane) or G Brodan Salmond (Kelowna).

The imports: 2001-born forwards Yegor Buyalsky and Daniil Stepanov (Belarus).

Key returnees: D Josh Brook and D Jett Woo (both second-round NHL picks), Schuldhaus; C Justin Almeida (43-55 – 98), LW Ryan Peckford (20-29 – 49). G Adam Evanoff (2.65 GAA, .906 sv), 18, is looking to start.

New faces: D Daemon Hunt (who played 11 games in 17-18); C Nick Bowman (from Edmonton), 2016 first rounder LW Brayden Tracey.

Watch for: The Warriors led the WHL with 326 goals last year, but the players that accounted for 231 of those goals (70.9 per cent) are not with the team this season. Watch for young players to be given ample opportunities to play with their few skilled veterans to try to find some secondary scoring.

Noteworthy: Hunter is Canada’s first world junior head coach from the WHL’s East Division since Terry Simpson in 1986.

Did you know: The Warriors set a junior record for largest 50-50 draw last season. They are poised to break it as the pot for the home opener is starting at $166,615.

Prognosis: Goals are going to be at a premium this season. The Warriors have enough quality and depth on the blue line to be in most games. If they can win some low-scoring games, the playoffs are a possibility. Any injury to a key forward would spell disaster.

Matthew Gourlie/Moose Jaw Express

Saskatoon Blades

Last season: 35-33-3-1, missed playoffs for fifth consecutive season

General manager: Colin Priestner

Head coach: Mitch Love (first year)

Assistant coaches: Ryan Keller (third season), Ryan Marsh (associate, first season), Jerome Engele (on and off since 1989)

Key losses: Braylon Shmyr (LW), Evan Fiala (D), Tyler Brown (G)

Key returnees: Max Gerlach (RW), Josh Paterson (C), Kirby Dach (C), Dawson Davidson (D)

Prince Albert Raiders

Last season: 32-27-9-4, second Wild Card in Eastern Conference, lost in first round of playoffs to Moose Jaw Warriors

General manager: Curtis Hunt (fourth season)

Head coach: Mark Habscheid (fifth season)

Assistant coaches: Jeff Truitt (first season), Dan Gendur (first season), Mike Brodeur (goalies, first season)

Key losses: Curtis Miske (LW), Jordy Stallard (C), Regan Nagy (RW)

Key returnees: Cole Fonstad (LW), Kody McDonald (C), Brayden Pachal (D), Ian Scott (G)

Regina Pats

Last season: 40-25-6-1, third in East Division, lost in first round of playoffs to Swift Current Broncos

General manager: John Paddock (fifth season)

Head coach: Dave Struch (first season, fifth with team)

Assistant coaches: Brad Herauf (fourth season) Rob Muntain (goalies, eighth season)

Key losses: Cameron Hebig (C), Matt Bradley (C), Sam Steel (C, not expected to return)

Key returnees: Cale Fleury (D), Josh Mahura (D), Jake Leschyshyn (C), Jared Legien (LW), Max Paddock (G)

Brandon Wheat Kings

Last season: 40-27-3-2, fourth in East Division, lost in second round of playoffs to Lethbridge

General manager: Grant Armstrong (third season)

Head coach: David Anning (third season, seventh with team)

Assistant coaches: Don MacGillivray (third season), Tyler Plante (goalies, third season)

Key losses: Logan Thompson, Evan Weinger, James Shearer, potentially Ty Lewis

The 20-year-olds: F Linden McCorrister, D Schael Higson, and Lewis if Colorado returns him.

The imports: G Jiri Patera. D Eric Brannstrom and F Martin Kaut remain in pro camps

Key returnees: F Stelio Mattheos, the No. 1 bantam pick in 2014 (43g, 47a); Higson, who played on the team’s top pairing with D Braden Schneider, who is now in his 17-year-old season. McCorrister had an outstanding playoff and is poised for an offensive breakout.

New faces: The team’s top pick in 2017, F Ridly Greig, had an outstanding camp and pre-season É Second rounder D Vincent Iorio is six-foot-two, 205 pounds and won’t turn 16 until mid-November.

Watch for: Brandon’s fortunes could rise and fall with their 2000-born forwards. They need a big step up in production from a group that includes Luka Burzan, Caiden Daley, Cole Reinhardt, Rylan Bettens and Marcus Sekundiak. The five combined for 52 goals last season.

Noteworthy: Brandon’s deadline trades of Kale Clague and Tanner Kaspick shocked some observers in January, but the team could have four players they acquired in the lineup this season, and have four future first-rounders in 2019 and 2021 in their back pocket. They picked F Brett Hyland with their 2018 second rounder that came from Prince George via Moose Jaw.

Did you know: Ridly Greig’s father is Mark, who enjoyed a 17-year pro career after graduating from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and played 125 NHL games. He now scouts for Philadelphia.

Prognosis: Brandon should be in the running for the East Division title with Prince Albert and Saskatoon. If any of Lewis/Brannstrom/Kaut end up in Brandon, expectations rise.

Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun