GM: Igor Kirunov
Coach: Dave Tippett
Last season: 3rd overall. In playoffs, defeated London; defeated Oslo; defeated Copenhagen; lost in the Cup Finals to Berlin
Ins and Outs
(Season 16 to Season 17)
In: Ivan Provorov (trade), Matthias Asperup (trade), Anthony Beauvillier (free agent), Victor Rask (free agent), Jonas Brodin (free agent), Gregory Beron (free agent), Brenden Dillon (waivers), Anders Lee (free agent), Jordan Oesterle (free agent), Markus Granlund (trade)
Out: Jaccob Slavin (free agent), Mattias Sjogren (free agent), Par Arlbrandt (free agent), Adam Boqvist (free agent), Bartek Bison (trade), Jonas Siegenthaler (free agent), Travis Hamonic (free agent), Charlie Coyle (free agent), Roope Laavainen (free agent), Lukas Dostal (trade)
Potential Lineup
Anthony Beauvillier/Bo Horvat/Anthony Duclair
Fyodor Malykhin/Nick Suzuki/Matthias Asperup
Jimmie Ericsson/Victor Rask/Frank Vatrano
Alex Formenton/Markus Granlund/Vasili Podkolzin
Aaron Ekblad/Maxim Chudinov
Rasmus Ristolainen/Ivan Provorov
Brock Faber/Brenden Dillon
Attila Adorjan/Janis Voris
A Question
What is the secret to scoring goals against the Hussars? For two seasons now, Minsk has had the tightest defense in the league, giving up 2.49 goals per game two years ago and 2.41 per game last season. They have also been in the Top 5 in that category the last five seasons. Berlin beat them in the Finals, but it took a legend (John Tavares) to do it. His tally in Game 7 was the eventual winner. Maybe the secret to scoring on Minsk is to get them right after they run the gauntlet through the bruising Northern Conference half of the playoffs. This year, it won’t be any easier for the Hussars – or any team from the North – to get to the finals. Thanks to division realignments, the North should be even tougher now. Paris has moved in and Hanover has moved to the Southern Conference. Even this close to the start of the season, Minsk’s lineup is anyone’s guess. We bet even General Manager Igor Kirunov and Coach Dave Tippett don’t know for sure what it will be. The two had do some waiving, position changing and maybe some high-speed juggling and sleight of hand to get below the league salary cap. But a few players are definitely not going anywhere. The Hussars are going to keep Aaron Ekblad in place. He only scored a record 33 goals from his defense position last season, that’s all. And he’s still only 30 years old. With him, 32-year-old Maxim Chudinov and now 29-year-old Ivan Provorov at half his salary back on the blueline – and 30-year-old Attila Adorjan in goal – Minsk’s defense could again be the best in the EURO this season and for a couple more years.
Rose’s Focus
“Minsk is a powerhouse of a franchise in our league. It took them three seasons to rev up but once they did … wow! The Hussars have finished no lower than 14th since Season 3 and they have placed in the Top 7 in 10 of the last 13 seasons. Three Presidents Trophies as the best team in the regular season and two EURO Cups. Impressive. They missed their third Cup by a measly John Tavares goal last season so they are really pressing down hard on the accelerator now. I thought I knew GM Igor Kirunov pretty well. He and I dated for a short time, but that’s neither here nor there. I don’t know if he still loves me but I do know he loves defenseman Maxim Chudinov, although I guess any GM would. Igor loves him $8.2 million times 3 years. That’s the contract he gave the 32-year-old defenseman. When that was announced, I remember thinking ‘Igor has to be thinking he is almost there. Just one good change and it’s Cup time again. I can’t wait to see what that piece is. A high-offense right wing? A bruising checker for the third line? A budding actress or model to make Berlin’s cheerleaders look like dogs?’ I was sure it was one of those. But he surprised me this off-season, conducting a massive turnover. More than one-third of his team from last year is out the door. Seven players who played 38 games or more last season for a team that came a save or two from the Cup are gone. But in their place are some good players. Lots of good players. So many that Minsk is having trouble staying under the salary cap. The overriding question is can the new players and the existing players who were so desperately close last season create the chemistry together that is needed to win it all? I’m very excited to see what happens up in Belarus.”
