Riga Adds Second Tate(s), A Hunter, A Chad, and Kramer

[Renomitsu 930]

Riga, Latvia - For most players, Entry Draft night is pretty unforgettable, and the Reign's four promising draftees in Jeff Tates @PotatoKing, Alyksander Hunter @Jaku, Chad Gilbert @Fire_In_Babylon, and Benson Kramer @Benson are no exceptions. The team's first selection - a promising Canadian winger in Tates - will continue to spend time with Saskatoon until he joins fellow Wild alumnus Apollo Hackett on the main Riga squad. He hand Kramer have the potential to develop quickly - and they'll need to in order to fill the gap left by forward Mikko Aaltonen, a Season 66 Riga selection who found himself a hot commodity during the Expansion Draft as a max-earning, 500+ TPE forward finishing just his second season.

 

Hunter on the other hand will likely move to Riga next season with a more immediate chance for minutes after another season in the minors. The retirement of Edwin Preencarnacion this offseason leaves Riga with exactly four active major-league defensemen - and with Aron Nielsen failing to pan out the way he was projected, it's possible Hunter could see second line minutes in Season 69, especially with Nielsen's contract expiring after this upcoming season.

 

Chad Gilbert becomes the latest in a line of strong centers headlined by Ryan Kastelic, who made a position switch mid-season and finished 8th in points; Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the 'golden boy' of the Season 66 class; and Anthony Matthews, known for his sophisticated face-off technique and 100+ point season with the Yukon Rush. There's no hurry for Gilbert to join the majors - which leaves him to develop at his own pace in his second minor league season. But with all three current centers' contracts expiring before Season 70 at present, the amount of ice time available for Gilbert in the future varies from 'third-to-fourth line in S69' to 'hey, you're up against the league best in your rookie season.'

 

Drafted to a team that's ready to compete for a spot in the finals, these four young men have a lot to look forward to when they eventually make their major league debut -- but GM Benjamin Zeptenbergs will be waiting.

[Elmebeck 378]

I love the Tate(s) angle.