(above) Patrick Wiercioch is is attending the Ottawa Senators Prospect Development Camp this weekFrom: Ottawa Citizen
by Chistopher Pike
Patrick Wiercioch made big strides last season, and given the rapid rate at which the Ottawa Senators prospect is developing, he could face an equally big decision in the not-too-distant future.
The 18-year-old defenceman was something of an unknown commodity when Ottawa selected him in the 2008 NHL entry draft.
But after a breakout freshman year in the U.S. collegiate ranks with the University of Denver, he's attending the Senators' development camp with half a mind to leave school and take a run at the pro ranks this fall.
"The AHL is a step above," Wiercioch -- pronounced Weer-kosh -- said earlier this week, "especially with the size of guys and the speed of the game, and you're playing a lot more games, so it's a lot more demanding on your body.
"But I have an extremely good situation in Denver with an incredible head coach (George Gwozdecky). I learned a lot from him last year. With a really good team next year and with a good schedule, we should be able to play a lot of high-calibre teams, so it's a tough choice.
"Right now, my goal is to make Ottawa, and, if not, then to go back to school."
With the number of bodies with NHL experience the Senators have on their depth chart on the blue-line, making the parent club won't be an option for the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., who's still more than two months shy of his 19th birthday.
However, he's not hiding his desire to pursue the fastest possible route to Ottawa, and if that's through upstate New York and the American Hockey League's Binghamton Senators, then he's willing to take that road.
The finance major is all signed up and ready to start classes the second week of September, but he's aware that it's "just a few signatures that you need to get out of there."
"It's partly my decision, partly the management of the Senators to see where they fit me in," he said. "When they can have a pretty good idea of what they want in their lineup next year, then I'm sure they'll give me that feedback, and that's when I'll start deciding for myself about what I want to do."
The Senators have been impressed by what they've seen, but it's believed they'd prefer the 6-4, 185-pound Wiercioch to stay in Denver under Gwozdecky, where he finished second among all National Collegiate Athletic Association defencemen in scoring with 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 36 games.
"Whatever situation is going to give him the best challenge and the most minutes," Senators director of player development Randy Lee said. "I don't think he should go up a level just for the sake of going up a level. He has got to go somewhere where he's going to play all critical minutes. If he does that, and once he masters that, then you take it one step further the next year down the road.
"I think if his decision is to stay in school, then it's the right decision because he has got a great coaching staff, they're really supportive and they really work with him."
It wasn't that long ago that an undersized Wiercioch was still playing junior A with the Burnaby Express of the British Columbia Hockey League. From there, it was a season with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League before he headed for Denver to suit up with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Pioneers.
The Senators obviously liked what they saw before this past season, enough to select him in the second round (42nd overall), and he has done nothing but enhance that good vibe by adding size and strength, and improving his skating.
"(The scouts) saw so much upside in this guy," Lee said. "They saw so much talent upside and we saw so much physical upside that, when you put the package together, this guy's going to be a pretty good defenceman for us.
"He's added a lot of mass to his frame, he's a lot stronger. I think he really enjoyed the coaches in Denver and they worked with him. We saw him quite a bit and we could see how well he did for his first year. He played huge minutes on his team, in all critical situations. He really embraced the challenge."
Wiercioch was named to the WCHA second all-star team and the all-rookie team, and his season didn't go unnoticed by Hockey Canada, either.
In December, he earned an invitation to the national junior team's selection camp for the world junior championship and, although, he didn't make the final roster, has already been named to this year's development camp roster and stands a good chance to make the squad this time around -- regardless of where he's playing.
And with still a couple of months left before training camp, Wiercioch figures there's plenty of summer left to improve even further.
"I think I'm a lot more confident (over last year)," he said. "That's something that it's tough to be taught when you're young. It's a learning experience from day to day. You pick up things, you're more confident when people watch you even in different circumstances.
"My strength's gone up, my weight's gone up. I need to work on my speed to keep up to the pace of the NHL, but I think that's going to come in time."
Likewise, the time will likely come when Wiercioch finds himself in a Senators uniform -- even if it's not quick enough for his liking.
"Does he compare to an NHL defenceman right now? No," Lee said, "but the biggest thing is he has got the brain for it, the decision-making.
"Within the organizational depth, you have to differentiate the type of defencemen -- defensive defenceman and is he purely offensive or a hybrid -- and he gives you a lot of offensive upside. His ultimate projection is to be a top-four defenceman in the NHL."
The 18-year-old defenceman was something of an unknown commodity when Ottawa selected him in the 2008 NHL entry draft.
But after a breakout freshman year in the U.S. collegiate ranks with the University of Denver, he's attending the Senators' development camp with half a mind to leave school and take a run at the pro ranks this fall.
"The AHL is a step above," Wiercioch -- pronounced Weer-kosh -- said earlier this week, "especially with the size of guys and the speed of the game, and you're playing a lot more games, so it's a lot more demanding on your body.
"But I have an extremely good situation in Denver with an incredible head coach (George Gwozdecky). I learned a lot from him last year. With a really good team next year and with a good schedule, we should be able to play a lot of high-calibre teams, so it's a tough choice.
"Right now, my goal is to make Ottawa, and, if not, then to go back to school."
With the number of bodies with NHL experience the Senators have on their depth chart on the blue-line, making the parent club won't be an option for the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., who's still more than two months shy of his 19th birthday.
However, he's not hiding his desire to pursue the fastest possible route to Ottawa, and if that's through upstate New York and the American Hockey League's Binghamton Senators, then he's willing to take that road.
The finance major is all signed up and ready to start classes the second week of September, but he's aware that it's "just a few signatures that you need to get out of there."
"It's partly my decision, partly the management of the Senators to see where they fit me in," he said. "When they can have a pretty good idea of what they want in their lineup next year, then I'm sure they'll give me that feedback, and that's when I'll start deciding for myself about what I want to do."
The Senators have been impressed by what they've seen, but it's believed they'd prefer the 6-4, 185-pound Wiercioch to stay in Denver under Gwozdecky, where he finished second among all National Collegiate Athletic Association defencemen in scoring with 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 36 games.
"Whatever situation is going to give him the best challenge and the most minutes," Senators director of player development Randy Lee said. "I don't think he should go up a level just for the sake of going up a level. He has got to go somewhere where he's going to play all critical minutes. If he does that, and once he masters that, then you take it one step further the next year down the road.
"I think if his decision is to stay in school, then it's the right decision because he has got a great coaching staff, they're really supportive and they really work with him."
It wasn't that long ago that an undersized Wiercioch was still playing junior A with the Burnaby Express of the British Columbia Hockey League. From there, it was a season with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League before he headed for Denver to suit up with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Pioneers.
The Senators obviously liked what they saw before this past season, enough to select him in the second round (42nd overall), and he has done nothing but enhance that good vibe by adding size and strength, and improving his skating.
"(The scouts) saw so much upside in this guy," Lee said. "They saw so much talent upside and we saw so much physical upside that, when you put the package together, this guy's going to be a pretty good defenceman for us.
"He's added a lot of mass to his frame, he's a lot stronger. I think he really enjoyed the coaches in Denver and they worked with him. We saw him quite a bit and we could see how well he did for his first year. He played huge minutes on his team, in all critical situations. He really embraced the challenge."
Wiercioch was named to the WCHA second all-star team and the all-rookie team, and his season didn't go unnoticed by Hockey Canada, either.
In December, he earned an invitation to the national junior team's selection camp for the world junior championship and, although, he didn't make the final roster, has already been named to this year's development camp roster and stands a good chance to make the squad this time around -- regardless of where he's playing.
And with still a couple of months left before training camp, Wiercioch figures there's plenty of summer left to improve even further.
"I think I'm a lot more confident (over last year)," he said. "That's something that it's tough to be taught when you're young. It's a learning experience from day to day. You pick up things, you're more confident when people watch you even in different circumstances.
"My strength's gone up, my weight's gone up. I need to work on my speed to keep up to the pace of the NHL, but I think that's going to come in time."
Likewise, the time will likely come when Wiercioch finds himself in a Senators uniform -- even if it's not quick enough for his liking.
"Does he compare to an NHL defenceman right now? No," Lee said, "but the biggest thing is he has got the brain for it, the decision-making.
"Within the organizational depth, you have to differentiate the type of defencemen -- defensive defenceman and is he purely offensive or a hybrid -- and he gives you a lot of offensive upside. His ultimate projection is to be a top-four defenceman in the NHL."
6 comments:
Ottawa is obviously high on Wiercioch and Wiercioch obviously wants to play in the NHL. But, he is still 18 and doesn't have the size. Yet.
Another year at DU, Paddy. Another year!
Hey DG? I thought this kid said he was going to stay at DU. Maybe someone needs to shawdow him at the prospects camp?
That's right on Viz. Give it one more year, Patty... Lift weights, eat good, get the National Championship under your belt, then move on to the next plateau.
Mannino qualified by Atlanta...
Link: www.eliteprospects.com
LOL Mannino ...
Nathan Lawson usurped him in the NYI org.
Donald,
Under rumors over on eliteprospects.com - Nathan Lawson possibly going to HK Atlant of KHL in Russia.
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