2020-21 Amerks Report

[Scott-New York]

Now seems as good a time as any for the first installment of the 2020-2021 Amerks report. We don’t expect a huge deal of work out of the front offices during the free agency periods but that is a direct result of the work GM Jones has put in already this summer. Jones kicked the off-season into overdrive on July 1st when he sent Joel Eriksson-Ek, along with prospects, Joseph Cecconi and Jon Gillies, to New Jersey in exchange for speedy, industrious winger, Bryan Rust and a 3rd round pick, which was used to select big power forward, Adam Ruzicka. On July 9th, Jones finalized a deal with Moncton, which sent depth center Greg McKegg and prospects Calle Rosen and Kalle Kossilla to the Flames in exchange for prospect Max Jones, another talented power forward, and Baltimore’s 3rd round pick. Jones wasn’t done on this day, snagging big hitting defenseman, Radko Gudas, from Cleveland in exchange for prospect Adam Werner and New York’s 2021 3rd rounder. On July 15th, Jones brought in another top six winger in Andrei Burakovsky along with Hamilton’s 4th rounder in exchange for prospect Henrik Borgstrom and New York’s 2021 2nd round pick. On the 20th, Jones replaced McKegg with versatile two-way center, Curtis Lazar, using the Baltimore 3rd rounder as collateral in the deal with Edmonton. Two days later, Jones sent his 2021 5th rounder to Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore’s 4th round pick in this years draft and subsequently used that pick to select two-way winger, Jonathan Davidsson. On July 28th, a deal with Halifax brought in Halifax’s 5th round pick and depth goaltender Anthony Stolarz in exchange for prospect Landon Bow. That pick was used to select depth winger, Joona Luoto. On the same day, a deal with Boston that brought in veteran goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, in exchange for prospect Dan Vladar and New York’s 2021 4th round pick was the culmination of long talks between Jones and Boston GM, Chris Holland. The most recent deal was with Chicago on August 5th. Jones sent Hamilton’s 2020 4th round pick to Chicago in exchange for scoring center, Alexander (Sascha) Chmelevski. All in all, the Amerks GM was able to acquire a pair of top six wingers, a shut down defender and upgrade his goaltending from a top tier starter to a very formidable duo. Along with the draft picks mentioned above, the Americans also selected all-around defenseman, Bode Wilde, two-way forward, Kasper Bjorkqvist, offensive defensman, Oliwer Kaski and mobile goaltender, Emil Larmi.

“I felt that we were close enough to accelerate the rebuild. We evaluated the roster and felt we needed help in a few key areas but that if we could address those, we would be right in the mix come spring. We think that Rust and Burakovsky add enough to the fire power in the top six, when you put them in the mix with Kreider and Pettersson, to put pucks in the back of the net. We think we’ll get some depth scoring as well from guys like Greenway, Virtanen, Frk and Calvert, so up front, I feel like we’ve got that depth we need. Bringing in Gudas adds some shut down capability and he’ll lend McCabe a hand in that department to mix in with our big name blueliners. Also, look for Bear to have a great chance to make the top-six this year. Adding Halak was a huge piece. I don’t think I can express that enough. Hellebuyck is more than capable of holding down the net but bringing in Halak to keep him fresh without a fall off in nightly goaltending is probably the biggest upgrade we made. We gave up a lot of youth and a lot of future assets but we feel we could definitely be in the championship window after a couple very low years. Yes, it’s quick but we hope it’s worth it. I’m not worried much about the futures at this juncture. We have a lot of time to make up some picks for next year. We held onto our first and we plan to keep that pick in our pocket at this time. We feel we drafted very well and bringing in pieces like Jones and Chmelevski make up for some of the talent we had to part with to reach this point. Chmelevski, particularly, we feel fell into our laps. Our scouts had him ranked very high and we heard a rumor that Chicago was planning to terminate his ELC. I gave Bob a call over there in Chicago and he just wasn’t as high on him as we were so we made the deal. I think we did a good job of bringing in the pieces we need to be very competitive while also being mindful of the future. I think that’s the right approach and I think we achieved that balance this summer”.

While the Amerks won’t need to be aggressive during free agency, by our count they are currently sitting at the required 45 contracted players, don’t be surprised if Jones decides to get his feet a little wet in the market once the bigger fish leave the pool in the upcoming unrestricted period. We’re fairly certain he has at least a target or two with a little cap room and 5 roster spots to play with.

[Scott-New York]

6 New Amerks In The Opening Night Line-Up

Well, actually that headline isn’t 100% accurate. One of those 6 new faces is that of Jordan Staal, who returns to New York, where he played his first 5 GHL seasons. Staal had 270 of his 522 career points with the Amerks and enters his 11th GHL season back where it all began for him, and the Amerks organization couldn’t be happier with Staal’s return or the deal that brings him back into the fold. Staal signed a 4 year deal with the Amerks at an AAV of under 2 Million per and has been Centering Matt Calvert and Jake Virtanen on the Amerks 3rd line throughout training camp. The Amerks also upgraded a spot on each of their other 3 forward lines. Bryan Rust comes across the river from New Jersey to enter his 5th GHL season with high hopes of getting back to his sophomore season’s career high of 30 goals and 59 points. Rust looks to have every opportunity in New York to do that and more. Rust has been placed on the Amerks top line to start the season with 2nd year phenom and #1 overall pick, Elias Pettersson, and explosive veteran winger, Chris Kreider. Kreider’s speed and Pettersson’s raw talent should definitely open up the ice for the offensively gifted Rust. Another trade brings in Andre Burakovsky, who comes off a career low 9 point season. The Amerks believe, however, that Burakovsky’s 6th GHL season could be his best, which is a lofty expectation as he’ll have to beat his sophomore campaign mark of 28 goals and 30 assists. New York is giving him the chance to do just that by putting him along side reliable 2-way center, Mikael Backlund, and defensive minded winger, Jesper Fast. It would appear that it will be Burakovsky’s job to provide the offense on that 2nd line this season. The Amerks also upgraded their 4th line with 2-way center, Curtis Lazar. Lazar is excellent in the dot and will start the season centering young up and comer, Jordan Greenway, and goal scorer, Martin Frk, for what could be an interesting 4th line that could show flashes of depth scoring, even though Lazar will be relied upon more for his defensive value. The Amerks didn’t ignore the blueline. After playing 70 games in his rookie season and then being relegated to the minors for the entirety of last season, Ethan Bear will get a big opportunity to prove he belongs in the G by kicking off the final year of his ELC playing along side Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the team’s 2nd pairing. The Amerks certainly seem to be telling the 23 year old defenseman that this is his chance. If Bear struggles, however, the Amerks did back up their commodity by bringing in 3 time Cup winner, Radko Gudas. The veteran defensive defensman with start on the 3rd pairing with Jake McCabe, but the Amerks have also experimented with him on that 2nd pair with OEL. The one pairing that has not changed, and which we certainly don’t expect to, is the Amerks top D unit of Roman Josi and Aaron Ekblad. The Amerks also made a huge upgrade between the pipes by bringing in Jaroslav Halak. (Yes, we realize that is 7 new faces) But, Halak will not be in the starting line-up on opening night. Connor Hellebuyck has already been given the nod as the starter vs. Baltimore as the Amerks kick off the season on home ice, Oct. 7th. Halak will, however, spell Hellebuyck often. Early indications from camp are that this could be a true goalie tandem with Hellebuyck and Halak alternating starts throughout the season, assuming both play to their capabilities. All of these additions add up to lofty expectations in the Big Apple this season. Can the Amerks live up to those expectations? The GHL season explodes into action in just 3 days with Cleveland hosting Philly as the Barons raise their 4th Cup banner to the rafters on Tuesday night. Drop the puck, Hockey season is back!

[Scott-New York]

Sources out of New York are reporting that the Amerks have agreed in principle to a blockbuster trade this afternoon with Moncton. It is being reported that New York has traded Oliver Ekman-Larsson along with defensive prospect Bode Wilde, depth forward William Carrier and New York's upcoming 1st round pick to the Golden Flames in exchange for a talented defense trio of Hampus Lindholm, Jordan Oesterle and Devon Toews, along with Colorado's upcoming 2nd round pick. GM Jones was not immediately available but expected to make a media availability either later tonight or tomorrow ahead of the Amerks road game tomorrow night in Toronto.

[Scott-New York]

As promised, we caught up with GM Jones of the Amerks after he pulled the trigger on a big trade yesterday afternoon.

"I'd like to start by saying thank you to Oliver (Ekman-Larsson) for pouring his heart and soul into this franchise. I was just told right before coming out here that he had 73 points in the 136 games he played for us. To be honest, that didn't surprise me. That guy is a top defenseman in this league. Listen, offensive defenseman in this league haven't gotten the credit they deserve and those who disregard their value couldn't be more wrong. We didn't want to move him. When I signed him going into last season, my intention was for him to be an Amerk for the next 6 years. I wish him nothing but the best. He is joining a very good D corps up there in Moncton and I'm sure he'll be a fan favorite. I'm not going to feed you the typical line by saying this is a business and I'm not going to say this move makes us a better team right now. I'm not sure if you can make yourself a better team by trading a player the caliber of Oliver. Let's focus on what we brought in. Hampus (Lindholm) arrived this morning and skated with Bear on the 2nd pairing, which is where we see him fitting in the playoff push. From my understanding, he's not going to play special team minutes just yet, we're going to let him acclimate a little, assuming we're healthy. Jordan (Oesterle) is rounding into a very nice puck moving defenseman and gives us depth on the blueline, which we felt was a big area we needed to address moving forward. But to be honest, without Devon (Toews), I don't make this move. Our pro scouts are very high on him and we've been watching him since Detroit drafted him in '17. We think he can be a big part of our defense for a long time. He's progressing into a mobile and versatile player who we think will be adept on both sides of the puck. So, let the critics do their worst. I'm well aware that at the deadline, I decided to make a deal that may be more affective in the future than it is right now. The reason we took that approach, however, is because we already think this team can make a deep run. Thank you for your time, I have to get upstairs. We have a big game tonight. Toronto is one of the best teams in the league, so this is a great test, let's see how this works out".

[Scott-New York]

Rough Road Ahead

With six games remaining in the regular season, the New York Americans are currently holding down the top spot in the Norris division, but it won’t be an easy task to remain there. The Amerks are just a single point up on both Suffolk and Philadelphia, while Cornwall is only 3 points back and Hartford is currently 5th in the division, just 4 points back of New York. The Amerks will play 3 of those teams (Suffolk, Philadelphia and Hartford) in the final stretch and 5 of their remaining 6 are vs. teams currently in playoff position. New York kicked off the playoff push on Monday night, erasing a 2 goal deficit vs. Colorado to earn a point in a 2-2 tie. Leon Draisaitl netted his 41st and 42nd goals of the season to put the Amerks down before Radko Gudas, who has 4 points in his last 2 games, and Roman Josi scored just 52 seconds apart in the 2nd period to knot the game at 2. Colorado then out shot New York 8-2 in the 3rd but Jaroslav Halak held the fort, covering for the Amerks lack of offense in the final frame.

“Those are the gut check games that you have to find a way to get at least a point out of”, commented GM Scott Jones after the game Monday night. “We have a tough schedule ahead, starting with Adirondack on Thursday night. After that we have 3 against our division and then wrap up with Hershey and Boston, so we definitely have our work cut out for us. We’d obviously like to stay where we are, but I don’t think there is any drop off in this division, so whoever we get in the first round is going to be a tough match-up. I mean, just look at the standings. I don’t think there’s much doubt that the Norris is the toughest division in the league”.

The Amerks are 8-6-3 this season vs. the 6 teams remaining on the schedule.

[Scott-New York]

…And it all comes down to the final game of the season. The Amerks swapped the top spot in the Norris back and forth with Suffolk over the final stretch of games in the 2020-21 season and now find themselves needing a win to claim their first division title since the 2012-13 season and their third overall division title in the contemporary era. If the Amerks win their final game vs. Boston, they will claim the top spot in the Norris regardless of what the Stampede outcome is vs. New Jersey. Suffolk and New York are currently tied with 98 points but the Amerks have 2 more wins. The Amerks also have a couple of other outs. If both teams tie or lose, New York remains in the top seed in the division. A Suffolk win or tie coupled with an Amerks loss, however, would propel the Stampede to the division win. The consolation for New York if they can’t secure the division would be a first round match-up vs. Philadelphia, Cornwall or Hartford depending on how a very tight race pans out with 4 teams all separated by a single point vying for the final 3 playoff spots. The Amerks are guaranteed home ice in the opening round of the playoffs in any scenario but GM Jones has publicly stated that the team will go with their full starting line-up at home vs. Boston on the final night of the regular season in an effort to win the division.

[Scott-New York]

AMERKS WIN NORRIS

Bryan Rust has led the New York Americans in scoring all season, so it is only fitting that he would be the teams hero, scoring with only 2 seconds remaining in the final game of the season to lift the Amerks to a 3-2 win over Boston. After a scoreless 1st period, Jesper Fast opened the scoring just :59 into the 2nd. Curtis Lazar then put the Amerks up by a pair at 6:36, shoveling a feed from Aaron Ekblad behind Ben Bishop and giving Ekblad his 2nd assist on the night. The Amerks elation would be dashed quickly, however, when Blake Coleman cut New York’s lead in half just :55 later. The Bears would erase the deficit with :58 remaining in the middle frame when Evgeny Dadonov beat Connor Hellebuyck to knot the game at 2 apiece. With the game even heading into the final stanza, Bishop and Hellebuyck would turn aside 10 shots each and it appeared as if all hope was lost for the Amerks as the scoreboard flashed a Suffolk 3-1 lead in New Jersey, which would have meant that New York would finish a point behind the Stampede on the final night of the season. Enter Bryan Rust. Rust managed to get his stick on a last second shot from Jake McCabe and put it behind Bishop with :02 showing on the clock. An unbelievable finish after letting a 2 goal lead slip away.

“I honestly thought Boston got us again”, quipped GM Jones post game, referring to the 4 times Boston has eliminated New York from the playoffs. The Bears topped the Amerks in the Conference Semi Finals 4-1 in 2011-12 and again in 2013-14, also by 4-1. They then booted the Amerks out in the Conference finals in both the 2014-15 and 2017-18 playoffs, each time by a 4-2 margin. “And maybe they’ll get their chance again this year. We would welcome that opportunity if it presents itself, but first and foremost, we are going to concentrate on Cornwall and prepare for what we expect to be a tough series.”

The Amerks are 2-2 vs. Cornwall this season and the Crusaders hold a 11-10 goal differential in the 4 games.

[Scott-New York]

Just a day after the New York Americans were eliminated from the Campbell conference finals, the Amerks training facility was abuzz as players cleaned out lockers and exit interviews got under way. A lot of long faces filled the hallways and locker rooms in Tarrytown, but the theme from management was to hold their heads high despite the disappointment following four straight losses at the hands of Halifax to end a season that every person in the organization had high hopes for. During a break from interviewing players, GM Scott Jones spoke briefly. "After those first two series, I think to a man, we felt this could be the season we lifted that cup. Going up 2-0 on the Huskies on the road, confidence was at a high. We simply fell off a cliff after dropping the next two at home. We couldn't get the momentum back and we couldn't contain their offense. We're looking forward to a busy summer to take our minds off of this season, but at the same time, we want these guys to know we're proud of what they accomplished. A trip to the conference finals is a big accomplishment, but losing always stings the pride out of you". It is worth noting that Jones started the aforementioned exit interviews with a group of players that could have possibly played their final game with the team. UFA's Chris Kreider, Jaroslav Halak, Hampus Lindholm and Jesper Fast were among the UFA's who met with the GM today. Anthony Stolarz was also summoned to the front office, despite not playing a single game with the Amerks in the final year of his contract. Jones continued interviews with RFA's, Madison Bowey and Jake Virtanen. We may or may not be reading too much into the players seen going into Jones' office, however, as Captain, Roman Josi and Alternate Captain, Mikael Backlund, also met with the GM today, as well as RFA's, Ethan Bear, Dominic Toninato, Sebastien Aho and Max Lajoie. The team will continue exit interviews tomorrow and then will likely get to work on deciding which players will be protected for the impending expansion draft. It will certainly be an interesting off season for Jones and the Amerks. We expect changes, the extent of those changes remain to be seen.