EVERETT — Remember the name: Auston Matthews.
He will be the story of the Everett Silvertips’ offseason.
Everett heads into the summer with its outlook for the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season completely unknown, largely because of the uncertainty about whether players such as Matthews will be a part of the team.
“I think right now it’s a little foggier to me where next year’s team is going to be compared to this year,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “Last year it was very clear who was leaving and very clear who was coming in, so it was easier to predict where we sat in the summer. This year we have more overagers as potential candidates, we have some pretty high-level players who are our property but nobody knows if they’re coming. So it’s hard to know exactly where we’re at or what we need.”
Everett is coming off a season in which it finished 43-20-3-6, winning the U.S. Division title and advancing to the second round of the WHL playoffs for the first time since 2007. But where the Tips might finish next season is anyone’s guess.
And it may all depend on Matthews.
Matthews is the potential game changer. The big, highly-skilled, 17-year-old center from Phoenix is considered one of the best hockey prospects in the world. He’s currently playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U-18 squad. His 114 points (53 goals, 61 assists) in 58 games through Thursday broke the program’s single-season scoring record of 102 points set by NHL star Patrick Kane in 2005-06. Many project him to be the first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft.
His junior rights just happen to be held by Everett, which selected him in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft.
Matthews, who visited Everett last summer, has stated publicly that he’s 50-50 on whether to play for Everett next season or for an NCAA school — he narrowed his college choices to Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Michigan and North Dakota last fall, though he has yet to take any official visits to those schools. He’s expected to make his decision sometime following the U-18 World Championships, which continue through Sunday in Switzerland.
Also lurking in the background is Everett’s history with Seth Jones. Jones, like Matthews, was a star with the national team who had to choose between Everett and the NCAA when his time with the national team ended in 2012. Jones ultimately chose to come to the WHL, but refused to play for Everett, forcing the Tips to trade his rights to Portland. Everett is in better position this time around as the Tips are the reigning division champions, rather than a team that struggled to make the playoffs like in 2012.
Having Matthews next season could be the difference between Everett being a contender or an also-ran.
“I think he would be what we call a ‘seven’ in our business: a franchise player,” Everett general manager Garry Davidson said.
“He and his people and his family told us they wouldn’t make a decision until after the U-18s, so we have another week to wait, they’ll be done Sunday,” Davidson added. “We’ll just patiently wait until that’s over, then reach out to them and see exactly where they’re at.”
It’s not just Matthews. Everett holds the rights to several high-end offensive talents whose futures remain in the air. That includes the Tips’ top two picks from the 2013 bantam draft, centers Tyson Jost and Patrick Khodorenko. It’s possible that should the Matthews domino fall in Everett’s favor, others could follow.
“I think the Matthews decision can make a big difference in a lot of ways,” Davidson said. “It could have an impact on us getting Euros, it could have an impact on anyone on our (protected) list. They could see it being a real plus to be here next year if (Matthews) is here.”
The uncertainty surrounding the Tips for next season extends beyond just possible additions. Everett has seven potential overagers for next season with just three roster spots available. That group includes leading scorer Nikita Scherbak, a first-round NHL draft pick who has already signed a contract with the Montreal Canadians, meaning he’s expected to play professionally next season. Forwards Carson Stadnyk, Remi Laurencelle, Logan Aasman and Jake Mykitiuk, defenseman Cole MacDonald and goaltender Austin Lotz are the other candidates.
There’s also question marks with regards to Everett’s import players. In addition to Scherbak, it’s also possible the Tips won’t get fellow Russian Ivan Nikolishin back. Nikolishin, who finished third on the team in scoring in his second with the Tips, may choose to remain in Russia for his 19-year-old season instead of returning to Everett.
But for all the questions surrounding the team, the Tips should have a solid defensive base to build from. Noah Juulsen, who’s expected to be selected in the early rounds of this year’s NHL draft, and Kevin Davis took big steps forward in their second seasons in Everett. Those two will be the foundation of the Tips’ blue line.
Everett also found a diamond in goaltender Carter Hart. The 16-year-old rookie played far beyond his years, taking over the No. 1 position down the stretch and finishing first in the league in goals-against average. He then proved up to the pressure of the playoffs, matching his regular-season numbers during the postseason.
“We have some very nice pieces out there that if they come our way it will be very exciting,” Davidson said. “But in saying that if they don’t come here I think we have a really good nucleus coming back. We just might have to attack it a little differently if the other pieces don’t fall our way. It’s going to be an interesting offseason.”
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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