Clik here to view.
Brett Kulak, in the midst of trying to stick with Calgary, tries to sneak away from Coyotes veteran Shane Doan during exhibition play. Kulak, the Vancouver Giant product, has been assigned to the AHL and now to the ECHL. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
We should rapid-fire some Vancouver Giants topics.
*Brett Kulak, he of the 216 regular season games in Giants’ colours, was re-assigned by the Calgary Flames from their AHL farm team in Adirondack to the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles this week. As a 20-year-old, he’s still eligible to come back to the WHL. This isn’t a particularly banner year for 20 year olds across the league and Kulak, a puck-moving defenceman, would be a major star if he returned. Before thinking it’s a slam dunk that he’s coming back and he’s coming to the Giants, keep in mind that he’s already played a lot of WHL hockey. The Flames may figure he’s done all he can do at the junior level and needs to play against men. They could also figure that he needs to go back to the WHL but not like Vancouver’s 7-9-0-0 start and want him on a contender and force a trade. They own the Calgary Hitmen; they may want him there to spice up that team both in the win-loss column and attendance, selling a Flames prospect.
Also, how does Troy Ward play into all this? They let him go late in the summer from his gig with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. Is the fact that he’s coaching Vancouver a plus or a minus in regards to them sending Kulak back? People in that organization would know Ward well.
*Speaking of the Hitmen, they’re looking to move forward Greg Chase, 19. The 35-goal man left the team over an apparent dispute with management and is sitting at home, awaiting a deal.The early buzz is that Vancouver is not interested and, keep in mind, Chase is represented by Gerry Johannson and the Giants have a long history with Johannson guys. The Giants considered 20-year-old forward Richard Nejezchleb when the Brandon Wheat Kings were shopping him, but found the pricetag too steep. He ended up going to the Tri-City Americans for a pair of third-round bantam picks. You’d think that would be in Vancouver’s ballpark with the young talent and draft picks they’ve amassed, but it’s apparent they’re keeping at least one eye on the future. You’d think Chase, a signed Edmonton Oilers prospect, would be worth something similar in trade. He’s being portrayed as a locker room distraction in this. Is that scaring off Vancouver, considering their young talent?
Now, if Kulak is the principle piece of a package going the other way, does that change things…
*Giants captain Dalton Sward (lower body) skated with the team at practice Thursday in a rare visit to the South Delta rink and he’s expected to play Friday when the Everett Silvertips come to town. Sward, a centre, was between Jesse Roach and David Brumm on Thursday on what would be Vancouver’s third line. Carter Popoff remained between Joel Hamilton and Matt Bellerive and Thomas Foster had Alec Baer and Jackson Houck on his wings with the first two lines, while the fourth unit saw Vladimir Bobylev centring Brendan Holterhus and Gage Ramsay.
Jakob Stukel (hand) and Ty Ronning (collar bone) are still not practising with the team.
Here’s some video with Popoff, who talked about the Silvertips as well as what it must be like for Ward to face his former boss Kevin Constantine, who is running the Everett bench. Ward was a Constantine assistant with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the AHL’s Houston Aeros. This is the first time they’ll be coaching against one another. Popoff likened it to when the Giants faced former coach Don Hay for the first time.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
