Milwaukee, WI—The Milwaukee Admirals announced today that the team has assigned defenseman Mikko Vainonen and forward Jaynen Rissling to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. In addition, the team has loaned forward Eric Robinson and goalie Brandon Whitney to the Cyclones and released defenseman Mike Ratchuk and forward Andrew Yogan from their tryout contracts.
The Admirals roster now sits at 24 players: two goalies, eight defensemen, and 14 forwards. A current roster is attached.
The Admirals will open the regular season next Saturday night, October 10 at the Allstate Arena against the Chicago Wolves. The Ads home opener is slated for Friday, October 16th at 7 pm against the Charlotte Checkers at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
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As the press release states – the roster is now at 24 players. I get the impression current PTO signings David Moss and Adam Payerl might have earned places on the Admirals roster. Time will tell if they get bumped up to a fully fledged AHL deal. There’s certainly no rush on the Admirals to make that happen right now -but- it would streamline the season should Moss or Payerl be in the long term plans rather than going PTO deal to PTO deal at 25 games a pop.
Thoughts on the current shape of the roster? Would you have preferred to see Robinson or Rissling stay up in place of someone else? Should the keep both Moss and Payerl or will an addition such as Steve Moses make that overkill?
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Not having been there in-person last night. I’m going out on a limb and saying that Kevin Fiala learned his lesson from last season and did not celebrate an overtime game-winner like he did last season.
As far as game summaries are concerned this should be the very ugly duckling of the bunch. I wasn’t able to make the trip to Chicago to catch the Milwaukee Admirals last pre-season exhibition game and outside coverage was just about limited to the Chicago Wolves Game Ops Twitter feed. Rather than divvy up the retweets alone and scoreline on Facebook let’s get some more information across.
After the Admirals played on Friday night head coach Dean Evason was insistent that Marek Mazanec would start Saturday’s game and that there would be some changes to the lineup. Here is what the Admirals played on Friday night:
The Admirals decided to put Kevin Fiala and Taylor Aronson into the lineup while giving Miikka Salomäki and Conor Allen the night off. Mazanec did in fact get the start in net but would only play the opening two periods, stopping 14/14 shots on goal, before Brandon Whitney took over for the third period and the eventual overtime.
As for the game itself? It seemed defensively sound through the opening two frames. It took until there were fifty-seven seconds remaining in the second period before David Moss scored the game’s first goal. After that? All bets were off from the third period onward and six goals were scored between the two teams. Goals in order of appearance: Pat Cannone, Adam Payerl, Zach O’Brien, Max Reinhart, and -with less than a minute remaining in regulation- Jordan Schmaltz.
The game was all tied at 3-3 due to the last gasp goal for the Wolves. The game would go to 3-v-3 overtime where Fiala’s talents got the job done and saw the Admirals take two wins from two exhibition matches in two days.
Scoreline alone, you get the impression that this game might not have had the same level of ‘control’ as the Admirals appeared to play with against the Rockford IceHogs. My attitude without even seeing any of the goals is – good. The reason for these exhibition games is to get a good test of personnel on the ice and to see some areas that could need improvement right away. While winning is always nice – the final scoreline result really doesn’t mean anything in pre-season. What’s more important is the individual efforts being put on display to see who is delivering and can earn their place for opening night of the regular season. It was only two games but that should hold the team over pretty well until the season starts next weekend.
Practice this week should be targeted at some of the faults that these exhibition games may have exposed either individually or as a team. I’m hoping to once again make it in for some practices and can guarantee that I’ll be on hand for Media Day this Thursday. That should be a day in which the 2015-16 team captains are revealed. It should also be a good day to get as many player interviews as possible.
Did you make the trip down to Chicago for last night’s game? If so, this is where the term Roundtable means everything because you’re as much a part of the conversation as me writing what I just did. Please write a comment below and give me all your thoughts and insights below. Would be really interested in how everyone looked, how good the goals were when scored by the Admirals, and how bad the goals allowed by the Admirals in the third period were.
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Roscoe, dude, trying to watch the game over here. Dude? Dude! (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
You can only practice for so long before that itch to get into game situations drives you a bit crazy. Last night was finally the Milwaukee Admirals chance to take the ice and test themselves. That opening couple of seconds might have come as a slight surprise. Thankfully the entire game that followed was a different story.
What impressed me the most about the Admirals 5-2 win over the Rockford IceHogs was the puck movement and puck pressure. Defending smart. Winning pucks. And then countering with pace and precision.
The team defense was solid and hounding the IceHogs the entire game. For a team that played the night before and pelted the Chicago Wolves with numerous shots on goal – the Admirals didn’t allow them to play an open ended game. The Admirals took away a lot of time and space which made for a relatively comfortable night in net for Juuse Saros.
Once the defense won back pucks the movement in transition by the Admirals from defending to attacking was a joy to watch. It was an area last season that was such a struggle as opponents would clog the neutral zone and win puck battles on the dump and chase. Last night’s work through neutral ice was composed, passes connected, and entering the offensive zone -and then holding it- was good. The passing felt incredibly precise for the Admirals first exhibition game of the season when you’d expect certain players to have timing wrong or still understanding the dynamics of new teammates. It either simply wasn’t there tonight or didn’t show in this game.
Another highlight for me was the defensive pairing of Conor Allen and Kristian Näkyvä. The two defensemen mirror one-another in terms of skill set and they seem to have a natural chemistry as a result. When figuring in Peter Laviolette‘s system, where defensemen jump up in attack, it’s important to not get burnt on a counter attack. Allen and Näkyvä didn’t fall into that trap where some other defensemen did on the night – which led to some odd-man breaks. The paring covered ice well enough to trek back defensively and both gauged the distance of “how far up ice is too far when helping out in the offensive zone” really good.
All in all, I was impressed by much of what I saw from the Admirals. They played a very smart game and there were lots of good individual performances to speak of. With how loaded the roster is it’s going to be an interesting next week to see just who stays and who goes as far as PTO contracts and the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL are concerned. For example, what does the addition of Steve Moses mean for guys like David Moss and Adam Payerl? Even players who went through Cincinnati last season like Joe Pendenza, Frédérick Gaudreau, Jaynen Rissling, Jonathan Diaby, and Garrett Noonan are all on that cusp of starting their seasons in the ECHL depending on how things play out. For the coaching staff I imagine this to be a wonderful problem to have. For the players this is a battle for roster spots. I have to believe that mentality factors into a performance like the Admirals had against the IceHogs.
After the game, I spoke with head coach Dean Evason. I also was able to chat with Saros and Gaudreau. Here is what they had to say after defeating the IceHogs at the MSOE Kern Center.
The Admirals won 5-2 against the Rockford IceHogs at the MSOE Kern Center Friday night. It was a great glimpse for fans in Milwaukee to get their first taste of the 2015-16 Admirals in game action. And they didn’t disappoint. Despite a quick tally for the IceHogs to open the game it was all Admirals for the majority of this contest.
“We were happy with the outcome,” said Milwaukee Admirals head coach Dean Evason. “But we were also happy with a lot of people and their performances tonight. Really liked [Juuse] Saros in net. Was real calm. But there was a lot of people that are still fighting for opportunities and still fighting for jobs. Lot of people showed very well.”
Even for those expecting a fast start from the IceHogs, coming off an exhibition last night against the Chicago Wolves, you wouldn’t have expected them to start this fast. Only seventeen seconds into the game and a Dennis Robertson shot from the right point pelted off of Juuse Saros right pad and into the path of Mark McNeill for the opening goal.
“Everything happened pretty fast there,” said Juuse Saros. “We had a tough start.”
As the opening frame started to heat up the Admirals were able to work themselves more and more into the controlling stakes of game. Puck control and persistent pressure on defense had the IceHogs on the backfoot.
After goaltender Mac Carruth was whistled for a delay of game penalty the Admirals equalized with a power-play goal. A hard shot aimed low through traffic by Conor Allen at the point managed to ricochet out to Max Reinhart who zipped in the rebound to make it 1-1.
Only moments later, Joe Pendenza made a great play behind the net to pick out a wide open Felix Girard in front of the net where he would beat Carruth to the glove side to give the Admirals a 2-1 lead.
In the second period Pontus Åberg was able to extend the Admirals lead to 3-1. The energy in attack spilled into the sandwich stanza and quick passes managed to open up the left wing for Åberg to slot past Carruth.
Then came a scrap. Jimmy Oligny was looking game for a fight in the first period and got his dance partner midway through the second period in Patrick Koudys. There were some clean shots landed from both. I’ll take a guess that Oligny landed the better of the exchanges because he made it to the box and Koudys left for repairs.
The third period resulted in the second goal of the night for Åberg as he roamed the left wing. Adam Payerl provided a great lofted pass from the right wing to tee up Åberg for the back post finish.
A little past the halfway point in the third period and Chris DeSousa decided he had enough. The IceHogs forward crosschecked Girard after an initial faceoff draw and then came the fisticuffs. The bout was more of a quick judo throw and wrasslin’ match on the ice with DeSousa on top. He then proceeded to spout venom at any Admirals player he could see including that one bench he skated past.
In the closing minutes of the game the IceHogs would finally do what they managed to do so effortlessly to start the game, beat Saros. The IceHogs had a two-on-one break which ended with Kyle Stroh burying a puck high blocker side off a feed from Peter Schneider.
The following faceoff was taken with the IceHogs net emptied. Quicker than you could say it – Max Görtz had scored on the empty net to finish this game off at 5-2.
“We’ve got some decisions to make,” said Evason of the roster. “Which is great. We feel that we have a lot of people that can play on a regular basis and we’re looking forward to it shaking down tomorrow night.”
The Admirals play their final exhibition game of this pre-season tomorrow night on the road against the Wolves. The regular season starts Saturday October 10th on the road against those same Wolves and the home opener is Friday October 16th against the Charlotte Checkers.
Ramblings: Tonight’s line combinations were: Salomäki-Reinhart-Moss, Åberg-Kamenev-Payerl, Pendenza-Girard-Görtz, Rissling-Gaudreau-Robinson, Allen-Näkyvä, Noonan-Oligny, Murphy-Diaby, with Saros in net. Tomorrow night Marek Mazanec will start in net and there should be some changes to the skaters that dress and get scratches as well.
Cody Bass? Mike Liambas? Could you guys do this again but in your new uniforms please? Continuity is appreciated around these here parts. (Photo Credit: Greg Hamil)
Welcome back, hockey season. We all missed you dearly. I know that tonight is only an exhibition game but there should be plenty of talent on display for the Milwaukee Admirals and Rockford IceHogs when the two take the ice tonight at the MSOE Kern Center. Everyone is still competing for those final roster spots and coaching staffs are also looking into line combinations that have great chemistry. The result of the exhibition game might not mean much as far as a win or loss goes. But who performs well and doesn’t can have big implications before the regular season begins.
Liambas hardly needs to explained. Anyone that gets endeared by an organization and fan base to the point a bobblehead gets made actually says a lot from an AHL team. His time with the Admirals was tremendous in terms of his development away from out-and-out enforcer to a solid checking forward that can play smart on the ice. He went from playing defenseman in juniors to left wing when he joined the Admirals and his work on the wing will continue as he shifts into the next chapter in his career as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization this season.
Remember Gotovets? Of course you do! How can you not? He made his professional playing debut with the Admirals back at the end of the 2013-14 season. The 24-year old defenseman from Belarus spent the majority of last season with the Indy Fuel in the ECHL but did make it up to play 12 games for the IceHogs and now looks set for an extended run in the AHL.
If you’re familiar with Admirals goaltending you probably know the name Ben Vanderklok. He was an assistant goaltending coach who went on to succeed Mitch Korn as the goaltending coach of the Nashville Predators. Why is all that important information? Visentin. The 23-year old played in net for the Niagara IceDogs in junior hockey while Vanderklok was his goaltending coach. He was a prized student of his, had a great junior playing career, and worked his way into an NHL debut two season ago. Unfortunately for him, he suffered an ankle injury that required surgery which sidelined him for all of last season. The Arizona Coyotes opted not to submit a qualifying offer on him which made him a free agent this summer. He lands in the Blackhawks organization where goaltending success stories are starting to build up. Visentin has the potential to be the next one. How does he look and perform after missing a season due to injury? That’ll be a story to watch this season.
With Morin and McNeill you get two very “oh, them again” IceHogs. Morin is the organization’s all-time leading goal scorer and a man who I wonder if he will ever get a long run in the NHL. McNeill, on the other hand, would just like a game or two at the NHL level. This will be his third full professional playing season and the past two campaigns, all with the IceHogs, have equated to 81 points (41 goals, 40 assists) in 139 games. These are two key scorers who will be looking to do even more damage in an effort to push for an NHL call up.
Paille and Dowell are the real solid veteran skaters that the IceHogs will have this season. Paille was a Stanley Cup winner with the 2010-11 Boston Bruins and was signed to a PTO contract with the IceHogs this week. Dowell’s solid pro career continues with his second stint with the IceHogs. He was a fifth round draft pick of the Blackhawks in 2004 as a product of the Wisconsin Badgers. He is a solid locker room and on-ice leader who is coming off of a season with the Hamilton Bulldogs that saw him play every single game.
~Already Warmed Up~
Tonight might be the first exhibition game for the Admirals but they’ll be facing a team in the IceHogs who played last night. The IceHogs lost 2-2 in a shootout to the Chicago Wolves – a team that the Admirals get to play in their second exhibition game, a road game, on Saturday night.
In last night’s contest the IceHogs managed to claw out of a 2-0 deficit in the third period to force overtime and eventually a shootout. Casey Thrush scored a rebounder to get Rockford on the board and then Morin picked up the equalizer. The goaltending duel was Jordan Binnington for the Wolves against Visentin and it was the man in net for the Wolves that won this one: 35 saves and 2/4 in the shootout.
~Big Mouth Billy Bass Reference Here~
Lost in the news shuffle yesterday afternoon was that the Admirals now have Cody Bass. The former IceHogs forward cleared waivers yesterday from the Predators to reach the Admirals and should provide that little bit of balance in regards to Liambas crossing the divide to the visiting bench.
What are your expectations for tonight’s exhibition game? Should the Admirals start Brandon Whitney for tonight’s game or should Juuse Saros attempt to start and play all of tonight and tomorrow’s game in preparation for the regular season?
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Juuse this new guy at practice today? (Photo Credit: Daniel Lavender)
It was the third day of training camp for the Milwaukee Admirals at the MSOE Kern Center. They are set to play an exhibition game tomorrow night at the college facility. To get another good look at the team before then I trekked in to see just how things looked after the latest round of roster cuts.
Oddly enough, there weren’t really specific line drills performed at practice today. The team was dressed in white and black uniforms. When I saw this I assumed the roster was split up to do a mock-scrimmage or something extensive but that wasn’t really the case. So, for the additions of Colton Sissons and David Moss in camp, lines weren’t exactly noticeable. Prior to tomorrow night’s exhibition game should be a little more telling.
One of the new names in town at practice today was Juuse Saros. The 20-year old Finnish netminder looked sharp during multiple shooting drills and I’m very impressed by his side-to-side movements. That photo I snapped up top for this story? He made the initial save, the rebound kicked out, and he pushed aside the follow up. He’s quick, a wee lad, but oh so very quick. I’m hoping he either gets the net tomorrow night or in full for Saturday night. That all depends on Marek Mazanec‘s travel arrangements and fatigue from jet lag because he is still not in Milwaukee yet.
After practice I had the chance to speak with new assistant coach Scott Ford, winger Max Görtz, and the aforementioned Sissons. This is what everyone had to say this afternoon.
Today the Nashville Predators announced three more cuts from their pre-season roster. Colton Sissons, Steve Moses, and Juuse Saros have been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals, leaving the Predators with 25 skaters on the roster. Per the NHL’s Hockey Operations Guidelines two more players must be cut in order to trim the roster to its final 23 names for the 2015-16 season.
In Moses Milwaukee adds a player who racked up a KHL (arguably the second best league in the world) best 36 goals last year. Nashville is looking to see a consistent scoring touch in North America out of the 26-year-old, who has been playing overseas for the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Sissons returns for his third Admirals campaign eager to make his latest AHL visit a short one after back-to-back 25 goal seasons. Saros was always expected to play for Milwaukee, and will likely be the team’s netminder for part or all of Friday night’s preseason opener.
In addition, Milwaukee announced yesterday that five players have been signed to professional try-out contracts by the organization. Headlining the new Admirals PTOs is former Arizona Coyotes forward David Moss, a veteran of over 500 NHL contests. In addition, Adam Payerl, Andrew Yogan and Mike Ratchuk, who are all under contract with Milwaukee’s ECHL affiliate Cincinnati, and Dov Grumet-Morris were also added to the squad, as Daniel Lavender relayed yesterday. The latter four were all listed on the initial training camp roster yesterday, while Moss was not.
Moss represents an intriguing possibility for the Admirals going forward. Though not prone to physical play or fighting, the 33-year-old is a big winger (6’4″ 209 lbs.) with a decent scoring touch, as seasons of 20 goals (2008-09) and 17 goals in 2010-11 attest to. Moss played in 60 games for Arizona last season, picking up four goals, 12 points and a minus-18 rating. He played in 79 contests one season prior.
Lavender Update: Moses is signed to a one-way contract but did not require waivers to reach the Milwaukee Admirals. So, for all the competition that there was in camp, it appears as though Viktor Arvidsson has beaten them all at the wing spot. Not too shabby.
So Roundtable . . . What are your thoughts on the new additions? Does Colton Sissons deserve a roster spot in Nashville? Are you intrigued by the addition of David Moss on a minor league contract?
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Today marked the first day of training camp for the Milwaukee Admirals. Practice at the MSOE Kern Center went on for a little over an hour and a half. And it was fantastic getting a glimpse of the new and returning talent.
The roster revealed yesterday was all there minus one name, Marek Mazanec. The Czech goaltender was back home to be there for the birth of his first child. The Admirals received help in the form of Dov Grumet-Morris to fill the void in net at practice today. Mazanec is expected to rejoin the Admirals this weekend. The plan initially was to have him start Saturday night’s exhibition game on the road against the Chicago Wolves but, due to fatigue or jet lag, there is a question mark as to whether or not that holds true. It seems very likely that Brandon Whitney gets the nod for Friday night’s game against the Rockford IceHogs.
As far as line combinations go I expect things to change up here and there as training camp marches on. I’m not entirely expecting the lines I saw today in practice be what we see on opening night. That said, here is how the forwards rolled out today.
If any line catches my eye it’d be that second line. I’d love for that pairing to stick because the skill level of all three would be a joy to watch in a game situation. Another note worth mentioning. It seems the Admirals will be committed to Rissling as a winger rather than as a defenseman. Hey, that move worked out for Mike Liambas – and Rissling is a bit bigger of a bulldozer than Liambas.
What about the defense you say? Well, all were accounted for but there was never really any pairings to speak of. You get that a lot with Admirals practices but even more so when there are as many defensemen in a training camp like this right now. Things are static and it’s more down to individual looks and performance than forming a tandem. For what it’s worth, today was my first serious look at Kristian Näkyvä and I really loved what I saw from him. He can skate really well and has a nasty shot. If the goal is to emulate the parent club then that means having defensemen that are capable of stepping up and helping out on the rush. Näkyvä might possess that ability better than any current Admirals defenseman.
After practice came to a close I had the chance to speak with head coach Dean Evason. I also spoke with Fiala and Salomäki. While the audio clips by Fiala might come off as short one-word answers I wouldn’t take that as some sort of a slight from him to the media. My secondary language when I was his age was limited to asking where the library was so I’m used to European players such as him keeping things brief or to the point. Evason’s dialogue on him was far more telling than anything when it comes to Fiala’s situation of starting his season in the AHL. And that’s good enough for me. Here’s what everyone had to say after today’s opening practice in Milwaukee.
Ladies and Gents, your new No. 10. …this means more in European football I think. (Photo Credit: Jan Wiriden)
The Milwaukee Admirals just provided a handy dandy PDF that reveals both new uniform numbers for players and a few names that have been added to training camp. The new additions includes: Adam Payerl (C), Andrew Yogan (LW), and Mike Ratchuk (D). For those unable to open the PDF above here it is in easy access jpeg form:
Information via Milwaukee Admirals
All three of the new names added to training camp are members of the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) this season. All are signed specifically to ECHL contracts so in any event where Payerl, Yogan, or Ratchuk get brought to the Admirals it comes on a loan or PTO basis from the Cyclones.
Payerl is an undrafted winger that has spent the majority of his career in the AHL under the Penguins banner. He has also played twice in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He doesn’t post eye popping offensive numbers, 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in the last two AHL seasons he’s played (84 games), but at 6’3″ and 218 lbs. he has the frame that can muscle it out on the lower lines and eat up minutes on the ice.
Yogan was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. In his last year in junior hockey, 2011-12, he had an incredible scoring season for the Peterborough Petes: 79 points (41 goals, 38 assists) in 66 games. Added Fun Fact: He was teammates with Austin Watson and Trevor Murphy that season. Since, his pro career has slightly been tumbleweeds. His scoring numbers have receded and he’s going from an NHL draft pick, to AHL talent, to ECHL talent. Perhaps this new backdrop of Milwaukee/Cincinnati can reignite his scoring touch.
Ratchuk, were he to actually be a mainstay on the Admirals, would be the oldest defenseman on the roster at 27-years old. He was a second round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006 but has yet to play a game in the NHL. His time as a pro has been split between the AHL (147 career games) and ECHL (175 career games). Looking at his track record I’m going to take a guess injuries played a part in him going from 69 games played with the Wheeling Nailers in 2013-14 to 28 games played last season. No matter, he’s set to join his fourth different ECHL team this season and -should he stay healthy- can hopefully provide his 2013-14 level of performance.
The Admirals training camp roster should expand when some more faces arrive from Nashville in the coming days (e.g. Cody Bass, Jamie Devane, Juuse Saros, and more). I’d anticipate some moves being made in advance of Friday’s exhibition game against the Rockford IceHogs. As far as spotting guys tomorrow though? This list should help you out.
Once again, I’ll be at the MSOE Kern Center tomorrow morning for the start of training camp. You can check out the full training camp schedule here. Hope to see you rinkside.
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I can’t wait to start using different photos with our actual players wearing the new threads. (Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
The Milwaukee Admirals open up training camp tomorrow morning. There will be some stories formed out of camp the next week or so as far as how lines shape up, who will be the captains, who trickles down to the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL, and much more. For right now I say let’s take a look at some of the basics because there are plenty of storylines worth taking stock of before the pucks start flying around at the MSOE Kern Center.
~New Season, Same Problems~
The Admirals ended last season with a record of 4-14-5-3 following February 15th in which they lost Brendan Leipsic to trade and Miikka Salomäki due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. There was no playoff hockey in Milwaukee for the first time since the Admirals inaugural season in the American Hockey League of 2001-02. It could be a concern to some that more of the same could be on the horizon. There are up to 17 returning names on this year’s Admirals team from the previous season. Yet I say turn your focus away from the players for a moment and shift them to behind the bench.
This is year number four of Dean Evason as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals. In his first three seasons he has collected a regular season record of 113-80-18-17. In his first two seasons his Admirals made the playoffs but did so only to get eliminated in the opening round with only a single win from the two best-of-five game series to show for it.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
Looking at all of that, knowing the team finished last in the division a season ago and missed the playoffs, you might be wondering if similar history is set to repeat itself. The simple answer to that, of course, is we won’t know for sure until some games are laid down. Even then I feel last season’s hot streak cold streak style could even lessen some of the ‘feel good’ out of an early successful period of play. Should this team start as cold as it finished though I think there can be cause for concern. There could come a point in this season if things go sour when someone asks whether or not the player development in Milwaukee and lack of team results go hand-in-hand. If there was any single person or group that is motivated to rebound from the struggles of last season I have to imagine it is Evason and his coaching staff.
What I think will help plenty is when we bring our focus back to the players themselves. There are so many returning faces that I think everyone has more than enough motivation to better themselves and what was on display a season ago. Even bigger than that of course is that the prospect pool of the Nashville Predators is a deep one and, for some, that itself is motivation enough. This is an important year for several names that need to put a big fat stamp down on this season as to not get lost in shuffle of forwards that will be entering the prospect pool after this season. Will they make Nashville keep them in their plans or end up out of a job? It’s up to performances shining through on the ice to make the answer to that question clear. Should the players hold themselves to that high level of a standard it should only mean good things for the Admirals as a team for this campaign.
The biggest name of the newbies is easily Saros. The 20-year old goaltender from Finland is making his first splash in North America this season and he enters with a large amount of hype surrounding him. There’s a good possibility that this Finn will succeed another Finn named Pekka Rinne in Nashville one of these years.
In my talks with Magnus Hellberg last season, I got a much better understanding of the adjustment process from the European game to North American game as it relates to goaltending. You not only have a smaller rink, and therefore a quicker game pace to deal with, but the manner in which offenses crowd the net and play off of rebounds is a higher point of emphasis than it is in Europe. Yet, it is still safe to say that this adaptation process is entirely individual. How fast can Saros adapt? The early signs from Nashville’s rookie and pre-season camps suggest that he has adapted quickly… very quickly.
(Photo Credit: Pasi Liesimaa)
Saros is not your prototypical Nashville Predators goaltending prospect. He’s a wee lad that only registers in at 5’10” tall. By comparison sake to the Predators goaltenders that we’ve come to know over the years he should look every bit on the ice like the kid that he actually is. What’s important to note is that height and size isn’t everything. In fact, I sometimes question if bigger sized goaltenders get away with the mistakes that someone with the size of Saros could ill afford to make. While a goaltender like Hellberg might get caught out by moving side-to-side only to rely on his size to bail him out. A goalie like Saros doesn’t have that. He’s never had that size as a bail out. In turn he has incredibly fast instincts and reaction speed to account for the extra bit of net that has opened up due to his size. It’s these instincts that will make his adaptation process to the North American game fast and the selection of “who is number one in net” for the Admirals a question mark from opening day forward.
As for the others, Kamenev and Görtz are two of the skaters I am really eager to see play for the Admirals this season.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Vinnick)
Kamenev was the Predators second round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. He’s a 19-year old Russian center who has 57 games of professional playing experience in Russia’s KHL with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The on-ice life for him should be easy enough. He might not be the flashiest player to hit the ice for the Admirals this season but I think his age might get lost in how well he plays. As for off the ice it will be curious to see how he, his coaches, and teammates handle the language barrier. I say, if Marek Mazanec can come through it and speak the level of English that he can now, so can Kamenev. The game of hockey is a universal language. The more he and everyone learns to communicate with one-another off the ice will only allow him to feel more comfortable in his own skin.
(Photo Credit: Jan Wiriden)
Görtz is a player I’ve been excited about seeing for a good amount of time. He’s a strong winger with good skill to go with his size. He is coming off of his best playing season of his career in which he scored 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 53 games with Frölunda in Sweden. My lone concern was that how his season ended last year would hinder his 2015-16 start. Görtz ended last season being taken off the ice on a stretcher in the SHL playoffs after receiving a headshot. He was caught with his head down as he skated in towards goal. How would he handle himself getting back on the ice for a game after a scene like that? Luckily, his Rookie Tournament and work in pre-season both have looked good and any sort of “getting back in the saddle” jitters he might have had simply didn’t show in his performances. That’s as good of a sight to see as seeing his name on the scoresheet. I feel like Görtz is just the type of winger the Admirals have been needing to have success. Look at how well Austin Watson has performed on the wing scoring wise and think about having a second incarnation of that on the depth chart. Someone who won’t get out-muscled or out-sized working the wall and can scrap it out in front of the net for gritty goals as well as whip some in from open play. That’s who Görtz can be for this year’s Admirals team.
~The Fiala Conundrum~
This off-season I felt more and more confident that Kevin Fiala would make the Predators opening day roster. Be it simply depth up top, or the coaching staff thinking he isn’t ready yet, his season starts in Milwaukee. This will begin a fun chapter of the 2015-16 season that should mirror one from the 2013-14 season when a kid named Filip Forsberg found himself in a similar scenario. Highly talented, but unpolished. Can play in the NHL, but you’d rather have him logging top line AHL minutes than lower tier NHL minutes (if not healthy scratched).
Fiala certainly looks better than last season which should mean amazing things for the Admirals. When he arrived midway through last season as an 18-year old he practically hit the ground running: 20 points (11 goals, 9 assists) in 33 games. Not to mention, some of his goals were just flat out ridiculous.
(Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch)
If there were to be any concern for Fiala this season it purely comes from between the ears level stuff. For example, how will the disappointment of not making the Predators opening day roster impact him? Will he be extra motivated to get back up top or shaken up from losing out on an NHL spot? What if he starts well, continues to do well, but the Predators still don’t have the room for him and would rather he keep developing at the AHL level? Does he start gripping the stick tighter wanting that NHL time or continue going about his business and controlling what he can control. Time should tell with that and hopefully a sophomore slump is avoided.
No matter what proceeds in the Fiala storyline of this season it’s quite simple. He is an incredible talent. What I’m sure can be instructed to Nashville fans eager to see him hit the scene, similar to Forsberg back in 2013-14, is to be patient. Being as young as he still is – the more he can play this season the better (AHL or NHL). I’m sure the reason why he is in Milwaukee is for the same reason I’d have sent him to Milwaukee. Why not play top line minutes instead of here-and-there action on the fourth line in Nashville? While playing in the NHL might satisfy your ego logging those lower line minutes sort of defeats the purpose. Let him play. Let him learn. Watch him grow.
~Defensive Wake Up Call~
This time last season I was more worried about an inexperienced defense more than anything else. Heck, if you were to tell me that Taylor Aronson was to have the season he had a year ago I might have fainted. Sadly, Aronson’s improvement and some decent work out of the pairings of Joe Piskula and Anthony Bitetto were about as good as it got really. The defensive structure of the team last season was quite sloppy and players such as Johan Alm and Garrett Noonan were spotty when part of the Admirals setup.
Jump cut to present day and Piskula is gone, PTO contractee Scott Ford is now an assistant coach with the Admirals, and some new names have been added. The loss of Piskula still saddens me in the sense he really was the most consistent defenseman on the Admirals last season and provided the calm presence you’d expect from a veteran like him. With him gone now the team will look to lean on two players that are is six-years younger than Piskula in Allen and Bitetto.
(Photo Credit: Nashville Predators)
I think Bitetto needs no introduction. His game keeps evolving and, while the scoring touch might be lacking, his defense has looked better and better. The prospect of him being able to produce offensively as he did in 2013-14, scoring 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) in 73 games, and then playing as stout defensively as he did last season is perhaps just what Nashville are looking for when it comes to his long-term outlook with the organization. He’s set to be the Admirals top defenseman this season. Has the potential to be a team captain considering his standing and respect level within the locker room. One season removed from making his NHL debut and this could be the most important season in Bitetto’s career. Everything is in place for him to put it all together. Can he do it?
(Photo Credit: Hartford Wolf Pack // flickr)
Allen is the oldest defenseman on the Admirals this season. And when I say older I mean by about five months on Bitetto. Allen is an undrafted defenseman who played his trade with UMass-Amherst. After finishing up in college he made his pro debut in the AHL with the Connecticut Whale. He then proceeded to play with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL and played 7 games with the New York Rangers in the NHL. His AHL numbers, especially last season, are solid. In 2013-14 he played 72 games, scored 31 points (6 goals, 25 assists), had 71 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus rating of -4. In 2014-15 he played 72 games, scored 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists), had 113 penalty minutes, and a plus/minus rating of +1. He might not be the Sconnie that you knew and love in Piskula but I say give this Chicago native a chance. He should fit in nicely, play a quite similar brand of hockey as Bitetto can, and might not even have hit his ceiling yet.
~Czeching In With Maz~
This off-season’s early storyline was the goaltending dilemma. Will Saros make the leap to North America? If so, who stays and who goes? That has of course been answered but now leaves a question mark as it relates to Mazanec.
If the Predators are as invested in Saros as they appear to be does it mean he’ll end up getting the majority of starts in Milwaukee this season over Mazanec?
Early into the goaltending situation being figured out the more I understood the reasoning behind why Nashville went the route that it did. Mazanec has the NHL experience and would be that slightly bit more acclimatized to help out in the event of an injury that required a call up. Yet, with that in mind, is he purely back in Milwaukee on that condition while Saros gets that majority of starts in net? It’s a question that will play out before our eyes early in the season.
What is curious to see will be Mazanec’s start, middle, and end to this season. He has started great the first two years of his Admirals career.
(Photo Credit: Scott Paulus)
2013-14, Mazanec started the season off with five wins in his first five starts before getting an NHL call up that saw him get Rookie of the Month honors in November 2013. He labored a little bit in his return to the Admirals – losing six of his first seven appearances in February 2014 – but he literally needed to shoulder the load in goal during that time due to the amount of injuries at the position. Once he settled back in? Brilliant: he won nine of his last twelve games including his last four straight and had a 0.926 save percentage across that span.
2014-15, Mazanec once again started off the season by winning his first five starts of the season. But, much like the Admirals season as a whole last year, it was up down and around from then on out. His save percentage month-by-month broke down: 0.924, 0.894, 0.885, 0.947, 0.905, 0.867, 0.902. Basically, when he was good – he was great and when he was rough – he was ROUGH. To allow me to dip into something I said during my end season grades for last season… Hellberg allowed three or more goals fourteen times. Mazanec allowed three or more goals twenty-five times. There’s no tip-toeing around it. That’s simply not good enough.
There is a lot on the table for Mazanec this season and by that I really mean it being the difference between being the back-up in Nashville next season versus heading back home and playing for HC Plzen. Mazanec needs to step up to the plate, meet the challenge and hype train of Saros head on, and be the anchor in net here in Milwaukee. Should he flounder in his chances there is no reason why the net shouldn’t just be handed off to Saros to speed up his developmental process. The pressure is on and how Mazanec is able to handle it this season should be the difference between him succeeding Carter Hutton and not being back at all.
~Heart and Soul~
I believe I mentioned a kid named Salomäki getting injured for the season somewhere up top. Well, good news, that injury has healed up and he is back to 100% fitness for the 2015-16 playing season. So much so he was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct in the Predators pre-season opener. Some look at that as bad. I look at that and say he’s back to the way he was (more or less).
(Photo Credit: John Russell)
Considering his shoulder injury last season you’d wonder if more plays like that, such as a high impact boarding check, would get eliminated out of Salomäki’s arsenal. While I’m sure the coaches weren’t please at the time with him doing that I also think there was a wry smile as well. It’s that level of full throttle play from Salomäki that makes him so fun to watch and as effective on both sides of the puck as he is.
The game misconduct will probably be met by the player and coaches the same way it was when he suffered the same fate as a rookie here in Milwaukee. But it should also rebound as it did where he’s not a nasty player whose aim is to deliver checks like that. He’s simply an aggressive bull in a China shop. The moment that he went down for the season last year it felt like the team lost a big part of their identity. Salomäki’s tenacity on the ice in some ways is a great table setter for each and every forward to take the ice and commit to working as hard as he does in all areas of the ice. Him being back fully fit will be a hugely welcome addition to the team.
There’s plenty more storylines out there. For example, I’m thinking this should be an outstanding season for Colton Sissons and have briefly talked about why I think that should be the case. Plenty of stuff to talk up but tomorrow will be the first day of training camp downtown. I’ll be there and hope to catch up with the team afterwards so expect a Chatterbox or two this week. Hope to see you at the MSOE Kern Center this week. Not sure what the schedule is? Have a look here.
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