2017-2018 Georgetown Millers Season
Preview
Expected Lineups:
Backstrom, Schenn, Reilly Smith
Carter, Cogliano, Hoffman
Fisher, Teravainen, Zack Smith
Faksa, Comeau, Wilson/Stalberg
Josi, Pesce
Orlov, Ristolainen
Martin, Savard
Reimer, Budaj
Barring injury or trades the above forward group should be a fairly regular lineup
throughout the season. Scott Wilson and Victor Stalberg will alternate at RW on the bottom 6
lines. Mikhail Grigorenko and Tyler Pitlick would step in if more offense was needed.
The defense is also set. Ben Chiarot and Mark Barberio would appear only in case of injury.
Concerns and Questions:
Will they score enough?
The Millers lost a lot of offensive firepower with Shane Doan, David Krejci and Patric
Hornqvist moving on. Can Reilly Smith, Andrew Cogliano, Teuvo Teravainen and Zack Smith
replace them? Zack Smith had a fantastic CCHL season for Dayton last year but he can't
realistically be expected to shoot over 20 percent and score 50 goals again. Reilly Smith
produced 59 points last year for the Millers while seeing under 15 minutes per game with
very little power play time. Can his scoring rise along with his ice-time? Teravainen had
some moments in the playoffs for the Millers and the hope is he can supply around 40 to 50
points in his first full regular season. Cogliano is coming off a 42 point season in 14 mpg;
the club is hoping a top 6 role and some power play time may vault him closer to 50-55
points while still contributing on the penalty kill. Don't be shocked if a top 6 winger
is acquired at some point during the campaign.
The blue line also saw some turnover, with youngsters Brett Pesce and Dmitri Orlov expected
to see top 4 time. Pesce will begin the season with team captain Roman Josi on the top pairing;
Orlov is on the 2nd pairing. New face Paul Martin will start on the 3rd pairing. None of
the 3 new comers are expected to individually replace the departed Jake Muzzin's 48 points
though, leaving Martin the most vulnerable if the team goes outside to add more scoring from
the D.
James Reimer and Peter Budaj should make up one of the CCHL’s better goaltender pairings,
and may be the most stable part of the roster as long as they play up to their standards.
Storylines:
Backstrom, Carter, and Cogliano are UFAs at season's end, and Fisher has already announced
this will be his last year. A slow start could see the team broken up much like Dayton was,
something that management was adamant would not occur until the team had a reasonable
opportunity to see how things shake out. One preseason prognosticator had Georgetown
ranked 9th out of 11 teams in the Canosa Conference.
Rookies:
Radek Faksa, Scott Wilson and Brett Pesce are not technically rookies - all are in their
2nd season but this will be their first as regular contributors. This is Teravainen's
3rd season but the first time he’s being counted on to produce. No true rookie is expected
to see any time barring major injuries problems or a tear-down of the squad. Michael Kempny
is one to watch for next season, as he is expected to step into Martin’s slot as a 3rd
pairing defender. RW Brock Boeser is not eligible this season but should be a shoe-in for the
2018-2019 squad.
Newcomers:
Zack Smith was brought in from Dayton and as mentioned before, the team has no illusions he
can score 51 goals again, but 40 to 50 points as a 3rd liner with occasional power-play duty
seems a reasonable expectation.
Blake Comeau and Viktor Stalberg wont awe anybody offensively but should provide solid
play on the bottom 2 lines and as penalty-killers when called upon.
Paul Martin is a rental, expected to play 16 to 20 minutes per game and contribute 25
points while playing his typical smart, sound positioning style of defense.
Peter Budaj, who was actually released last fall by the Millers, was re-acquired via
trade to support Reimer in net. At minimum he'll see action in 30 games.
The rest of the new faces - Scott Cousins, Tyler Pitlick, Brian Flynn, Barberio, and Chiarot
are all depth pieces with shots at earning contracts for next season if things work out,
especially for Cousins and Pitlick.
Notes:
Alltech Arena will be rocking on opening night, as Metallica will be the featured music for
pregame, in-game and post-game. The team's intro video and the pre-game squad introductions
will be based around the band's seminal 1985 song For Whom The Bell Tolls.
All home games will feature specific artists and songs. Among the music theme nights are
Warren Zevon, Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, and Ronnie James Dio.
