So we FINALLY have a roster to look at, and we are able to look ahead knowing who is in the stable for the season.
I am really excited about the additions to the roster this year -- especially when you consider we didn't really lose anyone.
Cameron Berg might be a very exciting player to watch. Take note of how he blossomed after moving to Muskegon two season ago. He became a point-per-game player in the USHL. I don't know much about Muskegon coach Mike Hamilton, but I do know Dave Wilkie. I imagine Berg's improvement statistically is related to the change of scenery and getting out from under Wilkie's authoritarian rule. Moving from a disciplinarian to a player's coach appears to be a factor, and we know Gabinet is a player's coach. NHL scouts also love his three-zone game, and that will play well for Gabby.
It's hard to gauge how players coming out of Canadian juniors will translate. And that makes it hard to assess Ty Mueller on paper. I do get more excited about players coming out of the BCHL, then the AJHL, and of course players coming out of Quebec who avoid the QMJHL. Mueller is coming out of the AJ, with moderate success there. I can't even think of a comparable player from a previous roster for us to make a comparison to. But something that stood out was Mueller's playoff performance at a 15 year old in AAA. That gives us hope for a potential role player who finds a way to shine in big games -- so maybe a JT Platisha type. Bottom 6 forward, yet dependable.
I feel like we've been waiting forever for the impending arrival of Victor Mancini. He's a bit of an enigma with the non-traditional route he has taken to get here. I'm hoping it's a sign of a chip on his shoulder and a willingness to do whatever it takes to persevere. He's got size. And the +/- numbers are good. Scouts say he is at his best when he keeps things simple -- so I see him as a Nate Knoepke stay-at-home type. But I'm sure he'll chip in a bit offensively.
Puck-moving defenseman, Davis Pennington, joins a defensive corps that returns largely intact. His development has been nothing short of methodical. NAHL, BCHL, USHL, now NCAA. Step-by-step at each level Pennington appears to have accepted the challenge and risen to the level. The jump from the USHL to the NCAA is a bit larger (think the jump from A to AA in baseball -- where you really sort out who the top prospects are), but the role to start for Pennington will be a lesser role as a 5-6 d-man, and a power play specialist. He'll need some support in terms of a partner who plays a solid game at the back, but Pennington isn't a +/- black hole. As long as he avoids being paired with Krenzen, he'll be fine. He's got a year to learn before spots on the top pair open up.
It will be interesting to see what Brannon McManus brings as a graduate transfer. If he remains a 20-point player and a leader -- we will all be very happy. Adds to the depth of an already balanced scoring lineup, and a strong voice from a traditional power. Expectations will be less for McManus in Omaha, and that might free him up a bit. Might we see McManus take the same 'senior leap' we saw from Luke Nogard and Martin Sundberg? Remember... it's a leap from 20, as opposed to the leap from 5 or 10 for the others.
