GM: John Charles
Coach: Rod Brind’Amour
Last season: 17th overall. In playoffs, lost to Copenhagen.
Ins and Outs
(Season 18 to Season 19)
In: Markus Granlund (free agent),
Out: Nolan Patrick (free agent), Dominik Kubalik (free agent), John Klingberg (free agent), Mason Lohrei (waivers)
Potential Lineup
Kirill Kaprizov/Dylan Strome/Alexey Toropchenko
Albert Sjoberg/Scott Conway/Frank Nazar
Joel Farabee/Kirby Dach/Filip Zadina
Zach Benson/Markus Granlund/Mavrik Bourque
Jamie Drysdale/Tony DeAngelo
Caleb Jones/Andong Song
Victor Mete/Mattias Samuelsson
Jeremy Swayman/Vitek Vanecek
A Question
What’s good and bad about Edinburgh this year? The Capitals and goalie Jeremy Swayman made big news in Scotland when they shot into the Season 18 playoffs in the tough Northern Conference. It was their first appearance in the post season since Season 8. Losing in the first round to Copenhagen was pretty much expected, and the team is bubbling over with enthusiasm as they strive to get into the first round again. There is a lot more to like about this team than just Swayman. Let’s start with his backup Vitek Vanecek, who posted a 90.8 save percentage and 3.10 GAA in 22 games last season. Edinburgh skaters have to feel confident they will have quality goaltending behind them in all 82 games this year. The defense corps will be interesting to watch. Notice we didn’t say “great” or “good.” Tony DeAngelo is the best puck mover of that group, so a lot will be expected of him. The rest of the group looks to be fine defensively but they will need some backchecking help. The problem is all the team’s forwards other than newcomer Markus Granlund think offense first and defense second … or even lower. Scottish fans are very anxious to see how their younger, newer faces perform this season. Frank Nazar has speed and skill and he could get a healthy dose of ice time this season after spending a rookie year on the fourth line. Zach Benson got a cup of coffee with the big club when he was 18 and a refill at age 19 before he was inserted full-time at age 20 and he played very well on the fourth line. The biggest change up front is the apparent demotion of Scott Conway, who might be the pivot on the second line after 8 seasons on the top line. Dylan Strome is at his peak age of 30 and he will be given a shot on Line One with Kirill Kaprizov and Alexey Toropchenko as his wingers. The second line of Conway, Albert Sjöberg and Nazar or Filip Zadina looks to be the best second line the team has had in a long time and the third line will compete with anyone – and probably win the majority of their shifts – with Joel Farabee and Kirby Dach (both have 79 OV ratings) anchoring it. Another note about Edinburgh: General Manager John Charles has just 25 players on the roster, making it one of the smallest groups in the league.
Rose’s Focus
“You know how I have been making a habit out of noticing things Commissioner Massaro and a lot of other EURO League “experts” can’t seem to see? Well hear me when I say I love how Jamie Drysdale has been developing in Edinburgh. My niece likes him a lot, although he’s just 24 and she doesn’t want to be accused of robbing the cradle. But the young defenseman is really good at shot blocking. He now has three seasons in a row of 100 or more blocks and in Season 18, Drysdale ranked 4th in the league in that category. He was also tied for 29th among EURO defensemen in assists. With Tony DeAngelo expected to be his D partner this season, I see Drysdale being the stay-at-home guy with another 100 blocks coming this year. He hasn’t gotten much publicity for his efforts in the past, but oh look what just happened … a very credible hockey woman just gave him some. Go get ’em, young Jamie.
