With another season behind us it time to look back on the Crunch's 2004-05 season. While the team failed to qualify for the postseason, many positives did come out of it. In the following paragraphs we revisit the past year, examine all involved and assess a letter grade for each. Let the discussion begin.
Ever since the Crunch were officially eliminated from postseason contention any mention of Leclaire's name usually included the words "what if". Syracuse fans may very well find the answer to that question next season.
Despite his rather pedestrian won-loss record (5-6-3), Leclaire posted career bests in goals against and also save percentage and appeared to have taken that next step. The big question that surrounds him now is can he do it over an entire season. That uncertainty should extend Leclaire's stay with the Crunch for at least a portion of 2005-06.
Look for Columbus to re-up with Leclaire. Best case scenario for Syracuse has the Jackets also inking a pair of veteran goalies, one to back-up Marc Denis in C-bus, the other to serve as Leclaire's mentor in his AHL swan song. Grade: Incomplete. Grade will be given at completion of '05-'06.
Karl Goehring:
Consider this past season one big missed opportunity for Goehring. Given the chance to prove he is capable being a number one goaltender, Goehring's numbers were sub-par and he never seemed to come up with that big game when it was needed.
It will be interesting to see where the Apple Valley native lands next season. Capable of being a solid number two for most AHL clubs, don't be surprised if he has more than a cup of coffee in the ECHL. Grade: C-. Crunch fans will always have a place in their heart for the affable Goehring, a great player and a better person.
Andrew Penner:
No offense to Steve Goertzen, but it is hard to imagine anyone improving more this past season than Andrew Penner. Pressed into duty, Penner went from being a huge question mark to prospect status. He appeared in multiple big games late in the second half and performed admirably.
The Ontario native may be better served by another season spent in the coast, but the promise he displayed may earned him an extended stay in the AHL. Can the Crunch win with a Leclaire, Penner combo next season. Fans in Syracuse may soon find out. Grade: B-. Not always sound fundamentally, Penner uses his size to his fullest. Needs to continue making strides in the upcoming season to solidify prospect status.
No surprises with Pushor, what you see is what you get. A solid veteran blueliner with strong leadership skills, Pushor doesn't pile up the points (1g, 9a), but his +12 plus/minus rating was second only to Francois Beauchemin on the Crunch.
Like most players on non-playoff teams, Pushor had his moments, but the good far outweighed the bad for the Crunch's captain. Signed for next season, count on Pushor coming to camp in top physical condition and anchoring Syracuse's defensive corps for another season. Grade: B+. Jumps half a grade for the numerous times he stepped up during Brandon Sugden's extended absence.
Francois Beauchemin:
What more can be said about Beauchemin. Tops in practically every category among Syracuse defenseman, Beauchemin proved to easily be the best off-season pickup for Columbus.
Paired late in the year with Pushor, the two combined to go +17 the last three games of the season. What a luxury it would have been for Agnew to pair these two vets up every night. Grade: A. How about the way this dangerous southpaw handled himself with the fists this season. His KO's of David Ling and Geoff Peters were stuff legends are made from.
Zenith Komarniski:
Komarniski isn't flashy and he may not pile up the board rattling checks like in years past, but his presence definitely made the Syracuse defense better. Clears the crease well and makes that first pass effectively.
Offensively Komarniski recorded 14 points (3g, 11a), a career low for the Edmonton native. He also just disappeared from the score sheet down the stretch, recording only one assist in his last 17 games played. Grade: C. Lack of offense drops this vet down a grade.
Aaron Johnson:
What happened to Aaron Johnson last season? After appearing in 29 games with Columbus in '03-'04, Johnson was poised for a breakout season. Instead he regressed to the point where it was hard to write his name in the lineup on a daily basis.
Always the gambler, Johnson's high risk, high reward style of play backfired more than it worked. Evidence of this was his sub par plus/minus mark of -13, lowest on the club. Heading into the final year of his deal, next season will be a critical one for this young blueliner. Grade: D. Painful to give such a nice kid this low of a mark.
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen:
After a slow start to the season Tollefsen made incredible strides throughout the course of '04-'05. A relentless body checker Tollefsen gets under the skin of opponents by constantly taking the body time and time again.
Despite his shortcomings offensively, 0 goals and 3 assists in 64 games, Tollefsen is a solid blueline prospect for the Jackets. Signed for next season, expect Tollefsen to be lining up forwards for at least one more season in Syracuse. Grade: B. It is not a matter of if Tollefsen will make it to the show, just when.
Prestin Ryan:
Kevin Dineen's find out of the University of Maine, Ryan also progressed well in his rookie campaign. Great wheels along with an offensive upside, Ryan also debuted at forward last season and didn't look that out of place.
Plays aggressively, but still has trouble at times controlling his temper. Not afraid to mix it up or take the body at any time. Showed enough to warrant another deal from Columbus. Grade: C+. Too many costly penalties keeps him from earning a B-.
Andre Lakos:
If Beauchemin was the best off-season pick-up, Lakos easily was the worst. Took too long to re-adjust to the North American game and when he seemed to be turning the corner, injuries set him back once again.
Never really looked comfortable when he did get healthy and never played the physical brand of hockey that his stature warrants. Grade: D-. Enough said.
Why break them up now. They formed one of the most dangerous lines in Syracuse history, blending talent, smarts and hard work to form one dangerous trio. Carried the Crunch as far as they could, but needed more help from their supporting cast.
All three were also casualties of the lockout because each would have definitely gotten a look at some point due to their superb play throughout the season. Hopefully Columbus does their part and re-signs each player. If not for depth at the NHL level, then to give the Crunch a solid base from which to start molding a formidable club for the upcoming season. Grade: Straight A's across the board for these three. Also, how about Hartigan returning just 12 days after going under the knife for an appendicitis. That is what being a hockey player is all about.
Alexander Svitov:
The problem with Svitov may be too high of expectations. Everyone looks at his 6'4" frame, the velvet soft hands and his smooth stride and they just assume he will hit the ice and dominate. The problem is that rarely happens. Does this make Svitov an underachiever or do people just expect too much?
His stats are not that bad, 42 points (19g, 23a) in 69 games, and if you had to that his 200 penalty minutes, his numbers are more than decent. Then why after watching him play does it always seem he could have done more?
Face it, he is an enigma and probably always will be. But remember he has never, at any level, put up sick numbers and maybe he never will. Funny thing is that even if he fails to put up those type of stats for the next five years some GM will still be there, with a contract in hand, waiting to add this immense talent to his team. Grade: B. Jump up half a letter grade for his pugilistic abilities.
Tim Jackman:
Jackman, along with Jeremy Reich, had to be two of the most disappointing players in the first half for the Crunch. Both were counted on to put up numbers reminiscent of '03-'04 and neither produced in that fashion.
Jackman, however, turned things around in the second half of the season. He went back to doing the things that made him successful in years past and his stats reflected it. Finished the year with 7 points in his last 7 games. Grade: C+. Ended strong, but needed a much quicker start to the season.
Greg Mauldin:
The Crunch's rookie of the year was a pleasant surprise this past season., especially after showing very little in a eight game audition in '03-'04, that included a six-game stint with the Blue Jackets.
He burst onto the scene after being a healthy scratch in three of the first seven contests and was remarkable in his consistency. Evidence of that is the fact that only twice in the season did he go more than four straight games without recording a point. Also displayed the fact that he can take care of his own end with his +9 plus/minus rating, tied for third best on the club. Grade: B+. Combine his speed with some experience at this level and Mauldin could be dangerous come next season.
Peter and Chris Ferraro:
Another one of those what might have been scenarios. Obviously more effective when both players are on the ice, the duo just appeared to be hitting their stride when Chris went down with the hand injury.
Chris started faster, 11 points (5g, 6a) in his first fifteen games, while Peter finished strong, ending the season with three goals and four assists in his last seven games. Both players came as advertised. No longer can they dominate play, but they still can be solid contributors in a second of third line capacity. Grade: C+. Dropped them down half a grade for the abundance of bad penalties they tend to take.
Brandon Sugden:
Started the season on a knockout tear and was well on his way to dominating the AHL before injuries derailed him just after the new year. Also took his overall game to the next level. Like Hartigan, Moran and Motkzo, Sugar was also a victim of the lockout with the Jackets eager to unveil the one-two punch of Sugden and Shelley.
Injuries are obviously an occupational hazard for Sugden, but he still needs to find a way to avoid the injury bug. Easier said than done, but if he works as hard this off-season than he did the one before, anything is possible. Grade: B+. The best insurance policy in the American League.
Matthias Trattnig:
Syracuse's other Austrian import, Trattnig also took some time to re-acclimate to the North American style of play. It took him 37 games to find the back of the net, but he still contributed early on with his prowess in the shootout.
Morphed himself into a pretty decent body checker along the way and he picked up it up on the offensive side as the year progressed. Finished the season with four goals and three assists in his last five games. Grade: C-. Took too long to find his game. Gets points for his physical play.
Mike Pandolfo:
Another player who underachieved in 2004-05. Syracuse expected Pandolfo to come close to duplicating the previous season's success and it just never materialized. He was even a healthy scratch on three different occasions prior to missing 11 games late in the year with an injured ankle.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Pandolfo for next season, Unsigned, his play in '03-'04 lifted him to prospect status. Was that enough for the Jackets to bring him back? Grade: D+. Output decreased by 21 points last season.
Steve Goertzen:
Played well in training camp, but that didn't translate over to success in the regular season so he was dispatched to Dayton after being a healthy scratch in five of Syracuse's first twenty-five games. Didn't really dominate in the coast, but returned a different player after eleven games with the Bombers.
Voted Syracuse's most improved player, Goertzen became a valuable asset on the penalty kill along with being a solid energy guy for the Crunch. He will need some more time in the minors to develop, but Goertzen should still be on Columbus' radar. Grade: B-. Hopefully Goertzen spends some time in the off season working on his fighting skills.
Raffaele Sannitz:
Finally made his way over to North America after being tabbed by the Jackets with their ninth selection in 2001. Looked over matched early, but settled in and his play improved with his comfort level.
Showed offensive upside, will need some more seasoning in the minors to continue adjusting to the more physical game in the states. Grade: C-. Remains on the fringe of prospect status.
Joakim Lindstrom:
The Crunch sure could have used Lindstrom's talent from day one. A relative unknown commodity in the states after being selected in the second round of the 2002 Entry Draft, Lindstrom signed with the Jackets after being forced to the bench on a crowded MoDo team in Sweden.
He immediately paid dividends, giving the sagging Crunch offense a real boost down the stretch. A solid find for Columbus, Lindstrom should spend at least one full season auditioning in Syracuse before embarking on a long NHL career. Grade: B+. How fast Lindstrom made the adjustment to the AHL was down right impressive.
Nathan Robinson, Jeff Panzer:
Two players connected by a late season loan between Syracuse and Grand Rapids. Robinson was another player the Crunch could have really used from day one. In 19 games with the Crunch he was better than a point per game player and his blazing speed gave Syracuse's offense a real octane boost.
Panzer just never got rolling in Syracuse. He came in with a bum ankle then suffered a knee injury just when the ankle felt better. Tough luck season for a likeable player. Grades: Robinson: A. Prime example of what a change of scenery can do for a player. Panzer: C-. Interesting to see what a healthy Panzer may have done.
Jeremy Reich:
Disappointing swan song for one of Crunch's all-time favorites. Started slow and things just snowballed from there. Ended up being on the outside, looking in, once the Crunch acquired the Ferraro twins. Grade: Honorary "A" for time served with the club.
Agnew became quite the whipping boy near the season's end, but let's be realistic. Coaches are only as good as the talent they are given and that put him behind the eight ball from day one. Was he perfect? No, but who is?
Spend five minutes speaking to either member of the Crunch's coaching staff and it is clear Syracuse is just a stopover for both. All things considered keeping the Crunch alive until the final week of the season was quite an accomplishment. Grade: B-. Disagreed with their systems on the penalty kill and also with how they used Sugden at times, but other than that it was a solid effort.