How do the Chicago Wolves follow up a run to the Calder Cup Final? Great coaching and a young core help as they hope there isn’t a hangover from the 2025-26 season.
When the Charlotte Checkers were asked how much momentum and identity they brought from the 2025 Calder Cup Playoff run into the 2025-26 season, the answer was none. It’s the reality of the American Hockey League where teams go through so much turnover that they look entirely different from one season to the next.
The Chicago Wolves, who represented the Western Conference in the Final, hope to avoid a similar fate. In fairness, the Checkers rebounded and put together a great season. The Wolves, however, are looking to pick up where they left off and start 2026-27 with a bang.
They have the roster and play in a division that allows them to get off to a hot start. The Wolves are also a well-run organization that will help; a team that’s affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes but run independently (and spends big in the process). It makes this version of the Wolves a fascinating one.
Stats from 2025-26:
Record: 36-21-8-7 (2nd in the Central Division, 6th in the Western Conference & 11th in the AHL)
Offense: 3.12 goals per game (15th in the AHL)
Defense: 3.02 goals per game (tied for 10th in the AHL)
The Burning Question: Who Are The New Leaders, Especially Up The Middle?
The Wolves lost Ryan Suzuki in free agency. He had 48 points and a team-leading 18 in the playoffs but, more importantly, was the top-line center who made everything click. Plus, Noah Philp retired. It leaves the Wolves with a void up the middle.
The hope is that the younger players can step up. Specifically, can Ivan Ryabkin, who stepped up in the playoffs with four goals, five assists, and strong play on the defensive end, become the Wolves’ top-line center?
In the big picture, the Wolves are a younger team. They lost a lot of vets, and with both Skyler Brind’Amour and Josiah Slavin unsigned, they might lose more. It also doesn’t help that a handful of prospects, notably Bradly Nadeau, are on their way to the NHL. All of this leaves the Wolves searching for new leaders and players who will pick up the slack.
The good news for the Wolves is that many of the younger players who experienced the playoff run are back. They can build off the strong second half and the playoff run for the Wolves to pick up where they left off. Yes, the team might start slow as they’ve played two more months of hockey than the rest of the league. That said, they know what it takes to get back in a marathon season and win in the playoffs.
Why The Wolves Are Optimistic
The Wolves are a good team with a better blue line. The defensive unit became their strength down the stretch, and the same group returns aside from Dominick Fensore and Cal Foote. It has prospects but prospects with some experience under their belt.
That experience helps twofold. The Wolves' deep playoff run showed the returning players they know what it takes. Plus, it helped prepare a handful of players for the NHL, especially as the games slowed down and became a physical grind.
The Wolves are also a well-coached team. Spiros Anastas turned them around when he was hired early last season. Now, imagine what he can do with a full offseason and training camp with the team.
It’s worth adding that the Wolves have an ownership group that’s willing to spend and will keep adding talent as the season goes on. The offseason was a case in point of their willingness to add when they brought in Zach Sawchenko to help with the goaltending and Chase Wheatcroft as an AHL veteran presence.
Prospects To Watch
It’s unlikely Bradly Nadeau will be on the Wolves. His elite play all season and dominant performances in the playoffs proved he should be on the Hurricanes, not their AHL affiliate. So, the next wave of prospects is on the way, some of whom were key parts of the 2026 run.
Felix Unger Sorum is one player to watch. He led the Wolves with 66 points last season and was part of the top line that carried them in the playoffs. The 21-year-old Norwegian winger makes the skaters around him better, and with his play improving on the defensive end, he might be on the Hurricanes call-up list as well.
The same is true about Justin Robidas. He’s a top-six center whom the Wolves used in all situations. His offense is noticeable, and this season, he’ll be counted on more with Suzuki and Philp gone.
The prospect who changes the dynamics of the Wolves is Ivan Ryabkin. He burst on the scene in the playoffs but was always reliable on the defensive end. He’s the center who can develop into a two-way player and someone who will remind a lot of people in the hockey world of Jordan Staal.
The other group of prospects is on the defense. It includes Charles Alexis Legault, Ronan Seeley, and Joel Nystrom, all of whom are 25 or younger and have shown flashes in recent years. Then there’s Noel Fransen, a top prospect in the Hurricanes system, who joins the Wolves this season. Fransen is particularly the defenseman who can turn heads by the end of the season.
