Filmon Looking Ahead to Pro Debut | PROSPECT WATCH

There's a lot going on in Josh Filmon's life right now.
Let's see, on the downside, his Swift Current Broncos lost their final regular-season game on the weekend and were eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoff picture as a result.
On the upside, and though he was clear that he wished it didn't come because his club's season ended in March, Filmon will soon get his first taste of professional hockey.
The Winnipeg native, who just turned 19, is expected to report to the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League in the coming days.
First, he was dealing with an every-day irritant: his cell phone was on the fritz.
"Most of my calls haven't been going through…I will call you," he explained via text.

When he made that call a few minutes later, Filmon managed to make light of the situation.
"(There's) a lot going on…it's not the best timing," he said,managing a laugh when the voice at the other end of the phone suggested he should get a landline.
Filmon was back home in Winnipeg to retrieve his passport and await word when he was leaving for the next stop on his hockey journey. It has been quite a ride over the past year.
"I don't have any expectations," he said of his impending arrival in Utica and when he could potentially see American Hockey League game action. Filmon did list off a few potential scenarios and opportunities that he was looking forward to such as meeting future teammates, observing the nuance of the pro game and being able to practice and improve in that type of environment.
"I know that every guy there and (on the opposition) would (dominate) where I play right now…I'm going there to learn and keep getting better."
Filmon was taken in the sixth round (166th overall) last year in Montreal. The Devils liked him - his selection prompted one team scout to send a heart emoji to the draft table in appreciation - but his selection was later than expected.
Safe to say if that July gathering could somehow be reconvened, Filmon would have heard his name called much earlier. The left-shot winger potted 47 goals this season for the Broncos, adding 28 assists for 75 points to lead his team in scoring. He was tied for fourth in the league in goals, whiz kid Connor Bedard was the runaway leader but Filmon was just a goal behind third and three from second.
Looking at the draft in hindsight is tricky - you can't change the past. But in the case of players who play in the same league, you get a sense of parallel development for players in the same position group and/or similar situations. Last year's draft class saw four other WHL forwards taken amongst the last few picks of the first round, or near the top of the second. All four of those players - Brad Lambert (Seattle Tbirds/Winnipeg), Reid Schaefer (Seattle/Edmonton), Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw/Seattle) and Fraser Minten (Kamloops/Toronto) - had good regular seasons, as you would expect from players taken relatively high in the draft. But Filmon's production was comparable on a points-per-game basis and his goal total exceeded all four.
It goes without saying that when your sixth-rounder has a similar season as other teams' first- and high-second-round picks, it's, well, worthy of a heart emoji. At least.
Filmon had an interesting take looking back.
"It was a great experience, I got to meet a lot of people," he said of the evaluation process all prospects go through during their draft year, "but it's only (a barometer) at that moment in time…when you look now, everyone taken (last year) is (not yet) playing (in the NHL)."
Filmon's point basically reiterated the old adage that the real work only begins the moment you're selected and start working with the club that picked you.
So far, so good. Filmon will need to continue to work on his physical development - he's 6-foot-3 and not yet 170 pounds - and his skating. Both need work to survive and flourish in pro hockey but he's headed in the right direction.
"I always put on a few pounds during the season but the (real work) happens in the summer," he said. "I think what you see when you watch clips is that I know now how to use my body more (effectively)."
Next season presents a huge opportunity for him. Despite missing the playoffs, the Broncos improved this season. The club won five more games but in the eastern half of the WHL eight of 12 teams make the playoffs, compared to eight of 10 in the west. The imbalance cost Filmon's club just as much as a slow start while Filmon and others were away at NHL camps and an ill-timed losing streak down the stretch.
The Broncos top four scorers and goaltender Reid Dyck (Boston) return next season, along with a handful of other important players. Next year at this time, Filmon should still be playing junior hockey.
First, he gets a chance to test himself against pros. And to get his phone fixed.