Might Take A Little Longer What you see may not be what you get in a year’s time, as NHL might leave a crater in the Sarnia Sting’s front lines. BY ANDREW BRETHAUER
T
he Sarnia Sting might be hitting the right track after signing new head coach Jacques Beaulieu this spring, but Sting fans would be mindful this upcoming season to not expect miracles, and understand that winning hockey in Sarnia may take a little longer then expected. Take into consideration that three of Sarnia’s top six are going to be drafted between June 24th, 2011 and late June in 2012. And the possibility that all three could find themselves playing in the NHL ranks come October 2012 would mean Sarnia is going to need some new talent to replace what they have. Brett Ritchie is expected to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this years NHL draft in St. Paul, Minnesota, and though in most cases he will return to the Sting for next season, beyond that is up to his NHL club. Same is true next season for the likes of Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk, with Yakupov being considered as a possible number one draft pick, and Galchenyuk going within the top ten, it is possible both could be playing NHL hockey in October of 2012.
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Consider that since 2007, every number one draft pick has gone straight to the NHL including ex-Sting Steven Stamkos who was drafted 1st overall in 2008, and was playing for the Tampa Bay Lighting the next season. Sarnia’s draft picks this year could fill the gapping hole the NHL draft will leave the Sting, with Sarnia selecting Ryan Kujawinski 4th overall and Davis Brown in the third round. Both are considered top scoring forwards. As well, Beaulieu traded for Taylor Carnevale from the Windsor Spitfires, who put up 35 goals and 35 assists for 70 points last season, adding another goal scorer to the mix. But defence is still a question, unless Beaulieu turns things around quickly with his defence-first coaching style. And with a large shake up possibly happening beyond the 2011-12 season, it will be on the shoulders of Beaulieu to steer the ship through the dangerous waters of Sarnia’s fan base, who is screaming for playoff hockey to once again return to the RBC Centre. With five players last season scoring 20 or more goals, and the addition of three more, which have the ability to, fans attending Sting action next season may get their first taste of playoff hockey since 2009. Unfortunately, depending on the draft and the NHL club’s ideas, it could be another wait after that.