The CHL Import Draft Is Tomorrow

The drafts aren’t over just yet.

The 2015 CHL Import Draft takes place tomorrow beginning at noon Atlantic time. The QMJHL leads the rotation this year, meaning the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will select first overall.

Last year, the Sea Dogs iced defenseman Jakub Zboril and forward Juraj Siska as the team’s imports. General manager Darrell Young told The Pipeline Show earlier this month that Siska will not be returning for the 2015-16 season, opening up an import spot.

“We felt that, he being a 19-year-old, he wasn’t going to have enough impact to improve our club next year and take up ice time from a younger hockey player,” said Young.

Unless Zboril cracks the Boston Bruins roster this fall – which isn’t overly likely – he will be back, giving Saint John one open import slot. Each CHL team has two picks in the two-round draft. Saint John’s picks are at 25 and 85 overall.

“We’ve been working on a player since last November,” said Young about their first pick. “He’s committed to coming to us as long as he slides to 25 and no one else picks him in front of us.”

“We have a couple players pegged for our second pick that we’re hoping are going to be there.”

Saint John selected Zboril fifth overall in last year’s Import Draft and ended up being a first round NHL draft pick last weekend. Young said he’s hoping to draft a player like Zboril who can add an immediate impact.

The Sea Dogs also picked forward Nikita Li in last year’s draft, but ultimately chose to keep Siska for the season. Li was later picked up by the Victoriaville Tigres.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation