BOSTON (@SHLWolfpack) -- The Boston sports media has lately focused on the regression of core players, retirements of legendary players, and the trading away of former franchise players. Another story ongoing that is relatively unnoticed by the Boston media centers around the great prospects New England has across the SMJHL. This new wave of prospects will help New England transition from one aging core to a younger one. The farm is full of great players, including some elite forwards.
The Scouting Says: A great offensive- defenseman from the Kelowna Knights. Patrick Brumm Jr. gains the scouts’ attention with his scoring, puck handling, and defensive abilities. Only flaw in his game is checking, which is part of a trend we are seeing where offensive-defensemen are focusing more on the offensive side of the game than dishing out big hits and getting banged up. Brumm Jr. has been focusing on improving his defense, skating, and strength, lately.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take: Being around the team a lot, we can tell that Brumm Jr is well-liked in the locker room. With the Clayton trade, all indications point towards Brumm Jr joining the Wolfpack next season. For his rookie season, he will get some good experience as he adjusts to the different league. Brumm Jr grew up in locker rooms of his father Patrick Brumm, so he knows a little bit about SHL life already. Management is happy with his development so far. Not the top earner of his draft, but good enough to make him an SHL player after a few seasons in the SMJHL. Brumm Jr. was drafted by New England with the 14th overall selection in the S39 draft. This draft saw the Wolfpack make 4 selections, Brumm Jr. and Julian O’Sullivan (9th overall) are the two that remain, and Brumm Jr. has the slight lead in tpe. Brumm Jr. leads the Wolfpack’s defensemen in the prospect pool.
The Scouting Says: A good goalie prospect that has played a lot of games since joining the Vancouver Whalers of the SMJHL. O’Sullivan’s large build, at 6’4’’ really helps him fill up the net. His reaction speed is what we notice when we watch O’Sullivan. He can respond very quickly. His hand speed is also really fast, he’s almost reached that cat-like quickness that scouts look for in their goalies. O’Sullivan is developing at a modest rate, and all signs points towards a lengthy career at the pro level. O’Sullivan will need to continue working on his style control to round out his abilities.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take:With a good personality, and willingness to do what is asked of him, Julian O’Sullivan has the full backing of New England management. While he hasn’t developed as quickly as some players in his draft class, O’Sullivan is still progressing to the level he needs to be to become an SHL starter. Still several seasons from being an established SHL starter, O’Sullivan will continue to player for the Whalers before transitioning into a backup role for Wolfpack goalie Mikke Laukkanen. The Wolfpack have been trying to draft and develop a goalie for the past 10 seasons, striking out on a few attempts. O’Sullivan is the best goalie drafted by New England since Laukkanen.
The Scouting Says: Viktor Valentine has shown flashes of greatness in his play for Montreal. He’s a Defensive defenseman that can shut down some of the top offenses of the SMJHL. His passing ability from the blue line is an added bonus that makes his play very exciting. The biggest knock in his game is his inaccurate shot, which is fine since he’s more of a playmaker from the blue line that likes to give his teammates the puck instead. He’s not ready for the SHL yet, but with a few more seasons in the SMJHL, he could be ready.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take: A second round selection that is continuing to develop. With the call-up of Patrick Brumm Jr, Valentine is now the only defense prospect the Wolfpack has in the juniors. Valentine has what it takes to make the Wolfpack roster in a few seasons, and because of his good attitude and great personality, New England management is said to be as patient as needed get the Irishman to the SHL. Seeing him at the gym training constantly has us at @SHLWolfpack assured that he will end up as a notable defenseman in the future.
The Scouting Says: An impressive power forward that can check well and has excellent skating. He’s balanced with the puck, scoring goals and getting assists equally. His skating is top-notch for his draft class, and sets him apart from some other players. Gotze’s large frame makes his checks punishing and frequent. Having 113 hits last season made the other players of the SMJHL take notice every time he stepped on the ice. No one wanted to be caught in a corner with the puck when Gotze was on the ice. The German brings grit and offense in one package that makes him very versatile.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take:Gotze is the top player in the Wolfpack’s farm. Developing quickly, he will reach and perform well in the SHL before long. At most, Gotze has another season with Colorado before he makes his SHL debut. A lot of the players in New England already are excitedly awaiting his call-up. Always having a great personality and interactions with other teammates, Gotze has earned himself his own unique emoji in the official New England Wolfpack fan discord. Gotze’s drive to be a top talent is catching the attention of those around the league. Gotze highlights the Wolfpack’s collection of elite forward prospects.
Alex Andani <a href='index.php?showuser=3001' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-59'>Carbine</a> HT:6’4 WT:220 lbs Birthplace:KrÄslava, Latvia SMJHL Team:Vancouver Whalers ---- GP ll G ll A ll P ll +/- ll PIM ll HIT ll SB ----
S40: 50 ll 05 ll 16 ll 21 ll -2 ll 44 ll 32 ll 10
The Scouting Says:Andani is a defensive playmaking center that has great puck handling, skating, and defensive abilities. He has a high hockey IQ that allows him to see plays develop in all sorts of situations. He’s a face-off specialist using his strength and quickness to win faceoffs. He has shown flashes of eliteness during his first SMJHL season, making his draft stock climb high. The Latvian will be in the SMJHL for another season to develop a bit more, but then he won’t be far from being ready to compete with the men and women of the pros. His large size complements his defensive abilities as a forward.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take:The highly coveted draftee, Alex Andani is going to be an elite center in the SHL. New England management was ecstatic that he was not chosen with the 1st pick in the S41 draft. The Latvian has done well in his first season in Vancouver, playing with his best friend Kristaps Ball. The Latvian duo will haunt the league when called up in the future. Andani is the kind of player with few weaknesses in his game. Andani’s development has been top-notch and has been well received in the locker room of New England. Some players have a transitioning period when joining a new team and need to warm up to the other players, but Andani has felt like he’s been on the team for several seasons already. In his first season in the SMJHL, Andani took home the Zach Miller Trophy, given to the most dedicated player. This was a huge accomplishment and shows the efforts he took to become an elite prospect.
Kristaps Ball <a href='index.php?showuser=3000' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>jcfbey01</a> HT:6’0 WT:220 lbs Birthplace:KrÄslava, Latvia SMJHL Team:Vancouver Whalers ---- GP ll G ll A ll P ll +/- ll PIM ll HIT ll SB ----
S40: 50 ll 11 ll 7 ll 18 ll -18 ll 10 ll 27 ll 3
The Scouting Says: Kristaps Ball is an offensive threat anytime he steps onto the ice. Elite scoring ability with good size, Ball finds his way through traffic and put the puck in the net. His skating and puck handling are top notch as well. Kristaps Ball has the potential to be the most dominant scorer of his peers. The only knock that is visible to scouts is Ball’s checking ability which most scouts have flagged as his weakness. That minor weakness does not hold him back, his offensive capabilities will outshine any minor flaws. At the rate he has been improving, Ball is on the verge of a breakout season in Vancouver. After a training camp with a pro team, expect Kristaps to return to Vancouver with an extra pep in his step.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take: Taken 7th overall in the S41 draft, Kristaps Ball was highly desired by New England management. Having played with Alex Andani, New England planned to draft and develop Ball and Andani together. The management of New England was thrilled to draft the elite scorer and add to their expanding forwards prospect pool. It’s expected that Ball will develop quickly and enter the SHL as a top prospect along with his countryman, Andani. His expected ceiling looks to be very high as is Andani’s and Czerkawski, the other 1st round forward drafted by New England. Before the draft it was widely rumored that Ball was on New England’s radar. Ball and Andani both expressed their desire to play together, and New England with the #2 and #7 picks made sense. If you like flashy wingers, Kristaps Ball is your kind of player, and New England fans will be mesmerized by his play.
Piotr Czerkawski <a href='index.php?showuser=3020' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>majesiu</a> HT:6’2 WT:220 lbs Birthplace:Radomsko, Poland SMJHL Team:Montreal Militia ---- GP ll G ll A ll P ll +/- ll PIM ll HIT ll SB ----
S40: 50 ll 11 ll 12 ll 23 ll -12 ll 8 ll 36 ll 3
The Scouting Says: An excellent forward from Poland, Czerkawski has great passing and skating. He can zip in and out of traffic, make his way through the offensive zone to find his teammates near the net. Czerkawski’s defense is high as well, making him a threat in the defensive end as well. Czerkawski’s play is a step above of the majority of his draft class. The winger has great grit, too, never taking off any shifts. A workhorse, his endurance is high so he rarely fades late in games. His shot is average among his peers, but combined with his passing and skating abilities, Czerkawski looks like a swiss army knife. Czerkawski has all the potential in the world to become a dominant playmaker when he’s developed further. His training is highly rated among scouts as well, spending a good amount of time in the gym improving all the time.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take: A must have piece in the S41 Draft, New England management traded for the third overall pick to get Czerkawski. Based on his play in Montreal and his reputation with several players in the franchise, New England management knew that Czerkawski would be an amazing pick. Everything about Czerkawski indicates he will be a top player in the SHL. His playmaking abilities combined with Ball and Andani could make these three 1st round forwards a dangerous line. The last Wolfpack selected 3rd overall was Oisin Fletcher who has developed into a great player himself. New England fans are expecting and hoping for the same caliber of player out of Czerkawski. The sky is the ceiling for Piotr and he’s doing well reaching for it already.
Doug Dimmadome <a href='index.php?showuser=3033' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Michalak29</a> HT:6’1 WT:210 lbs Birthplace:Buffalo, NY SMJHL Teamrince George Firebirds ---- GP ll G ll A ll P ll +/- ll PIM ll HIT ll SB ----
S40: 50 ll 08 ll 09 ll 17 ll - 22 ll 20 ll 44 ll 4
The Scouting Says: Doug Dimmadome is a playmaking winger that prefers to be on the right. His strengths are passing, skating, and puck handling. His defense is stellar as well. Additionally, his endurance is really good for a juniors player. His cardio excellent, doesn’t slow down during shifts or fade late in games. He’s still needs some development, but based on his progress so far, Dimmadome should be SHL ready in 2-3 seasons. Despite early scouting reports noting checking as a weakness, Dimmadome managed 44 hits during the S40 season with Montreal. While not expected to be a very physical player, Dimmadome’s game is capable of evolving into that role.
@SHLWolfpack’s Take: Picked up in the second round, Dimmadome looks like a solid forward. He has brought an awesome personality to the locker room and has been in contact with management often. If Dimmadome keeps it up, he will move up lot of spots in the future S41 re-drafts. Dimmadome’s good personality and playmaking abilities will win over the hearts of the New England fanbase. Dimmadome rounds out the Wolfpack’s great forward prospects, and will have plenty of time to develop into his pro-form. Since joining the Wolfpack, Dimmadome has made management aware of his desire to become a great player.
The Wolfpack are in a good position going forward. Seeking out talented players with good personalities is setting New England backup as the perennial contender they once were. As the older generation regresses their play, this new wave will be ready to step in when the time right. The forwards group seems to be set for the future, a few extra defensemen and the Wolfpack farm will be one of the best in the SHL.
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