The addition of Jaynen Rissling gives the Admirals one more big body defenseman in the ranks. I’m a fan of that. (Photo Credit: Calgary Hitmen/WHL)
This afternoon Jaynen Rissling and Garrett Noonan were signed to entry level contracts with the Nashville Predators. Both signed ATO deals to join the Milwaukee Admirals as well. Rissling’s entry level deal is for three-years and Noonan’s is for two-years.
Rissling was recently traded to the Predators from the Washington Capitals for a seventh round draft pick in the upcoming 2014 NHL Draft. He himself was a seventh rounder of the Caps in the 2012 NHL Draft – so it’s a pretty nice pick up in my book. He just finished his five-year playing career with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. In that time he played 273 games, scored 117 points (23 goals, 94 assists), had a plus/minus rating of +28, and 465 penalty minutes.
Noonan perhaps picks up where Kirill Gotovets left off. This 23-year old defenseman was the Predators fourth round selection in the 2011 NHL Draft and recently finished his college playing career at Boston University. In his four-year career with Boston he played in 144 games, produced 81 points (30 goals, 51 assists), had a plus/minus of +18, and recorded 289 penalty minutes.
Both of these d-men add to an already nice crop that we’ve had the chance to watch this season here in Milwaukee: Jonathan Diaby and Mikko Vainonen. I expect these four to compete for roles on the 2014-15 Admirals roster.
Thoughts on the new additions? What do you think our defensive core will look like next season? What players are going to need to give way to the future of the organization?
This is former-Admiral Chris Mueller. He has been in the Stars organization this season and, as of last night, played in his first ever Stanley Cup playoff game. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
I noticed a very cool sight while binge watching the Stanley Cup playoffs last night. Chris Mueller, long-time member of the Milwaukee Admirals and Nashville Predators, was playing his first ever NHL playoff game last night as a member of the Dallas Stars. It was fantastic to see that for him.
Then I heard another name I’ve heard plenty during this season at the AHL level, Colton Sceviour. Both have played a decent amount of NHL time this season, true, but the majority of their 2013-14 campaigns have been spent at the AHL level with the league’s top team the Texas Stars.
It got me wondering just how thin certain AHL playoff teams might be if their parent clubs are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. What players are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs right now that spent some time at the AHL level this season.
Boston Bruins, NHL. Providence Bruins, AHL.
The Bruins are both in the playoffs so that’s just the sort of example I’m looking at. A man who has found himself out of the AHL and into the thick of the Stanley Cup playoffs is Justin Florek. He played sixty-nine games in the AHL this season and scored 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists). For those who watched the Bruins/Red Wings game on Sunday afternoon you’ll have seen him score a goal. He played four NHL games in the regular season and two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is the Providence Bruins sixth best scorer on the team.
Detroit Red Wings, NHL. Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL.
Can you believe that Gustav Nyquist actually played fifteen games in the AHL this season? Me either. That said, the Red Wings have had plenty of yo-yo action between the NHL and AHL this season. Just look at the following list to see who has made the trip back-and-forth and where they currently stand.
The bulk of that list consists of their young pool of talent – many of whom won last season’s Calder Cup. Mostly, the AHL team isn’t stretched too thin.
Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL. Syracuse Crunch, AHL.
This one, and the next one for that matter, is easy to diagnose because HEY their AHL affiliate isn’t in the playoffs! There’s a few in that respect in the playoff list here – and the opposite end of that spectrum as well.
As I said in the last one – the AHL affiliate is not in the playoffs. So, who did the Canadiens bring on up to the Stanley Cup playoffs from Hamilton? None. In fact the last player that was recalled by Montreal who seemed to stick was Michael Bournival on 3/23/14.
Similar to the Red Wings and Griffins – there has been plenty of activity up and down this season. As someone who is a Pens fan, sorry about that, I can tell you first hand that injuries sure come in abundance out of Pittsburgh – which lead to this sort of high traffic up, down, and around affair.
Current players that are in the Stanley Cup playoffs, who could well be competing in the Calder Cup playoffs if not for injury issues, are Chris Conner, Brian Gibbons, and Jayson Megna. Players that were added to the AHL roster recently include Simon Despres and Chuck Kobasew.
Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL. Springfield Falcons, AHL.
Both are in the playoffs and two players were recalled ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs: Wisconsin-native Jack Skille and former-Admiral Jeremy Smith. The last player to be reassigned to the from Columbus was Tim Erixon on 4/11/14.
New York Rangers, NHL. Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL.
The next few teams feature NHL sides who made the playoffs with AHL teams that didn’t. The Rangers recent recalls, ahead of the playoffs, include J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast.
Philadelphia Flyers, NHL. Adirondack Phantoms, AHL.
The only name I see in recent record being recalled by the Flyers is Chris VandeVelde. Yet, I do not see him actually listed on most website’s NHL roster. There wasn’t too much to pull from the Phantoms roster in the first place. So, for all I know, he was instantly told to enjoy his off-season.
The only Minnesota recall in April that has really lasted was a move to reinforce the goaltending woes. John Curry was brought up on 4/2/14. No other members from Iowa have been recalled and maintained.
St. Louis Blues, NHL. Chicago Wolves, AHL.
Depending on how long the Blues last – this could be one of the more interesting watches as far as NHL/AHL depth is concerned. The Blues were pretty banged up heading into the playoffs and saw the likes of Ty Rattie getting a call up. For the most part things are stable. The Blues haven’t ransacked their AHL team or anything (dagnabbit) so both are in a decent place as far as their rosters go.
Chicago Blackhawks, NHL. Rockford IceHogs, AHL.
The IceHogs aren’t up to much these days. The Blackhawks certainly are so they decided to recall just about everyone when the AHL season ended.
Hey, you never know when you need to change from a Stanley Cup contender to a line-brawl squad right?
Anaheim Ducks, NHL. Norfolk Admirals, AHL.
The Evil Admirals and Ducks are both in playoff mode right now and there were a few moves made at the end of the AHL season: Sami Vatanen (AHL), Mark Fistric (NHL), John Gibson (AHL), and Emerson Etem (NHL).
Dallas Stars, NHL. Texas Stars, AHL.
The teams that started off my whole idea behind this story. I already mentioned Mueller and Sceviour. Truth is, that’s just about it in regards to who Dallas has pulled from the AHL squad ahead of the playoffs. Sceviour has been up for awhile now -but- think of how much more lethal the Texas Stars would be having him link back up with Travis Morin.
San Jose Sharks, NHL. Worcester Sharks, AHL.
San Jose, in. Worcestershire Sauce, out. That meant very Rockford levels of activity. The San Jose Sharks recalled all of the following players to the NHL at the conclusion of the AHL season.
Both are in the playoffs and, honestly, I feel it is the Monarchs who have a better chance to do playoff damage this season. Perhaps it is just such a reason as to why Andrew Campbell and Linden Vey had such short recalls late in the season.
The Other Guys
In terms of the opposite, there are a decent number of AHL teams that made the playoffs whose parent clubs did not make the playoffs. Yeah, that’s us. So who might be seeing added pieces join the Calder Cup playoffs who spent some time in the NHL this season?
Out of all the players that will make a massive dent – former-Admiral and Marlies number one netminder MacIntyre outta top the list. The Admirals haven’t had the opportunity to play against him this season. And that should make a big difference having him in net for Toronto.
Finally a team I don’t have to do a full investigation on! With the NHL season winding down the Admirals, that’s us, saw the return of Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok. The two combined for twenty-nine NHL games in Nashville this season.
What teams are being impacted the most from one-another’s playoffs? Who is benefiting? Who is hurting? What is the single biggest addition that can make a serious difference?
Many players have made the walk out of the Milwaukee Admirals locker room and onto the BMO Harris Bradley Center ice this season. Which have shined the brightest in 2013-14? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Now that the playoff season is approaching – it’s time to reflect on everyone’s performance from the 2013-14 season. The grading system is all conjured up from my mind. No fancy calculations, or anything special, just my own personal thoughts and opinions – to which I would be excited to hear all of your own in the comments section, on Twitter, or on our new fancy Facebook page.
Also, I feel that those who have played in less than twenty games this season should be given an incomplete grade. I don’t think it would be right to grade their body of work to those who have played more games than that.
This will cover everyone who wore an Admirals jersey this season. Let’s dive right in.
Hannu Toivonen joined during the midst of our own goalie injury woes. Nashville had problems of their own this season but, in Janurary, the Admirals lost both Scott Darling amd Magnus Hellberg in rapid succession.
Toivonen didn’t have to do much. What he did, while playing his role as a stopgap, was decent. He played in four games, picked up a win, had a 2.50 goals against average, and a 0.909 save percentage.
Admittedly, I feel his highlight/lowlight probably came the moment after he was released from his PTO with the Admirals. He played opposite Pekka Rinne and allowed 8 goals against his former team on 2/28/14 as a member of the Iowa Wild. Might not have been a great night for him or the Wild – but we sure loved every moment of it.
This has been a real breakout season for the 23-year old New Yorker. Anthony Bitetto played in seventy-three regular season games with the Admirals and scored 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists). Sadly, his really hot start to the season seemed to dip at the change of the calendar. He only scored two goals in 2014 despite scoring nine goals, six of which came from the power-play, in 2013. It may have been a dip but he still finished off this year as the Admirals top scoring defensemen.
Bitetto might still be a work in progress as far as his defensive is concerned. He has a plus/minus rating of -14. His speed and strength still make up for some of those glitches to his game. And those attributes still bode very well for further improvement.
He made a massive commitment last off-season to get in great shape and earn his place in Milwaukee after a year that he saw some action in the ECHL. I am excited to see where his upcoming off-season takes him – because he certainly has the work ethic to take more leaps forward.
The Predators third rounder in the 2013 NHL Draft joined the Admirals late this season. Jonathan Diaby entered after his junior playing time for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL were eliminated from the playoffs. He played in four games with the Admirals and, depending on summer moves, will more than likely start his season here in the AHL for the 2014-15 season.
Diaby is a mountain of a man – standing 6’5” at the age of 19-years old with room to fill out his already powerful frame. With how big he is I was very impressed by how well he could move around on the ice. He was far more mobile than I expected him to be and could skate very well. I think he should be a fun defenseman to watch develop in the coming years.
What can be said of the Sheriff that isn’t already public knowledge with Admirals fans at this point? Scott Ford is a leader through and through. He isn’t known much for his scoring prowess, 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists), but more-so for being a stay at home defenseman. With the puck movers the Admirals have featured this season his veteran defensive touch has been a boost. One better, having him from start to finish this season -knowing the locker room leader that he is- has impacted this team far more than any statistical chart could ever tell you.
Ford broke his foot back in December. He was supposed to miss four to six weeks worth of games. He was back four games after the injury citing it felt better in a stiff boot than it did in a shoe – so why not play? That’s the work tone he establishes. And it becomes a major factor at this time of the season.
I don’t know which is more sad. The fact that Teddy Ruth retired from the game of hockey at the age of 24-years old or that he will probably only ever be known as that one guy traded for Sergei Fedorov.
Ruth played in six games with the Admirals this season. He didn’t do anything spectacular – either positive or negative. Which is why, when it all boils down, you can see why the team chose to stick with Charles-Olivier Roussel over him. I wonder if just such a factor was enough for him to call it quits.
While most really never had the chance to see this 25-year old defenseman – I had the chance to see him at practice the first day he joined on an ATO.
Michael Young looked quick, was a smooth skater, had good hands, went to the final round of a team shootout drill with Francis Wathier, and wasn’t too bad at keeping the play in front of him on game-situation style drills.
Young made his professional debut as a member of the Admirals against the Toronto Marlies. He was injured very early in that road game. And that’s all we ever ended up seeing from him.
Joe Piskula has been nothing short of brilliant for the Admirals defensive core this season. Similar to Scott Ford – he has never exactly been known for his offensive abilities. More than anything it is his calming defensive presence that comes to mind.
Piskula’s season ended with seventy-three games played, 23 points (3 goals, 20 assists), and a plus/minus of +20. He did so well at the start of the season that the Nashville Predators decided he was the man they wanted up for a two-game period. It was his first NHL action since the 2011-12 season while playing with the Calgary Flames.
I think that Big Joe from Antigo can fly under the radar for some people. It’s never flashy from him. It’s just smooth. I’ve been really impressed with all the work that I’ve seen from him this season. For such a role on the team, surrounded by a group of young defensemen, I feel Piskula showed many the example of how it should be done this year.
The man that has everyone frothing at the mouth in Nashville has spent the majority of his 2013-14 season here in Milwaukee. Filip Forsberg had some playing time with the Predators – thirteen games. He captained Sweden in Sweden to a silver medal at this year’s World Juniors. For those that need reminding – he is still only 19-years old – and there is still plenty to be learned.
For those still frothing – good news! I think that Forsberg has been one of the most improved players, start of the season to the end of the season, on the entire team.
At the start of this season there were some occasions that reminded me heavily of Alex Ovechkin’s defensive work rate: sitting in space, looking distracted, and waiting for the offense to start itself up. As games picked up so did his ability to work hard defensively. He became more and more involved – more and more efficient – and more and more trusted with his presence on defense. To see him evolve from Ovechkin levels of frustration to a trusted penalty killer this season has been a far bigger delight than his end season scoring total of 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists).
I expect him to hit Nashville camp in the summer and pre-season with a new found confidence in all areas of the game. At day’s end that is precisely why he needed this season in Milwaukee – and he has delivered.
“The Curious Case of Cehlin” continued this season. In the first half of the season he looked off and, on some occasions, in over his head. Then he missed two solid months of game action due to a concussion. He has been outstanding ever since: 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) in thirty games.
The question, beyond health issues that have shown up the last two seasons, is just what sort of player do you get with Patrick Cehlin? As was the case this season, first half or second half? Should he deliver a full-season of work to the tune of his 2014 run with the Admirals there is something to be rather excited about from him. He is quick, smart, creative, and has really minimized mistakes over the course of a season. Plus he facepunchedJon Blum – something everyone in the organization can admire! There are plenty of things to like about Cehlin. I think we all just want to see it done consistently for a full-season.
The man with the longest neck on the team, guessing, spent four games with the Admirals this season and scored no points. Last season he played one extra game than this year and picked up two assists.
The 29-year old is a fixture of the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL mainly. He had a really great year for them in 2013-14 actually: he played in sixty-four games, scored 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists), had a plus/minus rating of +7, and 46 penalty minutes. That’s all well and good but it wasn’t done right here in the AHL – nor would I have expected it to.
The 20-year old Finn joined the Admirals after his junior playing time with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL came to an end. Nashville’s fourth rounder of the 2012 NHL Draft made his professional debut with the Ads and played in two games. He looks calm and confident from the time I’ve seen him playing and practicing with the team. I expect to see much more from him in the next few years.
One of the members of this season’s “ATO” gang – he joined the Admirals out of a successful college playing career at UMass-Lowell. He made his professional debut and played five games this season. He played with great energy, was a very fast skater, and could do plenty of creative things in all three zones of the ice.
I’m not sure where his future will be, if he stays or goes, but I can easily see him sticking around the AHL level at the start of the 2014-15 season beyond our organization.
I would hate to use the term disappointing to describe Kevin Henderson’s 2013-14 season. Instead, I would prefer to describe his 2012-13 as miraculous.
A lot of weight was put on his performance last season: scoring 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists), getting an NHL call up, and scoring his first career NHL goal. The expectation was for more of the same or quite possibly another improvement.
The truth is that Henderson is your typical grinding lower-line winger that has a better sense for defense than he does offense. Last season he blurred the lines between where his strengths were: offense or defense. That meant lofty expectations this season to keep the hammer down. I would have been shocked to see him repeat that level of play up this season. Sadly, I’m surprised he wasn’t even able to deliver to the tune that he did in years past.
He was loaned to the Texas Stars and has fared well with their high-powered squad. Would he have been able to fit in and done as much with the Admirals the rest of the regular season? I’m not all that sure that he would have – and I doubt that the Admirals would have been as strong as they were with him as they are with Francis Wathier.
Braden Pimm is the man with all the connections. He attended Northeastern with Anthony Bitetto and Vinny Saponari. Pimm grew up in Fort St. John, British Columbia just like Scott Ford – whose hockey camps he would attend and help instruct. It’s not so much these great ties to the team that surprised me, which they do, but his incredibly smooth playing style.
Of all the additions to the team on an ATO basis Pimm played the most amount of games out of the bunch: nine games. I feel as if the reason for that is his attention to detail and mistake free style of hockey. It lends itself well to playing lower-line defensive hockey.
Were he to stick around for longer than this year you would only hope to see him elevate his offensive game. He joined the Admirals after his most productive college season at Northeaster where he scored 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in thirty-seven games. Playing mistake free and safe versus playing in attack with aggression are a fine line job but it is something he’ll need to push should he play AHL hockey versus ECHL hockey next season. Whether or not that is with our organization will be an off-season question mark as well.
Who would have thought at the start of the season just how impactful the chirp-o-matic Mathieu Tousignant would be? It isn’t necessarily scoring with him: 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists). It isn’t about his willingness to drop the gloves: 14 fights this season and, possibly, zero wins. What it is about Tousignant that makes him so impactful is that he works, works, and works.
He is a center that can bring so much to the table: speed, strength on forechecks, keen eye for defense, getting to the dirty areas, talking, more talking, talking in French, and talking some more. With all the flash that the upper lines can deliver – Tousignant has allowed for good two-way play all season long on the bottom lines of the Admirals. He has allowed balance in that respect. And he is the sort of player who perfectly sums up the Pesky Ads nature that we all know and love.
Mike Liambas is the Milwaukee Admirals top enforcer. He fights people – lots of people. He broke Jordin Tootoo’s 2004-05 Milwaukee Admirals AHL record for penalty minutes in a season.
Now here are my other favorite things about Liambas’ 2013-14 season. He works so incredibly hard on the small details of the game. He is so much more than some knuckle dragging thug looking for a fight. This season, with plenty of teaching from coaches and teammates, he has taken a step away from that side of the game to focus on the rest of it. And it shows.
The Mike Liambas we saw join the team last year versus this year are two completely different people. Last season it was more about the physical elements of the game: fighting, checking, and big hits. This season he played very measured, structured, and sound two-way hockey for the team. The offensive numbers may not back that up, 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists), but time and time again the line combination of him with Mathieu Tousignant and Joonas Rask found themselves in the offensive zone or starting games. It was about the tone that they set for the rest of the game. They worked and worked hard – shift after shift.
I’ve loved seeing the evolution of Liambas’ game this season. We all know what his fists can do and how big his heart is when it comes to being loyal to his teammates. What I hope doesn’t go unnoticed is just how well he has performed beyond those attributes this season.
From the opening games of the season, to his selection on the AHL All Star roster that would face Färjestad BK, to his first NHL call up, first NHL goal, and return in time for the playoffs – what is there to not like about Colton Sissons’ first professional playing season?
It seems like nothing really phases Sissons. He has a maturity level for his age that is astonishing. It’s hard to watch him play, speak to him, and then remind yourself that he is 20-years old. He never makes the flashy play but he always seems to make the intelligent and correct play that needed to be made.
In some ways I find him to be the opposite of Filip Forsberg. One is very flashy, skilled, and flamboyant. The other is very mechanical, simplistic, and refined. Both need to learn what the other possesses. And Sissons has the stuff coaches have the hardest time teaching players – maturity. We’ve seen plenty of great things from him this season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him maintain NHL playing time next season.
I know, I know. Calle Jarnkrok was only with us for six games. Should he really get a grade? Well, having played fifty-seven games with the Grand Rapids Griffins prior to being traded – yes.
In every single game Jarnkrok has played with the Admirals this season he scored a point: 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists). He nearly carried that same level of performance into his first career NHL call up: 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) in twelve games with the Nashville Predators.
I’m not even expecting to see him again whenever the Admirals finish up this year’s playoffs. He is an NHL caliber center that plays with speed: physically and mentally. He just seems to process the game quicker than most. He makes his linemates around him better because of his mind for the game. Some could point at his size and say he needs to beef up to take the punishment of an NHL season. I point to his age, 21-years old, with glee. David Poile may have traded away the team’s first ever draft pick – but he replaced him with someone who can prove to be just as special to the Nashville Predators.
If there were one player from the Admirals this season who probably deserved an NHL call up but didn’t get one – it was Miikka Salomaki. In his first season of professional hockey in North America he finished as the team’s top scorer with 50 points (20 goals, 30 assists) while playing all but one game of the Admirals entire regular season.
There might not be a better example of the word “relentless” than Salomaki. He never takes a shift off – ever. He finishes his checks. He races to compete on the backcheck just as hard and aggressively as he would to join an odd-man rush. Best of all, he has performed this way consistently throughout the entire season. There really has never been a dip in his compete level. He has been a blast to watch play this season. Were he to get games in the NHL next season – it would be because of all of the reasons above. Relentless.
The Swiss Olympian was highly rated out of Nashville’s pre-season camp. In fact, Simon Moser was one of the final names cut at the end of the pre-season. He plays strong two-way hockey and really appeared to get more comfortable as the season went along. His performance in the Olympics was incredibly fun to watch – so active in all areas of the ice for his Team Switzerland. Then he earned an NHL call up and scored his first career NHL goal.
It was very unfortunate that a rowdy bunch from Rockford injured him after his return to the Admirals following a successful run for himself. Moser missed one month due to a left shoulder injury but has healed up just in time for the playoffs. He seems to be back physically but, since returning, has only scored an assist. He could still be working out the kinks skating forward but I feel his best asset to the wing position is his polished defensive game. To me, his defensive skill set is his bread and butter. It can be a boost for the playoffs ahead – and the Predators in the near future.
There are a few players that seem to be in the grey with me: Bryan Rodney, Patrick Cehlin, and -every now and then- Marek Mazanec. They are the type of players that you just don’t know what kind of game they’ll deliver. Good? Bad? Both? I think Scott Valentine fits right into this group as well.
What I like about him is his physicality and grit on defense. He checks people hard and plays very well along the boards. His defensive pairing with Ford is one of the better “pure defense” lines that the Admirals can roll out. Then there will be circumstances that seem as if he tries to break that defensive mold and gets caught out for doing too much: turnovers at the blueline or, worse, right in front of his own net.
I still ponder how Valentine would fair at the wing spot rather than defense. While he certainly isn’t a buzz kill by any means in defense – I think his abilities really shine brighter whenever he finds himself filling in on the wing. Think Mike Liambas but with a little more agility and a stronger shot. That could easily be him and, with time, perhaps more.
With all the defensemen coming down the pipeline I don’t know where his future is with the team. It seems like his natural replacements would be Vainonen or Diaby. If he were to stick around I question whether we’ve not already witnessed his ceiling as opposed to those names.
Kirill Gotovets is the only player this season who I had to personally ask how he says his name. Poor guy. Just as well, he is someone who I’m still not certain who owns his playing rights. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the 2012-13 season. And then joined the Admirals after requesting the Blackhawks organization to allow him to play elsewhere. Perhaps you guys know that ordeal better than me!
What I saw out of the Belarus Kid – I liked. He could move around real well. Appeared to have a nice shot and could make crisp passes. I saw him play his one and only game with the Admirals, his first ever as a pro, and a few practices. At 5’11” he was the shortest d-man the Admirals fielded this season. Add that in the memory bank with the skill set and I think of him as Ryan Ellis Lite. Take that as you will.
Selected in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Predators – this was Zach Budish’s first full-season of professional hockey. He joined late last season and played nine games while scoring 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists). This year he played in forty-one games with the Admirals and scored 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists). He mainly played on the fourth line – with an occasional leap to the third line. He played fairly defensively as a forward and never did too many things that leapt out at me. I may not have been alone in that feeling. He spent sixteen games in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones where he tallied 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists).
I feel as if the mold of player Budish could and should aspire to play like is Simon Moser. Both are big, strong, and defensive minded wingers. The difference between them, away from quality and effectiveness, is the offensive nature to Moser’s game to add to his defensive skills. Budish is a player who has a track record of injuries from his earlier playing days. If there was a true positive this season it was that he didn’t have a set back and has something to build on next season. I, for one, would really like to see that happen.
ECHL versus AHL performance. That is the eye twitch inducing issue with Josh Shalla the last two seasons. 2012-13: ECHL, 37 games, 28 points (21 goals, 7 assists)… AHL, 32 games, 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists)… 2013-14: ECHL, 29 games, 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists)… AHL, 26 games, 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists).
The scoring talent and eye for goal is there. It just isn’t there in Milwaukee. I’m not sure if that’s a matter of playing on a lower-line, being asked to perform a different role, or a lack of consistent playing time. The numbers in Cincinnati the last two seasons don’t lie, though. He can produce. I just want to see that ability to turn up when he gets his chances to play as a member of the Admirals in the AHL.
I don’t think there was a better story this season than when Mark Van Guilder finally received an NHL call up and played his first career NHL game at the young age of 29. Like Ford, everyone knows just what Van Guilder brings to the table. He can play every aspect of the game. He is fantastic on the penalty kill. His work on faceoffs can make big differences in games. He does it all.
He may have regressed statistically last year to this year but I don’t pin that down to him. His effort this season has been as strong as it always is for the Admirals. And his guidance and leadership for a player like Colton Sissons, and undoubtedly more, do wonders for this team and the future of the big team in Nashville.
At the start of the season, on media day, Scott Ford told me that Marek Mazanec would push Magnus Hellberg hard this season. I laughed at that. And I think I stopped laughing somewhere around his opening five-game winning streak with the Admirals. He would go on to replace Hellberg’s brief stint in Nashville, win the NHL’s Rookie of the Month award in November, and continued his success at the NHL level for quite a few games after that.
When he returned to Milwaukee, primary assist to Devan Dubnyk, Mazanec was the work horse for the team. Hellberg and Darling were both injured. It had to be Mazanec or it had to be Hannu Toivonen. Who would you pick? I actually think it was this highly taxing stretch of the season that wore Mazanec down for a good chunk of games. You almost forget his track record. This is his first North American season. Before this year the most games he had ever played in one season was twenty-one games in 2012-13 for Plzen HC. This season, taking the new territory of the North American game as well, he has played a combined fifty-six games between the NHL and AHL. That is a staggering increase in work load.
Fortunate for him and the Admirals – I feel as if he found a second wind entering the playoffs. He finished the season off with a CCM/AHL Player of the Week award and four-straight wins where he has only allowed 1.00 goals against average with a 0.965 save percentage. Wouldn’t you know it. Another quality European goalie in the system.
I like to call Bryan Rodney the Thunderdome. People don’t really like him much and he can provide fans plenty of ammunition to back those feelings up. While he can be a mess on defense at times, can make blunders holding the point, or creating turnovers in the neutral zone that lead to breakaways… he is the Admirals second best d-man in the scoring department: 34 points (5 goals, 29 assists). He actually finished third on the entire team in assists.
There is some good. There is some bad. There is even some ugly. And that’s why I call him the Thunderdome.
I think this kid has a bright future. Pekka Rinne may have only played for two games in net this season for the Admirals but he won them both.
I can’t even keep up that up for a joke. We know who Rinne is, where he belongs, and how incredible he is. It may have been a conditioning assignment for him but it also seemed to massively propel the Admirals season. Including the games that he featured in the team went 16-5-0-1 (33 points) in twenty-two games. The team was in a five-game winless skid prior to Rinne joining. Perhaps we needed him to get our bearings just as much as he needed us to get his.
When people ask me what I want most from a defensemen I tend to say, very bluntly, defense. Offensive flair, speed, goals, and a creative touch with passing are great skills to have. At day’s end though a defensemen has to hold his own zone first. I don’t think there is a better defensive defensemen on the entire Admirals team than Joonas Jarvinen.
This is his second season in North America. Injuries may have taken him out of the lineup for a chunk of the season but whenever he played the team just seemed to play more responsible hockey. I would like to think we see another step forward from Jarvinen next season.
Don’t let that regular season finale change your mind. Scott Darling has had an unbelievable season with the Admirals. If he had the games and minutes to qualify he would have the AHL’s best goals against average (2.00), best save percentage (0.933), and probably would have passed Jake Allen for most shutouts this season. Allen played in fifty-two games and recorded the league high seven-shutouts. Darling played in exactly half the games and earned six-shutouts. It has been a ridiculous season for Darling.
Taylor Beck has been extremely consistent this season for the Admirals. The team can count on him to provide his skills on the power-play, penalty kill, even strength, and -a few times- to double up on forward lines when the team needs a spark.
While Nashville fans might ask when a serious ETA for him would be in regard to playing and staying in the NHL – I just think he needs the chance to really sink his teeth into a two-way third line role and get in a groove at that level. He is well versed to play in all three areas of the ice. He might make a lapse here and there with an extra pass but, with a team best 32 assists, you can tell why he thinks about the set up rather than the trigger.
I feel like Beck has been NHL ready this entire season. He’s played to that standard all season and I wouldn’t expect that to change moving into 2014-15.
If there is one player who I truly felt the worst for this season it is Magnus Hellberg. His numbers aren’t too bad but the win/loss record is what matters the most at days end – not the save percentage.
He was injured the first day of Nashville’s pre-season camp where he hoped to follow up his incredible rookie season with the Admirals with a back-up gig to Pekka Rinne. That went away. Then he was recalled in the wake of the Rinne news, was swapped out for Marek Mazanec, and then seemingly outplayed by Scott Darling in December.
His injury in January proved to be a real low point. Just when a window opened for him to really start games on a consistent basis, due to a practice injury that would sideline Darling for a month, Hellberg was injured in the first game of a road trip that he seemed destined to start each and every game. He never played with the Admirals again the rest of the season.
While he was able to get some games back under his belt with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL there is still no hiding from it. This season is one to forget for Hellberg.
Similar to Calle Jarnkrok, we’ve only had Francis Wathier for a little amount of time in the grand scheme of things. He played in forty-eight games with the Texas Stars and then seventeen games with the Admirals. Small sample, but he has added a great presence to the team that they didn’t have before. In my eyes Wathier is a veteran bulldozer at the forward spot. He can play center or wing and has fared well at both positions since his move out of the Stars system.
When we acquired him on loan, nearly like a trade in the way we loaned the Stars Kevin Henderson, a lot of you readers made a comparison to him being like Brad Winchester to our roster last season. It’s a nice comparison, too. Veteran leadership. Calm demeanor on and off the ice. Strong on the wall and on defense. He’s the sort of player that you just want on your team specifically for the playoffs. We may not have seen his best games in an Admirals sweater just yet.
It has been an impressive sophomore season for Austin Watson. At the start he seemed to be missing a gear but really gathered himself and finished this season on fire.
I think a lot can be said about how he handled the move from center to wing. With Sissons jumping him on the Nashville totem pole and then the acquisition of Jarnkrok – he needed the move to the outside for more than just a spark to his game in Milwaukee. Since his move to the wing in March he scored 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) in twenty-one games.
I’m hoping this sort of move becomes permanent from him. His defense is great, probably the team’s top penalty killing forward, but allowing him the freedom of movement on the wing really added something dynamic to his offensive game. He scored two more goals and seven more assists than he did last season. There is an extra dimension that just opened up for Watson and I think Nashville should take notice of him as a winger.
Charles-Olivier Roussel’s work rate was so impressive this season that he took Teddy Ruth’s job and often forced head coach Dean Evason to include him in games and dress seven defensemen. He played sixty-six games and scored 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists). His all-around game really took a massive step forward. To think he spent the bulk of last season in the ECHL and worked his way consistently into games for the Admirals. It says more than I can as to the level of play he has shown this year.
Vinny Saponari started this season off with fourteen games in the ECHL. He joined the Admirals in late-November and never looked back. He scored 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in fifty-eight games in the AHL. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve on offense, toe-drag specialist, and backed up that scoring with a plus/minus of +11.
It has been a fantastic story seeing Saponari come out of practically nowhere to be one of the Admirals top scoring forwards. I would really like seeing him stick around just so I can see if his game can continue to excel.
The far more famous and successful member of the Rask family joined late last season after his time with Jokerit came to an end. In his one and only game with the Admirals in 2012-13 he scored a goal and an assist before getting two games with the Nashville Predators – where he scored his first career NHL point – an assist.
I caution people who look at Joonas Rask’s speed and stickhandling and instantly think offense and turn them to his ability at the other end of the ice. His speed and active stick work really make it frustrating to play against. He can disrupt a pass on one side of the ice and have the lightning speed to turn defense into offense instantly.
That offense might not be all that there yet, 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in fifty-eight games, but he does have the tools to do damage with some time and guidance. He doesn’t deliver the boom like his fellow Finn Miikka Salomaki. He doesn’t have the offensive upside like a Filip Forsberg. But, all in all, he has a lot of talent that I could still see as impactful at the NHL level. His speed and defensive maturity are a good foundation to build on. He just needs to take the next step that sees him become a bit more threatening on offense.
Agree? Disagree? Please feel free to provide your own grades, thoughts, or opinions below in the comments!
Remember that one time when there were like teddies and hats raining from every which way? That was awesome. (Photo Credit: Sara Stathas)
Happy Easter Sunday, everyone! Hope all of you have been doing very well and can kick back and enjoy yourself today.
I am working on a few stories for the start of the work week. I have my 2013-14 Regular Season Player Grades, a feature story on Taylor Beck, an Admirals story for our friends at Smashville 24/7 that will turn up on Monday, and I’m sure I will venture to a practice or two ahead of the Admirals home playoff games this coming weekend.
What’s that? You didn’t know the games were already scheduled? Fear not. I gotcha:
Friday, Apr. 25 vs. Toronto: 7:00 pm CST
Saturday, Apr. 26 vs. Toronto: 7:00 pm CST
Thursday, May 1 @ Toronto: 6:00 pm CST
Saturday, May 3 @ Toronto: 2:00 pm CST
Sunday, May 4 @ Toronto: 2:00 pm CST
The opening round is of course split as such: two games – three games. It is up to the top seeded team to determine whether they would like to start at home for two games or finish the best-of-five at home for three games. Typically, quite possibly every time, the top seed chooses the final three. That’s was announced as the case last night. Games in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday. Games in Toronto next week Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The final two games are, of course, if necessary.
What I would like to ask you all for a “Question of the Day” is what do you feel was the best of the best this season? What was the best goal, play, game, moment, or story that you think came up during the Admirals 2013-14 season?
For me, there are plenty of things that come to mind: Scott Darling or Vinny Saponari’s surprise performances this season, Colton Sissons and Miikka Salomaki’s fantastic rookie campaigns, Mark Van Guilder’s first career NHL call up and game, and much much more.
Travis Morin of the Texas Stars has officially won the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2013-14 season. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The final award from this season has been announced and, no real surprise, the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2013-14 season has been bestowed to Travis Morin of the Texas Stars.
Morin has been at the heart of the high-powered Stars this entire season and should easily take home the league’s scoring title: 87 points (32 goals, 55 assists). The next closest players in scoring, Zach Boychuk and T.J. Brennan, are a solid 15 points behind with both players having played more games in the AHL than Morin this season.
Since notching four points on opening night, Morin has been the American Hockey League’s leading scorer wire-to-wire in 2013-14 and has 32 goals and 55 assists for 87 points with a plus-16 rating in 65 games with Texas heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Leading the offense for the regular-season champion Stars, Morin has nearly doubled his 44-point output from a year ago while setting franchise records for assists and points in a season. The CCM/AHL Player of the Month in both October and January, Morin began the season on a 10-game scoring streak and has gone without a point in consecutive games on just four occasions all year. He took part in the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic in February and was named a 2013-14 First Team AHL All-Star last week.
A seventh-year pro from Brooklyn Park, Minn., Morin has also appeared in four games with the Dallas Stars this season, picking up an assist for his first career NHL point. In 349 career AHL games with Texas and Hershey, Morin has totaled 99 goals and 196 assists for 295 points, and he is the Stars franchise’s all-time leader in goals (99), assists (195), points (294) in 344 contests with the club.
The AHL’s most valuable player award honors the late Les Cunningham, a member of the AHL Hall of Fame who was a five-time league All-Star and three-time Calder Cup champion with the Cleveland Barons. Previous winners of the award include Carl Liscombe (1948, ’49), Johnny Bower (1956, ’57, ’58), Fred Glover (1960, ’62, ’64), Mike Nykoluk (1967), Gilles Villemure (1969, ’70), Doug Gibson (1975, ’77), Pelle Lindbergh (1981), Ross Yates (1983), Paul Gardner (1985, ’86), Tim Tookey (1987), Jody Gage (1988), John Anderson (1992), Don Biggs (1993), Derek Armstrong (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004), Jason Spezza (2005), Darren Haydar (2007), Keith Aucoin (2010), Corey Locke (2011), Cory Conacher (2012) and Tyler Johnson (2013).
Out of curiosity, who would you pen as the Milwaukee Admirals MVP from the 2013-14 season? I think there are a few names that could easily be thrown into that discussion. Who would you pick?
Chicago Wolves netminder Jake Allen’s great season has just been recognized by the AHL as he claims this season’s Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s most outstanding goalie. (Photo Credit: Ross Bonander)
This afternoon the AHL announced the winners of the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award (AHL’s most outstanding goaltender) and the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award (2013-14 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year).
Jake Allen took home this season’s honors for the league’s best goaltender this season. Here in Milwaukee we have seen first hand in the Amtrak Rivalry this season just how lethal he can be to go head-to-head against: 8 games played, 6 wins, 2 shootout losses, 1.69 goals against average, 0.933 save percentage, and 1 shutout.
Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Allen has a record of 32-16-3 in 51 appearances for the Wolves, helping them to a berth in the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs. Allen ranks first in the AHL in victories, goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.927) as he bids to become just the second goaltender since 1984-85 to lead the league in all three categories. Allen is also pacing all goalies in minutes played (3,078) and is tied for first with six shutouts on the season, while ranking second in both shots faced (1,447) and saves (1,341).
A 23-year-old native of Fredericton, N.B., Allen represented the Wolves at the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic in St. John’s in February, and was named a First Team AHL All-Star last week. Selected by St. Louis in the second round (34th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Allen was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team last season after a successful 15-game stint with the Blues. Allen has played 171 career AHL games with Chicago and Peoria over his four pro seasons, compiling a record of 83-74-10 with a 2.55 GAA, a .917 save percentage and 15 shutouts.
The Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award, which was first presented in 1984, honors former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Baz Bastien, who played four seasons in goal with the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets (1945-49) before suffering a career-ending eye injury. Bastien would go on to serve as head coach and general manager of the Hornets, leading them to the 1967 Calder Cup championship. Previous winners of the award include Jon Casey (1985), Sam St. Laurent (1986), Mark Laforest (1987, 1991), Felix Potvin (1992), Corey Hirsch (1993), Manny Legace (1996), Martin Biron (1999), Dwayne Roloson (2001), Jason LaBarbera (2004, 2007), Ryan Miller (2005), Dany Sabourin (2006), Michael Leighton (2008), Cory Schneider (2009), Jonathan Bernier (2010), Brad Thiessen (2011), Yann Danis (2012) and Niklas Svedberg (2013).
The other award announced today was the one I had high hopes in which we could see Mark Van Guilder‘s name mentioned: the Yanick Dupré Memorial Award aka 2013-14 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. This distinction instead went to Eric Neilson of the Syracuse Crunch.
This award has been presented annually since 1998 to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. The Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner is selected by the AHL and representatives from IOA and American Specialty from among 30 individual team Man of the Year honorees.
A six-time recipient of his team’s Yanick Dupré Award nomination (in five different AHL cities), Neilson has continued an impressive tradition of community service that has been a hallmark of his career. Since joining the Crunch organization in 2012, Neilson has gone above and beyond in his efforts to give back to the Syracuse community.
Neilson’s efforts this year were highlighted by his creation of the “Breakfast with a Champion” program, designing, developing and executing his initiative designed to teach elementary school students the importance of nutrition and healthy eating. Neilson was involved in every step of the program’s planning process, from pitching it to local schools to shopping for groceries to supplying students with tickets to Crunch games as rewards for their participation.
Neilson’s commitment to children was also seen in his work with as the primary speaker in the Crunch’s anti-bullying program, and as the team’s main spokesman for Upstate University Hospital including their “safe kids” public service initiative about concussion prevention. He dedicated time to issues such as men’s and women’s health causes also, generating awareness for breast cancer and heading up the team’s winning “Mustache Movember” team for prostate cancer research.
The AHL’s annual Man of the Year award is named after the late Yanick Dupré, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 24 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. A second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991, Dupré played four seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears and was an AHL All-Star in 1995.
The final AHL award will be announced tomorrow. That award of course will be the Les Cunningham Award for AHL’s 2013-14 MVP.
Magnus Hellberg isn’t the lone member of the Milwaukee Admirals competing in this season’s ECHL playoffs for the Cincinnati Cyclones – but he could be a reason why they win it all. (Photo Credit: Tony Bailey)
While we’re in our own little playoff mode in Milwaukee – our friends in Cincinnati, the Cyclones, are preparing for game one of the first round of the ECHL playoffs tonight.
The Cyclones finished the regular season with a record of 41-23-4-4 (90 points). That put them in second place of the North Division and the fifth seed in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference. They will be playing against the fourth seed Orlando Solar Bears in the first round match-up.
Aronson has played the most games of that group this season for Cincinnati (65) and has totaled 38 points (6 goals, 32 assists), a plus/minus rating of +28, and 57 penalty minutes. The top scorer of that group is Crowder with 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists). A player who we saw in pre-season camp, Almeida, has played in 47 games, scored 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists), has a plus/minus rating of +6, and 23 penalty minutes.
For those who we have seen with the Admirals this season: Shalla has played in 29 games, scored 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists), has a plus/minus of +20, and 11 penalty minutes. Budish has played in 16 games, scored 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists), has a plus/minus of -4, and 6 penalty minutes.
Then we have our ol’ bobblehead day buddy Hellberg who, since returning from his January lower-body injury, has been with the Cyclones in the ECHL. He has played in 7 games since then, won 5 games, lost one game in regulation, and lost one game in overtime. He has a 2.89 goals against average with a 0.901 save percentage.
The Cyclones finished the season as the top scoring team in the ECHL with 247 goals scored. The next closest teams were the Alaska Aces (243) and the Florida Everblades (240). The Cyclones are also the best disciplined team in the ECHL with a league low 839 penalty minutes taken. They enter tonight’s first playoff game on a run of 6-2-2-0 (14 points) in their last 10 games played.
How do you feel our ECHL club will fair in the playoffs? What do you make of the Admirals that have played with them this season? Any surprises – positive or negative? Could Hellberg be a key for them in a deep playoff run?
Hockey being played in the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Is this now a sight with a ticking clock attached to it? (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
In case you missed some major Milwaukee news yesterday – the Milwaukee Bucks longtime owner Herb Kohl announced that he reached an agreement to sell the team to hedge-fund billionaires Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry. Kohl purchased the team in 1985 for $18 million and, if this agreement clears the NBA and its board of governors, will see a return of $550 million. So, that’s a profit.
What makes this news so huge is (A) the sale was made with the condition that the team needed to remain in Milwaukee and (B) that there is an expected plan to build a new stadium to replace the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
While details and known “knowns” are still yet to be fully realized from this new ownership – the idea of a new stadium presents the Milwaukee Admirals with a potential challenge that they haven’t dealt with since the construction of the Bradley Center started. Where is home and what does the future have in store?
There are actually numerous questions that come to mind with this news to me. Do the Admirals, like the Bucks, leave the Bradley Center all together for this new facility? Where will this new stadium be erected? What becomes of the Bradley Center? What does an additional new venue mean for the ol’ MECCA aka the aging US Cellular Arena?
In fact, I’m sure you all probably have even more questions than just that. I’d love to hear your thoughts, opinions, questions, and answers. I think this is a news story that only grows in the coming months. How it impacts the Milwaukee Admirals will be something I’m definitely going to keep my eye on as news of this ownership change continues to pour out.
I finally had the chance to take the perfect photo of Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason… then he turned away from me.
This morning I had a few Roundtable readers with me at practice at the MSOE Kern Center. I didn’t really want to break from the crowd to sneak in some interviews, therefore, this is a little bit more of a recap of what I saw.
When I walked through the doors I saw a very pleasant sight on the ice: Mike Liambas. He was in a red “no contact” jersey just putting in the paces. My guess: I caught him cooling down. He skated by himself almost forty-five minutes before the rest of the team held practice.
Good news continued because there were so many healthy bodies at today’s practice an addition set of forward jerseys were used. Generally, to make the lines distinct, the forwards wear white, baby blue, royal blue, and yellow practice jerseys. Because of the numbers we saw green practice jerseys in use. Here were the forward line combinations from practice:
That’s right. Mark Van Guilder was back and skating. He was in full-contact practice and, for a lower-body injury being the label, showed no ill signs. Of the listed lines – it is that last one that I suspect would be the scratch line when all is said and done for the playoffs. The other four lines? They excite me. They excite me a lot. There is incredible depth throughout those four lines. Much to be giddy about, I think.
All defensemen were on hand except for Kirill Gotovets. As the AHL recent transaction wire states: he was released from his ATO. He played real well in his professional debut. I expect him to find a place quickly – unless he is still under contract with the Blackhawks – even he didn’t sound like he really knew when I spoke with him about how he joined the Admirals.
T.J. Brennan has consistently led AHL defensemen in scoring this season. The next closest, Adam Clendening of the Rockford IceHogs, has ten fewer points. (Photo Credit: David Cooper / Toronto Star)
The AHL announced today that Toronto Marlies T.J. Brennan was voted the winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s most outstanding defenseman during the 2013-14 season.
Brennan has been a dynamic offensive force from the blueline all season for the Buds, racking up a team-leading 24 goals and 69 points in 73 games (good for fifth in the AHL). Those numbers stand as the most points by an AHL defenseman since 2005-06, and the most goals since 1999-2000. Brennan has a league-leading 42 power play points, and leads the league with 12 man advantage goals. The full season proved to be a carry over of the 25-year-old’s fast start, as Brennan picked up two hat tricks in his first three games.
Considering the Admirals current playoff position (fifth), one point ahead of Abbotsford which has a game in hand, and Toronto’s (third), Brennan could be a Milwaukee foe in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
So Roundtable . . . Who is your vote as the Admirals best defenseman this season? Lots of good choices to pick from: Anthony Bitetto (10 goals, 35 points & 85 PIMs), Bryan Rodney (33 points), Joe Piskula (23 points, team-best not including Jarnkrok +20 rating), captain Scott Ford (+6 & 81 PIMs) are all great choices, or perhaps Charles-Olivier Roussel, Joonas Jarvinen or Scott Valentine?
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