Pats – Wheat Kings Tonight
Breaking down the battles
By Greg Harder Fri, Sep 10 2010 – Slap Shots
The numbers don’t lie.
With 31 players left on the Regina Pats’ roster — five of them headed for NHL training camps this week — the competition for jobs is about to heat up significantly.
Head coach Curtis Hunt insists there are veterans who need to be looking over their shoulders. Sure, coaches always say that, but it might actually be the case here.
With four pre-season games left, there’s still plenty of time to win — or lose — a spot on the roster. In the meantime, let’s review what we know now:
Between the pipes
Barring a trade, Damien Ketlo and Dawson Guhle will form the Pats’ netminding duo again this season. That much is obvious. How the playing time should be divided is open for debate, but Ketlo made a strong statement towards retaining the No. 1 job on Saturday night in Moose Jaw. Over to you, Guhle.
Rookie Matt Hewitt has been one of the biggest surprises in training camp. He’s still an unknown commodity so the pre-season may be revealing, but who’s to say he won’t maintain his steady play and provide a nice option as their third goalie? Taking it a step further, perhaps he’ll stand on his head and entice the Pats to shop one of the vets in order to fill a hole in another area. Seems unlikely, but he got this far, didn’t he? Stranger things have happened.
It remains to be seen how prospect Adam Beukeboom, 16, might fit into the equation. He only joined the team on Wednesday, so it’s too soon to speculate.
On the blueline
Starting with the obvious, Brandon Davidson, Cody Carlson and Myles Bell — not necessarily in that order — will form Regina’s top three. Based upon what we’ve seen so far, import Ricard Blidstrand will round out the top four. After that, it’s very much up in the air.
Mitch Spooner, 18, has shown burgeoning offensive potential but he needs to prove himself in his own end before he’ll be trusted with significant minutes. Tyler Borstmayer, at 17, is still young and seems to possess some upside, but he has to start showing more of it. Some of that responsibility falls on Hunt, who must give players like Spooner and Borstmayer an opportunity to show what they can do. After that, it’s up to the players to take advantage. If they don’t, it’s on them.
Travis Sparrow, at 19, is no longer young by WHL standards and he’s running out of time to establish himself on this team. Tyler Pavkovich is a similar style of stay-at-home defender and he’s two years younger. The only problem for Pavkovich is the fact that he’s slowed by an injury and has yet to play in the pre-season. When he does get in the lineup, he needs to step up and grab a job. It’s there for the taking. It’s not quite so cut-and-dried for rookie Landon Peel, who has shown considerable potential as a puck-mover. However, he’s only 16 and lacks size, so another year of seasoning in midget AAA might be the best option if he’s borderline to make the team.
Up front
Jordan Weal, Garrett Mitchell, Carter Ashton (if he returns from the NHL), Hampus Gustafsson and newcomer Colin Reddin are pencilled into the top six. That group could be rounded out by former Swift Current Broncos prospect Dane Muench, who has impressed so far. He’s small but skates well and has good skill. Again, the opportunity is there if he grabs it.
Of the rookies, top prospect Chandler Stephenson has done nothing to play himself out of a job. Dyson Stevenson looks like a good fit as well. His size and power game — with a nice mix of skill — would be a welcome addition to a group of forwards that appears quicker and more skilled than last season, but very much on the small side. Mikael Jung, 18, fits into that small category, too, but it would be a surprise if the Pats didn’t find room for his blazing speed. Michael Sagen and Bryton Mills (another training camp surprise) are the other rookies still in the hunt. Both have good size and might have a chance to climb the depth chart, perhaps as 13th or 14th forwards.
The pre-season will be huge for WHL castoff Jesse Hall and junior A pickup Logan Sceviour, who are in direct competition. Hall needs to find a way to stand out in order to win a job over Sceviour, who has quietly been a nice surprise and could fit as a third-line checking centre.
Speaking of players who need to stand out, veteran Dominick Favreau hasn’t shown enough improvement so far to ensure that he’ll keep his fourth-line job, let alone move up the depth chart. He too needs an opportunity to either succeed or fail. With others waiting to step in, it’s now or never. Tyler Parker has been working hard to get noticed with some gritty and determined play, but will it be enough to step off the periphery and into a full-time role? Cass Mappin’s size and physical play could be valuable commodities for this group, but he needs to do a lot more to warrant a 20-year-old spot. Andrew Rieder isn’t yet an established player for the Pats, but his speed, grit and feistiness could make him a key player in a checking role. Like a lot of young players, consistency is the key. Killian Hutt remains a wildcard. He reported to camp in much better shape and lit it up early but has been slowed by an injury. The coaches still need to be convinced of his commitment to becoming a more complete player. If that happens, he has the ability to become a significant contributor — especially on the power play.
In all cases, time will tell.
