Dragicevic, Mrsic delivering for Raiders

Darren Steinke

By Darren Steinke
Stanks On Sports

Lukas Dragicevic and Tomas Mrsic are as good as advertised.

The pair came to the Prince Albert Raiders off-season trades with hopes both can give the club an offensive boost. Entering play on Tuesday, Mrsic, who is an 18-year-old skilled forward , sits second in team scoring with 34 points coming off 17 goals and 17 assists. Dragicevic, who is a 19-year-old offensive-defenceman, is third in team scoring with 28 points coming off two goals and 26 assists.

The pair helped the Raiders convert on 30-of-106 power-play opportunities for a 28.3 per cent success rate to sit third in the WHL. Last season, the Raiders converted on 60-of-258 power-play chances for a 23.3 per cent success rate, which was good enough for 10th in the WHL.

Photo by Darren Steinke

Dragicevic, who has a signed entry-level contract with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, came to the Raiders in a blockbuster trade with the Tri-City Americans on July 25. Dragicevic was acquired by the Raiders along with 18-year-old prospect goaltender Eric Kahl and a seventh round selection in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft in exchange for 19-year-old shutdown-defenceman Terrell Goldsmith, 18-year-old centre Grady Martin, 19-year-old netminder Nathan Preston and a third round selection in the 2025 Prospects Draft.

Mrsic, who was selected in the third round and 113th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, was picked up by the Raiders in a head turning trade with the Medicine Hat Tigers on August 26. In that deal, the Raiders received Mrsic, a third round selection in the 2025 Prospects Draft and a third round pick in the 2028 Prospects Draft in exchange for star 18-year-old right-winger Ryder Ritchie.

Dragicevic and Mrsic missed the Raiders first two games returning from their respective NHL camps. They also went through an adjustment period getting used to new teammates. The team as a whole went through a stretch looking to find continuity with the additions of the two WHL star veterans along with a number of first-year additions to the roster.

After starting 2-7-2 that included a five game road trip through the B.C. Division, the Raiders have gone 10-2-1 in the 13 games that have followed. Over that time, you could see Dragicevic and Mrsic got used to their new teammates and the Raiders had better chemistry as a whole.

Dragicevic and Mrsic have made their most noticeable contributions on the power play. They are usually used on the Raiders first unit that contains four forwards with Dragicevic as the lone blue-liner. Mrsic plays the point opposite Dragicevic and both have been effective quarterbacks.

Mrsic, who stands 6-feet and weighs 170 pounds, leads the Raiders with 21 power-play points coming off 10 goals and 11 assists. Dragicevic, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 196 pounds, is third on the team in power-play points with 17 coming off one goal and 16 assists.

The two have some versatility too. Dragicevic can play a shutdown role on defence. Mrsic, who is a natural centre, can skate at all three forward positions and can play strong in the defensive zone too.

 In the intangibles department, both players, who are from British Columbia, are enjoying being in Prince Albert and being members of the Raiders. It has been common to see them give applause back to the faithful at the Art Hauser Centre during three star selections or during clean up the Raiders Toque and Teddy Bear toss.

For the short time Dragicevic and Mrsic have been in Prince Albert, you kind of wish they could have been career members of the Raiders. Still, it is cool to see how well they have taken to their new surroundings this season both on and off the ice.

Rockets face roster work ahead of 2026 Memorial Cup, other notes

The armchair critics have been out in abundance since the Kelowna Rockets were awarded the rights to host the 2026 Memorial Cup.

On November 27, the CHL awarded the Rockets and the City of Kelowna the right to host the 2026 Memorial Cup tournament, which annually crowns a CHL champion. The Rockets beat out bids put together by the Brandon Wheat Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers and Spokane Chiefs.

When it comes to the eye test, a large majority of those airing opinions on social media said the Tigers have by far the best prospects of having the best roster to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. Actually, it can be argued the Tigers roster is once in a lifetime when it comes to a team that could potentially host a Memorial Cup.

Photo by Darren Steinke

The Tigers roster includes superstar left-winger Gavin McKenna. Due his December 20, 2007 birthday, McKenna isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until 2026, and he is being pegged as the potential first overall selection for that draft. Had the Tigers been the host club, you ensure McKenna is in the Memorial Cup tournament before potentially being selected 1st overall in the NHL Entry Draft.

The Tigers roster includes forwards Liam and Markus Ruck, who have a high likelihood of being selected in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, along with centre Gordon-Carroll Shaeffer. All three are playing through their 16-year-old seasons and look like they have huge upsides to be major standouts as 17-year-olds.

Medicine Hat has a strong group of returning forwards penned to be on their team next season in Ritchie, Hunter St. Martin, Cayden Lindstrom and Andrew Basha. The Tigers defence is set to have a strong group in Bryce Pickford, Jonas Woo, Josh Van Mulligen, Jack Kachkowski and Finnish imports Veeti Vaisanen and Niilopekka Muhonen.

As for the Rockets, they probably are hoping superstar right-winger Andrew Cristall, star import left-winger Jakub Stancl and star defenceman Caden Price are returned for 20-year-olds by the respective NHL teams they have signed with in the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and Kraken.

At the moment, the Rockets roster in 2025-26 is looking to be made up of star centre Tij Iginla and everyone else. Kelowna was wise to pick up steady netminder Rhett Stoesser in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels on November 21, and Stoesser will be able to provide steady puck stopping as a 20-year-old next season.

On Saturday, James Tubb of the Medicine Hat News put out a story having CHL president Dan MacKenzie talk about the bids for the 2026 Memorial Cup. The bids were evaluated on business operations, local atmosphere/community engagement, event logistics and hockey operations. MacKenzie told Tubb that all bids were outstanding and Kelowna graded higher across all four categories than Medicine Hat did.

The Rockets have an outstanding organization, and Kelowna will be a great host for the Memorial Cup.

Still, it feels like roster composition was overlooked. At one point, that was viewed as a big key.

Way back when the Rebels and Vancouver Giants were bidding to host the 2016 Memorial Cup which went to Red Deer and was outstanding, a three person committee evaluated the rosters and prospects of both clubs, and one of the evaluators was then Brandon Wheat Kings head coach/general manager/owner Kelly McCrimmon, who is the current general manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.

It is safe to conclude McCrimmon knew all rosters in the WHL better than anyone else on the circuit. Ryan Jankowski, who was then of Hockey Canada, and Stu MacGregor, who was then the head scout of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, were the other two evaluators.

Looking at the rosters of the teams that bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess who would pass the McCrimmon test. It would be the Tigers.

As for the Rockets, the pressure is on to ice a good host squad.

Darren Steinke is a Saskatoon-based freelance sportswriter and photographer with more than 20 years of experience covering the WHL. He blogs frequently at stankssermon.blogspot.com.

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