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SabresFan · 01-23-2022, 07:34 PM

The Tampa Bay Barracuda
The predators of today

This is part two of my article on the organization that I intend to be a part of for the next ten seasons or more. In this article, I’m scouting the core of today’s team, and the veterans who will likely remain in S66.

This is how the rest of the SHL would like to view the Barracuda. However, thanks to the players covered in this article, the team should just keep swimming along into S66 and beyond. It should be noted in comparing draft position and current class ranking, that any player who maintains a top fifteen to twenty ranking in their class is a valuable player to a team. The distribution of TPE in the scouting rankings varies from class to class, and does tend to stretch out over time.

Future Stars

From the class of S56, at Right Wing, #17 - Vladimir Petrov.

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Petrov is an SHL oddity. He stands 6’ 6” and at 265 pounds, has to be one of the most imposing figures in the SHL. Despite the imposing size, Petrov is more of a finesse player than a physical one. He is brilliant at reading the play on offense and uses his puck handling and strength to protect the puck to hang on to it long enough to make a play to an open skater. As a Sabres fan, he reminds me of a bulkier Tage Thompson with more of a focus on playmaking than shooting. Petrov is strong enough to win battles in the corners and along the wall, but he doesn’t have a mean streak.

Petrov was drafted 6th overall in the S56 SHL draft and has maintained the 16th position in his draft class. Petrov’s career since being called up a season earlier than expected in S58, makes me scratch my head. He promptly put up 37 points including 28 assists, establishing himself as a dangerous playmaker already in his rookie season. His performance was good enough that I checked for a Rookie of the Year nomination, but Petrov was not listed.

Petrov’s point production rose gradually over the next two seasons to 16 goals, 30 assists and 46 points in S60. The following season, his production dipped to 39 points, which was still roughly the 40 point level that Petrov has produced his entire career. Then, last season, in S62, Petrov had career lows in assists, points and time on ice, while posting his best plus minus rating of his career. I’ll need to look at other Tampa players and their performances from the early S60s to look for a trend or a cause. In S63, Petrov is performing like the player he was earlier in his career, on pace for 44 points in S63. I’m leaning toward the conclusion that Petrov’s rookie season was as much an anomaly as his S62 campaign.

Also from the class of S56, at Center, #13 - Aleksander Kozlov

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The solidly built 6’ 2” Aleksander Kozlov was the first overall selection on the S56 draft by the Barracuda, and is maintaining the 8th position in the class rankings into S63. Kozlov is another playmaker, which the Barracuda seem to have no shortage of. His ability to find open spaces on the ice jumps off the scouting report and his puck handling is nearly magical. Kozlov’s passing and ability to read the play are almost elite as well. This points to a player who should be able to drive the play in the offensive zone and distribute the puck on the power play. Kozlov is a hair above average overall defensively due to his hockey sense and is also developing into an above average skater. The scouting report would predict production from Kozlov somewhat similar to fellow Russian and fellow S56 top ten pick, Vladimir Petrov.

The results show an interesting contrast between Petrov and Kozlov. Kozlov entered the SHL in S59 which is more the expected development time than for Petrov, who entered the SHL a season ahead of schedule. However, it was Kozlov who had a more normal rookie year with his struggles demonstrated by a -20 plus / minus rating for his rookie season. Still, Kozlov started his career with a respectable 28 point season. His point production follows along more or less with Petrov, including the dip in production in S61, suggesting that they may have been linemates throughout their careers. Kozlov is on pace for about 15 goals and 30 assists to more or less match his career high of 44 points from S61. Kozlov is also a willing hitter, being counted on for over one hit per game after his rookie season.

As I get to know my SHL team, I am beginning to consider a change in strategy for my future development. The Barracuda are in direct contrast with my SMJHL experience in that they are loaded with great playmakers but have few finishers. I am taking stock of this and may be influenced to not neglect my ability to find open spaces and get a decent shot off. I saw myself as a center much like Marco Barengrub who I highlighted in my earlier article on the younger members of the Barracuda. However, the needs of the team may direct me to be more of a shooter. This is just a passing thought. This is a problem to be evaluated down the road.

The Stars of Today

The sole Tampa Bay representative of the Class of S55, at Left Defense, #8 Colin Lambert.

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A smallish defenseman at 5’11 and 185 pounds, Lambert was selected number 2 overall by the Barracuda in S55 and is currently ranked 10th in his class in the scouting rankings. Lambert is entering his absolute peak over the next couple of seasons and is currently a premiere offensive defenseman in the SHL. Almost all of his offensive skills and skating skills are at an elite level. The scouting report shows a potential 50 point producing defenseman.

Lambert has progressed steadily in his SHL career overall. S61 appears to have been an offensive peak for the Barracuda, as Lambert also had peak production in that season. He lit the SHL up for 18 goals in S61, and added 29 assists for a total of 47 points. After a dip in production during S62, Lambert is back on pace to threaten his career high in points from S61.

Lambert is not known for his defensive play. Yet, he is tied for the team best plus / minus rating at +4 and has had a good collection of advanced stats including positive relative Corsi and relative Fenwick numbers in every season he has played in the SHL so far. He is an underrated star now and probably still will be this good by the time I enter the SHL projected to be in S66.

From the class of S54, at Left Wing, #17 - Panda Panico.

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The Tampa Bay Barracuda got a gem with the 35th overall pick in the S54 draft when they selected Panda Panico, the massive German defenseman. He is currently ranked 15th among the players selected in his draft year. At 6’4” and 245 pounds, the Panda is a jack-of-all-trades forward who is perfect as a second line winger. According to the scouting report, “der Panda” should be a steadying influence on a team of high flying playmakers who have a tendency to turn the puck over. I’d expect another 35 to 45 point player with maybe 15 to 20 goals and 20 to 25 assists, and more than one hit per game from this player.

Looking at Panda’s career, I was surprised to see how many assists he had in most seasons, other than his season of S 61, when he scored 21 goals along with 31 assists for 52 points. I believe that his apparent inconsistency throughout his career is due to a willingness to be flexible and do whatever is asked of him. He generally has averaged at least one hit per game over his career, with the S58 and S62 campaigns being the outliers with 20 hits and 207 hits respectively.

Some rumors indicate that this player may have gone inactive. If these rumors prove to be true, Panico could be headed for a rapid decline, leading the Barracuda to try to snap up a left wing in a future draft.

From the class of S54, at Right Defense, #2 - Ewolf Jericson

Jericson was selected 21st overall in the S54 SHL draft and remains the 25th ranked player from that class. Jericson, at a stocky 5’6 and 185 pounds is still a reliable defensive defenseman, hanging on to an SHL career. Jericson has the defensive and skating skills to stick around another season or two, but I have a feeling that the chances that our careers will overlap is fairly slim. I’m interested in seeing how Jericson’s career has gone so far, as I suspect from the draft position that Jericson worked out a career as a role player from the beginning.

Jericson had a disastrous rookie season in S57, ending that season with a -63 plus / minus rating, but since then has remained a solid piece for the Barracuda. Jericson has been a reliable shot blocker, peaking with 148 blocked shots in S59. During the first quarter of this season, Jericson has been playing the role of an unlikely sniper, scoring on an incredible 30.0% of shots taken. The line of 6 goals and 0 assists to start the season is a fun statistic to look at.

From the class of S54, the face of the franchise, Left Wing #33 - Dwight Knight.

Knight was drafted 4th overall in the S54 draft and is currently ranked as the top overall player in the scouting rankings for the S54 class. He is both a power forward and a highly skilled, high hockey sense forward. Like most of the Barracuda, Knight is a playmaker first and a shooter second. He has the elite strength and balance to dig the puck out of the corners or to take a hit behind the net and still regain possession of the puck to find a teammate in the slot for a scoring chance. If there is any weakness in Knight’s game, it is positioning and that he is a slightly below average skater for the SHL. But who cares? Knight is a fantastic forechecking forward who brings it every night he’s on the ice. I expect to see him producing at a point per game clip with this profile. He is that rare superstar player in the SHL and should still be a star to look up to by the time I see my first SHL action.

Knight was another player to enter the SHL early. He struggled the first two seasons of his career, especially during his sophomore season in S57, when the Barracuda had the worst goal differential in the SHL. It wasn’t just Knight to blame for his -62 plus / minus rating that season. By S58, both Knight and the team started to gather momentum. Knight has had three consecutive 50 point seasons from S60 to S62 and is on pace for 55 points again this season. While averaging more than 50 points over these three plus seasons, Knight has also averaged about 100 hits during the same span. Knight’s pace this season could see him set a new career high in either assists, points or both. Knight should climb up the Barracuda all time scoring list before his career ends. Knight currently has 118 Goals and 172 Assists for 290 points. According to the latest information that I had, the tenth all time leading scorer for the Barracuda had 314 points. Knight should enter the top ten sometime this season.

There are six players left who are older than S54. I’m running out of gas for now and will need to cover them next week, although I’m taking a peek at the career statistics of the man I’m thinking of as “Zoltan the Great” before I shut this down.

rum_ham · 01-24-2022, 04:24 PM

***Rangerjase*** · 01-25-2022, 10:00 PM

Really hoping the career stats of Zoltan are better than I think they are.

Definitely don't stand a chance to catch @PremierBromanov +/- though

***PremierBromanov*** · 01-25-2022, 10:51 PM

01-25-2022, 10:00 PMRangerjase Wrote: Really hoping the career stats of Zoltan are better than I think they are.

Definitely don't stand a chance to catch @PremierBromanov +/- though

WE GOT IT ON LOCK

SabresFan · 01-25-2022, 10:53 PM

01-25-2022, 10:00 PMRangerjase Wrote: Really hoping the career stats of Zoltan are better than I think they are.

Definitely don't stand a chance to catch @PremierBromanov +/- though

Coming up in the final installment when I can get to it.
I'm enjoying getting to know your histories.

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