This morning I attended practice at the MSOE Kern Center. As I was settling in I received the alert that Kevin Fiala was reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals from the Nashville Predators.
Milwaukee, WI–Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has reassigned forward Kevin Fiala to Milwaukee.
Fiala played in five games with Nashville after being recalled by the Predators January 11th. He scored his first NHL goal on January 14th in the Predators 5-4 OT loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Overall this season the Preds 2014 first round pick has tallied six goals and added 15 assists for 21 points in 34 games with the Admirals.
Fiala will join the Admirals for their game this Saturday night when they host the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 pm at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Tickets for Saturday, or any Ads game, can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Groups of ten or more can receive great discounts over single game prices. Those interested in booking a group can call the Admirals office at (414) 227-0550.
Fiala took part in last night’s Predators 2-1 victory on the road against the Calgary Flames. He wasn’t a participant in today’s Admirals practice but should be on-hand tomorrow. He is expected to be with the Admirals through the NHL All-Star Break – which effectively means him playing this weekend’s game before being returned back to the Predators on Tuesday.
Of note from today’s practice: Jonathan Diaby took part in a brief skate session ahead of the full practice taking place. He has missed the last six-games due to an upper-body injury. Félix Girard displayed an evolution in his ability to celly after completing his shootout drill. And Jamie Devane also beat Marek Mazanec leading to an equally great celly. It should also bet noted that I didn’t see Trevor Murphy or Viktor Arvidsson take part in today’s practice.
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Vladislav Kamenev, who left Friday’s game against the Lake Erie Monsters due to a lower-body injury, will miss this weekend’s game in Milwaukee against the Grand Rapids Griffins as well as the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic in Syracuse.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today several roster changes for the 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Classic, set for this Sunday and Monday in Syracuse, N.Y.
Added to the AHL All-Star rosters are Portland Pirates defenseman Cameron Gaunce and Providence Bruins forward Alexander Khokhlachev (Atlantic Division); St. John’s IceCaps defenseman Morgan Ellis (North Division); Manitoba Moose goaltender Eric Comrie, Rockford IceHogs forward Jake Dowell and Lake Erie Monsters forward T.J. Tynan (Central Division); and Ontario Reign forward Sean Backman and San Jose Barracuda forward Ryan Carpenter (Pacific Division).
In addition, the AHL announced that Bridgeport forward Joe Whitney, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Derrick Pouliot, St. John’s defenseman Mark Barberio, Manitoba goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Lake Erie forward Kerby Rychel, Milwaukee forward Vladislav Kamenev, Ontario forward Michael Mersch and Texas forward Travis Morin will all be unavailable for the event.
The 2016 All-Star rosters now feature 41 first-time participants, nine AHL rookies and 18 former first- and second-round NHL draft choices. In addition, 24 of this year’s All-Stars have appeared in a National Hockey League game already this season.
A limited number of tickets for the 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Classic are still available. They can be purchased either in person at the Syracuse Crunch office located in the War Memorial Arena at 800 South State Street in Syracuse or by calling (315) 473-4444, through all Ticketmaster outlets or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com.
In addition, complimentary tickets for the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony are available by visiting the Syracuse Crunch office or by phone at (315) 473-4444. The AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, to be held at the Crouse Hinds Theater at 11 a.m. on Feb. 1, will feature the induction of Bruce Cline, Ralph Keller, Jean-Francois Labbe and Bruce Landon as the AHL Hall of Fame Class of 2016 and will also celebrate honorary All-Star Classic captains Michael Peca and Scott Walker.
The 2016 Toyota AHL All-Star Classic in Syracuse will be televised live to an international audience on Sunday, Jan. 31 (8 p.m. ET) and Monday, Feb. 1 (7 p.m. ET) and will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League: Of the 679 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 94 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Ben Bishop, Troy Brouwer, Ryan Callahan, Zdeno Chara, Logan Couture, Jiri Hudler, Tyler Johnson, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Miller, Gustav Nyquist, Zach Parise, Tuukka Rask, Pekka Rinne, Bobby Ryan, Cory Schneider, Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, P.K. Subban and Mats Zuccarello.
In operation since 1936 and celebrating its 80th-anniversary season in 2015-16, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 88 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and for the 14th year in a row, more than 6 million fans attended AHL games across North America in 2014-15.
This news broke as I was on location this afternoon at the Milwaukee Admirals locker room and I had the chance to follow up with head coach Dean Evason as to the health of several of the injured Admirals right now:
Kamenev’s lower-body injury will sideline him for this weekend and the AHL All-Star festivities he was set to take part in. He is possible to return to the lineup when the Admirals do a California road trip next weekend. Jonathan Diaby is currently sidelined due to an upper-body injury and doesn’t have a time table to return at the moment. Trevor Murphy participated in pre-game skate before Saturday’s game in Lake Erie and went a full-session of practice today. He is possible to return this weekend. Viktor Arvidsson missed the last two-games but is probable to return this weekend. He didn’t practice today but is expected to take part on Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions.
Kamenev’s absence in Syracuse now leaves the Admirals with two representatives: Frédérick Gaudreau and Evason who will be acting as the coach of the Central Division All-Stars.
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Stefan Elliott has provided an instant impact on both sides of the puck since joining the Milwaukee Admirals from the Arizona Coyotes organization in a three-team trade that saw Victor Bartley head to the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo Credit: John Saraya)
The Milwaukee Admirals last four games have had their moments. There have been plenty of real positives to take but, unfortunately, the injury bug has also soured the way the offense operated for the last two of what was a four game road trip. It’s tough to see the likes of Viktor Arvidsson and Vladislav Kamenev miss any sort of time out due to injury considering their dynamic playmaking and scoring ability.
Fortunately, the injuries at the forward position came at a time where the Admirals are playing only a single game over the next twelve days. That rest period should let their bodies heal up and heal up well. The team has returned home to Milwaukee after completing the four game road trip and have a concert night game Saturday against the Grand Rapids Griffins. After that the AHL All-Star break begins with a wait before a two game California road swing against the Stockton Heat and San Diego Gulls awaits.
What the Admirals lost in Arvidsson and Kamenev in the games against the Lake Erie Monsters was pretty evident. Arvidsson was out for both games and the team missed his high energy work rate on both ends of the puck – especially his ability to finish scoring chances. And then Kamenev left the Friday game in the second period due to a lower-body injury after having dished up a primary assist on an Admirals power-play goal in the first frame. He wouldn’t play the follow up contest on Saturday afternoon and it meant adding the third cast member from the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) to the Admirals’ AHL stage this season, Matt Leitner, on a PTO basis just to have the forward depth to field a complete roster. The moment Kamenev left Friday night the Admirals offense went flat and the Saturday effort lacked real energy or creativity that was eye-popping on the two previous road games against the San Antonio Rampage.
Where the Admirals lacked offense in Lake Erie something well and truly stood out. Yes, a massive amount of credit can be given to Marek Mazanec on his efforts for the weekend. He stopped 40/42 shots on goal in the two games against the Monsters, took an overtime loss on Friday, and earned his third shutout of the season on Saturday. He was brilliant. But equally so was the newly retooled Admirals defense that was playing in front of him.
When the Nashville Predators made trades on back-to-back days that saw both defensemen Conor Allen and Victor Bartley leave for a different pair of defensemen in Patrick Mullen and Stefan Elliott it didn’t necessarily carry the gravitas of, say, the Ryan Johansen trade. It was almost purely a Predators push to strengthen their AHL outfit when you think about it. I don’t feel Mullen will be around past this season. Elliott has the potential to stick around with his great track record behind him. But, for the here and now of the 2015-16 season, the moves were basically meant for the Admirals – not the Predators.
Those trades beg the question to an outside observer which is the following: were Allen and Bartley doing poorly? And the answer to that question is a mix of yes and no.
Allen wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination but he was was pretty one dimensional in his style of play. What I mean by that is Allen has two more points scored as a member of the Admirals this season than Elliott has. Allen had 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) in 31 games with the Admirals. Elliott has already produced 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 3 games since arriving from the Arizona Coyotes organization – all while defending his position very well to boot.
Bartley was collecting dust, cobwebs, and NHL paychecks in Nashville before he went through the waiver wire process, cleared, and returned to the Admirals for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Including regular season and playoff games Bartley played in 92 games from a possible 193 games played (47.6%). He had been an outsider to the incredible defensive depth in Nashville, sent to Milwaukee, played with some rust and alack of offensive ability he used to show as an Admiral, and also wasn’t looking too sharp on defense. Where he made up for the flaws was his constant professionalism as a teammate and as an individual to work hard first, improve now, and get back to the NHL as quickly as possible.
The obvious here is that both Allen and Bartley are well respected individuals that are great for a team to have on and off the ice in terms of leadership. The sad reality is that they just weren’t providing enough versatility. The Admirals cheat sheet pens them as a team with defensemen unable to really threaten at all from the defensive zone up the ice and into attack. One, that doesn’t sound like mapping and mirroring the Predators attacking philosophy. Two, it puts a firm defensive focus to ignore the Admirals blueliners all together. Teams could simply set sights clear on shutting down Admirals forwards in the neutral zone and attacking zone to slow their pace down, box out around the net, and take away key ice from the forwards. Their only option in attack becomes board play, where they can get outmuscled, or pass back to the blueline to attempt to reset the defensive posture and find new points of attack… which would work if more shots on goal were generated from the defensemen… but that’s not happening with Allen and Bartley… so the defense would hold back and stay tight to the forwards and generate tougher passes and generally turnovers.
Allen’s AHL career numbers for shots on goal have gone down massively this season. He went from 1.43 shots on goal per game from 2013-15 with the Hartford Wolf Pack to 1.00 for the Admirals this season. Bartley’s shots on goal per game number was also steadily declining: 2.05 (2011-12, Admirals)… 1.29 (2012-13, Admirals & Predators)… 0.71 (2013-16, Predators & Admirals).
Now, let’s compare that “shots on goal per game” number to the new additions of Elliott and Mullen.
See what a small difference it can make when the added option of shots from the blueline becomes an extra dimension for the new look Admirals defense? Yes, it is great having a balance of three right handed shooting defensemen (hey Taylor Aronson, hi) to three left handed shooting defensemen to work pucks around the wall and provide options and looks from the blueline. But how about just giving any look from the blueline to the net in general? That’s what both Elliott and Mullen have done throughout their careers and it’s an aspect of their game that makes an Admirals offense less forward-centric and more balanced when they’re on the ice.
Elliott has 82 games of NHL experience to his name – which is more than Anthony Bitetto, Petter Granberg, and Allen combined by a hefty 51 games. Mullen has yet to play an NHL game in his career at the age of 29-years of age… but, you know what, neither does anyone else not named Elliott in the Admirals defensive group. His experience and ability shouldn’t be kicked under the rug on that basis alone when comparing him to any of the two outbound Admirals defensemen from two weeks ago. His ability to fit the role the Admirals need, a right handed shooting two-way defenseman, makes him a better fit than either Allen or Bartley.
In four games for the Admirals Mullen has no points of offense, 2 shots on goal, was on the ice when the Admirals scored a goal 3 times, wasn’t on the ice for a goal against once, and participated in two shutout performances.
In three games for the Admirals Elliott has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists), has 3 power-play points (2 power-play goals, 1 power-play assist), has 12 shots on goal for an average of 4.00 shots on goal per game, 6 penalty minutes (cross-checking, tripping, hooking), he has been on the ice for 5 Admirals goals forced and for none scored against – including Saturday afternoon’s shutout.
I won’t lie. As a spectator I think that going from games the likes that the Admirals played in San Antonio to the ones played in Lake Erie can feel like a buzzkill. The Admirals outscored the Rampage 9-3 in two games and blew the doors off them with pace and precision. That pace and precision wasn’t to be found by the Admirals offense so much in Lake Erie but it was with the Admirals defense. You can credit the same speed and puck skills that Elliott and Mullen possess as defensive assets that helped assist Mazanec in net a great deal for his solid weekend against the Monsters.
There is much to like about what these moves have created. And that’s without even mentioning how great it is to have a completely healthy Aronson back in the mix alongside the defensive group that now stacks its defense three lefties and three righties. That balance is a nice quality for a team to have but the performance level of the players on the ice is all that matters at days end. Elliott and Mullen, for a mid-season introduction to the Admirals roster, are going to provide a well-rounded game that can alleviate pressure both off the forwards and the man between the pipes. It’s only been a small sample size of this retooled defense but the performances speak volumes of positive change. There have been four games played and more shutouts posted than points lost.
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Let the not so blockbuster trades keep on coming! The Nashville Predators have acquiredStefan Elliott from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Victor Bartley. Not too long after the fact, Bartley was packaged with NHL All-Star John Scott to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier. So, the very turbulent 2015-16 season for Bartley just keeps on rolling.
To put some perspective on the last two days, the Milwaukee Admirals have lost two defensemen in exchange for two defensemen with the catch being that the new additions are right handed shots. The Admirals only right handed shot on defense was Taylor Aronson up until yesterday. Then they added another one in Patrick Mullen. And now they’ve added yet another in Elliott. Could it simply be that these last two days the Predators have had the Admirals best interests in mind? Weirdly, it kind of feels like it because I don’t exactly see these moves registering much on the Nashville radar.
If Elliott is a familiar sounding name to you Admirals fans it is because he has spent the majority of his professional playing career to this point as a member of the Lake Erie Monsters. Coincidentally, should he debut for the Admirals tonight or more likely tomorrow night, he would be playing against his ol’ Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate under their latest banner as the San Antonio Rampage. Elliott’s next game played in the AHL will be his 200th game and he has scored 95 points (43 goals, 52 assists). Last season for Lake Erie he totaled 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 64 games.
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This news really comes straight out of left field. The Nashville Predators have acquired Patrick Mullen from the Ottawa Senators for Conor Allen. Both players are defensemen. Both players are on NHL two-way contracts for this season. Both are alternate captains to their respective AHL teams to which the two have played with all season. It’s effectively a like for like trade between NHL teams for their AHL affiliates.
Nashville, Tenn. (January 14, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Thursday that the club has acquired defenseman Patrick Mullen from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Conor Allen.
Mullen, 29 (5/6/86), is in his seventh professional season, having posted 16 points (1g-15a) and 18 penalty minutes in 36 American Hockey League games for the Binghamton Senators. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., the 5-foot-11, 186-pound blueliner has suited up for 338 AHL games for Manchester, Chicago, Utica and Binghamton since 2009, amassing 148 points (34g-114a) and 178 penalty minutes. Mullen’s best pro season came in 2011-12, when he tied for fourth among AHL defensemen in goals (13) and tied for 11th in blueliner points (41) while playing for the Monarchs.
Undrafted, Mullen spent four seasons at Denver University from 2005-09, recording 81 points (20g-61a) and 148 penalty minutes in 152 NCAA games, winning a WCHA title in 2008 and being named to the conference’s all-academic team in 2009. He is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen.
If there is anywhere that the “like for like” business ends between these two it is that Mullen is a right handed shot. The Milwaukee Admirals have only had one of those for the bulk of this season, like last season, and that man is named Taylor Aronson. Perhaps this was a move to find better balance for each AHL affiliate’s back line? [long pause] As I said it’s sort of out of left field.
Mullen is the top scoring defenseman for the Binghamton Senators: 16 points (1 goal, 15 assists) in 36 games with a plus/minus rating of -5 and 18 penalty minutes. In his AHL career he has 338 games of experience having played for the Manchester Monarchs (2009-12), Chicago Wolves (2012-13), Utica Comets (2013-14), and the Binghamton Senators from the end of the 2013-14 season until now.
Reaction to this news? Why do you feel this trade was made? Is Mullen going to be more serviceable than Allen?
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The last time Cody Hodgson played in the AHL it looked something like this. (Photo Credit: Jason Kurylo)
The Stevie Moses experiment failed. The Cody Hodgson experiment isn’t far behind. After being placed on waivers yesterday by the Nashville Predators the 25-year old forward has cleared and is being assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals.
Normally I would share a “Press Release via Nashville Predators” about here. Unfortunately Hodgson’s press release is far shorter than anything Predators General Manager David Poile had to say about him when he was placed on waivers yesterday:
“We signed him to enhance our (offense) and it didn’t happen,” Poile said. “You look for other areas that maybe a player can help you — checking or penalty killing or some other area. Really, I think we were pretty honest with Cody and told him that he had to produce offensively, and he hasn’t. This is the move.”
Yeah, that sounded like a bit of a flamethrower at the end – but he’s right. Hodgson’s career regression at the NHL level speaks for itself. In the 2013-14 season he produced 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 72 games for the Buffalo Sabres. The last two-seasons he has recorded 9 goals from 117 games. He had produced 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 39 games for the Predators this season and bows out after being a healthy scratch the last three games.
What does this mean for the Admirals? It means adding another Viktor Stålberg level project to the mix. It has it’s pros and cons. The pros are that the Admirals are getting an NHL level talent added to the roster which means the depth gets stronger. The cons are mostly going to come down to how this all plays between Hodgson’s ears from this point forward. Is he taking this moment as a challenge or is he taking it in stride and just looking to wait out his contract, not care about the Admirals and earn his NHL level cash from the Predators, and think about where he goes in the off-season? That’s all entirely on him. Last season’s version wasn’t particularly great for just such reasons which makes seeing the follow up moves to come rough to stomach.
Hodgson’s entrance likely means a goodbye to either Matt White (who is on a PTO contract) or Joe Pendenza who would be sent to the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL). It’s no knock against their performances. They would simply be falling victim to the numbers in Milwaukee.
So what Hodgson will the Admirals be getting? It’s an interesting question and dilemma. He has played 71 career games at the AHL level and produced 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists). The way Poile spoke of him makes me feel like even a solid AHL run of form for him probably isn’t enough to see him claw back to Nashville anytime soon. I question the motivation level of a player in Hodgson’s position at a point like this. Luckily, the Admirals experienced such a situation a season ago and should get the proper handle on that before it begins. Hodgson in the AHL could be a great thing right now for both himself and the Admirals. He just needs to find his form again. And what better place to do it than a place he hasn’t played since 1/5/13, the AHL.
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Now the earlier news makes some sense. The Nashville Predators have recalled Kevin Fiala and Cody Bass from the Milwaukee Admirals. The Predators have also placed Colin Wilson on injured reserve. This comes not too long after AHL Transactions cited Viktor Arvidsson returning to the Milwaukee Admirals and Garrett Noonan being reassigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL).
Nashville, Tenn. (January 13, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Wednesday that the club has recalled forwards Kevin Fiala and Cody Bass from Milwaukee (AHL), reassigned forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Admirals, and placed forward Colin Wilson on Injured Reserve.
Fiala, 19 (7/22/96), has 12 points (4g-8a) in his last 13 games, and is tied for the Admirals team lead in assists (15) and ranks third in points (21) in 34 AHL games this season. The St. Gallen, Switzerland, native has appeared in a pair of contests for the Predators – a 3-2 overtime win against Montreal on March 24, 2015, and in Game Four of the 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Chicago, the longest game in franchise history. Nashville’s first choice, 11th overall (first round), in the 2014 Entry Draft, Fiala started the 2014-15 season with HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League before being assigned to Milwaukee (AHL) following the World Junior Championship, recording 17 points (9g-8a) in his first 26 AHL games.
Bass, 29 (1/7/87), played in his first two games for the Predators on Dec. 1 vs. Arizona and Dec. 3 vs. Florida, going scoreless while averaging 6:31 of ice time. In 21 games for the Admirals this season, the Owen Sound, Ontario, native has five points (1g-4a) and 50 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 205-pound center has appeared in 51 career NHL games with Nashville, Ottawa (where he was a teammate of Mike Fisher) and Columbus, posting five points (2g-3a) and 71 penalty minutes. Ottawa’s third choice, 95th overall (fourth round), in the 2005 Entry Draft, Bass helped the Binghamton Senators win the 2011 Calder Cup as AHL champions, in addition to winning the 2011 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, as presented annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community.
Fiala has had a rocky 2015-16 season to say the least. What should be noted is that right now things are trending more upward that anything else. Bass is a mere two-games into his return from a month long “upper-body” injury. Might I suggest reading more on these two lads in my recently published 2015-16 Mid-Season Report Card for much more detail on both?
Was Fiala the right candidate for the Predators or do you feel they’re just in need of a spark at this point and Fiala is their best option of that? How will Fiala do at the NHL level and has he put himself under the microscope considering his self made build up to make the Predators out of camp and now this is finally his chance to stick around for a bit?
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Guess who’s back? Back again? Arvi’s back. Tell a friend. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
According to AHL Transactions things are about to get a little more interesting. The Nashville Predators have reassigned Viktor Arvidsson to the Milwaukee Admirals. In addition, Garrett Noonan has been sent to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. This all being said and there is also a twenty-four hour waiting period to see if Predators forward Cody Hodgson can clear waivers.
Arvidsson’s recent run with the Predators hasn’t been all that hot. He has gone nine straight games without scoring a point. His last assist came on 12/19/15. His last goal came on 12/7/15. Perhaps another spell of top line work with the Admirals can recharge his batteries before returning to the NHL?
The last time Arvidsson returned from the Predators he went on a thirteen game point streak which remains the longest points streak in the AHL this season. It wasn’t until his final game before the Predators called him up that his streak came to an end: 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists), 6 power-play goals, plus/minus rating of +4, 6 penalty minutes, and an average of 4.9 shots on goal per game in 14 games of work.
Noonan, like Jonathan Diaby, was called up during a spell where the Admirals defense has been very banged up. Trevor Murphy, Victor Bartley, and Taylor Aronson were all dealing with injury at the time of their recall. Murphy has since returned. Bartley had returned to practice ahead of last weekend and is likely to return to action this weekend in San Antonio. While Aronson is still probably due out for another couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see if Noonan will be able to get to Cincinnati in time for their home game tonight against the Fort Wayne Komets.
Not having watched the Predators near as closely as the Admirals… would I be right in saying Hodgson isn’t too far behind Stevie Moses in the “this experiment has failed” category? Hodgson signed as a free agent last summer to a one-year, $1.05 million contract. In his career, he had scored 16 goals (2011-12), 15 goals (2012-13), 20 goals (2013-14), 6 goals (2014-15), and -so far this season with the Predators- 3 goals. It’s sort of like a Scott Gomez regression but on a smaller scale.
The waiver process takes a day to complete so, by tomorrow, we will know if the Admirals will be gaining the services of Hodgson or if another team has claimed him. That or we could be in for a Derek Roy swerve where he clears, gets assigned to the Admirals, and then gets traded only to leave this perfectly prepared jersey to never be worn by Roy or fans anywhere.
Thoughts on all this news? With Vladislav Kamenev due back this weekend, should Hodgson join the Milwaukee Admirals, what does Dean Evason do with the distribution of centers? How long before Matt White follows Zac Larraza back to the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)?
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The Milwaukee Admirals have played thirty-eight games this season season. That’s literally the half-way point of the Admirals 2015-16 season. It feels crazy that we’ve already hit that marker, doesn’t it? Time really does fly! That being the case I feel it is time for a review on the players’ the season to date and divvy up some mid-season awards.
~Mid-Season Awards~
Most Impressive Player: Frédérick Gaudreau
Least Impressive Player: Stevie Moses
Best Forward: Frédérick Gaudreau
Best Defensemen: Jimmy Oligny
Best Goaltender: Marek Mazanec
Best Rookie: Juuse Saros
Most Improvement: Frédérick Gaudreau
Least Improvement: Jonathan Diaby
Player to Watch in the Second Half of the Season: Vladislav Kamenev
Player Who Needs to Step Up in the Second Half: Marek Mazanec
Player Who Will Step Up in the Second Half: Max Reinhart
~The Road So Far~
While the Milwaukee Admirals enter the official midway point on a sour note the reality is that this season has been tremendously successful. The Admirals ended last season winning four of the last twenty-six games. The Admirals would miss the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural AHL season of 2001-02. The summer presented many involved with a much needed mental break. Changes were then made on and off the ice. Players shuffled out of the organization and new prospects entered. The Admirals identity itself changed with a rebranding that brought forth new logos and uniforms.
As the 2015-16 season started it did so with echoes of the end to the campaign prior. That fortunately did not last too long. The team became a team – simple as that. For all the injuries, players being recalled to the Nashville Predators and reassigned, more injuries, recalls from the Admirals ECHL affiliate the Cincinnati Cyclones, the added need to sign ECHL talent on PTO contract basis just to fill out a lineup, and more injuries. Rinse. Repeat. And repeat again. Through it all the Admirals have maintained a strong team identity and done far more than keep their head above water. They’ve thrived.
At the mid-season marker the Admirals have lost five of their last six-games. They are fourth in the Central Division and fifth in the Western Conference. It’s been a rough patch -but- only a week ago they were the best team in the Western Conference. Despite all the injuries and roster changes they were that good. It was similar circumstances to that which crushed last season’s finish. That hasn’t happened. And I don’t feel the run of form that has caused the Admirals to stumble their way to the middle of this AHL season.
What has happened lately is a team that has just completed a marathon: nineteen games in forty days – nearly a game every other day. Fatigue, physical and mental, is a real thing. The past few games have really screamed an Admirals hockey team that isn’t playing with a full gas tank to go along with a roster than is stretched thin. At some point that will creep into the on-ice performances and results – and it has. What’s important to remember is that the Admirals have already done an immense amount of great work that has afforded them the wiggle room for a funk such as the one they are in right now. Other teams around the AHL will get through their own battles like this and, when they do, it will be up to the Admirals to take care of their end of business just like others have during their rough patch.
Everything I’ve sat back and watched out of this year’s Admirals team has been exciting to see unfold. They were the second youngest team in the AHL to start this season. Their ability to adapt in-game to momentum shifts and style changes have been outstanding. The goaltending has been great. The forwards have looked really good. And the defense, as banged up as they’ve been, have looked good when healthy.
My hopes for this team right now is for a deep playoff run. I don’t buy the Rockford IceHogs as a serious threat to the Admirals in the division or playoffs anywhere near as much as I do the Grand Rapids Griffins. For the Admirals to start really laying the foundation down on a solid playoff push and deep run for a possible Calder Cup they’re going to have to match up against the Griffins and display far better hockey when those two clash from here on out. Every Admirals-Griffins game is a litmus test for playoff caliber hockey. Should the Admirals start getting a foothold and match the strengths of the Griffins – why can’t this team achieve the spectacular?
~Report Card~
I always feel the need for a preface to any report card that I do by stating the following. These grades are purely my own judgement. I also feel that it is only fair to grade an “incomplete” to any player that hasn’t played in half the games that the Admirals have played this season or have endured most of their season at the ECHL level with the Cincinnati Cyclones. That means, if the player logged nineteen games for the Admirals, he will receive a letter grade. For the sake of convenience I will be listing the players based on their uniform number here in Milwaukee.
Atlantic Division All-Stars: Chris Bourque (Hershey Bears), Nick Cousins (Lehigh Valley Phantoms), Seth Griffith (Providence Bruins), Dustin Jeffrey (Springfield Falcons), Rob Schremp (Portland Pirates), Dominik Simon (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins), Joe Whitney (Bridgeport Sound Tigers), Connor Carrick (Hershey Bears), Ryan Graves (Hartford Wolf Pack), Derrick Pouliot (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins), Ryan Pulock (Bridgeport Sound Tigers), Matt Murray (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins), Anthony Stolarz (Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
~ Head Coach Jay Leach (Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins)
North Division All-Stars: Mike Angelidis (Syracuse Crunch), Josh Leivo (Toronto Marlies), Michael McCarron (St. John’s IceCaps), William Nylander (Toronto Marlies), Cal O’Reilly (Rochester Americans), Hunter Shinkaruk (Utica Comets), Mike Sislo (Albany Devils), Mark Barberio (St. John’s IceCaps), T.J. Brennan (Toronto Marlies), Michael Kostka (Binghamton Senators), Matt Taormina (Syracuse Crunch), Yann Danis (Albany Devils), Kristers Gudlevskis (Syracuse Crunch)
~ Head Coach Sheldon Keefe (Toronto Marlies)
Central Division All-Stars: Pat Cannone (Chicago Wolves), Frédérick Gaudreau (Milwaukee Admirals), Ryan Hartman (Rockford IceHogs), Jeff Hoggan (Grand Rapids Griffins), Vladislav Kamenev (Milwaukee Admirals), Derek Ryan (Charlotte Checkers), Kerby Rychel (Lake Erie Monsters), Andre Benoit (Chicago Wolves), Trevor Carrick (Charlotte Checkers), Gustav Olofsson (Iowa Wild), Xavier Oullet (Grand Rapids Griffins), Connor Hellebuyck (Manitoba Moose), Michael Leighton (Rockford IceHogs)
~ Head Coach Dean Evason
Pacific Division All-Stars: Barclay Goodrow (San Jose Barracuda), Derek Grant (Stockton Heat), Michael Mersch (Ontario Reign), Travis Morin (Texas Stars), Brendan Ranford (Texas Stars), Mikko Rantanen (San Antonio Rampage), Nick Ritchie (San Diego Gulls), Brad Hunt (Bakersfield Condors), Esa Lindell (Texas Stars), Vincent LoVerde (Ontario Reign), Brandon Montour (San Diego Gulls), Laurent Brossoit (Bakersfield Condors), Peter Budaj (Ontario Reign)
~ Head Coach Mike Stothers (Ontario Reign)
Gaudreau currently leads the Admirals in scoring with 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 35 games. His work and success this season paved the way to the Nashville Predators signing him to a two-year entry level contract last week. If I had to cast an early vote for Admirals MVP to this point I would have Gaudreau pegged for the amount of on-ice work that he has provided working in all game situations and handling all three zones of the ice expertly well.
The whirlwind 2015-16 season for Kamenev keeps rolling on. This has been his debut professional playing season in North America and has seen him produce at a high level at the center spot for the Admirals at only 19-years of age. He has scored 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 24 games in the AHL this season. He recently captained his country Russia in the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships where he took home a silver medal and produced 6 points (5 goals, 1 assist) in 7 games. His Russian team was unbeaten until losing to the host country Finland in the final.
Gaudreau and Kamenev will be join their head coach Evason for the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic. The coaches were selected the moment the calendar flipped into 2016 by taking the league leading teams from each division. At the time, the Admirals were on top of the Central Division to tab Evason to coach the Central Division All-Stars in Syracuse. Currently, the Admirals aren’t just on top of their division but the entire Western Conference. While an All-Star break/vaction for Evason might have been pretty rewarding in its own right the league honor is well deserved. This Admirals team has had so many roster tweaks and changes and maintained a strong success rate throughout the process.
Reactions to the All-Star selections? Are you surprised by the selection of Kamenev? Were players such as Juuse Saros, Max Görtz, or even someone such as a Viktor Arvidsson snubbed?
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