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LonnyBohonos16 · 02-25-2019, 03:05 PM

(Ready for Grading, 2184 word)
Organizational Depth

Last season did not have the story book ending that the Anchorage Armada players were looking for after finishing second in the SMJHL. The Armada were bounced early in the second round by the underdog Colorado Raptors, putting an end to what was a very successful regular season.

Given the high turnover rate of junior rosters, the window for winning is often very short. Teams that build their roster will often lose their veteran players to the big league the following season forcing them to rebuild again. Anchorage were very fortunate this season, despite losing two key players in Jacob Geza and Mika Mayfeild, they managed to hold on to captain Leopold Lockhart, Maxime Bouchard, Dean Colt III, Cloutier, Karhunen, Emmerton, Larson and Sins.

It was surprising to see Lockhart (@ej27) being sent back to junior this season but it’s a surprise that the Armada are welcome to have. The Armada’s captain offers a calming presence from the back end, proving reliability at both ends of the rink. The 6’3” offensive defensemen possesses great speed with tremendous hockey IQ, allowing him to move the puck quickly while generating chances through transition. His offensive prowess makes him a dangerous weapon on the powerplay forcing the opposition to be on high alert when he is on the ice. His size and strength makes him very effective in his own end, often coming out on top of puck battles along the boards or in front of the net, even against the top talent in the SMJHL. Last season made it clear that Lockhart was more than capable of logging high minutes even against the top competition.

Bouchard (@Weretarantula) is another returning player that looked like they might make the jump to the SHL this season but will remain with the Armada in the SMJHL. Bouchard was an offensive machine last season scoring 39 points in 50 games so Anchorage is more than thrilled to have him back this year. The 5’11” winger has elite playmaking ability and vision that allows him to set up linemates while also having a finishing touch makes him a dangerous goal scorer whenever he gets the opportunity. His skills transition perfectly to the power play as the added time and space make him an offensive threat that keeps the opposition on their heels. Look for Bouchard to be one of the offensive leaders for Armada this season as he will be relied on heavily to produce.

Dean Colt III (@Mac) is one of the longer serving veterans on the Armada’s roster this season. The 6’6” centerman has the size and speed that scouts drool over for the center position. A natural sniper, Colt has transitioned his game to become a more defensively sound player, making him very reliable two hundred foot player. His defensive awareness and faceoff ability has made him a reliable penalty killer that is capable of dominating battles in the tough areas of the ice. His scoring touch hasn’t been lost with the development of his defensive game as he was capable of putting up 27 points last season. Look for him to improve on that this season as he centers the second line and the powerplay unit.

Olivier Cloutier (@Jenny) is the highest drafted player on the Armada from last season’s rookie class, going third overall. 5’7” Frenchmen is like a waterbug on the ice, despite being very small his speed and agility allows him to dance around the opposition making him a nightmare to match up against. Cloutier possesses the goal scoring ability that teams dream of having; his game changing offensive awareness makes him extremely dangerous whenever he is on the ice. Despite only scoring 13 points last season, look for Cloutier to make a massive jump this season as he will be filling the hole left by Mayfield on the first line and first powerplay unit. Cloutier’s elite scoring ability accompanied with Bouchard’s playmaking will create 1-2 punch that can cause matchup issues for any team.

After having a stellar rookie season, Kalevi Karhunen (@Lynxfire) will be relied upon a lot more this year with the departure of veteran defensemen Jacob Geza. Scoring 24 points in 50 games, Karhunen led all rookies on his team in scoring while finishing third in defensemen, good enough to make him go 18th overall in last season’s draft. The 6’3”, 230 lbs defensemen gives the Armada a big body presence on the back end who is able to win most battles along the boards and in front of the net. However, despite his size, Karhunen isn’t known to throw the body around as much as other players his size but that doesn’t mean he shy’s away from physicality. He uses his size and speed to the move the puck out of dangerous situations while contributing to the team’s transitional play. Opponents have difficulty beating Karhunen 1 on 1 due to his speed and agility, often leading to a turnover. His skills transition well offensively as his great vision and shot make him a threat in the offensive zone, especially on the powerplay. Karhunen had a great first season in the SMJHL but look for him to make another jump this year as his icetime and opportunities will be greatly increased.

Probably the most overlooked player of last season’s rookie class in Anchorage, Brock Emmerton (@lueiGi) has been a welcomed surprise for the organization after going late in the SMJHL draft, making GM Max Brannagan look like he actually knows what he’s doing. Emmerton only put up 8 points last season but gained the confidence of the coaches through his hard work and reliable play in the defensive end of the ice. The 6’2” winger has showed flashes of elite playmaking ability, displaying vision that allows him create offensive chances and set up his linemates. His hard work has pushed him up the line up to the second line and the second power play unit. Emmerton’s speed, size and defensive awareness has made him an important piece on the Armada’s penalty kill. Look for his stats to sky rocket this season as he takes on a bigger role within the organization.

Another standout from last season’s rookie class is goaltender Peter Larson (@Tomasnz). Larson finished the season with a record of 24-12-4 while posting a 0.898 Sv%, 2.33 GAA and 3 SO while places him in the upper echelon for goaltenders. The 6’3” Dane offered the Armada consistency in a position that has hampered the team in the past. The impact of reliable goaltender was clear last season as the team finished near the top of the standings, giving confidence to the players in front of him. His ability to make tough saves look easy, control rebounds and remain unshaken will be extremely important this season if the Armada want to compete for a championship.

Johnny Sins is the third returning member of the Armadas blueline this season, as he looks to improve on a rookie season that started off slow but picked up steam towards the end. The 6’2” defensemen put of 14 points last season as he became acclimated with the skill and speed of the SMJHL. After falling to 35th overall in the draft, Sins looks like he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder so far, feeling like he was overlooked by a lot of the league. Sins is a great skater, allowing him to skate the puck out of danger while also joining in on the rush at times. His speed and agility prevents most opponents from beating him to the outside while his high defensive awareness means he is rarely out of position. Being an offensive defensemen at heart, Sins’ vision allows him to see the ice clearly and is often able to find teammates for good scoring opportunities. These skills have the potential to be lethal on the powerplay. His shoot isn’t elite by any measure and can often leave much to be desired. Although Sins is typically associated with giving loads, look for a bigger one to be placed on him this season as he anchors the second powerplay unit and penalty kill, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an increase in his stats as a result.

In terms of the new additions this season, the Armada have drafted several players that they are hoping can step in and make an impact this season. Those include Tony Ford, Eko van Otter, Spencer MacLean, Dawson Kennedy, and Patrick Muller.

After going 6th overall in this year’s SMJHL Entry Draft, Tony Ford (@Fordyford) displayed the skill and potential that got the attention of general manager Max Brannagan, as he looks like a player that can step in immediately and provide reliability on that second d pairing alongside Johnny Sins. Ford is a smooth skater that is able to get out of trouble with his speed. Despite being young, he has the defensive awareness that makes him very reliable in his own end and capable of making crisp passes to his forwards to move the puck out of his own end. While he is still working on his offensive game, Ford has the foundation and skills of a player that can be very dominant in this league as long as he buries his head and keeps working. Look for Ford to play an important role on both the powerplay and the penalty kill this season.

Going in the third round of this year’s draft, Echo von Otter (@"bwrabbitt") adds solid depth to Anchorage’s left wing. The 5’11” winger is a very well rounded player that is capable of contributing at all ends of the ice. Otter has the potential to become an elite playmaking forward, as he possess the vision and skills that can make him a dynamic player quickly. Despite the fact that he doesn’t possess any standout skills at this point, his game has no weaknesses, making him a very well rounded player that can slot in throughout the line-up.

The 4th round pick of this year’s draft, Spencer MacLean has the potential to be an electric offensive presence on the ice as he contains the size and skill to dominate at all levels. He competes hard in all areas of the ice and possesses dynamic puck handling and goal scoring abilities. With a shoot first mentality, MacLean has the opportunity to score a lot of goals if he is placed with the right playmaking line mate. His size allows him to win battles and create space for himself which can make him a deadly offensive threat. Drafted as a centerman, The Armada will have him develop and round out his game on the wing before slotting him in at center. Once MacLean has developed more of his game, look for him to become one of the top goal scorers in the league.

Dawson Kennedy (@dawsonke) is one of the best pure goal scorers to come out of the draft this year. A fairly one dimensional winger, the 5th round pick has the ability to find the back of net on any goalie. Kennedy has tremendous puck handling, speed and offensive awareness making him a nightmare in the offensive zone. Kennedy does lack the reliability and consistency in the defensive end of the rink, often cheating towards the offensive side of the puck, which may be why he fell so far down the draft board. With a little bit of work he has the potential to become one of the best goal scorers on the Armada.

In the final round of the SMJHL draft, the Armada selected another goal scoring winger in Patrick Muller (@RippleLuck). The 6’2” German possess an offensive flair that can make him very dangerous when given the time and space. With his offensive awareness, puck handling ability and speed, Muller has the tools of an offensive weapon if he can find a way to put it all together, when you combine that with his size, Muller has potential to be a handful for any team that he faces. His game isn’t overly well rounded as he tends to cheat in the defensive end, which can lead to him being out of position at times. The Armada are hoping to develop his defensive game to accompany that dynamic offensive ability.
Overall, the Armada did a great job replacing the players that they lost last season, finding role players that can add depth to every area of the game. Despite losing two key players, they have managed to remain fairly competitive by filling the holes internally due to proper drafting and player development. The expectations for the Armada this season is to compete for a championship, after their early exit last season, we expect everyone on the roster to compete with a chip on their shoulders.