Hartford Embarks on a New Era
Oct 9, 2020 17:41:58 GMT -5
Glenn-Philadelphia, Scott-New York, and 3 more like this
Post by Jedediah-Hartford on Oct 9, 2020 17:41:58 GMT -5
Hartford Embarks on a New Era
The leaves are turning in Hartford, and there’s something noticeable in the crisp autumn air as this season gets into gear. A sense of purpose and progress, of turning the page towards the next stop on the way to the ultimate objective. For the first time since the heady days of 2017, the Hartford Mariners are poised to compete.
To this point, the Jedediah M. Folks era can be defined by two distinct 3-year arcs. The first, taking over a last place club that had the talent to be better, plugging in the holes to create a successful club, and embarking on 3 consecutive 100+-point seasons that culminated with the ascent of the GHL summit with a Cup victory. Unable to maintain the core that had produced this success, and with a barren prospect cupboard, Folks determined on a path of disassembly and rebirth for his organization.
Thus began the second era, marked with losses and the occasional ill-advised move. After making only only 3 draft selections in total over the 3 drafts from 2015-2017 (due to moves made in the effort to secure the club’s first Cup), it was time to stock the shelves. Over the 3 drafts from 2018-2020, the Mariners made 31 draft picks, only 5 of which were their own to begin with. All but 1 are still with the organization. Eight have made an appearance with the big club and a half dozen are on the big league roster to begin this season, including 2020 1st rounders John Marino and Nick Suzuki. Expectations are for more to join them in the next year or so. With those youngsters, there are hopes for more than just Venus Fire Traps coming out of the pipeline.
Added to those are the veterans acquired, whether established stars such as Taylor Hall or buy-low UFA candidates like Noel Acciari. The one gaping hole left was between the pipes. When Anton Khudobin passed through the first round of UFA unsigned, the front office took a shot and made the minimum 2nd round bid on the off chance he would sign. He did, providing some goaltending stability Hartford sorely needed. It all amounts to a massive overhaul from 3 years ago. In fact, there is only a single player remaining from the champions of 2017, club captain Vincent Trocheck (drafted as part of Folks’ original class of 2014), who continues their legacy and shares the lessons of it with his teammates.
This squad is by no means a finished product, not a serious Cup contender (though one never knows when it comes to postseason hockey). It is, however, a group with a lot of potential for this year and further down the road. They have their eyes on contending for the postseason, and forging a new path back to the top...
The leaves are turning in Hartford, and there’s something noticeable in the crisp autumn air as this season gets into gear. A sense of purpose and progress, of turning the page towards the next stop on the way to the ultimate objective. For the first time since the heady days of 2017, the Hartford Mariners are poised to compete.
To this point, the Jedediah M. Folks era can be defined by two distinct 3-year arcs. The first, taking over a last place club that had the talent to be better, plugging in the holes to create a successful club, and embarking on 3 consecutive 100+-point seasons that culminated with the ascent of the GHL summit with a Cup victory. Unable to maintain the core that had produced this success, and with a barren prospect cupboard, Folks determined on a path of disassembly and rebirth for his organization.
Thus began the second era, marked with losses and the occasional ill-advised move. After making only only 3 draft selections in total over the 3 drafts from 2015-2017 (due to moves made in the effort to secure the club’s first Cup), it was time to stock the shelves. Over the 3 drafts from 2018-2020, the Mariners made 31 draft picks, only 5 of which were their own to begin with. All but 1 are still with the organization. Eight have made an appearance with the big club and a half dozen are on the big league roster to begin this season, including 2020 1st rounders John Marino and Nick Suzuki. Expectations are for more to join them in the next year or so. With those youngsters, there are hopes for more than just Venus Fire Traps coming out of the pipeline.
Added to those are the veterans acquired, whether established stars such as Taylor Hall or buy-low UFA candidates like Noel Acciari. The one gaping hole left was between the pipes. When Anton Khudobin passed through the first round of UFA unsigned, the front office took a shot and made the minimum 2nd round bid on the off chance he would sign. He did, providing some goaltending stability Hartford sorely needed. It all amounts to a massive overhaul from 3 years ago. In fact, there is only a single player remaining from the champions of 2017, club captain Vincent Trocheck (drafted as part of Folks’ original class of 2014), who continues their legacy and shares the lessons of it with his teammates.
This squad is by no means a finished product, not a serious Cup contender (though one never knows when it comes to postseason hockey). It is, however, a group with a lot of potential for this year and further down the road. They have their eyes on contending for the postseason, and forging a new path back to the top...