Pre-Season Team Report Card: Whalers (Adam)

Calgary (CP) This is the first of three team report cards for each GDHL member: Pre-Season, Mid-Year and Year-End. I may be tough on your team, but as always YOU be the judge!


The Pre-Season edition will concentrate on the following:

• Immediate Needs - What the team needed heading into the draft to make them competitive for GDHL 07-08. Remember though, some teams need more than others.
• What They Got - Who did they draft that addressed their Immediate Needs?
• Analysis - Opinion on how their team looks after the draft.
• Trading Block - Top 3 players that may not be with the team by season's end.
• Questions - Questions that will be answered throughout the season.
• Injury Concerns - Players that may miss time due to injuries.
• Grades - Ranking in several categories.

Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F capable of 85+ PPts
+ 2 D capable of 50+ PPts
+ 1 G in case the Biron experiment doesn't work out


What they Got:
+ F Cammalleri LAK
+ F Michalek SJS (via trade)
+ D Jackman STL


Analysis:
The youth movement is in full force with the Whalers and that streak continued with the pick of Cammalleri and acquisition of Michalek. There are some veterans on this team (Guerin & Zubrus) that still have life, but they may need a couple more of these type of players to push them over the hump. If you have Kipper, you will be good in net for the life of the pool but with Biron, I'm not totally convinced. As it stands, the Whalers will need ALL 12 forwards playing to their potential if they are gonna have a chance.


Trading Block:
+ D Hamrlik
+ F Stastny
+ F Stoll


Questions:
+ Will Biron be the next Marc Denis or Patrick Lalime?
+ Can Johnson be productive enough in LA to stay in the lineup?
+ How good will Souray be in Edmonton?


Injury Concerns:
+ Stoll (Concussions)
+ Guerin (Age + Playing Style)
+ Jackman (Back)
+ Zetterberg (Back)


Grades:
+ Draft (B): Didn't make any unexpected moves but clearly improved his group of forwards.
+ Forwards (C+): Very young group that could break-out but haven't... yet.
+ Defence (C+): Dion, Souray and Hamrlik make a decent top 3. Could improve significantly if Johnson and Jackman come through.
+ Goalies (B): Kipper is an A+ but Biron is an unkown and thus bumps this grading down.
+ Overall (C+): Considering where they were last year, this is a step in the right direction and believe it will only improve.


Fur Engee (CP)