It’s that time again folks, the chatbox banter is already in full swing and we haven’t even hit bidding yet! With bidding set to take off tomorrow I figured I would do a quick pre-bidding media post as some members have mentioned they needed some reading material. Quick disclaimer, I will do my best to stay as unbiased as possible like last season. Also noting this is a PRE-BIDDING rankings / thoughts on some teams. It is strictly based on my opinion of current AHL management and assets (contracted players / draft picks currently on AHL). I plan to do a post-bidding one as well. For the teams I don’t write anything about, I am sorry but there is a lot of teams and these things take long. Put together a strong/interesting squad in bidding to get yourself on the list. East Atlantic The East Atlantic looks mostly decided already as far as contenders. Hershey: A heavy favorite to take this division as they have the better part of their roster already completed with 6 FWDs, 3 DEF, 1 G. They have some well-known names around the AHL that should put up some winning numbers regardless of how bidding goes for them and other the other teams. These guys in my opinion are currently almost a lock as the number 1 in the Atlantic, and also a favorite to be top in the East. The only potential bump in the road for these guys will be how Washington’s season will affect them. Providence: The non-tag recovering portion of their roster returns for round 2. Like last pre-season, I think these guys will shape up nicely. This is a group of guys that play together a lot and already have the better part of two good lines. If the Datsyuk line can get off to a better start than 0-10 this season, look for this team to be Hershey’s biggest rival in the Atlantic this season. Hartford: The management is returning after a successful s28 where they all put up 20+ wins. While they don’t have a whole lot of current assets, they did retain another 20+ wins player from last season in Chicago Lights. These players were the ones who propelled them into a playoff spot last season and despite how bidding will go, I think they should have no problem doing it again if these guys can put up another 20+ season. Mid pack contenders: There are three teams that I think will be fighting for that 4th spot, Deathstwr and the Thunderbirds, Jyeti and the Checkers, and Slurpee and his Pens. I have the Thunderbirds in here because Deathstwr is a s27 Rochester alumni. As far as assets, they don’t have much. I trust in his ability however to put together a team who will at least compete for a playoff spot. People can hate or love Jyeti, but the truth is he is a very committed owner. He also is always grinding his chel. He has a couple assets at his disposal, however we will likely have to wait to see what shakes down with Carolina. I expect these guys to contend for a playoff spot, but also think Jyeti will be humbled a bit in his first time moving up. Rumors are he will scrub hunt all season, but a lot of people hate on him so it’s expected to hear these kind of things. Good luck this season, props for moving up. Slurpee and Geo don’t have a whole lot left over from the s28 WBS team, however they do have some good pieces. If NHL bidding is any indication of how AHL bidding will go, any good piece you currently have will be a huge help. Geo isn’t new to management and has put together some good squads in the past. We will see if he can help Slurpee do it once more. As for Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport – I look forward to seeing what you guys put together in bidding to see if you can leapfrog some of these teams. Playoff bound teams: Hershey, Providence, Hartford. Favorite for playoff contenders: Springfield, Charlotte, Wilkes-Barre Scranton East North I am excited to look back on this division after bidding. Couple strong management teams in this one, should be an exciting season in the North. Binghamton: This team reminds me a lot of Hershey, they have a solid management squad paired with a lot of pieces already in place. If you don’t think this team looks good pre-bidding, you’re absolutely off your rocker. With 6 solid FWD’s already in place and a solid DEF and G already on contract, these guys are in good shape. My only concern is they need to find 5 defenders and bidding is likely going to be rough price wise. I predict we could see these guys at the top of the North and also the East. Utica: Nothing hurts me more than to give any reason for Mackie’s ego to inflate, but here we are. He only has 9M in cap left but already has 7 out of 9 FWDs from last year and 3 DEF. With Ricky getting his shot in the show, Utica will no doubt need to replace him as he was a big part of their success last season. Also, I am sure everyone is curious as to whether or not Brodie can produce the way he did last season. These guys should be a contender in the North without a doubt as they are retaining a big part of their s28 roster which was successful. Syracuse: What? Yes, Syracuse. For those of you who have been in the AHL for the last two seasons I know this comes as a shock, however they’ve been rejuvenated with some great management paired with plenty of good assets. One thing we know for sure is they won’t be bidding on any LD’s, or maybe they will, who knows. These guys should be a contender in the North, they currently have plenty of usable draft picks and no big cap hits. Would be a surprise to see these guys come out of bidding looking like crap. Mid pack contenders: Provorov and the Rockets, NeatWay and the Senators. These two teams could round out this division well and turn it into a very tough division. Laval is looking to repeat their success from s28 which saw them all the way to the Calder finals. They’ve got a fair amount of players already and have gone out and got their brown brothers back. These guys are kind of a wild card as they were highly regarded as a “one line team” last season and are now going to enter s29 without that “one line”. I am very interested to see how Provorov and the Rockets do without his all-star line and see how they shape up after bidding. Either way, I expect this team to be a playoff contender. The NeatWay Senators management duo is a wild card to me. These guys have put together CHL teams who have done very well. While they did get caught for tag recovery/2nd tagging, they do have some members of their friends group that are good players. It will be interesting to see how this roster shapes up after bidding. I would have expected the brown brothers to go here rather than Laval again. I will have to re-assess these guys after bidding. These guys could be playoff contenders. As for Toronto and Rochester – I look forward to seeing what you guys put together in bidding to see if you can leapfrog some of these teams. Playoff bound teams: Binghamton, Utica, Syracuse. Favorite for playoff contenders: Laval, Belleville.
Great write up as usual. I always enjoy your content fox keep up the good work and thank you for taking the time to do it.
Already being indirectly mentioned in the AHL. Love it! Someone mash that get good button on me, and make me famous! Seriously though, glad to see some cool content. Thanks, Fox.
Great write up fox I don’t know many ahl players but this write up made me learn lots more about them. Great Job!
Good read I do think Laval will be a contender this year for sure! Good d core and solid forwards so far from bidding!
