Login

NJBadApple · 04-21-2019, 11:32 AM

It's that time of year again & we all know it. Fresh through a quick & timely off-season, the Texas Renegades look to re-enter the post-season picture after narrowly missing their spot last season. It came down to the wire, the last day of the regular season, and the Renegades lost the tie breaker with the Calgary Dragons for the 4th & final spot out of the western conference. With pre-season action already underway & the regular season right around the corner, Dankoa & company hope to charge the Renegades into Challenge Cup contention once more as they appear to be on the brink of a dynasty. Paired smartly with plethora of senior leadership, young talent has taken Texas by storm, and will soon be the cornerstone of this great franchise as they look to hoist the cup for the first time since Season 36.

Let's take a deeper look into your Season 47 Texas Renegades!
(Just the actives)

OFFENSE

Louie Garrett - #1 Center @dizzyDC
The top offensive player for the Renegades will be entering his 3rd season with the team, after upper management brought him in a few seasons ago to compliment the young core. As expected, Garrett had a tremendous campaign in Season 46 posting 55 points and leading Texas in points once again. He only managed a 9.6% shooting percentage throughout the season, due in part to bad puck-luck, so it shouldn't surprise anyone if Garrett at least reaches 55 points again, or even surpasses it.

Iam Essellem - #1 Right Wing @iamslm22
One of the pillars of the Texas organization will retain his spot on the top line alongside Louie Garrett. Essellem, a Season 40 draftee, has already established himself as one of the most deadly snipers in the league. Coming off back-to-back seasons of 23+ goals, Iam looks to elevate his game once more as he continues to develop and terrorize goaltenders league wide. One of only two players for the Renegades last season to post a hat trick, you can expect more of the same this season.

Nico Gross - #1 Left Wing @Brandon
Rounding out the top line for Texas is a bit of a surprise in the form of Nico Gross. Bringing an elite-level of physicality to the first unit, Gross looks to absolutely berate opponents and move them out of the for Garrett & Essellem to do their work. Posting an incredible 169 hits last season, Nico never shies away from what may or may not evolve into fisticuffs. Although posting a -15 last season, bold move by management looks to pay dividends das we move down the depth chart.

Daniel Karlsson - #2 Center @dankoa
Wait, the defenseman?? Yes you've read that correctly. After a long off-season and several discussions with upper management, Daniel Karlsson made the radical decision to switch from the blueline to the faceoff circle. Looking to assist with stability down the middle for the Renegades, Karlsson will pair nicely with Noah Konn and Conklin Owen to round out the top six. His career thus far, as a defenseman, had been wildly successful but played in the shadows of Dude & O'Callaghan. Let's see how this change effects his play.

Noah Konn - #2 Left Wing
Rapidly climbing the depth chart is Season 42 draftee Noah Konn. The Norwegian phenom is on track to match all TPE records, having already surpassed 1200 entering just his 6th season as a professional. Konn found success on the 2nd forward line last season posting 32 points and 157 hits, among other career highs. He was only shooting 8.8% through 50 games, and if you pair that with him playing alongside newly-acclimated Center Karlsson & veteran winger Owen, you're likely to see an explosive year from the young power forward.

Conklin Owen - #2 Right Wing @Phobospwns
The longest tenured Renegade and only player leftover from their last Challenge Cup win, Owen brings some much-needed experience & leadership to the table. Playing on the left side of Daniel Karlsson, he enters what many believe to be his twilight season as he rides into retirement. Nevertheless, the old man still has something left in the tank as he still put up a respectable 32 points last season playing on the second forward line. He'll have to play like he's ten years younger to help Texas within their top six.

Logan Jensen - #3 Center @Loganjj21
Championships are built down the middle & on defense, and Logan will be one player to watch this season. Having played wing as his natural position, Logan can also excel as a center & will enter this season as one to build some strength down the middle for the Renegades. Even so, last season he posted an even 50 points in as many games. He even led the team in goals with 24, which came as a shock to most. Jensen takes pride in being one of the top two-way players in the league, and Texas will need him on top of that game if they want to win it all.

Vladislav Konstantin - #3 Right Wing @Justice
Entering his second professional season, Vlad finds himself in a familiar position on the third forward unit. While the opportunity to grow & move up the chart will eventually arrive, Konstantin understands the depth needed to make a deep playoff run & will respect that decision. He'll square up with Jensen as his center and rookie Andreas Kvalheim on the other side. Vlad had a respectable 18 points last season, and is known for staying out of the penalty box & maintaining a high level of play.

Andreas Kvalheim - #3 Left Wing @raymond3000
Making his SHL debut tomorrow is Montreal Militia alumni Andreas Kvalheim. The fans in Montreal were peeved when they heard the news one of their top forwards was getting the call to the big leagues, and rightfully so. Andreas is a large, intimidating man standing at 6'4 and 200+ pounds. He plays a physical game, notching 100+ hits last season to compliment 30+ points on Militia's second forward unit. While points may not come in bundles early on in his career, Kvalheim is well on his way to becoming an effective power forward.

DEFENSE

The Dude - 1st Pairing @Dude
Another fantastic season in the books for the Renegade's top defender. As he continues to carry the majority of the workload for the ever-growing defensive corps, Dude is an annual contender for Defenseman of the Year. He can put up points, throw the body, block shots... he's the complete package and has evolved into one of the top blueliners in the league. Once again, and as expected, he'll be skating on the top pairing alongside Liam O'Callaghan as they continue to frustrate forwards league-wide.

Liam O'Callaghan - 1st Pairing @Dangles13
As if having to fight through The Dude wasn't enough, right on his tail is another phenom on the Texas blueline. Liam O'Callaghan is just one draft class behind Dude but has already emerged as a nightmare to go one-on-one against. Much like his other half, Liam put up solid numbers last season with 32 points through the season. A complete package in his own right, O'Callaghan looks to build on his 110 hits and 60 blocked shots from last season, potentially making Dude/O'Callaghan the toughest D-pair in the world.

Harvey Danger - 2nd Pairing @hockeyfan
While some may view of playing behind Dude/O'Callaghan as a negative thing, Harvey Danger takes it in stride. Providing a high-level of stability on the second pairing the last few seasons, Danger will look to elevate his game even higher this season. He's traded in his old partner, Daniel Karlsson (now a center) for a rookie, with management making the clear distinction that Harvey is ready to completely carry his own pairing. While not physical, Harvey is a shot-blocking machine, having led the team the past two seasons.

Chuck Crutchfield - 2nd Pairing @ligma
Finishing up the last of our active skaters is our second rookie of this season. Chuck Crutchfield played several seasons in juniors before become just ripe enough to get the call for his SHL debut tomorrow. He's held the distinction of playing for three SMJHL teams (Detroit, Montreal, Anchorage) and playing very high minutes on all of those teams. Much like his partner, Harvey Danger, Chuck is not much of a physical presence on the back-end but makes up for it with his propensity to generate offense and return to block plenty of shots.

THE GOALIE

Walter Hobbs - Starting Goalie @Jearim
Much to the surprise of absolutely nobody, Walter Hobbs will lead the Renegades onto the Season 47 ice and, once again, carry the load between the pipes. Coming off a somewhat disappointing Season 46, Hobbs will look to rebound ten-fold with an incredible performance. Prior to last season, he was one of the top netminders in the league and will, of course, look to return to that form. While all the pieces are in place for Texas' return to the post-season, Walter will need to have an explosive season in net to carry the team past 50 games.

OFFLINE COMMENTS & EXPECTATIONS

Well, it's been a sad start to the career of so many young players in Texas and we're all hoping this season starts our inevitable dynasty. Despite the team that Dan has built through great drafting & making moves when necessary, the continuous disrespect to the Renegades in the standings & predictions is exhausting at best. Now playing in a division with NOLA, it does make the trek towards the playoff more difficult, but everyone in Texas feels we are absolutely trending in the right direction. Anyway, here are my predictions for Texas this season:

1. We'll make the playoffs, I see this as a relatively easy one to assume even though we've gotten no respect in the predictions thread.

2. Someone will win an individual award. While I don't think we'll have an MVP candidate this season, it's very possible someone like Essellem could lead the league in goals or Dude taking the Top D-man award.

3. Hobbs bounces back, big time. With our defense slowly but steadily getting better, I see no reason for Hobbs to have another down season. If he bounces back hard enough, we may even see a nod for the McBride.

4. I'm worried about our center depth. Garrett is a shoe-in for a great season, but even with Dan moving from defense to center there might be some growing pains. What it comes down to is: we'll either have an amazing or terrible start, nothing in between.

Renegades