Everett held its exit meetings with its players today. Here’s some notes:
– One Everett player’s season isn’t done yet. Defenseman Ben Betker will be joining the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, for their playoff run. Betker, a sixth-round pick by Edmonton in the 2013 NHL draft, signed with the Oilers just as the playoffs were beginning.
Betker, however, is the only Everett player headed to the pros for the end of the season. Winger Nikita Scherbak, who’s signed with the Montreal Canadians, isn’t going to the AHL because Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, didn’t make the playoffs. And most of the ATO opportunities for unsigned/undrafted players were taken up by players whose teams didn’t get past the first round of the playoffs.
– Everett’s import situation for next season seems to be up in the air. There were some grumblings that Scherbak, who’s as young as it gets for a 19-year-old (Dec. 30 birthdate), might benefit from another year in the WHL. However, Tips general manager Garry Davidson seemed to think that was unlikely.
Davidson also suggested there’s uncertainty about whether Ivan Nikolishin will be back next season for his 19-year-old season. Nikolishin, who was third on the team in scoring during the regular season with 62 points (16 goals, 46 assists), could possibly remain in Russia next season.
– With the season officially over, the Auston Matthews watch officially begins. Davidson is very much hopeful that Matthews, who was selected by Everett in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft and is currently projected as the potential first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft, will sign on with the Tips for next season. Matthews is finishing up his season with the U.S. NTDP’s U-18 team, having already broken Patrick Kane’s single-season scoring record with 108 points in 56 games so far.
Matthews has stated publicly that he’s 50-50 between playing for Everett or heading to an NCAA school next season. He’s currently playing for the U.S. at the U-18 World Championships in Switzerland, which run through Sunday. He’s expected to make a decision sometime after the U-18s end.
Davidson also said that if Matthews chooses to join the Tips, it could influence the decisions of other high-end prospects who are on the fence about whether to play for Everett, including the likes of Tyson Jost and Patrick Khodorenko.
– I think this is also a good opportunity to say something about Austin Lotz. Lotz was put in a difficult position. He’s a 19-year-old goaltender with professional ambitions and playoff experience who ended up sitting behind 16-year-old rookie Carter Hart down the stretch and in the playoffs. That had to be tough.
However, from everything I’ve heard, Lotz handled the situation with complete grace. He was accepting of the situation, he was supportive of Hart, and he remained an important and positive influence in the locker room. He’s a class act.
One has to think Hart will be Everett’s goalie going forward, and it will be hard for the Tips to use an overage roster spot on Lotz. But if ever there was a player who deserves to land in a good situation, it’s Lotz.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
