Bridgeport Sound Tigers Discussion Part VI

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Chapin Landvogt

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I'd like for them to lock up Andre Benoit as well.

It'll be hard to keep Benoit, who could really help in the leadership department. Lots of teams in Europe will be looking to get him under contract and Germany alone has 8+ suitors, as far as I've heard.

Also can't deny the following...

Signed: Aho, Vande Sompel, Wotherspoon, Quenneville, Rathgeb
RFAs: Toews and Burroughs - see both being re-upped

Anyhow, looks tight, but gotta hope that IF someone is added, it is an "established" leader with experience.

Can we bring back Joe Whitney and Bracken Kearns? If we have Bellows in the A next year, can we not do the same thing we did with Dal Colle and actually get a center for the kid to feed?

Would be wonderful to have a couple of guys like Whitney and Kearns there. Bernier is still on board with a contract. Fritz as well, should the Isles not have other plans for him.

But interestingly, I only see Dal Colle, Ho-Sang, Eansor, Koivula, Stevens, and perhaps Bellows as guys coming from the Isles.

Kemp is an RFA. Can't imagine him being retained.

Not sure what the contract situations look like for the purely AHL or two-way guys other than Hitchcock. Bailey? St. Denis? The Jones'? The Holmstroms?
 
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Kevin27NYI

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It'll be hard to keep Benoit, who could really help in the leadership department. Lots of teams in Europe will be looking to get him under contract and Germany alone has 8+ suitors, as far as I've heard.

Also can't deny the following...

Signed: Aho, Vande Sompel, Wotherspoon, Quenneville, Rathgeb
RFAs: Toews and Burroughs - see both being re-upped

Anyhow, looks tight, but gotta hope that IF someone is added, it is an "established" leader with experience.



Would be wonderful to have a couple of guys like Whitney and Kearns there. Bernier is still on board with a contract. Fritz as well, should the Isles not have other plans for him.

But interestingly, I only see Dal Colle, Ho-Sang, Eansor, Koivula, Stevens, and perhaps Bellows as guys coming from the Isles.

Kemp is an RFA. Can't imagine him being retained.

Not sure what the contract situations look like for the purely AHL or two-way guys other than Hitchcock. Bailey? St. Denis? The Jones'? The Holmstroms?

That D corps is super young though too, might be worth paying Benoit 200k like they did with Hegelson.

Love Bernier and Fritz for Bridge next year but need a centerman badly. Keith Aucoin just retired unfortunately.
 

Chapin Landvogt

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That D corps is super young though too, might be worth paying Benoit 200k like they did with Hegelson.

Love Bernier and Fritz for Bridge next year but need a centerman badly. Keith Aucoin just retired unfortunately.

True on the D front.

Interesting with Aucoin.

He just won the DEL Player of the Year award AND his third straight DEL title. Good for him!

Led the way with 11-52-63 in 52 regular season games, then 4-11-15 in 17 PO games.

Don't think guys like this have any interest whatsoever in the AHL. When older guys are here, they either are there due to ties to the region or because there's a real reason to believe they'd get another NHL shot in certain cases (see Bernier).

Fact is, be it Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Finland or even the Czech Republic, Austria or Slovakia, these guys who've missed out on the NHL are going to earn more money overseas.
 

Kevin27NYI

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True on the D front.

Interesting with Aucoin.

He just won the DEL Player of the Year award AND his third straight DEL title. Good for him!

Led the way with 11-52-63 in 52 regular season games, then 4-11-15 in 17 PO games.

Don't think guys like this have any interest whatsoever in the AHL. When older guys are here, they either are there due to ties to the region or because there's a real reason to believe they'd get another NHL shot in certain cases (see Bernier).

Fact is, be it Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Finland or even the Czech Republic, Austria or Slovakia, these guys who've missed out on the NHL are going to earn more money overseas.
And they get to live a different lifestyle that can be interesting as well, I remember Richard Park went to Switzerland to finish out his career, couldn't think of a more fun way to retire after a lengthy career as a fringe player.

It can't be that hard though, Tampa does it so well, I think the Phantoms do too, Marlies etc; why can't we? It really, truly does help the development of those teams.
 

WinhallVT124

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Mar 6, 2015
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Bridgeport needs to make a splash for forwards:

3 or 4 of the types below need to be signed :

Matt Lorito
Nic Dowd
Mark Mcneill
Mike Sislo
Freddie Hamilton
Alex Grenier
Chase Balisy
Michael Mersch
 
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Chapin Landvogt

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I'd also love to see the NYI organization add this guy, even if just too an AHL/ECHL deal:
Kristians Rubins - Elite Prospects

I've seen him live several times internationally and I'm shocked nobody has added him yet.

That size doesn't grow on trees and he can play the game any way you want it.

In addition, I'd have signed this guy last season, but he topped himself this year. I think he has an NHL future at some point:
Dominik Kubalík - Elite Prospects
 
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WinhallVT124

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Mar 6, 2015
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Good move in signing St Denis for two years. Was Bridgeport's best offensive player last season. He certainly earned an NHL deal for himself.

With St Denis, Bernier, Fritz that is a good start for offense. Still need more pieces, especially a good center. Then you have Bellows, Koivula, Dal Colle, Stevens, Eansor and Hitchcock to fill roles as well.
 

Chapin Landvogt

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Good move in signing St Denis for two years. Was Bridgeport's best offensive player last season. He certainly earned an NHL deal for himself.

With St Denis, Bernier, Fritz that is a good start for offense. Still need more pieces, especially a good center. Then you have Bellows, Koivula, Dal Colle, Stevens, Eansor and Hitchcock to fill roles as well.

How's it looking with AHL signings?

I believe Hitchcock is a pure AHL signing. What other ones might we have?

As for RFAs, I'd like to see Toews (who might end up with the Isles) and Burroughs re-upped. See no reason to retain Schempp.

In general, I'm not really keen on seeing the Isles use one of their 50 contracts on St. Denis. Just don't really see him as having any shot at the bigs.

In any case, here's really hoping Bellows and Koivula come in and make things happen. Also, would love to see Stevens and Eansor take much bigger steps in production next season. Would be huge if they could each get to 40 point land.
 

Chapin Landvogt

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How was Stevens? Does he have NHL upside?

Well, the size is good, but he's already 24 and just completed his rookie pro season with 7-12-19 and +2 in 68 games.

I don't think anything this past season indicated an NHL future, but he has another season to prove he's learned something.
 

steveat

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Jun 4, 2011
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I thought Eansor was supposed to be a bit of a steal..wonder if he gets a shot at some point..

Also..is Gionta coming back? I liked him as a sub when we have injuries. Really good on the PK.
 

WinhallVT124

Head on a swivel
Mar 6, 2015
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79
Winhall,VT
I thought Eansor was supposed to be a bit of a steal..wonder if he gets a shot at some point..

Also..is Gionta coming back? I liked him as a sub when we have injuries. Really good on the PK.

I highly doubt Gionta will be back.

Eansor is an energy player. I don't see much NHL upside . He got off to a hot start, then was invisible ,then got hurt.
 

SI

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Feb 16, 2013
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So as it stands-

Bellows - Fritz - Bernier
Dal Colle - Stevens - Easnor
Hitchcock - St. Denis - Koivula
Johnston - ????? - ?????
??????
Toews - Burroughs
Vande Sompel - Aho
Wotherspoon - Quenneville
Rathgreb

McAdam
Soderstrom
 
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