As the Checkers' 2015-16 season comes to an end and the offseason begins, let's take a player-by-player look this week at how the team fared through the season.
First up are the forwards.
DEREK RYAN | 60 GP, 23g-32a-55pts
From start to finish, Derek Ryan was the driving force of the Checkers’ season. Already an established scorer overseas, the captain didn’t need any time to adjust to a new continent, propelling Charlotte’s offense right from the get go. Ryan’s consistency was perhaps his biggest weapon, as he wasn’t held off the score sheet in consecutive games until Dec. 30, the 30th game of the season. A slight dip in production (relative to his previous breakneck pace) midway through the season prevented him from competing among the league’s top scorers, but Ryan’s impact on the team was second to none. Case in point: the noticeable struggle of the Checkers to post points during the last stretch of the season when he was forced out due to injury. Ryan was a dominant player throughout the season and, as his coaches and teammates have pointed out, the heart and soul of the team.
SERGEY TOLCHINSKY | 72 GP, 14g-22a-36pts
Sergey Tolchinsky went through his fair share of challenges during his rookie year, as the transition from junior to the pros brought with it the need accept a different style of play. But despite those bumps, you’d be hard pressed to call Tolchinsky’s rookie season anything but a success. While building up the defensive side of his game and gaining trust in the systems, the 21-year-old Russian showed that his offensive prowess would fit right in, registering the third-highest scoring rookie season in franchise history. Tolchinsky played some of his best hockey down the stretch, including an eight points in six games run, and looked to have gained the confidence that he can be a difference-maker at the pro level going forward.
BROCK MCGINN | 48 GP, 19g-16a-35pts
Despite appearing in 25 fewer games, Brock McGinn bested his rookie-year totals in goals, assists and points, showing his ability to be a lethal scorer for the Checkers. The speedy forward notched six multi-goal games, and was particularly clutch on the man advantage, as his seven power-play tallies gave him a share of the team lead. McGinn shook the streakiness of his rookie campaign and was a force for Charlotte any time he touched the ice.
JUSTIN SHUGG | 59 GP, 13g-22a-35pts
While his offensive totals may have been down from the previous two seasons, Justin Shugg was a versatile cog in the Checkers’ forward corps. He tied for second among team forwards in power-play points, he was deadly in the shootout with a pair of game winners and he was flexible enough to be inserted into several different slots on an ever-shifting lineup.
PATRICK BROWN | 70 GP, 13g-12a-25pts
Arguably no one on the Checkers took a bigger leap this year than Patrick Brown. After grinding out a solid rookie season, the 23-year-old’s offensive game sprung to life this year, with his point total jumping for 10 to 25 and his goal production skyrocketing from two to 13. Taking on a key leadership role as an alternate captain, Brown became the driving force of Charlotte’s bottom-six forwards, killing penalties and taking advantage of his opportunities.
BRODY SUTTER | 70 GP, 13g-11a-24pts
Taking on a more defensive role on the team didn’t slow down Brody Sutter’s scoring touch, as he still managed to set a career high with 13 goals on the year. Sutter continued to use his physicality to be an imposing player in both zones, and he helped anchor one of the Checkers’ most consistently effective lines throughout the season (Sutter, Woods and Brown).
BRENDAN WOODS | 59 GP, 9g-11a-20pts
Like Sutter, Woods settled into a depth role allowed by the team’s increase of more high-level offensive talent relative to the previous season. As such, his scoring totals were down, but not in a way that should suggest a bump in the road in terms of his development, as his NHL future would likely result in a similar role. Woods’ line with Brown and Sutter was easily the team’s most consistent two-way threat throughout the season, and the third-year pro still demonstrated an ability to finish, earning power-play time and five NHL games later in the season.
DAVID WOHLBERG | 75 GP, 9g-10a-19pts
It’s not often that a player on a PTO earns an AHL contract mid-season, and even less often does that player end up leading the team in games played. But that was the case for David Wohlberg, who convinced the coaching staff early on that he belonged in the lineup and never gave up his spot. The fourth-year-pro became the foundation of a highly productive fourth line, setting career highs in goals, assists and points while helping elevate the offensive prowess of the players around him as well. Wohlberg chipped in timely scoring while being responsible in his own end, earning Kyle Hagel’s endorsement as “the best fourth-line center I’ve ever played with.”
ETHAN WEREK | 40 GP, 9g-7a-16pts
Like Wohlberg, Ethan Werek impressed enough during his PTO stint to earn an AHL contract during the season. His natural scoring touch helped a sometimes goal-starved Checkers team get through some dry spells, and he quickly became someone who the coaching staff trusted enough to use in any situation.
KYLE HAGEL | 75 GP, 5g-5a-10pts
It’s no secret that Kyle Hagel was one of the most important pieces of the Checkers, both off the ice and in the locker room. But the veteran’s accomplishments on the ice are not to be overlooked. Hagel once again took the mantle as the team’s enforcer, ranking second in the AHL in major penalties and recording the second-most penalty minutes in franchise history, but he also reclaimed his scoring touch. The 31-year-old more than doubled his point total from a season ago, and his five goals matched a career high set during his rookie campaign. Hagel helped elevate a fourth line that had earned enough confidence from Morris to be put into any situation.
ERIK KARLSSON | 49 GP, 3g-6a-9pts
Often the victim of simply having more bodies than spots in the lineup, Erik Karlsson found himself as a healthy extra several times throughout the season, but made strides during his rookie season, the highlight of which was a two-goal effort against the Manitoba Moose in March.
ANTHONY CAMARA | 15 GP, 3g-5a-8pts
Acquired at the NHL trade deadline as somewhat of an unknown commodity, Anthony Camara quickly made a splash with his hard-driving style of play. He recorded a point in four of his first five games in a Checkers sweater en route to eclipsing his 33-game total with Providence earlier in the season and matching his 59-game total from a year ago. An injury late in the season derailed his hot streak a bit, but Camara showed a natural offensive affinity and an ability to cut through defensives and get pucks to the net.
