BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Hartford Wolf Pack fans have a reason for optimism as the start of the 2019-20 season approaches on Saturday against a very revamped defending Calder Cup champion, the Charlotte Checkers. The game will also be the home-opener at the XL Center and the puck drop is set for 7 pm.
The New York Rangers made their final roster cuts on Monday. The Wolf Pack, at least on paper, will be a contender early in the season. The Pack will look this solid for the first time since 2014-15 when they won the Eastern Division regular title and would go on to the conference finals before being eliminated by the eventual Calder Cup champion, the Manchester Monarchs.
Returning after two years in the NHL is Filip Chytil, the young talented 20-year-old Czech who needs more playing time than he would be getting in the Big Apple. Here, he will be getting boatloads of it. Vinni Lettieri, one of the few offensive bright lights last season, joins him. Making the journey with them from NYC is the Rangers highly-touted Russian rookie, Vitali Kravtsov, who was the seventh overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Kravtsov brings size, serious speed, and a powerful shot that will bring fans out of their seats. However, like any 18-year-old, he needs time to develop and mature. The same applies to most young players, namely those not named Auston Matthews or Patrick Laine.
Conceivably Chytil, Kravtsov, and Lettieri could be one of the first two lines on a team that has been offensively challenged the past several seasons.
Another talented player who will be returning to Hartford is Steven Fogarty. He begins his fourth season with the Wolf Pack. Then, in the offseason, the Rangers brass added AHL veteran Phil DiGuiseppe, and returnees Tim Gettinger (second year), Gabriel Fontaine (third year), and veteran Danny O’Regan, who had a strong preseason game at Trinity College.
A second-year pro, Ville Meskanen, will be back as well as a trio of rookies, including the very impressive well-rounded center, Nick Jones, and Patrick Newell, and Lewis Zerter-Gossage.
Center Boo Nieves was returned by New York as well. He cleared waivers and will be also be garnering serious ice time. In fact, it’s also the first time in years that the Wolf Pack has had a spate of natural centers and won’t need to carve one out of a winger.
All the elements are there for this Wolf Pack team to be a genuine offensive threat, at least early in this season.
The backline also has some very important pieces the Rangers sent to Hartford.
Ryan Lindgren, who had an outstanding camp, but was sent down based not on performance, but rather player and contract numbers. An “A” could possibly be getting stitched on his jersey.
Brandon Crawley, with a fresh lease on playing, as well as, AHL veteran free-agent offseason signing, Jeff LoVerde, rookie Joey Keane, Darren Raddysh, and Jeff Taylor help make this a diverse group.
The last piece of the defensive puzzle is Mason Geertsen who checks in at 6”4, 220 lbs. He was playing with the Colorado Eagles last season and came to a training camp without a contract and earned one. Geersten’s stellar play includes excellent puck management skills, and the ability to use his size effectively with timely, well-placed hits, and when the bell rang got into a few scraps.
Geertsen is the first player since Shawn O’Donnell, who was a walk-on from Canadian college hockey ranks in 2013-14, to earn an AHL-deal based on camp performance for the Wolf Pack.
Goaltending which will be a highly competitive position with the experienced Russian rookie netminder from SKA St. Petersburg (Russia-KHL), Igor Shesterkin, who has finally arrived in North America after posting some eye-popping KHL numbers. Hockey is played differently in the KHL and on a bigger surface. The question is, however, how long he’ll be in the Connecticut capitol and that will depend on his adaption and adjustment to North America rinks and style of the play.
That stay could be for a short period and will be determined by his play. His contract, which has a clause that could be activated, allows him to return to Russia. But, not since Mackenzie Skapski, has the team had such a top goalie prospect in Hartford. Of course, that Skapski experiment fizzled out disastrously.
The number two goalie is a very familiar face in these parts. Former UConn Husky, Adam Huska (Hoo-ska), who had himself a very productive training camp in both New York and Hartford. Huska was a seventh-round draft pick and has helped make the Rangers have options in net for organizational depth.
A player nobody expected but has been sent to Maine along with seven others, is Tom McCollum. The off-season AHL free-agent signee performed quite well in net here and now, like fellow Maine Mariner, Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme/Gunnery Prep) doesn’t deserve to be there, but roster space and contracts are factors in where a player winds up.
Besides Saturday’s opener, The Wolf Pack has a Sunday afternoon date with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, a part of seven of their first ten games will be at the XL Center.
NOTES:
The other players heading to Portland, Maine were forwards Ty Ronning, Jake Elmer, Dawson Leedahl, Greg Chase, Shawn McBride, and a defenseman, former QU Bobcat, Zach Tolkinen.
Connor Brickley, who came camp on a try-out basis and goalie Francois Brassard were released and that makes them free agents who will likely be heading to a yet determined ECHL camp.
Lots of transactions yesterday with players being moved. Ex-CT Whale, Jayson Megna, was the last cut in Colorado. He heads to the Colorado Eagles. Ex-Pack players, Dylan McIlrath and Matt Puempel were assigned to Grand Rapids, Kenny Agostino (Yale University) heads to the Toronto Marlies.
Cole Cassels, the son of former Hartford Whaler, Andrew Cassels, was released by Belleville. Tage Thompson (Orange/UConn), the son of Sound Tiger head coach and ex-Wolf Pack, Brent Thompson, was sent to Rochester. Chase Priskie (Quinnipiac University) went to Charlotte while Chad Krys (Ridgefield) is off to Rockford and Logan Brown, the son ex-Whaler, Jeff Brown, packs for Belleville.
Lane Valimont (Avon Old Farms) heads to Wheeling (ECHL) camp after completing his collegiate career with Marian University (NCHA). Valimont is the son of another Avon Old Farms alumni, Carl Valimont. The elder Valimont was born in Southington, but grew up in Cheshire and played his high school hockey with the Winged Beavers. He had a seven-year career with Milwaukee (IHL) and still coaches hockey at Arrowhead HS (WIPUB).
Canon Pieper (Quinnipiac University) and Craig Puffer (New Canaan) are both in camp with Tulsa (ECHL). Kristoff Kontos, the son of former New Haven Nighthawk and Ranger, Chris Kontos, is in camp with Wichita (ECHL).
Ex-CT Whale Logan Pyett signs with Frederikshavn IK (Demark-DHL).
Bad news for UCONN hockey as they get set to open their season in Bridgeport against Sacred Heart University (AHA) Saturday night.
One of the three incoming players drafted by NHL teams in June, Matej Blumel has decided to go pro in his native Czech Republic.
Blumel, the 100th overall pick by Edmonton signed a deal HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic-CEL).
The irony is the roster spot became available because of the sudden retirement of ex-Pack forward, Cory Locke, in the pre-season.
