Thursday, December 20, 2012

New Faces Underachieving For Rampage

 
  The summer of 2012 saw the San Antonio go through a radical transformation. Many familiar faces took their hockey playing abilities to other AHL cities. Names like Kearns, Thomas, Sullivan, and Matsumoto are now seen skating in cities like Worcester and Cleveland. Kearns has fit right in with his new team and continues his solid play. The adjustment for Sullivan and Matsumoto has been a bit more difficult. Regardless, they were players that, due to their success last season, had won over the fans with their ability, but more importantly, with their heart on the ice.

  Roster turnover is nothing new to fans of minor league sports in general, especially hockey. It’s not uncommon for teams to lose six or seven regulars, replaced by young players coming in from college/juniors or by free agents from around the AHL or ECHL. It’s life in the minors. Better NHL opportunities or an AHL team’s desire to play their young prospects make AHL veterans expendable.

  The Florida Panthers, the Rampage’s NHL affiliate, got right to work to replace those players signed elsewhere. With Drew Shore, Quinton Howden, and Alex Petrovic coming to San Antonio for their first full season and with returning veterans Nolan Yonkman, Michael Caruso, and Greg Rallo still in the fold, the Panthers front office was able to identify exactly the type of players needed to fill out the roster.

They missed & they missed badly.

  Sure, Jon Rheault has been arguably the best all around player on the Rampage roster this season. And that does count for something. But the other four AHL players either signed as free agents or traded for, have been, in one man’s opinion a complete disaster. Jean Francois Jacques and Jason DeSantis have both been relegated to being a healthy scratch on most nights, losing playing time to the John Lee’s and Jonathan Hazen’s of the world. Andre Deveaux has been suspended twice already and has suddenly come down with a mystery injury after being benched in the middle of the last long losing streak and hasn’t played since. Casey Wellman, at times, has shown that flash that justified the Panthers sending a late-round draft pick to the Rangers. Other times, he seems completely disengaged and uninterested in back checking.

  While Rheault leads the team in scoring (7-14-21) and is one of just five Rampage players above EVEN with a +1, the other four players have put up 14-22-36 and a -23 in a combined 85 games.

  The players, the veterans, acquired in the offseason to offset the losses of the Rampage’s best players last season are hurting the team more than helping right now. In last night’s 2-0 loss in Cedar Park, three of the four scratches came from this group of players.

  This team is relying on 3rd line types and rookies to produce top line numbers. Those guys are doing the best that they can. It’s just way too much to ask of them right now. And that shows when you look at the standings.

  Unless these guys break out of whatever has got them in a funk, this team will continue to struggle. And if it doesn’t happen soon, we could be looking at yet another wasted season in South Texas.





1 comment:

  1. I think the Selleck/Timmins team has contributed most games...but you are correct, the losing gets old.

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