Column: Rookies outshone Wolves vets in pre-season play

The Sudbury Wolves are just a little over a week away from the start of the 2014-2015 Ontario Hockey League regular season and there is one thing that has become quite obvious: This team is going to be a work in progress.

Wins and losses are not always that important during the exhibition schedule. Instead, that's the time to see what the talent level is like and what areas need to be addressed.

With up to 14 players eligible to return from last year’s team, you would think there would be a definite veteran presence around the team. Unfortunately, the returning players have not always been the ones who have stood out, either during training camp or during the pre-season schedule.

It’s easy to think just because you may have two, three or even four years experience, that it should be a given that your spot on the team would be secure. That would no doubt be the case if the veterans were playing at a level consistent with their abilities and experience, but it hasn’t happened at a consistently so far.

Management, though, seems to have taken note of the issue. The deal that brought Brody Milne north attests to that. The 19-year old, for the most part has been a role player during his stops in Guelph and Windsor. While he wasn’t brought to Sudbury to all of a sudden become the No. 1 guy, he was acquired because he is a veteran in the league and has had to work hard to keep his roster spot.

It doesn’t hurt that he scored 17 goals last season and has the potential to be one of the team’s top 6 forwards.

Another example of a lacklustre performance from the veterans is the battle between the four players competing for the three overage spots. You can argue the best player after one of those spots has been Ray Huether.

While there is no doubting you get a 150-per-cent effort from Huether every night, you would think his low goal output the last two seasons would make him the odd man out. That is not necessarily the case.

Jeff Corbett is being counted on to provide leadership to the young Wolves defence corps, but still needs to up his game to get where he needs to be.

Much more is expected out of Nathan Pancel and Brody Silk. Pancel, a 40-goal scorer and Silk, a heart and soul type player, both have an opportunity and are really being counted on to be leaders on the team.

The nice part of this whole dilemma is that imports Ivan Kashtanov and Pavel Jenys have been fun to watch, and the youngsters have really impressed.

First-round draft pick Michael Pezzetta has come as advertised — skilled with plenty of size and grit. Other rookies, like forwards Brady Pataki and Devon Paliani along with defenceman Trenton Bourque, have all been pleasant surprises and have shown they can compete in the OHL, and should become regular contributors.

The challenge now will be to get some of that enthusiasm to rub off on the veterans to help move this work in progress forward.

Stew Kernan is the radio and television voice of the Sudbury Wolves, and the News Director at KiSS 105.3 and Q92. This column appears every other week in Northern Life.