– No Cup in 17 years

And the Banners Weep is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Kevin Porter

Eric: He was clearly very important to the team in many ways as its captain and is sorely missed. Good for him in getting NHL time, but I think he would have cleared waivers so that he could have played with us in the playoffs.

Jason: This was a tough blow to the Amerks. Porter’s speed and puck possession were elite at the AHL level, and are two things the Amerks severely lack currently. He was the backbone of the Amerks forwards. Beyond his offensive abilities, he was also responsible defensively and was a key PK’er. I can’t say 100%, but my guess is he would have cleared waivers. His 1-way deal next season was a nice security blanket and probably would have scared off teams from claiming him.

Cody Hodgson and Marcus Foligno

Eric: I’m okay with considering them “graduated” and therefore not eligible for the playoffs here, but boy does the Buffalo organization need some playoff experience for its young players. And it’s not like Hodgson couldn’t improve his D-zone play.

Jason: I can understand Hodgson and Foligno not being on the Amerks’ playoff roster. I disagree with it, but it makes some sense. However, Hodgson’s defensive game is clearly lacking in the NHL and he’s been exposed many times. Sending him down to Rochester, especially to play in tight playoff games, would only have helped further his development as a player.

Foligno, on the other hand, has been a healthy scratch in Buffalo and a completely inconsistent player. Dominant some games/shifts, invisible others. This is normal for a young player, but again, all the more reason to put him on the Amerks playoff roster to work on improving.

T.J. Brennan

Eric: I think moving him to the Pcats for a 5th rounder was all about giving Brennan a chance to play in the NHL since Buffalo didn’t have room for him. He was a great Amerk, a lot of fun to watch…but I’m not sure he can play enough solid D to stick in the NHL so here’s hoping we don’t have to see his point shot against us in the future

Jason: Brennan would not have cleared waivers. I never expected him back with the Amerks. His shot on the PP has been missed. I feel the Sabres did not give him enough of a chance in the NHL. His trade only continued to deteriorate the Sabres defensive depth which ultimately trickled down to Rochester.

Adam Pardy

Eric: There really isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room on “ reasonable opinions” regarding the Pardy situation. Regier made a strategy blunder – plain and simple. Whether it was making Adam the emergency recall instead of Pardy or making sure he acquired another D so the Sabres weren’t left with a minimum of 6 – Pardy should have been with us now and/or for the playoffs. He was our best defensemen probably since Doug Houda, and our cup run chances are drastically lower now without him.

Jason: This was a massive mistake on Regier’s part. Pardy was a rock on the Amerks blueline. He held that unit together and really was able to slow the game down. He had the ability to make a crisp outlet pass or to simply skate the puck out of trouble. The Amerks now completely struggle clearing their own end, which is why they are consistently out shot and out chanced nearly every game. The Amerks were short defenseman, not forwards. Why Darcy Regier added Luke Adam on the playoff roster, whose time in the organization is likely limited, over Pardy is a mystery no one can really solve.

Patrick Rissmiller

Eric: An unusual and excellent mid-season veteran pickup by Regier. His puck possession skills are the best on the team. He seems to be involved in the majority of scoring chances when he’s in the lineup. I really thought that the signing of him meant a new era for Darcy Regier. He’s the kind of AHL only vet that teams need in order to be successful. Not being able to get him into the lineup because of the ridiculous veteran rule (Only 5 in the lineup with 320+ pro games at the AHL+ level, excluding goalies) is something I’ll blame the AHL/NHL for and not coach Cassidy.

Jason: Credit where it’s due – this was a nice addition by Regier (though likely, it was more of a Rolston move). He’s a big body who is incredibly patient with the puck. Defenders struggle to move him off of the puck in the offensive zone and he creates scoring chances. The decision by Coach Cassidy to sit him over Nick Tarnasky, due to the veteran limit, is a terrible coaching mistake. Cassidy wants to stay “loyal” to Tarnasky. Excuse me? This is professional hockey, not youth hockey. The best players play, period, especially when we’re dealing with 2 veterans. I could understand if a prospect was playing over Rissmiller, but that’s not the case here. Nick Tarnasky is a nice player, but several notches below Rissmiller.

Cody McCormick and Matt Ellis

Eric: In the same time period Rissmiller was signed, these two classy vets were also sent down. I really was feeling a Cup run at that time. Ellis, especially, is a great choice for C.

Jason: Ellis and McCormick have been nice additions. I won’t go out of my way to credit Regier for it, however. Both were exposed to waivers and the Sabres were fully prepared to lose them for nothing. Thankfully they cleared, but these were not moves intended to help Rochester. That happened, indirectly, but no credit to the Sabres here. Ellis is the perfect AHL captain. He’s oozes leadership and demands respect. He plays all three zones and really doesn’t have a weakness at the AHL level. McCormick has also been a solid addition, though he has disappeared at times. Some games he looks like an NHLer dominating AHLers, some games you don’t notice him – too much inconsistency. He’s a better version of Nick Tarnasky.

Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett

Eric: In fairness to our frustration with Regier, we did obtain a very good 2-way forward and goaltending help for Leggio.

Jason: These were nice additions to the Amerks. In a vacuum, Regier had a nice return for Pominville. But Darcy has been “winning” trades for years, and we see the current results. Larsson appears to be a good 2 way forward. He’s a much needed 2 way centerman for the Amerks. Not going to score a lot, but he has an excellent shot and should be able to match up against the oppositions top line. Hackett I have not seen play yet, but he had an impressive performance Sunday in Albany. Connor Knapp and Nathan Lieuwen were not AHL goalies, so Hackett was a nice addition to be able to relieve Leggio.

On 2013 Trade Deadline

Eric: And…now to our pressure point with Regier. Look it – you can’t lose 5 NHL caliber Dmen over the course of 2 months (Pardy, Brennan, Finley, Pysyk and McNabb) and replace them with 2 undrafted college kids and an ECHL’er. I’ll give Regier the benefit of the doubt that at least 2/3 of these guys are an unpolished gem…because they have a great track record with that (ex. Flynn last year at the time, Rankin). But that doesn’t mean we’ve been given a D that can win in a playoff series. Not just their defense, but the whole transition game. No matter how well Leggio/Hackett play – it’s going to be really tough to win a series now, and it didn’t have to be that way. There were a lot of loans made for other AHL teams involving AHL caliber players.

Jason: As Eric points out, the Amerks have lost McNabb, Brennan, Pysyk, Finley and Pardy in a matter of months. That’s almost an entire defensive unit. No one is upset because they left (waivers, injuries, trades), the issue stems from Darcy Regier doing nothing to help replace any of them. You cannot lose 5 defensemen from a team, in a playoff race, and ignore it. That’s disgraceful. Regier had months to find help. Months. The end result was predictable of Darcy Regier’s tenure. He did nothing. He’s allowing the Amerks to play with a lineup consisting of ECHL level defensemen and college free agents. He had an NHL trade deadline and an AHL trade deadline to find help, and didn’t. He told Kevin O he was working the phones to find help, and ultimately did nothing. He did sign an ECHL defenseman, Michael Wilson, to a PTO. He’s played about 90 AHL games, and all indications are that he’s a poor defender at the AHL level. As far as I’m concerned, that signing was salt in the wound – Insulting.

On 2012 Trade Deadline

Eric: We were left high-n-dry last year, too, at the deadline. Desperately needing some scoring punch on a character hard working team, we were told there was nothing out there better than what we had. WE THEN watched weeks of ECHL Dmen playing FORWARD. It was an puzzling statement then and it still makes me furious now.

Jason: The same Regier-esque type of disaster we’re all used to. The Amerks clearly needed help scoring last season as they fought for a playoff spot. Predictably, Regier decided to do nothing. The Amerks made the playoffs in their last game of the season and then were swept by a clearly superior Toronto team. Again, the word “insulting” comes to mind. Regier has an utter lack of respect of the Amerks tradition and is content with watching them swim in mediocrity.

Current Defense

Eric: As discussed above – it’s not pretty. Although, Biega is playing very, very well, our #1 Dman now….wasn’t even a regular as the season began. Beiga, Crawford, Schiestel, Leduc, Mackenzie, Wilson, Beattie, Bailey might be the worst D corp. in the league. I hope they can play above their heads and that I’m way wrong, but a serious GM doesn’t allow this to happen. Pysyk will help of course when the Sabre season ends – but it’s not enough. And what happens if the Sabres (playing with a minimum of 6 D on their roster) have a few injuries? (Sabre fans – Nick Crawford is your 8th defensemen. Does that put things in perspective?) First, if another NHL team is dependent on the Sabres to put their best foot forward against a team they need to lose for their own playoff positioning – it’s not going to happen. Integrity…naw. Secondly, it weakens us that much more…albeit only temporarily.

Jason: I’ll be blunt, the current defense is a disaster. Alex Biega is the number 1 defenseman. All due respect to Alex Biega (I like him), but he should be a 5 or 6 on any serious AHL team. Hell, he was battling for time as the number 6 early on. Nick Crawford, the team’s number 2 defenseman, was consistently a healthy scratch the first few months. Now he plays big minutes. Gauthier-Leduc simply can’t play defense at the AHL level. He’s a liability almost every shift. He was supposed to provide offense, though that is non-existent at this level as well. The rest of the defense is made up of overwhelmed college free agents and ECHL defenders. Add them all up, and you probably have the worst current defensive unit in the AHL. The Amerks can’t clear their own end in games. It’s almost a permanent penalty kill. Their defense does not have the ability to move a forward off the puck and make the correct outlet pass…or to skate it out of danger, or to play it off the glass. This unit, my guess, would be middle of the road – even in the ECHL.

Darcy Regier

Eric: I really think Regier has done a solid job overall the last 2 years, but he gets a big fat 0 for trade deadline moves. And nothing can erase his putrid history with the organization. His AHL teams have 24 playoff wins since the 2000-2001 season. The meaningful banners (and now any banners at all) have stopped since he took over.

And it’s not as if his strategy here can somehow be glossed over because of success in Buffalo. He’s failed miserably there as well. He has no accomplishments really for a combined 30+ years of work (between the two teams). It’s time for a change. I’ll give him credit for making good trades and finding and having patience on hidden gems, but he’s not the guy to build championship teams at the NHL or AHL level. Give him some type of advanced hockey ops title but let someone be the architect!

Jason: I’ll keep it simple. I have no respect for Darcy Regier in hockey and think his time as GM of the Amerks has been insulting and damaging to the team. The Amerks have had 50+ years of fantastic tradition. Full of championships and exciting teams. The Amerks last won a Calder Cup in 1996. Regier took over in 1997. Do your own math.

Terry Pegula

Eric: I believe he wants to win both in Buffalo and here. I believe he has made the commitment to Rochester. Off the ice things are great and getting greater. From the scoreboard to the VIP lounge to the new concession potential to pricing to STH service…things are great. He hasn’t shown any reluctance to stash salary down here and has paid a lot of money for veterans to play here (ex. Stuart, Mancari, Tarnasky). The problem is his architect has failed. Unfortunately, until he changes architects, he too will fail – and that is a damn shame.

Jason: I think Pegula is a naïve sports owner that needs to wake up. His team in Buffalo is a disaster and the fans hate the team. Yet, he’ll likely hang on to Regier. He had no direction for this franchise other than soundbytes saying he wants to win the Stanley Cup. As for the Amerks, I don’t blame him specifically. I think he lets Regier do his thing, and we see how that has damaged both teams. Pegula has done a lot of great off the ice, it’s time he wakes up and fires the GM. It’s becoming a running joke in the NHL that Regier is still GM.

Next two weeks – Making the Playoffs – Positioning

Eric: I think we’ll make it. I mean, we’re listed at 95.2% probability to make it currently, but we do need 3-5 points and frankly we’ll need our goaltending to steal those for us. I don’t see the lopsided scoring chances in favor of the opposition changing. Our D isn’t good enough to clear the zone consistently and when they do the transition is rough.

But of much greater concern is our seeding. We don’t want to slip to 7th or 8th and be matched up against Texas or Toronto. With the first round only being a best of 5 and us not matching up well against either team, combined with not having our full lineup back until the 26th (1-2 games will already have been played without Flynn, Pysyk and Adam), we could get into a 2-0 hole real quick.

Jason: The Amerks will probably make the playoffs, but barely. They have 2 excellent goalies and they’ll sneak in based on that fact. But reality is, when the playoffs start, the Amerks will be exposed as the weak team that they are. They’ve won several games this season that they had no business in (see 1-0 win against Syracuse last month). They’ve also pulled out 9 wins in 10 shootouts. Almost unheard of. There’s no shoot out in the playoffs. They will get Adam, Pysyk and Flynn back from Buffalo. But that’s too little, too late for this decimated team. The defense is simply not AHL level and won’t be able to handle a superior team in a 5 game series.

Current Comprehensive Amerk Roster

Amerks, Playoffs and Darcy is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

With the additions of Adam Pardy and Patrick Rissmiller, the Amerks now have a legitimate veteran core that is capable of a Calder Cup run. Rissmiller (34 years young) is particularly important because he gives some age to a rather young team.

Defined as having played 320+ pro games at the AHL or higher level, the Amerks now have 4 veterans in Pardy, Rissmiller, Mancari and Tarnasky to go along with the exempt spot (260-320 games) that Captain Kevin Porter fills. League rules allow up to 5 veteran spots to be used per game (plus the exempt spot, and goalies are excluded) so we still could use one more. Matt Ellis is a possibility and frankly I would like a little depth added to this most critical core, too.

So please Darcy, make that a YES – with a exclamation point! Teams who compete for the Calder Cup never have a shortage of veteran players, and Rochester’s storied history – as displayed in banner form in the War Memorial – are proof of this.

Veteran core the key to success is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Buffalo Sabres management is failing the Rochester Americans. The season, which arrived amidst much hoopla with the NHL lockout, is starting to come off the rails by the middle of December, with apparently no help in sight. To the contrary, the positive is just that, it’s only the middle of December and there are 55 games remaining. However, one has to wonder if Sabres GM Darcy Regier and Kevin Devine, who oversees Amerks hockey operations, really have any pulse on what is happening to the Amerks – and if they do, do they care?

It didn’t start well on the injury front, with the Amerks losing Corey Tropp for the season during their very first game. Many fans hoped for a replacement player right away. That the Sabres management would recognize losing their top winger in the first game could be a devastating blow, especially in a league with so much talent. But nothing happened. It was understandable, especially when Brian Flynn capitalized on his new opportunity. He has, perhaps, become the Amerks’ best forward and arguably MVP to date.

However, it didn’t end there. As it seems to happen to every year to the Amerks, regardless of affiliation, the injuries began to mount. First, it was Cody Hodgson, the team’s most skilled and best player. He broke his hand on October 27th in Glens Falls. He played the following Friday at home, however it was determined he needed to immobilize the hand and he was going to be out a few weeks. Predictably, a few weeks turned into more than a month. Then it was rookie Zemgus Girgensons getting hurt, then Nick Tarnasky, Rick Schofield and finally Evan Rankin.

And that brings us to today, a day after a 4-3 loss in Toronto. An indefensible game where Sabres management let down their own team and the fans who watch them. The Amerks have lost 6 out of their last 8 games. They played this game in Toronto down a skater. A professional hockey team in the top league in North America couldn’t even dress the correct amount of skaters. Out of those 17 skaters, one was a defenseman playing at forward. That leaves the Amerks, playing one of the best teams in the league, using 10 forwards. Which goes back to the original point: The Buffalo Sabres management is failing the Rochester Americans.

This doesn’t even go into all of the other issues the Sabres have neglected. The Amerks’ defense has struggled all season long with the lack of a veteran, stay at home defenseman. It’s obvious to even the novice fan. But the Sabres have no plan to help out or add anyone. According to the Democrat and Chronicle’s Kevin Oklobzija, Kevin Devine said the Sabres had no plans for any roster changes if the NHL ends its lockout. So Amerks fans, you will lose at least Marcus Foligno and Cody Hodgson, and see absolutely no help from the parent club. So, if the lockout persists, it sounds like there will be no help to the roster, as no one will be going up to the NHL.

I am struggling to figure out how a management team can be so blind to what’s right in front of them. The Amerks are 10-9-2 sitting in 11th place in the western conference, out of a playoff spot. How can any professional team, in any league in any sport, rule out changes or additions to a mediocre team that sits outside of the playoff picture? Yes, as noted prior, it’s early in the season. But if the problems we have seen persist, it won’t make a difference. Cody Hodgson will not get the defense to tighten up or make the goalies better.

This is a parent club, the Buffalo Sabres, who said on day one when they bought the Amerks that their goal was to win a championship. Terry Pegula, Sabres owner, wrote a letter to Amerks fans stating the goal in Rochester is to win a Calder Cup. Well Mr. Pegula, what happened? Last year’s edition of the Amerks was mediocre, and snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the season. They then were swept by a much better and more talented team. This year’s edition looks to be no different. YET, we have management coming out saying they have no interest in trying to help the team out? That kind of statement should be grounds for firing and it should be offensive to every Amerks fan out there. And frankly for every fan of competitive sports in general.

Let’s contrast this by looking at the San Antonio Rampage. Two weeks ago, they had the worst record in the league. Today, they’ve won 5 out of their last 6 games. You know what else they did? The management team there, who at one time ran the Amerks, decided the team needed some help – even in the middle of a winning streak. They signed Jon Sim, one of the AHL’s best goal scorers in recent year. (55 goals in his last 89 AHL games, and a veteran of nearly 500 NHL games). They also signed defenseman Mike Mottau, who has been an NHL regular for the past 5 years. Many Amerks fans, including myself, have bad memories of the Florida Panthers for good reason. However to their credit, they are attempting to make moves to help out their AHL team. The effort is there.

I’ll end with some simple math that is puzzling and that I just can’t quite figure out. The Amerks have six injuries to forwards currently. The amount of forwards the Sabres have brought in to help Rochester? Zero. Not a single player brought in. Not from the ECHL, not from free agency and not even their own “prospects” playing at lower levels like Shawn Szydlowski and Jacob Lagace. Some forwards are expected to return the next game. But that’s irrelevant. It’s downright shameful that Darcy Regier and Kevin Devine would allow this to happen for even one game. So we come back to one very simple point that’s becoming quite obvious: Buffalo Sabres management is failing the Rochester Americans.

Does Buffalo care about winning in Rochester? is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Final Score: Amerks 8, Bears 7

Joe Finley & Matt MacKenzie vs Patrick Wellar & Garrett Mitchell

Nick Tarnasky vs Matt Clackson

Oct 20 Video Highlights of Amerks Win Over Hershey is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Video Highlights of the Amerks 4-3 Win Over Grand Rapids is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Binghamton Senators at Rochester Amerks October 16th Highlights is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

October 13 Amerks at Toronto Marlies Highlights is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

Video Highlights of the Home Opener Shootout Win is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.

The long hockey offseason is finally ending and the Rochester Americans are preparing to open the season Friday night against their longtime rivals, the Syracuse Crunch. It’s been an interesting offseason, to say the least, as the NHL has locked out its players. For Amerks fans, however, this means being able to watch players who otherwise would have made the Buffalo Sabres. Cody Hodgson, acquired in the trade with Zack Kassian at the trade deadline, headlines that group along with Marcus Foligno. Guys like Corey Tropp and Brayden McNabb also had excellent chances to make the Sabres based on training camp play. The offseason also saw the return of former Amerk Mark Mancari, who had somewhat of a rocky past with Amerks fans, but today appears more mature – a better player and someone who is looking to take on a leadership role. Rounding out the well-knowns is the return of Amerks 2011-2012 MVP goalie David Leggio.

The stability the Amerks and the rest of the AHL will have during the lockout without any recalls will help improve the product we see on a nightly basis.

We’ll first breakdown the Amerks’ forwards by lines, where last year’s biggest weakness appears to be this year’s biggest strength – centers:

Luke Adam – Cody Hodgson – Corey Tropp
The Amerks top line. Or, possibly, line 1A. All eyes will be on Cody Hodgson as fans will be expecting offensive magic and a player who should look like an NHLer. Hodgson has great vision and an incredibly quick release, making him dangerous anywhere in the offensive zone, especially against AHL defensemen. Luke Adam, who struggled last season after a hot start, will look to regain his 2010-2011 form when he was the AHL’s top rookie. Adam’s foot speed holds him back, but there’s no question he has a nose for the net and a great shot. He needs to use his body effectively and bury opportunities that will no doubt arise with Hodgson passing him the puck. Rounding out the line is the always energetic Corey Tropp. Unlike the others on his line, Tropp loves to fly in on the forecheck and make life very unpleasant for opposing defensemen. But, Tropp has a scoring touch too, as he put up 22 points in 27 games. One thing for Tropp, however, is not to let his temper get the best of him as he has been known to take untimely penalties. Overall, this line has a little of everything. Physicality, vision, smarts and deadly shots.

Marcus Foligno – Kevin Porter – Mark Mancari
The Amerks’ 1B line. This line has every bit of chance of putting up just as many, if not more, points than the Hodgson line. Mancari is a perennial top 10 AHL goal scorer and could have the league’s best shot. The former Amerk isn’t a fast skater, nor does he like to get involved in the physicality of a game, which is why he’s not a regular NHLer, but he knows where to be to put himself in position for a scoring chance. Marcus Foligno was dominant from February on last season. Foligno was “okay” the first half of the season, but something must have clicked as he became a force, and a late season sensation with the Sabres. He’s looking to build off that and solidify himself as a power forward for years to come. Finally, the captain, Kevin Porter, who is endearing himself to fans already by saying all the right things in the paper. Porter comes to the Amerks with 163 games of NHL experience, spending most of that with the Colorado Avalanche. Porter was more of a 4th line defensive forward in the NHL but the Amerks will be looking for offensive production and a solid two-way game while providing some much needed leadership. History shows Porter is slightly below a PPG AHL player.

Zemgus Girgensons – Phil Varone – Evan Rankin
This line has slightly more uncertainty. Girgensons, the NHL’s 14th overall pick this year, will be one of the AHL’s youngest players at 18 years old. What he lacks in experience, he certainly makes up for in physicality and willingness. The forward, by all accounts, will do anything necessary on the ice to help his team win. Blocking shots, back-checking, goal scoring, physicality. He’ll do it all, but don’t expect it right away. The jump from the USHL to the AHL is a large one and he’ll need time to adjust. Phil Varone had a monster second half of last season, as he scored at a PPG rate and became one of the Amerks’ most dangerous forwards. The center has a great skillset and terrific vision. He’s really a sleeper prospect in the Sabres organization. Finally, another second half of the season surprise, Evan Rankin. Rankin was brought in when injuries and call ups hit the Amerks and immediately made a huge impression. The forward takes the puck to the net harder than anyone else and will take a beating to score a goal. Deceptive speed and a physical side as well. Rankin should be primed for a big season and prove why he’s now an AHL regular.

Nick Tarnasky – Rick Schofield – Maxime Legault
A true 4th line. This line should make for some unpleasant nights for the opposition. Nick Tarnasky, with 245 NHL games will bring a rough and tough game while defending the Amerk players and prospects. Tarnasky spent last season in Russia’s KHL and was a true “goon”. This season, expect more of a well rounded game. Amerks fans saw his offensive side as he scored 3 goals in just 5 games in 09-10 during a conditioning stint. Schofield was brought over to the Amerks via the Syracuse Crunch. Amerks fans should remember him as a solid defensive center,who,was good on faceoffs, penalty killing and even contributed some goals (8). Faceoffs and competent penalty killers were not abundant last season; Schofield will be a welcomed addition. Schofield gives the Amerks a true, competent 4th line center. Last, but not least, is Maxime Legault. Legault is a truly underrated forward. One of the hardest hitters in recent memory, Legault speeds into the forecheck faster than anyone and rattles the boards. With him and Tarnasky on the same line, fans will not want to go for a beer or bathroom break when they’re on the ice.

Overall, it’s a solid group of forwards for the Amerks. It’s not as talented as the 04-05 lockout Amerks, who boasted Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Chris Taylor and Jason Pominville It lacks proven goal scoring, as Mancari is the only player to consistently score in this league. However, with the skill and potential of the forwards, this could be a high scoring team, especially with the defense being offensive minded.

There is quantity for depth players, but the jury is out on whether there is AHL quality. Riley Boychuck, Jacob Lagace, Jonathan Parker and Shawn Szydlowski certainly didn’t make the most of their opportunities last year, and without a specific ECHL team will likely be spread around the lower leagues. If the lockout were to end, I hope that Darcy Regier looks to several quality unsigned AHL free agents first before plugging these fillers in. Kevin Sundher, Brian Flynn and Frederick Roy may also see some time in the ECHL or a lot of the press box here, but should be given a chance to play at the professional level to see what they can do.

On defense, the group is deep and talented. T.J. Brennan challenged the franchise record for goals by a Dman last season, and he isn’t alone in being able to move and shoot the puck. Brayden McNabb is on the cusp of the NHL and Big Joe Finley provides a monster physical presence on the blue line. Mark Pysyk is a highly regarded rookie prospect. The corps is rounded out by returnees Alex Biega, Nick Crawford, Matt MacKenzie and Drew Schiestel. The weakness on the blue line could be a lack of a true stay-at-home veteran Dman. Morrisonn may not have been everyone’s favorite, but he really provided stability back there for this team last season – and that role has not been replaced. Perhaps rather than resigning a player they loaned out last season (Schiestel) they could have signed a stay at home vet for his spot? Corey Fienhage (already assigned to the ECHL) and injured Jerome Gauthier-Leduc round out the depth – and both should be considered more long term projects.

Goaltending will be up to David Leggio it appears. The workhorse MVP returns, but a reliable backup could serve to keep him fresh for the stretch run. Is local boy Connor Knapp up for the job? Based on his preseason performance we hope yes. If Leggio struggles could he become the first prospect goalie to excel since Ryan Miller? Let’s hope we don’t find that out quite yet. Nathan Lieuwen, assigned to the ECHL, will be our depth – and may perhaps yo-yo a bit with Knapp to keep everyone fresh.

??????Top 12 Question marks??????:
1. Will Leggio rise up to an upgraded league?
2. Is Knapp a legit prospect? We can’t have an exhausted Leggio heading into the playoffs again.
3. Is the D too young and offensive?
4. Is there enough AHL quality depth at forward?
5. Has Mancari matured and improved his overall game enough to be a net upgrade over Whitmore, who it feels he essentially replaced.
6. Will the lockout spur attendance (other than a Buffalo bump)?
7. How do other teams compare to the Amerks in lockout enhancement? We know OKC looks tough and that Toronto is loaded.
8. Are we too young? Only two vets and one exempt. We definitely don’t need to see as many “men against the boys” nights as last season.
9. What’s the plan IF the lockout ends? We lose Foligno, Hodgsons and Tropp and then what? None of the forwards not in our starting lineup are AHL quality. On the other hand, would Ellis and Pardy come down if the lockout were to end? In that case, would we actually be better off by way of adding some experience?
10. Is Evan Rankin for real, or should that spot have been used on a perennial AHL goal scorer?
11. If we run into trouble, or have a need at the trade deadline, will Darcy Regier make a move to bolster the team?
12. Will our playoff series win drought stop at 7?

Key Losses: Szczechura, Whitmore, Stuart, Morrisonn, MacIntyre, Turnbull
Key Additions: Mancari, Porter, Hodgson, Girgensens, Tarnasky

Prediction: 95 points in the regular season and AT LEAST our first playoff series win since the last lockout.

Enjoy the focus being on the Amerks, Rochester!

LETS GO AMERKS!

2012-2013 Amerk Preview is a post from: Let's Go Amerks!. For discussion visit the forums at LetsGoAmerks.com/Forums.