Giving my second juniors home some love, let's have a look back at Vancouver's Season 42 SMJHL Draft. They didn't take very many selections, even in a Reddit draft laden with excited new talent ready to hit the ice and fight for their fame, though they can still yield a quality crop nonetheless with activity on their end.
Max Mauldin - LW, 3rd overall, recreate
Being one of the top rated entering the draft, Mauldin has a proven reliable user and, at the time of writing, has been taking TPE anywhere he can get and the training is going to boost him in the Rookie of the Year race for the coming season. A two-way forward who will be one of many fighting for his place on the USA roster, a quick look shows he will value an ability to lug the puck, protect it and wait for his moment to strike. He would also be suited to being a bit of a dish man, though his playing style, from scouting info, has been short on a passing game. He's more often the guy who wants to wait at the back door to get the G than the guy who will set that guy up and accept an A.
Mauldin will appear to be highly active, looking around for something to do as a good player should. He will be a likely "striker" of sorts, though still very suitable to have on the ice on the forecheck and in the defensive end looking to pick off a puck to break away.
Carlo Russo - C/RW, 24th overall, recreate
Another recreate who is already getting on top of training already, Russo plays more like a pure sniper. Russo comes by way of Italy and has a bit of leeway deciding his international future. He might be one of Mauldin's biggest rivals for the honor and that makes these Whalers scary on the forward lines. With focuses on scoring, skating and puck handling, Russo will shoot when he can and dangle when he can't until he can. He will need some help from others as his checking game has been rather weak in seasons leading up to his major junior recruitment, needing bodyguard types like Gretzky had in his heyday lest he get bullied off the puck. He, too, will be someone on the receiving end of the backdoor pass, though his scouting shows he will pair nicely with Mauldin as the more willing party to set up that devastating play and able to flex to the shooter if a keeper cheats to stuff the back door.
Russo will fire from anywhere and everywhere beyond the blue line. He can somewhat hold his own if he comes under attack, though he won't be one to seek retribution back with his own hits. His positioning will also still match up well against rival wingers as well, making him an additional threat to break alone or with a partner.
Luke Thomason - LW, 32nd overall, first-gen
Thomason comes as this batch's first new create and he is also well on top of his training game. A playmaker coming by way of the Czech Republic, Thomason is built as the mobile dish man needed out of this class. A line with Mauldin, Russo and Thomason would be a hyper-mobile offensive connection. Once that builds up to cap, just get the defense and net in order and they could be keys to a Four Star Cup run. Thomason was noted as proficient in skating, puck handling and passing, someone who will be more reliable to set up for the aforementioned forwards drafted ahead. He would also need defensemen watching his back as he also has been seen as unwilling to engage in checking wars with rivals.
Thomason will also be a decent scoring threat unto himself and his defensive positioning can help set the team's speedier skaters to take off to where he will deliver. He will be difficult to pickpocket and with his maneuvering skill, he might have to be fouled to be stopped, a designation also valuable to Vancouver if he rakes them in a lot of power play opportunities.
Jack Kennedy - LW, 40th overall, first-gen
Kennedy looks to be another sniping threat and another competitor for forward minutes for Vancouver. The Whalers have drafted into an eager class and will have few ways to go wrong. Kennedy will be used to it, fighting for international notice for a place on Team Canada. A sniper, he looks to be another guy who will fire at will when the chance is there and dangle and juke rivals out of their skates if he can't until he makes his chance. He's always looking at the net, on the prowl for his chance, though checking wars have never been part of his repertoire and will also need an avenger in his stead. He is excellent at what he does, and as he develops, he should probably look to round out his game some.
Kennedy is the purest sniper/speed skater this club has, and it will serve him well in his strengths coming into major juniors. If he can shape up in other aspects, he'll be deadly in this league. If Vancouver doesn't want him then, someone will.
Johannes Leitner - G, 48th overall, first-gen
The Whalers' only non-forward selection this draft and someone who will be good to line up to succeed the pipes. Leitner has always been a shutdown goalie you need to beat on the first chance because he is unforgiving. He will not have classmates to struggle with for ice time, though he may have a bit of competition earning his right to start in-net for his native Austria. Leitner prefers the butterfly stance and has soft, quick and fast hands. He has traditionally relied on his stopping ability as his butterfly style is not conducive to wandering far from his crease. He's got a bit of meat on those shoulders and can move his frame quite well as well.
Leitner will make a fine successor to the Whalers net when his time comes. He will have a fine mentor in Greg Santos in the meantime and could hold his own with enough training and time.
Marcel Pühringer - LW, 56th overall, first-gen
The second-biggest draftee in this class, Pühringer looks to use that to muscle his way onto the scorer's sheet. A power forward also by way of Austria who shares his hometown of Innsbruck with Leitner, he will check and bully his way to opportunity. With solid strength, checking and scoring, he doesn't care much for finesse and will not be shy to let rivals know it. He's not much of a passer, either, so he will likely try to force his way onto the receiving end of a one-timer, even if opposing bodies have to hit the ice. While limiting his setup potential toward a scorer, he can still set the table by knocking down obstacles. He's well-rounded in other facets of his game as well, so expect him to grow into a utility winger.
Pühringer will have his place in the wing rotations for the Whalers as a protector, especially for some of those aforementioned who are weak in the checking game. Other than as their avenger, he will be a decent offensive threat in his own right starting out and just as balanced in transition and in his defensive end.
Mikey Pickles - C, 64th overall, first-gen
Pickles has gone inactive since before the SMJHL Draft. It is unlikely he will be signed following his selection, and he is a free agent as of the time of writing
Conclusion
The Whalers have a lot of offensive depth to come and a good successor to the crease in no longer than one season's time. They have quite a few snipers, though enough variety to supplement and balance out their forward lines in this class so they don't just have lines full of three Gretzkys, who will still get destroyed every time by a balanced line, even if the individual players aren't as skilled. The sum of the parts being greater than the whole is especially true for hockey.
With solid veterans on the defensive lines, they could still stand to supplement their blue line with some fresher faces to help remain consistent for future runs. The Whalers will still be quite a threat with their current charges and the new deckhands.
GoonerBear
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