Through the second weekend of the season, it’s hard to get a read on how the year ahead will unfold. Rosters around the league have gaping holes as key pieces remain at NHL training camps. A total of 77 “Q” players—at least one from every team—received invites to pro camps. While some have already been returned, a lot of marquee players were still missing in action this weekend.
Doesn’t mean there wasn’t good stuff happening on the ice, though. Here’s what you need to know:
Maritimes Division
After four games, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles sit atop the division with six points and are tied for the league lead in goals scored with 22. Left-winger Kyle Farrell leads the league in scoring with eight goals and 12 points, but expect the team to be led offensively by the Russian duo of rookie Evgeny Svechnikov and Maxim Lazarev. Svechnikov has three goals and eight points and should hear his name called by an NHL team in June. Other Screaming Eagles that could be drafted this spring include a pair of defencemen, Jason Bell and Bradley Lalonde.
The Halifax Mooseheads blueline has been hit hard by the injury bug already. Jesse Lussier is out for six to eight weeks after wrist surgery. It was announced this week rookie Cavan Fitzgerald is out eight weeks with a fractured patella. Undrafted veteran defenceman Matt Murphy is still at the Ottawa Senators camp. The Montreal Canadien’s returned stud goalie Zachary Fucale to Halifax Tuesday, though. That will help keep pucks out of the net.
Saint John’s Luke Green is an exciting player to watch. The D-man was selected first overall by the Sea Dogs in June and looks comfortable patrolling the blueline. He has strong skating and positioning, allowing him to jump into the rush without giving up chances the other way. Expect points to pile up as he keeps throwing pucks at the net with confidence.
East Division
Despite having five players at NHL camps, the Victoriaville Tigres have found the back of the net, scoring at least four goals in each of their first four games. After dropping their first two games, the team has won two in a row, helped by QMJHL second star of the week Angelo Miceli. Full seasons from NHL prospects Samuel Blais (St. Louis), Yan-Pavel Laplante (Arizona), Tommy Veilleux (Nashville) and goaltender Brandon Whitney (Minnesota) make this Tigres team one to watch this season.
The Quebec Remparts will be under the microscope all season as they work towards hosting the 2015 Memorial Cup. Ukrainian rookie Dmytro Timashov is off to a good start with a team-leading eight points. With seven players invited to NHL camps this season, it’s hard to read too much into Quebec’s mediocre start, although allowing nine goals to the Rimouski Oceanic highlights why goaltending trade rumours have been circulating since the QMJHL draft.
Rimouski is a favourite to win the President Cup this year. They had a league-high eight players invited to NHL camps this season. So far, only winger Vincent Dunn has returned. He piled up 13 PIM after getting in a fight in his first game back versus the Huskies. In his second game, he scored his first goal of the season. The Oceanic are tied with the Screaming Eagles for most goals for with 22. Watch for impressive defensive numbers when goaltender Phillipe Desrosiers (Dallas) and defencemen Samuel Morin (Philadelphia) and Jan Kostalek (Winnipeg) return to the team.
West Division
After reaching the league semi-finals in consecutive seasons, playoff success is far from guaranteed for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. In July, former head coach Jean-Francois Houle took over the Bakersfield Condors in the ECHL. The team’s top scorer from last season, Christopher Clapperton now plays for the Oceanic. The No. 3-scorer from a year ago, Samuel Hodhod, plays for Chicoutimi. This is a team in transition and off to a bad start, going winless through four games and being outscored 13-4.
The Val-d’or Foreurs, the defending league champions, won their first two games but are currently on a three-game losing streak. The Foreurs will miss having CHL player of the year Anthony Mantha providing goals on a nightly basis and the spectacular goaltending of Antoine Bibeau. This season, Keven Bouchard will take over starting duties once he returns from the Edmonton Oilers training camp.
The Sherbrooke Phoenix missed the playoffs in 2013-14 but are hoping to change that this year. Daniel Audette, the first-overall pick of the 2012 QMJHL draft, is back with the Phoenix after missing the first two games while at the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp. So far he has two assists after leading the team with 76 points last season. Jeremy Roy is another Phoenix to keep an eye on. The defenceman could be a first-round NHL pick. Through four games he has taken 15 shots and has three assists.
Three Stars of the Week
Marvin Cupper, G, Shawinigan Cataractes Last season, Cupper, 20, played 43 games without a shutout. This season, he has two in his first four games. The German was named first star of the week after turning away 39 shots from the Drummondville Voltigeurs shots Friday night and 32 more from Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Sunday. He’s gone 170 minutes without allowing a goal.
Angelo Miceli, C, Victoriaville Tigres Six points in two games—including a hat trick versus the Gatineau Olympiques—landed Miceli, 20, second star of the week honours. No stranger to scoring, Miceli netted 35 goals last season and 36 the year before.
Adam Marsh, LW, Saint John Sea Dogs The 17-year-old rookie was an undrafted training-camp invitee by Chicago. With two goals and four points—including a helper on the overtime winner—he was instrumental in the Sea Dogs’ 6-5 comeback win against the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday.
2015 NHL Draft Prospect Watch
Nathan Noel, C, Saint John Sea Dogs With three goals and three assists, he has at least one point in each game so far this season. The six-foot, 168-lb. player is a strong skater with good hands, relying more on skills than physical strength. Last season he finished third on the team with 39 points. Don’t be surprised if he ends up leading the team in scoring this season.
Timo Meier, RW, Halifax Mooseheads With the team’s top player Nikolaj Ehlers at Winnipeg Jets camp, another import draft pick has been leading the Mooseheads. Meier has three goals and seven points and will continue to see time on the team’s top line. He’s not overly flashy, but is willing to go hard to the net and the corners with his six-foot, 209-lb.-frame.
Timo Time! 4-3 Moose! #TimoTime
— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) September 20, 2014
His stick-handling and shot need work. Last season the right winger was buried on the depth chart, but with Darcy Ashley playing university hockey and the off-season trade that sent Luca Ciampini to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the log-jam at his position has cleared.