The 28th in the worst case scenario since it is possible that one of the teams that will speak before the Sags decides to pass its turn. One way or another, the coach and general manager of the Blues knows where he is going.
“We had a plan defined from the start on how we were going to proceed,” confirmed Yanick Jean, contacted Tuesday. He does not intend to take a random risk, preferring to bet on a hockey player ready to contribute right away.
“It’s not my goal (to try a home run), I want a player who will play for us, regardless of age. We shouldn’t be surprised to see an older player arrive in Chicoutimi,” he said.
Before the addition of two 20-year-old forwards in Kassim Gaudet and Félix Gagnon during the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft, should Saguenéens fans think that a European defender is expected in Chicoutimi next August?
“No, not necessarily,” Yanick Jean said eloquently.
Norwin Panocha will have played only one season with the Saguenéens. (Jeannot Lévesque/The Daily)
The Sags have been entitled to select a European player since they decided to release Norwin Panocha. The release became official on Tuesday, by the way. The results with the German defender were not conclusive during the last campaign, while Peteris Bulans already has a place, for his 19-year-old season.
After a few years of being ineligible for the Canadian League’s European Draft, skaters from Russia and Belarus are back for the 2024 edition of this two-round auction, which brings together all 60 CHL teams.
Except that with an announcement that came late, the main interested parties had already concluded agreements for the next hockey season.
Free agents in the crosshairs
Yanick Jean also confirmed that he is looking at options regarding North American free agents, with the help of his assistant general manager, Ritchie Thibeau, hired before the QMJHL draft. We should therefore expect candidates to be present at the next training camp, but it is still too early to reveal their identity.
“We’ve had discussions with free agents who want to come to Chicoutimi,” Jean said. “We’re also talking about older players who could come in as support and help our team. Ritchie has done a lot of work with free agents since he joined us and we hope to have the opportunity to attract a few of them.”
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FEATHER TIPS
- Félix Gagnon is spending the week at the Canadiens’ development camp, after being invited by the Montreal organization following the NHL draft. The new Saguenéens center is there with Chicoutimi’s Vincent Collard, who had a good season in Moncton, after being traded by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to the Wildcats. Gagnon and Collard spent two seasons together on the Côte-Nord…
- As confirmed last Saturday, Thomas Desruisseaux is currently in California, also as a player invited to the Anaheim Ducks development camp. He has joined Maxim Massé, the Ducks’ third-round pick…
- Finally, good news for Loic Usereau, invited to the Ducks’ rookie tournament in September. The defenseman had to forfeit during the playoffs due to a medical complication, but the lights are green and his recovery is encouraging…
