2019-2020 - September & October Games - Cheers to a new Season

[dsquared]

Well another season starts this weekend. We are into year 2 of a rebuild. My expectations are not great for the upcoming season - Paddock believes the team will make the playoffs this year - I think that will be a struggle and will be pleasantly surprised if they do make it.

We need goal scorers! Apart from Pratt we will struggle to put da puck in the net this season. By my count we have 13 games between now and the end of October. I expect the Pats to be 5 and 8 by Halloween. I was surprised to see that Holmes was not named 1 of the leadership group. Any thoughts on the upcoming season?

This forum seems really quiet leading into the season.

Cheers to a new season

[chopper]

Well another season starts this weekend. We are into year 2 of a rebuild. My expectations are not great for the upcoming season - Paddock believes the team will make the playoffs this year - I think that will be a struggle and will be pleasantly surprised if they do make it.

We need goal scorers! Apart from Pratt we will struggle to put da puck in the net this season. By my count we have 13 games between now and the end of October. I expect the Pats to be 5 and 8 by Halloween. I was surprised to see that Holmes was not named 1 of the leadership group. Any thoughts on the upcoming season?

This forum seems really quiet leading into the season.

Cheers to a new season

Hi there dsquared. You are quite right that it's been quiet but right now there is very little for anyone to be exited about. We weren't able to add a single high end player which leaves us with what we have. The team is similar to last year but they appear to be starting with "five rookies". That pretty much suggests they might be throwing in the flag early. Anyone who doesn't believe that may be a victim of wishful thinking. Pratt appears to be a consistent scorer and will be sought after by contending teams come Jan 10th. What Holmes and Holt provide is hard to know. Unlike Leedahl these guys don't have Steel, Brooks and Wagner to help pad their point totals. Walker, Kolle, Pierce and Krane are out top 19's. Nuff said there. Dubinsky has some skills but he for sure needs to play with some of their top guys so as to boost his confidence and productivity. I hope he ends up with Pratt.

You are right offence looks to be a problem again this season. You can only score by committee for so long. If they can be 5-8 over their first 13 then they would probably be elated. There is little talent and the veteran presence is far from anything that could be deemed elite. We could be 5-8 after 13 but just as easily be much much worse. After losing Alkimhov who would likely have been a 20 goal scorer this year with us has hurt. After all he had 13 last season on a real bad team and looked to be ready to hit his stride. My expectations dropped and a lot of my buddies feel the same way. Hard to replace that offence especially on an offensively challenged team.

I am most interested to see if Stanick amounts to anything. Trying to see a budding star in the rookies may be the high point of the season.

[dsquared]

Dubinsky has some skills but he for sure needs to play with some of their top guys so as to boost his confidence and productivity

I think he has grown a few inches over last year - that should help his game - or I am remembering things differently again.

[Reider]

Warriors 2
Pats 3

The Pats got off to a good start to the (regular) season. Austin Pratt scored 20 seconds into the game / season and the Pats earned their first win of the season. The Pats had good 5 on 5 sustained pressure in Moose Jaw's zone in the first period and scored two even strength goals because of it. Each team took one penalty in the first period. The Pats proceeded to take 6 penalties in the 2nd and 3rd periods, which lead to two PP goals for the Warriors. Ty Kolle scored a beauty (2nd of the game) in the third period, when the puck floated out to him in the slot, which he put under the cross bar. It ended up being the game winner. All 3 Pats goals were even strength. Both of Moose Jaw's goals were on the PP. The Pats looked like the better team, especially in the first period. If the Pats stay out of the box, this game isn't nearly as close. Of course, the Warriors are missing Brayden Tracey (and possibly others) to NHL camps, but penalties aside, it's a good start to the season.

Overall, I think the Pats look pretty good / well rounded for what they have, but they are missing high end talent. They move around on the ice well and are moving the puck pretty good. The lack of discipline appears to be a problem for the Xth year in a row, which will end up costing them games throughout the season if they don't get that taken care of ASAP. Ty Kolle looks improved over last year. He moves around on the ice even better than last year and he's sharper around the net. If he keeps playing the way he is, he should be able to score more than the 16 goals that he scored last year. It seemed like he hit a lot of posts or missed the net a lot last year.

Daniil Gushchin and Ty Smilanic are two players the Pats are missing, whom could help the team this year and over the next couple of years. Not having Sergei Alkhimov or Daniil Gushchin in the line up every game is definitely going to put more pressure on the rest of the roster. This was a self-inflicted wound. John Paddock traded Alkhimov away and drafted Gushchin, but was unable to convince Gushchin to sign and report. It's a situation, where the Pats probably would have been better off just keeping Alkhimov. Now they have to play the season with only one import.

Based on what I read / heard, Marcus Taylor looked better than Jake Johnson at camp. How did Johnson make the team over Taylor?

If the Pats are trying to make the playoffs this year, why do they feel that adding a 16 year old defenseman to an already young defensive core, will help them achieve that goal more than an 18 year old Zonneveld or a good OA defenseman? I"m not exactly surprised that Zonneveld was removed from the team to make room for Johnson as I felt Zonneveld would be the veteran moved if the Pats wanted to go with a 16 year old or add an OA defenseman to the team. My point is that, in theory, if the Pats want to make the playoffs this year, adding an OA or veteran defenseman to a young defensive core would probably increase the odds of the team making the playoffs more than adding a 16 year old (at the expense of an 18 year old to boot) to an already young defensive core.

If this team can make the playoffs with the players that they have, then good for them. However, if they fall short, then the Pats are going to have to answer some tough questions. Such as, why can't you recruit any high end players (especially American / Import), such as Smilanic / Gushchin? Why did you trade Alkhimov away only to draft a player, which you weren't certain would join the team? Why don't you hire a defensive minded coach to help the defensemen? After all of these years, why can't you get the lack of discipline under control? If the goal is to make the playoffs this year, why are you making an already young defensive core younger instead of adding a good veteran defenseman? Giving a young player another year to develop in Midget AAA or a similar league is not necessarily a bad thing, just ask Brayden Tracey.

This team needs to find a way to recruit elite players. The fact that there are two projected first round NHL draft picks playing in the USHL this year instead of on the Pats, says it all.

[witness]

Warriors 2
Pats 3

If this team can make the playoffs with the players that they have, then good for them. However, if they fall short, then the Pats are going to have to answer some tough questions. Such as, why can't you recruit any high end players (especially American / Import), such as Smilanic / Gushchin? Why did you trade Alkhimov away only to draft a player, which you weren't certain would join the team? Why don't you hire a defensive minded coach to help the defensemen? After all of these years, why can't you get the lack of discipline under control? If the goal is to make the playoffs this year, why are you making an already young defensive core younger instead of adding a good veteran defenseman? Giving a young player another year to develop in Midget AAA or a similar league is not necessarily a bad thing, just ask Brayden Tracey.

This team needs to find a way to recruit elite players. The fact that there are two projected first round NHL draft picks playing in the USHL this year instead of on the Pats, says it all.

Gushchin is getting some real bad advice. His draft stock is already dropping. Word is his agent wants $$$ to get his client here.

Once Smilanic signed with the Us development team, he was always going to be a two year wait and see.

Recruiting Johnson (and to some extent Mitchell) is huge. Johnson is very well though of in the US development program. This kid is going to be a real good player.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

Smilanic was always a long shot. Otherwise why would he have fallen to the 3rd round(the pats probably took him early too)? The fact he came as far as he did was actually surprising. Its looking like he will go college but Im not sure if that's completely decided neither. Any team that gets him will be lucky, and Im still holding out that he decides to come back.

Gushkhin, I think, is leaning towards the USHL because the prestige of that league is currently above that of the dub despite a lower level of play. He still maintains his college eligibility by staying there, and arguably plays with some more talented line mates if he gets regular top line PP time. The dub is still however better for his development if he has the NHL in his sights. The schedule, the style of play and still some remaining remnants of Canadian hockey. Remember too that he is still a pretty small guy. Perhaps he isn't ready for the grit and size difference in the WHL? Either way, its possible he reports later on. If not, another player next year will take his place(or even one via trade this year)

[Fight Guy]

Time for what has become my bi-annual post...

This was the first time in quite awhile that I missed all of training camp due to being on vacation. Was able to catch the preseason games though. Only comments from there are that Paulhus looked pretty good. Smaller, but quick and agile and has a nose for the net. I also noticed Stanick doing similar things, but a year younger. Was surprised by him a bit. He could possibly stick all season. Also thought Taylor looked quite good. Skates quite well and is quick. Could be an offensive player on the Pats in the future, but not surprised Johnson stuck over him. Johnson has 40lbs on him and is already WHL sized while being very composed for his age (much like Mitchell last season). Not as quick as Taylor though. Johnson has also been held in higher regard by scouts and WHL people.

As for the defence in general, it was looking inevitable that Zonneveld would be the odd man out this season. Pretty well since Johnson was signed his days were numbered. Signing Johnson when they did and because of his US birth certificate, I felt he was pretty well guaranteed a spot this season. Sucks for Zonneveld, but not surprising. Maybe he can fit in again in the future, but otherwise, would be good if another team were interested in him in the future, too. Also assumed McGinley would have a spot this season. I didnt watch him much during the preseason games he played, but he stood out a few times. Him and Taylor have a similar skill set as well, so keeping the older more experienced player is usually the better choice.

I could see this defence staying intact till next season, barring some sort of trade, injury, or someone just not working out. Right now, I just dont see Paddock screwing with what he's built to this point. My guess is he's hoping this team will be quite competitive starting next season with an experienced group of 19 year olds and Walker leading the pack, and possibly some high end additions to the already experienced forward core (I'll touch on that more later). I'm not too concerned about the Pats trying to add another veteran D to the team. Just don't think it will be necessary. Paddock wants this team to make the playoffs this season, but he's not going to make a handful of trades to make this rebuilding team older. He wants to build it from the ground up as much as he can, like most championship teams do.

In net, I was also quite surprised to see McNabb get dealt so quick. I was one of the ones hoping he would be around for the rest of the season with Paddock being unloaded later possibly. With this, I have a strong feeling Max may be one of the overagers next season, which wouldn't be a terrible thing if the Pats are to be that much more competitive. That's so long away though. As for Belluk... we'll have to wait and see how he looks!

The forward group has pretty well stayed intact from last season as well. The only departures are Clayton and Alkhimov, with the latter being the only real loss in scoring from last season. The one immediate plus to this trade was the acquisition of Holt. He has been in the league for a long time and has played different roles throughout his time with the Giants. He hasn't been leaned on so much to be an offensive player with some of the high end talent, younger and older, that was on the team last season while he went through the same coaching carousel, mismanagement, and down years as Tyler Benson did. After watching him through the preseason and last night, I have a strong feeling he will have a very big year with the Pats, taking away some of the sting of losing Alkhimov. He skates VERY well and makes great plays. Again, I predict a big year out of him!

I fully expect Pratt to elevate his game even more this season as well and hoping Holmes can do the same thing. Holmes has a looked a little bit off so far, but I sure that will change as this team plays some more games. Very impressed with the work Kolle has put it. He absolutely looks faster and better out there so far. Him and Holt have had some great chemistry actually. As of right now, this is the top line, including Pratt. This might change in the future, but when all else fails, the experience and skill of that line will be relied on the most. After them, we have to hope these players take steps this season. Massier looked to really be coming on at the end of last season and should get some more opportunities using his speed to create chances. Wright was on the rookie line last night, but we know he is capable around the net. He should improve as well. Allen is more of a skilled journeyman type. He's a very solid player and has puck skills, but I dont see him make an offensive impact till next year for his overage season. Nijhoff impressed me all preseason. He's going to have more success this season for sure. He had so many opportunities last year that he just couldn't finish on. I like both Pierce and Krane. They are both tough and have offensive skills. Hoping they improve on last season aswell. Dubinsky looks a tad bigger this season. Englot has looked a little wide eyed his first couple of games, but he has some good speed and size! He had a very strong midget season last year and should be great addition to this team. After seeing Stanick play through out the pre season, I figure he would get an opportunity in the regular season. Figured Paulhus and Sanders were battling for a spot as a 17 year old on the roster, but if the Pat's want to go with 13 forwards eventually, I'm thinking Sanders and Stanick will be the ones battling. ...unless of coarse some trade happens moving an older player. I recall Struch saying that they may carry an extra forward if they feel it's good for the rookies in question. There a couple players I wouldnt be hurt to see go for the right return, but right now, I'm pretty happy with how the team looks.

As for recruiting issues, I'm not super concerned yet. As mentioned, Smilanic was pretty well never going to come here with the US NTDP commitment. As for next season though, I wouldnt count it out. He has mentioned in a articles/interviews that he wants to play pro/NHL as soon as possible. With that, I feel his college ambitions may be lower and possibly why his commitment was dropped. Also, it's no secret that there is a trend at the NHL draft with American programs getting more attention lately. He could easily get drafted after this season and his NHL team assigns him here. I think there is decent hope yet.

On that note, may be one of the reasons why Gushchin was influenced or chose to stay in the USHL this season. While developement might be better in the WHL, if he has a really strong season in the states, it will prob help his draft stock as well. It seems that the extra time NHL teams can hold non CHL players rights is a big deal. With that said, the exact same thing can happen with him next season as Smilanic. Could get drafted out of the USHL then sent to the WHL next season by his NHL team. Unless Paddock gets a definite "NO" sometime thise season, he will likely want to hold on to his rights till next season. If he manages to be a 1st round pick in next year's NHL draft though, the Pats will still be able to make another pick at the import draft.

As I've said every year, I won't panic about anything until this team has had time to play together and actually find some chemistry. So after 15 games or so, if they are not doing good, then I will have more concerns. Right now though, Paddock has built a pretty good team considering what he's had to work with to do so.

[Reider]

Raiders 5
Pats 2

The Pats got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, then PA scored on the PP in the 2nd and it was all PA from there on out. The Pats are a good skating and hard working team and do have some success 5 on 5, when they are working hard, but eventually they start taking bad penalties, which they can't afford to do, especially when they don't have the high end talent to strike back right away. If this team is going to win games, they're going to have to play hard for a full 60 minutes and not take any bad penalties. If they don't give a full team effort for the full 60 minutes and / or take bad penalties, a good game like last nights could go bad in a hurry.

The Pats only took 3 penalties last night, which is not too bad. But PA didn't take any, so the Pats didn't get any power play opportunities at all.

I thought Danton Belluk played pretty good in goal, especially in the first period. He had pretty good positioning in the crease, but eventually the wheels fell off the tracks for the entire team.

As a fan, it was deflating. With the way the Pats came out and worked hard and got up 2-0 in the first period, they could have and should have followed it up with similar play in the last two periods. But instead, they started taking penalties. They let PA get back in the game. PA eventually just took over the game and the Pats had no answer. The Pats had no power play opportunities and no high end players to make something happen.

It's still early in the season, but I have a feeling that it's going to be a long season if things don't change.

They needs to play for a full 60 minutes, be more disciplined and one way or another, they need to find more scoring.

[dsquared]

not going to win many games with 13 SOG in period 2 & 3

[Reider]

Winnipeg Ice 5
Regina Pats 2

The Pats had 21 shots on goal to Winnipeg's 25. Danton Belluk got exposed a little bit, but the players in front of him didn't do much to help the cause either. Both teams took 5 penalties. Their record is now 1-3. They do not look like a playoff team to me. It doesn't help that they're missing a good import player this year. Of course, to be fair, they were missing Paddock, Sedov and Dubinsky. However, I don't think the outcome of the game would have been any different if they were in the line up.