Leafs October Prospect Update: Volume 2 - NCAA Edition

By Alex Hobson

Welcome back to my second part to my four part monthly prospect update series. Yesterday, we looked at the Leafs prospects currently playing in the CHL, including the likes of Mitch Marner, Travis Dermott, and Dmytro Timashov among others. Today, we'll look at our prospects currently playing in the NCAA. These prospects don't often get as much coverage due to lack of sources, but we'll get a closer look here.

Tony Cameranesi, University of Minnesota-Duluth, C (5th round, 130th overall in 2011)

Cameranesi is proving to be one of UMD's most valuable players. He led his team in points last season with nine goals and 30 points in 40 games. He's off to another hot start this season with three assists over three games. He is currently in his last eligible season to play college hockey before he needs to sign an entry level deal with the Leafs.

Dakota Joshua, Ohio State University, C (5th round, 128th overall in 2014)

Joshua made a very strong name for himself in the 2015 USHL season and playoffs. He recorded 44 points in 52 games for the Sioux Falls Stampede and then recorded 13 points in 11 games. He's only appeared in one game for Ohio State and didn't record any points, but it's entirely possible he steps up as a prime producer.

Dominic Toninato, University of Minnesota-Duluth, C (5th round, 126th overall in 2012)

Toninato and fellow UMD teammate and Leafs prospect Tony Cameranesi are essentially partners in crime for their team this season. Toninato finished second in points in 2014-15 behind Cameranesi with 26 points in 34 games, and has scored twice in three games for UMD this season. He has two years left to play in University, unlike Cameranesi who has only one.

Nolan Vesey, University of Maine, LW (6th round, 158th overall in 2014)

Vesey showed offense potential in 2014-15 for the U of Maine with 23 points in 36 games, but is currently off to a slow start this season with 0 points and a -1 in four games for his team this season. However, it's possible he could climb out of his slump and step up for his team in the coming games.

Thanks for reading. Not quite as many prospects to report on this time which is why it's a shorter piece. Tomorrow i'll fill you in on the Leafs prospects currently playing in Europe.

Leafs October Prospect Update: Volume 1 - CHL Edition

By Alex Hobson

As promised earlier in the month, today I start a brand new segment here on TML world, where I give you all an update on our prospects during the last four days of each month. The reason for this being that I'm going to update you on our prospects across four different leagues. The CHL, the NCAA, European Leagues, and the Marlies. Today, we'll kick things off with exclusively the prospects across the CHL, with players playing in either the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL. Let's take a look.

WHL

Andrew Nielsen, D, Lethbridge Hurricanes (3rd round, 64th overall in 2015)

Nielsen is known as the classic Western Canada defenseman. Big, strong, good defensively and capable of making huge hits. However, he's showcased his offensive side this season, tallying 5 goals and 14 points in 11 games for the Canes this year.

OHL

Jeremy Bracco, LW, Kitchener Rangers, (2nd round, 61st overall)

Bracco is tough to report on at this point, given that he announced today that he was dropping out of Boston College and signing with the Kitchener Rangers, but in Boston he recorded 3 assists in 5 games. He will add even more offense to an already stacked Rangers team.

Travis Dermott, D, Erie Otters (2nd round, 34th overall in 2015)

Dermott stepped up in the playoffs last season for the Otters with 15 points in 17 games, and is quietly continuing that production with 6 points in 11 games for Erie.

Stephen Desrocher, D, Oshawa Generals (6th round, 155th overall in 2015)

Desrocher, like Andrew Nielsen, is more known for his defensive side of the game, but he's also proving he's capable offensively, with 4 goals and 13 points for the 2015 Memorial Cup-winning Generals this season.

Nikita Korostelev, RW, Sarnia Sting (7th round, 185th overall in 2015)

Korostelev could potentially end up being one of the biggest steal in the draft. Most analysts had him going 3rd round, while the Leafs snagged him in the 7th. The Moskva, Russia native currently has 11 points in 12 games for the Sting this year.

Mitch Marner, C, London Knights (1st round, 4th overall in 2015)

The highly touted 4th overall pick of the Leafs currently has 5 goals and 15 points in 10 games for the Knights, which many experts are considering a slow start for the small, skilled forward. Yeah, he's that good.

J.J Piccinich, RW, London Knights (4th round, 103rd overall in 2014)

Piccinich left Boston University to play for the Knights this season alongside fellow prospect Mitch Marner, and is currently performing above expectations, with 8 goals and 15 points in 10 games for the Knights.

QMJHL

Cody Donaghey, D, Halifax Mooseheads (Undrafted, signed by Leafs in 2014)

Donaghey is currently off to a slow start with the Mooseheads, with only one point in four games for his team, but it's not really fair to say he's underperforming when he's only 4 games in.

Martins Dzierkals, LW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (3rd round, 68th overall in 2015)

In the draft, Leafs director of player personnel Mark Hunter went off the board and took Dzierkals, who he presumed would be one of the sleeper picks of the draft. His theory is currently paying off, as Dzierkals has tallied 9 goals and 20 points in 13 games, good enough for second on his team in points.

Dmytro Timashov, LW, Quebec Remparts (5th round, 125th overall in 2015)

Timashov, known for his ability to make plays and generate assists, is currently living up to his junior hype with 13 assists and 18 points in 12 games for the Remparts.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at how Leafs prospects in the NCAA are panning out.

Richards, Tortorella and Johansen. Plus a Prospect Report

By William Espy

Todd Richards

All Blue Jackets fans, whether they are a Richards fan or not, know that this is an end of an era. As Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch wrote, Richards’ success is what inevitably led to his downfall. He is the winningest coach in franchise history and set the coaching standards for the team. After an 0-7-0 start to the season, management decided a change was needed and because of that a great man lost his job. Richards finished his Blue Jackets career with 127 wins and a spot irremovable place in the hearts of all CBJ fans.

Former #CBJ coach Todd Richards was in good spirits this afternoon. He generally is. If he was your neighbor, he'd be your favorite.

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards not shocked, he said. "You get hired to get fired, really,is how this profession works. I have nothing but good memories." #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards: "Your job as a coach is to maximize potential, and with the way we were playing, obviously that wasn’t happening." #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards disappointed, but proud of tenure: "There were lots of people involved, but 2 me it was almost like resurrecting a franchise." #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards on Bob: "He’s made me a good coach with his goaltending. He was my guy. If you’re going 2 go down, you go down with your guy." #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

More Richards: "I would like to thank to everybody. I’ve been treated great here, by Mr. McConnell, by management, the fans, the... #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards cont: "...people, the city. I’ve said it a lot of times – it’s always the people that make places special, and the people... #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

Richards cont: "...here made it special for us. It was great." #CBJ

— Shawn Mitchell (@smitchcd) October 21, 2015

John Tortorella

John Tortorella was expected to be the Jackets’ replacement for Richards and when the time came, that’s what he became. Tortorella is a hard-nosed defense based head coach, who is not afraid to bench a star, get in someone’s face, or voice his displeasure. Blue Jackets centerman Ryan Johansen learned this the hard way when he was forced to sit out the final six minutes of the third period against the Minnesota Wild. When asked about what he will do to help improve the game of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, Tortorella said that he will let Ian Clark focus on the goaltending aspect of the team. While the Tortorella era got off to a bad start with a 4-3 loss, the team played well defensively and got numerous opportunities against a top defensive team in the league. However, as Tortorella said “Moral victories aren’t going to help us right now.” While the Jackets have made it difficult for themselves to dig out of this hole, it is not necessarily impossible.

Ryan Johansen

While Ryan Johansen is currently leading the Blue Jackets in points, he has been lackluster in many parts of his game this season. Lack of hustle on defensive plays, on line changes, and seemingly in all areas of the ice has cost the team severely. New head coach John Tortorella noticed this very quickly and punished him in return. After sitting out the final 6 minutes in a very tight game, it has been made clear that Johansen has both not impressed Tortorella and he has also not proved that he is trustworthy. Tortorella has also reportedly told Johansen that he is out of shape, which will likely hinder his ice time until that is fixed.

Prospect Report

Paul Bittner

Bittner is currently in a bit of a drought much like his team has been. The Winterhawks have been an underwhelming 3-6-0 to this point, and Bittner’s stats have shown that. The 18 year old currently has 3 goals and 2 assists for a total of 5 points in 9 games.

Keegan Kolesar

Bittner’s cross state rival the Seattle Thunderbirds, have been the exact opposite and have started the season on a roll. Part of this is due to the increased production of enforcer turned goal scorer Keegan Kolesar who has 6 goals and 8 assists for a total of 14 points in 9 games. For reference, last season he played 64 games and posted only 38 points.

Kole Sherwood

Across the country in the OHL, first year major junior player Kole Sherwood has quickly found success as a member of the London Knights along with Mitchell Marner, Max Jones and Christian Dvorak among others. Sherwood has currently posted 5 goals and 7 assists for a total of 12 points in 10 games.

Blue Jackets Game Preview: #3 Buffalo Sabres

By William Espy

The Columbus Blue Jackets move from a disappointing home-and-home series against the New York Rangers to an interesting matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. While the Sabres are unlikely to be even close to a playoff spot by the time it is set and done, they offer a mix of talent that is sure to pack a punch in years to come.  Led by rookie sensation Jack Eichel, the Sabres feature a young corps consisting of defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Mark Pysyk, and Jake McCabe as well as forwards Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane and Marcus Foligno. 

The Sabres have started off fairly slowly, as they are currently 0-2-0 following losses to the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. However the Sabres lost more than just points already this season; it was announced that goaltender Robin Lehner, who was acquired from the Senators this offseason, will miss 6-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain which occurred in the season opener against Ottawa. Captain Brian Gionta will likely be back in the lineup for the Sabres, which gives them another offensive threat. 

SABRES PROJECTED LINES:

These lines were used in the Sabres’ practice on Sunday morning which gives good reason to suggest they will start the game with them.

90 Ryan O’Reilly – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 63 Tyler Ennis

9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel – 12 Brian Gionta

26 Matt Moulson – 22 Johan Larsson – 82 Marcus Foligno

44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 88 Jamie McGinn/23 Sam Reinhart

4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen

6 Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson

25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk

45 Brendan Guhle – 65 Matt Donovan

31 Chad Johnson

50 Nathan Lieuwen

Key Players: 

15 Jack Eichel:

Eichel is a superstar in his rookie year, much like Connor McDavid of the Oilers. He currently has a single point (a goal), however he will be a large part of the offensive picture.

46 Cody Franson:

Franson is yet to make an impact on his new team, so far posting a large donut on the point category as well as a horrific -4 rating.

The Blue Jackets have also been struggling as of late after throwing away what would have seemingly given them a 1-0-0 start to the season against the Rangers followed up by a disappointing start to the game on Saturday, however the Jackets believe they know what is wrong and how to fix it.

While Todd Richards experimented with some new line combinations on Saturday and will likely change them prior to the start of the game on Monday, they currently are expected to remain the same as previous games.

JACKETS PROJECTED LINES:

20 Brandon Saad – 19 Ryan Johansen – 71 Nick Foligno

38 Boone Jenner – 17 Brandon Dubinsky – 18 Rene Bourque

43 Scott Hartnell – 25 William Karlsson – 13 Cam Atkinson

11 Matt Calvert – 9 Gregory Campbell – 40 Jared Boll

27 Ryan Murray – 58 David Savard

51 Fedor Tyutin – 7 Jack Johnson

4 Kevin Connauton – 47 Dalton Prout

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

30 Curtis McElhinney

Key Players:

72 Sergei Bobrovsky: 

Bobrovsky is a top goaltender in the league when he is on his game, however a lack of defensive help and possible rust is prohibiting him from reaching that level. If the Jackets are going to win, he needs to be at his best.

7 Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson has a large amount of personal issues reaching national media at this point of time and it appears to be negatively impacting his game. He isn’t helping at all in the offensive zone and has been playing very subpar defensively. The Jackets will need him to step up on the blue line and be a leader for the young defensemen.

Goaltending Matchup:

The goaltending matchup is a bit of an interesting one, it will likely be the struggling Sergei Bobrovsky facing off against the backup turned starter Chad Johnson

Bobrovsky: Save Percentage .830, GAA 4.90

Johnson: Save Percentage .875, GAA 3.30

TEN (Very) BOLD PREDICTIONS

By William Espy

Disclaimer: Many of these predictions are very much a stretch and are unlikely to occur. Some will seem absurd, however this is all for fun.

1.       SEMIN SCORES 25

After his recent failures in Carolina, many people have written Alexander Semin off. However he is now playing for his career and he is playing with a much better team in Montreal. While it is nearly impossible for him to return to the stats from his hey-day, Semin still has the skill to score at least 25 goals this season.

2.       EKBLAD IS A NORRIS FINALIST

One year after winning the Calder, it is an astronomical jump to consider a 19 year old as a Norris Trophy finalist. But if anyone could do it, it would be Ekblad. After posting 39 points in 81 games, Ekblad is primed to only become better which could establish him as a league wide threat sooner rather than later. I also would not be surprised if Ekblad pushes the Panthers to a playoff berth.

3.       DETROIT MISSES THE PLAYOFFS

Detroit narrowly avoided the ending of the playoff streak last season when they made it in by a mere four points, however the loss of Mike Babcock and the transition to a new head coach in Jeff Blashill may be difficult to overcome. Datsyuk and Zetterberg will also need to remain healthy as the east gets exponentially more difficult.

4.       BYFUGLIEN IS TRADED

Dustin Byfuglien is a pending UFA following this season and Winnipeg needs to go for a youth movement on the back end with players like Josh Morrissey in the minors who are almost NHL ready. With players like Andrew Ladd, Mark Schiefele and Jacob Trouba who need contracts next offseason as well, the Jets will likely look for Tyler Myers to take over the role that Byfuglien currently fills.

5.       EDMONTON MAKES THE PLAYOFFS

While it has been repeatedly stated that “this pick will push the Oilers forward” it has yet to happen. However the acquisition of Connor McDavid may be the match that lights the fuse under the team. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for example knows that he will need to be massively productive in order to prevent being buried in McDavid’s shadow for the foreseeable future, which will likely happen anyway. Nail Yakupov seemed to be finding his game at the end of last season for the first time in his NHL career which could greatly help the Oilers take that step. While Cam Talbot still has to prove he can be a starter, last season he played phenomenally while filling in for Henrik Lundqvist.

6.       OVECHKIN FINALLY GETS HIS CUP

Ever since Alexander Ovechkin joined the NHL, Washington Capitals fans have been waiting eagerly for their moment to finally come, however it never has. The only question mark that stands out to me is whether or not Braden Holtby can replicate his play from last season and if he can the Capitals will likely be an unstoppable force. The additions of TJ Oshie and Justin Williams may not seem to be the greatest on paper, however it provides Barry Trotz with a few great depth options.

7.       THE BLUE JACKETS REACH 100

The Blue Jackets have a top roster in the league on paper, while it may not be the very best which is currently the Chicago Blackhawks, if the team can stay healthy they may very well make a case for a top three team in the east. It will be hard to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning who are the current kings of the east, the Blue Jackets do not necessarily need to do so. The Blue Jackets have substantial forward depth with an abundance of NHL ready rookies in the minors and an elite goaltender backstopping them, the only question mark for many is the defensive corps. If Ryan Murray can stay healthy, he will exponentially increase the appeal of the blue line. As ESPN’s John Buccigross stated, it is easy to make a strong case for the Blue Jackets this season.

8.       PHIL KESSEL UNDERPERFORMS

Phil Kessel’s trade to Pittsburgh was the major headline of this offseason, however he may not necessarily settle in as quickly as many analysts are predicting. Many are predicting Kessel to possibly reach 50 goals, however in his first season with a new team that seems very unlikely. Underperforming for Kessel is an interesting topic as it is different than it would be for most players considering the hype around him. I’d expect him to reach about 30 goals this season, and the next season he would likely go up from there. One thing for sure however, is Kessel will need to step up his defensive work ethic if he hopes to succeed.

9.       TYLER SEGUIN HITS 50

The Dallas Stars as a whole did not live up to expectations last season, however with the addition of Patrick Sharp the offense gained another scoring piece. Seguin is still only 23 years of age, and has quickly grown into a super star. If the team can fire on all cylinders, not only will Seguin contend for the Richard; the team will likely make the playoffs. Expect both Seguin and Jamie Benn to be near the top 10, if not top 5 in points this season.

10.   MARLEAU CHASES A CUP

Even though Patrick Marleau has been a Shark for his entire career, in the modern era there seemingly becomes a time where cup-less heroes leave to chase down the greatest trophy in sports; Lord Stanley’s Cup. It happened with Daniel Alfredsson, although that was through free agency rather than through trade, as well as countless others. Marleau currently has two years remaining on his deal at a steep salary of $6.7M which would be difficult for a cup contender to pay, however if the Sharks who are seemingly headed toward a retooling are willing to take a bad contract for a few years it could maximize their return and send him to a better contender for the Cup.

Toronto Maple Leafs Preseason Review/Opening Night Preview

By Alex Hobson

September 21st this year was a day that Leafs fans were longing for ever since July. This was the beginning of the preseason. After a dreadfully slow month of August, Leafs fans were more than ready for their first look at NHL action in the 2015-16 season, despite expectations being low. Today, I'll be looking at takeaways and essentially doing a review of the Leafs preseason, as well as a preview for the start of the new season. Enjoy.

PRESEASON

PTO's

The Leafs brought in many different players this season on Professional Tryouts (PTO's) in an effort to create a higher compete level during preseason. These players included Devin Setoguchi, Curtis Glencross, Brad Boyes, and Mark Fraser respectively. In the end, only Brad Boyes performed well enough at camp to earn himself a contract, and a cheap one at only 750k for one season. Setoguchi aimed for a bounce back season, but didn't produce, and is expected to sign in Europe for the upcoming season. Glencross had an alright campaign, but with the rookies playing better he failed to earn a contract, and has since attended Colorado Avalanche camp on a second PTO, but was released from that as well. Fraser was released after the Ottawa Senators signed him to a two way deal. Boyes has the potential to be a 20 goal scorer, so he could prove to be a valuable pickup for the Leafs.

THE YOUTH

With the hiring of head coach Mike Babcock back in May, everyone knew that this was a sign that their new management regime would preach patience with their prospects, which is the complete opposite of what would take place during the previous Brian Burke era. Babcock's former team, the Detroit Red Wings, have several players such as Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist who played over 200 career AHL games before being given a crack at the NHL team, and both are solid young players now. Naturally, the Leafs were expected to do the same thing with Babcock running the show, but two players in particular surprised the coaching staff, and those two players were youngsters William Nylander and Connor Brown. Brown was a late round pick in 2012, who broke out with a monster season with the Erie Otters in the OHL in 2014, recording average two points per game, and Nylander was the Leafs first round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, who joined the Marlies in January 2014 and finished the season with 32 points in 37 games. Nylander and Brown narrowly missed the opening night roster, being among several cuts from yesterday. Brown and Nylander gave the coaching staff a good impression at camp, so don't be surprised if they see some games this season.

THE AFTERMATH

The Leafs rounds of cuts went accordingly to plan. The first round was junior players being returned to their respective teams, the second round was PTOs and more junior players being released, and the final round was mainly extra Marlies players who performed well at camp being demoted for the time being. There were a couple of surprises among the final rounds of cuts, one being that the Leafs demoted young defenseman Stuart Percy, who realistically should have made the team after he initially cracked the lineup on a much stronger Leafs team the previous season. That being said, the Leafs kept prospect Scott Harrington on the opening night roster, whom they acquired in the Phil Kessel trade. It's difficult to tell who will benefit from NHL playing time and who won't at the start of the season, but it'll make for some interesting storylines.

BEGINNING OF SEASON PREVIEW
THE DEPTH CHART

As of now, this is what a likely Leafs lineup looks like heading into the upcoming season.

JVR - Kadri - Boyes
Lupul - Bozak - Grabner
Komarov - Holland - Matthias
Winnik - Spaling - Parenteau

Hunwick - Phaneuf
Gardiner - Harrington
Rielly - Marincin

Bernier
Reimer

Three notable names that aren't on my roster here are Richard Panik, Roman Polak, and Mark Arcobello. This is very likely to change, considering injuries and suspensions are bound to happen. The Leafs will be shuffling players in and out of the lineup, and pending the potential departure of players such as Roman Polak, P.A Parenteau, Nick Spaling, and Brad Boyes for draft picks, it could give the Leafs a chance to take a closer look at prospects such as Josh Leivo, Stuart Percy, William Nylander, and Connor Brown.

Thanks for reading.

Weekly Five: Standouts in Preseason

The Blue Jackets had a slow start in preseason, much like what usually plagues the team annually at the beginning of the regular season, however as time passed the Blue Jackets became almost unstoppable and these players showed they have what it takes to be a Blue Jacket:

5. RYAN MURRAY

While Ryan Murray’s performance wasn’t surprising, many people were wondering whether or not Murray’s health problems in the past would hinder his play. He seemed to be a different player early on in preseason, however each game pushed him back toward the mold of the Ryan Murray Jackets fans have come to love. Having a healthy Murray on the blue line this season could be the entity that pushes the Blue Jackets forward to where they want to be. He finished tied with Dalton Prout for most points by a Jackets defenseman with 3 in 4 games. (3 in 5 for Prout).

4. OLEG YEVENKO

When Yevenko’s name appeared on the training camp roster, many of the Blue Jackets faithful saw him as a training camp journeyman who had never been able to make any type of impact at the professional level. Starting with his decimation of Cody Beach against the Blues, to the thunderous hits and the surprisingly good skating, the 6’7” tank has worked his way into the hearts of Blue Jackets fans very quickly. Not only do fans love him, Blue Jackets management does as well. Jarmo Kekalainen believes that Yevenko has a very high potential ceiling and looks forward to watching him continue to develop. Yevenko earned himself an upgrade from his AHL contract to a two-way deal with the Blue Jackets and may be on the Nationwide Arena ice again very soon.

3. JARED BOLL

Boll had said he trained this summer to come back faster and stronger than ever, and he showed it in his opportunities this preseason. Not only did Boll produce offensively posting 2 points in 6 games, he was no longer left behind by a game that was too fast for him. Boll could keep up with the pace of play allowing him to make big hits, defensive plays and even get into scraps with more ease than ever before. Boll appeared to do exactly what he needed to in order to preserve his roster spot for now, however the question remains about if he can do this in the regular season; which he shows all the signs of being able to do.

2. WILLIAM KARLSSON

When the last round of cuts occurred late last night, there was one name staying up who came somewhat as a surprise. Karlsson showed everyone that he can play in any position and produce, much like former Blue Jacket Mark Letestu. When “Wild Bill” posted his 4 point night in Buffalo, it all but guaranteed he’d be up in Columbus this upcoming season. The next night against Nashville Karlsson did not post any points, however his defensive ability mixed with his speed and surprising physical ability was still prominent. While Karlsson may not play opening night against the Rangers, he could very well be a main-stay on the Blue Jackets hockey club for the entirety of the season.

1.     THE FIRST LINE

The Blue Jackets first line of Saad-Johansen-Foligno was statistically the undisputed most productive line in hockey this preseason.  Foligno and Johansen each played 4 games, while Saad only played three. The combined total for the line was 29 points in 4 games. Not only that, the shooting percentage was above 30% for every member of this line. These players have instantly clicked with one another and became unstoppable. The unselfish play of each player creates a multitude of chances and the point production (a combined 11 points for the line last night against Nashville) has been able to energize the team. While it is essentially impossible that this level of play will continue throughout the entirety of the regular season (if it did Johansen would be on pace for 246 points in an 82 game season), the line will likely continue to dominate. Here is an example of the ability this line has:
 

Here are the top 5 point leaders this preseason:

 

Stockton Heat: Season Preview

By William Espy

As the AHL season draws closer and closer, the Stockton Heat’s inaugural roster is continuing to take shape. With former Thunder captain Garet Hunt currently under a professional try-out deal (former Thunder alternate captain Ryan Constant was released from his earlier today), former NHL enforcer Colton Orr, and a magnitude of young Calgary Flames prospects the Heat’s first season looks very promising. The defensive corps will be led by former NHL fringe player Aaron Johnson and the 60^th overall pick from this past draft Oliver Kylington. The 2015-2016 season will likely start off a bit slow for Kylington who is making the jump from his native Sweden for the first time.

Morgan Klimchuk will likely provide a dominant scoring prowess from the first line, while it is uncertain who he will play with; the early favorite is likely Bill Arnold. Garet Hunt and Colton Orr will provide a physical presence on the team, almost certainly getting fourth line time.

Goaltending is an interesting situation. The Heat currently have three goalies who can play at the AHL level, former Thunder goalie Kent Simpson and Flames top goalie prospect Jon Gillies and Eric Hartzell. The most likely goaltending tandem will be Gillies and Simpson, however Hartzell may force his way into coach Huska’s plans.