The S55 Buffalo Stampede were, without a doubt, one of the most dominant teams in recent memory. With 40 wins and 10 losses, and not a single over-time loss, they easily claimed the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and tied the Edmonton Blizzard for points -- albeit with a more impressive stat-line in the process, with less than a hundred goals against in that span. They went on to win the Challenge Cup that season, beating a strong Steelhawks team in dominant fashion, before besting the New Orleans Specters in seven games -- despite a, shall we say, controversial effort by the Specters to claim game seven. Ordinarily, this team would appear as a clear threat to repeat the very next season. But despite a wealth of talent, things weren't actually so clear going into the off-season because of one simple problem: the expansion draft.

As many had expected, the Stampede were forced to leave unprotected a very talented player in the form of Cassius Darrow -- a defenceman who that season had managed 43 points in 50 games, 16 of which were goals. He continued that solid play into the playoffs, with 5 goals for 12 points in 17 games. That off-season, they also lost 60-point scorer Michael Scarn, 46-point scorer Victor Marius, and 33-point scorer Nikolaj Muller. It's clear even from this list of names that the Stampede took a step back in terms of the overall talent and experience of their team. But, Stampede management didn't sit entirely idle this off-season. To recoup some of that experience on their blueline, they made a splash by signing Tor Tuck.

Now, Tor Tuck isn't the player he was in his prime. That much is clear. But, he's a defenceman that was coming off a .5 point per game season, who still has enough left in the tank to be a boon to a team as long as he's played in the right role. Alongside Tuck, himself one of the oldest players in the league, the Stampede were able to refill their tanks from their prospect pool: calling up a trio of S53 picks in Steve Harrington, Jaska Seppala, and Alexander Roach. With all that in mind, our attention should turn to this season: how did the Stampede, suffering from free agency departures and a major loss in the expansion draft, manage to turn the page to this very season?

So far, they're doing pretty good. They're not as dominant as they were this season, currently sitting at a .704 win percentage. They're behind the Manhattan Rage, the Chicago Syndicate, and the Hamilton Steelhawks in their own division. The Calgary Dragons and Edmonton Blizzard also lead them in points, while their rivals from the Challenge Cup Finals last season sit a mere one point behind them, albeit off the back of less wins and more overtime losses. The Stampede do have two games in hand over most of these teams, but it would be difficult to say they hadn't taken a step back.

In terms of players, some of their departing players are doing quite well: Darrow has 14 points in 29 games for Seattle, Scarn has 36 points in 30 games for Hamilton, and Muller has 23 points in 29 games for New Orleans. By comparison, newcomer Tor Tuck has put up 10 points in 27 games for the Stampede, while rookie Jaska Seppala has notched 18 points in that span. Alexander Roach has had a slower start, with 9 points in 27 games. Most promising however has been Steve Harrington, who has notched 21 points in 27 games and looks to be a contender for the rookie of the year -- perhaps alongside Seppala, depending on how things turn out.

Now, we should be clear here. The Stampede are not likely going to be competing for a regular season title this year. The Calgary Dragons, with their eternally-refreshing roster, look to be yet again a favourite in that regard. They won't even be a favourite in the playoffs, with so many other teams taking a step ahead of them. But the Stampede did manage to turn a potential disastrous off-season into an off-season of moderate renewal. The addition of Tor Tuck has helped keep their blueline strong, while their trio of rookies are already finding their legs in the faster SHL game -- and they can only get better from here.

This past off-season could serve as a case-study into the importance of keeping your depth chart filled with active, developing prospects: it's not a stretch to suggest that without the talents of Seppala and Harrington, the tone of this article might be quite different. Roach, while he hasn't put up the same numbers, has also proven himself a valuable member of the team with a lot of room left to develop. The signing of Tor Tuck is also a good example of why teams should try to remain flexible. Nobody expected Tuck would be wearing anything other than a Blizzard jersey this season, but Stampede management were able to react to the opportunity and ultimately convince him to sign.

Given the circumstances, the off-season has to be chalked up to a success. The only question now is what degree of success we're talking about -- for that, we'll have to wait to see how the Stampede perform in the post-season.

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