With the season ending a month ago, I thought I’d take a look at which holes Cents Coach/GM Luke Pierce needs to fill heading into next season, Year Two of the team’s three year strategic plan.
This isn’t to say that all of these players will be back in Merritt because I have no idea what was said in any of the exit interviews at the end of the season, but assuming all players want to be back in 2011-12, we know for sure that two of the 1991-born players won’t be on the opening night roster because the Centennials are two over the BCHL limited of six.
Based on the depth chart from Game Four of the playoffs, the Cents roster at this point heading into 2011-12 shakes down like this:
The (*) indicate a spot in the lineup that needs to be filled.
Forwards
Regan Soquila (93) – 20g, 25a in 50 games
Max Vallis (91) – 22g, 16a in 59 games
Evan Stack (91) – 13g, 19a in 52 games
Chad Brears (91) – 4g, 17a in 54 games
Steve Wall (91) – 8g, 10a in 54 games
Jakob Reichert (93) – 7g, 11a in 33 games
Dustin Lebrun (92) – 11g, 6a in 44 games
Sean Maktaak (92) – 6g, 9a in 41 games
David Sabey (91) – 4g, 11a in 56 games
Silvan Harper (92) – 2g, 6a in 60 games
Brent Fletcher (92) – 2g, 5a in 47 games
Dylan Playfair (92) – 0g, 1a in 40 games
*
*
Defencemen
Brandon Pfeil (92) – 6g, 10a in 55 games
Billy Marshall (91) – 4g, 12a in 56 games
Reece Willcox (94) – 5g, 9a in 53 games
Kameran Crawford (91) – 1g, 11a in 49 games
Richard Sabourin (92) – 0g, 8a in 49 games
*
Goaltenders
Lino Chimienti (91) – 15-16-1, 3.11 GAA, .894 save percentage in 32 games
Tyler Steel (93) – 7-16-0, 3.49 GAA, .889 save percentage in 30 games
Players in italics are listed by WHL teams.
With four graduating 20-year-olds and two too many 1991-born players means for sure there will be six new faces in the line-up for the Cents. With Willcox, Steel and Reichert all listed by WHL teams, it remains to be seen whether that impacts the Centennials roster next season.
Also, there’s lots of speculation as to which 1991-born players won’t be in Merritt for 2011-12 with Brears, Stack, Sabey, Chimienti, Marshall, Crawford, Wall and Vallis being the 20-year-old players.
With 152 days until what should be opening night on September 9, it should be an interesting off-season!
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