Rourke Chartier is having a very nice season out in Kelowna of the Western Hockey League and there is a growing buzz about him as a Sharks prospect.

Chartier is fourth in the WHL in scoring with 38 goals and 22 assists for 60 points in 38 games as well as a +27 rating in his third season for Kelowna.

Since I live roughly 4500 kilometers from Kelowna, give or take a few depending on the route, I don’t see much of what Chartier does other than highlights or box scores – so I turned to someone who would have a pretty good idea about his game.

Kelowna Rockets Assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel Lorne Frey was generous enough to accommodate my request for his views on Chartier. Here’s what he had to say:

Rourke Chartier is having a fantastic season for Kelowna, what’s the biggest improvement in his game from last season to the current campaign?

[LF] I would have to say his physical development, he is stronger on the puck and his shot is improved due to his strength. His skating has become better as well.

What do you think his best attribute is as a player?

[LF] His best attributes are his intelligence and his consistency. He is skilled with a high hockey IQ, he anticipates the play extremely well both offensively and defensively. His consistency from shift to shift and game to game is extremely rare for a player of his age.

He had to be disappointed about not being part of Team Canada at the WJHC, was he even more motivated when he returned from selection camp – even though being at the camp itself is great recognition for the body of work he’s done?

[LF] I think he was somewhat disappointed at not making the World Juniors, however I think he came away realizing that he has to continue to improve certain areas of his game to be successful at a higher level.

Shortly after – during the World Juniors – he signed his entry level deal with San Jose. Is he playing with increased confidence right now or is he just continuing to do what he’s always done?

[LF] Rourke just continues to perform the same way; he is the type of individual that is not affected by the signing.

He’s part of the leadership group in Kelowna, is he a vocal leader in the room or is he a lead by example type of player?

[LF] I think Rourke leads more by example than vocally, his work ethic and compete level is second to none and his teammates cannot help but feed off of that.

Sharks fans are excited about the season he’s having with the Rockets. Can you describe, in your own words, what they’re going to get in Rourke Chartier; what they have to look forward to?

[LF] A player plays a very good two way game. He can play in all situations and is as good defensively as he his offensively. Like I said earlier his dedication to the game is impeccable, and his compete level and consistency are unique as well.

There you have it, a take on Sharks prospect Rourke Chartier from just about as close to him as you can get.

Thanks to Lorne Frey to taking the time to give some insight on Rourke Chartier.

Life Without Wingels and Braun

The Sharks will play their first game without Justin Braun and Tommy Wingels tonight against the LA Kings.

On a roster already plagued with depth issues this is devastating. The loss of Braun on the blueline is an obvious killer but I think that the Tommy Wingels loss is going to hurt more than people could imagine.

There is still no concrete timeline for their injuries but Head Coach Todd McLellan suggested "weeks" rather than "months", opting for the more positive initial outlook on things.

#SJSharks McLellan on Wingels, Braun -- "We’re talking weeks" Months? "I don’t know about that, but let’s go weeks."

— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) January 20, 2015

He also told the media he was hopeful that both players could play in the outdoor game.

Coincidentally - or not - Mirco Mueller was sent to Worcester for a conditioning stint, indicating his return is imminent. I just hope this isn't a reactionary move to the Braun injury. Rushing Mueller back from injury would be worse to his development and future than having him in the press box.

Dylan DeMelo was recalled from Worcester for the time being to join the rotation of defenders after Wingels and Braun were ushered to the injured reserve.

San Jose is going to have to take the "next man up" mentality with these injuries and hope that the remaining group of skaters can rally around each other and battle while two of their top players are out of the lineup.

They need to find steady play to remain in the thick of the playoff race or they risk losing grip on the season that they worked so hard from mid-November to January to bring back to life.

Puck drop is at 1030pmET(730pmPDT)

Thanks again to Lorne Frey, and thanks for reading.

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