529 Words –

The Kelowna Knights had a tumultuous S75, finishing with a record of 20-43-3. They found t hemselves in the loss column far more often than their fans went home happy last year. Last year’s team had no standout players, their leading scorer, James MacAvoy, collected 50 points in 66 games played and had a -36 for their plus minus. They did not make the SMJHL Postseason, and their season ended with a whimper. Out of British Columbia, O’Dirga, Banes, MacAvoy, Jevsejevs, Durkburg, and Moonshine went forward. Defenders Schwartz, Buekeboom, Lopez, and Kirik, and goaltender Five-Hole Sieve joined them as part of the mass exodus. A total of 11 players from the previous season’s roster are not to be found on the S76 Kelowna roster. You’d imagine that that would probably be for the better, based on the results from last year, but that’s not the case. In the offseason, Kelowna lost Jevsejevs to the San Diego Tidal, a brand new expansion franchise awarded to GM SDCore. As a reward for their ineptitude, Kelowna was awarded the 2nd overall draft pick in the SMJHL Entry Draft, which they proceeded to trade in a 3-way deal.

To KEL
S76 1st (VAN) (6th OVR)
S76 2nd (NL) (31st OVR)

To NL
S78 2nd (VAN)

To VAN
S76 1st (KEL) (2nd OVR)

The Knights were not done after that shuffle, either. They agreed with on a deal with Colorado Raptors.

To COL
S76 2nd (25th OVR)
S77 2nd
S79 4th

To KEL
S76 1st (16th OVR)

It was clear that they had their sights on a specific player, and liquidated some future draft capital in order to secure who they wanted to bring into the club. Now for the draft itself, the Knights were busy.
6th Overall—Pohler Beargeron—This hulking centerman is actually a Polar Bear. When he can round out his game, he is sure to be a force to be reckoned with in the SMJHL.
10th Overall – Emeric Gagner – A 5’10” 180 pound winger known for his physical frame. He’s got to work on his technical skills, but the foundational expertise is there for a dynamic SMJHL forward.
16th Overall – Doom Guy – The Knights traded up to secure Doom Guy in net. He also stands 6’8”, and weighs 300 pounds. He covers a lot of the net when he is in there.
31st Overall – Cyrus the Virus – A quick strike forward who needs to round out his skating to be an impact player in the league. He was rumored to have requested to play alongside Pohler Beargeron, and the Knights front office was happy to oblige.
41st Overall – Julian Darkshanks – A well conditioned forward with a solid frame. Projected to play a solid two way game at the SHL level if they can keep working hard in the weight room.

With these 5 new prospects coming into the system in Kelowna, they had to go to the inactive free agent pool and the new create waiver system to round out their roster. One thing is for sure – the Knights are glad they still own their own natural first. They very well may be naturally picking even better than last year’s draft.

RIP Dangel. See you on the other side, brother

Approved @Ace @CptSquall

credit to Flappy, ToeDragon, and Carpy