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***sve7en*** · 02-19-2020, 06:10 PM

[541 words, ready for grading]

We’re coming up on the last games of the S52 SMJHL season, and the final standings are still all over the place. With every team making the playoffs though, and the massive parity in the juniors, the title is still anyone’s game. Most teams have had a bit of shuffling at the bottom of the rosters all season, but since the trade deadline passed we’ve seen a few new DFAs get some looks.

For those not in the know, DFAs, or Draftable Free Agents, are the prospects who have declared for the next SMJHL draft this upcoming off-season while the current season is still in effect. These post-trade deadline declaring players are able to sign temporary contracts with any team for the remainder of the season. They cannot practice with the team and are not rookies yet, but they can get time on the ice and show their stuff in a very real environment. Once the team they sign with is out of the playoffs, their contract expires and they are no different than any other class of S54 prospect.

So far we’ve seen Kelowna, Detroit, and Newfoundland make moves to pick up these DFAs. All the ones added so far are recreate defensemen, but there are three more recently declared first gen prospects that have the potential to make some noise this postseason:
(** TPE is TPE accounted for in their update threads, as they are the three DFAs with update threads. There are 6 more DFAs without update threads.)

Slimey Snail (Defenseman) [161 TPE**] - @FleshBagSoup
First up is a stout defenseman from the Czech Republic. “Slimey” is a defensive minded anchor, and while he won’t be leading breakouts he has the hands to clear the zone and set up faster teammates. I really see him shining this postseason on a team that needs a bit more help on the penalty kill, or on a team like Vancouver who could replace underperforming Tommy Outlaw, who hasn’t really shown up all season.

Patrick Shepherd (Center) [163 TPE**] - @Cobbenstein
Shepherd is an American, defensive minded, high IQ center who could really lock down a team’s 4th line. He has the hands to beat most of the current rookies on the draw and is a reasonable threat on offense as well. Adding center depth in this way would allow teams to feel a little more comfortable throwing their 4th line out on the ice when their guys are gassed in the second and third periods. Expect a team like Newfoundland to pick up Shepherd to replace someone like Gregory Stiemsma so they can keep their top line fresh as they force feed them minutes.

Dwight Knight (Left Wing) [163 TPE**] - @hockeyiscool
No one knows much about Dwight, he doesn’t seem to have the skating aspect of hockey down, but he’s a strong kid with a knack for finding open guys. He loves to get back on defense and play the body, and isn’t a liability in any aspect of the game other than his mobility. He seems like an ideal PK2 winger, and could find a home in Colorado or another team with an underperforming bottom 6 wing looking to relieve the minutes some of their top guys are pulling on the penalty kill.