With less than a week to go for the Western Lacrosse Association junior draft, the New Westminster Salmonbellies are playing a wait-and-see game on how to use their first selection.
Having acquired the 10th pick in the 2017 junior draft, ‘Bellies general manager Dan Richardson said the organization is going in with a wait-and-see attitude.
It’s probably how other teams felt while watching New West fandangle a number of deals this offseason.
“We’re pretty much at the mercy of everyone who picks ahead of us,” said Richardson of the team’s draft preparation. “The key for us is just being ready because you just don’t know how it will unfold.”
In a draft that some view as lacking a foundation-type player, Richardson said having a pick in the first two rounds wasn’t a desperation move, but one where a player – talented righthander Dane Sorensen – was likely bumped down the depth chart after a couple of key additions.
“We acquired two righthanders and that put us in a situation,” said Richardson. “I wish we could have kept (Sorensen) but in fairness to Dane, he needs to play and we likely couldn’t give him the same opportunity (as last year).”
As a rookie, Sorensen tallied 20 goals in 18 games and drew 13 assists to finish sixth in team scoring. Originally from Victoria, the 6-foot-1 forward was a solid addition from last year's draft, selected in the third round.
But by bringing in Joel McCready and Nathan Stewart, the rightside had become crowded. The possible return of Keegan Bal also weighed into the decision.
While the draft features its share of big-name prospects, like Coquitlam’s Tyler Pace, Delta’s Evan Messenger and New Westminster’s Adam Dickson, the senior ‘Bellies will be fortunate if one of the second tier talents slide their way.
Among that group are New West’s Johnny Pearson, Burnaby’s Aidan Milburn and a pair from Delta – Chase Fraser and Jon Phillips. On the defensive side, major talents like Coquitlam's Jordan Magnuson, Keegan Rittinger and Delta's Reece Cailles are coveted by many. Still, picking 10th makes anticipating any of those names a crapshoot.
“We’ll be looking for a break-through player, because I think our trades addressed what we targeted as specific needs,” he said.
Pace, who counted 20 goals in just eight games for the Minto Cup champion Adanacs, and Messenger, who's 96 points put him third in overall scoring, are considered to be the likely top-two picks. Magnuson and Cailles are drawing interest as first round selections, while Dickson, who led all B.C. junior players with 53 goals, will likely be gone before the second round comes along.
Adding to the draft’s suspense is the hoarding of picks by Langley and Nanaimo.
Langley holds four of the first eight selections, including No. 1, 5 and 6, while Nanaimo chooses second and third. Burnaby, at No. 4, and Victoria, with the seventh pick, round out the first round. That positions New West, at 10th overall, in a possible catbird seat, waiting to see what players fall in the order due to other clubs’ needs and biases.
“This is where the homework all pays off,” said Richardson. “You’ve got to check all the boxes and talk with the players to find out where they are at, what they are thinking.”
Having overseen and produced the club’s draft book for this year’s event, Richardson said while they have few picks it still remains a big priority for the program.
“Getting everything ready for the draft is a labour of love,” he added.
