GM: Dennis Sullo
Coach: Mike Sullivan
Last season: 15th overall. In playoffs, lost to Paris
Ins and Outs
(Season 13 to Season 14)
In: Brayden Schenn (free agent), Dan Vladar (free agent), Dysin Mayo (free agent), Stanislav Vrhel (draft), Ivan Ivan (draft), Alexander Lundman (draft)
Out: Nikita Kucherov (free agent), Tyler Toffoli (bought out), Cam Atkinson (free agent), Matt Benning (free agent), Mark Jankowski (free agent)
Potential Lineup
Alexander Polunin/Ryan Strome/Anthony Duclair
Jake Debrusk/Brayden Point/Teuvo Teravainen
Oskar Lindblom/Joel Eriksson Ek/Brayden Schenn
Alexander Nylander/Patrice Bergeron/Conor Garland
Charlie McAvoy/Jacob Trouba
Justin Faulk/Quinn Hughes
Neal Pionk/Rasmus Andersson
Vitek Vanecek/John Gibson
Three Questions
1. What hurdles do the Lions face? As Season 14 started, Zurich was uncharacteristically in salary cap trouble. With two forward positions to fill out the starting 20, the Lions were about $1.8 million over the suspension limit. That was sad because after two years of underperforming, the Lions made a 6-place jump in the standings and made the playoffs last year. Things were looking up; starting to gel. But with the salary cap issue, something had to go; something had to be sacrificed. Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Toffoli and Cam Atkinson … see ya. The team had depth last year – on the forward lines and on defense – but that might be a luxury they have to part with now and revisit in future seasons. They carry three forwards and three defensemen who get paid $5.9 million or higher and all but one are on multi-year contracts. Zurich has many, many young players in the system who could fill in admirably if called upon. Mikey Anderson, Barrett Hayton, Trent Frederic and Victor Mete all seem just about ready to play in a EURO League lineup. And fans might not have to wait to see Alexander Nylander and Conor Garland play because they have been penciled into the lineup as the season approaches.
2. What is Zurich’s strongest area? This team is very balanced. It is hard to pick out one area where they do better than they do elsewhere. But if you look hard enough, you can find their true strength. Look over the team stats to get your first clue. You see their best ranking is in powerplay efficiency. Then you look at who mans the PP units: Ryan Strome, Alexander Polunin, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov up front. Pretty nifty puckhandlers with flair and speed, right? Who plays the points? Jacob Trouba, Charlie McAvoy, Quinn Hughes and Justin Faulk. There’s your answer. Zurich has some excellent, dynamic puck-moving defensemen. And we didn’t even mention Neal Pionk. Their ages are 23, 25, 26, 30 and 32, so none is over the hill and a couple need more experience before they hit their full potential. IF GM Dennis Sullo can keep all five this year and one or two more seasons, we’re looking at more playoff games. But notice the word “if” in the previous sentence. That nasty salary cap is why it warranted bold type and capitalization.
3. Do you see any good chemistry on the forward lines? We thought Patrice Bergeron and Cam Atkinson played like they were built for each other last season. They only played about 10 minutes per game, but that seemed to be just the right amount for them and Bergeron and Atkinson finished with +/- ratings of +20 and +22, respectively, which topped the entire team. We were surprised to see Zurich release Atkinson to free agency. Conversely, Ryan Strome, Alexander and Polunin and Tyler Toffoli didn’t seem to have much chemistry as a line. They were -26, -27 and -37 while scoring the most points and getting the most ice time. Toffoli (-37) was deemed to have been the weak link and his contract was bought out. Mike Sullivan needs to find line combos that work a little better.
Rose’s Focus
“I always liked John Gibson and it’s obvious the Zurich organization always did too. I like the way he stays calm in stormy situations, how he glides back and forth across the crease like a beautiful swan, his eyes always facing the next possible point of danger. I kind of work like that with my Excel spreadsheets. But the results haven’t been there. With Gibson I mean, not with me. I do a fantastic job. He was given the starting job three seasons ago and he hasn’t gotten above .500 in his win percentage and his save percentage has been 88.2 or lower in those seasons. It could be argued that last season, backup Vitek Vanecek out-performed him. Yes, Gibson is only 29, but if he doesn’t noticeably improve this season, I’m jumping off the Gibson Bandwagon. Just in case, I’m going to inquire about the cost of membership dues to the Vitek Vanecek Fan Club.”
