As the lockout rages on, rather than focusing on the definition of HRR, the owner/player split, and board meetings that accomplish nothing, we will instead turn our attention to the game of hockey itself by featuring weekly updates on the Winnipeg Jets‘ CHL prospects.
Wednesday, October 26 saw both Lukas Sutter and Adam Lowry hit the ice. Friends of the blog Darrin Bauming and Melissa Martin live tweeted from the high scoring and dramatic Saskatoon versus Brandon game, in which Sutter tallied his first goal of the season. In summation, Lukas Sutter played a rugged and determined brand of hockey, typified by the family name. The results ended with Sutter finishing with a goal and an assist on the night, albeit in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, Adam Lowry was held pointless in Swift Current’s 4-3 loss to the Regina Pats.
Thursday saw Zach Yuen score his first point — a power play assist — in Tri-City’s first win. Media darling Mark Scheifele also had a solid game, registering a goal at even strength as well as a secondary assist on a tying goal with merely 30 seconds left to play in regulation.
Barrie went on to win the game in a shootout and Scheifele earned third star nomination for his efforts. My opinion of Mark Scheifele after watching just over 2/3 of the Barrie game is that he seemed like the best player on the ice. His skating has improved but he needs to continue strengthening his lower-body to improve the balance and stability required at the pro-level. Scheifele plays a strong two-way, possession game, displaying great vision and more edge than ever before.
Scott Kosmachuk, Austen Brassard, Ryan Olsen and Adam Lowry were all playing on Friday. All four prospects lost with few major events occurring: Austen Brassard received his first penalty of the season, Adam Lowry contributed his first assist which was on the power play, and Scott Kosmachuk rode the pine along with his line-mates for the second game in a row.
Saturday proved to be a busy day — as is customary in the CHL — with six Jets’ prospects playing, including Sutter and Lowry facing off against one another.
Mark Scheifele extended his point streak to two games with a power play assist late in the third, appearing as dominant as he had in his last game. Austen Brassard was as impressive as one can be in a pointless effort and a -4 rating. Belleville was fairly outmatched and struggled advancing the puck from their own zone. Ryan Olsen set up the game winning goal for the Kelowna Rockets with under a minute to go. The Blades/Broncos game unfortunately ended uneventfully and without a Lowry vs Sutter fight.
Sunday came and went with only one potential Jet playing. Coming off another benching from Scott Walker and with Winnipeg Jets’ scouts and staff at the game, Scott Kosmachuk rose to the occasion by scoring two goals and adding an assist in Guelph’s 4-1 win over London. Kosmachuk was awarded third star of the game, and was the only non-goaltender to receive any post-game recognition.
After our second week of play, here is the statistical breakdown for each prospect:
| Name | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | G/GP | A/GP | PTS/GP | PPG | PPA |
| Mark Scheifele | Barrie Cotls, OHL | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | +3 | 9 | 0.60 | 1.00 | 1.60 | 2 | 1 |
| Adam Lowry | Swift Current Broncos, WHL | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | +1 | 10 | 0.60 | 0.20 | 0.80 | 1 | 1 |
| Scott Kosmachuk | Guelph Storm, OHL | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | +1 | 8 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.75 | 0 | 0 |
| Austen Brassard | Belleville Bulls, OHL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 2 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.50 | 1 | 0 |
| Lukas Sutter | Saskatoon Blades, WHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +0 | 9 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Olsen | Kelowna Rockets, WHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +0 | 10 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 1 | 1 |
| Zachary Yuen | Tri-City Americans, WHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 4 | 0.00 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0 | 1 |
Questions to Ponder
- Will Austen Brassard be the surprise in Truck's and Garret's pre-season point predictions?
- Will Ryan Olsen and Lukas Sutter remain comparable statistically?
- Does Scott Kosmachuk’s drought and subsequent benching draw parallels to Blake Wheeler?
- Will Mark Scheifele continue to own the OHL?
What are your thoughts on the early CHL season? Let us know in the comments below!
| Option | Votes |
|---|---|
| Mark Scheifele | 16 |
| Adam Lowry | 3 |
| Scott Kosmachuk | 6 |
| Austen Brassard | 0 |
| Lukas Sutter | 1 |
| Ryan Olsen | 0 |
| Zachary Yuen | 1 |
