Last season was a forgettable one for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The team finished dead last in the standings with a 17-43-6-2 record, and scored a league-worst 158 goals—37 fewer than second-worst Drummondville Voltigeurs.
It’ll take a couple seasons to climb back up the standings, but the Titan brought in a couple new tools to generate more offence this season. Antoine Morand, the second-overall pick of the 2015 Q draft, is a small and creative playmaker coming off a 55-point season in major midget with the Châteauguay Grenadiers. The Titan also nabbed big Russian forward Vladimir Kuznetsov with the first-overall pick of the CHL Import draft in June.
Prediction
Sixth in the Maritimes Division. Drafting Antoine Morand and Vladimir Kuznetsov is a start, but don’t expect a drastic turnaround this season.
Forwards
There’s a good chance a rookie, either Morand or Kuznetsov, will lead the Titan in scoring. The departed Andrew Ryan and Raphaël Corriveau led the team in goals last season, leaving opportunities for new faces to step in and make an impact immediately.
Leaving for bathurst this morning! Thanks to @S_Lagrange and @SnitaMarcin for the summer training! Can't wait to be there!!! @ABTitan
— Antoine Morand (@antoinemorand18) August 8, 2015
Mark Simpson led the team with 45 points and returns for his second season. He was also only one of two players who played more than 20 games and finished with a positive plus-minus ranking. Russian Egor Popov got off to a good start in his rookie campaign, but went through multiple slumps and never found any consistency. Jordan Maher also showed promise as a freshman, notching 13 goals. The Titan need a quick adjustment to the Q rookies and need the sophomores to take a step forward to avoid another low-scoring season.
Defence
The numbers don’t tell the full story for Guillaume Brisebois. The 6-foot-2, 187-lb. D-man posted a team-worst minus-40, but that’s because he was on the ice against the opposition’s top players and logged extensive ice-time in all situations. The two-way defender breaks up scoring chances and, simply, it’s painful to think where the Titan would be without him.
Acadie-Bathurst added size and experience to the blueline in late August, acquiring 20-year-old Anthony Beaulieu from the Gatineau Olympiques. He rarely puts up points, but he’ll be a crucial veteran presence on a young team.
Goalies
Reilly Pickard returns for his sophomore season. Acquired from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at the trade deadline last winter, Pickard had a busy 18-game stint with the Titan. He only picked up two wins, but faced 544 shots—an average of 30 per game. He’s joined by Daniel Vautour who also started 18 games last season, finishing with five wins and 10 losses.
NHL prospect watch
Guillaume Brisebois, D, Vancouver Canucks (2015, 66th overall)
The only NHL prospect on the Titan is also the team’s best player. While playing on a bad squad, Brisebois stood out regardless of the score. He’s a two-way defender who snaps chances away from the opposition with his long reach and good skating. He’s a crucial part of the power play, with three of his four goals coming on the man advantage. Entering his third season in the Q, he’s one of the league’s best all-around defenders.
NHL draft watch
Jordan Maher, 5-11, 171, C
The sixth-overall pick of the 2014 Q draft showed glimpses of promise during his rookie campaign. In January, Maher scored a hat-trick against the Charlottetown Islanders but failed to do much after that on a team locked in the league’s basement. The two-way forward was invited to Canada’s World Under-17 Challenge development camp in Calgary in August.
Had a great summer in Halifax training with @PUSHFITHalifax! Excited to be back in Bathurst again this year! #titan
— Jordan Maher (@Jordan_Maher16) August 8, 2015