SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS
Last season, the Saint John Sea Dogs looked like a team ready to contend for a league title. Despite a loaded defence with two NHL first-rounders and lots of scoring depth – including exceptional player Joe Veleno – the team fell in five games in the semi-finals against Shawinigan. In a shocking move, the team fired GM Darrell Young in August. The Sea Dogs are ranked second in the CHL top-10 rankings, one spot behind the London Knights.
Prediction
First in the Maritimes Division. Expectations are high and this is Saint John’s best shot at a league title since back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.
Forwards
With the exception of losing overager Sam Povorozniouk, all the key pieces from the forward group are back again this season. Six of those forwards – Nathan Noel, Matthew Highmore, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Spencer Smallman, Mathieu Joseph and Bokondji Imama – were invited to NHL development and training camps. All are expected back in Saint John at some point.
Joe Veleno is back for his second season as a 16-year-old. All eyes were on him last year as a 15-year-old after he became the first QMJHL player granted exceptional player status. He posted 13 goals and 43 points but started heating up in the playoffs with six goals. Veleno will always be under the microscope because of the exceptional player status, but he’s surrounded by a veteran cast that keeps the pressure off him.
Last season, the Sea Dogs brought in Povorozniouk from the OHL and he went on to lead the team with 39 goals. The team’s looking for more success from OHL players again after bringing in Zach Grzelewski from the Flint Firebirds and defenceman Chase Stewart from the Saginaw Spirit.
The forward depth meant Olivier Mathieu, the 11th-overall pick of the 2016 QMJHL draft, failed to make the team out of training camp. It’s similar to what happened with Cédric Paré, the 10th-overall pick the year before, who spent the year in Midget AAA. Paré should be on the team this year.
Defence
The Sea Dogs blue-line could potentially be the best in the league. It all depends on what happens with NHL first-rounders Thomas Chabot and Jakub Zboril. There’s a chance Chabot could make an Ottawa Senators team that could use the offensive upside Chabot can provide. Similarly, Zboril could get an extended look with the Boston Bruins. In all likelihood, both will be back on a team with a shot at a Memorial Cup.
Beyond the big two, Luke Green – the 79th-overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016 – returns and has the potential to be more of an offensive force if he can tap into the creativity that led to him going first overall in the 2014 QMJHL draft.
Goalies
Alex D’Orio spent last season in midget AAA after Saint John drafted the talented goalie 9th- overall. D’Orio posted a solid 2.54 goals-against average and .910 save percentage under the tutelage of head coach and former NHL goalie Felix Potvin. He’ll push Alex Bishop for starts, the team’s backup goalie the past two seasons.
CHARLOTTETOWN ISLANDERS
After a sluggish start, the Charlottetown Islanders looked completely different after Christmas when Daniel Sprong returned from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He made it to “The Show” right out of training camp after going in the second round a couple months earlier. It’s life without Sprong again this season until at least January after Sprong went under the knife in the off-season because of a shoulder injury.
Prediction
Second in the Maritimes Division. Brought in one of the best defenceman in the league in trade for Guillaume Brisebois.
Forwards
One guy who has to figure out how to score again – especially with Sprong out – is Filip Chlapik. The Czech centre scored 33 goals in 64 games as a rookie. His North American debut season grabbed the attention of the Ottawa Senators who drafted him 48th in 2015. But last year was a different story. He only managed 12 goals in 52 regular season games and one goal in a first-round exit from the playoffs. He’s at Sens training camp but should be back in junior for more seasoning.
Last season, Kameron Kielly and Jake Coughler showed chemistry playing together on a line with Samuel Blais. Coughler was a steal for the Islanders last season, scoring 15 goals in 28 games after only scoring five in 28 games with Gatineau. Both Kielly and Coughler are back as 20-year-olds.
Defence
It’s clear bolstering the blue-line was the top priority for the Islanders in the off-season. It started at the draft when the team picked up Jake Barter and Brisebois (Vancouver Canucks, 2015, 66th overall) for Luc Deschênes and two high draft picks. With the 30th-overall pick of the CHL import draft, the team selected Finnish blue-liner Saku Vesterinen. Late in August, Cody Donaghey came over from the Moncton Wildcats. He’s Ottawa Senators property after moving in the Dion Phaneuf trade.
The Islanders are taking the patient approach with first-rounder Marc-Olivier Alain, sending him back to midget for the year.
Goalies
The Mason McDonald era is over in Charlottetown with the Calgary Flames prospect going pro. Matthew Welsh is back for a second season after posting a 3.20 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 26 games in his rookie season. The team also brought in Blade Mann-Dixon in the Donaghey trade in August. Mann-Dixon was relegated to a backup role in Moncton but will have a chance to compete for more starts with the Islanders.
ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN
After bottoming out and finishing dead last two seasons ago, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan started the slow climb from the cellar last season. The team went from scoring the fewest goals in the league to tenth in goals. Antoine Morand looks like the real deal and could be in for a monster season in his draft year. While they’ll probably come close to the 14th-place finish of last season, the rebuild looks promising.
Prediction
Third in the Maritimes Division. Another year of Morand and Vladimir Kuznetsov has the Titan’s arrows pointing up.
Forwards
Former ‘Q’ first-rounder Christophe Boivin had a breakout year with 31 goals and 67 points, both team bests. Additionally, rookies Morand, Kuznetsov, Daniil Miromanov all put up 40-plus points and injected life after a disastrous season.
Morand, a small, but talented playmaking centre, posted 14 goals and 50 points in an injury-shortened 48-game season. Despite attending Canada’s selection camp for the Ivan Hlinka tournament over the summer, Morand didn’t make the final roster. It’s an omission that’ll be quickly forgotten if he goes in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Sophomore Cole Rafuse is a player to watch this season. Despite being sellers at the trade deadline, the Titan traded a 2018 first-round pick to Val-d’Or for the big winger. He only scored a pair of goals in 54 games, but the Titan must like him if they were willing to move a high draft pick.
Defence
The blue-line looks different this year after the off-season trade of captain Brisebois. The team received veteran Deschênes from Charlottetown in the Brisebois trade and brought in Olivier Desjardins from Val-d’Or.
Defence was top priority at both the entry and import drafts. With the sixth pick of the ‘Q’ draft, the Titan selected Noah Dobson, a defender who spent last season in Austria playing for EC Salzburg’s under-18 and under-20 teams.
The Titan picked up Russian Igor Galygin with the 15th pick of the CHL import draft. He made the roster, along with fellow countryman Kuznetsov.
Goalies
Reilly Pickard is back for his second full season as the team’s starter. Last year he posted a .500 record with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, both career bests. A hot streak late in March led to CHL goaltender of the week honours for Pickard.
He’s joined in the crease by Russian goalie Danil Timchenko. The CHL has a rule preventing goalies from entering the import draft, but goalies like Timchenko who leave Russia to play hockey in North America can be drafted or invited to camp and therefore don’t count against the two import player limit.
MONCTON WILDCATS
The Moncton Wildcats will look completely different this season without Conor Garland, the QMJHL’s leading scorer the past two seasons. It’s a precipitous drop from Garland’s 128 points to the next best guy, Cameron Askew with 68. Buyers at the trade deadline while in a race for the Maritimes Division title, the Wildcats didn’t draft until mid-way through the third round of the entry draft in June. It’ll be hard to replace the offence Moncton’s become accustomed to the past couple seasons.
Prediction
Fourth in the Maritimes Division. It’s hard to replace a point machine like Garland.
Forwards
German winger Manuel Wiederer found success in his first season in the QMJHL lining up alongside Conor Garland. After a 64-point season, the San Jose Sharks selected him in the fifth round in June. Both Wiederer and Askew need to show their production isn’t completely dependent on Garland.
Rookie Mika Cyr, the 29th-overall pick of the 2015 QMJHL draft, suffered a serious knee injury in the pre-season and won’t be back in the lineup until December. The Wildcats plucked Ilya Putintsev off waivers from the Halifax Mooseheads with the idea he’ll take a top-six role and replace some of the offence lost from the Cyr injury.
The Klima twins, Kelly and Kevin, are back for sophomore seasons after posting a combined 47 goals and 91 points. The sons of former Edmonton Oilers winger Petr Klima, the twins made the Wildcats as training camp invitees last year and provided crucial secondary scoring all season.
Defence
Of the eight defencemen who cracked the final roster, only Adam Holwell, Zachary Malatesta and Ryan Mooney have more than one QMJHL of experience. Simon Le Coultre is one of five rookies to make the Wildcats out of training camp. The 39th pick of the 2016 CHL Import draft is NHL draft eligible this year.
Goalies
The December trade for Keven Bouchard brought stability and experience in a crease that resembled a revolving door – he was one of six goalies to play in the regular season. Bouchard turned it up a notch in the playoffs, taking Moncton to the third round before losing to eventual winners, Rouyn-Noranda. Sixth-round pick Matthew Waite won the backup battle in camp and could grab a few extra starts depending on how long Bouchard is training camp for the Edmonton Oilers after signing a professional tryout offer.
HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS
The future looks brighter for a Halifax Mooseheads team that traded away anything with value and missed the playoffs. Said fire sale allowed the team to pile up draft picks and begin the rebuilding process. After grabbing Benoit-Olivier Groulx first overall, the Moose made a blockbuster deal with Baie-Comeau to pick local defenceman Jared McIsaac second overall. The fresh-faced Mooseheads also have a new head coach with André Tourigny. While it’s a little early to predict success this season, the future seems bright if the new prospects can match expectations.
Prediction
Fifth in the Maritimes Division. Adding Groulx, McIsaac and Hischier are a good start, but lots of work to be done in Moose Country.
Forwards
All eyes will be on two rookies up front: QMJHL entry draft first overall-draft pick Groulx and CHL import draft sixth-overall pick Nico Hischier. It shouldn’t take long for both players to become the team’s most dangerous players. The Mooseheads have a good history with import picks recently – Nikolaj Ehlers and Timo Meier were both top-10 picks in the NHL in 2014 and 2015 – and Switzerland’s draft-eligible Hischier could continue the trend.
Otto Somppi is back for a second season. The Finnish forward showed flashes of potential in last year’s forgettable season and could be a breakout candidate if he puts more pucks on the net. A seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Somppi will return to junior and has a chance at big minutes in Halifax.
Look for Maxime Fortier to play with a chip on his shoulder this season. The 5-foot-10, 178-lb. winger led the Mooseheads in scoring with 31 goals and 77 assists but was passed over in the NHL draft.
Defence
The Mooseheads made a splash at the draft, trading up for the second-overall pick to select local defenceman McIsaac. He has size, defensive awareness and an offensive side as shown by his five points in seven pre-season games.
One of the key players the Mooseheads landed during the team’s fire sale was Jocktan Chainey. The 14th-overall pick of the 2015 draft by Shawinigan, the blue-liner showed promise on the power play late in the season. He was held out of pre-season while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.
Goalies
After opening the past two seasons in a backup role, Kevin Resop is the team’s number one goalie in year three. Resop can’t get too comfortable with Alexis Gravel looming. The Mooseheads grabbed the 6-foot-2, 209-lb. Gravel with the 20th pick of the ‘Q’ draft, originally ranked 10th overall by QMJHL Central Scouting.
CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES
For a while, the Pierre-Luc Dubois-Evgeny Svechnikov-Maxim Lazarev line looked like the most dangerous line in the CHL. Well the band’s broken up and they’re not getting back together. Lazarev is in the KHL and Svechnikov looks like he’ll be in the AHL this season. Dubois went to the Columbus Blue Jackets third overall at the NHL Draft in June, so his return isn’t guaranteed either. There are lots of question marks for a Screaming Eagles team that needs to go back to the drawing board after a couple of entertaining seasons.
Prediction
Sixth in the Maritimes Division. Losing Svechnikov, Lazarev, Michael Joly and other scorers hurts. The young goalies could develop into something special, but not this year.
Forwards
The loss of Russians Svechnikov and Lazarev means other players will need to step up to provide goal scoring this season. Another Russian could be up for the job with Vasily Glotov taking over one of the empty import spots. A seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, the 5-foot-10, 168-lb. centre made the jump to North America this season. Peyton Hoyt is another guy in position for scoring. Buried in a deep lineup last season, the sixth-overall pick of the 2015 QMJHL draft should surpass the 11 points he had as a rookie.
Overagers Giovanni Fiore and Massimo Carozza provided consistent secondary scoring for Cape Breton last season, but the team currently has four 20-year-olds so one of these forwards could be on the move.
Defence
The other two 20-year-olds are Olivier LeBlanc and local talent Duncan MacIntyre. Neither one has a guaranteed roster spot once LeBlanc returns from Arizona Coyotes training camp.
German import Leon Gawanke could turn into a 6-foot-1, 179-lb. power-play quarterback and spark the offence from the blue-line.
Goalies
The Screaming Eagles will rely on two young and talented goalies between the pipes this season. Kyle Jessiman, a second-rounder in 2015, appeared in 13 games last season but only one in the calendar year of 2016 after he was returned to his midget AAA team. He’s joined by Kevin Mandolese, the 13th-overall pick of the 2016 QMJHL draft. The 6-foot-3, 168-lb. goalie should see his fair share of time this season.