Key players to keep an eye on as new campaign nears

The Vancouver Giants kicked off their season Wednesday with their annual golf tournament. Players hit the ice at the Ladner Leisure Centre on Friday morning. Here are five guys to watch going into the 2018-19 campaign:

1 BOWEN BYRAM, DEFENCEMAN

The 17-year-old from Cranbrook, who has considerable flash and dash to his game, continues to get buzz as a possible lottery pick in next summer’s NHL Draft at Rogers Arena. Since their inception in 2001-02, the Giants have had four first-rounders. The last was Evander Kane, who was the fourth-overall choice by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009.

2 MATT BARBERIS, DEFENCEMAN

Expectations are growing with the Giants. Leadership in their group will be key to dealing with them. That will fall to guys like Surrey native Barberis, 20, the lone holdover with the club from the 2013 bantam draft.

3 DAVID TENDECK/ TRENT MINER, GOALTENDERS

We’re counting them as one since they’ll share the Giants’ netminding duties. North Vancouver’s Tendeck, 18, was the WHL Western Conference second all-star team goalie last season and was picked in the sixth round by the Arizona Coyotes in June. Miner, 17, is up for next summer’s NHL Draft and the Brandon, Man., product has some cachet, considering he was the second goalie chosen in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, going 20th overall. It will be interesting to see how Vancouver manages their playing time.

4 JAMES MALM, FORWARD

The 19-year-old forward from Langley is clever and crafty. There’s major offensive minutes open with Vancouver, with Ty Ronning and Tyler Benson moving on to the pro ranks, and Malm will get a crack to help fill them.

5 DAWSON HOLT, FORWARD

He played perhaps the best hockey of his three-year Giants career in the playoffs against the Victoria Royals. Can the 19-year-old forward from Saskatoon parlay that into further improvement this season? He was Vancouver’s first pick, eighth overall, in the 2014 bantam draft. The Giants had five of the first 44 picks that year.