WHL15 Season Outlook

Cammalleri, a highly skilled, speedy, offensive threat. The addition
of Cammalleri provides Minnesota with a proven scoring option that can play all 3 positions up front. In exchange for Cammalleri, Minnesota dealt prospect Dustin Boyd, a WHL16 draft pick and Chuck Kobasew, a potential scoring threat that has taken some time to develop and received a couple of upcoming draft picks as well. Cammalleri will fit in well on the Rink Rat’s first line with Derek Roy and Patrick O’Sullivan.

“Cammalleri is a guy that has scored at every level he’s played and I feel very confident he’ll be able to help us offensively,” said Head Coach, Barry Melrose. “I feel as though we have an improved team over last season and think we have a strong shot to make the playoffs again this season”.

The playoffs will be no easy task for Minnesota as many WHL teams are boasting improved rosters. Within their conference look for the Cats, Orcas and Fighting Irish to see improvements over last season and with the likes of strong clubs like the Bulls, Express, Voodoo, Dropkicks and Timberjacks the division will be pretty competitive again this season.

Minnesota will expect big things out of returning Hart Trophy runner-up Ryan Miller to help carry the team again. The defense looks to be somewhat improved over last season with Brent Burns looking pretty sharp in team training camp. Word has it that Burns is looking like he’ll be one of the best in the league and will most likely be paired with Captain Jay Bouwmeester on the squad’s first line and power play units. The remainder of the team will look like this:

Left Wing
Derek Roy
Geoff Sanderson
Rob Schremp
Mike York

Center
Patrick O'Sullivan
Matthew Lombardi
Alexei Yashin
Kris Beech

Right Wing
Michael Cammalleri
Darcy Tucker
Richard Park
Petr Kalus

Defense
Jay Bouwmeester
Brent Burns
Derek Morris
Toni Lydman
Mike VanRyn
Karel Rachunek
Shane Hnidy

Goal
Ryan Miller
John Graham

Farm
David Krejci
TJ Hensick
Tyler Kennedy
Jimmy Howard
Ryan Potulny
Petteri Norkelainen
Kyle Cumiskey
Brian Elliott
Casey Borer

WHL15 Offseason Report

With the draft completed and the season about to hit full swing the Minnesota Rink Rats have a lot of new faces and an optimistic view for the new season. That optimism is a result of returning goaltender Ryan Miller who was voted to the WHL’s 2nd team All-Star squad and was a close second in voting for the Hart & Vezina Trophies. Miller returns behind the same defense as a season ago but will have a new-look offense in front of them. That offense will be lead by new Rink Rat Patrick O’Sullivan and Derek Roy. O’Sullivan is a solid player who could very well up 40 goals and 40 assists and Roy is a small but speedy winger who is a great setup man and strong finisher.

Jay Bouwmeester returns to the squad and is expected to be named team captain. Bouwmeester will likely be paired with returning defenseman Brent Burns whom the team expects will be much improved with an offseason of hard work and conditioning. The rest of the defense will be rounded out with Derek Morris, Toni Lydman, Mike VanRyn & Karel Rachunek.

Other new faces include newly drafted TJ Hensick, Tyler Kennedy & Brian Elliott along with Ryan Potulny & Alexei Yashin whom were acquired via trade and free agency. The remainder of the offense will be a question mark as the team expects to return the likes of Chuck Kobasew who can put up 20 goals if he stays healthy, Darcy Tucker, Dustin Boyd, Rob Schremp, Matthew Lombardi and possibly David Krejci and Petr Kalus depending on the health of the team.

We recently sat down with GM Rink Rat to ask some questions on the upcoming season and here’s what he had to say:

Q: How do you feel about your draft this season?
A: I feel pretty good about what we were able to do in this year’s draft. There were a lot of great talents in this draft and every GM coming out of it has to be pretty happy with the exception of maybe one club who missed out. We had targeted both TJ Hensick & Tyler Kennedy for our two 2nd round picks and luckily we were able to acquire them. I think both players have a strong chance of playing for our 2nd or 3rd lines next season. We needed help in goal with the possible departure of John Graham in the next season so we picked up Elliott in the 3rd round. We had both Elliott & Greiss targeted as potential 4th round picks but without a pick in that round we had to grab up Elliott in the 3rd. We're happy with that pick and we think he'll help provide us with added depth in the future.

Q: You had Derek Roy on the trade block before the draft. What happened?
A: We came close to making a move but when the player we were targeting at a certain pick got drafted, we decided to stick with Roy. Roy is a tremendous talent with good speed and a great ability to setup his linemates. If we move him it has to be right for our team and our future.

Q: Where do you see this squad finishing during this season?
A: We’ll have to see how the rosters play out. Our division has gotten so good it’s really going to be a struggle. The Cats, Orcas and Cougars will all have improved clubs and this is in a division that already has clubs like the Bulls, Express, Timberjacks, Voodoo, Dropkicks & Fighting Irish. I think our team is going to be fairly comparable to last season, maybe a tad better with an improved Brent Burns on dee, but it’s going to be a tougher division for sure.

Q: Long-term, how does this team look?
A: With our current squad I think we’re 2 seasons away from being a good solid club. A lot of our guys are still trying to figure things out, but I think that they’re not too far off and will have a good chance to put us into contention if they stay healthy and can continue to improve. Guys like David Krejci, Dustin Boyd, TJ Hensick & Rob Schremp all have top-6 potential and give us a good arsenal of options on offense in the upcoming seasons. Plus we have a strong core group of guys like Burns, Bouwmeester, Roy & O’Sullivan that are still in their young 20’s and are improving. O’Sullivan could turn out to be a 50 goal scorer and Roy could end up scoring 80 points each season for the next 6 years. We also have players like Chuck Kobasew & Matthew Lombardi that have put up numbers in the past and have strong potential if they can continue to be consistent. Lombardi is one of the fastest players in the league and we hope his speed and playmaking can put some points on the
board. Right now we’re taking it one game at a time and we’ll see what happens.

Q: Are there any players that you’re currently shopping on the trade block?
A: We like our squad but yeah I think there are still needs that need to be filled. Right now we’re looking for a 2nd line right wing or center for our squad and have Chuck Kobasew, Toni Lydman, Rob Schremp, Matthew Lombardi, Dustin Boyd, Darcy Tucker, Petteri Norkelainen & Petr Kalus available. Roy’s name has been mentioned in a few deals but so far no offer has been good enough to make that move.

Thanks for being here with us and ggood luck to you and your club on the upcoming season.

WHL14 Season Review

After what could be considered a surprise season for many owners in the WHL, the Minnesota Rink Rats ended their "cinderella" season with a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Edmonton Express. The Rink Rats, ranked 7th in the Campbell Conference at season's end, made the playoffs for the 1st time in 5 seasons and more than doubled the team's wins from the previous season.

The team relied on the strong play of MVP candidate Ryan Miller and Captain Marc Savard to turn around the team's fortune and bring success back to this storied franchise. Solid play from young players such as Derek Roy, Nikolai Zherdev, Jay Bouwmeester & Jamie Heward as well as the addition of veterans like Darcy Tucker and Brian Leetch before the trade deadline helped lift the team to the playoffs, but in the end the Express proved too much.

The offseason will provide a few question marks for Minnesota as to the direction of the club. The team will most likely return with a core nucleus consisting of Derek Roy, Brent Burns, Jay Bouwmeester and Ryan Miller but has some question marks as to the status of the rest of the roster. Players such as Darcy Tucker, Geoff Sanderson, Mike VanRyn, Karel Rachunek, Mike York and Josef Vasicek are considered to be on Minnesota's trade block to bring in a few extra picks for this year's draft. Rumors have also swirled that Minnesota may again consider moving Captain Marc Savard who still provides quite a bit of scoring potential, to get into the 1st round of this year’s draft plus a rookie or prospect. Johnny Oduya, Nikolai Zherdev, Rob Schremp and Dustin Boyd may also be on the move if the right offer were in place.

“We’re going to consider all our options and go from there” stated GM LaDouceur. “We’ve got a solid group of players on this team and a couple that are on the verge of going to the next level. We need to continue to find ways to improve and develop our young players. I'm real proud of what we did this season. We're a young club and to improve that much was nice to see. Our fans treat us well in Minnesota and they deserved to watch a winning club.”

Rats Add Offensive Firepower

The Minnesota Rink Rats are on a roll and they look to increase their recent winning ways with some key new additions. The team has announced that they have sent young defenseman Brent Seabrook to the Toronto Stallions in exchange for veteran right winger Darcy Tucker and young phenom Rob Schremp.

"This move is big for us," exclaimed Head Coach Barry Melrose. "It automatically gives us two strong lines and makes us good playoff contenders. I think we had one of the best young defenses in the league with Jay Bouwmeester, Brent Burns & Brent Seabrook so it's hard seeing Seabrook go, but this also gives us an immediate impact and also allows us to think about our future with a guy that has the offensive potential like Schremp. This move means we need to bring in some extra help on defense and we are currently talking to a few teams about that help. We hope to have something completed real soon".

Minnesota's defense has been a bit shaky lately as Ryan Miller recently had a two game streak where he had to stop 93 of 96 shots to get his wins. The team says that it is proud of their defense and feels that players such as Burns, Johnny Oduya and Kyle Cumiskey are developing very nicely and will hopefully be able to make a stronger impact next season as they continue their progress. Still, the team has not ruled out the idea of moving the aforementioned Oduya, Cumiskey, Schremp or even 1st round pick Dustin Boyd to bring in some extra help on defense.

Miller Receives Honor

Ryan Miller was recently named second runner-up for player of the week. Miller put up incredible numbers during his stretch. He had a 2.35 goal against average as well as a .925 save percentage. However, clearly not by his fault we finished the week with 1 win in 4 games.

Minnesota has been in search for a little more offensive all season. Team GM has stated that the team doesn't want to jeopardize their future by getting rid of star young talent such as Nikolai Zherdev & Derek Roy to obtain a player that may or may not help them in their short-term run. Look for Minnesota to shop Brent Seabrook or Brent Burns to obtain a young centermen the second half of this season.

Sanderson Passes 1,000 Games

A recent milestone was accomplished in Minnesota as Rink Rats veteran Geoff Sanderson surpassed 1,000 games. Sanderson, who was an All Star last season, has 16 goals and 34 points this season and is 3rd on team scoring for Minnesota.

Sanderson stated after the game, "It's been great playing on this club and I feel privileged to have had such a long and lustrous career. I love playing for Minnesota and hope to retire a Rink Rat".

Sanderson recently turned 36 years old and is slowly approaching the end of his career. Minnesota had him on their trade block earlier this season but have kept him in hopes of a playoff run and believed his leadership could help their young club.

All-Star Weekend In Full Force

The WHL All-Star Weekend is in full effect. Many of the WHL’s finest have gathered to compete in the festivities. This year the WHL has added new concepts in the WHL Young Stars Game & Skills Challenge. Some of the WHL’s most promising young stars have battled it out in Niagara in what could surely be the future of the WHL All-Star Game.

The Minnesota Rink Rats had a strong presence in the Young Stars Game with 3 defensemen and 1 forward competing in the Young Stars Game. Minnesota’s Brent Burns scored the Campbell Conference’s lone goal with an assist credited to Ladislav Smid. Smid & Burns were joined by teammates Brent Seabrook & Dustin Boyd representing the Campbell Conference in the Young Stars Game.

Minnesota had 1 player participating in the All-Star Game as well in young goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller will play as the 3rd string goaltender for the Campbell Conference behind Bulls goaltender Tomas Vokoun & Martin Brodeur. Miller seemed shaky at times in the Skills Competition allowing 3 goals in the shootout but then stopping 2 of 3 in a sudden death shootout. Perhaps nerves got the better of the young goaltender early on but he showed his true colors late in the contest.

In other Rink Rats news, the team has announced that they've put young defenseman Ladislav Smid back on the trade block looking for similar value in a young forward. Teams that are interested are asked to send in trade requests immediately to be reviewed by GM Rink Rat. "We're looking for a young forward who we may be able to use this year. We'd like to see someone with a shot of 6 or better so we're asking teams to send in offers and we'll review our options. Smid is still a great young defenseman and could help many teams in their future".