If the Estevan Bruins lose 10-2 again tomorrow in Melville, I will eat my hat. With salt. Hold me to it.
It won't happen though. Unlike last year's powerful squad that blew the Bruins right out of the rink in a season opener to forget, the Millionaires are looking pretty feeble after losing most of their team to graduation and trades.
This time around, the Bruins get to start their season against what looks to be, on paper, the worst team in the SJHL.
I'm not expecting the Bruins to be world beaters themselves this year. It's always tough to predict the impact a new coach will have on a team, especially a club like Estevan where half the problem last year was between the ears, but it looks like a team that will make gradual progress.
Although Chris Lewgood acknowledges there is still work to be done with the roster - particularly to the blue line, which he still wants to add to after acquiring rookie defenceman Kyle Bird last week -there are things to like about this core group.
Depth is the name of the game here, rather than star power, although the lack of a true No. 1 defenceman, or even an established top pairing defender, is the biggest thing that could hold the Bruins back.
Still, the forward group is promising, and although there will be no Dylan Smith or Calder Neufeld to lean on as a go-to guy, Austin Daae could put up big numbers over a full season and Hudson Morrison and Darcy DeRoose both have big-time potential. Ben Johnstone and
Tanner Froese can also contribute, while Taylor Reich and Wyatt Garagan should be able to step up their production from last year, and rookies Lynnden Pastachak, Keegan Allison and Chris Thorimbert have all been impressive in training camp and pre-season.
The back end, more than anything, is where players will have to take their game to a new level.
David Robertson, Brett Blatz, Zach Douglas and Leighton McLachlan are all capable of being steady top four guys. None of them are established as reliable top pairing defencemen, though they will certainly get a chance to prove themselves in that respect this year.
The real X-factor on the back end could be rookie Nolan Nicholas. He was fantastic in training camp and already looks like a veteran on the ice. Although he could be penciled in on the third pairing to start the year, I believe he's capable of more than that, and it really wouldn't be shocking to see him on the top pairing at some point this season.
Goaltending is the least of the Bruins' worries, as it looks like those duties will be in safe hands with Matt Gibney and rookie Brett Lewchuk.
Tomorrow night, we can finally stop talking about what's on paper and start talking about what's on the ice.
Contact Josh Lewis at 306-634-2654 or [email protected]. If those don't work, he is playing Grand Theft Auto 5. Please do not disturb him.
