Wiercioch to return to Denver

rooneypoo wrote:

PKC wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

PKC wrote:That's fantastic for his development. Very happy to see this, and will also give him lots of time to prepare for the World Juniors where he should be dominant.

Don't hold your breath. He might be passed over for being in the NCAA.

He's already been invited to the juniors camp and should easily be picked over a lot of the other guys.

As a matter of fact, I looked up the list:

T.J. Brodie
Matt Clark
Jared Cowen
Tyler Cuma
Calvin de Haan
* Ryan Ellis
Travis Hamonic
Shawn Lalonde
* Tyler Myers
Dylan Olsen
* Alex Pietrangelo
Colby Robak
Charles-Olivier Roussel
Marco Scandella
* Colten Teubert
Patrick Wiercioch

In bold are the guys who will be making the final cuts. Six of those guys will for sure be playing on the team, and since IIHF rules allow 20 skaters and two goalies to play in international competition, I imagine they'll be carrying an extra forward and an extra defenseman.

Pietrangelo and Teubert have a better than average chance of making the jump to the NHL next year. If that does happen, the six defensemen that I think will be chosen should be (in no order):

Cowen
Cuma
Ellis
Myers
Weircioch
Olsen
de Haan

It would be really exciting if both Wiercioch and Cowen made the team. Anyone even remember the last time OTT had defenceman on a Team Canada Junior team???

I'm pretty sure it was Phillips, but that was before my time, at least before I gave a hoot about the World Juniors.

Was Spezza our last player on the Canadian World Juniors team?

PKC wrote:It would be so exciting. And that doesn't even include the fact that we still have Karlsson, Petersson, and Silfverberg representing Sweden and the possibility of Chris Wideman representing team USA.

Not sure if I missed anyone else, but that could potentially be a very impressive crop of youngsters coming up in the ranks.

EDIT: Lehner as well on Sweden I would imagine.

This certainly should end the speculation of whether or not he will play in Ottawa. At least it won't happen to start the season. I can't see him playing pro at all this season based on what I read in the article. He seems to be committed to bringing a championship to Denver and not too concerned about turning pro to soon.

2 more years at DU. Then he'll be as ready as he's gonna be for the NHL IMO.

SpezDispenser wrote:2 more years at DU. Then he'll be as ready as he's gonna be for the NHL IMO.

To be honest, given his current size, I think this is his last year of NCAA. Next year he will almost certainly be an Ottawa Senator barring something extreme happening.

PKC wrote:To be honest, given his current size, I think this is his last year of NCAA. Next year he will almost certainly be an Ottawa Senator barring something extreme happening.

Really? I think he needs 2 years or else I think he flails through a year in the NHL where he sees 12-15 minutes a night.

I think Cowen will be 2 years away, Wiercioch same, Karlsson one year.

You think quicker? I hope you're right though. That would be nice.

PKC wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:2 more years at DU. Then he'll be as ready as he's gonna be for the NHL IMO.

To be honest, given his current size, I think this is his last year of NCAA. Next year he will almost certainly be an Ottawa Senator barring something extreme happening.

Agreed. This will be his last year there.

The NCAA season is over before the NHL one, right? It's too late to be eligible for playoff action but they could get him a couple of games late in the year.

I also agree that this is likely his last year in the NCAA. He'll win his championship and next season he'll either make the club or he'll split time in Bingo and Ottawa. What does our D look like next season in terms of D-men we have on contract? That will also be a determining factor right?

He'll be on the roster at the end of his NCAA season.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I also agree that this is likely his last year in the NCAA. He'll win his championship and next season he'll either make the club or he'll split time in Bingo and Ottawa. What does our D look like next season in terms of D-men we have on contract? That will also be a determining factor right?

Edit: I just checked Capgeek and we only have Phillips, Kuba and Karlsson on contract next season. Assuming we find room for Volchie that leaves 3 spots (if we carry 7 D). If Cowen and Karlsson impress that leaves 2 spots which would be filled by 2 of Campoli, Picard, Lee and Wiercioch. Based on that I'm thinking Wiercioch may have to wait. It all depends on what happens to the other three.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I also agree that this is likely his last year in the NCAA. He'll win his championship and next season he'll either make the club or he'll split time in Bingo and Ottawa. What does our D look like next season in terms of D-men we have on contract? That will also be a determining factor right?

Edit: I just checked Capgeek and we only have Phillips, Kuba and Karlsson on contract next season. Assuming we find room for Volchie that leaves 3 spots (if we carry 7 D). If Cowen and Karlsson impress that leaves 2 spots which would be filled by 2 of Campoli, Picard, Lee and Wiercioch. Based on that I'm thinking Wiercioch may have to wait. It all depends on what happens to the other three.

Based on that I'm thinking one of Campoli, Picard or Lee is moved.

wprager wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I also agree that this is likely his last year in the NCAA. He'll win his championship and next season he'll either make the club or he'll split time in Bingo and Ottawa. What does our D look like next season in terms of D-men we have on contract? That will also be a determining factor right?

Edit: I just checked Capgeek and we only have Phillips, Kuba and Karlsson on contract next season. Assuming we find room for Volchie that leaves 3 spots (if we carry 7 D). If Cowen and Karlsson impress that leaves 2 spots which would be filled by 2 of Campoli, Picard, Lee and Wiercioch. Based on that I'm thinking Wiercioch may have to wait. It all depends on what happens to the other three.

Based on that I'm thinking one of Campoli, Picard or Lee is moved.

The nice thing is Murray probably doesn't have to worry about it until at least the trade deadline this season.

wprager wrote: If Cowen and Karlsson impress that leaves 2 spots which would be filled by 2 of Campoli, Picard, Lee and Wiercioch. Based on that I'm thinking Wiercioch may have to wait. It all depends on what happens to the other three.

Based on that I'm thinking one of Campoli, Picard or Lee is moved.[/quote]

You're probably right and if you go further it looks like Lee is the odd man out. Campoli and Picard were picked up in trades and, according to many, were Murray's targets for some time. Lee is a Muckler off the board pick and is redundant with players like Karlsson, Campoli and Picard.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

You're probably right and if you go further it looks like Lee is the odd man out. Campoli and Picard were picked up in trades and, according to many, were Murray's targets for some time. Lee is a Muckler off the board pick and is redundant with players like Karlsson, Campoli and Picard.

Lee is most probably done here in OTT the moment Karlsson can play a regular shift in the NHL -- if not before. As it is, the only way he cracks our current top 6 D is if Smith is traded or goes on LTIR:

Phillips - Volchenkov
Kuba - Campoli
Smith - Picard

And if he's not playing in the NHL, then he's in Bingo.

But, yeah, lots of decisions to be made with our D come next year. Only Phillips and Kuba signed for the 2010-11 season; Volchie, Smith (gone, granted), Campoli, Picard, and Lee all up for re-signing as of July 1, 2010; and guys like Karlsson and potentially Cowen and Wiercioch chomping at the bit...

I still have to agree that Lee may be a deadline deal with his 1.25 million cap hit. Definitely expendible and a great fit in Minnesota, for example.

SeawaySensFan wrote:I still have to agree that Lee may be a deadline deal with his 1.25 million cap hit. Definitely expendable and a great fit in Minnesota, for example.

He's not expendable yet, pending what Karlsson does at camp. If Karlsson makes the lineup, then Lee can be sent down (2-way, right?) until he can be moved.

$1.25M cap is not really much. How does the bonus cushion work when a player is traded? If the bonus is already paid out, who gets the "cushion"?

Just though of something. If Wiercioch is going back to Denver, he must have been told that he didn't have a good shot at making the lineup (even attending training camp means he's ineligible for the NCAA, so unless you're a lock, better stay in college).

Murray would know that this would be his decision, so he must feel pretty confident that Wiercioch's services will not be required. Now, Karlsson is far from a lock either, so that makes me think that Picard, Campoli and Lee are nearly a lock to all be in the lineup come opening night. And given how Picard and Lee have been brought up as part of any Heatley trade, makes you wonder if Murray has finally conceded that Heatley is not going anywhere any time soon.

Think about it. He's said it; Melnyk has said it; Kovalev has said it. Is it inevitable? Perhaps not, but it is the most likely scenario.

Until Ek says otherwise, of course.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

wprager wrote: If Cowen and Karlsson impress that leaves 2 spots which would be filled by 2 of Campoli, Picard, Lee and Wiercioch. Based on that I'm thinking Wiercioch may have to wait. It all depends on what happens to the other three.

Based on that I'm thinking one of Campoli, Picard or Lee is moved.

You're probably right and if you go further it looks like Lee is the odd man out. Campoli and Picard were picked up in trades and, according to many, were Murray's targets for some time. Lee is a Muckler off the board pick and is redundant with players like Karlsson, Campoli and Picard.[/quote]

That's odd, I see it the other way. Lee is more of a 2-way D, and I see Picard and Campoli as a bit more redundant, as they provide a skill set closer to Karlsson's, but not nearly as high level.