Good afternoon. I am William Salming, your two-way Finnish winger who plays in Seattle Argonauts . I am also a draft enthusiast. That's why I will now go through picks that Seattle Argonauts made in season 73 SHL Entry Draft. "We" had finally first and second round picks after a long drought (thanks Tig) so I am excited to write about the talent that GM Adam and co-GM Fischermann drafted to our organization. Of course Argonauts already drafted some guys one season ago but this time there were two first round draft picks to use cleverly. But before we deep dive to new prospects in the Seattle's system, I would like to congratulate Winnipeg Aurora for its Challenge Cup win. Well deserved.

1st round, 7th overall pick: Sim Wen (RD, Anchorage Armada) 14G 43A 57P, -8, ATOI 18:13

- Well, now I am confused. It seems like Wen played as a left winger last season but he was drafted as an RD. That explains his massive point totals in his rookie season in the SMJHL. He was a 5th best scorer of the Anchorage Armada who placed ninth in the standings. So it was a mediocre season for a team but excellent season on an individual level for a Wen. I am sure we will soon find out if he plans to make a career as a winger or a top defender. Of course, we have a lot of examples in the modern NHL about players who were drafted as a forwards but played later as a defenders. Some famous names are for example Brent Burns and Dustin Bufyglien. It is nothing new and I trust Adam's view in this case. He just picked the best player available and later on we will know in a what role Wen will play in the Seattle. But his rookie season was encouraging and shows he has good hands, great vision and also a solid shot. And when he improves in all those areas, Argonauts could have a real diamond, gem and elite level player in its hands. Very promising indeed. I can't wait to see representing Seattle's colors blue and gold.

What to expect from Sim next season? If he plays as a defender, I hope to see 45 points. 12 goals and 33 assists is a bottom line. Everything up from there is a bonus. If he continues as winger, then maybe 70 points is not out of the question, right? You need to set high standard for a 7th overall pick. At the same time it is a good thing that Sim learns to handle pressure from outside immediately as a high draft pick. During rest of his career, people will compare him to other TOP10 picks in this season's draft. Hopefully Wen is not one of the "busts" like they said. I don't think so personally because his rookie season was great and gives him for sure a lot of confidence for his second season in the Armada. I don't now exactly what kind of personality Wen is in the locker room but for me the most important thing has always been what a player brings to the table in the rink. Wen seems to bring a lot good things like responsible two-way game alongside his goals and assists. He already played about one minute in a night in a PP and PK units. Junior hockey is a fantastic and safe environment to learn play in different special teams systems so it was nice to see that Armada's coaches already trusted him in those situations last season. Maybe this season Wen will take and get even bigger role in special teams. Is it out of the question to expect 15 power-play points from a player of his caliber? I don't think so because like I wrote Wen has extremely soft hands. He must have practised accuracy shooting hundreds of hours in his back yard as a young kid.

1st round, 18th overall pick: Update Portal (RD, Colorado Raptors) 11G 19A 30P, -43, ATOI 19:17

- GM Adam said after the draft that best forwards were already taken so he decided to pick a defender. The 18th overall pick was a right defenceman Update Portal, another hilarious and creative name which I like a lot. He scored 30 points which is always a nice amount of points for a rookie defender. Of course, that plus-minus looks ugly but Portal played in Raptors which was third worst team in the league. Portal played over 19 minutes in a night so when you count 1+1=2, we can assume that minuses came from the errors of other players, not Portal. The goal differential -123 was the worst in the whole league so maybe the coach also wasn't able to implement his strategies and tactics correctly? There is no excuses in a tough junior hockey environment and after that kind of season I would strongly consider to change a head coach. However, Update was a solid two-way defender and not one of players who were undisciplined. Portal was very determined and focused for a every game because I have heard from my sources that he really loves ice-hockey and it is one of the most important things in his life. For him playing hockey is a privilege and he doesn't take it granted. That's why Portal doesn't miss any shifts. He plays always hard and with a great attitude. Based on my sources, I am confident that in a more healthy environment Portal will be amazing defender who doesn't collect minuses like he did last season in Colorado.

It will be interesting to see what happens this season. I expect that Adam lets him cook in the juniors couple more seasons before calling him up. Maybe I will still play then in the Argonauts and can teach some aspects about winning hockey games for a young Portal who apparently doesn't get experiences about winning hockey matches in Raptors if nothing is changing between seasons. But yeah, Portal was second best scorer in his team among RD's. A player called Valerija Serapin scored six points more than Portal. It would be a good target to beat him/her this season in point totals and improve even more offensive game because for sure there is a space for Portal in the future in Seattle's PP units too. I like the way how Portal moves the puck already now but you can always be better and improve your puck and passing skills. Seattle also likes to use sometimes some players in front of the net screening goalies so improving a shot from the blue line is also one thing I would like to see from Portal. Eleven goals was a great amount of goals last season but this year I expect to see 15 goals and 25 assists from him. Yeah, that is a realistic goal in my opinion.

2nd round, 27th overall pick: Rence Sykut (C, Carolina Kraken) 11G 22A 33P, -6, ATOI 15:57

- Rence Sykut was drafted from Carolina Kraken. I read from a local newspaper that "He is not always able to put in the amount of time to the league as they would like but he makes up for it in enthusiasm and willingness to learn and grow. He is a cheerful person with a willingness to take on and try league jobs so I would not be surprised if he ends up becoming a steal if he is able to lock down a job and vibes with his locker room." That article was written by sliceruser, a famous hockey writer in Carolina area. I believe what he says about Sykut but at the same time I have a lot of faith for Rence and his future in Seattle. I was myself drafted in the 3rd round as a 44th overall pick. So I know what it is like to be a player who was drafted after the most shining spot lights. It takes some extra work to convince others that you are also a talented hockey player. I think I can give some important tips for Rence how to build his career as a late round draft pick. Maybe I can even motivate him to show others that he will be a steal. That was my mindset which pushed me forward every day after the SHL Entry Draft of season 56. I wanted to prove that I am solid two-way winger who plays winning hockey. I hope Sykut will absorb same kind of attitute and that is also pushes him forward towards his dream to play in the SHL. And not only as a 3rd liner but in a big impact role.

Sykut's point totals were solid last season for a rookie forward who didn't play as much as other forwards. I also like that his plus-minus was only -6. It already tells me that he also values defending and preventing goals as much as scoring them. I saw couple of Kraken's games live last year from the TV. In those matches Rence was a responsible guy in my opinion and helped that way Kraken to be a 5th best team in the league. He played some games as a left winger and some games as a center. It shows his versatility which is always a big plus in my papers. It will also helps his adapting to a SHL when his time comes. He can steal a job in the bright lights immediately without sending to the AHL in the future, I predict. All in all, I believe Rence will development nicely in the Carolina next seasons because I trust its management group a lot. Jimmy Wagner is a great president of hockey operations for that club. They have an eye for a good talent and know how to handle them too. A good step forward for a Sykut would be scoring 15 goals and closer to 30 assists. I would also like to see his be a little more dynamic when skating because he is now a one-year older and improving skating is also crucial so he can play in a high SHL tempo in the future.

4th round, 67th overall pick: PASS

- Seattle also had a 4th round pick but Adam decided to not use it. Talent pool was already pretty empty I assume and you can always get new players from waivers closer to a training camp.

All in all, I think it was a good draft for the Argonauts. Of course, we need to always remember that a hard grind begins just now. Being drafted doesn't mean anything yet. Players need to prove day after day that they deserve to be in a line-up in the SMJHL and later in the SHL. I assume these three guys know it too and that they focus to improve small details in their games every day in theirs SMJHL clubs with the help of those organizations. Even Raptors can for sure help some way Portal to develop as a player and human being. There is simply no doubt about that. Thank you for a reading and have a relaxing week before a new pre-season and regular season are soon again here. And also remember to watch some IIHF. A couple of players already from this draft class got invites to theirs national teams. Representing your country is always a huge honor and I am also interested to see what kind of effect Wen, Portal and Sykut will have in the IIHF level in the next years. To be a impact player in the the international stage helps always to perform well also on club level. At least that has been my mindset and that's why I have never declined an invite to a national team. You can always learn something new from national team coaches and implement it to your game next season in the SMJHL or SHL. Playing international hockey also improves your endurance and toughness. It also gives some meaningful games for players whose clubs aren't so successful. So remember to enjoy this season's IIHF and WJC events once again.

Words: 2022

ehhhhhh 10/10 article, i wish SEA the best with the rebuild and your new prospects