The recent NHL and AHL trade deadlines brought a flurry of moves that shuffled Charlotte’s roster mightily.
All in all there’s six new faces on the Charlotte roster that weren’t there before the trade deadline. It’s a group that ranges widely in experience and background.
There’s the trio of PTO’s brought in from the ECHL in Mark Cooper, Boston Leier and Blake Winiecki, who are getting a chance to make an impact on the AHL stage.
“I like Coop’s game,” said head coach Ryan Warsofsky of the 27-year-old who has put up three points in four games for Charlotte. “He’s definitely responsible, you can see that. He has confidence in his tool set and knows what he’s doing when he gets the puck. He doesn’t panic and he’s got some experience playing over in Tucson and San Antonio.
“Leier plays hard and he’s good on the walls,” said Warsofsky. “Winiecki is a guy that has had some really good seasons in Florida and came pretty recommended. These guys are getting a good opportunity to play at this level and show what they can do.”
There’s Alexis D’Aoust, a standout in junior who bounced between the AHL and ECHL over his first three pro seasons before the Checkers acquired him from Manitoba in exchange for future considerations.
“I think he could be a bit of a late bloomer,” said Warsofsky. “It’s an adjustment when you go from junior to the American Hockey League. It’s tough and some guys take longer than others. Steven Lorentz is a perfect example of that.”
The 23-year-old D’Aoust picked up an assist in his Checkers debut Sunday, matching his season total from four games with the Moose.
“He’s going to get a good chance,” said Warsofsky. “He’s a right shot that can play the wing, can play the power play, can play a bit of everything. We’re hoping that we find a little bit of a hidden gem where a change in systems could help his game.”
There’s Ryan Bourque, an established veteran bringing a wealth of experience with him into the room after the Checkers acquired him from Bridgeport in exchange for Cedric Lacroix and Terry Broadhurst.
“He’s played in the playoffs, he knows what it takes,” said Warsofsky of the 29-year-old. “He plays a smart, 200-foot energy game. He’s going to complement [Clark] Bishop a bit and hopefully [Colin] Markison when we get him back. That could be a really good checking line for us that’s hard to play against. He’s a leader who will speak up, which I think is important down the stretch here.”
And then there’s Keith Kinkaid, an NHL-tenured presence between the pipes who Montreal assigned to Charlotte.
“His experience is important,” said Warsofsky. “You saw in that first game, he settled things down. You can see his confidence, he plays with swagger, which as a goaltender you need.”
In the AHL for the first time since 2014-15, Kinkaid has had a bumpy go in his first season with the Canadiens. The move to Charlotte will look to not only rejuvenate his game, but give the Checkers a dependable force between the pipes, as evidenced in his strong winning effort against Hershey.
“I know he’s had a rough year,” said Warsofsky. “He’s just trying to get his name back on the map. He’s had a great start and we’re happy to have him here. We’re fortunate that [Carolina VP of Hockey Ops] Paul Krepelka and [Charlotte VP of Hockey Ops] Derek Wilkinson got on that as soon as possible with Mike Condon going down with a little bit of an injury there. They worked fast to get him in there for Sunday’s game and credit to Keith for being focused and making some big saves in that hockey game.”
In addition to the slew of new faces hitting the roster, there could be a pair of familiar ones on the horizon.
“[Brian] Gibbons is close,” said Warsofsky. “Probably doubtful for the weekend but possible for the following week against Cleveland. Then [Colin] Markison is probably that following week. Gibby is a week, Marky is probably two weeks, so they’re close.”
