Tag Archives: roster

Beer League Heroes NHL Season Primers 2015/16: The Detroit Red Wings

August 31, 2015 Beer League Hero

As usual, the Detroit Red Wings had another good season, making the playoffs for the 24th time in a row, but were eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Red Wings may have suffered the biggest loss this offseason, losing head coach Mike Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Babcock has been replaced by Jeff Blashill, who previously coached Detroit’s AHL affiliate. He is a good coach who has had success at other levels and has coached many of Detroit’s current players before, so he will fit in well.

Key Additions: C Brad Richards, RD Mike Green, RD Robbie Russo

Key Subtractions: C Stephen Weiss, LW Erik Cole, RW Daniel Cleary, RD Marek Zidlicky, G Jonas Gustavsson

The Red Wings didn’t add a lot of significant players this offseason, nor did they need to, with a lot of young talent coming up from the minors ready to take on bigger roles. They have made upgrades in certain positions. Stephen Weiss was bought out, which allowed the Wings to bring in Brad Richards, an obvious upgrade. Marek Zidlicky, acquired at the trade deadline, has been replaced by Mike Green, another upgrade.

Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Henrik Zetterberg – Pavel Datsyuk – Justin Abdelkader
Johan Franzen – Brad Richards – Gustav Nyquist
Tomas Tatar – Riley Sheahan – Teemu Pulkkinen
Darren Helm – Luke Glendening – Tomas Jurco
Drew Miller

Niklas Kronwall – Jonathan Ericsson
Danny DeKeyser – Mike Green
Kyle Quincey – Brendan Smith
Jakub Kindl

Petr Mrazek
Jimmy Howard

Roster Contenders: C Joakim Andersson, C Landon Ferraro, C Andy Miele, C Dylan Larkin, LW Eric Tangradi, LW Tomas Nosek, RW Anthony Mantha, RW Mitch Callahan, LD Xavier Ouellet, LD Brian Lashoff, RD Alexey Marchenko, RD Ryan Sproul, RD Nick Jensen, RD Robbie Russo, G Tom McCollum, G Jared Coreau

A big advantage Detroit has with their roster is superb depth, mostly due to tremendous drafting and development. In addition to great depth on the current roster, there is tremendous depth in the system in all positions.

One concern I have about Detroit is the aging of key players. Datsyuk’s play hasn’t necessarily declined, but he is often injured. Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and Niklas Kronwall have all shown signs of decline. Eventually, these players will have to be replaced.

All in all, there aren’t any glaring weaknesses in Detroit’s roster. An interesting thing is the progress of Petr Mrazek, and many have him penciled in as the starter for Detroit this season. Jimmy Howard could eventually be put on the trade block.

As usual, I fully anticipate that Detroit will make the playoffs this season. This is a team that has a very good roster in all positions and could cause some damage this season and in the playoffs.

**Hey Everyone, BLH here. We’ve got some good news and bad news. The bad news is that our famed writer Jack Gruninger is going on hiatus as he attends university. The good news is the rest of the Beer League Heroes crew is going to pick up where he left off with the Season Primer Series. Best wishes to Jack and we can’t wait for his return!**

Jack Gruninger, NHL

15-16 Season Primers: The Dallas Stars

August 22, 2015 Beer League Hero

Welcome back to Season Primers, today we’re going to look at the Dallas Stars. The Stars had a disappointing season, missing the playoffs despite adding Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky to their roster last off-season. The decline was mostly due to poor goaltending, with starting goalie Kari Lehtonen posting only a .903 SV%, backup goalie Anders Lindback posting a .875 SV%, and other backup goalie Jhonas Enroth putting up a .906 SV%. The Stars addressed this by adding former Sharks starter Antti Niemi. The Stars also landed Patrick Sharp via trade, and added Johnny Oduya through free agency.

Key Additions: LW Patrick Sharp, LD Johnny Oduya, RD Stephen Johns, G Antti Niemi

Key Subtractions: C Shawn Horcoff, LW Ryan Garbutt, LD Trevor Daley, G Jhonas Enroth

If I’m a Stars fan, I’m excited about this season. This team has made improvements in every position. Up front, Sharp will provide more offense than Ryan Garbutt. On defense, Johnny Oduya replaces defensive disaster Trevor Daley:

In net, Antti Niemi replaces Enroth and creates some competitions for Kari Lehtonen.

The Stars also added a promising young defender through the Patrick Sharp trade in Stephen Johns, who has a chance to crack the roster.

Projected Lineup (All Players Healthy):
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Valeri Nichushkin
Patrick Sharp – Jason Spezza – Ales Hemsky
Antoine Roussel – Cody Eakin – Brett Ritchie
Travis Moen – Vernon Fiddler – Patrick Eaves
Colton Sceviour

Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg
Johnny Oduya – Jason Demers
Jordie Benn – Jyrki Jokipakka
Patrik Nemeth
Jamie Oleksiak

Kari Lehtonen
Antti Niemi

Roster Contenders: C Radek Faksa, C Travis Morin, LW Curtis McKenzie, LW Brendan Ranford, LD Esa Lindell, LD Mattias Backman, LD Ludwig Bystrom, RD Stephen Johns, RD Julius Honka

This is a really good roster, up front the Stars are led by the tandem of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, who are obviously very good players. Valeri Nichushkin was injured for most of the 2014-15 season but will now look to bounce back, he could excel on that top line. The second line could also be very good, with the veteran trio of Patrick Sharp, Jason Spezza, and Ales Hemsky. Brett Ritchie replaces Ryan Garbutt on the third line alongside Roussel and Eakin, a duo that have shown very good chemistry. Moen, Fiddler, and Eaves form a solid 4th line.

On defence, there is a good mixture of offense and defense in the top 4, with Goligoski and Klingberg being good offensive defencemen and Oduya and Demers being reliable defensively. There will be quite a bit of competition for a spot on that third pairing, with the defensemen I have on the roster plus a bunch of young defencemen in the system clamoring for a spot. I have the underappreciated Jordie Benn along with Jyrki Jokipakka, who quite possibly has the best name ever.

Finally, in goal, Lehtonen and Niemi should be a reliable tandem. They will be the key to the Stars’ success this season.

As mentioned, the Stars have great defensive depth with a lot of good prospects in the system, but the depth at forward and goal isn’t as great. I think it’s quite possibly that Dallas looks at trading someone like Jamie Oleksiak for a younger forward.

All in all, I expect that Dallas will make the playoffs this season, and could be another top 9 forward and a little bit of time away from being a cup contender. If Dallas fails to make the playoffs, it could mean the end of Lindy Ruff’s time there as a coach.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the other parts of the “Season Primers” series:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars

Jack Gruninger, NHL

15-16 Season Primers: The Columbus Blue Jackets

August 19, 2015 Beer League Hero

If there is a team in professional sports that had more bad luck than the Blue Jackets this season, please tell me, because this team felt the wrath of the hockey gods more than anyone. The Blue Jackets lead the league in man games lost due to injury with over 500, with injuries occurring to key players such as Sergei Bobrovsky, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ryan Murray. Despite a strong performance late in the season, the team finished 5th in the Metro Division and missed the playoffs.

Columbus made a big splash in the offseason, acquiring Brandon Saad and 2 prospects from Chicago in exchange for Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp, and Jeremy Morin. When I first head about this trade, I couldn’t believe it, and I know I wasn’t the only one. After hearing the full story, it’s understandable why Chicago chose to trade Saad, as he was later signed to a 6 year deal with an AAV of $6m, obviously out of Chicago’s price range.

Key Additions: C Gregory Campbell, LW Brandon Saad, LD Zachary Werenski, LD Dean Kukan, RD Michael Paliotta

Key Subtractions: C Artem Anisimov, C Mark Letestu, C Brian Gibbons, RW Marko Dano, RW Corey Tropp, RW Jack Skille, RW Jeremy Morin

Many of the players I have listed under “Key Subtractions” likely wouldn’t be there if there hadn’t been so many injuries on this team, but I have listed them due to the number of games they have played.

The key exchange here is Artem Anisimov being swapped for Brandon Saad, who is a better player albeit being a winger, rather than a center. Mark Letestu is replaced on the 4th line by Gregory Campbell, I don’t like this swap for Columbus.

I don’t believe that $1.5m is well spent on a player whose CA60 +/- bar is nonexistent.

Columbus also sent promising two-way forward Mark Dano to Chicago in the Saad deal, but they did get back a promising young defender in Michael Paliotta, who is right-handed and could be NHL ready soon.

The Blue Jackets also added young defencemen Zachary Werenski and Dean Kukan, through the draft and free agency respectively. They will help a position of need down the road.

Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Brandon Saad – Ryan Johansen – Nick Foligno
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubinsky – Cam Atkinson
Scott Hartnell – Alexander Wennberg – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Matt Calvert – Gregory Campbell – David Clarkson
Rene Bourque – Jared Boll

Jack Johnson – David Savard
Ryan Murray – Dalton Prout
Fedor Tyutin – Kevin Connauton
Cody Goloubef

Sergei Bobrovsky
Curtis McElhinney

Roster Contenders: C Michael Chaput, C William Karlsson, LW Kerby Rychel, RW Josh Anderson, LD Justin Falk, LD Dean Kukan, RD Michael Paliotta, G Anton Forsberg

Columbus has a solid forward group, led by a very good top 6. The most interesting part of this team is definitely the third line. Oliver Bjorkstrand could start the season in the AHL, Columbus has the depth to do that, but I have him on the projected roster. This third line of Hartnell, Wennberg, and Bjorkstrand could be spectacular. On the 4th line, Campbell is definitely a weakness, and I could see one of Chaput or Karlsson forcing their way into the lineup.

The defense you see here could be quite different by the end of the season. I could see Kukan and Paliotta both forcing their way into this defense, which needs some improvement. As I mentioned earlier, Columbus added several top defensive prospects, but no immediate help. Johnson, Savard, and Prout are all in roles they are not suited for, and Ryan Murray’s first few seasons after being drafted have been plagued by injury. It is unlikely that Kukan and Paliotta take on top 4 roles this season, but they create competition for depth spots.

In goal, Bobrovsky and McElhinney are a reliable tandem, with Forsberg as the #3 goalie. There is solid defensive depth, but more depth on the wings wouldn’t hurt.

I expect that Columbus will compete for a playoff spot this season if they can stay healthy. With a questionable defense, they especially need Ryan Murray to start moving in a positive direction. That will have a big impact on whether or not this team makes the playoffs.

Jack Gruninger, NHL

15-16 Season Primers: The Colorado Avalanche

August 17, 2015 Beer League Hero

We’re back with a Season Primer for your Monday night, taking a look at the Colorado Avalanche. After a successful 2013-14 season, mostly due to the superhuman goaltending of Semyon Varlamov, the Avalanche came into this past season with high expectations from some, and others saying that a decline in the standings was inevitable. Despite another strong season from Varlamov, a disappointing all around performance from the team led to a 7th place finish in the Central Division. Colorado was involved in one of the biggest moves this offseason, sending forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn to Buffalo in exchange for forwards Mikhail Grigorenko and J.T. Compher, as well as defenceman Nikita Zadorov. An unrestricted free agent heading into next season, Colorado felt that they wouldn’t have the cap space to re-sign O’Reilly.

Key Additions: C Carl Soderberg, C Mikhail Grigorenko, RW Blake Comeau, RW Mikko Rantanen, LD Francois Beauchemin, LD Nikita Zadorov

Key Subtractions: C Ryan O’Reilly, LW Jamie McGinn, RW Daniel Briere, LD Jan Hejda

While O’Reilly and McGinn are big subtractions for the Avs, they have significantly improved their defence with the additions of Francois Beauchemin and Nikita Zadorov. They were also able to ensure their forward depth remains intact with the additions of Carl Soderberg, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Blake Comeau. All in all, while Colorado’s forward group may not be as good, their significantly better defence, which was something they needed, should improve this team.

In addition, the Avalanche added Mikko Rantanen through the draft, who could become a fixture in their top 6 for many years.

Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Gabriel Landeskog – Carl Soderberg – Nathan MacKinnon
Alex Tanguay – Matt Duchene – Jarome Iginla
John Mitchell – Mikhail Grigorenko – Blake Comeau
Cody McLeod – Marc-Andre Cliche – Dennis Everberg
Patrick Bordeleau

Francois Beauchemin – Erik Johnson
Nikita Zadorov – Tyson Barrie
Nick Holden – Brad Stuart
Nate Guenin
Zach Redmond

Semyon Varlamov
Reto Berra

Roster Contenders: C Jesse Winchester (Injury status unknown), C Freddie Hamilton, C Joey Hishon, C Ben Street, C Colin Smith, LW Andrew Agozzino, LW Andreas Martinsen, RW Borna Rendulic, RW Mikko Rantanen, LD Duncan Siemens, LD Chris Bigras, RD Stefan Elliott, RD Mat Clark, RD Maxim Noreau, G Calvin Pickard

Colorado has a decent forward group. It would really help them if Grigorenko panned out. One thing that could soon become a problem are aging wingers Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, who are 35 and 38 respectively. Eventually they will have to be replaced, but Mikko Rantanen is the only real elite forward prospect in the system. Another reason why Grigorenko elevating his game could really help this team.

As mentioned, Colorado’s defence has improved significantly, and there are some decent prospects in the system, led by Chris Bigras, who could be on this roster sooner rather than later. Also, will someone force Brad Stuart out of the lineup by season’s end?

In goal, we have Semyon Varlamov and Reto Berra, plus the promising Calvin Pickard in the system.

In conclusion, I don’t think this is a playoff team yet, but they have made improvements to their weakest position that should allow them to improve their puck possession and add some wins.

A player to keep an eye on? Nathan MacKinnon. How many points do you think he will get this season? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Jack Gruninger, NHL

15-16 Season Primers: The Carolina Hurricanes

August 16, 2015 Beer League Hero

Welcome back to Season Primers, today we’re going to jump over to the Eastern Conference for a look at the Carolina Hurricanes. Under new head coach Bill Peters, the Hurricanes finished last in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs for the 6th straight season. This allowed Carolina to add a key piece at the draft in defenceman Noah Hanifin with the 5th overall pick. Hanifin has been signed to a pro contract and I would expect that he makes the Hurricanes this season. The Hurricanes also decided to buy out Alexander Semin, who later signed with Montreal.

Key Additions: C Derek Ryan, LD Noah Hanifin, RD James Wisniewski, G Eddie Lack

Key Subtractions: RW Alexander Semin, RW Patrick Dwyer, RD Brett Bellemore, G Anton Khudobin

The additions of Hanifin and Wisniewski for Carolina add depth to and improve their defence. They should be a good second pairing. Eddie Lack replaces Anton Khudobin. I don’t think either goalie is clearly better than the other. Derek Ryan is an interesting addition. The center led the SHL in scoring last season, he could be a great signing if that offense translates to the NHL. He could quite possibly replace the offense provided by Semin.

Compared to the end of the season, the Hurricanes have made significant improvements to their defense, but no major changes to their offense, which isn’t great.

Projected Lines (All Players Healthy):
Eric Staal – Jordan Staal – Jeff Skinner
Nathan Gerbe – Victor Rask – Elias Lindholm
Chris Terry – Riley Nash – Andrej Nestrasil
Brad Malone – Jay McClement – Zach Boychuk
Derek Ryan

Ron Hainsey – Justin Faulk
Noah Hanifin – James Wisniewski
John-Michael Liles – Ryan Murphy
Michal Jordan
Rasmus Rissanen

Cam Ward
Eddie Lack

Roster Contenders: C Patrick Brown, C Brody Sutter, LW Brendan Woods, RW Justin Shugg, LD Keegan Lowe, RD Danny Biega, G Drew MacIntyre

Carolina’s forward group is the biggest concern coming into the season. There is a both a lack of skilled forwards and a lack of depth in the system. With no skilled forwards being added into their lineup coming into this season, it’s hard to see Carolina improving much on their 27th place finish in goals scored.

On defense, there’s a good mixture of defensive and offensive defencemen in the top 4, with Faulk and Wisniewski being good offensive defenders, the veteran Hainsey being solid defensively, and Hanifin being a good all around defenceman. On the 3rd pairing we have young offensive defenceman Ryan Murphy alongside John-Michael Liles, who is considered to be an offensive defenceman, but has underrated defensive abilities:

Notice that CA60 +/-?

In net we have Cam Ward and Eddie Lack. I have Ward as the starter but I think Lack could easily take over the starting job.

One of the biggest stories for the Hurricanes this season will be what they decide to do with pending UFAs Eric Staal and Cam Ward. If Staal decides not to re-sign, and Carolina is out of the playoff picture by the deadline, he could be a valuable asset and should fetch a 1st round pick+. Ward might not hold as much value as he used to. In his last 3 seasons he has posted save percentages of .910, .898, and .908, which aren’t great for a starting goalie. He will have to have a good season to prove he can still be a starter in the NHL.

I’d fully expect the Hurricanes to improve this season, but they just don’t have the offense to make it to the playoffs, unless someone really steps up for them. This will be a team to keep an eye on this season. I think it’s entirely possible that they add one of the forwards still remaining in free agency, they definitely have the cap space to do it.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading. Next time we’ll take a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

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