Sights on the Second Half: Part Six
As the Wild open the second half of our inaugural Western Hockey League season, we are turning the clock ahead and examining some of the decisions awaiting the team in the coming weeks…we’re breaking the conversation down into six key questions, and we wrap up the conversation with question 6:
Q: So what’s next? What is the path forward, and have there been any decisions made?
A: We are taking any decisions day by day – there’s no doubt, we have seen a lot of improvement across the board from this year’s team, and the top-end players on the roster have come to us exactly as advertised. However, the potential exists that the Wild could have no first- or second-round picks for a five-year span, and those top draft picks will also need an additional couple of seasons before they become major contributors to the program.
This is what we are weighing as an organization: is the potential for a long playoff run this year worth it versus certain struggles for the next five to six years? These are tough decisions – we do not want to be in a position, nor do we want our fans to see us in a position, where we would likely win seven to 10 games a year for the next five years. Wenatchee has been very fortunate to have a lot of tremendous hockey teams over the last 15 years, and making sure that continues involves a delicate balancing act.
Our hope is to acquire draft picks and players that are old enough to help us next year, or the year after. Our organization needs to get back to a place where we have first-round picks and high-round draft picks to build a sustainable future on the ice. There are a few ways to do that, none of which are very positive today. There are some big decisions coming down the line, and we are in constant communication with our ownership as to the best way to handle those decisions. In the end, our decision will be the one that makes the most sense for the Wenatchee Wild organization in the long term.