GM: David Bell
Coach: Doug Weight
Last season: 10th overall. In playoffs, lost to Bratislava.
Ins and Outs
(Season 12 to Season 13)
In: Jason Robertson (Season 9 draft), Owen Tippett (Season 8 draft), Kaapo Kahkonen (Season 13 draft),
Out: Tomas Zaborsky (free agent), Mattias Ekholm (free agent), Justin Bailey (free agent), Joel Armia (free agent)
Potential Lineup
Matthew Tkachuk/Tyler Johnson/Par Arlbrandt
Mathis Olimb/Jaden Schwartz/Alex Tuch
Jason Robertson/Aapeli Rasanen/Rob Fabbri
Drake Caggiula/Luke Kunin’Owen Tippett
Danny Dekeyser/Ryan Pulock
Josh Morrissey/Anthony DeAngelo
Marcus Pettersson/Jonas Siegenthaler
Andrew Hammond/Jake Campbell
Three Questions
1. Zaborsky left? Am I seeing that correctly? Yes, the astute defensive winger Tomas Zaborsky was allowed to leave Milan as a free agent and he is now chugging Guinnesses in Dublin. The Slovak was a regular in Milan’s lineup since Season 3 and he is coming off his best offensive performance (59 points). But what’s remarkable about his departure is … well, his departure. Very rarely does someone leave Milan. The only other person who comes to mind is Marco Polo in 1300 and that was actually Venice, not Milan. Rumors are circulating that GM David “Don Vito Campana” Bell is keeping Zaborsky’s wife and child as “house guests” just in case Tomas spills too much on a drunken Guinness bender up in Ireland. If you get our drift. The development of Jason Robertson, who was Milan’s Round 2 pick in the Season 9 draft, made Zaborsky expendable. The American Robertson isn’t great defensively, but he will be. Everyone seems to get better at that part of the game in Milan. He is smart, skilled with the puck, and should gel nicely with passer-extraordinaire Aapeli Rasanen and flashy Robby Fabbri on the team’s third line. It’s hard to believe that the latter two both scored more than 50 points last season as third-liners, but with Robertson joining them, they could all hit the 60-point plateau.
2. Is Hammond starting to slow down? The Hamburglar, goalie Andrew Hammond has the worst English-to-Italian translated nickname in the game, but “Il Hamburgerscassinatore” has the third-best career save percentage (90.9) among active EURO goalies. If you don’t count Jonathan Quick, who hasn’t played in the league for the last three years and might not again this season, Hammond trails only Frederik Andersen of Bratislava. Is Hammond slowing down? That was the question, right? Technically, he is slowing down. Last season saw him post the highest goals against average of his 7-year career, and his save percentage was his second worst. But they were still great numbers (2.78 and 90.4) that placed him in the top half of all puck-stoppers on those lists. He’s 33 now and the Italians might have to think about moving someone else into that job once this season is done and Hammond’s current contract expires. What Don Vito Campana would really like to see is his goalie step up his game in the playoffs. Or even remain at regular season level, because Hammond hasn’t been getting that job done. His 18-27 career playoff record is an indicator, as is the fact his GAA and save percentages get noticeably worse in the playoffs, albeit against better competition. Jack Campbell, 28, and recent draft pick Kaapo Kahkonen, 24, are the other goalies in the system and neither is likely to ever be what Hammond has been to the franchise.
3. Where will they improve this season? In short, all over the ice. Milan flirted with greatness in Season 11, jumping from 14th place the previous season to 4th, but the Guerriero slipped 6 spots last season. We think the team was hurt most by the departure of Jake Muzzin to Dublin as a free agent. He and Danny Dekeyser were a spectacular defense tandem for the team and last season, Dekeyser worked with Ryan Pulock, who led the defense corps in goals (16), points (49) and shot blocks (103). Unfortunately, he was also tops in giveaways. But Pulock is just 27 and he will probably improve in all areas for a few more years. That leads us to what Milan has going for themselves this season. The team is relatively young still and that should mean they will do better this year than they did last year, all other things being even. Andrew Hammond is the oldest Guerriero and he’s only 33. Dekeyser is the lone defenseman over 30 and the only forwards past that mark – and just barely – are Tyler Johnson, Mathis Olimb and Jaden Schwartz. Matthew Tkachuk is just 25 and he’s already two seasons past his breakout season when he went from 58 to 75 points. Look for at least one of his teammates to break out similarly this season. We’re looking specifically at Robby Fabbri, Alex Tuch, Aapeli Rasanen and rookie Jason Robertson. Those young players could hold the keys to the season in Milan.
Rose’s Focus
“I will have my eye on how Milan’s shots for and shots against averages go this season. They were 16th in the league in both categories last season, but their goals for and goals against averages were a lot better better. That means they can shoot the puck and stop the puck. It’s the middle that’s soft. Like a cannoli. Let’s get the forwards and defensemen a little more together there, coach.”
