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stormTRacker Podcast
From Rookies to Playoff Contenders: The Chicago Wolves' Remarkable Season
The Chicago Wolves have returned to playoff contention after missing last season, finishing fourth in the Central Division with a significant 18-point improvement. Carolina Hurricanes' top prospects Bradly Nadeau and Scott Morrow had standout rookie seasons, positioning the team well for their upcoming playoff series against the Rockford IceHogs. stormTracker Chicago Wolves "Insider", Andrew Rinaldi, joins us to talk about the season that just ended & prepare us for the Wolves' upcoming playoff series vs the Rockford IceHogs.
• Bradly Nadeau scored 32 goals as a 19-year-old rookie, ranking fifth in the entire AHL and among teenagers in league history
• Justin Robidas emerged as a complete two-way player with 55 points, excelling on both the penalty kill and power play
• Scott Morrow showcased his offensive skills from the blue line and earned a 14-game call-up with Carolina
• Domenick Fensore and Charles-Alexis Legault formed an impressive defensive pairing despite being rookies
• Ryan Suzuki led the team in scoring with 59 points in 69 games, developing strong chemistry with Nadeau
• Skyler Brind'Amour surprised many with his faceoff proficiency and penalty-killing abilities
• The Wolves won nine of twelve regular-season matchups against their first-round playoff opponent Rockford IceHogs
• Chicago's strong goaltending tandem of Dustin Tokarski and Spencer Martin gives them an edge in the playoffs
If you want to follow our upcoming playoff coverage and Chicago Wolves updates, please press the subscribe button and the bell to be alerted as soon as new episodes are available.
Well, excitement is high for Carolina Hurricanes fans these days as the Chicago Wolves return to the playoff hunt. After missing the playoffs last season, the Wolves are coming off a solid year, finishing fourth in the Central Division, and they were led by some of the Canes' top prospects, including Scott Morrow and Bradley Nadeau, who both had outstanding seasons in their first year as a pro. Joining me to talk about some of the season highlights and help us with a preview of what to expect in the upcoming playoff round against the Rockford Icehogs. Stormtracker. Chicago Wolves insider Andrew Rinald. Hey, andrew welcome back.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me again, Tom.
Speaker 1:Andrew Renaud. Hey, andrew, welcome back. Thanks for having me again, tom. Well, we're going to have some fun because it was a great year for the Wolves. We saw some of those young studs really show what they could do, and it was really impressive because some of them we also saw in a short or brief cup of coffee with the Hurricanes, and we'll talk about that as well. You know they finished fourth overall. They had 78 points. That's an 18-point increase over last year. So I think, something that these players and the coaches should be very proud of, and I know the Canes are excited about that for sure. So, hey, rookies, really impressive, who stood out for you.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you're talking your first-year players, of course, number one on that list is Bradley Nadeau. On top of just the incredible pace in which he scored goals this year, he finished off with 32, which is good for fifth in the entire league, which is good for fifth in the entire league. Also good for fifth in just what? Under 20 players in the history of the American Hockey League. So teenagers aren't supposed to score at paces like this in a professional league where you're going up against fully grown adults night in and night out. So it was really a special thing to watch Bradley and his shot and I think it's pretty well publicized, especially after a full year out here in Chicago, just what he's capable of doing. And you know the team kind of leaned on him from day one to provide that offensive firepower. I mean he connected instant chemistry with ryan suzuki from october up until the end of the season, right?
Speaker 2:and it was. It was a perfect mix, and so you know it's. It's hard to kind of. You know, like I I want to try and highlight some of the other first-year players, but it's, you know, when you have a guy who makes an impact like that, it's hard not to just kick it off with your. I mean really with option number one in the offensive zone.
Speaker 1:Well, Nadeau I mean a lot of folks don't realize he doesn't turn 20 until May, May 5th, so he's still 19 years old. It's insane. And you know, you're right. He did extremely well in so many areas. He was first in rookie power play goals, he was second he was sorry first in rookie goals, second in rookie power play goals, he was second in shooting percentage, he was second in points, he was up near the top in all scoring. You know metrics for rookies for sure, and he did that kind of all season like.
Speaker 1:We saw him start off well, he did extremely well. After, of course, the World Juniors, he came back and really started to pick it up and continued right until the end of the season, even after he came back from his opportunity with the Hurricanes. So I agree with you. I think Bradley Dedeau is one of the players a lot of folks are wondering. You know, is he a guy that's going to challenge in the coming season with the Hurricanes? Will he need a little bit more work in terms of his defensive acumen? Boy, he offensively he's just gifted as anything and certainly when he was up with the canes, the broadcasters were pretty well aware of that. They talked about his offensive acumen all the time and who else? Who else is there on that rookie group that you think?
Speaker 2:the other kind of big mainstay, especially I mean not just offensively but defensively well has been justin robida. He has been, I mean, near the the top of the point scores for the team all season. But I I've mentioned a lot of times with you from from october, all the way on that. I was really impressed by the way that this kid plays on both ends of the ice. He really led the penalty kill unit early on, scored a couple of early shorthanded goals and really kind of put the rest of the Central Division on notice that like, hey, when you're shorthanded you really need to watch out for this kid. And I really liked his nose for the net and just the motor that this kid has on him, just effort up and down, no matter what with the puck.
Speaker 2:Without the puck it's a rare trait to see a rookie come in like that. Sometimes you see flashes on a shift and then some other shifts. They might take off. It's such an important aspect of the development process to understand how there's no shifts off. You have to bring your A game shift in, shift out, night in, night out, and Robitaille understands that as well as anyone, any veteran in this roster, any veteran in this league. So I always said he kind of had a game that's a little bit ahead of his years and I mean, like I said, you've kind of seen, with the role that he grabbed and never let go for this squad and understand really kind of how this coaching staff recognizes and understands his importance in that role as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he's a guy that, as you say, did it all right. So he was on the power play, he was killing penalties, he was doing some of those important draws, he had 55 points, which put him fourth overall in rookie scoring in the AHL this year.
Speaker 1:Nobody I think at the start of the year would have said Justin Robita is going to have the season he had. He came up last year, of course, cut his teeth in the ECHL with Norfolk, and so you know folks didn't really know what to expect. And again, a smallish player. He is very stocky, but you know he's a smaller player out there and you know that's always a challenge for those folks to get attention and certainly to have success. And you know what? Obviously, a lot of folks felt the same way you do, andrew, because he got a recall to the Hurricanes and looked the part. I mean two games he played extremely well. He had a goal and an assist, and I think a lot of folks were surprised when they saw Justin Robidarni. You know he's a mirror of his dad. He's just a hardworking guy that is making things happen on the ice and so he comes from honestly and I think he's a guy we talked a lot about this before. I think he's a guy that really has a shot at the Canes. Might be a year or two before he's there, but I think he definitely is a player that's going to find a home with the Carolina Hurricanes. So exciting stuff with Justin Robitaille man.
Speaker 1:One other guy, and I'm sure you wanted to talk about him. I'll just throw him out there so we can kind of take a look at, I think, the three pillars this year and that's Scott Morrow. You know, morrow got an extended audition with the Hurricanes. He played 14 games, had four points and was a plus for us. Those are good stats, but I think, more importantly, he looked the part too. He did a real nice job in the blue and still learning and still finding his way. But I think for the most part he was very, very effective and of course he had an outstanding season with the Wolves. He's back with the Wolves. You must be happy about that.
Speaker 2:Very happy. Yeah, yeah it's. I mean, of course you know in this league you're ecstatic for these guys as they go up and they begin their NHL careers. But hey, now that he's back I'll take him and yeah, he, I think from like I believe it was the second series of the season to where he scored his first pro goal against the defending Calder Cup champs in Hershey in overtime. You know, this kid just blasted his way onto the stage from day one and really kind of never looked back.
Speaker 2:And I think by now Hurricanes fans you know, after seeing 14 games of them, know and kind of understand the role that he brings. And you know he's the workhorse here in Chicago. You know, and I granted I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the D-Corps kind of reacted to not having him around and it was kind of a lot of hands kind of in the bucket pulling on that rope in his absence. But you know when he's here you know what you're getting. You're getting a guy with poise in his own end with the puck.
Speaker 2:Without the puck, I really loved watching how he's matured kind of in his gap control and being able to box guys out in front of the net. You know, I think it can be kind of a stereotype when you see some of these smooth skaters and good puck handlers that like, okay, they're so focused there that they don't know how to defend their net. And I've not found that the case with Morrow at all, and I think fans in Carolina are starting to understand that and really it's just a matter of too many chefs in the kitchen up there in Carolina. Not enough room for this kid.
Speaker 2:But that's my gain and I'm very happy for it. And I think it's going to be great for the Wolves heading into this postseason and I think it's going to be great for the Wolves heading into this postseason and I think it's going to be great for Morrow as well, as much of an experience as it is to be up there and experience the NHL playoffs, playing in these massive minutes in the AHL, being able to I mean there's a reason why they have like 24 teams make the playoffs is because they want these young kids to experience the intensity and experience the you know the amp up and the pace and the responsibility is going to fit right in with that playoff hockey and he's going to be a huge factor for however long the Wolves decide to make a run in these playoffs.
Speaker 1:Well for sure and you know you mentioned the other players that kind of stepped up and one of them that I think really stepped up was Dominic Pensori, and he also got a call up to the Canes and looked pretty strong up with the Hurricanes. What have you seen with Dominic Pensori? And he also got a call up to the Canes and looked pretty strong up with the Hurricanes. What have you seen with Dominic this?
Speaker 2:year. He was kind of the one name that I was thinking up in the back of my head, even though it was, you know, a committee standing up overall. In the absence of Morrow. I like, when you lose your number one guy in the power play and the, the guy who's next stands up is it's only natural for the spotlight to go on him. And I mean, you know, we saw a bit of fensori last year in in chicago, as they were independent. But then you've seen him take a couple steps up this year as he's kind of cemented himself in this organization.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of fans in Carolina kind of saw when he showed up for the Hurricanes and he's buzzing all over the ice and you're like, wow, a lot of fans are like where did this kid come from? Well, I've been watching him for a couple years now. I can tell you exactly that that's his style. Style he loves to have the puck on his stick and even though he can, you know, he's what you know a lot of fans might say, undersized in a way um, it's the dog that's in him is very, is not undersized. I can tell you that ben, sorry, is a battler, he's a warrior and I. You know, I've seen him take on guys that might have a couple inches and a couple pounds and he really doesn't care. He's going to come right at you and get in your face. I love that tenacity from him. It's the fact of the matter. He's smaller than your average defenseman. If you're going to play like you're scared or you're going to play like you're smaller, you're not going to last in this league very long. You're definitely not going to last in the NHL very long.
Speaker 2:So the fact that he's been able to take those extra minutes in Morrow's absence and really kind of lead the way for the Wolves is testament to his attitude. It's testament to his game for the Wolves is testament to his attitude. It's testament to his game. And now that you have both of them back in the playoffs for a nice little one-two punch, it's going to be very hard for their opponents to attack with possession, because these guys know how to get the puck out, they know whether to carry it out, whether they snap it up in transition. It just changes the whole way that you play against this team and, like I said, I'm very grateful that Morrow came in and had that dimension. But you know, fensore is no slosh by himself either.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you're right and for sure. I mean Don, we've talked a lot about him this year. He's got such an impressive background. A lot of folks don't know much about him. Boston University. He was a Hobie Baker nominee. Two years in a row he was a hockey East All-Star. He was captain of the team. I mean, he was everything in college and it shouldn't be a big surprise that he's, you know, turning out to be the player he is. The other thing I like about Dom is that he he really thinks the game well, like you can see. He's got ideas. He knows where he's going to go, what he's going to try to do. He's incredibly, you know, quick with the puck. He's got great vision. I think he's got all the tools.
Speaker 1:And yes a little bit of a challenge with size, but I think he's going to overcome it. He's very fast, he gets in on his you know, jumping in on his gaps and particularly quick moving the puck out of the zone. So very impressive year for him. And you know a guy that certainly has been helping him a good part of the season and a lot of folks are very interested in this young man and of course that's Charles Alexis Legault. Legault also had an excellent year and he led the Wolves with a plus 11 this year, which is kind of interesting. Again, he's a rookie. He came out of Quinnipiac Not a lot of fanfare for him. Again, a guy that you know later round draft pick. Who the heck is? Charles Alexis Legault, but I know there's a lot of folks now who see him as a potential cane at some point. He's a big player. He can skate, he's smart, he does it all. What do you think about those two guys?
Speaker 2:They're quite impressive together. I love the chemistry between the two of them and I love that their play styles complement each other very well. I think they're both very smooth skaters, which is, you know, you see the contrast. Legault is not really like a Redwood out there I would reserve that for pavlicev. But when he's standing next to fensoria he can kind of he can kind of look a little bigger, but um, you know, it's, it's you don't? It's at that, that at that big size.
Speaker 2:You know you got to be a smooth skater in order to keep up with some of these speedy guys, and leggo's had no problem with that. He's he's also. I like his, his ability to move the puck in transition as well. He's not afraid to jump up in the rush and contribute. But you know, at the same time he's, he's responsible, he knows his role and he plays it very well and the two of them just work off each other in in sync, and it's one of those things where it's like you know where your guy is going to be, so you know, exactly how to play it.
Speaker 2:You're just more loose, you're more limber and as the year has gone on, you've seen both of them kind of growing at the same rate. It's just kind of one of those things as you've had this guy as your partner for a majority of the year.
Speaker 2:I'll say it's been a treat to watch because going into the year I was familiar with Vansoria. I was familiar with Sealy Morrow I wasn't as familiar with but the acumen backed it up and then he kind of made a name for himself early on. I kind of had to learn Legault's game on the fly.
Speaker 2:And you know, I was impressed early on and he's just. He's continued to steadily grow and mature into his pro game and, you know, for a bunch of first-year players you know these guys don't play like it. I can say that it really has been a treat. I think the coaching staff has done an excellent job, especially with this blue line, to move these guys along and get them accustomed, get them comfortable. They're playing loose, they're playing free. I don't want to say they're necessarily playing with house money going into the playoffs. But you know, I, I you don't feel like there's there's a lot of pressure on this team, that there's just like a bunch of a bunch of young kids that are just going out there trying to have fun, make the most of it and, uh, win some hockey games well, it's interesting because when I watch some of the action for the wolves I usually forget that Legault and Fensori are rookies.
Speaker 1:You know, like it's kind of insane. Fensori played a little bit last year, of course he got called up. I should also mention that last year, of course, he was in Norfolk as well, and then when things kind of went south for the Wolves, they sent an appeal to the Hurricanes and the Canes, among others, sent up Dominic Pensori and Roman Sealy. So that was good stuff. Okay, a couple of other guys I thought we'd just touch on as we wrap up our thoughts on the season. Obviously, we can't talk about anything without mentioning Ryan Suzuki. Suzuki had an outstanding year, one of the few years he's kind of been available for the season chipped in with 59 points in 69 games. So that's really great. And of course he was the guy that was fueling to a large extent Bradley Nadeau with so many great plays to set him up. But what were your thoughts on Suzuki? Where do you think he fits in the Canes scheme of things?
Speaker 2:Where do you think he fits in the Canes' scheme of things? Oh man, the last part of that question is a real loaded one. I mean I absolutely loved seeing Suzuki kind of battle after just the last couple of seasons for him, you know, early on in his Wolves tenure, the Calder Cup year, he was injured for the whole playoff run. The year following that he had some injuries to battle through at the beginning of the year, finished off strong, but you know it was still. It was rough for him. And then he had the affiliation drop between Chicago and Carolina. So now he's off to Springfield in an organization that for better or worse, really didn't care about his development and was just kind of like all right, like we could use a body, come here and play, but like don't get in the way you know and so.
Speaker 2:So now you know he comes in from earlier in Chicago. He was the first-round pick, he was the young kid to now. He's the one kind of taking these guys like Nadeau and Ropeda under his wing and showing them the ropes of what it needs to do to succeed at this level. And of course you know his chemistry with Nadeau kind of we've already talked about that a lot and he's, I believe he led the team in points. I think he was a point ahead of Nadeau. Yes, so you know, to see him be able to take one obstacle and the next and to still come out on top has been just kind of a testament to what this kid brings to his work ethic, night in and night out. You know, I had I interviewed him when I was in Chicago at the beginning of the season and there was still kind of all the all you know the background noise going on between the two teams and Ryan wasn't necessarily wasn't concerned with that in the least, but he just wanted to come in, he was happy to be back in Chicagoago, he wanted to play some hockey, getting together with the coaches and the boys and everything, and and so you know, to see him just just continue to play at a high level after everything that's been thrown in his face is is has been just nothing short and remarkable, as far as I'm concerned.
Speaker 2:Where he ends up up in Carolina, well, I guess that depends on kind of what the team sees in him. Going forward, I see a guy who is creative offensively. He's responsible. Defensively. He doesn't have the best scoring touch, although I think that he's. He's so focused on on setting up everyone else around him. I do think he's got a nice shot. I just wish he'd just use it more, but it is obviously. I think carolina's pretty, uh pretty satisfied with, with some of their centers and it's. It just comes to a point to where, you know know, do they think that Suzuki can come in, maybe fit in a role in their bottom or their middle six at some point for them? That's between Ryan and Eric Tolsky and Ron Brindamore and I just have the credentials to get into those kind of conversations.
Speaker 2:So I would love to see him continue to put the work in and to make an impact with Carolina. Hey, sometimes it's just not your spot at the organization. I don't know about you. I loved watching Jack Drury playing for Colorado last night and sometimes you know you get your start somewhere and you see your career end up somewhere else. You can't help but be happy for the guys. So we'll see. There's a lot of moving parts, I know, in this game, but I think Suzuki's got what it takes to continue to climb over these obstacles and make himself into an everyday player at the next level.
Speaker 1:Well, and I think you're onto something too that I've been thinking for a while as well, andrew, that Suzuki is the kind of guy you could throw in a trade. There's other teams that could really use a guy like Suzuki. I think it's going to be tougher for the Hurricanes. I really believe that, and they're you know, they're clearly motivated to try to win cups right now, so they're going to continue to load up. They've even got a pretty darn good center sitting out right now and that's Mark Jankowski. So you know they've got depth at center ice. And so I think Suzuki yeah, I hope he gets a chance somewhere. I think he's certainly earning a right. He's starting to show some of the promise that you know we have for him right from the get-go as a first-round pick, and obviously his brother is thriving, so that's a good thing as well.
Speaker 1:Last guy, a wild card in my mind, kind of surprised a lot of people. Yes, he is Rod Brindamore's son, that's for sure, and that's Skyler. But you know what, when he was up with the Hurricanes, I think he showed some things that were really kind of surprising to folks. He's particularly good in the face-off, don. He's an excellent penalty killer, he's a solid defensive center and, guess what, he scored the boot. So he's a guy that, uh, you know, didn't didn't do particularly well with uh uh, you know with um the checkers, previously, uh, part of the florida system. He was there for a short period of time. I think he certainly started to find his game with the wolves. What do you think about? About brendamore? What do you think about his Moore? What do you think about?
Speaker 2:his trajectory. Yeah, so I mean I'll admit that I was kind of guilty at first, kind of seeing his name roll across the transaction list, like, okay, you know, I get it Coach's son, we'll give him a shot in the organization and see what it's all about. I'm happy to be proven that I was very wrong on expecting what to expect from him this season, because he really blew me away with. Of course he's kind of a carbon copy of his dad for some of us older guys who watched him rock in the red and white in Carolina, older guys who watched him rock in the red and white in Carolina, you know, just a demon in the face-off circle and a demon going to the net and mixing it up and all that. He really just very I saw the staff did not look good last year and I was like, oh boy, here we go. That did not look good last year and I was like, oh boy, here we go. But this, um, this season, he, he, really, he really wowed me with with just how, how well he was able to adapt to the game, it and it, the penalty killing, of course, you know again, he's, he's just like his dad and and and the tenacity without the puck to, just, you know, lay it all out on the line. Yeah, these are. You know it can kind of sound like cliches at times, but these are the traits that make these guys so valuable when your team really needs them the most. And he's been out there and you know, no questions asked like what do you need? Put me in? Coach type of guy. And you know, again, pleasantly surprised with what we got from Brynden Moore in this one but absolutely crucial piece of that bottom six, that special teams on the penalty kill for Chicago and it's.
Speaker 2:You know, sometimes you just can't judge a book by its cover. You know, and I'll, I'll, I'll admit I was, I was wrong on that one. You're not going to be right on all of them. So I can, I can say that about Brenda Moore.
Speaker 2:But you know, I'm glad he's here in Chicago, I'm glad that that he's brought that, that acumen, and you know, even though he's, you know of course he's got his connection to Carolina but he's really established himself as his own player and his own identity and everything, and whether you know that continues to carry on up to Carolina in the future, you know that's for him, I'm sure he's going to be back here in Chicago and you know, the more he's in this organization, the longer he's comfortable with his coaching staff and everything. They're going to continue to give him opportunities. And you know it's going to start with the playoffs and of course, you know all those heroes and all those long playoff runs. You're going to have that third line center who's going to come in for a clutch overtime goal or something. And you know that's got Brindamore's name written all over it.
Speaker 1:I can argue Well for sure, and you know again, he came out of a pretty solid college career with Quinnipiac. They won the championship. He was a key member of that forward crew for them and so again a little older, sure, but a guy that you know. As you look at the Canes, in the coming years they're going to need third and fourth line centermen. I mean, at some point Jordan Stahl will retire Not sure where Kokeniemi fits in, so there could be a spot that could open up for a guy like Brendamore to come in and play that fourth-line spot and I think he'd be, as he's growing now and as he continues to play better hockey, could be a candidate.
Speaker 1:I know a lot of folks on X don't agree with me, but that's okay. I do think he's definitely going the right way and he's got. A lot of folks on X don't agree with me, but that's okay. I do think he's definitely going the right way and he's got a lot of the right skills to be that kind of player. You're not looking for him to be a 20-goal, 50-point guy If he can pop in a few. And he's solid defensively and particularly in the faceoff top where he was 68% in his two games. One game. He was 8 of 10. Yeah, just like his dad 68% in his two games.
Speaker 1:One game he was 8 of 10.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, just like his dad, an absolute menace in the face off. Okay.
Speaker 1:To wrap up the season discussion. I just wanted to see was anyone a real disappointment for you? Like, if you look at the start of the year, were there players that you thought, oh boy, I can't wait to see what's going to go and how it's going to do this year. Anybody stick?
Speaker 2:out A couple. I'll say, you know, I'll start with Brandon Lemieux. Not that I mean I'm, you know, a little biased and I was like, oh boy, here we go, claude's son coming on over here. It's unfortunate, kind of the way it happened. But then, as you've kind of seen the antics he got up to in Europe, you're kind of glad that that tumor got cut early from this team, especially with so many impressionable young players, you know. So you're kind of hoping for a bit of a, a physical veteran presence there and it just it, just it just wasn't it.
Speaker 2:You know, sometimes some of these guys don't. They think they're better than the American league and you. If that's the case, then we don't want you here anyway. So number one that was early on in the season Glad to see him gone. Another one that I know a lot of fans had a lot of hopes for I did as well was Felix Unger's Sorum. I know the numbers aren't spectacular. What we saw from Nadeau was just absolutely historic, and this is kind of more of your typical rookie experience, especially coming over from Europe, a completely different country, different play style. At the same time, I think, as you know, the second half of the season is going by. You're kind of hoping like all right here, like here's where the switch gets turned on, okay, here's where the switch gets turned on. Okay, here's where the switch gets turned on.
Speaker 2:You know, and Ungerswarm, had you know um and unger swarm, had you know power play time and and plenty of opportunities changing up with some line mates and everything. And you know I, I I don't think the numbers are necessarily indicative of how he's played and certainly not what he's capable of of this year. Um, I just think sometimes you know it's, it's it's a number of different factors again that can impact you. And he's a young kid, he's gonna he's gonna learn, he's gonna continue to grow and I think he'll be all right.
Speaker 2:I just, I think you know carolina fans kind of um, you know they, they expected him, with his wonderful preseason and all that, to kind of come in and kick the door down here in Chicago and while, you know, there's just some things that young players have to learn and continue to adapt and grow through. But I think the intangibles are there, I think he's got the sense, I think he's got the skill and it's just a matter of putting it all together. Um, but you know, admittedly probably like to see a couple more, uh, a couple more numbers on the score sheet than than what we saw from. But it's part of the game and and I think the true test of his metal will be, you know, are you gonna? You're gonna get down on yourself. You're medal will be, you know, are you gonna? You're gonna get down on yourself. You're gonna feel sorry for yourself. Are you gonna get?
Speaker 2:you know you're gonna hit the, hit the weight room, hit the practice ice and gonna keep on pushing forward I think that's what he's gonna do, whether it's, you know, kind of show out in these playoffs or he's gonna put the work in the offseason, come back as a much better player next year for the Wolves. I'm looking forward to see how he responds to this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was definitely one that I was thinking of. Of course he's very young. He played in the World Juniors this year and I thought that was going to be a springboard kind of to use your terminology as well. Andrew, one of the other things with Ungers Sorem. Of course they were experimenting with him at center and I'm not sure that's worked out very well for him. I feel myself he seems to be more comfortable in the wing, but we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 1:I think he's definitely a player that he's going to come back. He's going to be pushing hard, learning experience. Similar situation for the russian guys, you know, uh, glad trick is off. He had a tough, tough start to the his pro career. Ruslan kazeeb uh, some challenges with him as well. Look, these are all top prospects for the kings. They're they got lots of time. They're very young. Uh, you know, they'll get some grooming.
Speaker 1:And and one thing we talked a lot about this year, and I think these guys deserve immense credit, is the coaching staff, led by Cam Abbott and his crew. I think they've done a phenomenal job and one of the ways that we can kind of reference that is by the fact that when these guys go up to play for the Canes, they don't miss a beat. So I think, again, well prepared and kudos to all those guys and a great season. I think it was wonderful this year with the Wolves. So let's talk about the playoffs. And of course, they're up against Rockford Icehogs. They played 12 games against the Icehogs this year and they beat them nine times, so that's not a bad start. Goals were pretty close, goals against were close. I mean, most of the metrics are really close Power play, penalty kill, you name it. I looked at a bunch of stuff. It looks like it's all pretty close. So what are you thinking as we head into this series? What are your thoughts?
Speaker 2:You kind of got a tale of two different teams here, I think. On Rockford's side, first off, you know they're going to be getting Frank Nazar, artur Levshunov, a number of guys that have been spending some time with Chicago, so they're probably not necessarily going to be the same team that you'd seen before. At the same time, you know, the Wolves are getting Scott Morrow for some reinforcements. I think that should kind of, like you know, balance itself out a little bit there and again. At the same time, I feel like Rockford with, you know, with Chicago up there rebuilding and you've seen a lot of talented young players there in the ice hogs, um complimented with some veterans like joey anderson and brett cini yes, that they were.
Speaker 2:I think the rockford kind of had an incredibly disappointing season. I was expecting them to be way higher up in the standings for, uh, for kind of the caliber of players that they had and for whatever reason, it just never seemed to get it all together. And you know, the Wolves certainly took advantage of Chicago seeming to just kind of anytime anyone was playing good, for a stretch of three or four games it just swiped someone up to the Blackhawks and you kind of you know where each team rests in the standings, is kind of you know what she's what you get. So you know the obviously 12 games Chicago took nine of them. Uh, justin Robida, I think, had 17 points in the whole series and just absolutely terrorized the Rockford defense.
Speaker 2:Bradley had a show with 11 of his 32 goals against Rockford.
Speaker 1:In 12 games.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think he was pretty happy to see those red sweaters on the other side whenever they showed up. So you know I. But at the same time it's such a unique dynamic here in this little play-in series in the AHL because it's a three-game series. All you need is one stolen game from a goaltender. All of a sudden you're the other teams on the brink of elimination and I'm going to go on a bit of a mini rant here.
Speaker 2:The whole situation of Chicago being the higher seed but having to play two games on the road against Rockford really doesn't sit well for me. I understand that there's a billion playoff series so you need to get these done in time and the All-State Arena is booked solid this weekend. I get it. Why is it so difficult to have a back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday in All-State and then, if Game 3 is necessary, you go play it out in Rockford? Okay, you still have your home ice advantage for the Ice Hogs on the weekend there.
Speaker 2:But sorry, some teams, in some of these three-game series, with the distance in between, tucson doesn't even have a home playoff game. So I don't want to hear that like Rockford needs their game two home game or whatever, it doesn't even matter, it shouldn't matter. Higher seeded team home ice advantage that's what they play the whole regular season for. Whole mice advantage that's what they play the whole regular season for. And instead I feel like chicago is getting kind of a a little vindictive revenge for their experiment of independence last year. So the league's just giving them one more whack on the no thing. I told you, so don't ever do that again. And it's it's frustrating at the same. And Wolves fans really want to go over there and make a difference. Rockford's not even an hour and a half away from Allstate Arena. So you know, go out there, go and make some noise for the boys on the road. I'm sure they would absolutely love it. It's going to be pretty charged. These teams have seen each other for 12 times now.
Speaker 2:I don't know about you but I'd be pretty sick of the other team if I now have to see them at least two more times, maybe even three. So I think again with the stakes, every game. You're starting off on game five basically.
Speaker 2:So the intensity is already ramped up to 100, and you're sick of seeing Bradley Nadeau score a thousand times on you. It's going to be charged, it's going to be physical, and you know, this is the kind of stuff I don't know about you, but this is why I watch the sport, this is why I cover it, this is why I live it. I am excited to get this all kicked off on Wednesday night.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know, we've seen with some of the NHL playoff games, the intensity of course goes through the roof and it's a whole different animal. A couple of things that I was thinking about. You know you look at the lineup for Chicago.
Speaker 2:I love the defensive core.
Speaker 1:You know they're really deep. We talked a little bit about. Of course. You've got Scott Morrow, you've got Dominic Finsori, you've got Charles Alexis Legault, you've got Ty Smith who I think has been playing great hockey. You've got Ronan Seeley. He's a veteran. He's going to be back there. And you've got some other guys that could be interesting. Like Yoel Nistro I would like to see in some playoff games. I think he's started to show what he can do. He's a guy, that boy over in Europe. He was outstanding playing in the SHL, so I'd like to see what he can do. And they've even got Dominic Bedinka hanging around. So they've got lots of depth in the blue.
Speaker 1:And, of course, goaltending. Look, you've got Dustin Tokarski, who just beat these guys something fierce. He won five games, 1.75 goals against average against Rockford. You had Spencer Martin. He's had a great year. He won three out of four games with them. These are two excellent goaltenders and if you look back at you know the kind of play that you know these guys have done in the playoffs and the American League before. They've been rock solid. So these are a couple of guys that I really like. I think they're going to be huge If the Wolves are going to go deep. They're going to need that defensive core to be rock solid. They're going to need their goaltending to come to come up big, and then they've got lots of guys that can score and I I kind of I'm curious to see how far these guys can go it's.
Speaker 2:I don't want to say that I kind of feel like the whole division feels wide open, but look, grand rapids seem like the juggernaut at the beginning of the year and they just absolutely fell off a cliff. Milwaukee is extremely well coached. They won the division again, but I feel like they don't have Zach LaRue. They don't have Yaroslav Askarov. They're not the monster that they were in years past. And same thing with Texas. Logan Stankoven is oh hey, he's part of the organization now. He's not terrorizing this division anymore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was huge last year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maverick Bork was the league MVP. He's up in Texas. I mean, still they have Justin Ritzkovian and Mate Blumel and they just keep. That organization just kind of keeps churning out stars out of nowhere. I'm kind of getting sick of it, but at the same time it feels like if this team gets hot at the right time and starts getting shrieking, you've got Spencer Martin, one of the best options that you can get. At this level, anything can happen. And again, in these shorter series, a best of five in the next round. If they can make it past Rockford, anything can happen. And again, like I said, these kids are playing loose. I feel like there's not a whole lot of pressure on them.
Speaker 2:They got house money, why not?
Speaker 1:Why not?
Speaker 2:Why can't these guys make a run for it? So it's an exciting time to be on the beat and I, you know I'll be covering it from beginning to end.
Speaker 1:Well, you know the interesting thing, if you look at the way the lineup is structured, you know you've got the big line, where you've got, of course, ryan Suzuki and Bradley Nadeau, and I think Nick Sweeney generally gets in on that line now these days he's been there quite a bit or Pavlich, one of those guys will be jumping in there and then you've got, you know you've got Justin Robitaille and you know he's got some guys that can put the puck in the net on his line. And you've got, of course you know, josiah Slavin and Skylar Brendamore, who bring that good, solid third line defensive capability and pop in the odd goal as well.
Speaker 1:It's a lineup that looks pretty solid. I mean you've got other guys still there, like Noel Gundler and you know you've got Ungar Sohrm. You've got players that could jump up and do something on the forward side. So I think you know they're a lot deeper than a lot of folks think. Now that they're fully loaded up, everybody's back in there. They're healthy, they're back from visits to Carolina. Everything is kind of trending the right way. I think they could surprise some folks and, like you, I'm going to be following this very, very closely. Rockford's an interesting one. I've been watching the Hawks a lot this year.
Speaker 1:Frank Nazar is a heck of a hockey player, obviously. Lev Shanoff is going to be a dandy as well. He's very young, so he's still finding his game, and I don't know if they're going to bring some of the collegians down. They have Moore and Renzel, who look really good at the end of the year in Chicago, so those guys, if they're coming down, they're going to help too, so that would be good. I want to see a good, tough series. Obviously, we want these players that have been here this year to continue to grow, and there's nothing like playoff action to add to their acumen for sure, and so I think that's going to be excellent. Yeah, so are you expecting a win for the Wolves in this series, or what are you forecasting?
Speaker 2:I would expect Chicago to move on past Brockford. I think you know nine wins that they've had over them over the course of the season that they kind of you know, obviously super familiar. But they know what works and what doesn't against this team. And furthermore, you know, as you get into the playoffs and everything becomes more tight, checking and all that Chicago's record in one-goal games was something like what 23-4,.
Speaker 1:I want to say yes, it was.
Speaker 2:So what that's telling me is that you know when the stakes are, when the game is right on the edge, when the stakes are raised, that this team knows how to lock it, lock it down, knows how to how to hold that lead and knows how to how to come away on top. And that's that's exactly what this, it's what this entire time of the year is, is just how to minimize those mistakes and and to capitalize on your opponents. So so I like their chances, I like where this team has been all year and just this trajectory continuing to move upwards. And again, I like this matchup. I think Rockford's in the playoffs, by the saving grace that Manitoba and Iowa were two of the worst teams in the league and I'm not afraid to put that out on the air. If that's some bulletin board material for the Ice Hogs, then I hope that. If that's what they need to motivate them is this mug saying that then more power to them. But I like where this Chicago team has been from October until now. I think that they still have a little bit more to show us what they're capable of.
Speaker 2:And again, like I said, this is what it's all about this time of the year to. You know, you've had what I'm trying to think six months of war up until this point. Yes, the next three games. I'm trying to think it was six months of war up until this point. Yes, the next three games. Yeah, after 72 games, you have three to decide whether you're going home early or whether you continue to advance. So you know, we talked a lot about all the rookies and everything. Well, no one cares if you're a rookie or you're a 10-year vet. At this point it's time to see what you're made of.
Speaker 1:Well, andrew, I think, well said. And boy, I'll be like you. I'll be following closely and hope that this group of young players with some fine veterans sprinkled in to try to help them and mentor them through this, I hope they can get to the next round as well, as always. Hey, man, it's awesome talking Chicago Wolves with you. Your knowledge is just fantastic and continuing to learn, every time we get together, a lot more about the Wolves, and we'll do this again for sure in the coming months. Where can folks find you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my written work can be found on the Calder Times, which is where I cover both the Griffins and the Wolves. So I'm going to be doing a lot of central division playoff coverage here in a bit, which is a good change of pace after the last couple of years, with the Wolves out of the postseason and then on X I guess I'll call it. You can find me at Andrew underscore, rinaldi underscore, and that's where I give updates on the team. I live tweet on the team. I live tweet during the games.
Speaker 2:I, you know, I share highlights, whether it's a big hit, a big save, a big goal, a fight or just something silly that I find in the crowd. You know, and I and you know, especially this time of the year, I love interacting with the fans. I love. So if anyone out there has any questions or anything about the team whatsoever, even if you just want to chat, drop by or chirp me because Rockford swept the Wolves and because I jinxed them into doing it, then I'm open for all of it. And yeah, you know, it's why I do this. I love, you know, the community and the fans and all that. And, yeah, I'll be here until the bitter end, whether it's this series or whether it's in June with the cup race.
Speaker 1:Well, that's fantastic and you know what, andrew? It's always great fun. I love your passion and your excitement with the Wolves and with hockey in general. It's always contagious as heck. In any case, to those of you who have been listening or watching, andrew and I are delighted that you spent time with us today. Of course, for those who like this episode, please press the like button. If you do have comments or you want to make any kind of communication with myself or with Andrew, of course please leave that in the comment section down below and we'll make sure we get back with you as soon as possible. And, of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker and Chicago Wolves Report, please press the subscribe button and the bell and we'll make sure you're alerted as soon as those are available. Once again, thanks so much for spending time with us today, andrew, and I look forward to getting together with you real soon once again on Chicago Wolves Report here on Star Trek.
