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Edited by: @AlyssaHertel
CHICAGO - Last season, the Chicago Wolves were in limbo, at least when it came to constructing their roster. Having recently ended their affiliation with the St. Louis Blues, a system with no shortage of prospects in the professional pipeline, and beginning a relationship with the brand new Vegas Golden Knights, the Wolves found their roster in flux. The coaching staff suddenly had to integrate a handful of players signed to contracts with the Blues, a new influx of players (and influence) from the Golden Knights, plus players already signed to AHL contracts.
The patchwork roster and affiliations didn’t hamper the Wolves too much, however, as they won the Central Division last year, their second season in a row as champs. While they ultimately bowed out in the first round at the hand of the Rockford IceHogs in an epic three-overtime showdown, the Wolves are poised to return many of the same players to the ice.
Thanks to trades, off-season signings, and a handful of players aging out of junior hockey, the Wolves’ roster is stocked largely with players under contract to the Vegas Golden Knights. Whether they’re integrating players like Erik Brännström, entering their first North American professional seasons, or relying on the veteran presence of players like Brandon Pirri and Curtis McKenzie, the Wolves enter their 25th season with high hopes and even higher expectations.
Returning Players
Forwards: Reid Duke, Tomas Hyka, Keegan Kolesar, Stefan Matteau, Brandon Pirri, T.J. Tynan, Ryan Wagner, Tyler Wong Defense: Nic Hague, Zac Leslie, Kevin Lough, Griffin Reinhart Goalie: Oskar Dansk, Max Lagace
The Wolves are bringing back fourteen players who had a hand in claiming the Central Division title last season. Three of the Wolves forwards saw NHL action — Hyka, Matteau, and Pirri — as well as both goaltenders, in what ended up being a very strange season for Vegas in net.
Keegan Kolesar, T.J. Tynan, and Brandon Pirri started opening night for the Wolves as the top line and have the potential to be a potent combination. Tynan, a somewhat undersized center, plays a much bigger game and really blossomed last season in Chicago. He put up career highs in goals, assists, and total points, and very quickly became a player given prime ice time in all situations. Pirri has always been a goal scorer — perhaps most memorable for a season with the Florida Panthers where he scored 22 goals and only two assists — and, at the AHL level, is someone who can take over a game for his team. Kolesar split his time between the Wolves and the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards last season, his first year as a pro. He’s someone who could benefit from playing alongside two skilled veterans, and as a player known for his physical presence, could also help clear space on the ice for Tynan and Pirri.
Tomas Hyka was a scoring threat almost any time he was on the ice last season for the Wolves, and this year will probably be no different. He helps provide scoring on the second line, can play up if needed and, with another strong season under his belt, could be a candidate to spend more time in the NHL this season. The same story is true for Stefan Matteau, who put up fewer points than Hyka but played up and down the Wolves lineup and saw a few games in Vegas as a result of his success.
The rest of the forward returnees are all young players. Reid Duke, forever a point of hockey history trivia by being the first player signed by the Vegas Golden Knights, missed most of his first pro season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He got in 14 regular season games and two playoff games but is still waiting to record his first professional point. With a full off-season to further recover and rehab, Duke may be poised to finally find his footing with the Wolves this year.
Tyler Wong, with the Wolves on an AHL contract, is a player who had a rough time on the scoresheet in his first season, but who was increasingly trusted by Thompson to play up and down the lineup. Wong was a prolific scorer during his junior hockey career, recording 109 points in his final season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. With the right linemates and on-ice opportunity, Wong could be a player to watch this year. Winger Ryan Wagner joined the Wolves at the conclusion of his college career, getting into seven games for the Wolves at the end of the regular season. The Park Ridge, Illinois product projects as a depth player.
On defense, Nic Hague is one of Vegas’ top prospects and one of the final cuts on defense during this year’s training camp. Standing at 6’6”, Hague is an intimidating presence on the blue line who isn’t afraid to play a physical game. With a big shot and strong offensive instincts, Hague is looking to build off of his excellent OHL career, where he was named Defenseman of the Year during his final season. Hague may have the inside track to being a quick call-up to the Golden Knights, given his physical size and skill set.
Zac Leslie found himself the odd man out with the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate Ontario Reign last season. His role changed, his offense dropped, and with a very crowded blue line, the Kings traded him to Vegas for a new start. Leslie fit in well with his new team, putting up 17 points in 27 games with Chicago (he recorded five in 26 with the Reign) and quickly found himself signed to a contract extension. He plays a steady game but never did much to separate himself from the pack of other young defenders in Ontario. Already a seasoned professional, look to Leslie to help provide a veteran presence on the team.
Another big defender, Griffin Reinhart has never quite lived up to the pedigree of being a first-round draft pick and has now spent the majority of his career in the AHL. With players like Hague and newcomers Erik Brännström and Zach Whitecloud possibly being ahead of him on the Golden Knights’ depth chart, look for Reinhart to continue to carve out a quiet but effective role with the Wolves. He eats up plenty of minutes playing on the Wolves’ first pairing but hasn’t been able to show the kind of special game that would warrant another look in the NHL.
Kevin Lough is an undersized defender who split his time last season between the Wolves and the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. His strong play with the Thunder earned him a promotion to the Wolves, and he looks to make that promotion permanent this season. He figures in as more of a defensive defenseman, though showed that he can be relied on as a good puck mover and is eager to learn from his more experienced teammates.
In net, both Oskar Dansk and Max Lagace return to the Wolves with some NHL experience under their belts. Dansk is projected to get the majority of the starts for the Wolves, but Lagace showed last season that he’s capable of manning the net for the Wolves. His 72-save performance in the Wolves’ final playoff game is unforgettable, albeit one the Wolves wish would have gone the other way. Dansk and Lagace may not be the future in net for the Golden Knights, but they’ve both proven to be capable netminders at the AHL level.
New Players
Forwards: Daniel Carr, Alex Gallant, Brooks Macek, Curtis McKenzie, Gage Quinney, Matthew Weis Defense: Erik Brännström, Dylan Coghlan, Jimmy Oligny, Zach Whitecloud Goalie: Zach Fucale
With several of the Wolves’ veteran players departing in free agency, the organization knew they needed a few more experienced faces. Enter Curtis McKenzie. McKenzie put up 20 points in 22 playoff games this past season with the Texas Stars as he captained them to an appearance in the Calder Cup finals. In only one of his seasons as a pro did he fail to record at least 20 goals in the AHL; last season he scored 25. He’s never quite been able to stick in the NHL, but would be a reliable option for the Vegas Golden Knights were they to need someone to fill in on their bottom six.
Daniel Carr also signed with the Golden Knights during free agency. Carr split last season between the Montreal Canadiens and the AHL’s Laval Rocket and while he started the preseason strong, was ultimately assigned to Chicago. He’s a reliable depth producer at the AHL level, putting up 19 points in 20 games with Laval last season. Laval, and previously the St. John’s IceCaps, have struggled mightily and Carr didn’t find himself playing alongside the most talented linemates. He plays a gritty, high-energy game and could find himself relied on by coach Rocky Thompson to create havoc on-ice.
Gage Quinney signed an ELC with the Golden Knights after spending one year with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, and one season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL. Quinney was nearly a point-per-game player in the ECHL, and began to carve out a niche in the AHL, with 14 goals and 33 total points in 57 games. The Las Vegas native is a long way off from debuting with his hometown team, but he’ll get the opportunity to prove himself this year with the Wolves.
For those familiar with the handful of remaining AHL enforcers, Alex Gallant will be a familiar name. He spent last season with the Syracuse Crunch, where he put up three points — an AHL career high — and 194 penalty minutes over 38 games. Gallant took nine fighting majors last season, the most you can take before incurring a one-game suspension. The Wolves operated largely without someone in the enforcer role last season; Paul Thompson led the team with 108 penalty minutes and four fights. Expect Gallant to see the ice for a few minutes at a time in highly charged games against local rivals Milwaukee and Rockford, and not much else.
Heading to North American pro hockey after a five-year career in Germany, Brooks Macek provides an interesting option for the Wolves at center. Macek was the top goal-scorer in the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) with 26, a career high, in 50 games. He also played on the silver medal-winning German Olympic team, with four points over the seven-game tournament. He’s known as a playmaker with good hockey IQ and, if he is quick to readjust his game to the smaller North American ice, could possibly see some NHL time if injuries amass for the Golden Knights.
Rounding out the new faces for the forwards, Matthew Weis joins the team on an AHL contract after four years at the Ohio State University. He produced at or around a point per game in three of his seasons there, recording 37 points in 37 games in his senior year.
On defense, Wolves watchers will get to see one of Vegas’ most highly touted prospects. As one of the final cuts of the preseason, Erik Brännström, one of Vegas’ three first-round picks in 2017, will make his North American professional debut with the Wolves. He certainly showed during the preseason that he can be a threat at both ends of the ice as a smooth skater who knows how to move the puck. While Vegas’ situation on the blue line is complicated due to Nate Schmidt’s suspension, it’s possible that Brännström is this year’s version of Shea Theodore and is the first defenseman called up in case of injury.
Zach Whitecloud was one of the most sought after college free agent signings last season. He spent two seasons with Bemidji State before deciding to turn pro, turning down several other offers to sign with the surprisingly successful expansion team. The Golden Knights were willing to burn the first year of his ELC by having him appear in one NHL game at the end of their season. He’ll gain valuable experience in Chicago and, along with Brännström, should be expected to play a lot of minutes on the blue line.
Dylan Coghlan and Jimmy Oligny are your final two new faces on the blue line. Coghlan turns professional after a high-scoring career in the WHL. In his final season with the Tri-City Americans, he put up 63 points in 69 regular season games and was a point per game player in the playoffs. He’s a right-shot defenseman who can play a physical game, though as an offensive-minded player, knows he needs to work on rounding out his defensive game. Oligny has spent his career largely with the Milwaukee Admirals prior to this season. He plays a shut-down role and has been one of Milwaukee’s most relied-upon defensemen in past seasons.
Goaltender Zach Fucale was signed in free agency by the Golden Knights and assigned to the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. Fucale has a Memorial Cup championship and a World Juniors gold medal in his resume, but so far has been unable to replicate that success at the professional level. He may be able to turn things around with a new organization and new coaching staff, however, and he provides additional depth in net for the team, as at multiple points last season, the Wolves had to use loaned goaltenders or players on PTOs due to injuries and call-ups.
Departures
Beau Bennett, Jake Bischoff, Chris Casto, Dawson Cook, Jason Garrison, Bryce Gervais, Philip Holm, Tobias Lindberg, Petteri Lindbohm, Mackenzie MacEachern, Wade Megan, Dmitry Osipov, Teemu Pulkkinen, Brett Sterling, Nick Suzuki, Paul Thompson, Scooter Vaughan
Perhaps the biggest losses for the Wolves are on the blue line, with Jake Bischoff earning a spot on the Wolves out of camp, and Jason Garrison leaving in free agency. While the Golden Knights decided early to move in a different direction with their defense, Garrison was an invaluable resource for the young players of the Wolves, bringing 10 seasons of professional experience. There’s no one of a similar experience to step up to fill Garrison’s place, so look to players like Curtis McKenzie and Griffin Reinhart to play the role of (somewhat) elder statesmen this season.
Up front, the Wolves will miss the presence of two of the league’s most prolific scorers: Wade Megan, who led the AHL in goals in 2016-17, and Teemu Pulkkinen, the Wolves’ leading scorer last season and a frequent AHL All-Star. Megan, a Wolves player who was part of the St. Louis Blues’ system, left in free agency to sign with the Detroit Red Wings, and Pulkkinen returned to Europe, joining the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk.
Brett Sterling retired after a 12-season professional career. A natural goal scorer, Sterling is a player who would have stood more chance to make it in the NHL if he’d come into the league now when teams are becoming more open to signing small but skilled players. He began his career with the Chicago Wolves in 2006 and after stints in Sweden and Austria decided to return home to end things where he started.
