A Look At The Season 6 Warbirds

A Look At The Season 6 Warbirds

PART II

Welcome back to the Art of War and our on-going breakdown of the Minnesota Warbirds, position by position as they get ready to start S6. Last week we went over the center position and now we’ll talk about the right wingers.

#5 – Kenneth Lehtinen

Lehtinen and Dylan Withers should purchase airline miles together because they’d have about 5 free flights by now.

Lehtinen began the offseason in Minnesota, but was then shipped to Toronto in a package deal that included rookie Ryan Van Vuren and veterans Johan Eriksson and Brad Klein on January 15, 2009. Coming to Minnesota were Chris Bell and his girlfriend Priscilla Williams, who are both looking to make an impact with the ‘Birds.

A month later, Lehtinen was packing his bags and heading back to a familiar place as Toronto dealt the Finn for rookie BK Kim, Kyle Kujawa (coming from an earlier trade with Castlegar) and Minnesota’s 1st round draft pick in the S7 draft.

Lehtinen is a gritty winger who is slotted to play on the 3rd line along Ryan Sassman and Scott Edmonds. Lehtinen will provide some goals during the year as he posted moderate numbers in S5 (8 goals, 6 assists, 14 points and a +3).

#8 – Zac Abrams

Abrams is coming into his second year with the Warbirds and is looking to make a bigger impact than he did in the prior season. Abrams admittedly put up some disappointing numbers (1 goal, 2 assists in 15 games) and is looking to come back in a big way.

Many may look at his linemates, rookies Priscilla Williams and Sawyer Withers, and use that as an excuse should he produce similar numbers. Abrams, who is a great power forward, provides depth for the team and provides experience for the younger linemates on the team.

#26 – Chris Bell

Bell was brought to Minnesota in a deal that saw Kenneth Lehtinen, Ryan Van Vuren, Johan Eriksson and Brad Klein head to Toronto. Bell had a very slow regular season in S5 (4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points) but really turned it up for the playoffs where he netted 4 goals, 7 assists and 11 points, including a hat trick in the Thundercup finals with Castlegar.

Bell is slated to begin the season playing with assistant captain Matt Mahoney and Adam Stevens. Bell brings toughness to an otherwise finess group of right wingers. Chris was brought in to provide a presence in the locker room, because he’s a power forward and to score goals.

Will Ezell’s gamble pay off? Bell is certainly a great clubhouse guy, but how does that pertain on the ice? Only time will tell…