Hershey (AHL) and South Carolina (ECHL) 2015-16 Season

[hb12xchamps]

I think if Vanecek or Asmundson play well enough to merit time in Hershey they will make room for them. But Ellis/Peters should be the tandem to start.

Basically this. I think the tandem will be Ellis/Peters to start in Hershey with possibly Vanecek/Asmundson being the tandem in SC. Maybe Peters gets claimed off waivers, traded, or one of them is loaned to another club. The goalie situation really will be solved closer to the season once we know who is signed (Asmundson currently isn't to my knowledge but he was there at the end of the season and is going to development camp) and who make it through waivers. Plus there's always the fact that we share SC with Boston so they might plant a G prospect there but who knows exactly.

 

[sk84fun_dc]

Folks expecting a few more Hershey signings before the start of the season, or is the thought this is what they'll head into the season with?

(Goalie signing excepted)

Yes.

Along with more Non-NHL contracts, at last count Caps were at 43 contracts including Ellis, the RFAs and all ELCs.

 

[Rumblick]

I have to admit, it bugs me not to have at least one kid goalie on the Hershey roster. Every season since 2005-06 (Cassivi & Daubenspeck), there's been at least one goalie playing 25 games or more who was 22 or under - four times, we had two fitting those specs. That's a helluva run, and I'd hate to see it end now.

I'm really hoping someone takes a flyer on Peters.

Just a thought - with three of the big free agent signings being:

Aaron Ness – 5’10’' 182
Carter Camper – 5’9†173
Chris Bourque – 5’8†170

I would ask we sign a few players with some size to go with them in the next few weeks.

 

[Hivemind]

Drag Samsonov over from Russia and it will fix both your kid goalie and your size issues.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I wonder if any of the FA attending development camp could possibly get a contract from Washington or Hershey and end up being the young gun with one of Peters/Ellis backing up.

 

[sk84fun_dc]

I am still wondering if it will be Ellis/Peters, but a vet tandem might not be a bad idea this season given the expected young D (plus Moore,) so maybe it plays out that way.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I am still wondering if it will be Ellis/Peters, but a vet tandem might not be a bad idea this season given the expected young D (plus Moore,) so maybe it plays out that way.

Very solid point. It would allow the coaches to just roll with the hot hand. Plus, if Vanecek plays extremely well for SC he could be a potential recall candidate to get time at the AHL level. I'm assuming at this point that Vanecek being in Hershey full time next season is not the plan but who knows. We didn't expect Copley to be in Hershey last season or play as well as he did

 

[Chockey Hockey]

I wonder if Trotz is not quite sold on Grubi, hence the Ellis signing. The one thing I've seen with Grubi is that he is "lights out" for some games and just mediocre others. He is consistently inconsistent.

 

[strungout]

I wonder if Trotz is not quite sold on Grubi, hence the Ellis signing. The one thing I've seen with Grubi is that he is "lights out" for some games and just mediocre others. He is consistently inconsistent.

Uh...no.

It has to do with Copley getting traded to St Louis. Hershey needed another goalie. Peters and Ellis it is. Vitek Vanecek in South Carolina.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Caps/Bears sign Paul Carey to a 1 year 2 way deal. Eliteprospects lists him as a C/LW and Time Leone tweeted he sees him as a Jim O'Brien replacement.

Hershey still only has 4 veteran players signed for next season so it will be interesting to see what they use the next veteran slot on. Could be another C or could be another leader/PK guy like Dane Byers. I noticed Jason Krog is still a FA and would fit well as 1C

 

[Rumblick]

I noticed Jason Krog is still a FA and would fit well as 1C

Krog will be 40 on Opening Night, and hasn't played in the AHL since 2011. Can't see him coming back this way, and I want no part of him in Hershey.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I suspect lines next season to be something along the lines of:

Bourque-Camper-Brown
Vrana-Carey-Barber
Collins-Stephenson-Gazely
L. O'Brien-Boyd-Mitchell

Walker, Herbet

Moore-Carrick
Ness-Bowey
Djoos-Burgdoerfer

Lewington

Ellis/Peters

This is all assuming Galiev makes the Caps opening night roster. Mann and Helmer don't exactly have set D pairs that play together all year long so I would assume those to also be completely different. I don't exactly like the C depth but it will do for now. If the Bears sign a 1C and/or another depth defensemen I would expect Boyd and Lewington to start the season getting full time minutes in SC.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Krog will be 40 on Opening Night, and hasn't played in the AHL since 2011. Can't see him coming back this way, and I want no part of him in Hershey.

There really isn't much else out there for a true 1C. Krog has proven he can put up number in the AHL and put up 37 points last season. I think the lure of a championship caliber team would most definitely bring him back to the US to play. I think the Bears really thought they were going to resign Jim O'Brien and it ended up screwing them over as all the other top centers signed elsewhere.

 

[strungout]

Hopefully Stephenson steps up his game with the lack of center depth. Him developing would really help the big club as well as the Bears.

 

[Rumblick]

There really isn't much else out there for a true 1C. Krog has proven he can put up number in the AHL and put up 37 points last season. I think the lure of a championship caliber team would most definitely bring him back to the US to play. I think the Bears really thought they were going to resign Jim O'Brien and it ended up screwing them over as all the other top centers signed elsewhere.

Why not Eric Perrin? He's the same age, has comparable stats to Krog, and was extremely popular in Hershey. Heck, for that matter, why not bring back Aucoin?

Given what O'Brien was saying in his exit interview, I can't see any way the Bears thought he was coming back. I might've gone for Jason Williams of OKC (he's a comparative pup at 35, and they still might go that way), but my guess is they'll look at Carey, Stephenson, and someone else on the current roster. I'd like them to bring back Broda as a 4th liner / PK guy, too.

 

[Rumblick]

You can add Zack Sill to the vet list (and just FYI, it looks like you've got Moore on the forward and defense lists). I could see him teaming with Mitchell and Liam pretty nicely this coming season.

One vet spot still open, and we all know Doug likes an extra one, but I wouldn't be too upset if they were done with the veteran signings. I think there's a good crop of kids coming along, and enough "non-veteran veterans" to fill things out. Don't know about Cup contender, but we should have a fairly nice team this season.

 

[hb12xchamps]

You can add Zack Sill to the vet list (and just FYI, it looks like you've got Moore on the forward and defense lists). I could see him teaming with Mitchell and Liam pretty nicely this coming season.

One vet spot still open, and we all know Doug likes an extra one, but I wouldn't be too upset if they were done with the veteran signings. I think there's a good crop of kids coming along, and enough "non-veteran veterans" to fill things out. Don't know about Cup contender, but we should have a fairly nice team this season.

Thanks for the updates about the player lists. They are now updated.

The Sill signing is surprising if it is strictly Hershey related, but it is a nice signing to add toughness to the team so I don't mind it. Does Sill penalty kill?

 

[Rumblick]

Thanks for the updates about the player lists. They are now updated.

The Sill signing is surprising if it is strictly Hershey related, but it is a nice signing to add toughness to the team so I don't mind it. Does Sill penalty kill?

No prob. I like having that post to refer to every so often. They signed Brown as well.

Sill has never had more than 11 goals in any season, and he's had 8 total in the past three seasons, so he'd damned well better be a penalty killer.

 

[hb12xchamps]

No prob. I like having that post to refer to every so often. They signed Brown as well.

Sill has never had more than 11 goals in any season, and he's had 8 total in the past three seasons, so he'd damned well better be a penalty killer.

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe he was more of a penalty killer/agitator for WBS and less of a scrapper. According to his HockeyFights page he hasn't fought anyone on Hershey since the 2011-12 season, where he fought Garrett Mitchell and Kevin Marshall. He averages about 7 fights a year in the AHL which isn't necessarily enforcer numbers. Decent pickup but hoping for more to really compete against the teams in our newly renovated division next season.

 

[Langway]

Sill was referred to as a center in the Washington press release. He played a bit of it with Pittsburgh last year it seems so perhaps they're thinking of an O'Brien-Sill-Mitchell line? At development camp they had Stephenson between Vrana & Barber so that might be their plan.

Carey can supposedly play center so I guess he'd currently center Bourque & Camper on the top line. I'd rather have given someone like McRae a shot at center than Sill but Sill could be a recall option and play 4C/LW. From there they have Collins to center a line with the best of the leftovers (Walker, maybe Brown, Gazley, Herbert, Boyd). IMO that's adequate up front.

I don't really get the Ness signing in terms of complementing Carrick, Bowey and Djoos but maybe it can work if they're going to be more of an aggressive puck possession team. At least from a Washington standpoint I'm not sure Carrick or Moore ought to be #8 on the depth chart. A RD like Potter would make sense, although it'd likely push Lewington down to SC.

They should have a faster and more skilled team at least.

 

[Rumblick]

I kind of like Camper / Bourque / Carey followed by Stephenson / Vrana / Barber. The 3rd line will work itself out, and with Mitchell / O'Brien / Sill on 4th unit and special teams duties, that's a solid forward lineup. I'd really like Obie to do more of what he did in the playoffs (play with his gloves on), not only because he showed some skill during the post-season, but he was getting killed nightly in his fights. Our section had actually taken to calling him "Stitches" (because we thought "Concussion" would be too cruel ). There were several fights (including one in Providence I remember clearly) when I was amazed he came back later in the night. He's willing, God love him, but he's not a good fighter by any stretch.

I'm still not convinced our goaltending will be all that great. Peters is coming off a godawful season, and Ellis is 35 years old. Still hoping one of them gets claimed out of camp and we have a kid on the roster.

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

Blue Jackets fan coming in peace.

I am attempting to assemble a list of known ECHL affiliations for 2015-16. Is South Carolina affiliating with Washington a definite for next season?

 

[Marshall]

Blue Jackets fan coming in peace.

I am attempting to assemble a list of known ECHL affiliations for 2015-16. Is South Carolina affiliating with Washington a definite for next season?

AFAIK, South Carolina continues to have a split affiliation with Washington and Boston.

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

AFAIK, South Carolina continues to have a split affiliation with Washington and Boston.

Thanks!

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

Just called the Stingrays office. Caps will be back. May be a solo affiliation (no word on Bruins yet).