Daniel Carr – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Tom Dorsa — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:07:47 +0000

The Calder Cup Playoffs are upon us again, and in the Western Conference, we are seeing a lot of changes from the picture painted last season. The defending conference champions, the Texas Stars, failed to make the playoffs to defend their 2018 West title as one of five teams that competed in last season's Western Conference bracket that couldn't repeat as postseason teams.

Those teams are the Stars, Manitoba Moose, Rockford IceHogs, Tucson Roadrunners, and Ontario Reign. But with old teams and players out, new teams and players come in, setting up to shine under the bright lights of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Iowa Wild, Milwaukee Admirals, San Diego Gulls, and Colorado Eagles (in their first season as an AHL team) are seeking to wreak havoc on the American Hockey League after missing out on a chance last season.

And in the case of Iowa and Colorado, this is their first postseason appearance in the history of the franchise's current setup. Fans in Des Moines and Loveland will get to see enthralling playoff hockey for the first time in the AHL.

Let's take a look at the first-round matchups in the Western Conference, as well as what to expect from the two teams in action. The playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 17.

Central Division:

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 22: Milwaukee Admirals forward Eeli Tolvanen (11) on the ice during the first period of the American Hockey League game between the Milwaukee Admirals and Cleveland Monsters on February 22, 2019, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

The Wolves have the identity of a prototypical postseason club: they are a physical and experienced unit with good goaltending and even better coaching. It helps when they also have speed, skill, and depth, with four players (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, and Tomas Hyka) on the active roster registering more than 0.9 points per game.

They led the Western Conference in goals for (250) and were second in fewest goals against (199). Head coach Rocky Thompson has done a marvelous job for the Vegas Golden Knights' affiliate since taking the job in the summer of 2017, after leading the Windsor Spitfires to the Memorial Cup title.

While the Wolves have some size on their blueline with Nic Hague (4th-ranked Vegas prospect), Jake Bischoff (5th) and Griffin Reinhart (16th), they lost the bulk of their offensive contribution from their rearguards when Erik Brannstrom departed for the Senators organization in the Mark Stone trade.

Grand Rapids comes in with their own set of issues, the most notable of which is their freezing cold home stretch during which the Griffins lost their last nine games of the regular season (eight in regulation). There was no real reason for this besides a plain late-season struggle, as most of their two-way players are still with the club, and there is no lack of talent.

Regardless, the Griffins have proven twice during their seven-year stretch of playoff appearances that there is a potential championship run within them. The 2013 and 2017 Calder Cup champions have the experience and depth to make a run regardless of the poor final stretch.

The Griffins will have to limit penalties due to their division-worst 78.5% penalty kill percentage, while also playing well at five-on-five, on account of their power-play being mostly ineffective during the regular season (14.2%).

Prospects to Watch:

CHI: C Cody Glass (1st): Glass has perhaps the highest hockey IQ of any 2017 NHL Draft picks, and scored twice (with a game-high six shots on goal) in his professional debut on Friday, April 5.

CHI: G Oskar Dansk (14th): The netminder had a superb regular season (26-9-4, 2.47, .911) and looks to be the goalie of choice for Thompson and crew heading into the 2019 postseason.

GRG: RW, Filip Zadina (1st): The sixth-overall pick in last June's draft made an ambitious jump to the AHL this season, and at 18, performed well (59-16-19-35). His speed and shooting will be a big part of any possible turnaround for the Griffins this postseason.

GRG: D Joe Hicketts (11th): He isn't as noticeable as other prospects on the Grand Rapids blueline, but Hicketts had a solid 2018-19 campaign (64-3-24-27). The undersized defenseman packs a punch for the Griffins and is very patient with the puck.

Prediction: Wolves in four games.

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

After missing the postseason last year, the Admirals are back with a vengeance and are looking for their first Calder Cup since 2004. The Nashville Predators' primary affiliate has done most of their winning this season on the back of youthful and speedy prospects, which is often times a key to success in the playoffs.

Four of their top-five regular season scorers were on a team's top 20 prospects list in our preseason farm system rankings (Adam Helewka, Anthony Richard, Alexandre Carrier, Eeli Tolvanen). The Admirals are spearheaded by youth and electric forechecking assertiveness, which can be a lethal combination in the playoff hockey atmosphere.

It helps when you come into the first round on a red hot winning streak. In a tight Central Division postseason race, Milwaukee went 11-0-2-1 to end their season, fighting from seventh in the Central to second-place and home-ice advantage in round one.

The Wild, on the other hand, have been carried by some savvy and experienced veterans like Cal O'Reilly, Gerald Mayhew, and Kyle Rau, as well as a dynamic goaltending duo of All-Star Kaapo Kahkonen and AHL Player of the Week Andrew Hammond. But they won't have to lean on goaltending and experience all postseason long.

Head coach Tim Army has emphasized speed and hard work in the neutral zone all year long, and systemically, the Wild seem ready for the test. In addition, the Minnesota Wild re-assigned forwards Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway, and Luke Kunin down to Iowa after the NHL season ended in St. Paul. The trio will assist in generating that speed and scoring from the top lines, pushing nominal top six forwards into middle six roles and thus providing great depth to the offensive attack.

The most intriguing matchup to watch in this first-round series is special teams, specifically the Iowa power-play versus the Milwaukee penalty kill. The Wild posted the second-best power play percentage in the league (23.8%) in the regular season, but will line up against an Admirals' penalty kill unit that erased a Western Conference-high 85% of penalties. Army and fellow first-year head coach Karl Taylor will have their hands full of each other's high-end special teams groups in this one.

Prospects to Watch:

MIL: RW Eeli Tolvanen (1st): Though the Finn didn't have the year expected from the Nashville top prospect, Tolvanen was great down the stretch. His timely scoring and playmaking will no doubt be a factor in the playoffs.

MIL: D Alexandre Carrier (8th): His offensive output has always been there, but in his third full AHL year, the 5-11" playmaker evolved as a complete d-man. His gaps and stick-quickness have taken major strides, and in a top-four role, will be essential to any long playoff run in Milwaukee.

IA: G Kaapo Kahkonen (7th): Kahkonen has had himself a splendid first season in the North American pros, and depending on his role in the playoffs (keep Hammond in mind), he could be playing for a spot with the NHL club next season.

IA: LW Jordan Greenway (3rd): Coming off a full season with Minnesota, Greenway's presence post re-assignment has already been felt (5-3-3-6) down the stretch. A massive and skilled forward, the 22-year-old plays a playoff style of hockey.

Prediction: Admirals in five games.

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

The Condors made history midway through the 2018-19 season when they stormed through a 17-game winning streak, the second-longest undefeated run in the history of the AHL. They were lifted to the summit of the Pacific Division after being outside of a postseason spot before the streak, which speaks to their depth and attitude.

First-year Condors Tyler Benson (4th) and Cooper Marody (5th) have carried the club for the better part of the season, and the two leading Bakersfield scorers are extremely dangerous on the power play, where 43 of their combined 130 points have come, helping the Condors' man-advantage operate at a division-best 20.5% clip.

The Condors will have to lean on the aforementioned duo, as what they have in top-end skill, they lack in scoring depth. Bakersfield's next-leading point scorer after Benson (66) and Marody (64) is Joe Gambardella, who is 16 points shy of the top two. Along with Josh Currie, these four are the only ones on the roster with more than 40 points this season.

The Eagles, on the other hand, needed final-weekend drama and help to clinch a postseason spot. They won their final regular season game over San Jose and saw division rival Tucson lose an hour later to grab the fourth spot in the Pacific by one point.

Late-season grinds like that can inspire a team, though, and Colorado has a solid mix of veterans and young guns to generate momentum with in its first year as an AHL franchise. AHL ringers like forward Andrew Agozzino and defenseman David Warsofsky have been leaders at their respective positions and have alleviated the pressure on the Martin Kaut and Nicolas Meloche types for high-stakes moments like this: the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

They have an elite penalty kill (84.1%), accrued after a lot of practice, as they also accumulated a Western Conference-high 1,114 penalty minutes in the regular season. The club will have to remain disciplined to have a shot in the first round, as they can ill afford to line the Condors up with power play opportunities.

Prospects to Watch:

BAK: D Caleb Jones (14th): After a frustrating rookie season in 2017-18, Jones has established himself as a top-pair fixture with much-improved two-way reliability, and still has his offensive chops ready to go.

BAK: LW Tyler Benson (4th): Plagued by injuries for much of his young career, Benson has finally stayed healthy for an extended period of time and is showing everyone just how good he is this season.

COL: RW Martin Kaut (4th): Another 19-year-old in the AHL, Kaut is highly intelligent and is due to start scoring goals after an unsustainably unlucky 9.7 shooting percentage during the season. He has been solid in all three zones this season, but the Eagles might need him to take another step up.

COL: LW A.J. Greer (18th): The former second-round draft selection had the best year of his pro career after inconsistencies before 2018-19, and his combination of physicality and smarts are a sight to behold.

Prediction: Condors in four games.

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

The Barracuda have a set of advantages and disadvantages coming into their matchup with their rivals down Interstate-5 in California. One pro is their higher place in seeding, which grants home-ice rights, but a major disadvantage is their NHL parent club, the San Jose Sharks, being tied up in a playoff race.

At any time, some of the Barracuda's most important contributors can be recalled and leave the AHL team flat, such as occurred with Monday's promotion of Dylan Gambrell, the Sharks' third-ranked prospect and the 'Cuda's fourth-leading scorer. However, this club is still very skilled, especially from the blue line going forward. Nick DeSimone is one of the finest offensive defensemen in the league, and Kyle Wood is a rock in his own zone.

Unheralded forward prospects like Alexander True and Francis Perron have jumped into the spotlight this season and can provide plus value as the team's top two scorers in the regular season.

After missing the playoffs on the last night of the 2017-18 season, the Gulls cleared the playoff bubble and secured a return appearance to the postseason this spring. The club has been led by several once-valued prospects that were given up on by their previous franchises (Sam Carrick, Chase De Leo, Justin Kloos), as well as emerging home-grown prospects like Sam Steel and Troy Terry.

Either way, this team is pretty young and just as exciting. Though Terry is done for the season (non-displaced leg fracture), Steel and other top prospects like Kalle Kossila and Max Jones will have to carry the water of a rather juvenile club.

The Gulls scored the second-most goals in the division (239), are solid on special teams (20.3 PP%, 80.9 PK%), and have solid veteran goaltending with Kevin Boyle and Jeff Glass in net. This is a team without a clear, deadly weakness. They also have the same amount of wins at home as they do away from San Diego (18) which will pay off when the series shifts to Northern California.

Prospects to Watch:

SJ: LW Francis Perron (not ranked): Packaged as part of the Erik Karlsson trade, the forward has been another reason as to why the Sharks won the September transaction. On the Barracuda top line, the 22-year-old has been better than ever in the regular season.

SJ: C/LW Jayden Halbgewachs (12th): The leading scorer in the WHL last season had a major test jumping into the pros, and it all pertained to whether he will be able to score at will in the AHL, as he did in junior. While he didn't have the best regular season on offense, a big playoff run in the San Jose top-six can help his case.

SD: C Sam Steel (1st): Though Steel has not had an ideal season after making the big-league club out of training camp, he still posted solid numbers as a 21-year-old in the AHL (53-20-21-41). He can impact the game with or without the puck with his great rink sense and beautiful shot.

SD: D Josh Mahura (6th): Mahura has made monumental leaps to his defensive game after being mostly an offensive specialist in the WHL, and should pencil into the bottom-four of the San Diego postseason lineup.

Prediction: Gulls in four games.

How the Rest of the West Playoffs Will Unfold:

Western Conference Semifinals: Milwaukee Admirals over Chicago Wolves, 4-2.

Bakersfield Condors over San Diego Gulls, 4-1.

Western Conference Finals: Bakersfield Condors over Milwaukee Admirals, 4-3

Montréal – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 16:37:57 +0000

Although lacking in knock-out superstar prospects, especially since trading their 2016 first rounder Mikhail Sergachev to Tampa Bay in exchange for young winger Jonathan Drouin, himself not long removed from prospectdom, the Habs have a very deep system chockful of viable players.

Watching the Montreal system evolve, it was clear that they were ready for a changing of the guard. Not only did they trade their top defensive prospect in the offseason, but they also moved out a number of other young blueliners, many of whom still retained prospect eligibility. Nathan Beaulieu, a first rounder from 2011, was traded in the days leading up to the draft to Buffalo for a third round pick. One month prior, the team inked Jakub Jerabek, a Czech rearguard who put up great numbers in the KHL last year.

The day before the draft, the team acquired David Schlemko from the expansion Vegas, for a 2019 fifth rounder. They walked away from longtime quarterback Andrei Markov and brought in Mark Streit to take the role of veteran presence. The cherry on top, considering only the NHL roster, was the free agent signing of Karl Alzner as a shutdown option, and rounded out their July 1 with bringing in backline depth in Matt Taormina and Joe Morrow.

All of the above has little to do with prospects, but it leads, although not likely directly connected to, Montreal’s strategy over the last two draft classes. In 2016, four of the Canadiens’ six draft picks were blueliners. After grabbing Sergachev with the ninth overall pick, they selected undersized and mobile Victor Mete in the fourth round, Minnesota high schooler Casey Staum in the fifth and big Victor Arvidsson in the seventh. While Sergachev was dealt for Drouin and the latter two have not yet established themselves as draft day steals, Mete had a strong post-draft year in between injuries.

Montreal repeated that strategy again in the most recent draft, using four of seven picks on blueliners, starting with second rounder Josh Brook. Between the third and fifth rounds, they also selected Scott Walford, Cale Fleury, and Jarret Tyszka. All four of their new defensemen were selected from the WHL, which may have been a coincidence, but surely made one of their scouts feel special. Beyond that coincidence, all four were considered to be great value where they were selected.

If we take all of the blueliners added to the organization in the last two years, add on Noah Juulsen (first round) and Simon Bourque (sixth round) from 2015 and Brett Lernout (third round) from 2014, what we get is a team that is preparing to turn over their defensive corps. Seven of their top 20 prospects are blueliners and while not all will succeed, by buying in bulk, the Canadiens expect to have at least a few percolate up to the top.

As long as the team is willing to trust minutes at the NHL level to young players, this is a strategy that can pay big long-term dividends. If even two can become part of the core rotation in the next two years, Montreal will be able to balance the hefty defense dollars paid to Shea Weber, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner with minimum contracts, giving them more resources to allocate to the forwards.

Ryan Poehling, 2016 Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Photo by IIHF/Csaba Domotor

1 Ryan Poehling – One of the youngest players to play NCAA hockey last year, Poehling’s number with St. Cloud State need to be taken with a grain of salt. He rarely played assertively with the puck and as a result, his point totals were mediocre. He showed flashes of puck skills and high hockey IQ, but once he pulled on the red, white and blue at the WU18 tournament, he exploded and was often the best American on the ice. Expect big things from Poehling in his sophomore season.

2 Noah Juulsen – After struggling in his first post-draft season to replicate the offensive production of his draft year, Juulsen rebounded in a big way last year with 34 points in 49 games for the defensively stifling Everett Silvertips. He also made Team Canada for the first time, showcasing his plus puck moving skills as well as a very impressive physical game at the marquee event. He will be given as much time as he needs to develop on the farm, but he projects as a good number three in his prime.

Michael McCarron

3 Mike McCarron – First the obvious, positive and negative. To McCarron’s credit, he is massive, 6-5”, and stocky. On the downside, his feet are slow. He moves better than he used to, though, and has the hockey IQ and smooth hands to negate some of his inherent handicap. While his AHL production has been somewhat stagnant, he has always demonstrated plus vision with the puck and the instincts of a playmaker. With a touch more aggression, he can still be an impact middle six center.

Nikita Scherbak

4 Nikita Scherbak – Scherbak, Montreal’s 2014 first round pick, took pleasing strides forward in his offensive game in his second season in the AHL. He is active in all three zones and displays solid puck skills on a regular basis. Although slight, he drives the net with power. His offensive potential suggests a future on a second line, but he needs to show more creativity to evade closer checks and figure out how to more regularly maintain possession of the puck after entering the zone.

5 Charles Hudon – On a list topped with four former first round picks, Hudon is the first later round selection who has already exceeded projections. In three seasons in the AHL, he has overcome questions about his size and strength to post 162 points in 207 games. He is not even that fast, but earns plaudits for his hands. His pucks skills are well above average. He is patient on the puck and sees things developing that many others cannot. He has earned his first extended NHL audition.

6 Josh Brook – The first of four defencemen drafted by Montreal this year, Brook does everything well, but nothing exceptionally. He is generally a defense first blueliner who owns a solid skill set in addition to very strong positional play. He controls his gaps, clears the defensive zone well and can be placed in a shutdown role. If his offensive game does not develop, he can still project as a decent #4/5 defender. Any more development would put the #3 in his sights.

7 Joni Ikonen – A Finnish forward developing in Sweden, the slight Ikonen has an electric offensive game, grading out as plus as a skater, shooter and puck handler. He skates well with the puck, showing great creativity and the ability to get himself into and out of trouble at will. After a strong showing at the WU18 tournament with Finland, Ikonen will be returning to his native land to play this season with KalPa in Liiga, passing up the chance to play for Hamilton in the OHL. The Habs are very high on him.

8 Jake Evans – A seventh round sleeper from the 2014 draft, Evans has spent the past three seasons with Notre Dame, where his offensive production has gone up every year, surpassing one point per game for the first time last year. He has very high hockey IQ and is a natural playmaker. He is always near the puck, pushing it in the right direction on offense, or fighting to get it back in the defensive and neutral zones. An all-situations player.

Victor Mete at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, NY on Saturday June 25, 2016. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

9 Victor Mete – Undersized but aggressive, Mete is among the smarter defensemen in the OHL. Already showing offensive talents when drafted, his production increased this year, despite injuries limiting him to 50 games, before he slowed down in the postseason. He is mobile, with above average puck skills and a point shot that demands respect.

10 Michael McNiven – Not as tall as many modern day goaltenders, McNiven was passed over on draft day despite strong numbers in a backup role with Owen Sound. Montreal signed him after impressing in rookie camp, signing him to an ELC as a free agent. Two years on, and McNiven will begin his pro career after a season in which he was named the OHL Goaltender of the Year. Plays deep in his crease and is a plus athlete.

11 Will Bitten – Moving from one poor OHL team in Flint for another in Hamilton, Bitten saw his numbers plateau in his first post-draft season. He has a high compete level and plays a responsible, 200-foot game, but can disappear at times. With Hamilton expected to be better with its young players now more experienced, expect Bitten’s above average puck skills to shine more often this year.

12 Brett Lernout – Although the depth added by the Canadiens this offseason makes it more likely that Lernout will spend most of a third full season in the AHL, he is a quietly very effective blueliner. He skates well, can play a physical game and is a steady hand for beginning the transition from defense to offense. His upside is not overly high, but he should be one of the first names considered this year when Montreal is short a defenseman.

13 Simon Bourque – Another example of a late round pick who has exceeded his expected value, Bourque put a cap on a strong junior career with a near point-per-game performance split between Rimouski and Saint John, with whom Bourque won the QMJHL title and played in the Memorial Cup for the second time. He is a solid puck mover who can lead the rush or sit back and slow the game down.

14 Cale Fleury – One of the top scorers with one of the worst teams in the CHL, Fleury, whose older brother Haydn was a top draft pick of Carolina, has a quick, hard and accurate shot and plays an aggressive game. It can be hard to scout a player whose team is often overmatched, but Fleury shows competence in his own zone as well as offensively, with an active stick, and a knack for breaking plays up.

15 Scott Walford – A smooth skater who displays solid instincts off the puck, Walford had an up and down year for an up and down Victoria Royals squad. He has good size, but plays a clean game. More a puck mover than shooter, he does not have the upside of Fleury, Brook or Tyszka, but there is enough raw material to work with here to suggest a third pairing upside is possible.

16 Daniel Carr – Had Carr played in two more games this year in Montreal, he would not have been eligible for this list. Despite the six goals he scored in his first NHL action in 2015-16, his overall game will be limited by his skating deficiencies and the fact that, already 25 years old, the former NCAA champ is already as good as he will ever be. That should be enough to play regularly for Montreal this year on the bottom six.

17 Charlie Lindgren – Another undrafted free agent making his way through the Montreal system, Lindgren had a strong first pro season in the AHL, enhanced by two strong starts against Florida and Detroit late in the year. Lindgren is a very aggressive netminder and really loves playing the puck, sometimes to his own detriment. Will have to fight to hold off McNiven for the role of Carey Price’s future backup.

18 Lukas Vejdemo – Drafted with high expectations as a third rounder after tearing up the Swedish junior ranks, Vejdemo has struggled with only 25 points across his first two campaigns in the SHL. Despite his struggles, speed doesn’t lie and he still shows flashes of enticing puck skills. He needs to take a step forward this year to remain on the radar.

19 Martin Reway – Montreal drafted the tiny, high scoring winger after a strong season as a solid offensive import in the QMJHL. He went back to Europe and put up big numbers in two seasons split between the Czech and Swiss leagues, but missed all of last year due to a heart ailment that required surgery. Reports are that he is ready to get back on the ice this year. That, in itself, is a victory.

20 Jeremiah Addison – Although his offensive abilities are rather limited, Addison is a high energy grinder with just enough in the way of skills to avoid being ignored. He ended his junior career on the highest of high notes, potting a surprising number of goals on the way to captaining the Windsor Spitfires to a Memorial Cup championship.

Having moved their AHL affiliate from St John’s to Laval, Quebec, a leisurely drive from the Bell Centre, expect to see Montreal use their AHL talent liberally. Thankfully, due to strong drafting from the first round through the seventh round, there are enough promising players that should be available on the farm to make that strategic advantage truly fruitful.

Rookies Hudon, Carr burst on to AHL Scene

Dan Kramer — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 21:25:49 +0000

Despite the Hamilton Bulldogs besting a strong Rochester Americans squad in their season opener by a 6-4 final, there were some surprises on the scoresheet. Expected to lead the team in scoring this season, Sven Andrighetto was held pointless. A standout at Montreal Canadiens training camp, Christian Thomas was also blanked. Greg Pateryn, whose 15 goals ranked second among all AHL blueliners last year, wasn’t among the six different players to find the back of the night in the team’s first game.

Leading the way instead was a pair of Bulldog rookies who had shone brightly on half-baked Hamilton preseason rosters and then carried chemistry and productivity into their first professional hockey seasons. Despite the two taking very different paths to get here, coach Sylvain Lefebvre has found lightning in a bottle by uniting 20-year old Charles Hudon and 22-year old Daniel Carr on a scoring line.

Hudon joined the ‘Dogs as one of the more ballyhooed debutants. His under-average size caused him to plummet to the fifth round of the 2012 draft (despite having been roughly a point-per-game or better the two seasons prior), at which point the Canadiens decided they couldn’t risk having a homegrown offensive talent slip through their fingers, making him the 122^nd overall selection. He increased his output in each of his remaining QMJHL seasons, scoring 76 points in 57 games (and another 21 in 22 playoff contests) in his final year of junior action, while adding a goal and three points during a brief 9-game PTO in Hamilton in 2013 along the way. His exploits were recognized with a selection to Canada’s World Junior Championship team last December, after having to withdraw from the event due to an injury the year prior.

The Alma, Quebec native has overcome his height deficiencies through his shiftiness, speed, and hard-working two-way game. Still, it remained a question to be answered as he moves on to a new level of bigger, stronger, and tougher competition, though (very) early indicators point to an easy adjustment. Rather than size, then, staying healthy has been highlighted as the new red flag in the youngster’s case file. Hudon has missed chunks of time with various ailments the past few seasons, the most concerning being reoccurring back pains of which he is unlikely to ever entirely rid himself. If he can play a near full-calendar in Hamilton this season, it’ll go a long way to put some of the durability fears to bed.

Carr, born in Leduc, Alberta, flew so far under the radar that he was never drafted after spending his 18-year old season split between the AJHL (where he played with his brother) and the BCHL (where he led his team in points-per-game in a smallish sample size, and then ranked third in playoff scoring, leading the league in post-season goals). It was when Carr made the jump to Union College that teams began to notice him, as he notched 107 points over 121 games in his first three NCAA seasons. Despite the attention – which included attending prospect camps with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks – Carr returned to Union for his senior year, now as the club’s go-to offensive leader with 50 points in 39 games. Boasting strong skating ability, quick hands, and adequate size, at season’s end he says 6 or 7 NHL teams came calling, but he finally settled on a coveted entry-level deal with the Habs.

Unlike Hudon, Carr made his AHL debut without much fanfare. While a rookie, it’s important to consider that he has more experience than many of his younger teammates when assessing his progress and career projections. As a 1991 birthdate, he’s 6 months older than a Christian Thomas, or about 16 months senior to Sven Andrighetto. Still, he has been turning heads and has all the makings of a sleeper / late-bloomer, starring in AHL exhibition action with two goals and an assist in three games that included first star and third star nominations. He did so on a line with Hudon (a goal and an assist, also with a first star billing) and Tim Bozon, though the latter’s fate had him return to the WHL to continue to rebuild strength after a courageous battle with and recovery from meningitis.

With Bozon off the roster, the regular season opener saw the duo centered by Jacob De La Rose, another rookie who was the final cut from Montreal’s 23-man roster. The 19-year old Swede will be one of the AHL’s youngest skaters this year, but his experience playing in the middle allowed Hudon – who was being tried at centre as an experiment – to return to his more-comfortable wing alignment. Some might see combining three first year players as a risky move, but Lefebvre had seen enough to at least give them a shot, and it paid immediate dividends. A Hudon goal in the second period (with Carr assisting) drew the ‘Dogs even at 3, and as an acknowledgement of their strong play, Lefebvre gave them a more offensive center in Andrighetto to play with to finish the game. With just under 2:30 to go in the third, and only 17 seconds after captain Gabriel Dumont had tied the game at four, Carr tallied the game-winner on a Hudon centering feed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt1d4lr1fUY . Talk about a dramatic way to score your first professional goal, while seemingly all too familiar for the fast friends, with Carr taking first star honours and Hudon third, sandwiching former Bulldog Akim Aliu’s two-goal effort for the home Americans.

Without wanting to diminish Carr’s accomplishments to date, the name Aliu is an important one to keep in mind. A year ago, Aliu had been the darling of Bulldog camp, flashing the combination of strength and skill that seems to make at least one team a year want to take a shot at providing him an environment in which he might finally thrive. Aliu’s performance earned him a PTO, and he played the hero in the team’s second game of the season, salvaging a point in a shootout loss by scoring the game-tying marker with just 11 seconds to play. The 6’3” winger’s performances fizzled out, however, just as they with other organizations in the past, as he would go on to score just 3 more points in 14 total games with Hamilton before being released from his tryout.

This isn’t intended to compare the styles of Carr – a college grad who has a well-rounded game and has shown continual improvement – and Aliu – a tremendously naturally gifted athlete who never lived up to being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft by Chicago and who seems to require careful guidance and coaching in order to deliver consistent efforts. But as the old adage states, it’s really hard to get to the game’s highest levels, and even harder to stay there. For Carr, who hasn’t played more than 41 games in a regular season for a single team since 2008-09, the 76-game AHL schedule will be a test of both endurance and sustained motivation.

As the Bulldogs prepare for their home opener this Friday against their rival Toronto Marlies, Hudon and Carr have taken their destinies into their own hands. Fellow rookies Jack Nevins and Connor Crisp near returns from injuries, leaving Hamilton with the good problem of significant depth at forward. As first year players, producing right from the outset will help them stay in the line-up, though the coaching staff will face tough decisions given any other possible weak links – namely Nick Sorkin and Maxime Macenauer – also scored in the game.

There are sure to be ups and downs along the road, but both Hudon and Carr have upside to project as top 9 NHL forwards. Both have the ability to put points on the board, but also don’t take shortcuts, skating well and working hard in all three zones. They’re expected to flank Andrighetto again against Toronto on a line of smallish, quick, skilled forwards, while their former center De La Rose joins a bigger bodied group with veterans Drayson Bowman and Eric Tangradi. This year’s Bulldogs team evidently far deeper, but also much more talented, than last year’s edition, and it’s not unreasonable to predict that added to the experience these young players are gaining will be a post-season berth.

Hamilton Bulldogs 2014-15 Season Preview

Dan Kramer — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 14:58:05 +0000

Hamilton Bulldogs Season Preview

The Hamilton Bulldogs could’ve easily been coming into the 2014-15 seasons with a roster very similar to that which finished the 2013-14 campaign. Despite two seasons spent toiling in the AHL’s Western Conference basement, coach Sylvain Lefebvre was confident he’d be returning, and with seemingly few roster spots available in Montreal, most of the organization’s prospects were likely to return as well.

Louis Leblanc couldn’t have yet another stagnant year, right? And Patrick Holland would return to the form with which he completed his rookie season, rather than the slump that prevailed throughout his sophomore year. Mike Blunden and Gabriel Dumont seemed natural fits to assume team leadership, while Dustin Tokarski was going to be returned from the Canadiens due to the term remaining on Peter Budaj’s contract. Patch the line-up with some free agents who were scorers at other levels and – if they’re lucky – would be able to reproduce even 50% of that success as professionals. Sprinkle in a few newly graduating junior standouts, rinse, and repeat, for another season of praying that your whole line-up consistently plays up to its full potential for even a shot at returning to the post-season. Why would we expect anything different when that’s been the situation for the past two years? Was it fair to begin asking whether Marc Bergevin and his staff cared about having a winning program for the purpose of prospect development?

But then, things did change. The ‘Dogs cut ties with their under-producing veteran core in Blunden and Martin St. Pierre, replacing them with fresh blood in T.J. Hensick and Jake Dowell. Whereas in past the club might supplement a pair of veterans with uncertain gambles, training camp brought a couple of presents to Bulldog fans in the NHL-experienced Drayson Bowman and Eric Tangradi to significantly upgrade the 2013-14 forward group. And perhaps most unexpected of all, Magnus Nygren seems to have matured over the past few months, claiming he was misquoted in alleged slanderous statements about the city of Hamilton, stating his willingness to stick it out with the Steeltown troop this time around until he can prove that he’s NHL-worthy.

All this to say there is plenty to be excited about for the coming year. The ‘Dogs will enter the season with more experience, skill, and depth than they’ve had at any time since their last Calder Cup championship.

To give you an idea of what to look out for, here’s how the revamped roster (projected lines / depth chart only) looks a few days before the season opens. Over the course of the season, I’ll be updating the performances and progress of each of these players.

Sven Andrighetto – T.J. Hensick – Eric Tangradi

The Bulldogs desperately needed some size in their top six, which meant the Holland-for-Tangradi swap was just what the doctor ordered. 25-year old Tangradi’s 6’4” frame will help to create space for the 5’9” Andrighetto and 5’10” Hensick, while the two skilled forwards should easily enable the former Penguin and Jet to set AHL career highs in goals and points. The challenge for Tangradi will be to go to the net with consistency , while Andrighetto should be the trio’s primary puck carrier. The line’s elder statesman at 28, Hensick’s speed should help him play a puck retrieval role and provide a nice compliment to Andrighetto’s shiftiness. While it should be expected that Andrighetto spend some time in Montreal this season as one of the primary call-up options for any top 6 forward vacancies, if this unit stays together, it has all the makings of a legitimate AHL first line, the kind Hamilton hasn’t seen since the days of Aaron Palushaj and Matt D’Agostini.

Charles Hudon – Jacob De La Rose – Christian Thomas

The next group features two pro rookies, though De La Rose is only a rookie on North American ice. The 19-year old Swede has played against men in the Allsvenskan (tier 2) and the SHL (first tier) leagues the last three seasons, and seemed like he would’ve made his NHL debut in Montreal’s season opener had Lars Eller not recuperated from a minor injury in time. His maturity makes him the defensively responsible counterpart to his threatening wingers, while also bringing size and physicality to balance out his smaller teammates. Hudon, the other rookie, should be expected to produce less than his 76-point final junior season, but he has all the makings of a successful pro player, with a high compete level and on-ice awareness… provided he can stay healthy. Thomas, meanwhile, will be on a mission to rebound from an underwhelming second AHL season, and is coming off a great camp which turned heads in Montreal. He’ll be counted on as his unit’s sniper, with Hudon a possible set-up man. All three of these players are candidates to be early call-ups to the Habs if they get off to good starts.

Gabriel Dumont – Jake Dowell – Drayson Bowman

If this trio of veterans is united, I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the AHL’s best third line, though in reality based on this projected line-up, all of the top nine would likely get about even billing. All three should play key leadership roles on the team, with Dowell and Bowman each boasting over 100 NHL games on their resumes. Dumont, meanwhile, is the longest-serving Bulldog, entering his fifth full season with the club, while remaining a strong option for a call-up if Montreal needs to reinforce its fourth line. As a group, this reads as a pretty typical third line, likely to be matched up against the opposition’s most dangerous players. Dowell and Dumont excel at a typical checking forward game, while Bowman’s speed and tenacity make him a pest on the forecheck. This isn’t your typical shutdown group, however, as each of the three is also very capable of producing 30+ points, a feat accomplished by only 4 ‘Dog forwards last season.

Nick Sorkin – Maxime Macenauer – Daniel Carr

Another significant change in Hamilton’s roster for the coming year is the amount of depth to the team’s name. These three are perhaps the odds-on favourites to enable coach Lefebvre to roll four lines, but the team could also substitute in more toughness in a pinch by dressing Connor Crisp, Jack Nevins, and Stefan Fournier (though it’s possible all three start on the IR, as all missed significant chunks of training camp with injuries). Or, if an offensive player is slumping, Tim Bozon is sure to get a look at some point during the course of the year, even if it’s probably best for him to start out playing bigger minutes with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Macenauer returns as yet another face with NHL experience, but the revamped roster has him penciled into a 4C hole whereas he often received top minutes a year ago. His versatility to win face-offs and play on either the penalty kill or powerplay should keep him in the line-up more often than not. Sorkin and Carr are two AHL rookies who were darlings of Montreal and Hamilton training camps respectively, and are thus major wildcards that could easily climb the depth charts if their success continues on into the season. Carr is a college standout with impressive hands, while Sorkin is a fluid skater backed by a 6’3” body.

Mac Bennett – Greg Pateryn

The return of Pateryn was great news for the ‘Dogs, as while he may be considered too slow a decision-maker for the speed of the NHL, he has proven he can be a dominant blueline force in the American League. With Nathan Beaulieu in Montreal, he will uncontestably be the team’s #1 guy, and should receive top minutes on the penalty kill while also quarterbacking the powerplay. It wouldn’t be a surprise for the team to try him beside 23-year old pro rookie Bennett, his former defense partner at the University of Michigan, to see if the two can rekindle old chemistry. An average-sized, mobile, two-way blueliner, Bennett is far down Montreal’s depth chart, but his skating ability should balance out the principal weakness in Pateryn’s game well enough to form a formidable pairing.

Davis Drewiske – Darren Dietz

Many thought Drewiske had shown enough to hold on to the #7 spot in Montreal, but the team opted to retain Jarred Tinordi over the 29-year old with 135 games of NHL experience. The long-time L.A. King didn’t quite find his groove after returning from injury last year, but with the notable graduations of two top prospects, he’ll be counted on to start fresh and fill the big hold left on the ‘Dogs’ blueline. Dietz was another surprising stud in Canadiens’ camp for a second year running whose main challenge this season will be to stay healthy, something he struggled to do in his rookie season. If the 21-year old can do so, he would play the role of puck-mover to Drewiske’s defensive game, while both blueliners are capable of playing physically as well. Dietz will likely battle Pateryn to serve as first call-up in case of injuries in Montreal.

Joe Finley – Magnus Nygren

Despite his experience and success in Sweden’s top leagues, Nygren may be penciled in as third-best righty upon his return to the city he once fled. Most critically, his booming slapshot lets him replace Nathan Beaulieu as Pateryn’s triggerman on the powerplay, though if he envisions a call-up at some point, he’ll have to prove his all-around game is far more polished than where it was last year when he was a virtual turn-over machine. If Crisp and Nevins don’t make Hamilton’s everyday line-up, Finley will almost be assured a spot, as most clubs dress at least one enforcer on a nightly basis and he’ll be needed for protection. The 6’8” behemoth has suited up for 21 NHL games, though that’s entirely due to his pugilistic tendencies rather than his on-ice contributions. When not facing the Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren bolstered Toronto Marlies, he can easily be swapped out for a Morgan Ellis, Dalton Thrower (likely to start in the ECHL once healthy, as he’ll need to be playing), or Bobby Shea.

Joey MacDonald
Mike Condon
Franky Palazzese

The Canadiens were well prepared for the eventuality that Dustin Tokarski would remain in Montreal all summer long, as they added a high quality AHL starter in 34-year old MacDonald early on in free agency. MacDonald has played 32 games for the Calgary Flames over the past two seasons, and even posted a .912 save percentage and 2.16 GAA in 14 games for the Detroit Red Wings back in 2011-12. Challenging the veteran for playing time will be 24-year old Condon, coming off a pro rookie season in which he was one of the ECHL’s top netminders. He proved all he could at that level, and is ready to take on a new challenge, even if MacDonald should start roughly two out of every three games. If MacDonald isn’t an upgrade on Tokarski, Condon should provide greater consistency to what Robert Mayer delivered last year. Palazzese, meanwhile, is a recent Bulldog signee for depth at this position, expected to begin his pro career with the Wheeling Nailers after an OHL career split between the Kingston Frontenacs, Kitchener Rangers, and Sudbury Wolves.

Without a doubt, the Bulldogs will benefit from a greatly improved roster in 2014-15, and will be well-equipped to supply the Canadiens with suitable call-ups in the case of injuries or transactions. The season gets underway for Hamilton this Saturday, October 11^th, in Rochester, before returning to First Ontario Centre for their home opener against the Toronto Marlies on October 17^th.

Daniel Carr – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Central Division:

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

Montréal – System Overview

Rookies Hudon, Carr burst on to AHL Scene

Hamilton Bulldogs 2014-15 Season Preview