Defending the Schedule Matrix and an Early Look at a Potential Lineup

Yesterday I complained a little bit about the schedule and its lack of balance.  I thought maybe I overreacted a bit considering there hasn't been balanced schedules the last few years either but then I went to the PennLive forum and I see I am not the only one upset about the balance.

But today I am actually going to DEFEND the AHL on the schedule debate.  Understand this though...I want a balanced schedule.  I want the AHL to adopt the NHL schedule matrix so that everyone pretty much plays everyone else the same amount of times.  It works.

Now, let me say this.  I understand (and actually kind of agree) with what the AHL did and why they did what they did.

Generally people think it has to do mainly with travel costs.  I am sure that is part of the issue but I don't believe that is the MAIN issue.

The biggest reason the AHL does the schedule this way is ticket sales. 

I actually thought about this yesterday, but decided against discussing it in that post.  Most of the fans in the AHL are casual fans.  Sure, in Hershey there are 10,000 casual fans, but most cities have half of that at the most.

Even in Hershey the majority of the fans aren't concerned too much with roster moves, prospects, and if the schedule is balanced. 

Yes there are fans (you are reading an opinion of one right now) that take the AHL very seriously and love to follow the league and are 100% committed, both emotionally and financially, to my favorite team.

But compared to the NHL the AHL has no fans.  It would be like comparing the popularity of football to the NHL.  Landslide victory for one side.

Now, I am not saying that the AHL doesn't care about their fans.  In fact they care about them more than any other league because they depend on them for revenues more than most other leagues.

There are no TV contracts in the AHL, minimal radio coverage for even the best teams, and advertising dollars come in but on a scale much smaller than larger sports leagues. 

So guess where the dollars come from...the fans.

So...myself and many of the more intense fans would LOVE to see the Bears play the Rampage, Icehogs, Barons, and Heat every season.  It would be great to see the talent on those teams at a time other than the Calder Cup finals. 

But for the casual fan...that isn't the case.  They would prefer to see rivalry games.  In Hershey that isn't necessarily the case.  Most Saturday games were sell outs and most games other nights were over 9000 fans no matter who the opponent was. 

However, not all fans are as loyal or supportive as Bears fans.  For example...Syracuse hosted Albany and about sold 1,700 fewer tickets than when they hosted Rochester. 

Another example...Wilkes Barre/Scranton...they hosted Manitoba, sold about 6200, they hosted Abbotsford, sold about 5900, and they hosted Hershey, sold 8100.  All those were Friday night games throughout the season. 

Another...Albany...they finished the season LAST in the AHL in attendance.  One Saturday they played Adirondack and drew 5,200 fans (2,000 more than their season average)...the next Saturday they played Norfolk and drew 2,200.  That is 3,000 fans less...and that makes a huge difference on revenues.

Obviously it isn't a perfect comparison since other things impact attendance figures but it gives you an idea of what fans prefer.

And Hershey is NOT immune to this problem.  Looking at Sunday games throughout the season you will see that one team outdraws the rest:

Adirondack - 7,000
Binghamton - 7,500
Charlotte - 7,400
Manitoba - 8,000
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 10,700

Casual fans show up when the opposition is a known rival.  Simple as that.

And the AHL is built and survives based on the interests of the CASUAL FAN.  Without them there would be many fewer teams which would affect the overall hockey landscape as a whole.

So, in the end I would love to see more competitive balance (and honestly without tearing apart every single teams matchups I can't honestly say there isn't SOME balance worked in) I also understand that in order to maintain a successful league and successful teams you have to get people in the seats. 

And the best way to do that is to schedule the rivalry teams more than any other.

Ok, so there, I gave the AHL their due for creating the schedule.  It is tough to balance a schedule with every team playing other teams evenly when those teams can't make money in many games. 

In my opinion, it is better to have 30 AHL teams and an unbalanced schedule than it is to have 20 AHL teams and a balanced schedule.

And like I said yesterday...this could help Hershey in the end.  By the time the playoffs roll around they have already played a tougher than average schedule.  So, assuming they make the playoffs, they are more likely to perform well in those "bigger" games.

And as you will see below...this is going to be quite a team in Hershey this season. 

With that, let's just take a glance at the prospective Hershey Bears roster as of today.  For the purposes of this exercise I am going to assume that Jay Beagle does not make the Caps while both Cody Eakin and Mattias Sjogren do.  That could absolutely change.  Personally I think there is 1 or maybe 2 spots available for those 3 players.  And yes I guess I should include Mathieu Perreault in that discussion but I don't see it happening for him.

So, when looking at the below lines remember that Beagle's spot could be filled by Eakin or Sjogren too.

Any way you look at it this is what many people would describe as...stacked.  Loaded.  Explosive. 

Maybe the key term to describe this roster is another word that we floated around often in 2009-10....deep.  You could LEGITIMATELY have 6 forwards pushing the 30 goal mark this upcoming season.  Seriously.  6 different forwards.  And there could be more if there was more ice time to share. 

Just take a look....

LW	C	RW
Bourque	Aucoin	Mink
Greentree	Perreault	Potulny
Micflikier	Beagle	Ford
Kane	Carroll	Paquette
Lacroix	Hanson	Mitchell

And that doesn't even include Dmitry Kugryshev, Daved de Kostrozza, or Francois Bouchard.  Sure...injuries and callups will force players to move around but consider that Kane scored 24 goals last year and he is on the 4th line.  Christian Hanson scored 13 and he isn't even in the lineup based on these projections!

Impressive depth.

D	D
McNeill	Orlov
Collins	Miscovic
Richmond	Wellar
Oreskovic	Fleming
Baier	Brouillette

Defensive pairings are difficult to predict but look at the depth here.  Brett Fleming is really looking good at development camp and could push guys for time.  Patrick Wellar...who some considered one of Hershey's most consistent defensemen last season is likely the #6 guy here. 

Is this unit better than last years?  I would say it is definitely not any worse. 

The goaltending is easy...Holtby, Sabourin, Cheese.  Done.


So what are the overall thoughts?  I see one potential problem with the roster and it may or may not actually be a "problem".  There isn't that a "go-to" goal scorer on the team as in years past.  Giroux and Gordon filled that role in years past.  But I don't see a pure goal scorer that can be relied on game in...game out. 

BUT...having 6 guys who could push the 25-30 goal mark is pretty impressive and will be tough to stop each night.  Especially when the next 6 could be pushing the 15-20 goal mark!

Does depth out-perform star power? 

In the playoffs it does.

More signings and a few links to share

Two posts in one day...in July?  What is going on? 

Well fortunately for Bears fans...a lot.

Let's start with the signings...

Jacob Micflikier, formerly of the Charlotte Checkers, will likely be a Hershey Bear in 2011-12.  He signed a one year, two-way contract with the Capitals today and is likely to end up in Hershey for the upcoming season.

Last year he scored 29 goals and added 32 assists in 78 games for the Checkers.  The season prior he tallied 18 goals and 22 assists in 59 games. 

Excellent pickup by the Caps/Bears.  The lineup in Hershey is starting to look pretty explosive!!

The other signing...Daren Machesney is returning to the organization.  Cheese was signed to a one year AHL deal for 2011-12.  He will likely become the #1 goalie in South Carolina while getting some time in Hershey when callups or injuries occur (which they have at an alarming rate the past couple of seasons). 

Last season Cheese got to see many different places as he played for Springfield and Worcester in the AHL and Victoria, Elmira, and Reading in the ECHL.


Love both the signings.  You need depth at goaltender and adding a veteran guy like Cheese is definitely a good plan.  And getting Micflikier to join the cast that Hershey already has...outstanding. 

It's going to be a good year!!!



Here are a few links for some write-ups on what will likely be some future Bears (probably even this year):

Defenseman Brett Fleming

Forward Garrett Mitchell

Forward Danick Paquette

Schedule details are beginning to emerge

Well the Bears (and the AHL) announced what teams they will be playing for the upcoming 2011-12 season.  (Dates will be announced later this summer...probably end of August based on last couple of years)

And the schedule is in no way balanced. 

Hershey will play the following teams (home/away split provided):

East Division games:
Binghamton Senators (4/4)
Norfolk Admirals (5/5)
Syracuse Crunch (3/3)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6/6)

Eastern Conference games:

Adirondack Phantoms (2/2)
Albany Devils (2/2)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2/2)
Connecticut Whale (2/2)
Manchester Monarchs (2/2)
Portland Pirates (1/1)
Providence Bruins (1/1)
St. John's (2/2)
Springfield Falcons (1/1)
Worcester Sharks (1/1)

Western Conference games:

Charlotte Checkers (2/2)
Lake Erie Monsters (1/1)
Rochester Americans (1/1)


I know travel costs have to be taken into account for these schedules but how can you shift to a Conference playoff format and still have almost half of a teams games against just 4 teams?

Hershey will play East Division teams 36 times.  Sure those are important as divisional races will heat up for the division crown, but unlike in years past the remaining playoff spots are determined at the CONFERENCE level and not the divisional level.

Honestly, look at the teams Hershey has to play the most...Wilkes-Barre, the #1 seed from last year...Binghamton, the Calder Cup Champs...and Norfolk, a team that came on extremely strong at the end of last season and gave the Pens a scare in the 1st round.

The schedule does seem somewhat balanced in that the "weaker" divisions don't seem to play as many games within their own divisions.  Adirondack will only play 24 games within their division (which is considered the weakest in the AHL as the bottom 4 teams from the Conference and Connecticut, the 8th seed in the playoffs, make up the Northeast division).  Unfortunately the AHL screws up again as the Phantoms won't play the new St. John's team at all and only has to play the Bears/Pens a combined 6 times. 

In a divisional format (regular season) where teams are competing for division crowns within their own division, divisional games are more important.  In the AHL's defense the divisional games are slightly less important than the past few years which saw divisional playoffs as well.  This season the AHL moves to an NHL like Conference playoffs setup which does eliminate the need for balanced schedules to a point.

But these are just absurd.

The schedule creates an unfair advantage for certain teams.  In the NHL these types of divisions do not usually create a problem because the schedule is ultimately balanced with every team playing the other ones the same number of games.  In the NHL games are divided like this:

In Division - 6 games against each opponent (24 games)
In Conference (out of division) - 4 games against each opponent (40 games)
Out of Conference - 18 games against opponents

The only place where that isn't balanced is in the Out of Conference schedule where there could be some discrepancy on balance depending on what teams play who and where.

BUT in the division and in the conference everything is equal.  The Flyers will play the Pens 6 times..as will the Rangers, Islanders, and Devils.  The Flyers will play the Caps 4 times...as will the rest of the Atlantic and Northeast divisions.

And yet in the AHL the Bears will play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 12 times in 2011-12 while the Syracuse Crunch will only play them 8 times.

The Penguins will play the Portland Pirates (Atlantic Division champs last season) 4 times while Hershey will only play them 2 times.

Norfolk plays the Pens and Bears 10 times each but only gets Syracuse 4 times.  AND they will only play 4 games against the Western Conference...all against Charlotte.  (Some Eastern Conference teams won't play a Western Conference opponent at all!)

Syracuse will only play 26 games within the division this season.  10 games LESS than the Bears will.  And they play the Rochester Americans (in the Western Conference) 10 times.  That is more than they will play any single team in their own division.

How is it that one team in the East Division gets 10 fewer division games then another??  Shouldn't they be playing the same teams as everyone else they are competing with in the division?

In addition to that...I thought the new alignment would create the opportunity to see new teams in Hershey during the regular season or at least more of certain teams then we have in the past.  And yet we are actually going to see one fewer team this season than last.  In 2010-11 the Bears were visited by 18 different teams...in 2011-12 that number drops to 17.


I guess in the end it doesn't really matter.  Balanced schedules haven't been part of the AHL before and it hasn't seemed to effect Hershey that much.  In the end maybe the tougher schedule gets them more prepared for the playoffs.

Who knows.  Maybe I am just still upset about the whole realignment/playoff changes that they instituted (I am by the way) but I still think a balanced schedule could work.

In the end ticket sales and limiting travel costs win out in the AHL.  And in the end I will still pay for season tickets and write this blog.

I just want hockey to start so we can stop talking about this relatively unimportant stuff and start talking about wins and losses!!

Lots of roster moves going on

Patrick Wellar...welcome back!

Christian Hanson...welcome!

Julien Brouillette...welcome!

Mathieu Perreault...welcome back (maybe)!

and....

Graham Mink...welcome back!!


See...lots of roster moves happening over the last couple of days.

Let's start with the 2 biggest names on the list...

Graham Mink signed a one year, AHL only deal earlier today that will bring him back to the Chocolate and White for 2011-12.  Last season Minker played for Peoria where he recorded 24 goals and 26 assists in 70 games.  This will be Minker's 3rd go around in a Bears jersey.  And the other two seasons weren't too bad for the Bears...they won the Calder Cup both times!!  (05-06 and 08-09 for those of you who don't remember).

This signing surprises me a great deal due to the already loaded veteran roster Hershey has.  With Mink in the fold there are now 7 veterans on the roster and only 6 can skate per night.  That means, barring injuries or callups, one of Mink, Bourque, Aucoin, Kane, Richmond, and Potulny will be sitting each night.  (Greentree is in the 260-320 game threshold so he will join the other 5 vets each night without problem). 

Maybe the Bears/Caps expect Bourque to make the big club out of camp...I don't know.  Either way it could create some animosity/locker room issues if one of these guys is sitting every night.  Many times this kind of scenario works itself out with injuries and recalls but there is potential for a problem now.

Still love having Minker back though!!!


Next up, Mathieu Pearreault signed a one year, two way contract earlier today as well.  Last season he split his time between Hershey and Washington scoring a combined 18 goals and adding 31 assists in 69 combined games.  That included 11 goals and 24 assists in Hershey in only 34 games. 

While Perry is obviously hoping to make the Capitals out of camp most expectations are that he will come to Hershey for the majority of the season.  But he will definitely be one of the last cut and one of the first call ups IF he ends up in Hershey.  I don't think there are too many people that doubt his ability but his consistency at the NHL level has been lacking in his recent call-ups.  The Caps would love to see him come to camp and show he can be consistent but even then, with all the new talent and organizational depth at center, I think it will be difficult for him to make the big club out of camp.


Patrick Wellar was resigned by the Bears for the upcoming season and is a welcome addition to a lineup that could use a little muscle and intimidation.  He has developed into a very reliable AHL defenseman over the past couple of years. 


Now to the newcomers...

Julien Brouillette (I already hate typing the name) signed a one year, AHL contract for 2011-12 with Hershey.  He comes over from the Lake Erie Monsters, to join his former teammate Matthew Ford, after a successful 2010-11 campaign in which the defenseman recorded 2 goals and 15 assists in 49 games while compiling a +/- rating of +17.  He also played 1 game with Charlotte and 25 in the ECHL where he collected 11 goals and 12 assists.  He brings some offensive upside to the position.  I suspect he will fill a role like Johann Kroll or Dylan Yeo from last season...a split between Hershey and South Carolina depending on injuries and recalls.

Christian Hanson, son of Slap Shot actor Dave Hanson, signed a one year, two way contract with the Capitals/Bears and is expected to compete in Caps camp before finding a role in Hershey for the season.  He spent most of last season in Toronto with the Marlies, recording 13 goals and 21 assists in 58 games.  He also saw 6 games with the Maple Leafs last season.  He is a big kid, standing 6'4" and weighing 228 lbs so hopefully he likes to park himself in front of the net and get the "cheap" goals.


So there you have it...5 roster additions (potentially depending on Perry) with more to surely come.

Development Camp kicks off today

Beginning today the Washington Capitals are hosting future pros for a week in their annual development camp in DC.

The players at this camp are current, future, or potential Hershey Bears mostly.  Many of the players could make the Capitals roster in the future but probably just a small percentage.

Below are the player groups for the following week.  Players with an * are free agent invitees.  Players highlighted in yellow are likely headed for Hershey for at least part of the 2011-12 season.

Group A
Forwards

50 Cody Eakin
64 Pat Mullane*
73 Luke Lockhart*
76 Garrett Mitchell
77 Michael Collins*
79 David Civitarese*
86 Andrew Cherniwchan*
87 Samuel Henley*
92 Chase Grant*
93 Dmitry Kugryshev
95 Thomas Frazee*
96 Taylor Stefishen

Defense

38 Garrett Haar
44 Patrick Koudys
51 Luke Eibler*
56 Patrick Wey
65 Samuel Carrier
66 Dustin Stevenson
67 Wade Epp*
94 Jimmy Oligny*

Goalies

31 Philipp Grubauer
40 Steffen Soberg

Group B
Forwards

33 Mattias Sjogren
39 Brock Montpetit*
42 Danick Paquette
49 Stanislav Galiev
53 Travis Boyd
54 Greg Burke
61 Mitch Elliot*
63 Garrett Ross*
71 Cameron Burt*
82 Aaron Schmit*
84 T.J. Syner*
88 Reid Edmondson*
91 Adam Mitchell*

Defense

29 Brett Flemming
47 Scott Wietecha*
58 Conor Allen*
59 Mike Boivin*
75 Kyle Follmer*
81 Dmitri Orlov
97 Karl Stollery*
98 Nick Tabisz*
Goalies

78 Brandon Anderson
80 Jacob Gervais-Chouinard*


After this week there will be minimal hockey discussion for the next 2 months so definitely enjoy it.

Washington/Hershey continue to sign players destined for Hershey and I will have updates as they happen (I have heard about 3 signings in the last day or two which I will update sometime midweek).

AHL Realignment and other news

The realignment of the AHL for the 2011-12 season is complete.  Instead of the 4 divisions we have become used to the AHL will be mirroring the NHL and their 6 division format.

The biggest change is that Charlotte has been relocated to the Western Conference.  And of course two new divisions were created (Northeast and Midwest).  Below are the new divisions.

EASTERN CONFERENCE		WESTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division		North Division
Northeast Division		Midwest Division
East Division		West Division

The division winners will get the top 3 seeds and the next 5 best teams will get into the playoffs.  Gone are the days of trying to figure out if the 5th team from one division gets in over the 4th of another.  That part I like.

The playoffs will be reseeded (just like the NHL) after the first round so that the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed.  Again, I like this.

But overall I am not a fan of the new format.  I liked the fact that the division opponents had to play each other in the playoffs every single year.  Not playing each other is going to take away from the divisional rivalries that were created and fostered by the divisional playoffs of years past. 

Sure the Bears and Penguins will still have a good rivalry but it will be diminished if they do not regularly face off in the playoffs.  In years past you knew during the regular season that games against Wilkes-Barre were likely playoff previews...now they are just regular season games within the division.

The real deciding factor though will be in how they create the schedule.  In years past the divisional opponents would play each other multiple times a season, sometimes as many as 12.  And that worked because the playoffs were done divisionally. 

Now that the playoffs are seeded by conference the schedule needs to be more balanced.  I honestly don't think Hershey will play Wilkes-Barre 10 times this season.  And if they do it is a huge mistake by the AHL. 

Divisional opponents should play each other 6 times each.  They should play the remaining conference opponents (10 teams) 4 times each.  And each division should play each team from 1 division of the opposing Conference 2 times each.  That is 74 games...4 more would need to be scheduled...fairly.

The AHL has not announced how the schedule will be created.  And we might not know until late August when the schedule is typically announced.  But if they don't create a balanced schedule where each team plays similar teams than it can't work.

Either way I am going to miss the divisional playoff format.  Sure, rivalries will still be fierce in the East Division and regular season matchups will still be entertaining. 

But a second round matchup against the Connecticut Whale just doesn't have the same emotion as an East Division final against the Baby Pens.




Player Movement News:

The Washington Capitals traded Eric Fehr to Winnipeg for a 4th round pick and Dannick Paquette.  Paquette will likely start the season in Hershey and he brings a needed element to the team....agitator.  Hockeysfuture.com describes him as

a perfect example of a player that teams love to have on their own side, but hate to play against.  Perhaps the only thing more agitating than his gritty style of play is the fact he also has the ability to bury the puck and make the opposition pay for their mistakes and indiscretions.

With the loss of Steve Pinizzotto this is exactly what the Bears needed.  He likely won't be as offensively productive as Pinner was but apparently he has that ability.  Last season in the ECHL he scored 13 goals and added 7 assists to go along with his 179 penalty minutes in 59 games.

Hershey still needs to add an enforcer but generally they can wait to do that until later in the summer as players of that nature don't get signed too early.  Paquette is 6'1" 210lbs so he is not going to fill the role that Joel Rechlicz filled last season but he can surely scrap when necessary.

And Dannick is only just turning 21 so he is 6 years younger than Pinner.  Which definitely makes him more valuable to the organization.  He is signed for 2 more years so expect to see him in Hershey for the foreseeable future.


In other news...Brian Willsie has signed with Montreal/Hamilton for the upcoming season.  With all the veteran spots already taken up in Hershey you knew he wasn't going to be back.  He had a great season for Hershey last year and it is tough to see him go.

Welcome Danny Richmond...Former Bears sign elsewhere

First of all, another defenseman was added to the fold.  Danny Richmond has been signed by Washington/Hershey to a one year contract.  Richmond spent last season with the Toronto Marlies where he scored 3 goals and added 20 assists in 68 games.  He also picked up 121 penalty minutes and finished the season a -12.

Richmond is a veteran which gives Hershey 6 veterans.  All 6 can start however as Kyle Greentree falls into the 260-320 games played category while the remaining five (Richmond, Aucoin, Kane, Potulny, Bourque) have all played 320+.


Several 2010-11 Bears have signed deals to play elsewhere this past weekend and here is a brief recap:

Andrew Joudrey signed with Columbus/Springfield.
Andrew Gordon signed with Anaheim/Syracuse. 
Steve Pinizzotto signed with Vancouver/Chicago.

Hopefully all of those guys get a legitimate shot at making the NHL.  Gordon's contract is a 2-year deal with the 2nd year being an NHL one way deal so that is great news for him. 

Alexandre Giroux has also signed with Columbus/Springfield so we could be seeing more of him this upcoming season instead of just the All-Star game. 

More signings...Collins and...Bourque

Yes you read the title right...Chris Bourque has signed a one year deal with the Capitals.  No word on if it is a two way deal or not but I am guessing it is.

Chris spent last season split between the KHL and the Swiss league, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists in 47 games.

The addition of Bourque gives the Bears 5 veteran forwards.  So anyone hoping to see Giroux, Mink or Gordon return to the Bears is probably going to be disappointed.  I won't say it can't happen but it isn't likely now.

In other news...everyone's favorite defenseman is back too.  Sean Collins signed a one year deal with the organization as well.  This time though it is a two way contract and won't cost the Caps too much if they send him down to Hershey.  (The last 2 years were on NHL one way contracts for those that didn't know).

And a follow up to yesterday...the Ryan Potulny deal is, according to capgeek.com, a 2 year contract with the 2nd year an NHL one way deal. 

Bears sign 3...Caps making curiuos decisions

The first day of free agency has been active for the Bears and Capitals.  Let's start this off with news out of Hershey...

Ryan Potulny, Matthew Ford, and Paul Baier have all been signed for the 2011-12 season. 

Potulny, former Bear Grant's little brother, played for 4 different teams last season...the Binghamton Senators, Rockford IceHogs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Ottawa Senators.  He lasted the longest with Rockford, scoring 18 goals and 23 assists in 58 games.  He was traded to Ottawa late and proceeded to lead the Binghamton Senators in scoring during their Calder Cup run with 14 goals and 12 assists in 23 games.

Matthew Ford played the last 2 seasons with the Lake Erie Monsters.  Last season he had his best as a pro, scoring 26 goals and 16 assists in 76 games.

Paul Baier is a big defenseman, 6'4" 225lbs, who is surely being brought in for some muscle.  With Patrick Wellar no longer under contract the Bears were likely looking for someone to fill a similar role.  He spent last season with Rochester, scoring 2 goals and adding 8 assists in 62 games.

None of the moves strike me as difference making type moves but who really knows until these guys get out there with the likes of Aucoin and Perreault. 

One thing to mention is that Potulny is a veteran.  That gives Hershey 4 veteran forwards already with more spots left to fill. 

Based on my rosters, which are in no way official, the Bears have a possible 13 forward spots locked up (not including Perry and Bouch).  But that does include Eakin, Beagle, and Gustafsson so there is likely more activity to come from Hershey this season.



Up in Washington they are making moves too.  Including trading Semyon Varlamov to Colorado for 2 draft picks...a first rounder in 2012 and a 2nd rounder in either 2012 or 2013. 

Those picks will help the Bears down the road but the goaltending trade could hurt Hershey's depth for the immediate future.  As of right now Braden Holtby is likely considered the #2 in Washington.

The Caps also signed a few players...more on that later.

And I don't think the Caps are done yet either.  They still have restricted free agents to sign and stuff to work out. 

My thoughts...Alexander Semin (or maybe Mike Green?) is on the trade block and something could go down soon.  Haven't heard anything to make that more than pure speculation but according to CapGeek.com the Caps only have 2 million left under the cap and players left to sign.  Something has to give.

Things are about to pick up

Tomorrow marks the beginning of free agency for the NHL and in turn the AHL.  Which means things are going to start getting interesting. 

This morning an update to the previously posted (and provided here) article identifying all the free agents that played in the AHL last season was made.  Here is the link if you want to read through the 200+ names that are available for teams to sign beginning tomorrow.  Again a thanks to Pens' beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for doing the leg work on this list.

If you view the prospective 2011-12 Bears roster you will see that the Hershey Bears have many holes to fill through free agency.  Currently there are 2 goalies, 6 defensemen, and 11 forwards that could POTENTIALLY be Bears next season.  There are so many variables at play with that number that it isn't even worth discussing.

I expect the Bears to be quite active in free agency this year as they will be looking to replace a substantial portion of their offensive and defensive talent.

As signings and/or trades happen I will post them here.


Caps Offer 5

Just so we are all on the same page...the Washington Capitals made qualifying offers to 5 restricted free agents this past week. Semyon Varlamov (more on him below), Troy Brouwer, and Karl Alzner are obviously not in Hershey's plans.  But Mathieu Perreault and Francois Bouchard very well could be.

Qualifying offers basically mean that the Capitals can match any offer made to these players during free agency.  And if they choose not to match an offer they would receive compensation for losing the players.

Barring a trade I fully expect Bouchard to be back in Hershey this season.  Whether that is good or bad depends on your perspective.  Let's just say I have a wait and see attitude on Bouch.

Perreault is a different case.  Some teams out there might be willing to sign him for a decent salary given his upside and production to date.  I can't see the Caps matching an offer that is too high based on the organizational depth at center.  Let's call the odds 50/50 that Perry is back in Hershey as of right now.

So, those players are not officially back in Washington/Hershey jerseys for 11-12 but they are on their way.


From Russia to DC back to Russia?

No one is quite sure what is happening with Semyon Varlamov this offseason but all signs recently point to him returning to Russia to play in the KHL for 2011-12. 

Lots has been said and written discussing what is going to happen but most recently things have begun to progress in the Varly to KHL storyline.

This could potentially impact Hershey directly.  As of right now Braden Holtby would become the #2 in Washington while Dany Sabourin would become the #1 in Hershey with no #2 in Hershey.

That is subject to change though as the Caps could see fit to sign a low-price veteran backup (read: Brian Boucher) to serve as the #2 in Washington while Braden tries again to play a full season in Hershey. 

Personally...I think Braden will be in Washington and the Bears will be forced to sign another veteran AHL goalie for the 11-12 season.

We should know soon.


AHL Realignment

Things could look drastically different in the AHL this upcoming season.  As Tim Leone reports, the AHL is considering a plan that would create 6 divisions (like the NHL) instead of the 4 currently.  The makeup of those divisions would likely be geographical in nature but nothing is ever perfect. 

I think its funny that the AHL would consider going to 6 divisions at the same time that there is talk of the NHL going to 4! 

The AHL annual summer meetings will be held next week (3rd-7th) and expectations are that a decision will be made during them. 

Personally I like the 4 division layout because it creates better rivalries.  The divisional playoff structure breeds hatred for other teams and that would be lost with a move to 6 divisions.  Sure the Pens and Bears would still have a good rivalry but there could be multiple years in a row where the teams don't play in the playoffs, where as now they play in the playoffs almost every year.

But going to 6 divisions would create more balance and equality.  It will be an interesting decision.


Former Bear Free Agents

Tim Leone also discusses free agency in his article today, including a compilation of recent Bears who are unrestricted free agents this offseason.  Definitely check out the entire article but I have provided a copy of the list below.

• Alex Giroux
• Kyle Wilson
• Dean Arsene
• Graham Mink
• Matt Beaudoin
• Chad Wiseman
• Danny Syvret
• Mark Wotton
• Quintin Laing
• Grant Lewis
• Troy Milam
• Jason Bacashihua
• Nolan Yonkman
• Staffan Kronwall

Definitely an interesting list. 

 

 

Expect active summer season from Caps

 

Finally, I leave you with this quote from Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals...

“We now move on to free agency,” Leonsis wrote. “We want to keep some players. We want to sign some players. Wish us well in all of our pursuits.

“And then don’t be surprised if you see some trades. It takes two to tango. We want to change and improve. We ware getting ready for a new season which is fast approaching.”

Interesting.  We could see a summer that we haven't seen since the Bears/Caps alliance started back up a few years ago.  Prospects, picks, veterans...they could all be on the move.  Who knows.

Keep checking back!

Free agent list

Found a list of the 186 "AHL" free agents today and figured I would share it in case you are curious what players are free agents this season. 

Thanks to Pens beat writer Jonathan Bombulie for compiling the list.

Definitely some interesting names on the list.  5 of the top 20 names have played in Hershey sometime in the last 3 years. 

Goaltending news in Hershey

Multiple happenings on the goaltending front within the organization yesterday. 

First, former goaltending coach Dave Prior is returning to that position with he organization.  The way I understand it, he will mainly be responsible for the goalies in Washington.

Second, the Caps hired former Caps goalie Olie Kolzig as associate goaltending coach.  This move is likely to impact Hershey directly as it is anticipated that Olie will work mainly with the goalies in Hershey and South Carolina. 

I believe this will be the first time that the Bears have an actual, designated goalie coach.  Prior spent some time with the kids in Hershey during his tenure, but most of his time was spent in Washington.  Last season Arturs Irbe served as goalie coach for the Caps and while he definitely worked with the "kids" in Hershey, his main focus was the guys in Washington.

This can only help the Bears, who may have a deep stable of goalies again in 2011-12....

And the final news of the day...the Bears/Caps have resigned goalie Dany Sabourin for the 2011-12 season. 

Last year Dany started out slow before really finding a groove and playing great before getting hurt in January and missing the rest of the season.  He says he is skating fully and will be ready to go when the season starts after rehabbing his knee injury.

Dany said that he wanted to return and his contract verifies that.  At the AHL level (which is where everyone expects him to be) he is making half of what he made last season, according to capgeek.com.  Obviously that doesn't mean everything but I think it speaks loudly about how much he wanted to return to the Washington/Hershey organization. 

Another thing to consider with this signing though...this could signal the end of Braden Holtby in Hershey.  There is speculation that Semyon Varlamov is heading to Russia for the upcoming season which would present an opening in Washington for a backup to Michal Neuvirth for Braden. 

Obviously there is still lots of time and roster moves to come before that happens but definitely something to keep an eye on. 

Either way...welcome back Dany Sabourin!!  It will be great to have you healthy for a full season in 2011-12.

McNeill back for 2011-12

This is definitely good news for Bears fans.  Patrick McNeill has signed a 2-year contract with the Capitals which will keep him in Hershey/Washington until 2013. 

I can't say I am too surprised by the deal as Patty has developed into a solid prospect.  He will surely get some looks in Washington this season if needed. 

Last season he had 7 goals and 20 assists in only 51 games.  Not bad offensive numbers for a defenseman.

Welcome back Patty!

Relocation of Manitoba Moose

With the NHL returning to Winnipeg it really didn't make sense, nor was it probably feasible, to have both an AHL and NHL team playing in the same building. 

So the Moose set out for a new home.  And they found one...

And it is even further from Hershey than Winnipeg!

St. John's, Newfoundland will be re-joining the AHL this season.  They last had a team in 2005 as the St. John's Maple Leafs.  They will begin play this season and will be affiliated with the new Winnipeg franchise. 

Last season the Manitoba Moose were affiliated with Vancouver while Chicago was affiliated with the Atlanta Thrashers (who are now the Winnipeg team). 

Based on calculations from this website it is 1302 air miles from Harrisburg, PA to St. John's.  That is 115 miles further than a trip from Harrisburg to Winnipeg.

The real adjustment to this is going to be the realignment that results from it.  You can't have a team located in the distant East playing in the Western Conference.  So someone is going to be relocated. 

My best guess would be Syracuse returning to the Western Conference where they played as recently as 2008-09. 

However, Charlotte is technically the Westernmost team in the Eastern Conference.  But they are also the furthest South and many of the Western Conference teams are in the Northern tier. 

More than likely (barring any other relocations) Bridgeport would move back to the East Division, St. John's would move to the Atlantic, and Syracuse would head to the North Division.

Time will tell.

Calder Cup remains in East Division

The Binghamton Senators have won the 2011 Calder Cup!  Congrats to the Senators and their fans for a great season.

Honestly, entering the playoffs I did believe that the Bears would be good enough to win it all but if there was one team I was more concerned about than any other in the Eastern Conference it was the Senators.  I wouldn't have bet on them winning the Cup but I would have bet on them giving it a good run.

They were, in theory anyway, the last team in the Eastern Conference to be in the playoffs.  They were only in due to the East Division having one more team than the Atlantic Division making it possible for the 5th place team from the East to make the playoffs over the 4th place team in the Atlantic.

That's what happened and the Senators never looked back. 

Congrats to the 2011 Calder Cup Champion Binghamton Senators!

Now...let's shift all our focus to the 2011-12 season in which the Bears will be looking to re-establish their seemingly annual spot in the Calder Cup Finals! 

Bears/Caps making roster moves...Sens one win from Calder Cup

Wow, it's been a while since I posted.  Or at least it feels like it has been a while.  Lots of roster news today.

Let's start with the biggest news as far as Hershey fans are concerned...

Boyd Kane will be a member of the 2011-12 Hershey Bears.  He signed an AHL only, one-year contract. 

Kane has been an important part of the Bears team the past 2 seasons in many different aspects.  Offensively he has scored 48 goals over the last 2 years (24 each year) and added 45 assists (25 in 10-11) during those seasons.  Defensively he is arguably one of the best penalty killers in the AHL.  And in the locker room I doubt there is a better leader for a young team.

That doesn't mean Kane doesn't have his faults.  He is a hothead that takes untimely penalties, he is about as far from fast as a hockey player can get, and he isn't a spring chicken.  He is 33 years old and counts as an AHL veteran.

This signing does a couple things for the Bears.  One, I think you have your 2011-12 captain.  Two, this gives them 3 of the 5 (6 depending on game limits) veterans that they can dress each night. 

I am not Kane's biggest fan on here but if he returns to the team as a 3rd line left wing then I am happy with this signing.

Welcome back Boyd!


Some other roster moves....

The Caps signed Swede Mattias Sjogren.  Sjogren is 23 (will be 24 in November) and has spent his entire career playing in Sweden.  Most recently for Farjestads where he scored 7 goals and added 17 assists in 51 games. 

He is a natural center and from what I have read is more defensive than offensive.  He is expected to compete for the 3rd/4th line center spots in Washington.  His contract is a 2-year deal and IS (according to capgeek.com) a two-way contract. 

This is important because the European game is a different style than the North American version.  Meaning he could probably use some seasoning before jumping to the NHL. 

I was wondering if he would be willing to play in the AHL and while that isn't confirmed by the 2-way nature of the contract it is more likely.  He was likely making much more money in Sweden then he will make in the AHL so only time will tell if he would accept a position in Hershey.

Either way I think this is good for Hershey.  If Sjogren does make the Caps it could be at Jay Beagle's expense which would return the fan favorite to Hershey for another season.

Stay tuned...


Wait...more roster moves...

The Caps and Predators pulled off a conditional trade this past week.  LW Taylor Stefishen was acquired by the Caps for a (possible) 7th round pick in 2013. 

This is a complicated trade and I will be brief here but if you want more check out Mike Vogel's insight over at Dump n Chase.

Basically the Caps don't have to give up the pick unless they sign him to an NHL deal.  He was drafted in 2008 and is 21 (in August) so he is ineligible for juniors in Canada again this season.  The Caps can sign him to an AHL deal and give him a "test run" so to speak for a season before signing him to an NHL deal and giving up the pick. 

At least that's the way I understood Vogel's article.

He was a 5th round pick that has produced solid numbers in his short time in juniors and college hockey.  Most recently he played in the WHL and recorded 24 goals and 43 assists in 68 games. 

My guess is...he will spend most of the season in South Carolina with a few Hershey call ups throughout the year.  He will likely be given a chance to win a job during camp with the Bears but he seems more destined for the ECHL for a year.


Okay...that's it for roster moves for today.  Expect more news as we get closer to July 1 though.  The entry draft is the last weekend of the month and free agency begins in July.  Lots will happen over the next few weeks.  Most of it will affect Washington immediately, but anything that affects the Caps will have an effect on the Bears.

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As of today (Monday, June 6) the Calder Cup appears to be remaining in the East Division.  After dropping game 1 in Houston the Binghamton Senators have won 3 of 4 to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the Calder Cup Finals.

The series shifts back to Houston for games 6 and 7 this Tuesday and Thursday. 

It has been a close series to date with offense very limited.  Overall the Senators have scored 11 goals in 5 games while the Aeros have scored 8. 

Too bad this hasn't been on TV in our area.  Would loved to have seen some of it.

Go Sens!

Sens/Aeros final ; New Layout...what do you think?

First of all the Binghamton Senators and Houston Aeros have won their respective conferences and will begin play in the Calder Cup Finals on Friday in Houston. 

Should be an entertaining series.  If you have a few bucks (and a good bit of patience) you can see it all (or most of it anyway depending on how their service holds up) over at AHLlive.com. 

Personally I think the Sens will take it.  No real reason for that opinion...just a gut call. 

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Not sure if you noticed...(if you are reading this via a reader or something you obviously haven't but if you are actually reading on the site you must be blind to not notice)...but I made some slight/major changes to the layout/design of the web page. 

I am still using the blogger technology so it is a little limited but I like some of the features I added. 

You will notice the new Pages links below the header.  Some of these are future pages (such as 2011-12 schedule and stats) that will be updated when the information is provided and the season starts. 

I also have a page dedicated to the 2011-12 roster for you to check out.  This is up to date as of today and will be updated whenever there are new signings/assignments.  All the players on the list are eligible to play in Hershey next season. Some likely won't but you never know.

My goal is to give you a one-stop shop for everything Hershey Bears.  Hopefully during the 2011-12 season you will be able to find current stats, upcoming games, and all the previews and reviews that I can write. 

I also included an about me page for those of you curious...and yes I think most of you are.  As well as a contact me page which really just moved from the main page. 

If you would like to share your opinion on the updated site...please leave a comment but remember what your mother taught you...if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  Because we all know that I follow that rule!

Zach Miskovic back for 2011-12

Look at this...2 posts in one day!!!  And you thought this blog was dormant for the summer..HA.

The Caps and Bears announced that Zach Miskovic was signed to a one year extension for the upcoming 2011-12 season. 

This is good news for the Bears as he will certainly be a member of Hershey's team next season with (maybe) a call up or two to Washington depending on injuries.

When not playing with the stuffed animals from a Teddy Bear Toss, Zach had 6 goals and 10 assists for the Bears this past season in 57 games.

B-Sens have commanding lead; Caps prospects having success

It is still really odd to have so long in between the end of the season and the time when offseason roster moves start happening. 

The last 2 years saw the season end in mid June with the NHL draft and free agency within a couple weeks of that.  So there was always conversation related to the Bears to keep hockey right at our finger tips.

But this year is different.  We still have 5 and a half weeks until the draft and yet another week after that until free agency begins. 

It is becoming a long offseason.  I don't like it.

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The AHL playoffs are still going on and two East Division teams are still alive and well.  The Charlotte Checkers and Binghamton Senators remain in the hunt as they battle for the Eastern Conference crown.

Currently the Senators are up 3 games to none and it hasn't been close with the B-Sens outscoring the Checkers by a combined 17-5 in the three games to date.  Game 4 is scheduled for tonight so that series could end soon.

Before the playoffs started I said to watch out for Binghamton.  They were on a tear at the end of the season and then added a bunch of good players for the playoffs.  So I am not entirely surprised by their success. 


Over in the Western Conference the Houston Aeros are also up 3 games to none over the Hamilton Bulldogs.  This series has been much closer as neither team has scored more than 3 goals in a game.  Overall Houston has outscored the Bulldogs by a combined 8-5. 

I don't know much about the Western Conference since Hershey rarely plays these teams.  But I do remember reading something from either John Walton or Tim Leone after Peoria was eliminated by the Aeros.  Graham Mink, a former Bear, said at the time that this team had the makeup of a Calder Cup Champion and he expected to see them make a good run.

So far he has been right.  Game 4 of this series is also scheduled for tonight so by the end of the night the Calder Cup finals could be set and scheduled.
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Changing topics back to Hershey for a minute...

Multiple Capitals prospects will be participating in the Memorial Cup which starts this week...Friday to be exact.  It would appear that you will be able to see at least some of the games, if not all, on NHL network beginning this Saturday with a replay of the opening game.

Cody Eakin, Stanislav Galiev, and Brett Fleming will represent their respective teams in the 4 team tournament to decide the champion of the CHL. 

Eakin and the Kootenay Ice won the WHL league title to earn this trip with Eakin showing up huge all postseason scoring 11 goals and adding 16 assists in only 19 playoff games.  He finished second in the WHL in playoff scoring.

Eakin signed his three year entry level contract with Washington and will report to training camp this fall.  He is expected to push for a spot on the Caps opening night roster but most expect him to start the season in Hershey.  Keep in mind though that he almost made the Caps out of camp this past year so it is not a foregone conclusion that he will report to Hershey...ever.

Galiev and the Saint John Sea Dogs won the QMJHL league title.  He has also performed very well for his team totaling 10 goals and 17 assists in 19 playoff games.  That was good enough for 5th in the QMJHL playoff scoring.

Galiev still has a year of junior eligibility remaining so he will not be in Hershey next season but look for him in 2012-13.
Defensemen Fleming represents the Mississagua St. Michael's Majors of the OHL, the hosting team for this years 2011 Memorial Cup.  Fleming helped his team offensively with a goal and 13 assists during the playoffs which was good enough for 6th amongst defensemen in the OHL.

Like Eakin, Fleming signed his entry deal already and is expected to compete for a spot in Hershey next season.  Defensemen generally need more seasoning so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him spend some time in South Carolina but he will surely be given a shot to earn a permanent spot in Hershey.

Should they fire Bruce Boudreau?

This is the question everyone is asking right now.  Will (or should) the Caps fire their head coach?  And everyone has an opinion on it.  Including me.

Should they fire Bruce?  Seems straightforward enough considering his history in the playoffs.  Despite taking many extremely talented teams (and top seeds) into the postseason he has failed to pass the 2nd round. 

In the regular season though the Caps are as good as anyone.  Whether they outscore you, as in years past, or out-defend you, like this year, they end up as the #1 team in the Eastern Conference.

But the playoffs don't see the same success.

So is that an indicator of the coach...or the team?

Personally I think it is an indicator of the team.  Let's look at what wins in the NHL playoffs:

Ugly goals
Hard work around the boards
Puck movement
Solid defensive zone play
Great goaltending

What of those things are the Caps good at?  Surely not the "ugly" goals and usually not the hard work around the boards.  The Caps generally like to make the cute pass that gets the pretty goals but that doesn't work in the postseason.  Guys are more willing to block a pass or a shot during the playoffs then they are during the regular season.  They gamble more and in turn they keep the "cute" teams off the scoreboard.

You don't have to have a team made up of Johan Franzen's to win.  But your star players need to be willing to much it up in the corners and in front of the net.  Cycle the puck and get opportunities.  Crash the net and look for the rebounds. 

The Caps do move the puck well and their defensive zone play was good against the Rangers but against an explosive offensive team like Tampa they were unable to slow them down. 

And the goaltending was solid this playoff year.  Michal Neuvirth played very well.  Neuvy is very consistent but will sometimes let in a goal he should have...which all goalies do at times.  In my opinion he should be the #1 goalie going forward but what do I know.

So they have 3 of the 5 items they need.  Now they need some scoring help.

Will firing Boudreau fix that problem???   NO!

Bringing in a new coach with the same players is not the solution.  In the infamous words of Peanut, "polish a turd, it's still a turd."

It is time to revamp the offense.  And no that does not mean wait for the youngsters to be ready.  Cody Eakin could use a year in the AHL and Evgeni Kuznetsov isn't coming over for at least another year and will need time to get acclimated to the NHL game.

So instead of going out and getting players a couple years past their prime (Jason Arnott and Marco Sturm) let's see if the Caps go out and get real talented players.  And then move some other pieces.  Alexander Semin will NEVER be a great playoff performer.  His game and attitude will not allow it.  Trade him for a package of players.  I would be curious if you could get a Michael Grabner type player for him.  Or a solid #2 center like a Stephen Weiss.

Say goodbye to Arnott, Sturm, Boyd Gordon, and Matt Bradley.  If possible trade Tyler Sloan and Mike Knuble (in addition to Semin) and let's see the Caps really try and make this team better.

There are going to be good players (playoff time goal scorers) available this summer....there always are in the NHL.  Time to make the changes and go get them.

Just a brief list of guys I would love to see join Washington this year...(all players shown as unrestricted free agents on capgeek.com):

• Ville Leino
• Nikolai Zherdev
• Maxime Talbot
• Alexander Frolov
• Sean Bergenheim
• Simon Gagne
• Scottie Upshall
• Radim Vrbata

So...should the Caps fire Boudreau?  Not if that is the only change you make because I don't think it will help enough. 

If you are going to blow up the roster and fell that it will be best to start over with the coach too...then fine...so long Bruce.

But Boudreau is not the main problem.  The roster is.