Manitoba Moose

It's anybody's guess what junior- or college-aged players -- call them budding or green professionals -- can do for the Manitoba Moose at this time of year, but it never hurts to look, according to GM Craig Heisinger.

The Moose, currently first overall in the AHL standings with five games to play, have added two more such players to make it four in their fold, signing 20-year-old defenceman Taylor Ellington and 19-year-old defenceman Yann Sauve on Tuesday to amateur tryout contracts, known as ATO's.

That allows draft picks, prospects and other undrafted free agents to participate in a team's practice sessions and even play in regular-season and playoff games, even though they're not included on the playoff rosters that were submitted to the league office at the March 11 deadline.

"Sauve, he's a 1990 birthday so he won't be able to play for us in the AHL next season," Heisinger said on Tuesday. "But I'm of the opinion it's good to get to know him, not so much as a player but probably as a person, and it's good for him to get to know what he might be up against next year at this time."

Sauve, Vancouver's second-round pick of 2008, played for the QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs this season and has another full season of junior eligibility remaining. While that's the case, he could play in the NHL, but not in the AHL.

Ellington is a slightly different story. His regular junior eligibility is complete -- though an overage year is still an option -- and so it's pretty certain the pro career of Vancouver's second-round pick of 2007 is about to begin.

"Ellington's junior career is done and whether he can contribute (here) this year is up to him and the coaches," Heisinger said. "In his case, he's going to compete for a job next year in Vancouver and here, so this would give him a leg up next fall, I believe."

Ellington's and Sauve's numbers are similar.

Ellington, the Victoria native, had six goals and 32 points in 69 games this season but his Everett Silvertips went out of the WHL playoffs in the first round.

Sauve, born in Montreal, suffered the same fate with the Sea Dogs after a regular season of five goals and 30 points.

Manitoba had already brought in undrafted defenceman Travis Ehrhardt from Portland of the WHL and forward Eric Walsky, 24, who finished up his career at Colorado College in March.

Both those players have seen game action for the Moose in the last week but it's too early to tell if Ellington or Sauve will get into the lineup.

Heisinger said Tuesday there may be a couple more drafted prospects that arrive in Mooseland before the season is finished, but added that he doesn't have any free-agent finds like Rick Rypien (2004-05) the Moose want to look at.
"No, no more from us," Heisinger said. "We haven't had a situation like this in the past where Vancouver has had some draft picks that are ready to come in here so we and they can have a look."

The Moose took Monday and Tuesday off and return to work today to prepare for their final five regular-season games. The first of those is Friday night at the MTS Centre against Toronto.

Moose FLASH

KROG OK: Moose centre Jason Krog, the team's leading scorer, blocked a shot with his skate in last Sunday's win over Hamilton. That was cause for worry and the team sent him for X-rays on Monday, which came back negative -- prompting a sigh of relief. But hobbled by the pain, Krog is likely to miss a practice or two this week.

DEFENCE FIRST: One category which will mean something heading into the post-season is defence, and the Moose are ranked No. 1 there at the moment. The team leads next-best Milwaukee by 13 goals against (171-184) and holds a game in hand in this category. Manitoba is on pace to set a franchise record in this department, aiming to better last season's 197 goals against, also under coach Scott Arniel. It's a far cry from the 300 goals surrendered by Manitoba in its first-ever season, 1996-97, a team on which Arniel played.