2017-18 San Antonio Rampage (AHL) and Colorado Eagles (ECHL)

[TruePowerSlave]

I rather have the Avs ice a very good team next year. The AHL guys would only be a part of it once we get multiple injuries. As to Greer showing more than Nieto and Comeau, absolutely not true. Kamenev should make the Avs as long as he has a good training camp.

 

[cgf]

I said he showed more skill, not more in general. AJ wasn't as good against the puck, but he showed some hands & passing abilities that the other two just don't have.

And either way, I don't see how having one of them on the 4th line and the other as our 13th/14th forward would prevent us from being a good team when we've been a good team with worse

 

[Foppa Frossa]

The Eagles will acquire and over-play a bunch of vets and TV will flip a table.

 

[Pokecheque]

Toninato might get bumped due to numbers, depending on what the Avs do with free agency and what not, but he's good enough to be a C/W defensive specialist on the 4th line. Which is pretty much what he was projected to be anyway, I'm hoping he gets that spot out of camp.

 

[S E P H]

Reid Petryk seems to be a favourite of the org. so I could see him being back pretty easily.

I think we will see guys like Toni and Greer start in the AHL as well, since it's unlikely they don't sign another Yak or Comeau type, and I can almost guarantee another depth pickup via waivers before the season opener.

Dunc and Lindholm could possibly start in the AHL as well.

What I really hope for are a couple of shrewd college or CHL overagers to fill some spots and bolster the prospect pool. They did a great job last off-season with Kerf, Toni and Lewis. I don't expect another Kerfoot level player but another Toninato and/or Lewis would be great.

I'd love to see another Everberg/Rendulic/Marty added as well but I doubt they go down that road again.

Yeah Avs are in a predicament since they need to shore up the AHL team with depth AHLers. However, I agree with tigre that the AHL mercenaries are not the way to go. Majority of them get guaranteed money and don't really care about winning or losing since they know they won't ever get a call up over an organization's prospect pool.

Not only that, but some of the best teams in the AHL this season are ones where the depth comes from young drafted kids that have something to prove (while AHL veterans lead the scoring race). Since Avs scouting with Pracey sucked and we didn't really sign majority of our draft picks because they weren't worth signing, we had to rely on AHL mercenaries more often than not. And since what they have in the tank is often leaky and half empty it makes perfect sense this team has been in the basement, albeit in one of the best divisions in the AHL. We absolutely need more college and CHL free agents, perhaps bring in some Europeans like Tomas Hyka which could potentially develop into NHL players.

We definitely need a couple of the mercenaries to increase the depth and perhaps lead the team in scoring which we really lack in the Avs cubbard, but as we saw in the parent club, rejuvenate it with youth and players having a desire to play great for a potential call up.

 

[henchman21]

It is a chicken/egg situation with the AHL team... the forward group will be borderline terrible if things go as expected. There is just no offensive punch at all. Kamenev if he starts in the AHL. Shvy if he comes over. Greer is a complimentary scorer and a good one in the AHL, but I expect him to be in the NHL most of the season. After that you are looking to Dickinson and Beaudin to carry thing... and that is downright scary. Some AHL signings will be needed and they need to produce. Agozzino, IMO, is about the perfect AHL mercenary... history with the organization, has AHL skill, hard worker, leader, etc. Not many of those out there. I fully expect the Avs to go after some fringe NHL/AHL guys on 1 way deals to entice them over. Players like Matthew Peca and Curtis MacKenzie.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Yeah Avs are in a predicament since they need to shore up the AHL team with depth AHLers. However, I agree with tigre that the AHL mercenaries are not the way to go. Majority of them get guaranteed money and don't really care about winning or losing since they know they won't ever get a call up over an organization's prospect pool.

Not only that, but some of the best teams in the AHL this season are ones where the depth comes from young drafted kids that have something to prove (while AHL veterans lead the scoring race). Since Avs scouting with Pracey sucked and we didn't really sign majority of our draft picks because they weren't worth signing, we had to rely on AHL mercenaries more often than not. And since what they have in the tank is often leaky and half empty it makes perfect sense this team has been in the basement, albeit in one of the best divisions in the AHL. We absolutely need more college and CHL free agents, perhaps bring in some Europeans like Tomas Hyka which could potentially develop into NHL players.

We definitely need a couple of the mercenaries to increase the depth and perhaps lead the team in scoring which we really lack in the Avs cubbard, but as we saw in the parent club, rejuvenate it with youth and players having a desire to play great for a potential call up.

Oh for sure, you definitely want your AHL team to be full of home grown talent that actively strives to be in the NHL, even though not all will make it.

We've been plagued with "autopilot" players for years both in the big club and the AHL especially.

Things have trended up with the NHL team, and it's only a matter of time until the farm catches up.

A coach that excels in young player development would be ideal too. I get that EV wants to win and be an NHL coach someday so he relies on vets (like almost any coach ever) so I can't really blame him, he tries with the trash he has.

 

[MarkT]

The way I want the Eagles to be built is simple: Figure out what kind of NHL player you realistically think each of your prospects could be. Pencil them into those roles on the Eagles. Then sign AHL guys to fill in all the gaps. The team then sinks or swims based on whether the prospects can fill the NHL roles you want them to have on the AHL team.

 

[Pokecheque]

I'm hopeful this time around the Eagles can have a core of young players/prospects and add veterans to supplement it, whereas in all the previous seasons it felt like they built it around a bunch of AHL vets and crammed in the prospects wherever they could. I don't watch the team regularly so I could be wrong. Obviously this last season was just plain weird with the shared affiliation.

I see that Craig Berube was STL's AHL coach the previous season, then got a job with the parent club as an assistant. Wonder if he now heads to San Antonio. I don't know if that's the guy I'd pick to run my AHL affiliate but hey not my problem.

 

[Avalanche]

 

[RockLobster]

Technically speaking, EV won't be returning to the San Antonio Rampage next season, as he'll be coaching the Colorado Eagles

 

[Avalanche]

Technically speaking, EV won't be returning to the San Antonio Rampage next season, as he'll be coaching the Colorado Eagles

Yeah, lol. I asked for clarification, we'll find out soon enough.

 

[Avalanche]

Well now....

 

[Pokecheque]

Oh! Now that's a surprise.

 

[cgf]

I wonder how much of that has to do with Bednar having such a great year after the organization stuck with him through the ugliest season you can have, and so EV decided to go to an organization where he'd have a more clear path to the NHL gig; and how much of it was the organization being disappointed with his offensive schemes and ability to nurture that side of the game for the forward prospects he did have on that team.

We saw young dmen progress well under him when healthy, and personally, I think Greer & Compher developed fine in their AHL time...though I do think both have more offensive potential than he got out of them. But maybe the organization wants a coach who will a) coach a more fun style for the fans to get engaged and b) help develop that scoring depth now that it seems like we're almost set on the blueline for the forseeable future

With the questions about the Eagles staff's futures, this is certainly a very interesting development in the transition to Loveland.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Bednar will coach both teams.

Although in all seriousness, I wonder if JB has a guy in mind from his coaching history.

 

[Avs_19]

I like the idea of a completely fresh start so Billington should be next. I'm not even sure exactly what he does but whatever it is, he probably doesn't do it well based on the results.

 

[cgf]

I like the idea of a completely fresh start so Billington should be next. I'm not even sure exactly what he does but whatever it is, he probably doesn't do it well based on the results.

That would be nice, and I want to say don't hold your breath. But the avs have done enough things that are "out of character" that atm I'm even willing to hope that they'll have a genuine house cleaning of the minor league set up to let the Eagles start their AHL tenure without the Billington taint that we saw in San Antonio & Cleveland before that, and wherever the hell they were before that...where I'm sure they sucked to.

 

[Avsrule2022]

Wow, is it even possible that the Eagles coaching staff could stay intact? As much as I want to, I can't see them hiring Schneekloth with only 2 years ECHL head coach experience.

 

[Pokecheque]

Wow, is it even possible that the Eagles coaching staff could stay intact? As much as I want to, I can't see them hiring Schneekloth with only 2 years ECHL head coach experience.

Well...I mean, Bednar himself became an AHL head coach after only two years in the ECHL and one year as an AHL assistant, not too different.

 

[cgf]

Well...I mean, Bednar himself became an AHL head coach after only two years in the ECHL and one year as an AHL assistant, not too different.

Bednar did also have an ECHL title on his resume when he got his AHL gig...

 

[Pokecheque]

Bednar did also have an ECHL title on his resume when he got his AHL gig...

Very true.

 

[Avsrule2022]

I guess I should ask: Does anyone think that would be the right move over someone more experienced?

I have to say it would be huge for the Eagles fan base if the coaching staff was retained.

 

[Avs_19]

That would be nice, and I want to say don't hold your breath. But the avs have done enough things that are "out of character" that atm I'm even willing to hope that they'll have a genuine house cleaning of the minor league set up to let the Eagles start their AHL tenure without the Billington taint that we saw in San Antonio & Cleveland before that, and wherever the hell they were before that...where I'm sure they sucked to.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with some of the current staff. Their current president/GM has been with the team forever and has had a lot of success in the ECHL.

 

[cgf]

I guess I should ask: Does anyone think that would be the right move over someone more experienced?

I have to say it would be huge for the Eagles fan base if the coaching staff was retained.

I think we'd have to know what the alternative was. EV was a respected coach who is likely to coach in the NHL someday, so he was a riser with real hype behind him like Bednar was. EV was brought in before Patrick dipped, and IMO was the initial plan to succeed Roy behind the bench if Roy hadn't bailed so quickly & suddenly. So last time they were looking for someone to groom as their next coach.

But what's the plan this time? Are they looking for another coach to groom in case Bednar loses the room again? Or is their focus more on the coach's impact on the Eagles? If so, how do the balance a fun style of play to endear the team with the fans & developing guys for the NHL?

There's too many questions that I just don't have the answers to to say. For what it's worth, I've been consistently impressed with the progress our kids have made during their ECHL stints. I didn't watch them play in the ECHL so can't comment on how his style would fit, both in attracting avs fans and in preparing guys for Bednar's scheme; but based on both their results and their development of young talent, I would be curious & cautiously optimistic about seeing how the Eagles' staff did at the AHL level with AHL talent at their disposal.