Georgetown Season Preview: Part Two

Georgetown Millers Pre-Season preview
(Defensemen)

Expected D pairings:
Josi-Orlov
Fowler-Petry
Dillon-Pesce

Roman Josi - Team Captian and a long-time mainstay on the Millers blueline, Josi may miss a few more games than normal but should be a lock for a 60 point season, playing 25 minutes a game across all situations.

Dmitri Orlov - Injuries and inconsistencies have marred Orlov’s 4 years with the organization, but the club feels he is ready to take on a top 4 role and contribute on special teams. 30 to 40 points seems reasonable.

Cam Fowler - Acquired last season in the controversial trade that saw long-time stalwart Nik Backstrom moved to Springfield, Fowler is coming into his prime years. Like Josi, there are injury concerns but anything less than 40 points would be a major disappointment.

Jeff Petry - Acquired at the start of the off-season, Petry is yet another minute-munching D capable of playing in all situations. With the best health profile of the top 4 Dmen, don’t be surprised if Petry gives Josi a run as the team’s top scoring blueliner.

Brendan Dillon-  Beginning his 2nd season in Kentucky, Dillon is the muscle of the D corps. He’s capable offensively as well, and 25 points may be the low-end estimate of his production, especially if injuries allow him top 4 minutes.

Brett Pesce - Beginning his 4th year as a Miller, Pesce is the shutdown defenseman of the unit. With above average puck skills, he is not a zero on offense, and a 20 point campaign is well within sight.

Defensemen Reserves:

Ben Chiarot - Chiarot returns for a 2nd season as the 7th Dman, a bit of a throwback compared to his fellow blueliners, as his defense and hard-hitting style is his calling card. Injuries may see him surpass 60 games this upcoming season, but 10 points would be his offensive ceiling.

Luca Sbisa - Signed this past off-season, Sbisa was signed as an offensive-minded depth defender. Could score as much as Chiarot in half the games played.

Ryan Sproul - Acquired (along with the long-departed Peter Holland) 2 off-seasons ago in the M-A Fleury salary dump, Sproul has never transferred his minor league success to the big leagues. An injury apocalypse would have to occur for Sproul to see double-digits in games played.

GEO Season Preview Part 1

Georgetown Millers Seaon Preview
(Forwards)

Projected Lines:
Reilly Smith-Schenn-Boeser
Parise-Carter-Teravainen
Cogliano-Faksa-Nash
Pitlick-Ryan-Beagle

Reilly Smith - Acquired back in 2011, Reilly Smith is primed for a career season, as he’s virtually guaranteed top 6 minutes for the first time since graduating to the big club. There are some minor injury concerns (as there are with most Millers forwards) but a point-per-game pace is expected from the veteran winger.

Brayden Schenn-Starting his 3rd season in the Bluegrass, Schenn has ascended to the top line Center spot after spending his first couple of years with the club as a winger. Good health should see Schenn lead the team in scoring, with a 90 to 100 point season a strong possibility.

Brock Boeser - The former 1st round pick will begin his 1st CCHL season on the top line, and anything less than a 30 goal season would be a major disappointment. Boeser is seen as the first wave in a new generation of homegrown Millers stars.

Zach Parise - Obtained in the offseason as a salary dump from Dartmouth along with a 2nd round pick that turned into Jake Wise, Parise has health concerns but can still put pucks in the net well enough to be a 20 goal threat if he can play 50 games.

Jeff Carter - In his 2nd tour of duty for the franchise, Carter is another health risk whose availability will go a long way towards determining the fortunes of the team this year. If the Millers can squeeze out 40 games from Carter, expect him to average a point per.

Teuvo Teravainen - The former 1st round pick has enticed the club for years with offensive talent. Playing time has been sporadic the last couple of seasons, but this is the year the club expects the Finn to break out and put up 60 to 70 points.

Andrew Cogliano - Traded in the offseason for prospect Peter Cehlarik, “Cogs” was re-acquired for a 4th round pick. He knows his role as a shutdown winger, PK stud and 35 point contributor.

Radek Faksa - After faltering last season in his 1st crack as a bottom 6 Center, Faksa is being counted on to anchor the 3rd line, the PK and add 30 to 35 points.

Rick Nash - The veteran forward may be making his farewell tour of the CCHL this season. Despite spending most of his time on the top line after being acquired last season, Nash is being counted on to be the designated goal scorer on the 3rd line, at least at season’s start. Injuries to the top 6 could see Nash back in his customary role.

Tyler Pitlick - Signed as a UFA to a 3 year contract 2 offseasons ago, Pitlick barely saw the ice last off-season. This year he’ll see regular time on the bottom six and the PK. 25 points and a handful of PK goals would be welcome.

Derek Ryan - Dayton’s leading scorer last season was acquired for cash and a non-prospect. Ryan is not the typical 4th line C, as defense is not his calling card. He’s strong in the face-off circle and will get minutes on the 2nd PP unit. He’s also viewed as a hedge against injuries to Carter, and could fill the 2nd line C role if required. A 40 point season is entirely reasonable if he’s filling Carter’s boots with any regularity.

Jay Beagle - Offseason signing was brought in for one reason - defense. He’ll anchor the PK and fill the 4th line C spot if Ryan has to move up. Any offense will be a bonus as long as the PK unit ranks in the top 5 of the league.

Forward reserves:

Tobias Reider - acquired in the Wayne Simmonds trade, Reider will be the first forward called into duty if/when injuries strike. A competent bottom 6 winger, the team thinks there is a little more offensive growth possible. If he plays 60 games, 20 to 25 points would be a realistic output.

Zack Smith - Starting his 2nd year in Georgetown, Smith’s slide down the depth chart has been precipitous. Acquired from Dayton for Jake Muzzin, Smith’s combination of brawn, defensive ability, and decent scoring was seen as a boon to the club's 3rd line and special teams. Unfortunately, Smith failed in all respects and was practically forgotten in the 2nd half last year Unable to move him this offseason, the C/LW enters his last contract year as little more than 4th line depth.

Cody Eakin - Signed as a UFA this past offseason, Eakin will fill any vacancies that arise if the 3rd or 4th line Centers miss time or have to move up the lineup. Eakins will be RFA when his deal expires and could be re-signed for next season if he proves worthy of a roster spot.

Markus Hannikainen - Signed 2 seasons ago when the club thought his defensive chops may eventually earn him a full-time job as a bottom 6 winger, the young Finn hasn’t developed enough offense to be much more than a fringe option. Injuries may see him take the ice, but it’s doubtful he’ll make much impact.

Dayton Musicmen Season Preview: The Goalies (It's All About the Future!)

Having looked at the skaters on the 2018-19 Dayton Musicmen roster, we now turn to the men between the pipes. The goaltenders...



Dayton Musicmen Pro Roster

Devan Dubnyck - A top 10 goalie in the NHL, Dubnyck returns for his second stint with the Musicmen. Without Dubnyck, the playoffs were likely a distant dream. However, with him, Dayton has a reasonable shot to grab one of the lower seeds in the Corfield Conference. It will be interesting to see if Dubnyck finished the season with the Musicmen. At least two offers have already been made for him and if the season doesn't set the team on a playoff trajectory, look for GM Corfield to move him to the highest bidder.

Malcom Subban - As long as Marc-Andre Fluery continues to play well in Vegas, its likely that Subban will be relegated to that of a backup role in the CCHL. Still just 24 and a former 1st rounder, Subban should get a crack at a starting job at some point in the next few years.

Laurent Brossoit - The 25 year old netminder finds himself in a potentially great situation. Signed by Winnipeg over the Summer, if something happens to Connor Hellebucyk, Brossoit will get first crack at the Jet's net. It will be the best NHL roster he'll ever have played in front of him. He's a sleeper candidate for a breakout season...


Dayton Musicmen Farm Roster:

None

Up Next: The Prospects...

Capeside Loons & CCHL preview 2018-19...

We are just days away from the puck being dropped on the 2018/19 CCHL season. The Capeside Loons are new to the CCHL this year and no one knows just what to expect from them. Last year as the Ottawa Barracudas, the Barracudas finished a single point out of the playoffs thanks to a strong final showing from the Musicmen and their goaltender in the final game of the season. However, one would be hard pressed to find any similarities between that Ottawa team and the current Capeside team. New ownership and the new GM did a complete overhaul of the Ottawa roster in 6 short months leaving only 7 players that played with the Barracudas (Ryan, Cammalleri, Ladue, Ritchie, Gorges, Wood and Holden).

Key Additions: 
Pierre-Luc Dubois (C), Ryan Donato, James Van Riemsdyk, Matt Niskanen, David Krejci, Jesse Puljujarvi

Key Losses:
Connor Hellebuyck, Zdeno Chara, Nick Schmaltz, Tyson Barrie, and Tyler Toffoli

Outlook:
The Ottawa Barracudas were a team filled with aging, overpaid veterans and not much of a future. Their leading goal scorer was Brett Ritchie who now finds himself at home in the press box during games. No one knows what to expect from the inconsistent Capeside Loons. The league appears to have changed from a defensive, goalie dominated league to a more skating, goal scoring CCHL. Capeside will go as newly appointed captain Dubois goes. How Dubois performs in his first CCHL season will determine if the Loons can sneak into the playoffs or fall into the lottery. Dubois expects to anchor the second line along with fellow rookie Ryan Donato and Micheal Ferland. If this combination can provide secondary scoring then the Loons have a realistic chance at sneaking into the playoffs as the 6 seed in the Corfield division.

Corfield Division:
No one knows what to expect with the new look CCHL. Will Calgary continue its dominance over the league this year? Will Dayton surge back to being the king of the league or will the continue their rebuild? Is this the year that the Falcons put it all together and capture their first Kehler Cup?

Predictions:
Loons goal-scoring leader - James Van Riemsdyk   
Loons Point Scoring Leader - David Krejci   
Loons 7th Player award (Player that exceeded expectations) - Miles Wood

We predict the Loons to fight and scratch their way to the 6th seed and final playoff spot in the CCHL and then lose in the first round.

Corfield regular season division winner - Fort Erie Falcons
Canosa regular season division winner - Siberia IceCats

Corfield Division Champ - Falcons over Chinook
Canosa Division Champ - IceCats over Norsemen

Kehler Cup Champions 

SIBERIA ICECATS

CCHL MVP - Connor McDavid

Season Preview: Dayton Musicmen - The Wingers - (It's all about the future...)

In the first part of our 18-19 preview, we looked at the Centers on the Musicmen. In this installment, we'll look at the wingers on the roster as we head into the regular season...

Just three wingers in Dayton - Matt Nieto, Tomas Kuhnhackl and Christian Fischer remain from last year. Eight new faces will start the season next Monday night. Let's meet them...

Dayton Musicmen Pro Roster: 

Wingers:

Alexander Radulov - The star winger for Dallas is coming off the best scoring season of his career. 72 pts. in 82 NHL games last season. Brought in earlier in training camp from Victoria for two prospects. If DAY is competitive Radulov can expect to stay in Ohio. If not, Radulov should bring the Musicmen a nice return via a trade to a contender. Projected output: 30 goals, 45 assists - 75 points. 

Evgeni Dadonov - Snagged by GM Bill Corfield with the 32ns overall pick of the most recent CCHL Entry Draft, Dadonov is coming off the best season of his career with 65 points in 74 games. A solid shooting percentage of 14.9%, the Russian should find himself on the top line in Florida, along with Alexander Barkov and Mike Hoffman. His situation is similar to Radulov. If DAY is on track for a playoff spot, he'll probably stay. If DAY falls out of it early, he'll be moved. Projected output: 30 goals, 50 assists - 80 points. 

Mike Hoffman - Hoffman has been good for 25 goals a year over his last four season in Ottawa. He's probably happy being moved to the Panthers who are a much better team than the Sens will be this season. Look for career-best production out of Hoffman. Projected output: 30 goals, 45 assists - 75 points. 30 goals, 45 assists - 75 points.

Paul Byron - With two twenty goal seasons under his belt, Byron has won a top-six job.  Defensively excellent, Byron seems to wind up with a strong shooting percentage annually, too.  Projected output: 23 goals, 25 assists - 45 points. 

Michael Frolik - The only reason Frolik is in town is that his previous employers insisted he and his salary go away as well in the Dahlin deal. He will not likely see more than 20 or so games this season... Projected output: 15 goals, 15 assists - 30 points. 

Matt Nieto - An above average defensive winger who can kill penalties as well as anyone else on the squad can. He'll be lucky to post 15 points this season, but that's not his game... Projected output: 5 goals, 8 assists - 13 points. 

Devante Smith-Pelly - Signed over the summer by Dayton, Smith-Pelly was appealing due to his versatility. He is a depth signing nothing more. Projected output: 4 goals, 7 assists - 11 points. 

Tom Kuhnhackl - Almost a carbon copy of Nieto... Projected output: 4 goals, 8 assists - 12 points. 

Dayton Musicmen Farm Players Roster:

Evgeny Svechinkov - The 19th pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Wings, and older brother of this year's 2nd overall pick Andrei, should be able to crack the Wings lineup this season. He's scored a couple game-winning goals while seeing limited ice time in Detroit's preseason games but the question remains if a roster spot will be his. He's got the size, speed, and skill set to be a top-six scoring winger. Time will tell...

Christian Fischer - Coming off a successful 33 point rookie NHL season, Fischer will likely be the first call-up if injuries leave the parent club short. Fischer appears to be a key piece in Arizona and will look to build upon last year.

Daniel Sprong - Sprong had a quite successful 1st pro season at Wilkes Barre in the AHL scoring 65 points in 65 games. A 2nd rounder in 2015, Sprong has the talent, opportunity and desire to earn a roster spot with the Penguins this season. Like another 2015 draftee winger, Mister Svechnikov, time will tell for Sprong, as well...

Up next - The Goaltenders...

Miners Season preview

An Inside look at the Sudbury Miners - 2018-19 CCHL Season Preview

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):
With a young, growing core leading the charge, and plenty of off-season turnover and draft picks,
Sudbury appears to be on the way up. But, the Miners aren’t there quite yet, though.
Kehler Cup odds: 75-1

Key Additions: Fredrik Andersen, G; Zack Hyman, W; Sam Reinhart, W; Wayne Simmonds, W; Chris Tierney, C; Charlie Coyle, C/W; Andy Greene, D

Key Departures: Philip Danault, C/W; Jake Allen, G; Ben Bishop, G; Radim Vrbata, W; Damon Severson, D; Matt Calvert, W; Joonas Donskoi, W; Darnell Nurse, D

The Sudbury Miners ended the 2017-18 season with an 18-57-7 record, finishing just eight points
shy of the worst record in the league. Their top-six group of forwards was not strong, and to make
matters worse, their depth failed to match up against the powerhouses of the CCHL.
But there is optimism going forward. Thanks to an extra year of seasoning in the minors for
some of their young players and a few key off-season acquisitions, the Miners seem poised to make a
jump in the standings and may even contend for a playoff spot for the 2018-19 CCHL season.

UP AND COMING PLAYER TO WATCH

Chris Tierney is looking to build upon his first full season in the CCHL. Originally thought of a just
a checker, he finished last year in Halifax with 17 points (9 goals). He has the skills and versatility to play a little farther up in the line-up if needed, while still being responsible in his own end. It appears that he will slot in as the Miners 3 rd line centre to start the year. The 24-year-old former London Knight, will get the opportunity in Sudbury to build upon his offensive totals from last year.

WHAT A SUCCESSFUL 2018-19 SEASON WOULD LOOK LIKE

Given their results from last year and the roster turnover that the Miners have experienced
since the end of last year, simply contending for the playoffs would be a success. From a pure hockey
standpoint, giving some more of their young minor league players some valuable CCHL experience will help with their development. You can expect to see highly touted prospects Colin White and Mikael Sergachev get a taste of CCHL action this year. Sudbury should be much more competitive this season.

BIGGEST REMAINING QUESTION

Ideally, the hope in Sudbury is that a few of their highly touted prospects who are expected to be on the opening night roster can contribute sooner, rather than later. If that happens, Sudbury will greatly
improve. But what if they can’t or worse, they regress? There is a reason to believe it could happen and if that is the case, then the fans can expect another long, cold winter in the Nickel City.

PREDICTION: 6th  in Canosa Conference.

Season Preview: Dayton Musicmen 2018-19 -* The Centers... (It's all about the future...)

After a last-place finish in the 2017-18 CCHL season, the Musicmen have added a ton of new faces, gotten much younger and have upwards of 20 NHL prospects just waiting their turn to crack the Dayton lineup.

In this, the first part of our season preview, we'll focus on the forwards. We'll get to the rest of the team in future posts.

Dayton Musicmen Pro Roster:

Centers: 

Alex Steen - The 34-year-old Center comes to Dayton with one year left on his contract. His role is to mentor the younger forwards like Jason Dickinson, Jared McCann, Max Mamin & Zemgus Girgensons - who is surprisingly - just 24 years old. Steen will center the team's top line with vets Alexander Radulov and Evgeni Dadonov. Projected output: 15 goals, 45 assists - 60 points.

Mattias Janmark - The 25 yr. old forward looks to build on his 17-18 campaign where he returned to the NHL after a serious knee injury that some thought might cost him his career. Janmark will see top-six minutes in full strength and the 2nd power play unit. Look for Janmark to swap places throughout the season with Steen. Projected output: 15 goals, 35 assists - 50 points.

Carter Rowney - 29-year-old journeyman brings the 2nd best faceoff skills to the 3rd line and also spends time on the PK units. He won't score much, but he's steady as anyone else in the forward group defensively, that's for sure. Projected output: 8 goals, 10 assists - 18 points.

Jared McCann - At 22, McCann is the youngest player on the team. He'll be expected to continue his development in the CCHL this season and perhaps push others for ice time. He can also play LW, which is where he may settle in at. Projected output: 10 goals, 25 assists - 35 points.

Thomas Nosek - Primarily a defensive specialist, the 26-year-old Nosek will struggle to see much ice time this season. Once Steen moves on after this season, he may stand a better chance to secure a full-time job on one of the bottom two lines. Projected output: 3 goals, 10 assists - 13 points.

Jason Dickinson - Another guy who won't see much time on the ice. With just 5 pts. in 38 NHL games over three seasons, the former 1st rounder has failed to figure it out. Able to play at LW as well as C, it's hard to see much ice time for Dickinson unless roster conditions change dramatically.
Projected output: 3 goals, 5 assists - 8 points.

Zemgus Girgensons - Girgensons has seemingly lost his offensive skills over the last three seasons in which he has scored 7 goals in each campaign. Terrible on faceoffs, he is able to play any forward position. He'll likely be utilized for a bottom six role when the need arises. Projected output: 7 goals, 7 assists - 14 points.

Logan Shaw - Signed as a FA over the Summer by Dayton for depth purposes, Shaw is a somewhat reliable bottom six type who doesn't do anything really well or really badly. He'll watch a LOT more games than he'll actually play in. Projected output: 2 goals, 4 assists - 6 points.

Jordan Weal - Weal can play all three positions, is fine defensively for a bottom six role but has limited offensive upside to put it mildly. He'll be lucky to play in more than 20 games this season for DAY. Projected output: 4 goals, 4 assists - 8 points.

Zach Mitchell -  Mitchell is coming off a decent partial season in the AHL, but couldn't translate the production when he was with MIN for 23 games. Recently signed by the LAK to a 2-way deal, Mitchell looks to be roster filler in the case the several big names are traded and bodies are needed. That's it... Projected output: 0 goals, 2 assists - 2 points.


Dayton Musicmen Farm Players Roster:

Centers: 

Max Mamin - The 2nd year Russian will be given every opportunity to develop with Florida in the NHL as a regular part of the team's 3rd line. Already a solid checker, Mamin has some skills and saw the Panthers post a W/L record of 21-3-2 when he was in the lineup. Look for him to crack DAY's bottom six next year. Currently expected to spend the year in the minors.

Zach Sanford - After fighting back from an injury that knocked him out of most of last year, we're not sure what to expect from Sanford. He missed all of last season but will have to clear waivers is the Blues decide to try and send him down. The 61st pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, he's got skills and a good head for the game, according to STL Head Coach Mike Yeo.  Right now, Sanford needs to play, but it won't be this year as far as the Musicmen are concerned. Sanford will spend the season on reserves...

Up next - The Wingers...