Most of the time there isn’t much mystery around the cycles in major junior hockey.
Teams with older players are usually trying to win it all and the younger groups are in the building phase. But sometimes it’s hard to slot a team into one category or the other. A case in point is this year’s Halifax Mooseheads.
They have some of the best veterans in the QMJHL but are also flush with fresh faces. They look simultaneously like they could be good enough to contend but also young enough to be headed for a rebuild.
The specific path they take may have to wait until mid-season when they know how they stack up against the rest of the league. If there is enough in place to make a run, maybe they’ll add a piece or two to boost their chances. If not, it might be time to trade away any key players who are scheduled for graduation at the end of the season.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of their roster heading into their season opener on the road against the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday:
Offence - second tier unproven
BO Groulx, Raphael Lavoie and Maxim Trepanier are three of the very best forwards in the league. Groulx and Lavoie are second-round NHL draft picks and are established goal scorers. Trepanier came to Halifax from the Gatineau Olympiques in a December trade and was at his best at the Memorial Cup. He will be an impact 20-year-old this year.
The big questions come after those three on the depth chart. A new line of Samuel Dube, Senna Peeters and Marcel Barinka showed promise in the pre-season but the regular season is an entirely different animal. Those three players represent Halifax’s second scoring tier and there will be pressure on them to deliver when the games matter.
Getting real production from any of the other forwards will be a bonus. There is an enthusiastic group of players ticketed for the bottom two lines and, collectively, they will give the Mooseheads hustle and a hard-working identity. They showed well in those areas in the pre-season.
Some of those guys may develop into offensive contributors in time. But right now most of them are new to the league and will need some mileage before they find their footing.
Defence - preseason moves solidified blueline
The top returning four of Patty Kyte, Walter Flower, Justin Barron and Jared McIsaac is just about as good as it gets. Kyte and Flower are reliable and experienced, while Barron and McIsaac are also both of those things, plus a little more. Barron is an impressive skater and athlete who seems poised for a breakout, while McIsaac is already one of the best defencemen in the league. The only glitch is that McIsaac is expected to miss a couple more months because of his rehabilitation from off-season shoulder surgery.
The rest of the blue line looked paper thin leading up to training camp but general manager Cam Russell did well to fill the holes. Sixteen-year-old Cameron Whynot is a star in the making, August acquisition Jason Horvath and recent free-agent signing Brendan Tomilson are well-rounded players who can clearly contribute at the Q level and rookie Lucas Robinson was the most pleasant surprise of training camp.
Goaltending - Aces
There may not be a better tandem in the league. Alexis Gravel is among the best starters in all of Canada and Cole McLaren is good enough to be a No. 1 anywhere. It is a real luxury to have that kind of stability in goal.
Coaching - New blood behind bench
This is J.J. Daigneault’s first season behind the Mooseheads’ bench and he is the franchise’s fifth head coach in the past five seasons,. The former NHL defenceman has about a decade and a half of coaching experience at the AHL and NHL level, and has a reputation as an excellent communicator and teacher. Jon Greenwood and Sylvain Favreau have proven themselves to be outstanding assistants and will be valuable support for Daigneault as he transitions to junior from the pros. Otherwise, Joey Perricone joins the team as the new goalie coach. He replaces Marco Raimondo, who stepped down in the summer so he could be closer to his family and business in Montreal.
Intangibles - Lots of Team Canada contenders
First-year forward Zach Jones is the younger brother of former Mooseheads defenceman Cooper Jones. ... Three of Halifax’s defencemen are from Ontario — Tomilson, Kyte and Horvath. ... Peeters led the league in pre-season goals with six. He is from Belgium. ... Groulx tied for second in the Q last year with 14 power-play goals. ... Gravel (Chicago Blackhawks), McIsaac (Detroit Red Wings) and Groulx (Anaheim Ducks) were still at NHL camps as of Wednesday evening. ... McIsaac, Lavoie, Barron, Groulx and Gravel are candidates to play for Canada at this year’s world junior tournament.
MORE ON THE MOOSE:
- Mooseheads' Barron ranked as potential NHL first-rounder
- Mooseheads coach J.J. Daigneault gets back to basics
- Mooseheads close pre-season with loss to Wildcats
A LOOK AT THE SCREAMING EAGLES:
- Cape Breton Eagles officially announce roster for 2019-20 QMJHL season
- Young players impress, earn spots on Cape Breton Eagles roster
- Eagles wrap up pre-season with win over Sea Dogs
A LOOK AT THE CHARLOTTETOWN ISLANDERS: