State of the Loons; 2022 Wrap up

 It was fun while it lasted. To kick of the 2022-23 CCHL season the Loons came roaring or swimming out of the gate. Up til the midway point of the season the Loons were leading the Adams Division and in the top 3 of the Corfield Division. Going into the season the Loons had a modest goal of just making the playoffs. Our top players were coming off of injuries or were still early into their careers and their ratings were still average. This was to be a bridge year and with another full year under the belts of Eichel, Zegras, Boldy, Hanifin and Oettinger - 2023 was going to be the year we thought we could have a legitimate shot at the Kehler Cup. However, here we were on top of the CCHL and maybe our core was ready now. Czepiel went to the phones and quickly picks and prospects were headed out and Fleury, Giroux and EJ were brought in to hopefully take us to the next level. 

How quickly things in the CCHL can change. On 12/17/22 with just 47 seconds left to go in the first period Captain Chris Kreider fell to the ice with a lower body injury that is expected to keep him out til mid way through the Kehler Cup playoffs. Kreider is coming off of a career best NHL season where Chris only missed a single game, and just 6 games in the 2020-21 NHL season. But the Loons are left to be without their highest rated forward for better then half the schedule. 

Well it is just one player right? Surely the addition of Evander Kane will ease the loss and keep the Loons atop of the Adams. Wrong! The Loons are winless since Captain Kreider went down.

Maybe the Loons can pull it together and start winning again. We have a 20 point cushion of the 9th place Ibex. But we have to face the facts that the Loons are not a true contender,...yet. If a single player can cripple the team then we are not contenders. The real issue is that Czepiel has a real issue with sticking to the plan. The plan was to make the playoffs, that was it, it was simple and attainable. So back to the phones he went trying to restock the prospects and draft picks. Kane was sent out of town to Portland, and Fleury, Schenn and Erik Johnson are seeing their names on the trade blocks.

We hope that as the deadline approaches and the real contenders start to pull away from the pack, trade activity will pick up and these veterans will bring back a fair return and maybe the Loons will have at least one pick in the 2023 draft to look forward to!