Bryce Christianson - 6'2" 195lbs, Goaltender
Expect Bryce to get the nod as the #1 goalie this year. While Jonny O's play last season was often stellar, Bryce was a more consistent winner. His abilities handling the puck outside the crease is one of the reasons why. He is an athletic goaltender with a mixed style.
Over his first year and a half in a Seawolf uniform I've seen him progress from relying heavily on his athletic abilities to utilizing positional strengths more often. Credit goaltending coach Scott Johnson for that progression.
I'm not sure whether Bryce has the natural talent of Nathan Lawson but I firmly believe he can be better than Nathan's UAA performances by a decent margin. It's a bit subjective of me to say so. Lawson was the most talented netminder at UAA since Paul Krake but unfortunately during his career at UAA he was subject to some major ups and downs. Bryce seems to be on a much more even keel and if he continues to play as he did during the 2nd half of last season then he (and the team) will be more successful.
Tommy Grant - 6'2" 194lbs, Forward
When Tommy was injured last season he was leading the WCHA in goals scored. He scored the most goals on the Seawolf team since Curtis Glencross nabbed 21. Tommy could have reached the 20 goal plateau but I think he was slow to come back up to speed after his injury. My guess at the time was that he was a little bit less physically confident.
Tommy can motor and has a real nice release on his shot. His added maturity should contribute to some new confidence. Passing up any shot opportunity shouldn't be in his playbook. He should shoot the puck every chance he gets.
Last year he benefitted from playing with an excellent playmaker with whom he had established a nice chemistry. Finding some chemisty this season will be a key for him. He'll definitley be an important part of the power play. In addition to his shooting prowess, he has the size to compete along the boards and in front of the opposition net. He'll bag a few greasy goals for sure.
Nick Haddad - 6'2" 198lbs, Forward
The third year in a Seawolf sweater is a big one for Nick. So far during his career we've seen Nick primarily fulfill roles on the 3rd or 4th line. But in his last year of junior hockey he showed an ability to put the puck into the net fairly often. He'll have to resurrect that ability as a junior this season. It was nice last year to see him bag a few goals and assists but the team will really need him to double his 10 point season.
Nick could also once again find himself as an important role player; meaning skating on a grinding line. He does those things extremely well and I'd imagine coach Shyiak appreciates that kind of work. If he is unable to increase his scoring, then his physical and defensive play will add to the team's overall success.
Kane Lafranchise - 6'1" 202lbs, Defenseman
Kane is a smooth skating, intelligent defenseman who has an excellent shot. He's pretty much the entire package that you want on the blueline. He's responsible in his own end and has the strength to compete with any oppostion forward. He breaks the puck out smartly whether he carries it or passes it. He's a quarterback on the powerplay and has developed an excellent first time shot.
Kane isn't often flashy but he certainly can be. Under the Shyiak/Blair system the green light is always on for the D to join the offense. Kane is one of the blueliners that can certainly do that. More focus in bringing the O is likely to be something the coaching staff will want from Kane. I've personally been hoping to see more offense generated from our fine group of blueliners. As a junior Kane is in a good position (along with Backstrom and Hunt) to help make that happen.
Craig Parkinson - 6'0" 187lbs, Forward
Production-wise Craig took a bit of a small step backward during his sophomore season but nevertheless matched his goal scoring from his first year. Craig is the best faceoff man (stats don't say so ... but I do) on the team last season and was often inserted for the most important drops. He'll do whatever it takes to win a faceoff.
I'd call Craig a bit of a mix, he can grind and he can score. He commented last year that he couldn't remember when he scored a goal from more than 3 feet away. But I fully believe he can do exactly that. In any case, this season the most important role that Craig can fill will be one that makes his linemates better.
Creating space and dishing the puck to whoever plays on his wing could be what we'll see from him this season. Craig is an emotional player and should bring some guidance, energy and leadership to younger players this season.
Luka Vidmar - 6'1" 195lbs, Defenseman
Luka is a converted forward. His first year playing D was during his last season of junior hockey. He has excellent wheels (does anyone on UAA's D not?) and last season he developed nicely. As a freshman, I remember seeing that he didn't always have his head up. Last season he always kept his head up. Luka is strong and determined as well.
I don't think he's lived up to his offensive potential yet. That's partly due to concentrating on defensive play. Not every single blueliner can join the offense on every single rush ya know? I believe that if Luka continues to improve his smart play that he'll contribute more often on the offensive end. He is certainlycapable of becoming s more dynamic player than we've seen so far duing his career.
Sean Wiles - 6'4" 211lbs, Forward
Steady progression has been the hallmark of Sean's career so far at UAA. As a sophomore he played in twice as many games as during his freshman year. I once thought he lacked some strength and speed but I strongly reject that assessment now. Sean is big and strong and can definitely get up and down the ice with speed. His three goals as a sophomore was good to see but he is capable of delivering more.
I'd expect Sean to use his size effectively this season. He could see some power play time this season in just such a role. Nothing wrong with disrupting the opposition in the scoring lanes eh? If he can get the most benefit out of his long reach then he could be a thorn in the side for anyone going up against him.
I'll have a sophomore class preview after the holiday weekend.
Expect Bryce to get the nod as the #1 goalie this year. While Jonny O's play last season was often stellar, Bryce was a more consistent winner. His abilities handling the puck outside the crease is one of the reasons why. He is an athletic goaltender with a mixed style.Over his first year and a half in a Seawolf uniform I've seen him progress from relying heavily on his athletic abilities to utilizing positional strengths more often. Credit goaltending coach Scott Johnson for that progression.
I'm not sure whether Bryce has the natural talent of Nathan Lawson but I firmly believe he can be better than Nathan's UAA performances by a decent margin. It's a bit subjective of me to say so. Lawson was the most talented netminder at UAA since Paul Krake but unfortunately during his career at UAA he was subject to some major ups and downs. Bryce seems to be on a much more even keel and if he continues to play as he did during the 2nd half of last season then he (and the team) will be more successful.
Tommy Grant - 6'2" 194lbs, Forward
When Tommy was injured last season he was leading the WCHA in goals scored. He scored the most goals on the Seawolf team since Curtis Glencross nabbed 21. Tommy could have reached the 20 goal plateau but I think he was slow to come back up to speed after his injury. My guess at the time was that he was a little bit less physically confident.Tommy can motor and has a real nice release on his shot. His added maturity should contribute to some new confidence. Passing up any shot opportunity shouldn't be in his playbook. He should shoot the puck every chance he gets.
Last year he benefitted from playing with an excellent playmaker with whom he had established a nice chemistry. Finding some chemisty this season will be a key for him. He'll definitley be an important part of the power play. In addition to his shooting prowess, he has the size to compete along the boards and in front of the opposition net. He'll bag a few greasy goals for sure.
Nick Haddad - 6'2" 198lbs, Forward
The third year in a Seawolf sweater is a big one for Nick. So far during his career we've seen Nick primarily fulfill roles on the 3rd or 4th line. But in his last year of junior hockey he showed an ability to put the puck into the net fairly often. He'll have to resurrect that ability as a junior this season. It was nice last year to see him bag a few goals and assists but the team will really need him to double his 10 point season.Nick could also once again find himself as an important role player; meaning skating on a grinding line. He does those things extremely well and I'd imagine coach Shyiak appreciates that kind of work. If he is unable to increase his scoring, then his physical and defensive play will add to the team's overall success.
Kane Lafranchise - 6'1" 202lbs, Defenseman
Kane is a smooth skating, intelligent defenseman who has an excellent shot. He's pretty much the entire package that you want on the blueline. He's responsible in his own end and has the strength to compete with any oppostion forward. He breaks the puck out smartly whether he carries it or passes it. He's a quarterback on the powerplay and has developed an excellent first time shot.Kane isn't often flashy but he certainly can be. Under the Shyiak/Blair system the green light is always on for the D to join the offense. Kane is one of the blueliners that can certainly do that. More focus in bringing the O is likely to be something the coaching staff will want from Kane. I've personally been hoping to see more offense generated from our fine group of blueliners. As a junior Kane is in a good position (along with Backstrom and Hunt) to help make that happen.
Craig Parkinson - 6'0" 187lbs, Forward
Production-wise Craig took a bit of a small step backward during his sophomore season but nevertheless matched his goal scoring from his first year. Craig is the best faceoff man (stats don't say so ... but I do) on the team last season and was often inserted for the most important drops. He'll do whatever it takes to win a faceoff.I'd call Craig a bit of a mix, he can grind and he can score. He commented last year that he couldn't remember when he scored a goal from more than 3 feet away. But I fully believe he can do exactly that. In any case, this season the most important role that Craig can fill will be one that makes his linemates better.
Creating space and dishing the puck to whoever plays on his wing could be what we'll see from him this season. Craig is an emotional player and should bring some guidance, energy and leadership to younger players this season.
Luka Vidmar - 6'1" 195lbs, Defenseman
Luka is a converted forward. His first year playing D was during his last season of junior hockey. He has excellent wheels (does anyone on UAA's D not?) and last season he developed nicely. As a freshman, I remember seeing that he didn't always have his head up. Last season he always kept his head up. Luka is strong and determined as well.I don't think he's lived up to his offensive potential yet. That's partly due to concentrating on defensive play. Not every single blueliner can join the offense on every single rush ya know? I believe that if Luka continues to improve his smart play that he'll contribute more often on the offensive end. He is certainlycapable of becoming s more dynamic player than we've seen so far duing his career.
Sean Wiles - 6'4" 211lbs, Forward
Steady progression has been the hallmark of Sean's career so far at UAA. As a sophomore he played in twice as many games as during his freshman year. I once thought he lacked some strength and speed but I strongly reject that assessment now. Sean is big and strong and can definitely get up and down the ice with speed. His three goals as a sophomore was good to see but he is capable of delivering more.I'd expect Sean to use his size effectively this season. He could see some power play time this season in just such a role. Nothing wrong with disrupting the opposition in the scoring lanes eh? If he can get the most benefit out of his long reach then he could be a thorn in the side for anyone going up against him.
I'll have a sophomore class preview after the holiday weekend.
5 comments:
This is going to be one strong college hockey team! Awesome preview of the players.
Go UAA Seawolves!
These Juniors plus the seniors are going to make people and oppostion teams take notice.
All the best in the first half.
Fan
fill the Sullly
Looking forward to the write-up on the sophomores and freshmans. Great write-ups so far.
Fan
I'm looking forward to it as well. Since there are only 2.5 active sophomores + one sitting out his transfer year. It will take much less time to write! :-)
HUGE talent in this junior class.
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