Post by torontogm on Feb 11, 2013 14:13:50 GMT -5
Toronto, ON - The Toronto Marlies are looking forward to a new season with some fresh faces in the lineup. Several younger players have been signed to fill some spaces left by players who have departed or are expected to move up. After dominating the regular season the previous two seasons, the Marlies were inconsistent last season and just squeezed into the playoffs, only to be punted in the first round once again.
Leaving the Marlies from last season's team include Cody McLeod LW and Brett Carson D (traded to Buffalo), Kevin Regan G and Neil Petruic D (retired), Aaron Boogaard RW and Thomas Beauregard RW (released), and Jiri Tlusty LW/RW, who is expected to play for the Leafs.
There club is also expected to have one of their top four defensemen from last season, Jay Harrison, Slava Voynov, or Keith Aulie move up to the big club. Throw in the mid-season promotion and subsequent trade of Aaron Rome D, and the Marlies will have a very different look starting this season.
The biggest loss was first line winger Jiri Tlusty, but the club addressed that loss with the addition of Aaron Palushaj RW when the big club moved Alexei Ponikarovsky to make room for Tlusty. The club will also be bringing in Zac Rinaldo C/LW, who will replace the grit of McLeod and hopefully provide some offense. He is expected to audition in the top six. The club has also brought in youngsters Anthony Nigro LW/C and Byron Froese C/RW to fill the voids up front.
On the blueline John Moore is expected to play in the top four if he does not stick with the Leafs, and Corbin McPherson will make a strong push to play a regular role. The club is also hoping that Matt Taorimina will return to his excellent play of 2010-11. He stuggled to stay in the lineup last year.
In goal the club is expected to have Ben Bishop and Eddie Lack duke it out for top minutes, but Alex Stalock was excellent last season when called upon. "You don't usually want a three headed monster in goal, but that was the one area where different guys went on great runs last year, so we will make it work once again," said coach Jim Schoenfeld.
Without knowing who will stick with the Leafs, projecting a lineup for the Marlies is a bit tougher, but we expect it to look something like this:
Brett Sterling - Jeremy Williams - Aaron Palushaj
Zac Rinaldo - Paul Szczechura - Christian Hanson
Steven Zalewski - Toby Peterson - Casey Wellman
Anthony Nigro - David Dziurzynski - Byron Froese
Peter Leblanc, Levi Nelson, Alex Berry, Joe Finley
Top 4 - 4 of... TJ Brennan / Keith Aulie / John Moore / Jay Harrison / Slava Voynov
Matt Taormina - Corbin McPherson
Dennis Persson
Ben Bishop
Eddie Lack
Alex Stalock
-- Barbie Q. Pork for the Hogtown Hockey News
Leaving the Marlies from last season's team include Cody McLeod LW and Brett Carson D (traded to Buffalo), Kevin Regan G and Neil Petruic D (retired), Aaron Boogaard RW and Thomas Beauregard RW (released), and Jiri Tlusty LW/RW, who is expected to play for the Leafs.
There club is also expected to have one of their top four defensemen from last season, Jay Harrison, Slava Voynov, or Keith Aulie move up to the big club. Throw in the mid-season promotion and subsequent trade of Aaron Rome D, and the Marlies will have a very different look starting this season.
The biggest loss was first line winger Jiri Tlusty, but the club addressed that loss with the addition of Aaron Palushaj RW when the big club moved Alexei Ponikarovsky to make room for Tlusty. The club will also be bringing in Zac Rinaldo C/LW, who will replace the grit of McLeod and hopefully provide some offense. He is expected to audition in the top six. The club has also brought in youngsters Anthony Nigro LW/C and Byron Froese C/RW to fill the voids up front.
On the blueline John Moore is expected to play in the top four if he does not stick with the Leafs, and Corbin McPherson will make a strong push to play a regular role. The club is also hoping that Matt Taorimina will return to his excellent play of 2010-11. He stuggled to stay in the lineup last year.
In goal the club is expected to have Ben Bishop and Eddie Lack duke it out for top minutes, but Alex Stalock was excellent last season when called upon. "You don't usually want a three headed monster in goal, but that was the one area where different guys went on great runs last year, so we will make it work once again," said coach Jim Schoenfeld.
Without knowing who will stick with the Leafs, projecting a lineup for the Marlies is a bit tougher, but we expect it to look something like this:
Brett Sterling - Jeremy Williams - Aaron Palushaj
Zac Rinaldo - Paul Szczechura - Christian Hanson
Steven Zalewski - Toby Peterson - Casey Wellman
Anthony Nigro - David Dziurzynski - Byron Froese
Peter Leblanc, Levi Nelson, Alex Berry, Joe Finley
Top 4 - 4 of... TJ Brennan / Keith Aulie / John Moore / Jay Harrison / Slava Voynov
Matt Taormina - Corbin McPherson
Dennis Persson
Ben Bishop
Eddie Lack
Alex Stalock
-- Barbie Q. Pork for the Hogtown Hockey News