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***efischermann*** · 06-15-2021, 06:28 PM

After a disappointing end to last season, losing in the second round of the SMJHL playoffs to the eventual champion Kelowna Knights in six games, the Vancouver Whalers entered a very impportant offseason for their franchise with a renewed vigor and a spirit that we haven’t seen in a while. This is a team that has very high expectations of themselves, even if the rest of the league doesn’t see the talent they have and will underestimate them. Inside the locker room, it is very evident that they feel like they will be able to surprise a lot of people this season and do some serious damage during the regular season and into the playoffs. They entered this draft without a first round pick, however they were able to make four selections during the draft that will address some much needed spots in the lineup. Below is a list of those four players along with a breakdown of what they offer, and where their development stands. There is a lot of promise here, and there is definitely a lot of hope in the Whalers Locker Room as they look toward the upcoming season.

Round 2 Pick 15 – Conner Tanner ( @Keygan )

Without a first round pick in this years’ draft, Vancouver’s first selection came in the middle of the second round. They led off with the hulking, and I mean massive, Left Defenseman Conner Tanner out of Osaka, Japan. Standing at six feet, six inches and weighing in at 240 pounds, this mountain of a man will definitely bring an edge and a grit to the Whalers’ back end. His strengths are his defensive responsibility, his hitting, positioning and strength. He does have a couple weaknesses, mainly his skating ability and he does not have much offensive upside, but you don’t pay him for that. You pay him for his edge and what he does in his own zone. During the prospect showcase, Tanner posted 15 points (6-9=15) and a plus-1 rating while recording 19:20 average time on ice for the Tokyo Yoshi’s during the 40-game regular season. Tanner won the championship with the Yoshi’s, scoring one goal (1-0=1) in six playoff games and recorded 19:50 average time on ice helping the Yoshi’s lift the cup.

TPE Banked – Total TPE (Extra Earned): 219 (64)
Bank Account - $44,125,000

Round 3 Pick 35 – Landon Fischermann ( @efischermann )

Defense was the name of the game for the Whalers at the beginning of this years’ draft. They used their second draft pick on the Right Defenseman Landon Fischermann out of Los Angeles, California. Another big body, standing at six feet, four inches and weighing in at 205 pounds, however he brings a much different style than Conner Tanner. Fischermann’s game is all about speed, passing and defensive responsibility. Relatively unknown before the draft, he really turned heads as a member of the San Diego Sand Lions during the prospect showcase. Posting 30 points (7-23=30) and a plus-12 rating during the 40-game regular season was just the start of it. He tied for the most points by a defenseman and ranked tied for third overall in assists. He also ranked third in time on ice per game with 22:37 per game. He didn’t stop there though, he posted five points (0-5=5) in six postseason games before losing to the Tokyo Yoshi’s in the finals. His assist total was second in the league while he tied for third in league in points and second among league defensemen all while posting 22:24 time on ice per game, second best in the league. It appears is bearing down and working hard this off-season to show the teams that passed on him that they made a big mistake.

TPE Banked – Total TPE (Extra Earned): 219 (64)
Bank Account - $16,875,000

Round 4 Pick 39 – Darwin Koff ( @Lobbanet )

The Whalers finally went with a forward for the first time this draft, selecting left winger Darwin Koff out of Kalmar, Sweden. The offensively gifted winger stands at six feet, one inch weighing in at 210 pounds. His strengths stand out as with his offensive abilities, from shooting accuracy and puck handling. He is also very adept at getting to the net and causing mayhem there. Rumor has it his speed has increased drastically from what he showed in skates leading up to the draft, so that could really separate him from where he was thought to be during his rookie season. As he continues to develop, we could really see something special from Swedish winger. The Swedes do have a really amazing history of developing some amazing goal scorers, and that is what the Whalers hope they have here in Darwin Koff.

TPE Banked – Total TPE (Extra Earned): 199 (44)
Bank Account - $0

Round 5 Pick 49 – Giannis Kroustis ( @Air Crou )

The fourth and final selection for the Vancouver Whalers in the S60 SMJHL draft was the big winger out of Athens, Greece Giannis Kroustis. Standing at six feet, four inches and weighing in at 235 pounds, the “Greek Freak” is all about offense. It is amazing that someone as large as he is, has as much offensive power as he does. He is pretty fast, but his shot and abilities to get around the offensive zone are very highly rated. He is a bit of a defensive liability, and it will be something that he needs to work on as he develops during his career, but unlike the first few picks this year for Vancouver, this guy is an absolute offensive dynamo. He has almost no physicality to his game either, another thing that I am sure the Vancouver coaching staff and Front Office will plan to work on and develop throughout the season and as his career unfolds. He showed his offensive abilities during the Prospect Showcase, tearing it up for Mexico City and keeping them in games that they had no business being in at times. He tallied 30 points (14-16=30) and a plus-6 rating for the Aztecs during the 40-game regular season. His 14 goals were tied for third most during the regular season and his 30 points were tied for the fifth most. He and the Aztecs got bounced by the San Diego Sand Lions in the first round, but Kroustis still scored two goals (2-0=2) during the three-game series loss to his new teammate Landon Fischermann and the Sand Lions. He also had a plus-1 rating during the postseason.

TPE Banked – Total TPE (Extra Earned): 176 (21)
Bank Account - $0

So, in summary it is very clear that Vancouver wanted to address the back end, and they did so with their first two picks, selecting the massive Conner Tanner in the second round, and following that up with the speedy Landon Fischermann in the third round. They then moved to the forward group, addressing their left side with some serious offensive fire power in Darwin Koff out of Sweden and the sniper Giannis Kroustis out of Greece. It was a very good balance of addressing needs and selecting the best players available during the draft. It is also a very eclectic group, selecting four players from four completely different parts of the world. Conner being from Osaka, Japan, Fischermann from Los Angeles, California, Koff out of Kalmar, Sweden and Kroustis out of Athens, Greece. This kind of diversity can bring a lot of spirit to the locker room and allow people to learn more about different areas and really bring the team and its players closer together. All in all, get ready for a different Vancouver Whalers this season. These rookies added to an already strong group of veterans should be able to make some waves (pun intended). Their goal is to always be a hard team to play against, and never giving up two easy points whether it be at home in Vancouver, or on the road wherever they have to go. We will all see if what they have done this offseason is enough to get them over the hump, and where they want to go.

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