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Grapehead · 08-05-2017, 01:23 AM

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Militia Draft Recap w/ guest Jeff Kirkstone
Hosted by Nolan Gaudet

Nolan: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the show. Our next guest is an old friend of mine, but someone we haven't really heard from since the end of his rookie season. That appearance was of course on our show, and we're very excited to welcome him back to the show. Please give a warm welcome to Jeff Kirkstone.

Jeff: Hi, Nolan. It's a pleasure to be back on the show.

Nolan: So, as I mentioned, this is your first interview since your last appearance on this show.

Jeff: Well, I did give an interview for a piece after Montreal won the Four Star Cup, but yeah.. other than post-game scrums, this is the first face to face interview for me in quite a while.

Nolan: That Four Star Cup win was really something. You stepped into the head GM position directly after that Championship, but since then have failed to win either playoff series you've competed in. What has been missing in Montreal since then?

Jeff: It certainly isn't talent. We were really blessed with the last group of players who came through Montreal. Thinking back to the S32 SMJHL Draft where we drafted Prince, Walker, Elliot, and Ojala. That was our core, and we picked them up in one draft. We added pieces to the core, and we've had a ton of talent since the cup win. We just came up short a few times, and with this core almost all gone it was time to shake things up.

Nolan: You certainly shook things up ahead of the S36 draft. Landing two trades almost simultaneously; one with Detroit, and another with St. Louis. What sparked those moves, and the hefty price tags that came witht hem?

Jeff: Much like I did prior to S32, I made a timeline for this team over the next few seasons. I wanted to be purposeful in all my maneuvers. So I looked at our roster, and I determined which players didn't project to fit that timeline. That decision was based on the player's growth and the needs of their SHL team. I also knew that if I wanted to use a similar tactic to building a winning core then I needed to improve my draft situation. We owned all of our own picks until the day before the draft, but by the end we held 1st, 6th, 21st, 24th, 29th, and 37th. With 39 players available in the draft we knew we'd be bringing in 6 warm bodies at the very least. The goal was to land at least 3 players who would develop into quality players. The trades were sparked by my need to grab as many players in this draft as possible.

Nolan: Tell me a little bit about the three trades: Detroit, St. Louis, and Prince George.

Jeff: Sure! With Detroit it was a matter of wanting to be sure I could select whoever I wanted in this draft. We saw a good number of second generation players who brought a pedigree that was hard to pass up. Ben Turska was an amazing player for us, and it was certainly hard to let him go. The 2nd round pick involved was easier to let go of because of acquiring a 2nd round pick in the St. Louis deal. Beaujeaux Biscuit was worth that trade, and I would make it again. If you look bad to S32 we also traded up then to acquire Prince, and I don't think anyone would think that was a mistake. Biscuit has ties to this franchise through his family, and has a tremendous work ethic.

With St. Louis we were looking to unload two players we felt had a high chance of being called up for S37. I knew S36 would be a difficult season to contend, so I took the chance to acquire an additional pick in this draft, and move up from our 2nd round pick to an additional 1st round pick. The price was definitely hefty, but I got to make a trade I was comfortable with now rather than rushing to make a deal at the deadline. I love the trade in the end, especially since I used the 24th pick from St. Louis in the PGF deal.

At the beginning of the draft I counted 21 out of 39 prospects as being at least solid picks, so pick 24 to me was going to be unlikely to produce a decent roster player. As we got closer to pick 17 I made a call to Prince George and offered pick 24 and a 3rd in S38 for pick 17. I had a target in mind when I made the deal, and I rationalized that we would likely get another player for our core if I got another pick inside that top 21.

Nolan: Okay let's talk about each pick a bit. First of all, Montreal had the 1st overall pick for the first time since S10 and you selected Beaujeaux Biscuit.

Jeff: Prince was moving on, and we didn't have a suitable replacement. We thought that might have been Coren Volden but he really hasn't put in the effort to earn that job. So when we had the option to select a player at the most crucial position, who also has an incredible pedigree, and ties to the organization it was an absolute no-brainer. Expectations will be high for Beaujeaux, but he has time to develop as well. This season we will have low expectations across the board, and the goal will be growth and development. It was an honour to make the first pick, and a moment I definitely won't forget. (<a href='index.php?showuser=1157' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Beaujeaux</a>)

Nolan: Okay so then we come back to Montreal at 6th overall, where you selected defenseman Jack Tanner.

Jeff: That's right. My draft rankings had Jack Tanner as the highest rated first generation player in this draft. I wasn't exactly surprised to see second generation players go early in the draft, but I was pleasantly surprised to have the chance to select Tanner. We lost a lot of defensemen this offseason, so it was a high priority to select a defenseman with the 6th pick. Jack brings an exciting offensive game to the table, and really creates a lot from the backend. He isn't much for playing the body, but he makes an excellent first pass, and he has an active stick on the defensive side. People have him pegged as an offensive defenseman, but I think we'll see a two-way aspect to his game that nobody is expecting. (<a href='index.php?showuser=2728' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Beaver</a>)

Nolan: You got a bit of a break here before you next pick, and this was where you traded up to 17th to select Colette Jacobsen.

Jeff: Really excited about this pick, because I think Colette slipped farther than she should have. She is a bit rough around the edges, but at this level you really need that physical presence. We'll have to rope her in a little as far as PIMs, but for the most part we just want her to go out and cause chaos. Colette has a knack for getting under her opponent's skin, and we need that. She reminds me a little of Travis Jeziak: tough, passionate, loyal, and hard working. With some experience and guidance Jacobsen projects to be a first line player. (<a href='index.php?showuser=2741' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Jacobsen921</a>)

Nolan: Then you picked again at 21st where you selected center Aline Marquales.

Jeff: Yeah, we have been in need of a center badly since the sudden departure of Vesa Perhonen who returned home to Finland. Dean Colt had played a bit of center for us, but has moved on to Minnesota. Not to mention we were shocked to realize someone like Marquales was available at 21. I was really excited about the Jacobsen pick but Marquales could very well be the steal of this draft. I believe some GMs may have had issue with his player agent, or questions about his commitment. We had shared a few conversations with Aline though, and we knew he was ready to hit the gym as much as it took to be the best. We will need to work on his defense first, but it will not be long before Marquales is manning the first line. (<a href='index.php?showuser=2600' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Negs</a>)

Nolan: Next you took Blue Bull at 29th.

Jeff: Blue Bull was a center, and that really sealed the deal. We had a couple of brief chats with him, but nothing extensive. What we liked about Blue was that he is a natural goal scorer. There's always time to work on defense and learn that aspect of the game, but you can't teach someone how to be a gifted goal scorer. Blue is a good prospect with a very high ceiling, but he's got some work to do with his faceoff ability and his conditioning. For now we're going to find the best spot for him in the lineup and get him out there in crucial situations to put the puck in the net. They won't be big minutes, but he's going to contribute for this team, and we'll do anything we can to help. (<a href='index.php?showuser=2404' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>bluemlittlem</a>)

Nolan: Finally, at 37th overall you select Yanni Kataranakis.

Jeff: Yanni had some question marks about whether he would actually come over to North America to play, and if he had the commitment to play in the SMJHL. The jury is still out on that, but at the very least we've got another warm body on the roster, and one with some potential to grow. (<a href='index.php?showuser=2729' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>JSS</a>)

Nolan: Well thank you so much for joining us tonight. One final question... When will Montreal win the cup again?

Jeff: Season 37! Thank you for having me, Nolan. It is always a pleasure to talk with you, and I will make sure we do this again sometime soon.

DeletedAtUserRequest · 08-05-2017, 01:26 AM

Nice read and lots of luck Cheers

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Whikadoodle · 08-05-2017, 03:51 AM

Quote:Originally posted by Coach Biz@Aug 4 2017, 11:26 PM
Nice read and lots of luck 

drodger91 · 08-05-2017, 07:14 AM

Great article, bright future! Militia

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