Interesting CHL Free Agents

[FlamesAddiction]

I am not a big CHL watcher myself, but I thought I would throw this out there. I couldn't find the article on THW's website, but it came up in my MSN feed.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl...4277a465&ei=17

Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Forward, Calgary Hitmen

Twenty-year-old Riley Fiddler-Schultz has played his entire 246-game Western Hockey League (WHL) career with the local Calgary Hitmen, scoring 77 goals and 189 total points in that time.

Ben Zloty, Defense, Winnipeg ICE

He is an immensely capable offensively-minded defenseman for the Winnipeg ICE in the WHL. He is a big reason why they had such a dominant 2022-23, as his whopping 81 points led all blueliners in the league. He also impressively does more of his damage at even-strength, where over 60 percent (53) of his points were recorded.

Samuel Mayer, Defense, Peterborough Petes

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound rearguard recorded 48 points in 68 games this season for the fourth-seed Peterborough Petes. Compared to Zloty, his numbers are impressive but don’t pop, however, Mayer is stronger in his own zone as more of a two-way defender.

Théo Rochette, Forward, Québec Remparts

Highly-skilled playmaker Théo Rochette is in his last year of junior eligibility. He has served as captain of the Québec Remparts for the last two seasons and scored at well over a point per game. In 2022-23 he took his game to another level, finishing sixth in league scoring with 42 goals and 106 points in 65 games.

Brett Brochu, Goaltender, London Knights

London Knights netminder Brett Brochu went 28-17-2 with two shutouts in 2022-23 and no NHL team currently holds his rights. This is made all the more shocking when you look at his previous two seasons when he finished 29-11-2 (2021-22) and a whopping 32-6-0 (2019-20). He won international gold as the third goalie on Team Canada for the 2022 World Juniors, playing one game which was a win against Austria.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Brochu's Dustin Wolf-sized, which could explain his undrafted status.

[Sandman]

Here's a few interesting CHL free agents, courtesy of Elite Prospects (I posted this March 6th):

1) Alexandre Doucet, 21, C, 6'0", 187lbs (Val D'Or/ Halifax): 61gp/48g/49a/97pts,+40, 36 PIM. Has changed from a flashy playmaker in his draft year to a defensively responsible, inside-driven player. One of the best in the CHL. Mobility issues may keep him out of the NHL.

2) Avery Hayes, 20, C/RW, 5'10", 174lbs (Hamilton/Peterborough): 56gp/37g/27a/64pts,+14, 48 PIM. Creative playmaker, but good finisher with a heavy shot. Skating is improving, but plays with pace.

3) Ben Allison, 20, LW, 6'2", 187lbs (Acadie-Bathurst): 59gp/30g/39a/69pts,-12, 30 PIM. Skilled, imposing physically, power game- must improve skating.

4) Ben Zloty, 21, D, 6'0" 187lbs (Winnipeg); 57gp/11g/61a/72pts,+59, 30 PIM. Calgary-born high risk, high reward D, passing skill, good transporter of the puck. Good at killing entries. I liked him in his Draft year.

5) Brett Brochu, 20, G, 6'0" 186lbs (London): 2.66 GAA, .907%. Reads the game well, technically efficient, and athletic. Hurt by lack of size at times.

6) Chase Wheatcroft, 20, C, 6'2" 176lbs (Prince George): 59gp/41g/49a/90pts,+4, 40 PIM. Calgary-born F is one of the flashiest players in the 'dub, destroys opponents with his small-area game, drives play, accurate wrister, good release. Cougars record-holder for all-time PP goals. Skating could use a little work, but not bad. I like this kid.

7) Chris Sedoff, 20, D, 6'1" 196lbs (Red Deer): 55gp/4g/43a/47pts,+11, 24 PIM. Attended Flames rookie camp this past summer, and was one of the best players there- he's a Sandman favorite. Excellent defender, especially in the neutral zone- play-stopping force on the rush, and good in front of his own net. Numbers are good, considering Red Deer doesn't allow much activation by D.

8) Connor McClennon, 20, RW, 5'8"163lbs (Winnipeg): 55gp/41g/38a/79pts,+44, 35 PIM. Sniper who finds the open seams. Average skater, and small.

9) Dante Gianuzzi, 20, G, 6'1" 183lbs (Portland): 3.21 GAA, .899%

10) Evan Vierling, 20, C, 6'0" 176lbs (Barrie): 53gp/34g/48a/82pts,+18, 12 PIM. Fifth-rounder in 2020 by the Rangers, his rights expired. Off-puck play is impressive, plays with intensity, reliable two-way presence, high motor, but average skater.

11) Jackson Berezowski, 21, RW/C, 5'9" 185lbs (Everett): 53gp/40g/28a/68pts,+20, 35 PIM. Goal-scorer with not much of a supporting cast. Shooting skill, bruising net-front presence, non-stop defensive motor, and robust physical game. Only flashes of playmaking ability, average skater.

12) James Hardie, 21, LW, 5'11" 173lbs (Mississauga): 57gp/36g/36a/72pts,+15, 21 PIM. NHL-calibre shot, wicked release, strong puckhandler, decent distributor. Skating limits his effectiveness on the rush, and the forecheck.

13) Jeremie Biakabutuka, 21, D, 6'4" 203lbs (Charlottetown): 47gp/16g/23a/39pts,+1, 49 PIM. Rangy defenseman with mobility, but still raw. Long wingspan and uncommon agility. Physical and aggressive. Needs time to learn to read the defensive side of the game. Still a long-shot.

14) Josh Lawrence, 21, C/RW, 5'9" 179lbs (Blainville-Boisbriand/Halifax): 60gp/43g/54a/97pts,+51, 12 PIM. Speedy, dynamic playmaker. Mostly an open-ice player, his hunched-over stride and size make it hard for him retrieve and shield pucks.

15) Landon Kosior, 20, D, 5'11" 190lbs (Prince Albert): 51gp/17g/36a/53pts,+5, 20 PIM. Might be the smartest player on this list. Great in transition and activation, shows projectable skills defensively. Needs more separation speed, and most of his tools are average.

16) Logan Morrison, 20, C, 6'0" 179lbs (Hamilton/Ottawa): 52gp/37g/47a/84pts,+25, 12 PIM. NHL-average tools, but very high motor. Pushes the pace of play, attacks the inside, good forecheck/backcheck, battles hard. Unlikely to be a big scoring threat in the NHL.

17) Owen Pedersen, 20, LW, 6'3" 205lbs (Winnipeg): 57gp/29g/39a/68pts,+20, 34 PIM. Excellent off-puck game- finds the seams and inside spaces to capitalize on opportunities. Plays a calculated game to make up for lack of foot speed.

18) Riley Piercey, 20, RW/LW, 6'3" 205lbs (Flint): 60gp/19g/44a/63pts,+17, 57 PIM. Intriguing skillset, but all aspects of skating hold him back. Good puckhandler who can dangle through defenders, uses his frame along the boards, in front of the net, and in puck-protection.

19) Theo Rochette, 21, C, 5'11" 172lbs (Quebec): 57gp/36g/55a/91pts,+48, 24 PIM. I'm surprised he wasn't drafted, although he was a lot smaller in his draft year, and lost a chunk of that season to Mono. 99 points last year, he's a wizard when it comes to playmaking. Signed to go to Switzerland next year.

[Sandman]

Sedoff (VGK), Doucet (DET), Morrison (SEA) and Wheatcroft (DAL) are no longer available.

[TheScorpion]

A guy who has caught my eye a bit is Jeremy Hanzel, a defenseman for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

A guy who has caught my eye a bit is Jeremy Hanzel, a defenseman for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

That's a name I often see when I'm looking up Ciona's stats. This season, he put up 48 points in 66 games, but he led the WHL with an eye-popping +70! From the Hockey Writers, in 2021:

"Hanzel is a modern offensive defender, combining speed and puck-handling in order to play in all ends of the ice. He sees the ice very well and knows when to pinch in order to keep the puck in the offensive zone, utilizing slight puck taps in order to change it's trajectory just enough for a teammate to pick it up. With the puck, he's equally effective, using quick, deceptive movements to make it nearly impossible for opponents to figure out what he's going to do next."

"One of the most uniquely skilled transition defensemen in the 2021 Draft from the WHL. An outside of the box thinker who uses a lot of deception, finesse, and puck-control to play a high-possession style game."

"This blend of intelligence, deception and puck-handling makes him a truly unique player in not only the WHL, but in the 2021 Draft. However, in just 23 games this season, he wasn't always able to demonstrate it, putting up just 2 goals and 6 assists. Those who look simply at his stat line will miss a huge part of his skillset, which is one reason he has fallen under the radar"

Seems he was a victim of the Covid-shortened season in the WHL. 6'1" 192lbs, 20 years old. They have a really crowded blueline in Seattle, with Kevin Korchinski, Nolan Allan, and Luke Prokop- so I would hazzard a guess that his stats would be more impressive if he played on another team. Nice find, Scorp!

[TheScorpion]

I attended a T-Birds game in Everett a couple months ago and Hanzel was arguably the best player on the ice. Great mobility.

Think he's certainly worth an ELC from somebody.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Hanzel, as long as he isn't afraid of the Big Bad Wolf..

[Parallex]

Zloty seems interesting.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Some of these CHL kids are probably headed for the ECHL > U Sports route.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Hanzel, as long as he isn't afraid of the Big Bad Wolf..

Calgary has a Little Great Wolf, though...