BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The ever-so-brief AHL 2020-21 season has concluded. It was a season that challenged the players and coaching staff and left the Hartford Wolf Pack fans distanced from their team relying on the computer to watch their team play.
Seven years have come and gone since the last time there was any post-season hockey in Hart City, and with the past two years since a Calder Cup trophy was awarded.
This lack of any postseason is reminiscent of the AHL during World War II.
That’s not all that’s buzzing around the Wolf Pack these days. Last Wednesday at the Madison Square Garden executive offices, New York Rangers and MSG CEO James Dolan terminated their team President John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton. Chris Drury (Trumbull/Fairfield Prep) became President and GM of the Rangers. One of Drury’s first actions as President was to relieve David Quinn of his duties as the team’s head coach.
The Rangers are in a rebuild mode with a boatload of prized prospects expected to be in training camp in September. Expect the Wolf Pack roster to be significantly different as well in five months.
This will extend into the 2022-23 hockey season too, so this move has deleterious effects up and down the Rangers hockey operations ladder from coaches, players and scouts.
HARTFORD WOLF PACK
Drury will likely drop his General Manager title from his portfolio of responsibilities. Expect Drury to first look in-house for a replacement.
Among those likely to be considered for the role include ex-Pack players Jed Ortmeyer (Director of Player Development) or Tanner Glass (Assistant Director of Player Development). There’s also Pat Boller, the long-serving Assistant GM who had kept things running for the last 13 years on a day-to-day basis, with the potential for an upgrade.
DEFENSE
Among the defensive corps will be the organization’s central challenge, which has 21 players under contract.
Most likely to be skating in Hartford next season to start the season could be Braden Schneider, Matt Robertson, or if the organization feels he needs some transitioning from the larger to the smaller rinks in the minors, Nils Lundkvist.
Among the pairings will be Schneider with Vincent LoVerde, who’s on an AHL deal and needs to be resigned. Darren Raddysh is a Group 6 UFA. He’ll be looking for a financial upgrade. Mason Geersten is under contract for next season but will be an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) after next season.
Tarmo Reunanen, Schneider, and Lundkvist will get long looks in training camp in New York, but where they ultimately wind up is unclear with only so few defensive openings in New York.
Patrick Sieloff needs to be signed, likely to an AHL deal, and Zach Giuttari, a free agent (AHL deal). Both could potentially play with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, or they could move on elsewhere.
GONE
Brandon Crawley played for the Cleveland Monsters on a loan deal. His contract is up, and he is unlikely to be resigned. Yegor Rykov, once a highly touted prospect for the organization, likely will stay in Russia and play in the KHL. His Rangers deal expires on June 30.
Jeff Taylor, who was scratched more than he played in two years, will likely be finding a new place to park his skates in North America AHL/ECHL or Europe.
FORWARDS
The big question upfront is what the future hold will with Tim Gettinger and Ty Ronning? Both of their entry-level contracts are expiring. Both played very well and warrant resigning to see what that they can do in an entire season.
Veteran Paul Thompson, who has bought into mentoring the younger players, and lives in nearby West Springfield, MA, will likely be a solid bargain to fill the veteran spot.
RETURNING
Anthony Greco and Jonny Brodzinski will be the anchors. Both are returning but will be UFA’s after next season. With a slew of younger players coming back and who will get an entire season of hockey in year two of their pro hockey careers.
Also returning to Hartford are Justin Richards, Patrick Khordorenko, Will Cully, Michael O’Leary, James Sanchez, and Alex Whalen. Richards and Khordorenko, two natural centers, demonstrated tremendous growth and promise. All the others showed degrees of improvement. With an entire season awaiting them in the fall of 2021, the question is how much better did they get and if they can continue to improve.
Swedish centerman Karl Henriksson is under contract. In the Swedish SHL, he was playing as a 19-year-old. He had one goal and eight points, not exactly eye-popping numbers, so depending on the team’s depth, he could be a training camp invitee but is more likely to play another year in Europe.
The same scenario is possible for Finnish right-handed center Lauri Pajuniemi of TPS Turku (Finland-DEL). He logged 22 goals and 38 points in 48 games, numbers likely to get him invited to camp.
GONE
Patrick Newell, an RFA, showed flashes of skill but is likely to have a new AHL address.
Gabriel Fontaine played in just 17 games over two full seasons due to successive left shoulder surgeries. He could be a candidate to start with the expansion Trois-Rivieres (ECHL) team next season to jumpstart his career.
GOALTENDING
Adam Huska, 23, is an RFA. He showed an ability to play well in tight spots and make a big save. Though his final numbers aren’t AHL sexy, he has performed well this season under these challenging conditions.
Tyler Wall showed flashes of his Hockey East form but struggled on many nights and looked like a rookie searching for his confidence.
Swedish second-round pick Olof Sundstrom is under contract. However, he signed a Swedish deal with Kristianstads IK (Sweden-Allsvenskan), and unless he is heading for Maine, he will likely stay in Europe next season.
Depending on how the Rangers make expected off-season signings and trades and the final expansion list they submit to the league for the incoming Seattle Kraken draft, a lot could change. The team is allowed to protect eight players and one goalie.
Goalie Keith Kinkaid’s status will be interesting. With the elimination of the “taxi squad” likely, Kinkaid could be Hartford’s top goalie next season after playing well in New York.
MAINE MARINERS
The return of the Rangers Double AA team will allow prospects to get an entire season on the ice and plenty of playing time to help fill out the organizational depth, something in short supply this season.
Player possibilities for Maine include goalies Wall, Francois Brassard, or Olof Sundstrom, where they will work with the organization’s goalie coach, Jeff Malcolm.
Skating upfront could be James Sanchez, Alex Whalen, Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme/Gunnery Prep), and Jacob Elmer, who was with the Florida Everblades (ECHL) this year. They will likely be in Portland.
On the backline, possibly Giuttari, Taylor, and Sieloff could make their home up north of Hartford with a logjam at defense in New York and Hartford.
