stormTRacker Podcast
...stormTRacker Podcast is your home for in-depth analysis of the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Wolves & Canes' prospects around the globe. Host Tom Ray is joined by regular contributors, "hockey savants" Erin Manning & Katie Bartlett, as well as "Insiders", Nick Bass (Canes Prospects) & Andrew Rinaldi (Chicago Wolves), to cover all the top stories of your Carolina Hurricanes. In addition, from time-to-time, Tom welcomes special guests to the podcast.
Tom has also launched stormTRacker Website (www.stormtracker23.com), your home for all things stormTRacker including all video & audio Podcasts, a bloggers section (featuring Nick Bass, Erin Manning, Katie Bartlett & Anna) & stormTRacker Shoppe, your home for a variety of stormTRacker branded merchandise.
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stormTRacker Podcast
Chicago Wolves Kick Off the Season with Thrilling Action!
Goals came early, lessons came late. Andrew Rinaldi (OnTap Sports) joins stormTRacker Podcast & we open with the Wolves’ five-of-six start and dig into what the scoreboard hides: a team that can blitz an opponent in seven minutes, then fight to manage momentum and details when the pushback hits. That tension powers the most interesting storylines—how prospects grow from flash to trust, and how a room learns to close.
Bradley Nadeau’s shot gets the highlights, but the real leap is his 200-foot game: forecheck pressure that creates turnovers, penalty kill reps that build coachable habits, and the kind of reads that travel to the NHL. Felix Unger Sörum looks stronger and bolder, firing without hesitation and reshaping the power play from the bumper. Add Justin Robidas’ every-shift consistency and you get a top group that can tilt ice without waiting for a perfect look. We also spotlight a fourth line with bite—Ivan Ryabkin’s net-front chaos and Gleb Trikozov’s renewed confidence—turning sheltered minutes into momentum.
On the back end, a young blue line takes a punch from Rockford and responds. Joel Nystrom’s quick call-up signals trust in his two-way brain. Dominic Fensore drives transition with edge work and poise, proving size is just a storyline when the feet and compete level win time and space. Nineteen-year-old Dominik Bedychka’s calm under pressure hints at a long runway as call-ups open minutes. In net, Amir Miftakhov’s uneven start gives way to a lock-in third period, while Nikita Quapp’s tools get shaped by a proven development group. The plan is simple and hard: push play 200 feet, clean the first pass, and keep stacking good minutes after hot starts.
Highlights:
• How the lineup shifts create early chemistry and pressure
• Sustaining pressure after hot first periods
• Bradley Nadeau’s elite shot and growing penalty kill usage
• Felix Unger Sörum’s strength gains and shot-first mindset
• Justin Robidas’ reliability across special teams
• Fourth line spark from Ivan Ryabkin and Gleb Trikozov
• Blue line growth for Dominic Fensore and Dominic Badinka
• Goalie arc for Amir Miftakhov and Nikita Quapp
• What to watch as minutes open from call-ups
We close with what to watch next month: sustained pressure through second periods, defensemen claiming responsibility as roles expand, and which forward grabs the next power play opening. If this mix of skill, structure, and sandpaper holds, Chicago won’t just start fast—they’ll finish with authority. Enjoy the ride, then tell us your breakout pick. If you’re into prospect development, AHL strategy, and real-time adjustments, hit follow, share with a Wolves or Canes friend, and drop a review so more fans can find stormTRacker Podcast.
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Well, Chicago Wolves are off to a great start with five of the possible six points in their first three games. The Wolves are led by returning players Bradley Nodeau, Ryan Suzuki, Felix Hunger Storm, and Dominic Vensori. And they've added some exciting newcomers, Amir Mystikov, Ivan Ryapkin, Yolani Strove, and Dominic Bedenka. Joining me to talk about the quick start for the Wolves and what to expect in the coming months. I'm delighted to welcome back in our Chicago Wolves Insider, Andrew Rinaldi. Hey, great to see you, Andrew.
SPEAKER_01:Great to see you too. Feels like all right in the world again when we're talking hockey here.
SPEAKER_00:Well, for sure, particularly with the Wolves, uh, off to a great start. Um, you really gotta like the way they put this lineup together. A lot of great young kids for the Kings. For sure, they're they're loading up with uh some of these young studs, and we're seeing you know, some excellent development with them. Um, and some new players who we'll talk about as well. You know, I took a look at the opening day lineup. It was kind of interesting. Um, a couple of players not there right now. Yuha Yaska, he's expected to come down and and play with the Wolves. And of course, he'll be a great addition. And of course, Giovanni Smith uh actually passed through waivers, and he had had uh an outstanding training camp with the Kanes and was able to secure a two-way deal uh with the Hurricanes. But some other things I saw that were interesting. Uh Justin Robodaugh starting the season on right wing, kind of an interesting move there. Uh Felix Ungersarm, of course, is back on the right side, which we're excited about. Um Pavlichev, uh he finished last year quite well. He's the number two C to start the season. So I thought that was interesting, and maybe we'll talk about that. And then we've got uh Gleb Trikazov and Ivan Ryabkin uh patrolling the fourth line for uh the Wolves. So that's uh a couple of pretty darn good players to be playing on your fourth line. So we'll talk about those guys. Um and the top pair to start the season was uh was going to be Seely and Nestrom. Of course, uh we know that uh uh Charles Alexis Lego was up with the hurricanes, so he would normally uh probably sit in that spot alongside uh Dominic Vensori. And the other uh interesting move, Nikita Kwap starts the season with the Wolves, and we all were expecting Ruzlan Kaziv to be uh holding that spot, particularly you know, after his work in training camp. I thought he looked fantastic this year. And off he goes, and uh he's down with uh the Gargoyles uh in Greensboro, so that's interesting. The new uh ECHL team for the Keynes. So some interesting moves on the lineup. What uh what were your thoughts when you took a look at that opening day lineup?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I I I'll start with uh with the goaltending spot because right, yeah, I was expecting uh I was expecting Ruth Bond to be up there in Chicago. Um but I don't it's it's I think actually that him being down in Greensboro might be better for him at the moment, just for the sake that he's gonna be getting a lot of ice time with with the gargoyles. And you know, when you're a young netminder, it's the best thing for your development is to just play, play, play, play. And you know, with with Miftikov in Chicago, and I I assume at some point whether you know it's gonna be Brandon Bussey or Caden Primo coming back in that 30-day window, or however it may end up, yes, that um there might be another goaltender heading Chicago's way. So, you know, uh for for because they have it's you know, get as much ice time as you possibly can early on in this year and just keep playing, keep doing his thing. You know, I feel like last year, while he played pretty admirably for a teenage goalie, which you just don't see a lot in in this league, um, you do kind of feel like he was it was a tough situation for Chicago in a lot of aspects, with you know having to uh Spencer Martin being called up and not expecting to see as much ice time as he did to get as much ice time as he did. But um, but he played well. I kind of feel like he was uh you know thrown to the wolves a little bit there to kind of pun intended a bit. But I think him being in Greensboro is is the best situation for him right now. And um yeah, he's I I it's I've you know I I liked Nikita Kwap for for the the little bit that we have seen him. I s I feel like again, he's kind of in the similar situation that Ruslan was in last year, where it's like you kind of just sink or swim in that net sometimes, and he I I thought he did for what's what's been asked of him, he's he's looked pretty good in the net there. Cool. Um and then you know, some of the other notes. Uh I know there's those two big veteran names that you mentioned earlier. I know Yasko is kind of dealing with an injury through the preseason. Um, from what I heard, he's nearing a return, not quite ready to get in there yet. And uh interesting little recall on Giovanni Smith. So, you know, he had that great camp with with Carolina. I thought he was gonna make the team there for a second, um, earn the contract for sure, but now that he's signed that contract and he's getting paid as opposed to getting that that PTO, um, he's working out some things with his work visa, which is kind of spalled his introduction to the lineup for the moment. But I expect Giovanni to be once once that's all cleared out, all that that that nasty, messy bureaucracy, he'll be in the lineup and and can add another real tough customer to that to that wolves for check, and I'm really looking forward to seeing that.
SPEAKER_00:Looking at the start for the uh for the wolves, um they came out of the gate pretty fast, but uh what were you thinking as you watched these first three games, Andrew? What was going through your mind?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, the particularly both of the Rockford games over their their two home opening games, yeah. I feel like the wolves kind of like the first period at least just completely shot out of a cannon and you know, humming with with pressure in the offensive zone, really keep pushing Rockford up on their on their heels. But to kind of as these games kind of go on, keeping to to maintain that pressure, I feel like was was kind of a bit of a struggle for this team. Now I'll I'll preface that by saying, you know, between Nick Lardis, who currently is leading the league in points, between Oliver Moore, who's a first-round pick that I don't really expect to be in Rockford for a while, it's a really good team with the Ice Hawks that I think is kind of a good early season benchmark from like what's this team gonna do? How are they looking, and where do they stack up? Um, you know, it it cost them in in Saturday's game where you feel like they had a ton of shots but kind of fell behind the eight ball and the on the scoreboard. And then on Sunday's game, you know, they come out to a 3-0 lead just seven minutes in. Right. Then by the second period, they're down four to three, you know, and um thankfully, you know, they were able to rally back and and win that one by a six to five shootout, but um it uh you know, I feel like like they could they jump out with that early momentum and and that hunger, and whether it's you know responding to the other team's punch or just kind of keeping your foot on the gas, it's it's it's it's just it's it's it's early, it's game three, you know. I'm not gonna make any oversweeping generalization, but it's gonna be uh definitely, I think, a point of emphasis for this coaching staff to kind of you know maintain that you get a three-goal lead and you're carrying the play. Well, don't just sit back and let this game come to you, you know. Keep the keep the pressure on. I've always said that the best defense is keeping the puck 200 feet away from your net in the other team zone. So it's um, you know, just just early observations in, but you know, you can't really complain with their uh at least with the pressure that they've that they've been able to kind of keep with the puck possession and and the offensive zone has been early on the returns, I think, have been have been great. So like there's there's a nice big uh nice big green flag there. It's just let's see it consistently done throughout the uh 60 minutes of gameplay.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you know, as we talked about, a very young team, and they're you know, they're gonna they're gonna have to learn their lessons as well. I mean, some of them playing pro hockey for the first time, and and uh it's quite a different game than whether they're playing college or junior or whatever, so or playing overseas. So um not surprised. They're uh they're you know, they got some early challenges that way. But one of the players that uh has gotten off to a great start, no surprise, is uh is of course Bradley Nadaux. Now, Nadeau had a great camp. Um in fact, I think a lot of Keynes fans were wondering why he wasn't kept with the team. Uh and interestingly enough, uh McKean said this about um about uh Nadeau going into the season, which I thought was quite quite appropriate. They said he's simply too good to play another year in the AHL. He obliterated the competition, scoring 30 goals and finishing among the league's top scorers. His shot is elite, he froze AHL goalies with wisters, snapshots, one-timers, deflections, and even one off the skate. I think it's brilliant. Um, anyway, we've talked so much about Bradley, but uh, what are you seeing so far this season?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, uh for anyone who who hasn't heard, there was uh interesting little clip from uh from the Wolves broadcast that Bradley spent some time this offseason training in Nova Scotia with Sidney Crosby, Nathan McKinnon, and Brad Marshawn. I don't know if you've heard about those guys.
SPEAKER_00:That's quite a group.
SPEAKER_02:And he was he was doing two-on-one drills with with Crosby, and he's thinking in his head, and this is understandable, you know, okay, you're doing a drill, you got Sidney Crosby on your rush with you, you gotta feed him the puck, right? And after the drill, Sidney goes to Bradley and says, If I had your shot, I I'd shoot. I wouldn't pass to me. And this is coming from Sidney Crosby, the guy who's gonna end up in the the the hockey rush more when it's all said and done. So yeah, I kind of feel you know, okay, yeah, this uh what more does he kind of have to prove in this league? And and you know, I get he's got all these goals, and everyone and and and their sister who saw the lacrosse goal on Sunday. I think you guys call it the spechnikov around here. More of the mission. And um exactly, yeah. Yeah, and he just absolutely lit the internet on fire, and it was incredible. And which and it's and that stuff, you know, is is is just indicative of the kind of skill that he brings to the table. But what I like to see over um, at least over this last weekend, is uh is is the stuff that kind of rounds him into a complete player because we all know the shot, we all know what he can do with that. But it's gonna be how like how else can can he fit into a 200-foot well-rounded game that's gonna turn that's the difference between having uh uh Martin Furk who can fire the puck 100 miles an hour, and but he's spent 10 years in the AHL and can't crack a lineup in here, versus a guy who's gonna uh spend a 10, 12-year career in in the national. And what I saw from him one was uh on Sunday creating the game-winning goal by a strong four check that created a turnover. Yeah, pop puck pops out to Ryan Suzuki, boom, it's in the back of the net. Guess what? That's a win. Um, and and penalty kill time. He's been spending a lot of time there on on the on the PK, and you know, the coaching staff's gonna tell him, like, okay, this is you know, yeah, you're you're not the trigger man in the power play when you're out here. This is how you're gonna play it. This is what we expect from you here, so that way when he goes to Canada, Canada, Carolina, he's he's already gonna have that, you know, that that same coaching staff punching the same lessons in through him, and it's just gonna be a seamless transition to, you know, instead of just being that that one-way scorer, and you know, there's no other real dimensions to his game. Now, Coach Brindamore can trust him in all situations. It can put him in with a bunch of different looks and different lines, and that's going to, like I said, be the difference between a guy who is, you know, one dimensional, might get a cup of coffee here and there, and another guy who's gonna make a career out of this, and a franchise is gonna see him as a uh you know a cornerstone of the lineup for nearly a decade.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. And and you know, there's we've talked about uh you know some things on on other podcasts where you know he's showing a little bit more aggression this year, like using the body, going in on the fore check. You know, he's trying to get you know Kane's hockey into his blood, I guess, and and I'm sure he'll do it. He's uh everywhere he's been, he's been successful, and and I have every expectation he's gonna be able to do this. And you know, he has that natural goal scoring ability that you don't teach. So uh I can just imagine him on the power play, which is the bane of the existence of the Carolina Hurricane, certainly these days, putting a guy like uh Nadil on that uh you know on that left flank and let him just wail away because there's nobody better that I've seen. He's just unbelievable over there and has some uh some incredible accuracy as well. So, yeah, lots to talk about with Bradley. One of the players that I was really impressed with in the Canes camp and pre and and earlier camps this summer was uh was Felix Unger Sorm. You know, Unger Sorm's an interesting one, and we've talked a lot about him. Um 23 came to camp. Boy, he just wowed everybody. You know, he was incredible. And a lot of folks felt like he was going to get a shot to actually play some games with the canes. And you know, he was another one of these phenoms coming over as a youngster, and and gosh, uh uh Rod Brindamore was uh just uh waxing lyrical about this guy all the time. He's just so he sees the ice so well, he plays a very smart game. Um, you know, and and and he's you know kind of been lost last year, it was a tough year for him, just 20 points. Uh, you know, he he was tried at center, didn't work out so well. And we kind of wondered what what's the future holding for Felix, but I gotta tell you, so far, so good from what I can see. What's going on with Felix?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I it it felt like last year, you know, you you understand he's just he's this this 19-year-old kid, and and it was gonna take some time for him to adjust, but you were waiting like you could see that the skill was there, and you're just waiting for that that switch to kind of to kind of flick. And and it just it throughout the year, like again, there was flashes, but nothing that ever really kind of like brought everything all together for for the young kid. And right, I think some of it was you know putting him there at center, and he's learning, you know, a completely different position, and sometimes it's just a confidence thing. Um the kid's confident right now, he's got three goals all on the power play and and all three games, and you know, he's he's been uh just I don't necessarily want to see say night and day because again, you could see the that the skill level was there, but you can feel that like he just he feels like he's matured so much just over this one this one off season. And um, you know, just making plays confident with the puck and and when you have that that belief that okay, every time I'm gonna touch the puck, I'm gonna make a play, as opposed to, oh, I'm I don't want to turn the puck over every time I have it. Like it just it changes the makeup of a player so much, and you can you can see it reflect in their body language, and you can see like he's he's fired away three goals, and he just he looks like he's about to light the world on fire every time he's he's got one in. So um he had a great one on I think it was uh yeah, Saturday's game where uh Fensore had a nice keep at the blue line. Uh Suzuki feeds Nadeau, and you're just expecting Nadeau to hammer that one timer, and instead he feeds it to the bumper for Unger Swarm and it's an easy tap-in. So, you know, you see at this this this dynamic evolving form. And the fact that I don't even remember if he had like five or six goals last year's that what I mean. To already have three compared to that, and and and the mentality to just to just grab it and fire it away. He had a he made a great move on Sunday, had the puck in space, and it's again when you have a guy with no confidence, you kind of feel like, you know, do I have to should I pass this or whatever? He just fired, he just buried it. And it was it was great to see. I'm already loving what uh what I'm seeing from him in three games compared to what I've seen last year, and you just you can already feel like the trajectory for this kid is just gonna keep going up.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you know, the um the Keynes had said some things about him as well uh going into the season, Andrew, and their concern was that uh you know he he was a slight player, he wasn't a heavy player, and and he's got the great skills, but he, you know, he hadn't put it all together, and they just wondered if you know he was going to be able to get the trajectory up to the canes and beat some of the other top prospects that the Hurricanes have. I think for me, watching him so far this season, yeah, I just see a different player, like you've said. Um, gosh, uh playing with the Canes in the exhibition games and certainly in the in the prospect showcase. He's a guy that, you know, we know he sees the ice well. He thinks the game extremely well. He's happy to take the puck and move around with the puck. As you say, he's not afraid to make things happen. And I one of the things I've seen that's a little bit different this year is he's firing the puck. And that's something that we haven't seen as much of in the past. Night. I think uh, you know, he's he's bulked up a little bit, he's a little bit stronger, he's playing a heavier game. Uh and he, you know, he's had the skill. He just needs to put it all together. So I'm excited about Felix. You know, a lot of folks uh were thinking he was the next star coming to the canes, as you know, and and uh we kind of you know were disappointed last year with what we saw, but this is good news. And I think uh oh, good start for uh for uh Felix. Um couple of other guys I wanted to mention. Justin Robodaugh, uh, he's impressed me every time I've seen him. Uh you know, he's a hard-working guy, he's on the wing this year. He had 20 goals last season, um, had a solid camp, played some exhibition games, did not look out of place at all. Um, what are we seeing with him?
SPEAKER_02:Just the everything from last year that we loved about this kid is just rolling right over into this year. And he had uh, I want to say like 10 chances to score over the weekend and just didn't didn't bury. I mean, that's the kind of thing that happens in this game, but just the fact that I mean, again, he's everywhere. And I've you know, I've spoken about his his tenacity to to get after the puck and to to take it to the net. And it's just it's it's it's been more of the same. And and that's probably been the biggest compliment I can give to any kind of player, and and especially in this league for you know these young kids learning the the pro game, yeah, is that he never really looked like a rookie last year. Is that he kind of had that intangible skill set, and and you know, you knew what you were getting every shift, every game, every night out of them. And it that's that's the kind of stuff that that you know when whether when a coach doesn't have to wonder is he gonna bring it tonight or if he isn't, that's how you get elevated in the lineup really quick. And he you know got a spot up there in that top six and never really let go all of last year. So, you know, I I think we're we're used to seeing uh Nadeau Um and Suzuki with Yasuka on that top line, but if you know if you ha's not there, uh who better than to have the other than Robodah up there in that top line with them. So they've looked as as expected, they've looked great so far, and you know, you again you you just kind of expect it to continue at this point because he's set the standard, yeah. So and and isn't known to not ever reach that bar that he's already set for himself, which again is really impressive for for a young player to to be able to come at with that so consistently.
SPEAKER_00:He always looks like um he's he's more mature than you know the age-wise than he is. Uh he just plays a smart game. He's he's out there killing penalties, he's uh taking the tough draws. Like he's he's just out there making it happen. And and uh I'm I'm really I'm delighted with his growth so far. Uh, you know, he's another smaller player, but he plays bigger, he's a heavier guy, he's stocky, uh, which helps him a lot. And uh and we're gonna keep an eye on on Justin Robotar this year because I fully expect he's gonna continue his uh his step forward uh in the Keynes uh farm system for sure. Now, one guy that was a bit of a surprise when they drafted him, he was a guy that I've talked a lot about because I was hoping they would draft him, and they did, is Ivan Ryapkin. You know, Ryapkin uh he um he kind of had a strange season last year. Uh this is what McKean said about Ryapkin. They said one year ago, Ivan Ryapkin was being compared to other high-flying Russian offensive dynamos, Matfei Mishkov and Ivan Demedov. That's pretty good company. Uh putting up 58 points as a 16-year-old in the MHL was an impressive feat. And naturally, everyone was expecting an even bigger offensive explosion. So he was a guy that um, gosh, at different points, he was expected to be in the top you know 10 or 15 in the draft. I mean, he was just incredible. And he did leave Russia, things didn't go so well last year, and he went to the USHL with Muskegon and just tore that league up. So he's a guy that shows a lot. He had a great camp with the Canes. He's a stocky guy too. He's 5'11, comes in at uh 205. So he plays a kind of a uh heavy game, and he likes to get in there and stick his nose in as well. So what are we seeing with Ivan and his uh his first start here with the Wolves?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, he he is uh he's already got a man's body. It's um it and and from what I've seen already, he's the he's got the ability to be a very effective player with it. Um we saw game one against Iowa getting right into just that absolute melee that that ensued at the end of the game there. And you know, he's I I just I love that that energy and that fiery spirit. You know, he's on a line with with Yannick Turkot right now. Those two. No one's messing around with those two on the ice. Um, but you know, in terms of of what I you know I like out of his game, he earned his first assist of the of the season. I I think it was on I forget whose whose goal it was, but he wins an offensive zone face-off and just goes right to the net, causes chaos, shot from the point, goalie never saw it in the net. And um, and and I think that's an element that was kind of was missing from last year's team was not, I mean, not necessarily um physicality, but just kind of uh uh not even a willingness to get in someone's face, but like a drive to get in someone's face, you know. And um you already have one one towering Russian and Nikita Pavlichev, who's up there in that top six. So then when you counter it with, you know, uh uh Rabkins, not six foot seven, he's he's a different build for sure, but that that tenacity to go in and just kind of create some carnage, and and the fact that he does kind of he has that that size to really survive. It can be it's it's I mean, you know, it's there's no lying. This is uh for a lot of you know 19-year-olds to come into this league who aren't really built into that that grown frame yet, it's it can be really tough. I've I saw you know Jonathan Bergrin in Grand Rapids, who had all the skill in the world, but but just kind of getting over the uh the physicality of it was was very tough for him. Uh Rabkin doesn't care, he embraces that. And I I again I I love that that mindset because you know when you can play like that, it shifts just entirely how how your opponents play. Um suddenly the defensemen are looking over their shoulders when they're when you got your four check coming down on them, and and that's how it you know create turnovers and chances for your squad. And I think it's you know the the the points are gonna come as as the year goes on, you know. Again, he's he's down there in that fourth line. He's he's but if he keeps the the magical thing about this league is like if you just show up every night and you keep working and you keep putting it in, you know, opportunities are gonna arise for everyone in the lineup. And he's um he's gonna be one, I think, that that when the the opportunity arises, he's gonna really have uh a fun coming out party, and and I don't think he's gonna let go of that that spot. So it's uh I'm keeping an eye on him for the rest of the season for sure.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and he, you know, even in the exhibition games, he wasn't shy to you know get in there and uh try to make something happen and certainly lay the body out quite a bit. Um I think in a couple of the games he might have led the Keynes and Hitzer was close to it, so it's good. Um one of it, his line mate, uh one of his line mates, you talked about Yannick Turkot, who's uh patrol on the left side, and on the right is uh, of course, Gleb Trikazov. We talked a lot about Gleb last year. You know, Gleb had uh a super prospect showcase um in 24. He came over and he just he had a hat trick in one game, he scored in another game, he just looked like wow. And uh and last year was just a tough season for him. He just didn't ever get started. I think what he played 20 games or something. So he he missed most of the season. So it was really a write-off for him. And he had come over along with Ruslan Kaziv as 19-year-old youngsters coming over from Russia to play in North America. And one of the things about Gleb, as we talked about before too, Andrew, is that he he hadn't really played any major hockey in Russia. So he had played a little bit in the VHL, which is like the AHL, not much, and mostly in the MHL, which is like junior. He didn't really get a good shot in the KHL. And quite often, players coming over had already, you know, have already played in the KHL, so they've got a little bit of play against men. So that's another thing he had to do, and he had to kind of get organized. And I know he got married or his fiancee came with him. So there were a lot of changes for him. But uh here's what uh here's what McKeynes had to say about uh about Gleb as we get into this. And they said Gleb Trikazov was one of the most intriguing and polarizing players of his draft class, which to nobody's surprise made him a perfect late second round pick for the Canes. Uh there were always concerns about Gleb's ability to translate his unorthodox offensive style to North America, and this setback during a key development year isn't ideal. Trikazov certainly has the shot, hands, and creativity to turn things around and earn a top six AHL role next year. So, you know, Gleb uh, you know, off to a quick start. He had a goal in uh in the exhibition games with the Canes, and then he scored a goal already with Chicago. What are we thinking about with Gleb?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's I feel like, you know, not that he kind of had to hit a reset button there, but you know, when you miss such a a large portion of the year with a lower body injury as he did, it's just it, you know, all that all that excitement that you have just kind of comes to uh it comes to a halt. And for it to be just so long term, it can uh you know, on top of getting back physically to kind of where you should be on that developmental uh track, it can it can really hurt mentally as well, you know, to just kind of keep centered and keep focused and and for Glub I I mean you know right he had a big goal uh to open the scoring on Saturday and he you know there's a lot of talent in the lineup ahead of him for sure but right I do think he's got he's got the skill to move his way on up and and perhaps earn a a bigger role as the year goes on and for you know I for him it's just it's you what happened you can't no control over what happened to you last year you just kind of put it all all on the back burner um this is a completely new opportunity ahead you know I mean it's it's you can kind of take it as a learning experience last year he's you know still around the team and kind of getting used to his game and everything and while you know the I guess alone want to say he's got like the training wheels on him still or anything but right he's got he doesn't might not have as many minutes this year as he would have if he played all of last year but right the um you know the the intangibles are there the skill is there I I you know I like I I kind of like it that he's he's there with with Rabkin and and Turcot to kind of open the lanes up for him and and kind of ruse brothers is way out there for playing and um and you know let's see what he can do. And right like I said the the the nature and the the beauty of this league is that eventually you know someone's gonna get hurt or someone's gonna get called up and you know this power play that that works so well here and there is going to have some some openings and he's gonna get a guy that's called upon and and you know you get your opportunity and you just gotta grab you just got to wait for whenever it could be next game it might be in a couple of weeks but you got to take it and you got to run with it. I think he's you know early on the early returns big goal on Saturdays looking good when he's out there last season's injury is in is in the past it's out of his mind and he's gonna be moving forward and playing I've I I like what I see and I think he's gonna I I think he's gonna turn turn some heads this year. I really do.
SPEAKER_00:Well and you know we remember he came over as a 19 year old so he's still very young and I think it's great that he's on the fourth line he's kind of sheltered a little bit and he and Ryapkin can get some chemistry going and as you said with Turcot on that other side he's gonna open up space for those guys for sure. And so I think this is a good opportunity for him to kind of just you know start to build some confidence uh have a little bit of success I fully expect we're gonna see a lot more of Gleb uh as this season goes on and into the future he's a guy that uh you know I really I really am excited about him as I am with Reapkin I think those two guys have got just tremendous tremendous potential so I'm excited to hear he's he's off to a quick start and uh he's back in full health and of course uh you know he's gonna feel much more comfortable this year you know he's been around for a while now so it's not like he's just coming in in a new place new camp and all that kind of stuff which is hard for these youngsters and we've certainly seen a little bit of that with Alex Nikish and with the Canes as well. So um one last player on the forward side just a minute on this guy and I I'd be remiss if I didn't mention mention Skylar Vindamore.
SPEAKER_02:Skylar of course uh created a bit of a stir with the Kanes he came up looked pretty good he was outstanding in the face-off dot in the preseason he played a fair bit of action uh certainly has the confidence of his dad so that's a great thing he plays a very similar game you know he's uh he's a heavy player on the defensive side he's great in the face-off dot he's gonna score the odd goal for you um again he's gonna be a key part of this uh Wolves team this year so uh what are we seeing with with Skylar yeah what I what I love about Skylar Brinnamore is that I mean one he's a lot kind of like Justin Robodaugh in the fact that you know he's got a standard that he sets and and meets really every night you don't have to worry like oh man is Skylar going to show up tonight you know um and he just I know it's it's kind of stereotypical because you know who his dad is and everything but he just he plays so much like you know I grew up watching the Red Wings in Carolina going at it and the Stanley Cup finals in 2002 and like he just he's that same style of player maybe he might not have the offensive tools that Rod had but like I never remember like you know Rod being a a powerhouse scorer even though he could put the puck in that but I remember Rod being that menace in the face off dot and and that guy on the penalty kill who was just like a thorn in your side and and just being all over the ice so responsibly and and Skyler is just he's he's a carbon copy of his dad in that way and I mean that with the utmost respect. And it's it's it's it's been great to to know that you have a a rock like that to kind of solidify your your your middle six to have a guy on the penalty kill that you can that's just so reliable and it's you know I again I feel like I I I have to apologize every time talking about him because when he first came to Chicago I'm like oh wow like here's a guy who's just here for for his name and then we saw him play and I was like wow wow this kid uh he's got he's got some game to him it's great so I'll I'll forever be apologizing to him for that but um but yeah he's he keeps bringing that on on the special team side and and you know it's it's it's been an it's been a treat to to be able to watch him like that because I feel like you know when when the team's down and the stakes are up I feel like he he takes an another step to his game and you know that that kind of that kind of energy is is infectious through the lineup and I think Chicago's they've they've had a a strong I think they gave up one power play goal against Rockford but early on they've had a very strong penalty kill and I think he's he's been a big part of that for sure absolutely well and he of course he teams up with uh Josiah Slavon so it's kind of nice to see uh the connection there as well you know I've been a big fan of uh Skyler's you know he he had a tough start in uh in the pros with Charlotte uh you know he didn't didn't do much uh of course he had been on that championship team with Kwinepiac so you know pretty good start uh but you know I've really been impressed with his his work ethic as you say when he's on the ice you're not going to be hurt while he's out there he's gonna get the odd goal or make something happen offensively so he's kind of like a he's a bit of a Jordan Stahl in some ways like in the way he plays and and I've said certainly on other Star Treker podcasts that you know I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a cup of coffee with the Keynes in here.
SPEAKER_00:If certain injuries happen and they need that kind of profile I would not at all be reluctant to bring up uh Scott Obrandemore. So yeah I I'm uh I'm with you I'm looking forward to uh to seeing what he can do with Chicago this year. And clearly the Wolves are going to be pushing hard for the Calder Cup so uh he's a guy that uh can make a difference for you in the forward side. Um wrapping up the forwards I just wanted to mention a couple of guys that uh got deals with the Wolves and we did see them in the prospect showcase. Uh Blake Beyondi was an interesting one to me. This was a guy that was drafted in the fourth round by the Canadians in 2020. He was the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award winner in 2020 and that's an award that's given annually to the outstanding senior high school boys hockey player in the state of Minnesota. This is a pretty lofty uh lofty award for this guy uh last year with UND he had 27 points in 38 games in the NCAA so he's a guy that uh again uh 23 years old he's a little older but uh you know when I saw some of his work in the uh canes camp uh he looks like a player um I was quite impressed with him the other one was Evan Vierling Vierling uh another 23 year old he's a guy that played with the very Colts and you know that of course Andrew Svasnikov played with the Colts a lot of players have come out of that uh that system um and he was a fifth rounder with the Rangers again he was in the ECHL last year have you seen anything with these two guys uh yeah Bianchi he played the the first game in Iowa but he he didn't make the lineup in in neither of the Rockford games saw about seven games of him last year I want to say in in Chicago um I've from I mean I can't really say I've I I dislike his game at all.
SPEAKER_02:I'm sure he's you know he's seeing probably bottom line minutes there in those few games and nice you know a couple shifts against Iowa doesn't look out of place I would say for that much Veerling I think has been more involved I mean on top of being in all three games um I think I've he's definitely been more noticeable especially physically along the boards I've I've liked that that aspect of his game that he brings again I think that that you know that that certain attitude is kind of missing from last year's as I mentioned before um from last year's team so seeing when when you do see more of it it kind of tends to pop out at you so you know I've I've liked what uh what Vierling's been able to bring I think they kind of they elevated them recently up to the uh the second line if I recall correctly so um so you know if if you play well and again like I said with the if the coaches know that they can they can trust you it doesn't matter if you're you know a first round pick or if you're a guy kind of scrapping through on a on a on a tryout you know if the coaches can trust you they're gonna move you up in the lineup and you're gonna see more more and more ice so it um you know I I I I hope to see to see more of Veerling and and Beyond yeah you know I I like seeing these guys that you know you don't always hear their their name often and and they make opportunities of it. I mean look at Yannick Turkot no one had even heard of him going into last year and he's uh he's a fan favorite in Chicago so you know I I I hope one of these guys can maybe be maybe not be the fighter that that Yannick is but they can what they can find a way to impact the game in another way and and become another fan favorite here for the Wolves.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah and you know with the Wolves you know it's nice for them to have uh a couple of players or some players that are under contract to them because they're they are going to see players going back and forth with the hurricanes and some of these guys like Veerling and uh and of course uh Blake Beyondi they're gonna get chances as you say through the season and hopefully uh you know they can step up their game and and contribute as well. So that's the forward side I want to spend just a few minutes on the D Corps.
SPEAKER_02:Of course uh Charles Alexis Lago is uh is up with the hurricanes what have you seen with the D Corps in general so far yeah the again you know I want to preface it by saying I do think Rockford is supremely talented and will be one of the better teams in the central this year but I think kind of part of what helped contribute to maybe this team kind of not slamming the door and finishing on some of these hot starts is you know maybe kind I don't want to again make it seem like I'm I'm trashing on a bunch of young kids or anything but uh I you know they kind of especially in that that Sunday game kind of taking it uh you know taking getting taken to task by by Rockford which again you know when you got guys like I mean Oliver Moore I don't even know what he's doing in this league he's he's very Nidal like in the fact that he makes a play every time he touches the puck but regardless he's here and it's and it's I do you know I think it's good for some of these young kids to be exposed to that you know that that this is these are going to be the kind of guys that you're gonna be seeing up at the next level for sure and um you know it just it's it just kind of I've got the kind of feeling you know when when one thing let leading to another where like one breakdown happens and someone's trying to recover off of that next thing you know the guy behind you is wide open for a backdoor tapping. And um which you know again this is another one of those things where I'm not gonna hit the panic button after three games on here especially you know uh um you know Nihstrom only had a a handful of games last year and and um you know kind of getting getting pushed up into the top top line with uh with Charles Alexis Lego getting called up now he's been called up so they're gonna be even uh even a little thinner on that blue line but um you certainly it's it's all stuff that's that's correctable for for this young group and and some things you know it's it might be good for them in the long run to be you know to be like hey you kind of got smacked around here good now we can you know go go hit the video room breakdown which you guys you know might have have missed out on and you know when you got a a guy like spirosanastas coaching up this young this young D Corps I you know I truly believe that he's gonna as the season goes on he's gonna get these guys um kind of corrected and playing a solid brand of hockey that I mean especially when it comes from the blue line we know that Carolina's famous for and we know that they're gonna inject that same style and that same system down here in Chicago and so it um yeah you know I I I'll chalk it up to you know opening weekend jitters and a really good opponent on the other side as well. So I think I think this group on especially on defense is is going to be all right.
SPEAKER_00:Well I mean there's there's some real talented youngsters for sure. I mean uh Charles Alexis Lagoa is already up with the canes and has not looked out of place at all. And now Joel Nystrom heads up um and you've got Dominic Fensori and Dominic Bedenka also uh with with the wolves and we'll talk a little bit about these guys Joel Nestrom is a guy I've talked a lot about uh in some other podcasts you know he's a guy that uh played almost five seasons five seasons in far Jest ads uh in the SHL so he's he's been playing you know against men forever uh and he's a guy that uh as you say had a cup of coffee with the wolves four games last year I don't think he has looked out of place at all in the exhibition games with the canes in fact I was quite impressed with him um and I think there was a lot of comments by the the announcers as well saying some good things about uh Nistrom and the fact that he's been recalled suggests that's just the case. In fact uh Nick Bass had some interesting things to say about uh about Nistro and Nick of course with canes prospects and he said he's a two-way monster he uh he leads a power play unit for far just ed as well as being a primary penalty killer this was at the start of last year uh he earned a contract with the canes and he has a sneaky chance at being an NHL defenseman due to his 200 foot play and he could be there sooner than you might think.
SPEAKER_02:So um that's interesting words coming from Nick and and I you know I just like the way he plays he's not a big player uh but he's very smart he sees the ice extremely well um what have you seen with yoell when you've watched him uh with the wolves 200 foot player that uh that's very smart if that doesn't scream uh a uh guy out of the Carolina system I don't know what to tell you but he uh I mean you kind of bore it all right there and you know for right for as as little time as he's been here in Chicago to to be elevated to the role that he had early on to get the early call up after Lego kind of shows where where he's at with his game how much the coaching staff trusts him with his game and again it's it's it might not be the you know the flashiest that gets all the you know all the highlights and all the numbers and everything but it's this it's the one that the you know the coaches rely on to put you out there for 20 minutes at a time. It's just money for a defenseman. And to be able to be relied upon in all situations I don't have to worry you know oh man if we're gonna put him in our own zone in a face-off we're gonna get eaten up if we lose the draw so it's um yeah I've I've really enjoyed what I've seen from him so far. I got like again I I saw the call up today and I was like oh we're gonna be a little thinner in Chicago but you know you love to see you just you love to see opportunities for these guys and and and you want to see how they how they approach it you know they're gonna be kind of you know timid and reserved pro hopefully not they're gonna be jumping in for the opportunity being you know yeah I'm in the national let's go let's get after it and um we saw that with Lego I think one game and Kane's fans are already starting to really enjoy him so it's um I I would like them back please at some point if we can get a couple of guys I um you know you can you can have your your fun I I I would at least for the playoffs but um yeah super reliable in in every end and you know like I said the coaches know that that's why he's earned his ice time and earned this call up as well.
SPEAKER_00:Well you know and and Nistrom is part of a group that's uh been toiling over in Europe uh I think about Noelle France and Simon Forsmark both in Sweden those two guys are not far off either and uh boy I tell you you look at the depth of the Keynes it's fantastic now one of the guys I wanted to mention because I mentioned him every time he's one of my favorite players with the Chicago Wolves and you know I'm probably going to talk about Dominic Fensori because I think Don's incredible um he had a solid cap. He's a guy that to me just keeps getting better all the time he plays way bigger than he is he kills penalties. He's on the power play what else can you ask Don to do? And I I thought it'd be good to look at what McKean said because it just keeps uh making me feel better all the time. Dominic Vensori stands at just five foot nine but his offensive impact far outweighs his frame. Vensori's best trade is his superb skating which allows him to turn the puck up ice and create odd man advantages close gaps and win races on defense and we see that every time we see him play he just and and he's a smart player gosh I remember when I first saw him in uh in one of the prospect showcases about three years ago and I just raved about he had just come out of uh Boston U and I just raved about uh about fensori I just thought man this guy he just looks the part um is he continuing to be that player absolutely oh yeah and I think uh you know last year was it was it was Scott Morrow was was the power play quarterback you know when when he was in the lineup it was his he was running the show from from the top of the key there and and now it's now it's Dom and how how well has he done to kind of step out of Scotty Shadow well I mean he's just leading the team in points currently so I guess that's not bad for defenseman.
SPEAKER_02:You know and and now I think I mean you know he was here for the the independent year Carolina loaned him to the Wolves as well. So now he's entering his his third season in Chicago he's you know he's familiar with uh with every nook and cranny around there at all state and and he's just continuing to kind of just keep that upward trajectory of his as we've you know talked about quite so often with him and and just can smooth skating I I you know I just I love to see him even without the puck to be able to to move that the way he does it just it adds a dynamic to your blue line that that that other teams have to game plan for and it changes how comfortably you move in transition if you know you got a guy like Fensori back there who can who can make a pay if you're not if you're not careful and you're watching the you're not watching the trailer coming in from the neutral zone. So it's um and right you you there's always that stereotype of that that undersized defenseman of like oh he's just gonna get bullied he's gonna get this guy's a bulldog I've I've seen him take on guys that are that are quite uh maybe not heavyweights but they can hold their own for sure and he doesn't back down from anyone and and and that's what that's kind of what you need from a guy if you're not gonna have that that you know the that Charles Alexis Lego frame you know you gotta you gotta be able to you can't back down from anyone especially in this league they'll just eat you alive in the corners in front of the net and in the scrums they'll they'll find ways to just kind of get in your head and if you're playing scared you might as well just you might as well just go home. So he he comes out he brings it every night it's it's one of my favorite attributes about him and you know it's if you think you're just gonna you're just gonna push him around just because he might not be as tall as you you got another thing coming it's gonna it's gonna come at you in a hurry and before you realize you're either on your backside or the puck's in the net and um you know you can't really ask for anything more from a guy who's who's really kind of your number one defenseman for for the foreseeable year.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah and you know he comes from it honestly he was captain uh at Boston and and he was a guy that uh you know was was right there in the Hobie Baker uh uh voting as well he's a guy that uh certainly was an outstanding collegiate player and and I I've enjoyed watching him all the time he just uh he he excites me when he's on the ice he's making things happen and he sees the ice for Dom well he uh he just likes to connect on those passes and get things moving so I'm gonna be watching Don. I hope he gets a cup of coffee with the canes or at some point I hope he gets an opportunity to come into the NHL because I think he's uh he's definitely uh earning the right as he continues to uh to improve his play one other guy in the the blue line just uh to wrap it up um wanted to mention Dominic Bedinka the reason uh I brought up Dom was um again uh 19 years old this guy comes over uh I thought he looked very mature in the exhibition games that he played in with the canes I thought he uh you know he he's not flustered by anything he's he just goes about his business he was solid smart got the puck out uh you know careful to make sure that he was uh looking after his defensive responsibilities in in a good way um so far so good with uh with Dominic Yeah I had to actually kind of check his uh check his elite prospects to make sure this kid was actually 19 because I was uh I was kind of uh uh surprised by just how poised he is you know with the puck without the puck you know there's not a whole lot of uh you know a whole lot of uh uh just kind of those those youthful jitters in his game which is which is which is great which is what you want to see um you know it's and there's you know there's gonna be some growing pains here and there for sure is uh as a young kid like him just kind of rounds into his game and and gets into his first real big pro season out here in North America but man I yeah for those those first those couple games I think he might he had last year and and start off this year I'm I'm I'm I'm impressed.
SPEAKER_02:To the point where you know when you get those call-ups like you do now with with Lego and and Nistrom coming up you you wonder who's gonna be the guy to reach out and grab those opportunities which you know again I've said a million times already this is just the nature of this league is someone gets someone gets called up next guy you know no team in this league is going to feel sorry for your guys getting all called up to the national because everyone is going to deal with it at some point. So um as as you we don't know how long these guys are going to be up there so here's your chance you're probably gonna get slotted up I mean if he gets paired up there with Fensori at the top or however coach and astis wants to approach it um the the chances there and I think he's got you know he's got the the tool set I think he's got the mindset to you know to take it and to really really kind of run with it to to make a big impact for this team which is again it's still crazy for me to say this about a 19 year old defenseman in in this league. This is a tough league for teenagers I've you know we've seen Bradley Nadeau make it look like it's uh you know it's it's just it's so nonchalant for to put up 30 goals but the teenagers aren't supposed to come into the AHL and look this good it's just it's just not supposed to happen. So you know I'm not gonna say that that Badink is also going to light the world on fire but I you see the the the promises in his game you see the the smarts and how he carries himself and you know you want to see that and there's an opportunity ahead of him to do more with it with the the the gaps in the lineup now caused by the call ups so for sure I think he's yeah we're we're just a a couple games here into the season here but he's a guy that that's got a long runway ahead of him and it's just gonna I think it's he's just only beginning to take off with his game.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah and and you know he's played uh in the SHL uh last year and I think part the year before with Momo uh so he's been playing against men which is great. McKee said an interesting thing they said there's still things to work on but his projection to the NHL still looks good. So definitely um sure he's he's a young player he's he's got some areas to work on but um I like what I saw with him and and like you I hope he gets a lot more opportunity here because I think he's going to surprise a lot of folks with uh with what he can do. Yeah exciting things with that decor and uh boy a lot of talent there a ton um and we'll be watching it uh as as the season goes on the canes made a decision in the summer to sign a veteran goalie out of Russia Amir Miftikov umtakov he's a he's a friend of uh Andrey Stehnnikov it turns out their buddies uh mtikov um had uh had played uh uh over actually in North America for one season um he'd been drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning ended up playing in Syracuse and then uh actually in the in the AHL and then down to Orlando in the ECHL it didn't go that well and he decided to go back to Russia and he played with Akbars uh actually played very well the last three or four seasons in the KHL and got the deal with the Canes he had a terrible terrible awful training camp like the games that uh he played he was just shelled um and so you know everybody wondering you know what's the deal with with Miftikov is he going to be uh somebody that can be counted on in Chicago or not what's going on with the mirror yeah he you know I'm I'm not sure if I would have thrust him into the uh the number one role going into the season again I think we might have been expecting Caden Primo to be there instead well uh Toronto Maple Leafs had something to say about that so um so it it fell upon Mystikov and and you know against uh against Iowa you know looked looked good against Iowa Iowa's not uh it has historically been just bottom of the barrel for the last couple of years so like looked good i okay you know it something to build on and then the Rockford uh game that he played on Sunday he started off not uh again it was it was kind of uh a mirror of the preseason I think he had trouble tracking the puck um the one goal by Lardis yes it was a quick release kind of thought that you know uh it was a little out there maybe probably should have had his glove on it but um as just in a just what makes this game so funny is that in that third period on Sunday Rockford was didn't really generate a whole lot of offense they just struck whenever they had it and then in the third period it was just chance and chance and chance and chance and chance and and and Miftikov I feel like he still kind of looked uncomfortable in his crease but he managed to make every single save in the third period and come away with with the win.
SPEAKER_02:And then At the end of the game, uh Brett Seney, who's just known for running into goalies and getting in the goalies' heads and just being an absolute menace to goalies, uh, puts the puck into the net after the the final whistle goes, and there's a bit of a scrum, and then you see Miftikov going over there to to talk to him, and you're like, uh, do we have just another feisty Russian netminder who's gonna try and fight everyone at this chance? Because I mean, you know, Kochekov was just the the absolute bell of the ball down there in Chicago, and I think fans are kind of hoping for more of that. But um, you know, I think for Miftikov, it's it's just gonna have to it, you know, it's it's it's it's a mental position to be a goaltender. And for him, it's it's all it's all it's gonna have to just be, you know, to focus on just getting settled in. And and um you know, just you just gotta focus, just worry about the game in front of you and focus on on excuse me, on getting the stops. And you know, I I have confidence in him and in the goaltending coach, uh Stan Dubicki, who's been in Chicago for what feels like forever, um, who's coached between Kochekov and Alex Lyon and Jordan Bennington, uh, then this, that, and the other thing. That he can he can make it work. And he's shown that he can work with you know with goalies from Russia, who might not even have uh um you know the the language barrier there, but the universal language is stopping the puck. And um, you know, I I I I think Miftikov will be okay in the long run. Um would I maybe appreciate a Brandon Bussey or Caden Primo coming back down? In the long term, sure. But um as it is, you know, it's it's his priest, and um I I think he's I I think he'll be I think he'll be okay in the long run. Might not be the prettiest, but you know, it though teams find ways to win in this league all the time, and Chicago's got the capacity to do it. And if he makes unorthodox stops and keeps the puck out the way he did against Rockford, who's who's to say it won't work? So I'm yeah, it's it it might be a fun, it might be a ride, but it's gonna be a fun ride.
SPEAKER_00:Well, it's interesting. He is a smallish goalie. Yeah, he checks in at six feet and 180 pounds. So that's unusual. The Keynes, of course, have been getting these big goalies. Um, and you know, the Kames have really hung their hat with uh with Russian goaltenders. Of course, it's been an incredible goalie factory. Uh several top goalies in the NHL, of course, coming out of Russia. And, you know, they of course they've got Piotr Kochekov with the big club. We talked about Rusbank as the there's uh Simeon Semyon Frolov, who they drafted this year, who looks like he's gonna be a player. There's Igor Velmack, and I mean there's a bunch of guys that they've got uh coming that are you know really high potential goaltenders and big guys, they're all big six foot four, six foot five type goaltenders. Um so it's exciting. So it's interesting to see Miftikov here. Um and then Nikita Kop, who we talked about earlier, um, interesting with Kop, um playing in Germany, wasn't in the top league. Uh not a lot of what you know, you don't hear a lot about Nikita, but uh Nick Bass was talking about something that uh that happened in the World Juniors a couple of years ago, and he said, anytime I want to watch a goalie attempt a heroic performance, I think about those Germany versus Canada games at the World Junior Championship where KW was unreal. And he says, if you get to consistent time, he's got real NHL potential. Um the interesting thing was we saw him in some exhibition games with the Kings. So uh they had signed him to a deal, they give him a shot. Uh he's a guy that uh you never really know uh what he's gonna do, and and it'll be interesting to see how Nikita uh coop kind of fares with the with the wolves.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's uh it's a funny thing about about goalies. It's just the their development isn't always kind of linear, you know. It's not always just gonna go up like that. It can the go it's a volatile position, and like I said, a lot of it just so much is is mental and being in the right situation and having the right coaching and and just everything just in between the ears. I mean, we all know kind of what everything that we all deal with on a day-to-day basis. Well, then throw in you know 100 mile an hour shots coming at you. It's it's it's difficult. And I think he, you know, for all intents and purposes, I think he played well enough. It might not read a lot on the stat sheet about Saturday. Um I I mean there was uh a chance with Nick Lardis on the doorstep with two seconds left, and he made a nice toe drag move and was in in front of Quap with about five feet in front of him. Um made the stop, and and I just I feel like you know the goals that he did give up, not a whole lot of opportunity for him. A couple backdoor tapping, especially the overtime winner. I mean, four on three power play in overtime. It's it's hard to fault a goalie for for one of those. So it's you know, uh it might be another kind of situation like we had with Ruslan last year, where it's um, you know, it's it's just it's a tough position for uh a kid like him. You might have prefer to have him acclimated down there in Greensboro and kind of get more time and develop that way. But uh this is the situation you're in now, kid. So it's uh I I you know I'm excited to kind of see as the year goes on what what he's capable of, how you know how he handles that that kind of adversity. Because um, like I said, no one's gonna feel sorry for you. Oh, you have to play a young goaltender? Oh, that's tough. Here's a list of franchises that only have young goaltenders to pick. So um it's uh you know, I think he's I think he's gonna have a good situation in Chicago where you know he doesn't have to to bear the full brunt of any of the starts or anything. He's gonna at least have Miftikov in there to kind of insulate him, um, just kind of learn and and and and do his thing. And you're right. If it's it's it's such a uh a strange position to project sometimes, you know, and all you can do is is put him out on the ice and see see what uh see what you got from him. Um there's early signs that we saw on Saturday that say, okay, this kid might be he might be might be good. He might be good. Let's but you don't, you can't you can only tell so much from from a game. So there's uh uh there's a lot. He's got a lot ahead of him, and uh I'm interested interested to see how he responds to these challenges.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and and I fully expect he'll get a uh probably an opportunity in uh Greensboro. They might flip-flop he and uh Rooslan Kaziv at different points, just so he gets lots of playing time, because of course they're gonna want him to play too. Uh the interesting thing with the Canes, you talked a lot about Stan Davicki. Of course, he's legendary, as you said. He's incredible. But the Canes also have Tom Barrasso who and uh and Cam Ward who do a lot of work with their with their young goaltenders as well. So um they'll be helping uh guys like Nikita Kwap and Ruzman Kaziv as they continue to grow in the Kanes or in the uh Wolves and Gargoyles uh scenario. Um hey, as we wrap up, I just wanted to ask you a quick uh quick question here as we go and and say, you know, what what are you gonna have your your eyes on as you look at the next month ahead? What do you think uh what do you think we should be looking for?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, this I mean, this early in the season, it's all just kind of, you know, we've we've seen everyone kind of get off to their to their starts. And I mean, you know, the blue line, of course, as we talked about, is is a big point of emphasis just because you know you have two guys that are are so reliable, not just you know, defensively, offensively, everywhere. Yeah. Um, and they're they're gone. So who like you know, we talked a lot about Badinka, um, you know, I I enjoy Alexei Himo Salmi there. Um who's gonna who's gonna rise up and and and and be a player for this team with these with this with the added ice time. Um obviously again, you know, the we've spoken a lot of uh Bray Lena Doe. I mean we can talk about him all day and every day for sure. Um I just I I I I feel like you know, with in this league, it's not it's not a big surprise to see a whole lot of roster turnover year after year. There wasn't a whole lot of there's like what 15 guys in the starting lineup that were here last year, which is which is quite a lot, you know. Um, so what I kind of want to see is you know, I you know, this team I think had a good regular season last year. I know that the um Coach Abbott, a lot of the guys in that locker room were disappointed with how the playoff with the play-in round went with uh with the sweep to Rockford. So, but there's a lot of good building blocks in that foundation. And over the next month, you know, you're gonna want to see where this team kind of took a lot of those lessons from last year, a lot of the lessons from the first three games, and how they continue to build on that and and continue to create something that's gonna, you know, this is gonna be this is I feel like this is gonna be a really tough division this year. Grand Rapids looks really good, Rockford looks really good. There's not really gonna be, I mean, okay, Iowa's there who's kind of terrible, but other everywhere else, I mean, Milwaukee is always in the mix, no matter if they have a bunch of studs or whether it's a bunch of no names. They're a really good coach hockey team. This is gonna be a tough division to play in and consistently. And so I'm you know that it's gonna be a challenge every night, whether it's it's you're gonna have to worry about this guy or that guy, and how this team rises to those challenges and and presents the other team with challenges. Hey, we got we got a bunch of studs on our side too. How are you gonna approach and beat us? And um just continuing to see the kids grow and and and round their games out again. Kind of a big theme of this one is we know that you're capable of doing A, how much can we rely on you in doing B and C? So I um I'm looking forward to a lot of that, and just you know, if seeing Nadeau's goal all over the internet didn't get you jazzed up for Wolves hockey, I don't really know what to tell you other than maybe you need to go to a doctor and get your pulse checked or something like that.
SPEAKER_00:Well, for sure. And and you know, the other the other thing that I've been kind of watching as well, of course, Cam Abbott had his first season with the Wolves, and he was cutting his teeth uh as well with with the American League team and and learning the cane system and so on. And I think uh I expect a lot more from him in terms of of his ability to develop these players as well. So yeah, it looks like it's gonna be a great season. It's gonna be tough for sure because players are gonna get called up and there'll be all kinds of situations. But uh anyway, we're gonna be right there with it. Uh and as always, it's it's great talking Wolves hockey with you, Andrew. It's uh your knowledge is fantastic, and sharing it with uh with all of our fans is just wonderful. And where again can they find you?
SPEAKER_02:Thank you very much for that. Um I uh I you can find me on uh on tap sports network. That's uh it's a Chicago-based media outlet. So if you're ever curious about the Black Hawks or the Bulls for whatever reason, we got you covered. And um, and you can find me on on I'm still gonna call it Twitter. I'm never gonna call it X, it's always gonna be Twitter to me. Um at Andrew underscore Rinaldi underscore. Um I provide updates on the team. I tweet live during the games about what's going on and share content and post my articles and chat with the fans, you know, and I you know I continue to say this from day one until I'll say it until I'm dead in the ground. I love talking about this game and I love sharing it with fans. So if you have any questions, if you have any observations or any players or the team or anything, um, I'm always I'm I'm always available and I I I enjoy sharing it with uh with with the fans of Chicago, of Carolina, fans all over, you know, it's great. I I've I've met a fan from Russia who's uh you know I I completely unrelated and talking about uh like the growing up with the five Russian players in Detroit and how they helped shape my uh my love for the game, you know. So being able to find those those uh those connections with with people in this world, it's it's why I do what I do. So um yeah, don't be afraid to reach out.
SPEAKER_00:Well said, and uh for those of you who've been watching or listening, of course, Andrew and I are delighted that you spent time with us. Uh if you have uh any comments or questions, as Andrew said, we'd love to hear from you. So please uh you know put them in the comment box down below and and we'll try to respond just as quickly as possible. If you like this episode, please press the like button. And of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker and hear more about the Chicago world in the future, along with uh case prospects and of course uh your future line of case uh podcast, please uh prospect off. And you'll be made aware of just two and go further. Once again, everyone, thank you very much for spending time with us, and we look forward to getting together with you real soon like you.
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