New-Look NHN Completes Final Tweaks, Open Season 10 On Road Tonight
Preddy To Make Pro Debut In Goal, Muhlstein Still Out Day-to-Day
North Hollywood, CA- You've got to get up pretty early in the morning to trump NHN GM Brain when he senses an opportunity to strengthen his hockey team. In this case, 5:00 AM (PDT). With the dissolution of the New York Groove franchise effective this morning, the NHN GM was on the phone early, signing newly-unemployed defensemen Timmy Sohl and Tyson Keveth. Keveth had been the 1st overall pick in the Entry Draft following season nine, while Sohl was NY's top pick in the draft following season four.
"We wanted to see NY stay in the league. We were hoping they would stay in the league. We didn't have anything to do with them folding, but when it was looking like they would, we knew where on their carcass we wanted to stick the fork to get our bites before the other vultures showed up" said the sleepy GM. "I'm taking a nap this afternoon."
To make room on the roster, NHN released seven-year veteran left-winger Bob Mussell, and terminated the pro-tryout contract of Christopher Juelfs. This morning's transactions bring the total number to 14 in an offseason of change for the three-time WIP Cup Champs. The Neurosis announced they would not renew the contracts of offensive ringleaders Morris Zarebski and Jon Iseli, and defensive mainstay Dean Cannone (now with Osaka); and the termination of the contracts of four others including goalie Richie McCord; immediately following their 2nd round playoff ouster at the hands of eventual Champion STLBLUEZ.
Through the in door came defenseman Chad Vock, acquired from arch-rival SSS in exchange for winger Vlas Akimov, goaltender Dwain Preddy from St. Louis and NHN's own 1st-rounder Dane Davolt, along with Sohl and Keveth. The moves pared nine bodies and $17M in payroll from last season's edition of NHN. The departed players scored 75 goals in the maroon and blue last season, the new arrivals scored 9 with their respective clubs.
The acquisitions all followed a prearranged pattern according to the GM. "All four guys we got this offseason were 1st rounders, guys we liked when they came out, but they all went before our turn came up. We kept an eye on their progress and when we got a chance to get them, we weren't going to miss on any of them a 2nd time."
The question to be answered beginning tonight is: are they better, worse, or just different? The answer probably won't come until the season is into it's second or even third week. Starting goaltender Duane Muhlstein will not dress tonight as he continues to recover from the groin injury suffered in Game 1 of the St. Louis series. He's listed as day-to-day, but is expected to be between the pipes for Friday's home opener against Rustybladez. 8th-year right winger Jared Dacres is still out with a back injury suffered late last season. The newly acquired Vock will sit out, as he's described a still being "slap beat up" from Salisbury's grueling playoff run of nine games in nine days. Vock will practice with the team, but not dress until he's 100% recovered. The former Striper Swiper 4th-line center also has to adjust the move to right defense on NHN's top pair and to the increased minutes he'll play. "We'll need him ready to go late in the year, and in the playoffs more than we need him right out of the box. We've got high hopes he'll give us a dimension no one in this league has ever really had" said Brain.
Into their lineup spots step the other new faces. Preddy, St. Louis' 1st pick in the draft following season eight, is highly regarded, but hasn't played a minute in the WIP, having spent his rookie year as the Bluez 3rd goalie. He became available as the odd-man out when St. Louis signed 38 year-old Trey Argenti as veteran insurance behind their Championship-winning tandem. "We think he's got the ability to eventually be a quality #1 in this league. The sky really is the limit on his potential" said Brain of the 21 year-old.
The 23 year-old Sohl will step into a top-six slot on the NHN blueline as Vock recovers, and will fill Vock's skates on the right-point on the top power play unit. "Sohl's development stalled a little bit with the situation in New York last year, but he has a similar skill set and similar size as Vock, and we expect they'll man the points on our power play years into the future. Under different circumstances, the future probably wouldn't be now for Sohl, but it is what it is with Vock's situation" Brain explained.
As for the raw Keveth, who joins draft classmate Davolt on the roster, Brain said "If we need to play either of the two 1st-year guys much this year, we're in trouble. Their time will come, but hopefully not for a good four years or so."
The bottom line as the new season dawns, is that NHN parted with a substantial amount of reliable, veteran production in the autumn of their careers. They were replaced by five current or former 1st round picks, bringing the team's total to 13 former 1st round picks on their 24-man roster. The team's future is undeniably brighter than it was when they shook hands with St. Louis to close season nine. The question of how the present will compare to a recent past that has never seen NHN fail to win at least one playoff round begins to be answered tonight.
7/12/2011 2:26 PM (edited)