The Whalers had an entire season of being almost there, but could never really put it all together, it always seemed like they were missing one piece to truly contend with the top teams, but still had enough pieces in place to not be considered a bottom team. They stand to lose a fair amount to call ups to the SHL this season, as most teams do, but there were some rookies that really shined this season that gives a lot of hope for the seasons to come. A large chunk of the first line is set to leave, but scoring seems to be in a good place with rookie Alexis Saint-Michel hitting the ground running this season. Sven Svechnikov grew a lot towards the back end of the season, becoming a dual threat defenseman. Makrus "The Tater" Jaeger signed on late but brings a physical edge. Robot Sunfish is a master of the 3 F's...fighting, feeding, and....yeah. Dara McQuick is a budding shutdown defenseman that really found his groove later on in the season and is looking for a strong sophomore year.

If Vancouver drafts well this upcoming season, they'll be a contender for sure. The S58 and S57 class has laid a great framework and it'll be exciting to see how far they can go.

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