In his pre-season look at the WHL's Eastern Conference,
Guy Flaming slotted the Medicine Hat Tigers at number 6. It's still early, but the Tigers--a team that lost several impact prospects from a year ago--is pushing toward the top of the table. One of the major reasons is goaler phenom Tyler Bunz.
Bunz and Emerson Etem are playing with a very young group of teammates (four '94s and two '95s are regulars) but so far the results have been impressive. The young Tigers are a clean 13-5 heading into tonight's game against Regina and any way you look at Bunz' performance the arrows are heading in a very good direction.
SP's over the years
- Age 16: .886
- Age 17: .898
- Age 18: .919
- Age 19: .928
SP by month this season
- Sep: .908 in three games
- Oct: .936 in eleven games
- Nov:.917 in two games
Last week, Bunz was named
CHL Goalie of the Week and is being considered the Team Canada at this year's
World Junior Championships.
We don't talk about Fred Chabot much on this blog, but there does seem to be a theme to the Oilers priorities at the draft. The Oilers have never been close to a "goaltending factory" like the Habs of the 60s and 70s, but there are some encouragings signs at all levels of the organization.
Tyler Bunz is a player to watch, and will certainly be moving up the top 20 list this winter. He was
number 9 during the summer.
Interesting how he has developed. I remember people were rather indifferent to him, if not even a bit down on the guy at the time he was drafted.
ReplyDeleteI liked him a lot in last year's playoffs. Seems very focused, a real battler for the puck. I'm looking forward to the WJCs... Gotta think right now the job is his to lose. I would be moving Bunz up to. Seems to me too, Unmentionables mentioned something about the Braintrust feeling they had a future starter in Bunz.
ReplyDeleteWith Czerwonka taking over the leadership role, and the step up by the young Guernat, the unsung prospects in the W have had a nice little start.
I haven't had time to check in on the other 3 Dmen yet, are they showing any improvement over last year?
Woodlief has a report out on the 2012 crop, FYI, but there's not much there.
Bunz and Emerson Etem have been a two-man show down there in the Hat. Bunz had a but of a slow start, but has been on fire ever since. Etem has been an absolute scoring machine; last night for example he got two assists in regulation, then put the game away in the first minute of OT with his 23rd goal of the year.
ReplyDeleteNo, that's not a typo.
I wonder how Bunz great play affects Dubnyk (or dare to dream K) becoming a part of a deal, for eg. CBJ or Tampa?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how Bunz great play affects Dubnyk (or dare to dream K) becoming a part of a deal, for eg. CBJ or Tampa?
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say none at all.
He's playing juniors this year.
You'd think he'd have to play at least 1 year of pro after that.
Whereas Dmen develop by sundial, goalies develop by lava lamp.
Some glob up to the top early then fall down, some glob up late, some stay suspended in DMW ether, its pretty random globbing.
WG: I like that, lava lamp. Very good. :-)
ReplyDeleteLT, as you continue to do these lists, do you find yourself changing how you rate junior prospects (guys in the CHL or college) vs. guys in the AHL?
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean is, does some part of you think it makes more sense to leave CHL prospects a bit lower on the list until you see how they handle the transition to pro?
LT,
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Its all yours, use it as you see fit sir.
Anyone watching any Dallas games?
ReplyDeleteWith their win this afternoon they are 10-3-0 to lead the WC and only 1 point behind PIT for the NHL lead (with 2 games in hand)
How are they winning? (besides Lehtonen's .936)
Is it the Big Sexy effect?
I had them (with the Oilers) near the bottom of the conference.
Anyone?
speeds: No, not really. This year for instance, there's only one real surprise so far in the AHL (Pitlick) and everything else is about normal (I didn't think Hamilton would kill it at a point per game or anything and his lack of playing time is an early season issue).
ReplyDeleteThe things that I was looking for early in the season (offense from Hartikainen in his second season) are still out there and the junior kids are doing fine.
There's lots of good things in junior, but you'd expect some of them (Bunz performance included). The Slovak kid will get a bump but we didn't know a thing about him beforehand.
I think Klefbom is on track. He's playing solid minutes in the SEL a few months after the draft, that's a pretty good indicator.
Long story short, I don't see a need to nick anyone around the top of the summer list. Alex Plante may not make it, though. :=)
The rise of Jamie Benn is helping Dallas as well. He's part of the reason Dallas was willing to move Neal.
ReplyDeleteRenney
ReplyDelete"too early to expect Hemsky back...reasonable to expect him on this trip"
If 83 isn't back Tues vs. MTL I hope they call up 23.
ReplyDeleteSeems kind of odd if they don't call somebody up-they've got 12 healthy forwards(assuming Jones is good to go) and 3 games in 4 nights.
ReplyDeleteI anticipate they'll recall Omark tomorrow. A few games in the pressbox here, a couple good games in OKC, and ready to go. Just like Petry.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Someone quoted ST on HNIC last night saying that Omark's comments on leaving for EUR were news to him and that "the best way for Linus to get back to the NHL is to play well in the AHL."
ReplyDeleteIf we know Tambo like we think we know Tambo, he'll recall Hartikainen, Keller, Josh Green or O'Marra instead.
And I'm not kidding.
I'd call 4 apples in 2 games "playing well"
ReplyDeleteSure, but if ST gets stubborn then maybe he stays down there awhile longer. I'm onside with Omark's recall, hell it's a mystery to me why they sent him down in the first place.
ReplyDeleteJosh green left the game last night in a heap at centre ice, but didn't see what happened. He looked in bad shape. Tyrvainen was having a good game until getting 2 handed chopped in the wrist while on a partial breakaway. He left as well and didn't return.
ReplyDeleteOmark was much better last night than on Thursday. There was no question he is in another class compared to the others. If my memory serves, he had a partial hand in every goal.
Bunz torched for 4 GA in a loss in Regina tonight. He faced 40 shots & managed to get the game to OT so not a total lost cause.
ReplyDeleteOther good news is 3 more assists for Brandon Davidson, now 19 GP, 5-12-17, +11 on the season.
Matt was asking earlier about developing by "sundial". I think the explanation for that phrase stems from how fast the "hands" move on a sundial as opposed to a regular clock.
ReplyDeleteLava lamps? Sideburns? I'm glad I read this crap! Very nice, indeed.
ReplyDeleteBunz' November slide should be enough to trade him. I want him gone before Gene P. starts making comments.!
Geno is the Principe of Puns
ReplyDelete