State of the Loons: Best Loons team yet?

 Last week Simon threw us a curveball. When sending in our lines we looked ahead a few games in order to set up our goalie rotation and were shocked to see that the Loons were about to embark on 3 games in 3 days, and overall 7games in 9 days. The initial 3 game stretch saw us matched up against the top three CCHL teams in order of points: Wisborg, Falcons and Calgary. Coming off of two straight losses to conference rivals things were looking bleak. Low and behold the Loons pulled themselves together and swept through the CCHL elite. We won't get into the following two games since we like to focus on the positives today. However after the 5th game the Loons have clinched a trip to the playoffs, tied for 2nd in the Corfield and tied for 1st in the Patrick Division.

Also during this murderous stretch Jack Eichel scored his 50th goal and 100th point. Eichel is the first Loon to accomplish both of these accomplishments not to mention in the same season. All this got us to thinking if this is the best Loons' team of all time. 

Capeside entered the CCHL in the 2018/19 season and stunningly finished 1st in the Corfield Conference and 2nd in the CCHL with 110 points, just 2 behind the Norsemen in the overall CCHL standings. After a first round bye, the Loons were embarrassingly bounced right out of the playoffs by the Falcons. Unfortunately the stats from that season are seemingly lost forever in the old website but my memory recalls that Loons team was more lucky then good. 

2020 saw the Loons make the playoffs as the 6th and final seed in the Corfield, losing in the first round to Seattle 4-2. Dubois lead the way that year for the Loons in both goals and points (27/56). 2021 was by far the worst Loons team finishing dead last in the Corfield with a measly 53 points, Mikeal Granlund led the team with a whopping 21 goals and 45 points. 2022 saw the Loons move up on spot to 10th in the Corfield with 81 points, Eichel lead the team with 30g and 67 points. 2023 brought the Loons back to the playoffs as the 5th seed with 96 pts only to be swept out of the first round by the same Seattle Reign. Joel Farabee lead the way that year with 31 goals and 68 points. And last year, 2024 , saw the Loons finish with 112 pts good for 4th in the Corfield and more importantly our first playoff series win against the same Seattle Reign, only to be swept in the second round by that Donut juggernaut. Captain Kreider lead the team in goals with 34 while Eichel put up 83 points.

With 14 games left in the 2025 season the Loons record book looks to be under attack, Granted due to an aggressive front office in previous years and a lot of player turnover during the season only points recorded in a Loons sweater have been tracked. This year has been our lowest turnover year to date which helps but both Eichel and Kreider could both be 50 goals and 100 points. Eichel, Larkin and Matthews (all Americans btw) should go down to the wire for the CCHL scoring title: 50,50, 45.

This is only a look at our own team but brings up a few questions like does less in season moves translate to team results as the Loons were by far and away the least active in our history this year? Is scoring up in the CCHL as a whole with much less parity throughout the league? 

How the Loons fair in the post season will ultimately answer the question if this is the best Capeside team yet but as far as individual stats go the answer is yes.

Capeside Loons records (minus 2019 RIP)

Goals                                         Assists                                       Points

1. Eichel       50* 2025            1. Makar      59  2024            1. Eichel        101    2025*

2. Kreider     40* 2025            2. Eichel      57  2024            2. Kreider        86    2025*

3. Kreider     34  2024            3. McAvoy    53  2024            3. Eichel         83     2024        

4. Vatrano    33* 2025            4. Boldy        52 2025*           4. Boldy          77    2025*

5. Schmaltz 32   2024            5. Eichel       51 2025*           5. Makar         73    2024

6. Farabee  31   2023            6. Hanifin      50 2025*           6. Farabee     68     2023

7. Eichel      30   2022            7. McAvoy    48 2025*           7. McAvoy      68    2024

8. McCann   28  2023            8. McAvoy    48 2022            8. Eichel          67    2022

9. Caufield   27* 2025            9. Kreider     46 2025*           9. Schmaltz    65    2024

10.Garland  26   2022           10. Eichel     41 2023            10. Eichel        64    2023

CCHL Salaries - ever wonder what it costs?

 We use a detailed financial system in the CCHL where we have a few revenue streams that are used to pay for players, and that sees the overall financial health of the member organizations in the CCHL.  

Have you ever wondered though, are the expensive salaries worth it?  How much salary does a point in the CCHL standings cost a team?  Who is the most efficient at managing cost and obtaining points?  

If so, you aren't alone so I took a look at things this week!  

In terms of cost per point, the Iceland Icecats are at the top of the class spending under 1.1 million per point.  Next up would be the all American boys in Capeside, followed by Fort Erie, Georgetown, Wisborg and Calgary.  

Unsurprisingly all of these teams are near the top of the standings so it may not be a true measure, as the team's near the bottom are all for the most part outside of the playoffs.  Halifax is a bit of an outlier due to the enormous salary belonging to Kucherov, but otherwise it's very similar to standings which tells me that the costs are not all that different salary wise and impact between the top and bottom of the standings.  The graphic below illustrates the order that it took place in at the time of the study.  

Next up, I analyzed the cost per goal for the teams in the CCHL.  This one was a bit different than the cost per point as Chattahoochie was the least expensive when it comes to cost per goal, followed by the top teams.  Mixed into that group is Baltimore, so the return on investment in terms of goals is quite good for Baltimore and the Crawdads!  

Chippawa is the most expensive team cost-wise to score a goal in the CCHL, averaging over half a million bucks per goal scored!  That's a lot of Crackerjacks needing to be sold in the arena to cover those costs!  

Halifax is also high, again on the strength (well it is for him) of Kucherov's salary driving costs higher.  Wisborg has the largest payroll in CCHL history, so not surprisingly they are near the bottom of this list despite scoring a plethora of goals this year!  When you have $10 million dollar man Toffoli sitting on the bench, you had to know things were going to be pretty pricey in donut country!  

Lastly, we take a look at the costs per point for each individual player.  In news that won't shock anyone, the players with the best cost per point are those on an entry level contract and illustrates how important getting young players into the lineup contributing can be for a club in the CCHL.  

The league's leading scorer Sidney Crosby is in the middle of the list at $131,000 per point which is significantly higher than leader Jack Hughes' $12,500 bucks per point.  Wow, talk about value!  

The list also looks at cost per minute played, cost per game, cost per goal and cost per assist of the top 50 scoring players in the CCHL this week.  

Not shockingly, Kucherov is last in this list but again, I don't think he's upset about that at all given he's cashing cheques that have been unwritten previously in the CCHL history.  

In any event, I don't think there are a lot of surprising things on here but it was interesting to review the details and thought I'd share them with everyone in a blog!  

Denver Ice Chips!

 Addition by subtraction? Time will tell....

Recently the Spurs management threw in the towel on the season after the club plummeted to the bottom of the Canosa.
12 assets were brought in over 2 days with 4 going out. With the other trade on 12/14 with Capeside that brings it to 16 in with 5 going out.

Sent packing to Springfield on January 15th were team leaders Brayden Schenn (33) and blueline leader Jared Spurgeon (35). Coming back to the Spurs were veteran Zach Parise (40), blueliner Chad Ruhwedel (34) as a hedge for the rest of the season for trading Spurgeon and prospects Cedrick Guindon C (20), who has 102g, 139a, 241pts in 244 games to date in his OHL career, and Marcus Gidlof G (19) who has put up some excellent numbers backstopping the Leksands IF Jr. team. To be certain, goalies are usually long term projects in making it to the CCHL but the future looks bright for this 6'6" Swedish goalie out of Falun, Sweden. Parise was included as both a salary dump and to clear a roster slot for the incoming Schenn and Spurgeon.

Later in the day Jason Dickinson (29), who was a UFA signing this season for the Spurs, was traded to Fort Erie for Jesse Puljujarvi (26), a salary throw in, along with prospects Adam Scheel G (25), and Anthony Romani RW (19). Scheel has put up some eye popping numbers in the AHL this season albeit in a short sample. Romani looks like he might be a good one with his numbers belying his 6th Rd draft selection in 2024. His career in the OHL has seen him register 91g, 82a, 173pts in 195 games to date.

The final deal on January 16th saw team leading scorer Valeri Nichushkin (29) pack his bags for Fort Erie. This was a total shocker for the Spurs faithful! Especially on the heels of Spurgeon, Schenn & Nelson going out the door. The fans are devastated and calling for the head of GM Poelker! The Falcons GM, Matt Young, was elated when Nichushkin had a 5 point game in his first game with his new club! Two goals and three assists! He now has 87 points and 37 goals, both numbers currently leading those categories for the Falcons. He may very well be the final piece that puts the Falcons over the top in their quest for the Kehler Cup! It will hinge on whether the firepower of the Falcons that features Matthews, Draisaitl, Marner, Nichushkin & Fox can overcome the brick wall that Ullmark puts up for the Donuts every night. Although netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Falcons has stellar numbers of his own. Yes, this writer is calling it a Fort Erie - Wisborg Kehler Cup final. Wisborg has already clinched a playoff spot. The Smythe Division and Canosa Conference crowns will be next.

Coming Back to the Spurs were Nicolas Roy (27), Ice 2nd Rd Pick in '25 and prospects Akil Thomas C (25), Oliver Moore C (19) and Ilya Nabokov G (21). Thomas is currently playing for the LA Kings of the NHL with 3 pts in 16gp. However, his OHL career saw him post 223pts in 241gp. While in the AHL he put up 93pts in 157gp. Could project as a solid 3rd liner with good size 6' 195 lbs. Moore and Nabokov were the primary pieces for GM Poelker in making his decision to move Nichushkin to the contending Falcons. Moore, who was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, is currently toiling for the University of Minnesota. Moore is from Mounds View, Minnesota. A Minnesotan through and through. In 62 games in the Big-10 he has put up 14g, 37a, 51pts with a +24. Ilya Nabokov, who won a championship with Magnitogorsk Mettallurg of the KHL in 2023-24, had stellar numbers of 43gp, 2.15, 0.930 with 23-13-3 record. The current season to date he has posted all star numbers again with 33gp, 2.19, 0.926 with 15-12-4 record.

If you're counting, that was 3 goalies brought into the organization by the Spurs. Gidlof (NHL Islanders) Nabokov (NHL Avalanche) and Scheel (NHL Avalanche). Poelker is hoping Nabokov and Gidlof are the goalies of the future for the Spurs.
It is certainly hoped that Guindon, Romani & Moore can form a triumvirate of scorers down the road for the Spurs. Nic Roy will be one of the primary penalty killers for the next couple of seasons.

With Schenn, Spurgeon, Nelson and Nichushkin gone, donning the 'C' for the rest of the season will be Brandon Saad with Jeff Petry as Alternate #1 and Evander Kane as Alternate #2. Coach Craig Berube in naming the three said, "They are all veterans and have good leadership qualities. I have confidence that they will do a tremendous job on the ice." He went on to say that he'll have a lot of input on player personnel in the off season regarding what direction the franchise will take going forward.

Reported by I.P. Daley

A note from the offices of the CCHL on goaltending

 As the trade deadline approaches, it's time we do a quick reminder about the goalie usage in the CCHL and how riding one goalie for 68 games could impact your playoff hopes.  

While 68 games seems like a great idea on the surface, it could be detrimental in a number of ways.  

In the event of injury, you could be left with a goalie that is ineligible for CCHL playoff action if they play under 17 games.  While David Ayres was a great story for the Hurricanes, he's now 46 years old and probably not a guy that you want the league to sign as your playoff goalie.  

If you are on pace to have goaltending where with 25-26 games left you can't get your tandem to seven games in a playoff series based on the chart (from the rules) below you may want to try to add a goaltender with some games played or press your luck with David Ayres and the other emergency backups in the playoffs.  If you don't believe you can win and don't want to sacrifice assets to add a goalie, this could be the way to go.  It could lead to some lopsided games or a very unlikely hero but I'm not betting a large sum of money on that outcome.  

There are only two or three teams in the risk of EBUG territory but wanted to point it out with 4 days left until the trade deadline.  

At the same time, it's also important to remind people about the 68-game max (the 150% rule doesn't apply since a single goalie didn't hit over 68 games played in 23-24).  If you are over this threshold, your team could be docked points (or conversely added for the draft lottery).  At the current rate, some teams are within reach of that according to the usage charge on the home page, but it's easily manageable for those teams close to the maximum.  

That's it for now.  Please ensure you monitor email and messages this week as it might be a bit busier than normal given its deadline week.  I may push games back an hour or so Thursday but it depends on how busy trades are that day.  If it's like the last few years, most business is done in the day prior as nobody wants to be up against the clock, but we'll see how it plays out.  As of now, games are scheduled for the normal time but I could push that to 7PM if it's busy.  I'll let everyone know if it's changing based on activity that day.  

45+ Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 7 games per playoff series...
40-44 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 6 games per playoff series...
35-39 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 5 games per playoff series...
30-34 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 4 games per playoff series...
21-29 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 3 games per playoff series...
16-20 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 2 games per playoff series...
<16 Regular season games played (CCHL) equals 0 games per playoff series...

Miller's Musings

 It’s a new year and the Millers offices have endured 2 Winter Storms in the past week, bringing over 15 inches of snow and a half-inch of ice to Georgetown. In the rink the Millers have been on fire recently, winning their last 6 games going into this weekend’s schedule after a recent slump. 

Trade Deadline

The trade deadline is less than 1 week away, and the question is will the Millers continue to wheel and deal as they have much of the season, or are they going to ride this current roster into the stretch drive and (hopefully) the playoffs?

Below is a look at the current roster and where any additions might come in handy. 

Goalies - Cam Talbot has been great since his acquisition, and Connor Ingram continues to win when he’s in the lineup, so the Millers look to be set in net. Jake Allen is a capable #3, and Lukas Dostal is next season’s presumptive starter, so don’t expect any changes here. 

Defensemen - The Millers have seemingly settled on their main 6, with Jake Walman capable of filling in anywhere as needed as the 7th D but he has shown a tendency to be over-exposed if asked to play too regularly. The team does not have a true #1 Defender but lately the unit has done well. The current top pair of K’Andre Miller and Mario Ferraro is not typically what one envisions of a team looking for a deep playoff run, but D prices are exorbitant and the Millers have not seen anyone offered that they consider to be worth the acquisition cost. If the right player came at the right price a move could be made. UPDATE: Nick Leddy and John Marino acquired. More info below. 

Forwards - The top line of Larkin/Armia/Necas has been solid and occasionally spectacular, but the Malkin and Henrique lines have been inconsistent. Dylan Guenther has been snakebit at even strength, with just 4 goals and a shooting % around 4 percent at 5 on 5. He remains productive on the power play, but the Millers have brought in Mathieu Joseph as a bottom 6 forward who could potentially replace Guenther on the 3rd line and let the rookie concentrate on his man-advantage duties from the 4th line. More on Joseph below. Will he be the last forward move the Millers make before the trade deadline?

Mathieu Joseph Acquired

Mathieu Joseph was acquired from Amos for prospect D Marc-Andre Gaudet and Georgetown’s 4th round pick in 2025. Gaudet put up great numbers in the QMJHL but has spent the last couple of years in the ECHL. 

Joseph can play both wings, is a good skater, plays a physical game, can kill penalties and has some under appreciated passing skills. The Malkin line has been strong recently with Andrew Copp settling in alongside Trevor Lewis as wingers, so Joseph is most likely going to be in the bottom 6. Who he replaces is the question; it’s likely to be one of Jordan Martinook or Luke Glendening. The Millers could rotate the wingers around Casey Cizikas until the right combination is found. The team should finally be comfortable with their forward depth, as any of Adam Henrique, Blake Coleman , Joseph and Guenther could play up the lineup as needed. 

Nick Leddy and John Marino Acquired

Saturday afternoon the Millers made a major trade with Chippewa, sending K’Andre Miller and prospect defender Cade Webber northward for Ds Nick Leddy and John Marino. 

Cade Webber is a physically massive (6’7”) defensive prospect who came through Boston University and is currently in the AHL. At 24 his ceiling isn’t high, but his size and decent skating and puck skills should get him a look as a 3rd pair D and penalty killer soon. 

K’Andre Miller was once viewed as an untouchable building block for the Millers but his so-so 24-25 NHL season with the struggling Rangers, including a significant drop-off in his offensive production from 2 years ago, made him expendable as Georgetown sought an immediate upgrade for the stretch run. Miller still has outstanding physical tools and is just 25 so he could right the ship and fulfill his potential as a top-pairing defenseman. 

Nick Leddy is a former Miller, and returns for what is possibly his last CCHL season. Injuries have decimated his 24-25 NHL season, and at 34 there may not be a comeback in the offing. If it is the end of the line the Millers would like to send Leddy out on a high note, hoping he can replace Miller on the top pair with Mario Ferraro and also on the special teams units. Superior skating has always been Leddy’s hallmark, and his strong passing, defensive game and ability to soak up minutes should bolster the club’s blue line down the stretch. 

John Marino doesn’t have an immediate spot in the lineup, but the 27 year-old is also a strong defender and capable puck-handler. He’s likely to supplant Jake Walman as the 7th defender. The pending RFA is expected to be extended in the off-season, and although his 24-25 NHL season hasn’t even started due to injury, he’s expected to return soon and is likely to see himself used as a bottom pair or depth defender for the Millers in 25-26, with the hope that a return to health in the next NHL season sees him filling a larger role in 26-27. 

Although void of superstars, Millers brass feels that their current blue line depth matches that of any CCHL club, with a good mix of offense, defense and 2-way players. 

Denver Ice Chips

 The game on January 10th in Denver saw the Chattahoochee Crawdads come into the Denver Coliseum.

It was anything but a fish fry for the Spurs.

The Crawdads went 3 for 3 on the PP sending the Spurs to a 3-2 defeat.
Johansen (16), Chinakov (16) & Jack Johnson (8) scored the PP goals for the 'dads. Yes, Jack Johnson, defensive defenseman.
8 goals...has to be the best of his entire career!
Schenn picked up his 16th for the Spurs.
This loss dropped the Spurs to 4 points behind the Crawdads, putting them in 10th place in the Canosa and 5 points out of the last playoff slot.
After that earlier win streak the Spurs have fallen into another losing streak negating the gains they made. Like the stock market.
Up and down like a yo-yo.
Losing like this is not going to help the Spurs' draft position as they don't own their 1st rd pick next draft.
The knucklheaded GM Poelker needs to stop trading away his 1st rounders. Hey Poelker, when you trade away your 1st rounders you're supposed to win because of it!!!

We interviewed Coach Berube after the game and he was livid. He said " Our PK is better than this. I'll be putting Pierre back in the lineup for the next game."
Pierre, of course, is Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, pk specialist. He hopes he'll tighten up that abysmal PK effort that was displayed against the Crawdads.

Nichushkin, the Spurs leading scorer, is now rested and will return to the lineup for the game later today as the Spurs travel to Springfield for a tilt vs. the Isotopes.
Fatigue has been a problem for Nichushkin again this season. I think he needs to change his off season training regimen.
Maybe stay away from the women and partying...eh.
Tristan Jarry will be back between the pipes for the Spurs.

Reported by I.P. Daley

Denver Ice Chips

 The Wisborg Donuts put a pin in the Spurs' run with a 4-0 whitewashing on New Year's Day behind Ullmark. It was, to say the least, a dismal showing.

Ullmark upped his record to 33-3-1. Basically, he's unbeatable. The Donuts are well on their way to another Cup. Hamilton (9), Kaprizov (22), Kempe (24) and Forsberg (9) lit the lamp for the Donuts. After the 4th goal, Jarry was yanked in favor of Korpisalo by the Spurs' Coach Berube.

This game tells Berube he has a long way to go to get these boys into contention. Maybe, just maybe, they can squeak their way into a playoff spot but they won't go very far.

That's this reporter's opinion.

Reported by
I.P. Daley