The Saskatoon Blades opened their season with a bang, winning both games of the home-and-home series against the Swift Current Broncos by a 13-4 margin. Despite not having Tanner Molendyk, Evan Gardner, and Brandon Lisowsky, all of whom are off at NHL camps, the team was dominant. Newcomer Ben Riche has carried on scoring after leading the Western Hockey League (WHL) preseason with nine points in four games, defenceman Ben Saunderson is as reliable as ever, and veterans Misha Volotovskii, Rowan Calvert, and Tyler Parr all took steps in their development, becoming leaders and play drivers.
But most impressive were the team’s young guns, who took charge of much of the Blades’ offense. Of the 13 goals scored over the weekend, six were from rookies, and eight of the goals were assisted by at least one rookie. After losing so much talent from last season’s dominant roster, it was unclear where much of the offense was going to come from, but after their first two games, Saskatoon appears to be in very good hands for the foreseeable future.
With that, here are three rookies that could emerge as key producers in 2024-25.
William James
Although technically not a rookie – he played 26 games last season, along with 15 playoff games – William James had yet to score a goal in the WHL. That all changed on Saturday night when the 17-year-old finally put one in the net, catching a redirected pass from Tyler Parr tight to the goal to beat Broncos’ goalie Reid Dyck. During the first intermission, when asked what it was like to finally score after 41 games, he smiled and said, “It was amazing. A monkey off my back and I’ll always remember this.”
Big. Willy. Style.
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) September 22, 2024
Willy James goes hard to the net for his first @TheWHL goal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NkixeUme5d
However, James likely won’t have to wait quite as long to see his second. Throughout the game, he was constantly driving the puck towards the net; the first goal, scored by fellow rookie Cooper Williams, would not have happened had James not stolen the puck from Broncos’ defender Jace McFaul and nearly scored on the resulting breakaway. He also nearly scored in the previous game, when he picked up a loose rebound after Dyck’s initial save on Parr, but James’ shot went off the post. He constantly found openings and weak spots in Swift Current’s defence and knew just how to exploit them for a scoring chance. If he can increase his accuracy, he could be a lethal scorer for the Blades this season.
Zach Olsen
Zach Olsen didn’t score in the two games against Swift Current and recorded just three shots, but he is quickly developing into a dangerous two-way presence that could make the Blades very difficult to play against this season. Standing 6-foot-1, he frequently used his size to post up in front of the net, helping Colton Worthington score his first, while also getting some great scoring chances on his own. But he also was able to steal the puck from two Broncos, pushing the play outside Saskatoon’s zone before he lost it.
When asked about Olsen’s role before the season opener, head coach Dan DaSilva said, “The sky’s the limit for Zach this year…his work ethic has been there. It’s obviously a big thing I’m talking about here, we need to work, and he’s a guy who consistently works and you notice his skating, his speed right away. He’s a big body, he’s a physical player.” Earlier in the season, he also commented on Olsen’s speed and shot, saying, “I think he’s going to fit in just fine here with us moving forward.”
Hard work has been at the forefront of DaSilva’s strategy since training camp, where he said that, if a player wants to make the team, he needs to be competitive, coachable, and a good teammate. Olsen seemingly took those points to heart, as the 16-year-old is still on the team and looked like one of the vets during the Blades’ inter-squad games in August.
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There are things that Olsen needs to perfect, which were also outlined. “You need to be able to defend, you need to be able to check in this league, you need to be in good spots,” DaSilva continued. “You can’t just run around all over the ice and not be aware of your guy or where the puck is. He’s got a lot of tools, so we’re definitely willing to work with Zach and get him on the same page as everyone else.” The first two games definitely had some growing pains, but things were starting to click more in the second game.
Brayden Klimpke
Only three players have scored two or more goals so far this season: Riche, Volotovskii, and defenceman Brayden Klimpke. The 16-year-old Calgary native scored twice on Saturday and added an assist all while showcasing his incredible speed and movement. Already, the teenager is drawing comparisons to Molendyk, as both are on the smaller side and play a highly mobile, offensively-driven game. Could Klimpke ascend to comparable heights as the Nashville Predators’ 2023 first-round pick?
It’s definitely possible; in his first WHL season, Molendyk played 17 games and recorded just two assists, then scored three goals and 18 points in his first full season. Meanwhile, Klimpke had a goal and three points in 13 games last season, and is currently on pace to hit 68 goals and 102 points. Of course, that pace isn’t realistic, and there are parts of his game that aren’t as well defined. But the way he uses his skating to create space and control the play gives him a very bright future. “He’s taken tremendous strides this year,” said Ben Saunderson. “I’m super excited to see him (as a full-fledged member of the team).”
With a much younger roster than in previous seasons, there are plenty of other youngsters who could make a significant impact in 2024-25. On offense, Williams currently sits second in scoring with a goal and five points, Lochlan Tetarenko already has three assists, and import Vlastimil Blazek has had several good chances and picked up two assists in his first two games in North America. On the back end, Jordan Martin has been a very solid defender and was placed in Saturday’s starting lineup alongside Saunderson. “Those kids in their first WHL action – you couldn’t ask for anything more,” said DaSilva. “I’m very proud of what they’ve done in the first two games.” For a team expected to take a significant step backwards this season, that’s not a bad place to be in.
