Who will step up to fill the offensive void?
Coach Jeff Daniels has stated that the team is preparing for a season without Zach Boychuk and Chris Terry, the two most prolific scorers in the franchise’s history, who both have as strong a chance as ever to make the NHL squad. Not only that, six of the top 10 scorers from last season are gone, including the top four (Boychuk, Terry, Aaron Palushaj, Brett Sutter), who contributed nearly half of the teams’ goal total.
That is a devastating amount of production lost, but there are certainly contenders to regain some of that firepower. Justin Shugg had his most productive pro season last year and will be looking to build on that to become a consistent offensive threat, while Greg Nemisz showed a promising spark in his brief stint, tallying 11 points in 14 games with the Checkers after they acquired him from Abbotsford. There is also Victor Rask, who could very well be on the Hurricanes roster, judging from the rave reviews he’s been getting from just about everyone. But should he be with the Checkers, Rask immediately becomes one of the biggest offensive threats on the team. He showed flashes of it last year, and all indications point toward him taking a huge step this offseason and breaking out.
The real key for Charlotte’s offense, however, will be the performance of the rookies. Brock McGinn exploded offensively in his final year of juniors, and seems to be poised to deliver at the next level. Both Patrick Brown and Phil Di Guiseppe have drawn attention from coaches during the offseason and will be looked at to contribute as well. And then there is veteran Chad LaRose, who is somewhat of an unknown commodity, having not played last year, but he was a consistent producer at the NHL level, and if he can bring even a shade of that with him to Charlotte, it will definitely help. The Checkers are undoubtedly going to feel the loss of so many offensive weapons, but if the young talent lives up to its potential, it will certainly help ease the transition.
How will the Jordan Staal injury affect the Checkers?
Jordan Staal suffered a broken bone in his leg during the Hurricanes’ second preseason game and will be out for an undetermined amount of time. The loss of the 40-point scorer is obviously a huge blow to Carolina, but the aftermath of the injury could have implications throughout the organization, down to the Checkers. The Hurricanes are now in need of a center for their second line, and should they decide call up someone from Charlotte, it could leave the Checkers shorthanded. We've already discussed some of the options, whether it be sliding a player on their current roster over to the middle, which would open another slot up for Boychuk or Terry to fill, or moving veteran Ben Holmstrom up, as he is more of a proven player that has had some NHL experience.
The move to keep an eye on would be calling up Rask. He has gotten nothing but praise thus far, and this unfortunate injury could be his gateway to the big time. As far as what that would mean for the Checkers, they would obviously be losing one of the top returning forwards they have and would add to their offensive departures. But it could be a break for a fringe AHL/ECHL player like Alex Aleardi to prove that he can bring some of the offensive prowess he showed for the Evansville Icemen last year to the AHL level.
Who will fill the captaincy/leadership role with the absence of Brett Sutter?
The most immediately noticeable trait of the Checkers’ roster is the youth. There are many fresh faces, and while that can bring about a lot of promise, the team will certainly need one of the more established players to step up and take a leadership role. The departure of Sutter puts the Checkers in search of a captain for the first time in years. It’s all speculation at this point as to who will be wearing letters, but there are a few potential candidates that stand out.
Holmstrom, who joins the Checkers after spending the last four seasons with the Adirondack Phantoms, served as team captain there for three consecutive years. He has a proven track record of being a leader throughout his entire career, captaining his team in the USHL, NCAA and AHL. That experience could put Holmstrom at the forefront of the captaincy discussions. As far as returning players go, blueliners Brett Bellemore and Michal Jordan have a familiarity with the organization due to their tenure, and that could lend itself to them taking on the captain’s responsibility. Or it could be a younger player that impresses the coaches enough to emerge as a dark horse. In the end, it will be the coaches’ decision on who will take the reins.
What kind of impact will Chad LaRose make?
The signing of LaRose made the biggest waves of any move this offseason. A fan favorite, LaRose was a fixture in the NHL, but sat out all of last season after not being re-signed. Now attempting to work his way back to the NHL, LaRose will presumably join the Checkers, unless he makes the Hurricanes roster out of camp. The fear with an established NHLer being told to prove himself in the minors is that he will see that as an insult and feel the task is below him. Speaking with LaRose in Raleigh at training camp, that does not appear to be the case. He seemed genuinely grateful for the chance he has been given and driven to prove himself no matter where he is.
Regardless of his year off, LaRose was a contributor at the highest level, and now will be playing with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder. He could bring some fire and grit to a young Checkers squad and help ease some of the weight thrust upon the rookies.
How will the goalie situation shake out?
After last season, it’s hard to get too invested in the goalie situation this early, after seeing nine different goalies suit up for the Checkers. An abundance of injuries forced early season call ups of both of Charlotte’s goalies, paving the way for John Muse to step in and establish himself as the main man in net, with a rotating cast of goalies backing him up and spelling him at times. It’s impossible to say that injuries won’t cause something similar this year, but optimistically, the Checkers have a solid one-two situation.
Muse, the Checkers’ all-time wins leader, is back, joined by Drew MacIntyre, a seasoned vet signed in the offseason. MacIntyre has established himself as a solid goalie at this level, guiding the Toronto Marlies to within one win of the Calder Cup Finals last year. The two will seemingly share the duties in net, unless one of them outright steals the show. Rookie Daniel Altshuller, an OHL standout, will more than likely begin his professional career with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, but as we saw last season, could be pushed into a bigger role if the situation should arise.
