Swing for the Fences

Let's start off with a big congratulations to Tyrel Bauer and Matt Rempe who were chosen with back-to-back selections in the sixth round of last week's NHL Draft. Bauer went first, chosen by the Winnipeg Jets and Rempe followed, taken by the New York Rangers.   They were a couple of well earned selections.  

Lost in the excitement of these two Thunderbirds players being selected was the fact that there were actually four, one time, T-birds draft picks chosen in the draft.  It may seem confusing because other current, first time draft eligible, Thunderbirds such as Simon Kubicek, Cade McNelly and Blake Lyda were bypassed in the draft.  But look closer and you will see that, not only were there two other players with T-bird ties taken, but they were selected fairly high.  

Of course I'm speaking of the last two players Seattle selected in a CHL Import Draft; Tim Stutzle and Samuel Knazko.  The T-birds picked Germany's Stutzle in the 2019 Import Draft.  With their lone 2020 Import selection, Seattle chose Knazko, who hails from Slovakia.  Stutzle was the third player picked in Round One of last week's NHL draft and is headed to the Ottawa Senators.  Knazko went in the third round, 78th overall, to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Now the ship has already sailed on Stutzle ever putting on the T-birds jersey.  Seattle relinquished his rights last October after he opted to play professionally in his native Germany.  Knazko is a different story.  The T-birds still hope to convince the Slovakian defenseman to come play with them, whenever this season gets underway.  It may still be a longshot but the T-birds have his CHL rights.  

I know what you're thinking,  It looks good on paper to say Seattle selected these two players who went high in the NHL Draft,  but if neither of them ever play as T-birds, weren't those just wasted picks?  My answer to that is no because nothing ventured nothing gained.  You really don't lose anything if the player doesn't sign so, no harm, no foul.    

It also speaks to the philosophy of T-birds General Manager Bil LaForge when it comes to the Import Draft; go big or go home.  Stutzle and Knazko were LaForge's first ever Import Draft selections.  It's hard to argue, talent wise, that he isn't 2-for-2 with his choices.  While he was technically the T-birds GM when Seattle selected Andrej Kukuca and Kubicek in the 2018 Import Draft, he had been on the job for less then a month and let outgoing GM Russ Farwell and the T-birds scouts, who had been doing the prep work for that draft, handle those two picks.  

Remember, Import players are not a requirement on a CHL roster.  It's a great way to supplement the talent you have but not a necessity.  So when making his Import picks, LaForge isn't going to choose a player just to have an Import on the team.  He wants impact players. 

To bring a player over from Europe he wants someone who can fit into his top six forward group, preferably someone who can play on his top line.  Who was Seattle's leading scorer last season?  Kukuca,   Or he wants a defenseman who will be in his top four on the back end, realistically someone who will play in his top pairing.  That defines Kubicek,  And if he ever drafts a European goalie, you can bet it is with that player being his number one netminder in mind.  

Had Stutzle reported, no question he would have been the best forward on the team last season.  Sure, from a fan's standpoint it is disappointing that Stutzle turned down the offer.  How great would that have been to watch, if only for one season, a player who would go third overall in the NHL Draft, even if you only had him for one season.  But his reporting to Seattle was always a longshot.  

And if a third round NHL selection such as Knazko comes over, I'd be surprised if he wasn't on the top pairing defensive tandem.  Seattle has accumulated a bevy of talented players from Western Canada and the U.S. over the past couple of years.  Those young players need ice time.  There is no way the T-birds can afford to give third and fourth line minutes or third pairing defenseman ice time to an Import player. It would stunt the growth of all those recently drafted and signed players. 

So, late next June or early July, whenever the next CHL Import Draft rolls around, don't be surprised if LaForge and the T-birds are selecting high end European talent on par with Stutzle and Knazko.  The next step will be getting them to come over and play for the T-birds, turning that swing for the fences, into a grand slam.