Huge turnover of Bulldogs roster

Rick Stephens

October 5, 2008

ECHL MVP David Desharnais will attempt to make the jump to the AHL after a dominating 106 point season with the Cincinnati Cyclones.

Habster:

If the AHL pre-season is any indication, then the Hamilton Bulldogs will have a solid team for the 2008-09 season. Granted, they’ve only played three games and it’s only pre-season but they definitely have a solid core of players that will only get stronger once Pacioretty, Weber, Chipchura, Henry, Jancevski and Denis arrive at training camp.

With so many talented players at camp, the Cincinnati Cyclones will be the beneficiary once cuts are made to the Bulldogs roster in about 3-4 days as the Bulldogs start their regular season (Bulldogs’ Schedule) on October 10th with back to back games against the Manitoba Moose in Winnipeg.

Cyclones should also have a good roster of players to try to defend their Kelly Cup championship after cuts are made to the Bulldogs team.

Players who are on the bubble and could be sent to Cincinnati are: Mathieu Aubin, Olivier Latendresse, Thomas Beauregard and Ryan Russell.

Unfortunately for these players, the Bulldogs roster is extremely strong with a very good balance of AHL veterans as well as up and coming rookies.

There isn’t a ton of room on the roster with the signing of AHL veteran players like Yanick Lehoux, Mike Glumac, Ryan Flinn, Alex Henry, Shawn Belle, Marc Denis and Chad Anderson plus the assignment of former Bulldog Dan Jancevski from the Dallas Stars.

Add into the mix solid returning Bulldog players like Kyle Chipchura, Matt D’Agostini, Mathieu Carle, Pavel Valentenko, Cedrick Desjardins and Gregory Stewart who should all make the roster.

ECHL MVP David Desharnais is another strong candidate to earn a spot on the team after a 106 point season with the Cyclones. He has nothing more to prove at the ECHL level where he was dominate. He was just recently named the tournament MVP at Iceberg Cup in St. John, Newfoundland where the Bulldogs participated in the three team round robin tourney.

Don Lever will also have a large, talented rookie contingent that will be vying for roster spots. Talented Habs prospects like Max Pacioretty, Ryan White, Brock Trotter, James Wyman and Ben Maxwell have a solid chance of making the Bulldogs opening season team.

With only 22 +/- roster spots available, Don Lever should have a good idea who will be on his opening day roster especially with their first regular season game just five days away.

Here’s my predictions for the 2008-09 Hamilton Bulldogs opening season roster (pretty much a no-brainer!!):

Forwards:

Matt D’Agostini

Kyle Chipchura

Ben Maxwell

Max Pacioretty

Mike Glumac

Yanick Lehoux

Gregory Stewart

Brock Trotter

James Wyman

Ryan White

David Desharnais

Ryan Flinn

Mathieu Aubin/Thomas Beauregard

Defense:

Chad Anderson

Shawn Belle

Dan Jancevski

Pavel Valentenko

Alex Henry

Yannick Weber

Mathieu Carle

Goaltenders:

Marc Denis

Cedrick Desjardins

After every season, Don Lever has to deal with some player turnover, it’s just part of the AHL process. The league has always emphasized its belief that it’s a development league with rules in place to enforce that belief (of the 18 players on the ice (excluding the goalies), 12 of them must have played 260 pro games or less).

With that type of structure in place, there will always be a number of players changing uniforms, whether it’s a high profile prospect starting his pro career (i.e- Pacioretty) or a grizzled AHL veteran moving on to another AHL team (i.e- Ajay Baines).

Don Lever will have his hands full with a higher than usual player turnover. With 15 players from last year’s roster gone and no less than five Habs prospects truly starting their pro hockey careers, the Bulldogs will have a completely new look with a few returning players in the mix.

Bulldogs GM Julien BriseBois realized he had his hands full in the off-season re-building the Bulldogs’ roster from scratch:

“Fifteen players from the 2007-08 edition have left the organization and only six regular players are back with us this season,” BriseBois told RDS reporter Luc Dansereau, “This was certainly the summer we spent the most time dealing with the farm club since I am in office”

Needless to say, the Bulldogs should have a solid and exciting season. Enjoy Bulldog fans as this could be a repeat performance of the Calder Cup championship year!!!