GM: Frank Petrucci
Coach: Rod Brind’Amour
Last season: 23rd overall. Did not make playoffs.
Ins and Outs
(Season 15 to Season 16)
In: Jordan Binnington (trade), Andrew Mangiapane (free agent)
Out: Kyle Turris (free agent), Gustav Nyquist (free agent), Marcus Kruger (retired), Jake Gardiner (free agent), Mikhail Pashnin (trade),
Potential Lineup
Nick Ritchie/Brett Howden/Patrik Laine
Lucas Raymond/Jason Dickinson/Evgeny Kuznetsov
Oskar Lindblom/Dylan Cozens/Taylor Raddysh
Michael Kristof/Mark Jankowski/Drake Batherson
Shayne Gostisbehere/Neal Pionk
Jakob Chychrun/Owen Power
Kaiden Guhle/Artem Zub
Jordan Binnington/Jack Campbell
A Question
Last season, the NHL season ended about 22 games into the EURO League season. That’s when Sabres defenseman Owen Power got his Websim attributes and skated directly into the Ajax lineup. The same could happen this year when Adam Fantilli and Matthew Knies finish their regular season games for Columbus and Toronto, respectively. Where they might fit in is anyone’s guess. Like Power, both have size and skill. That seems like a developing theme in Amsterdam, where 3-time all-star Patrik Laine is big (6-5), skilled, the best player on the team, and one of the best wingers in hockey. The Ajax really don’t have the great playmaker Laine needs to pile up goals like he did in Season 13 when Sergei Mozyakin fed him often in Laine’s 48-goal season. Brett Howden is 6-3 and is the team’s most talented center and best face-off guy. He and thick Nick Ritchie (6-2, 232) look like they will start on the top line with Laine. Ritchie won’t score many points, but he has some attributes that new coach Rod Brind’Amour really likes, namely hustle and a willingness to take the body. In fact, lots of Ajax players have high Intensity ratings. It’s too bad team hit totals aren’t recorded in the system, because Amsterdam would be a strong contender for that crown.
Rose’s Focus
“I admit that I am super smart but I also admit I don’t know what to expect out of the Ajax this season. There are a lot of pieces of evidence that have to solidify before I can make my closing argument to the jury. (You can probably tell I’ve been binge watching L.A. Law lately. Did you know that show was cancelled? I had no idea.) Amsterdam struggled with the salary cap last season, but they seem to have that figured it out and have a $4.5 million “suspension gap” in place. Last season, that problem kept Patrik Laine out of 24 games and that’s never going to help you. What WILL help you is a steady starting goalie and last season, the Ajax didn’t have one. They gave 3 guys a chance to win the job and none did. Jordan Binnington was acquired in a trade this season and I think he could be the guy. If not, there could be a four-man rotation in Holland, which would be unheard of. But I don’t have a single question about the defense corps there. It’s good and getting better. Jakob Chychrun, Neal Pionk, Owen Power and Shayne Gostisbehere are locked into the lineup for at least two seasons and Kaiden Guhle is going to be a good one if he keeps getting games under his belt. This is still a young team and I think its short-term future depends on people like Binnington and Adam Fantilli and how well they play right out of their starting gates. Once the Ajax fill a few key pieces, they will be a force. I rest my case.
