RHL16 preview edition - part 1 of 4

Today's installment looks at what can be considered the rebirth of the old Red Green division of the RHL's pre-tiered, six-division days.

Yellowknife Dangerous Penetrators
Projected finish: 1st
44-19-3

Got it: Team YDP can field two very good offensive lines, and coupled with the likes of Boyle, Souray and Kaberle providing some punch from the backend, the squad can score with any team. Watch for their stars to rise to the top of the scoring race again. The team has a good mix of speed, physical prowess and defensive awareness in all positions.

Need it: The biggest thing that seemed to get in the way of team success in RHL15 was chemistry and focus. YDP will need to find ways to win the big game, as well as to stay on task against lesser-thans. The arrival of Boyle helps with the transition game, but the defense overall isn’t considered very quick or mobile. The team still doesn’t have a clear-cut #1 netminder, as they instead will look to rotate three guys and cross their fingers that one will emerge as a reliable starter.

In: Holmstrom, Young, Boyle
Out: Zholtok, Moreau, Letowski, Orszagh, Kuba

Dollars and cents: YDP enters the beginning of the season with one of the top payrolls in the league. The team can afford it what with $10M socked away, but management will not be happy without a deep playoff run to offset some of the costs. Things look like they could change next year when Sakic, Brindamour, Damphousse and Ragnarrson are set to be UFAs ($10.2M)

RHL16 salaries: $32.2M
RHL15 salaries: $32.3M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘without a doubt’

Bottom line: The stars are aligned for YDP talent-wise and they will be expected to produce… now. You get what you pay for, and they must be considered one of the conference favourites. But the same could be said last season when they finished a disappointing 5th in the 2nd tier. Hopefully for YDP followers, the players learnt their lesson and RHL16 proves to be their year.


Lethbridge Selects
Projected finish: 2nd
38-22-6

Got it: The SEL found the right mix of chemistry at the exact right time in RHL15 and found themselves 2 wins away from winning it all. The dependable Hossa and Modin lead the attack up front, while their supporting cast is full of checking, defensively-minded players. While not spectacular, the D-corps are proven winners that can defend by committee with the best of them. Denis is a very capable netminder who flies under the radar most of the time.

Need it: One might wonder where the goals will come from outside of Hossa and Modin, especially with the loss of Zednik and Whitney. The SEL could use another defenseman that can play the PP and start a rush to help take some of the pressure off of Rafalski.

In: W.Primeau, Konowalchuk, Matvichuk, Marchant, Snow, Barnaby, Dimitrakos,
Out: Whitney, Zednik, Numminen, Laraque, Mayers, Heerema, MacDonald, McGillis, Hill, Salo

Dollars and cents: Things looked bleak for the SEL at the end of the RHL15 regular season, but a run to the finals can be a cure to a lot of maladies, including a negative bank balance. On top of the new buffer, the team shed more than $3M off their payroll. Things haven’t looked this good for the SEL’s bottom line in a long time.

RHL16 salaries: $25.3M
RHL15 salaries: $28.5M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘as I see it, yes’

Bottom line: Can the SEL build off a Tier II championship in RHL14 and a magical run to the Tier I finals in RHL15, or will they experience a fall back down to earth? Look for the more of the latter as the team needs some time to recover after hitting the wall financially.

Edmonton Eagles
Projected finish: 3rd
36-22-8

Got it: The EAG's top two lines should be able to find the net with consistency, but they’ll do it by committee instead of with all-star statistics. Also expect the D corps to build off a surprising RHL15 campaign where the team finished 7th overall in goals against. Helping that number this season should be some solid netminding from Theodore. They also brought back original EAG draft pick Ryan Smyth, much to the delight of local fans.

Need it: The EAG stripped out some of their depth in the offseason, which could cause some concern lower in the lineup, especially if the team runs into injury issues. The team needs either Comrie, Conroy or Cammalleri to step up and consistently fill the #2 centre role this season, or find another alternative. The squad continues to be without a true number one on the point who could eat up minutes in all situations.

In: R.Smyth, Modry
Out: Doan, Cullimore, Kvasha, Chubarov, Primeau, Sjostrom, Spiller

Dollars and cents: The EAG were relatively quiet on the auction front, bowing out of the arms race with their previous captain Doan and other targeted players. Management seems content to enter the season well under the level they could be at, especially with $7M in the bank.

RHL16 salaries: $26.3M
RHL15 salaries: $29.2M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘yes’

Bottom line: While still young, the EAG are another year older and expectations are starting to build in the city. Management will certainly preach patience, but they may not be able to use that mantra much longer, especially if the EAG stumble out of the gate.

St.Albert Spartans
Projected finish: 4th
30-32-4

Got it: The reigning NHL MVP in Big Joe Thorton. Thornton will be expected to lead the SPA into the future as they continue to retool. The arrival of Hatcher in the dispersal draft adds an element of toughness that has been lacking on the SPA backend, if he can stay healthy. Biron provides dependable goaltending that will keep the SPA in many games.

Need it: Like most teams in the middle of the pack, depth is the critical issue. The top line will be fine, but Yashin, Reinprecht and Amonte are not what they used to be. And let’s not even talk about the 3rd and 4th units. Bringing Poti in helps the D-corps, but watch out if their injury-prone guys drop for any signifcant stretches. Can Thornton play defense as well?

In: Hull, Hatcher, Poti, Wiemer, Hendrickson, ThomasOut: C.Joseph, Juneau, Lundmark, Bartovic, Renberg, Vaananen, McCarty, Marshall

Dollars and cents: The SPA continue the slow process of re-arranging team finances, which has handcuffed the squad the past couple of seasons. They have shed another couple million off the payroll, and next year looks even better when Shannahan, Amonte and Yahsin become UFAs, freeing up $7.7M in cap space.

RHL16 salaries: $25.4M
RHL15 salaries: $27.8M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘most likely’

Bottom line: The coaching staff needs to squeeze as much as possible out the lineup again if the team expects to finish .500 or better. While they should nab one of the lower playoff seeds, it could be another pins and needles year for fans and management.


Grande Prairie Stingers
Projected finish: 5th
24-35-7

Got it: The GPS were very active in the auction this year, bringing in a bevy of talent to fill some holes at mostly reasonable costs. Rolston, Nedved and Barnes are a nice step up inthe middle from the Peca, Nicols and Robitaille trio of RHL15. P.Boucher, Jackman and O’Donnell provide some teeth to the backline, and the tandem of Giguere and B.Boucher is a good partnership in nets.

Need it: Nash has a big load to carry on the wings… it’s too bad he can’t play both sides at once. Vasicek gives him at least someone to ride shotgun for him, but any semblance of talent disappears after that. The D is tough, but is missing any real offensive punch that can lead the rush or quarterback the powerplay. Injuries could take their toll on the backend as well.

In: Rolston, Nedved, Barnes, P.Boucher, J.Ward, Eminger
Out: Selanne, Peca, Brylin, Dvorak, Cross, Erskine, Nichol, Veilleux, Eaton, Fahey

Dollars and cents: The GPS spent some dough in their first year trying to build a team that could reasonably compete. Problem is when you’re picking from the scraps from all the other teams, salary doesn’t always translate into skill. The squad seems to be taking a different approach this season as they are watching their dollars more closely.

RHL16 salaries: $23.5M
RHL15 salaries: $27.1M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘cannot predict now’

Bottom line: Some prudent money managing and personnel decisions in the off-season should translate into some better results on the ice, while spending less to do so. That said, expectations will still be tempered for this 2nd year team, but watch for all that to change starting in RHL17 when Mr.Ovechkin suits up for the first time.


Winnipeg Freeze
Projected finish: 6th
22-36-8

Got it: The FRE enter the second year of the Iginla era in Winnipeg. Hopefully he can shake off a lacklustre RHL15 campaign and find some decent chemistry with Lang and... (insert player here). The squad’s youth is a bright spot, but the full impact of Hemsky, Ruutu, Roy, Bouwmeester, Pisani and Vanek is still a few seasons away.

Need it: No matter how many goals Iginla and his linemates can score, it won’t alone be enough to win many games. The supporting cast is thin, and outside of Bouwmeester, the defense moves like a bunch of snails on sedatives. Kolzig has always performed well for the Freeze, but he is not the type of goalie to be able to overcome a team’s other shortcomings on his own.

In: Gill, Korolev, Lacouture, Battaglia, T.Nash, Albelin, Hnidy
Out: Perreault, Quintal, Noronen, Moore, Simon, Chimera, Asham, Somik, Salmelainen, Berg, Allison, Odelein, Cairns

Dollars and cents: RHL16 is already deemed a success by the FRE's newly-hired accountants, as the team that has flirted with bankruptcy the past couple of seasons slashed almost $7M off the roster without taking a huge hit talent-wise.

RHL16 salaries: $23.2M
RHL15 salaries: $30.1M

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘better not tell you now’

Bottom line: Expect much of the same struggles for the FRE as they had in RHL15, although on the bright side of things, they are going to do it with $7M less in salary. The financial wreck has been avoided, and the squad can start looking towards the future instead of being handcuffed by the present.

Seattle Crystals
Projected finish: 7th
19-37-10

Got it: A good number one line, if you like throwing all the eggs in one basket. If Heatley can stay healthy, the trio of Koivu, Heatley and Recchi is as good a line as you’ll ever see on an expansion team. The pairing of Smith and Salei will cause grief among opposition forwards, and will be expected to log a lot of minutes.

Need it: If the CRY opt play their three stars together, the 35 minutes or so a game they aren’t on the ice will be a real cause for concern. Joseph and Salo are below average netminders, which can spell trouble for a team that will most likely spend large chunks of time in their own end.

Dollars and cents: The CRY took the middle road salary-wise, neither hovering around the league minimum or going for the gusto and pushing the upper levels. They have the 2nd lowest payroll out the four expansion teams.

RHL16 salaries: $26.9M
RHL15 salaries: N/A

Magic 8-ball playoff prediction: ‘outlook not so good’

Bottom line: The CRY have some good top-end skill, which is always a bonus for the fans of an expansion team who get to watch some of their own talent instead of always looking to see who’s in the visitor’s sweaters. But life is never easy during a team’s infancy. If they can be one of the top two new squads, consider it a successful season.