Affiliates IX: Cleveland Monsters and more (All Affiliate Talk Here)

[NotWendell]

Really good season. Especially since we kept raiding their roster to fill ours most of the year.

 

[koteka]

Crap.

Great season Monsters!

 

[Monstershockey]

Oh well. At least they didn't lose it on the penalty. Great year for them, great series by them, just couldn't get it. These guys played their asses off. Never would have thought these guys would get this close. Nice job by the coaching staff also. Guys have a lot to be proud of.

Also want to give Columbus a lot of credit for filling this team with solid players. Hope some of these guys pan out for you and they put something together and make a nice run.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Lots of experience gained for some important players. Hope Jiricek and Mateychuk are ready to compete for spots next year.

 

[GoJackets1]

That final penalty was such a travesty. There were 3 of our guys and no Hershey players behind our net. All Gaudet had to do was drop it back there, but he flings it over the glass instead. Damn.

Great comeback. Would’ve been amazing to finish it.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

NHL Network

This was on NHL network? Why did I not see this publicized? I would have watched it but all I saw on social media were posts from the Monsters airing on WUAB in Cleveland.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

This was on NHL network? Why did I not see this publicized? I would have watched it but all I saw on social media were posts from the Monsters airing on WUAB in Cleveland.

This is where I saw it

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

This is where I saw it

I totally never saw that tweet. Oh well. Would have been nice to see that publicized better for people outside of Cleveland.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[CBJx614]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801079959739601105

 

[CBJ goalie]

Pretty crushed after that loss....
They applied a lot of pressure at the beginning of OT, then killed that unfortunate penalty - but got stuck in their zone, and puck found its way to an open Hershey's player.
Still made it a hell of a series. Good experience for the guys.

 

[JacketsFanWest]

I was hoping for a trip out to Palm Springs to see the Monsters. Disappointing loss, but it was an incredibly run.

It's also going to be 115°F (46°C) in Palm Springs. There might be a reason hockey in the desert in June is a bad idea.

 

[majormajor]

It's also going to be 115°F (46°C) in Palm Springs. There might be a reason hockey [human life] in the desert in June is a bad idea.

ftfy

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Any news on free agent center Joshua Dunne?

I assume he was limited to 25 games during the regular season due to injury.

Seven goals in 14 playoff games from a big center who was known more for his defending coming out of college.

Is that just attributable to his experience in the AHL or is there value as a lower line center in the NHL?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Besides Jiricek, based on the playoff run who are the Monsters players expected to make the Blue Jackets roster - either this upcoming season or down the road?

 

[majormajor]

Besides Jiricek, based on the playoff run who are the Monsters players expected to make the Blue Jackets roster - either this upcoming season or down the road?

We might not have anyone come up full time next year, including Jiricek who might need another year. It shouldn't shock anyone that Jiricek needs another year, he still has a lot of development to do. One of his closest comps is Evan Bouchard, who needed to spend his D+3 in the AHL because his defensive game still needed a lot of work.

Down the road he's an NHL all day. And I suspect we'll see Malatesta and Greaves in the NHL as well.

Josh Dunne might work as a 4C in a year or so. Jake Christiansen has just kept getting better, he looks like an NHLer to me, though he'll likely have to break in with a different team. We might say the same for Stanislav Svozil in a year or so, he's a solid player. Luca Del Bel Belluz is developing well but that's several years away.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I haven't gotten to the episode yet but it appears that Monsters legend Brett Gallant has a role in the new season of Shoresy on Hulu. I think it is episode 4 he appears in.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Alex Whelan scored five goals in 14 playoff games with the Monsters but has yet to be signed anywhere for next season. Any chance he re-signs with Cleveland or is he headed elsewhere?

 

[Dangleittus13]

Alex Whelan scored five goals in 14 playoff games with the Monsters but has yet to be signed anywhere for next season. Any chance he re-signs with Cleveland or is he headed elsewhere?

I’d love to see Cbus sign him to an NHL two-way and assign him back to Cle, but unlikely.

 

[Monstershockey]

Looks like we are getting a local station for Monsters games. Don't know too many details as of yet.

 

[koteka]

 

[CBJx614]

I almost posted that this morning

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837507144494862576

 

[Dangleittus13]

Season opener this Sat/Sun in Hershey. Am I the only one excited to get the season going?!?! Ha!

Looks like the starting roster will be 11F, 6D, 2G.

Forwards:
Butler
Del Bel Belluz
Fix-Wolansky
Gaudet
Hall
LaBate
Malatesta
Matteau
Mckown
Sillinger
Wilkie
Dumais - IR
Mccue - IR
Pearson - IR

Defensemen:
Ceulemans
Clayton
Holm
Knazko
Mateychuk
Svozil

Tenders:
Sawchenko
Greaves

Thoughts on how the roster looks out of the gate? Any player going to rise big this season? Any sleepers that may surprise?

 

[Jovavic]

Enjoy Mateychuk while you have him

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

Yeah the roster has some interesting players to follow - namely DBB, Malatesta, and to some degree McKown, Butler, and Dumais when healthy. And of course Mateychuk but we kinda expect him to dominate, so maybe the focus is more on Ceulemans (can he turn his trajectory back to positive?), Clayton (surprise in camp) and the Czech-Slovak pairing of Knazko/Svozil. I was kind of thinking they need to turn it up but looking at them closer, they're still only 22 and 21 years old, respectively. They don't necessarily need to hit it out of the park this year but it would be nice to see some progress.