With the passing of the QMJHL's August
trade window and the latest round of player reassignments from training camp
being made, the Saint John Sea Dogs' roster is taking shape. With the
trading of big Jack vanBoekel to Val-d'Or and the sending of Alex D'Orio and
Cedric Pare back to midget AAA today, the Sea Dogs defence and goaltending
appears to be set. However - pardon the pun - there are dog fights
being waged for forward positions.
Forwards
A few fans (e.g. message board posters)
seem to be concerned about who will comprise the "fourth
line." The better question may be "how will the ice time be
distributed?" Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young has stated that
he wants four balanced lines that can be called upon at any time. Also, as
legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, "it's not who
starts the game but who finishes it that matters most." Those who
have attended the veteran’s practices can pretty much surmise the initial line
combos based on practice jersey colours. However, fans should also note
that 'Danny Flynn 2.0' is running high tempo drills with a real emphasis on
fitness, speed and transition. Teams visiting Harbour Station this
season had better be prepared for a "track meet" with a
wave of Sea Dogs blue coming at them every shift.
Having said that, it does appear that
the six forwards heading out to NHL rookie camps soon are likely to form two
lines upon their return. LW Adam Marsh (Detroit), C Nathan Noel (Anaheim)
and RW Spencer Smallman (Carolina) could very well stay together for a
long time. LW Boko Imama (Tampa), C Sam Dove-McFalls (Philadelphia) and RW
Mathieu Joseph (Tampa) are showing tremendous chemistry both on and off the
ice.
As for the remaining forwards, OHL
veteran RW Sam ("Povo") Povorozniouk appears destined to start the
season as rookie sensation Joe Velano's primary running mate. It is
possible that Imama could be the third member of that unit - if coach Flynn
feels that the other teams are trying to take liberties with Velano (2015 1st
round - 1st overall). Then, assuming former first round draft picks
Matthew Highmore and Julien Tessier are paired together, other forwards such as
Dan Del Paggio, Kyle Ward, Dawson Theede, Matt Green and big Alex Kealey have
until mid-September to show Young and Flynn that they have what it takes to
help the Sea Dogs reach their goal of a top four finish in the league this
season.
Furthermore, since the Sea Dogs will
need additional players with six guys away, two or three affiliate players (AP)
will be called upon to fill out the roster for a few games at least. Without
any specific inside information, one can only guess that promising players such
as Ryan Kenny, Mike Veleno, Ben Reid, Will Kelly or Alex Lafreniere will
be given a second chance to show the coaching staff that they have what it
takes to contribute sooner rather than later.
Defence
It seems that the Sea Dogs will carry
seven defencemen this season. While some observers - especially those from
rival teams - may scoff at the suggestion, this season’s defence
compares favourably to the unit that led the 2011 team to a Memorial Cup
victory. Jakub Zboril (Boston) will be called upon to fill the shoes of
Simon "Big Horse" Despres (Anaheim). Thomas Chabot (Ottawa) is a
dynamic skater and playmaker in the mold of Nathan Beaulieu (Montreal). Jason
Bell (Calgary) has the size and a booming slap shot reminiscent of
Eric Gelinas (New Jersey). Potential 2016 NHL first round draft choice
Luke Green is an electric skater that reminds many of fan favourite Kevin Gagne
(AHL). Adam Bateman (former OHL 1st rounder) is a "Steady
Eddie" who, thankfully, appears to be the second coming of Pierre
Durepos. Finally, a pair of large lads (i.e. 6' 5" - 215+ lbs.) in Bailey
Webster and import Oliver Felixson will provide depth and
skill along the lines of Gabriel Bourret and Jason Seed.
With Zboril, Chabot and Bell away to NHL
camps, rookies such as Ian Smallwood, Pierre-Luc Lurette and/or Isaac McGraw
are likely to get another shot at proving their worth to the organization as
well.
Goaltending
Rookie Alex D'Orio (2015 1st round - 9th
overall) showed at the 2015 Canada Winter Games with Team Quebec that
he is capable of being a franchise goalie in the QMJHL. Shortly after Young
was named GM in Saint John, he stated that one of his goals was to find the
"next Zach Fucale." It will be interesting - to say the least -
to see if D'Orio can blossom into the mainstay in goal for the Sea Dogs in the
near future.
Just when it looked like there was a
battle in the crease, the following happened this afternoon:
Alex D'Orio and Cedric Pare,
both first round picks, have been reassigned by Saint
John.
— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) August
20, 2015
So the goaltenders are in place to
start the season. Marc-Antoine Turcotte was acquired from Blainville-Boisbriand
to provide leadership and stability in net. Alex Bishop showed positive
signs towards the end of last season but needs to demonstrate consistency in
order to step to the front of the line.
Besides Turcotte, Bishop and D'Orio, the
scouting staff did a fine job of identifying two other promising young goalies in
17-year-old Matt Williams (NS) and 16 year-old William Hardy-Murray (PQ). Both
of them looked very good in the rookie scrimmages and could step in in the not
too distant future to provide a boost.
An eye to the US
One other area worth watching over the next two to three years is the Sea Dogs' ability to bring in prospects from the United States. Charlie Coyle and Adam Marsh are arguably two of the best US born players to play in the QMJHL in recent years. Young and his scouting staff have placed significant focus on acquiring the rights of high-end players viewed by various scouting services as legitimate NHL prospects. Young has utilized mid-round (i.e. rounds four through nine) draft choices to add D Jake Massie ('97 - drafted by Carolina), 1998-born players F Jamie Armstrong, F Monte Graham and D Marshall Rifai to the Sea Dogs’ 50-man protected list. In the 2015 draft, Young selected 1999-born F Marc McLaughlin and D Ben Mirageas - both of whom were rated in the top five of eligible US players for this draft. The fact that none of these players have chosen to come to Saint John for an extended period has been a source of concern for some fans. However, to steal a term from Major League Baseball and the NBA, the "draft and follow" players need time to develop and/or determine their best path. Time will tell if Young's vision and patience pays off.
One other area worth watching over the next two to three years is the Sea Dogs' ability to bring in prospects from the United States. Charlie Coyle and Adam Marsh are arguably two of the best US born players to play in the QMJHL in recent years. Young and his scouting staff have placed significant focus on acquiring the rights of high-end players viewed by various scouting services as legitimate NHL prospects. Young has utilized mid-round (i.e. rounds four through nine) draft choices to add D Jake Massie ('97 - drafted by Carolina), 1998-born players F Jamie Armstrong, F Monte Graham and D Marshall Rifai to the Sea Dogs’ 50-man protected list. In the 2015 draft, Young selected 1999-born F Marc McLaughlin and D Ben Mirageas - both of whom were rated in the top five of eligible US players for this draft. The fact that none of these players have chosen to come to Saint John for an extended period has been a source of concern for some fans. However, to steal a term from Major League Baseball and the NBA, the "draft and follow" players need time to develop and/or determine their best path. Time will tell if Young's vision and patience pays off.
Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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