On the surface, the Lewiston Maineiacs appear to be solid at every position. Jonathan Bernier returns as one of the best 17-year-old goaltenders in the world, and Travis Fullerton proved last season he could hold his own when he was called up.
On the front lines, trade rumors not withstanding, the Maineiacs have a young and potent offense that includes first-year surprises Eric Castonguay, Stefan Chaput, Pierre-Luc Champagne and Marc-Andre Daneau to go with veterans Marc-Andre Cliche, Mathieu Aubin and Alex Bourret.
Defensively, things aren’t as well. Sebastien Piche, 16, was a pleasant surprise and Chad Denny and Michal Korenko are expected to return as 18-year-old blue-liners.
But from there, the crop thins out. Brandon Roach will likely return as a team leader, bringing the team’s total of experienced defensemen to four. Jonathan Paiement will also be 20, but there are rumors that he may not return next season, leaving a gaping hole on the blue line.
Maineiacs’ general manager and head coach Clem Jodoin confirmed that shortcoming this week.
“At a draft, you always have to think about your needs, the needs of the team,” said Jodoin. “We need defensemen, so that is where we will start. With 18 teams drafting now, it gets harder, tougher to pick up the best players earlier.”
From there, the Maineiacs are committed only to taking the best players remaining on the board.
“To me, drafting a player is making an investment, and we have to invest properly,” said Jodoin.
The Maineiacs will pick ninth in the first round of Saturday’s draft, and will not have another pick until the third round, the 45th overall selection. That may change during this morning’s trade period.
Jodoin was mum on the possibility of a trade-day deal, saying only that “we never know, really. We will have to wait and see.”
Scouting the draft
Angelo Esposito, who played last season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota, is tabbed by the league’s Central Scouting service as the top player in this year’s draft, but this year’s crop is far from static, unlike in previous years. Also in line at the top are Alex Grant, playing this season at Antigonish, Jean-Simon Allard of Jonquiere and Brad Malone of Cushing Academy in Massachusetts.
Currently listed in ninth, the Maineiacs’ first pick, is Simon Danis-Pepin, a 6-foot, 6-inch, 199-pound defenseman from Gatineau’s Midget AAA team. As was the case last season, though, sometimes gems from the top fall closer to the bottom. Last year’s No. 1 pick, Bernier, was listed in the top three in central scouting and dropped to the Maineiacs at No. 8.
Late-round gems
Not every top player in the league comes from the first round. For every Alex Bourret (No. 1 overall in 2002), there is a Mathieu Aubin (No. 65 overall, fifth round in 2002). For every Jonathan Bernier (No. 8 overall in 2004), there is an Eric Castonguay (No. 136 overall, ninth round in 2004).
In last year’s draft, Guy Belisle and Stefan Chaput were products of the third round, as was eventual Maineiacs’ defenseman Sebastien Piche. Lewiston made one deal last year, swapping picks with Rouyn-Noranda to snag Chaput earlier in the third round. Last holiday trade period, the Maineiacs got that pick back in Piche for a second-round pick this season and Travis Mealy.
The two-hour trade window runs from 8-to-10 a.m. today, and the draft begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Comments are no longer available on this story