Honestly, I see Brett Sonne as a “tweener,” a little better than the average third-liner, but not quite the caliber of your better second-line player.

As I said in a recent “Tomorrow’s Blues” column, Sonne has always been able to score. In four full seasons out west (including an injury-shortened 2007-08), he has 88 goals and 168 points in 226 games. That averages out to 56 games a year, 22-20-42 per year.

This year isn’t some aberration, IMO; it’s the culimnation of Sonne’s ongoing development as a scorer. He played with good linemates this year, and that boosted his assist totals, but even in the past, with lesser-quality linemates and less ice time, he was still able to score a healthy number of goals.

I don’t expect Sonne to be in the NHL next year, at least not right away. I figure he’ll start the year in Peoria, but should get a callup by January or so if he continues to progress. Ultimately, I see him as a great linemate for Perron; the set-up man and the sniper. Sonne is also very defensively responsible, so the Blues could put him with someone like Jay McClement on a penalty-killing unit, and the two could then go out at even strength with Perron as an absolutely killer third line.

Also, the goaltending and defense in the ’Dub are far from crappy; in fact, the WHL is probably the best junior league in the world, all around. They play more games in a season than the OHL or QMJHL, and the travel is generally more onerous, and over greater distances, than the OHL or QMJHL.

B.

(Calgary! Ontario! Canada!)

::ahem:: Alberta

Sonne’s intangibles are going to determine if he can be a solid second-liner. A nose for the puck around the net, hunger and quickness will get you 20 in the NHL.