Welcome to our Central Division Preview, where one-by-one we will take a look at each of the Checkers' division rivals. Today's focus is on the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators.
Forwards
2014-15 Season
- • 33-28-8-7; 81 points; 5th in Midwest Division; t-10th in Western Conference
- • Checkers 2014-15 Head-To-Head Record: 2-2-0-0
- • Three Stars:
RW Viktor Arvidsson – 55 points (22g, 33a)
C Austin Watson – 44 points (26g, 18a)
C Colton Sissons – 42 points (25g, 17a)
- • Key Additions:
D Conor Allen (Signed 2-way contract with Nashville)
C Cody Bass (Signed 2-way contract with Nashville)
C Max Reinhart (Traded from Calgary)
- • Key Departures:
LW Brendan Leipsic (Traded to Toronto)
LW Triston Grant (Signed AHL contract with Grand Rapids)
D Joe Piskula (Signed 2-way contract with Anaheim)
While their offense only ranked in the middle of the pack last season, the Admirals are loaded with young firepower up front. The trio of Viktor Arvidsson, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons, who ranked first, second and third on the team in scoring last year, respectively, will all be back and ready to take another step forward. All three will be looking to crack the Nashville lineup, but a logjam up top could force them into more time in Milwaukee. If that’s the case, it creates an extremely strong scoring punch for the Admirals. The Admirals did lose high-scoring rookie Brendon Leipsic midway through last season, but added Max Reinhart, who recorded 63 points just two seasons ago, in the offseason. If he can shake off a down year (one that still saw him score 39 points), Reinhart could be another big weapon in the Admirals’ arsenal.
Defense
Milwaukee’s biggest loss this offseason was captain Joe Piskula signing with the Anaheim Ducks. The veteran blue liner chipped in 40 points over the last two seasons and was a force on the Admirals’ back end. But the Admirals have two 30-point scorers in Taylor Aronson and Anthony Bitetto who will look to step up and anchor the defensive corps.
Goalie
The Admirals rode the tandem of Marek Mazanec and Magnus Hellberg last season, with the former appearing in 10 more contests than the latter. But in July, Hellberg, an AHL All-Star last season, was traded to the New York Rangers, leaving the Admirals with a sizeable hole in net. Carter Hutton served as Pekka Rinne’s backup for the majority of last season, and could be looking at the same position next season, though Mazanec will likely challenge him for it. Should Mazanec spend the season with Milwaukee, he would likely become the de facto number one netminder, and would look to improve on last season’s solid numbers.
Outlook
While they failed to make the playoffs a season ago, the Admirals look like they will be one of the tougher teams in the division, on paper at least. Their high-end scoring attack could be lethal, as long as their young stars keep their production up. Losing a veteran leader like Piskula is tough, and several of their key players could earn a spot with the Predators, but Milwaukee’s offensive attack and the play of Mazanec could make them a strong contender in 2015-16.
