A look at the 2008-09 Phantoms, Part 2

In the last post, I looked over the forwards on the roster. Here, I’ll examine the defense and netminders for the Purple and Black last season. First, Nate Guenin has signed with the cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent this offseason (http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=433401&page=NewsPage&service=page). Guenin was a leader for the Phantoms this year, playing big minutes. He was usually matched up against the other team’s top forwards, and was solid for most of the season. He had no goals and 14 assists this season, while finishing  +14, with 95 PIMs to boot, reflective of his playing style. Realistically, he’s a bottom pairing guy at the NHL level, who can finish checks and play the shutdown game. His offensive game really is irrelevant, as he doesn’t factor into the rush much. It’s really no surprise to see him sign in Pittsburgh, as he is a Sewickley native, the town where Mario, Sid the Kid, and other Pittsburgh stars reside.

Lasse Kukkonen is also gone (http://hawk.ru/news/5130.html), after spending 2+ years with the Flyers. This season, Kukkonen registered 11 assists in 26 games with the Phantoms, and even scored twice in the playoffs. I feel he never got a shot with the big club, partly due to the fact that he really didn’t get off of the bottom pairing. His shot blocking is often heralded, but he showed he could carry the puck with the Phantoms, and that given some ice time, he can produce both offensively and defensively. He was great for the Phantoms, also willing to mix it up at times, and certainly made an impression on the younger guys. Good luck to him overseas.

The other losses the Phantoms saw were obviously Luca Sbisa, who was traded to Anaheim in the Pronger deal. Sbisa certainly made the most of his time with the Phantoms, returning just in time to play in the last games of the Spectrum, and also the playoffs. Also leaving is Patrik Hersley, the big Swedish defenseman acquired in the Denis Gauthier trade (http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_malmo-varvar-ahl-back.html?id=7731804). Hersley was billed as a two way guy who could lay out opponents, but also score with an accurate, hard slapshot. He spent most of the time on the shelf with a shoulder injury, and only got into 20 games total this season (5 AHL, 15 ECHL with Reading), amassing only 5 ECHL assists. His time in North America has been uneventful, as his steps forward have been marred by injury.  Joonas Lehtivuori also came over at the end of the season, but did not see action. He’s a offensively skilled defenseman who has produced overseas, and should get a shot with the Phantoms this season.

Oskars Bartulis generated a lot of hype with his play in juniors, but his offensive game has yet to transfer over to the professional game. His defensive game has evolved, and his positioning has improved from the prior year, but Bartulis resembles Danny Syvret, another Phantoms defenseman, in the sense that he dominated in juniors, but has yet to make a huge impact in the professional game. He was replaced in the lineup late last year, but played in all 80 games this year, posting 2 goals and 11 assists, while ending up -4 on the year. It’s taking a little longer than expected for Bartulis to develop, but he certainly has the tools to elevate his game and become a top four defender with sound two way play eventually.

Michael Ratchuk is coming off his first full season with the Phantoms. After dazzling fans at the end of last season with his end-to-end rushes, Ratchuk showed a few flashes of that this season. At times, he looked overmatched, as he still learns the defensive game in the pros. His skating and offensive instincts are certainly top-notch, and the kid has a top gear that most on the team can’t match. There are moments when he reminds you of the late 70s-early 80s offensive defensemen who could simply pick up the puck and take it coast to coast. His numbers weren’t great, with 5 goals and 12 assists, but he was the secondary offensive option on the team, which explains the low production. If he doesn’t stick at defense, I could easily see him becoming a forward. His raw skating skills are really promising, and he will be one to watch next year to see if he can put it all together at the AHL level. One of my favorites to watch at times last season.

For the early part of the season, Jason DeSantis was a big part of the powerplay and offensive game from the backend. DeSantis scored once and chipped in with 16 assists this season in 56 games. While he isn’t great defensively, he’s serviceable at the AHL level, and could develop into a solid offensive defenseman at this level. I really didn’t see anything in his game that makes me think he’s going to play in the NHL, but the Phantoms certainly thought so at the beginning of the season, when he saw a lot of ice time with the man advantage. As the season faded on, he became a scratch, and will have to fight for a spot this offseason with all the prospects in camp playing for his spot on the Phantoms.

Hands down, the best defenseman on the Phantoms this year was Danny Syvret. He led the defense in scoring with 12 goals and 45 assists, while finishing +7 on the season. Danny played with Guenin most of the year, and even got a recall to the Flyers late in the season, a reward for his excellent play down on the farm. Syvret finally seems to have figured out the AHL level, and is starting to show the promise that the Oilers hoped he would fulfill when they drafted him. Syvret really does his best work on the powerplay, where he can get open for a one timer, or find the open man down low to cash in. His defensive play was steady all year, and he stepped his game up when it mattered down the stretch. Syvret was honored by being named to the all-star team this season as well. He might have a shot at the big club somewhere down the road, as he is still relatively young, but this campaign will surely turn some heads this offseason.

Sean Curry got a contract from the Flyers last season after a great campaign with the Providence Bruins the year prior. He had 5 goals, 13 assists, and finished -17 this season with the Phantoms. I really wasn’t impressed with his play this season, as it wasn’t what I expected. The year prior, Curry showed a willingness to mix it up, and the ability to put up points from the backend, as he was one of the reasons that Providence had such a great 2007-08 campaign. This season, he looked apprehensive at times, almost afraid to hit players, which really shocked me. I’m also guessing that Curry had more success on the powerplay in Providence. With the Phantoms, Curry seemed overwhelmed at times, and turned the puck over a few times too many. With the pressure put on this offseason for a spot on the Phantoms, it will be interesting to see what happens with him when camp rolls around.

Goaltenders

The Phantoms’ net in 2009-10 will have a new set of goaltenders, as the 2008-09 duo is gone. Scott Munroe has signed with the Islanders (http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=433272&page=NewsPage&service=page), after 4 years with the Flyers. While he never got a crack at the NHL level, he did post a .926 SV% last year, as well as a 31-19-4 record this season. His play has been one of the reasons the Phantoms have been in the playoffs the past two seasons. While not flashy, Munroe makes the routine saves and gets the job done, rising to the occasion when necessary. With the Islanders logjam at goaltender, I have a hard time seeing him get a shot on Long Island, which is disappointing. He might be better off going to Europe and carving out a career there. He certainly has the minor league resume to do it, and I’m a little surprised that the Flyers didn’t throw him into a game to see what he’s made of. Hell, Martin Houle even got a few minutes once upon a time.

Jean-Sebastien Aubin looked really average this year, and is headed to Germany next season (http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/duesseldorf-stadt/735887/Vizemeister-verpflichtet-Goalie-Aubin.html). He only finished 10-10-1 on the season, and had a .896 SV%, after dominating with the Portland Pirates last season in a short amount of action. He’s looked better since the lockout, but didn’t seem to be as sharp, leaving a number of rebounds on the doorstep for opposing forwards. The Flyers signed him as an insurance policy during camp anyway, so I didn’t expect too much from him.

Two other goaltenders in the system both saw time with the Phantoms at one point. Jeremy Duchesne spent most of this season in the ECHL with the Mississippi Sea Wolves, and had a bad run, finishing 5-9-2 with a .872 SV& and a 4.80 GAA. While he may be capable of better, his stats from the pro level aren’t great. I haven’t seen him play yet, but it doesn’t look like he has a future with the organization, now that additional goaltending depth has been brought in this offseason. Michael Teslak is the other goaltender in the system, who played for Elmira in the ECHL most of this season. Teslak posted decent numbers, with a 17-9-1 record and a .904 SV%, while also seeing 6 games with the Phantoms, going 2-3 over that span. His positioning needs work, but his numbers so far have been respectable. He may see time as the backup in Adirondack if he plays well this fall in camp.

Well, that’s it for now, but next I’ll be looking at the potential candidates for a spot on the Phantoms, which should be coming soon.