Broncos will be busy in WHL Bantam Draft

The Swift Current Broncos will look to replenish the team’s future skill level with five picks in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft’s opening 54 selections today.

“For the franchise I think it’s huge. We don’t have all of our picks, but we have multiple picks. It’s our first draft to kind of reset after the team winning the championship. Being that it’s an all-new staff, the first draft as a group, hence we started in the boardroom at 7:30 a.m. and we’ll probably go until 11 p.m. and be back in at 7:30 until 11 tomorrow night,” said Director of Player Personnel, Gary Aubin on Monday morning during a brief break from the boardroom. “We are just analyzing every player and a lot of phone calls to the kids, to the parents just to confirm that they do want to come. We have sent out player profiles, player questionnaires, we’ve talked to their agents, talked to the families… We feel it’s important to talk to these kids and parents again and say look, “If we draft you are you coming to Swift Current?”

One year after winning the WHL championship, the Broncos finished last in the league with an 11-51-4-2 record. The Broncos hold the 14th and 21st overall selections, picks acquired in trades from the Portland Winterhawks and Vancouver Giants.

“I don’t think it is as strong as obviously next year. I think it’s a little bit of a down year. But in saying that, there’s going to be a lot of guys that will play. There’s a couple guys at the real high end and then it kind of levels out quick,” said Aubin.

“Every province has a little bit of different variables. Saskatchewan has some great smaller puck-moving D-men. Manitoba has some goalies and a few forwards and some D. It is a little bit in every province. Alberta obviously has [Matthew] Savoie and a couple high end forwards. Their D group isn’t as strong. BC is a bit of a mixture with a couple goalies and some higher end D… Overall it is a good mix across the Prairies and a couple kids in the US that are alright.”

Last season the Broncos made their first pick in the 54th spot, a far cry from the picks they possess this time around as they look to replenish the skill level of the team after they finished last in the WHL with 135 goals in 68 games.

“Right now when we are discussing these players we are keying in on skill, the ability to make plays. With the team this year, obviously we didn’t score a lot of goals. Not to say that these kids now are going to be able to come in at 16 and you are going ‘Oh they are 40 goal scorers.’ But we are hoping that we can project these kids at 18 or 19 to be more skilled offensively. That’s what we are going to key in on this draft anyway is trying to restock the list and just try and get guys that if we are going to error maybe we are going to make sure that at least these guys are skilled,” explained Aubin, who added that were looking for elite skaters and that compete level was also a factor.

“It’s so much easier to trade for a gritty third, fourth-line guy then it is for a 40-goal scorer no matter what level you’re at.”

The Broncos restocked the draft cupboards with trades throughout the past season and now have seven picks in the first four rounds of the draft.

“From a scouting staff it definitely makes it more exciting when you have more picks. There’s nothing worse than going into a draft for a bunch of scouts and you have three picks and your first pick is not until the seventh round, so you show up in your sweats for the morning,” Aubin laughed.

The WHL Bantam Draft is today in Red Deer. Visit swbooster.com for complete draft coverage.