Heading into the 2005-06 season optimism abounds for the Crunch and with good reason. This is easily the most talented club the Crunch have ever broken camp with, but what that means over the course of the season is anybody’s guess.
In the upcoming paragraphs we will break down the Crunch roster as they prepare to open the current season and begin their quest for that elusive Calder Cup.
Just a few days ago the $64,000 question around these parts was who was going to be between the pipes for the Crunch. The Blue Jackets answered that question on Tuesday, at least temporarily, when they sent veteran NHL netminder Martin Prusek to the Crunch on a conditioning stint.
A native of the Czech Republic, Prusek has appeared in 48 NHL games, all with the Ottawa Senators. He also has 37 American League games under his belt, 34 of which occurred during a dominating 2001-02 season spent with the Grand Rapids Griffins. That year Prusek went 18-8-5 with a goals against of 1.83 along with a .930 save percentage.
While Prusek’s demotion was done primarily to give Columbus a few more weeks to access their goaltending situation, it also allows Prusek to see some game action. He was very limited in camp for Columbus after tweaking an ankle, so don’t be surprised if he looks a little rusty early on.
Backing up Prusek will be second year tender Andrew Penner. Pressed into duty last season when Pascal Leclaire went down with a groin injury, Penner has come a long way in a short time.
He has looked sharp, for the most part, in the preseason and seems poised to build on a promising rookie campaign. Penner may not be ready to carry a club, but he definitely has the talent to be a very solid number two.
Who ever ends up being the long term answer in net for the Crunch, they will only be as good as the men in front of him. Heading into ’05 that group has the makings of being a very solid unit.
Leading the way will be veteran blueliner Jamie Pushor. There are no surprises with Pushor. Rock solid on the defensive end, Pushor won’t light up the scoreboard, but he is no liability on the offensive end. He is also a total pro on and off the ice.
Pushor will be joined on the blueline by another vet in Jeff MacMillan. Signed by the Jackets after spending the last season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, MacMillan just may be the crease clearing defenseman Crunch fans have longed for.
The hulking blueliner also displayed some decent offensive skills in the preseason. Fans won’t mistake him for Bobby Orr, but MacMillan makes sound decisions and utilizes his experience well.
How well this unit performs may very well hinge on how well Aaron Johnson performs. Johnson digressed dramatically last season after spending 29 games in Columbus as a rookie.
Always known as a riverboat gambler when it comes to joining the rush, Johnson will have to walk a fine line this season in that area. The Crunch definitely doesn’t want to see a bevy of odd man breaks when Johnson is on the ice, but they will need him jump in the play from time to time. Johnson could also end up being the quarterback on the Crunch’s top power play unit.
Returning for his second season is Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Just a relentless hitter, Tollefsen keeps opposing players on their toes at all times. He will need to step up his game on the offensive end after being almost nonexistent on that half last season.
Rounding out the blueline is a trio of rookies in Marc Methot, Mark Flood and Andrew Canzanello. Methot is the most recognizable of the three after leading the London Knights to the Memorial Cup last season. He is a rangy defenseman with decent offensive upside who shows great promise.
Flood is another OHL product who spent the last four seasons in Peterborough with the Petes. Put up better than average numbers in junior, topping the 40-point plateau in each of his last two seasons. Crunch won’t need him to put up points, just to be solid in his own end.
Rounding out the defense is former Colorado College standout Andy Canzanello. The Minnesota native played 43 games last season with San Diego of the ECHL along with 5 games with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Surprised some who may have preferred Syracuse hung on to hard hitting rookie Trevor Hendrikx.
Returning from last season are a host of talented individuals led by Mark Hartigan. Dominated in the second half last year, Hartigan just needs to do it over an entire season to have his NHL ticket punched.
Joining Hartigan will be former line mate Joe Motzko. Motzko’s game has grown by leaps and bounds since signing on as a free-agent back in 2003. Point totals have steadily increased every season and there is no reason to believe that trend won’t continue.
Talk about improving as a player. No one has come further in a year than forward Steve Goertzen. The Stony Plain, Alberta native began the season with the Crunch last season before being dispatched to Dayton after an uneventful twenty game audition. Goertzen didn’t fare much better in the coast, but returned to Syracuse a changed man.
The surprise of Columbus camp this season, Goertzen excels on the fore-check. He could really be dangerous if his game develops on the offensive end.
Also returning for his second season is speedy forward Greg Mauldin. Mauldin look’s to build on a very promising rookie season and if the preseason is any indication he will do just that. He should give defenses fits with the new rules.
2005 should prove to be a critical one for budding power forward Tim Jackman. Rebounded quite nicely last season after a disastrous start, Jackman tends to stray from doing the things that make him successful like crashing the net and using his size. He needs to prove he can do those things on a consistent basis.
Creating space for the talent once again will be Brandon Sugden. Arguably the top enforcer in the American League, Sugden will look to continue to round out his game. Not a matter of if Sugden will skate in the NHL someday, just a matter of when.
Joakim Lindstrom returns for his first full season with the Crunch after spending 13 games with Syracuse to close out last season. Lindstrom is a extremely talented winger who recorded 8 points (4g, 4a) in his brief stint in 2004. Capable of putting up big numbers, especially with the talented cast surrounding him.
Raffaele Sannitz is also back for a second tour with the Crunch. Registered 6 goals and 3 assists in 53 games last season, numbers should increase with a year of North American hockey under his belt.
Heading the list of newcomers is top prospect Alexander Picard. Picard is the first top pick to play in Syracuse since Pascal Leclaire, who ironically was also selected 8th overall.
Fans will fall in love with Picard in no time thanks to his unusual blend of skill and grit. Picard will fight for the puck in the corner and then take it out front and bury one top shelf. Just may be the most promising prospect Crunch fans have seen yet.
Joining Picard in the newcomer department will be veterans Peter Sarno, Ben Simon and Bill Lindsay. Sarno, a power play specialist, really sees the ice well and will excel from the half-boards. Simon adds grit to the Syracuse lineup. He does all of the little things that make teams successful. Simon will also be looked upon to win draws in key situations.
Longtime NHL’er Bill Lindsay rounds out Syracuse’s veteran contingent. Spent last season with Long Beach of the ECHL where he recorded 9 goals, 14 assists in 32 games. Lindsay may wear a letter for the Crunch along with last year’s captain Jamie Pushor.
The feel good story from Jackets camp and also Syracuse’s preseason has to be forward Geoff Platt. Named the fastest skater in the OHL in a coach’s poll, Platt scored 7 goals in 4 games at the rookie tournament in Traverse City to earn a contract and then went out and led the Crunch in scoring in the preseason. Platt should really benefit from the new rules dealing with obstruction.
Rounding out the forwards is rookie Andrew Murray. Drafted by the Jackets in 2001, Murray looks to make the jump to the pro game after spending the last four seasons with Bemidji State. Possesses anNHL body and showed he won’t shy away from contact in the preseason.
Prediction:
The Crunch has looked good on paper in the past, but never like this. If the goaltending situation shakes itself out and they can find some answers from the blueline on the power play, the sky is the limit.
Look for Syracuse and long time rival Rochester along with Toronto to slug it out in the North with the team who remains the healthiest, and that includes their parent clubs, to finish on top.