It’s a tough task to have the best record in a division from one season and then finish last the next. The four first-place teams from the past season can do it, so let’s rank the teams from first to worst… from first to worst.
The American Hockey League is known for turnover, and this offseason has been no exception. The rosters are younger, the coaches change, and the teams are different. It’s why predicting a Calder Cup winner, especially at this point in the season, is nearly impossible.
That said, it’s hard to go from first ot worst. It takes talent, and not a good one. To do so, a team must collapse and fall apart after everything went right the season before. Those four teams who finished in first place in their divisions last season were the Colorado Eagles, Grand Rapids Griffins, Laval Rocket, and Providence Bruins. With that in mind, it’s a good time to check in on all four teams and find out which ones can have the drop-off.
4. Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign can have the doomsday scenario hit them this season. The veterans they lost can be tough to replace, the Los Angeles Kings call up a few of the prospects, and the rest of the Pacific Division catches up to them. It’s not likely.
They put together a strong offseason where they kept many of their core players plus added high-end veterans like Lane Pederson. It also helps that Andrew Lord, who impressed in his first season behind the Reign bench, is back and building off of it. The Reign will be fine in the end and remain near the top of the 10-team Pacific Division (which, frankly, is another strong argument against them going first to worst).
3. Laval Rocket
This is a new-look team, and Pascal Vincent, who led them to first place in each of the past two seasons, is back in the NHL. Daniel Jacob is hoping to pick up where Vincent left off, yet it’s a tough act to follow, and there’s a chance he’s not ready to coach at the AHL level.
Jacob struggling to maintain the winning culture is how the Rocket fall apart. However, he’s expected to keep this team competitive, along with the new pieces they brought in this season (the Brett Berard trade can flop if the young forward still struggles at the AHL level).
Speaking of the new pieces, it’s where the optimism starts for the Rocket since they had one of the best free agency classes this offseason. They brought in proven vets Sam Poulin, Hunter McKown, and Ethan Samson while re-signing Alex Belzile. With the prospect pool still among the best in hockey, the expectation for the Rocket is to remain a top team in the North Division.
2. Grand Rapids Griffins
The past season was truly one of a kind for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Everything went right from the hot 11-1-0-1 start to the 51-16-4-1 first-place finish to prospects putting together career years throughout the lineup. That success rarely, if ever, is replicated.
So, what happens if everything starts to go wrong? Goaltending, which was a strength, can be an issue, especially since Sebastian Cossa was traded and Trey Augustine is an unproven rookie. The prospects can be in the NHL on a rebuilding Detroit Red Wings team that might be heading in a different direction under a new general manager. Losing Amadeus Lombardi and Eduards Tralmaks this offseason, two forwards who combined for 84 points, could leave them with a void that's too tough to replace.
Plus, the grind can hit this team earlier than it did the previous season. The Griffins hit a wall in March and weren’t the same team down the stretch. It showed by the time the playoffs rolled around, and the Chicago Wolves outplayed them in a four-game series. A collapse is unlikely but not out of the realm.
1. Providence Bruins
If there is one team that might go from first to worst, it’s the Providence Bruins. They overhauled the team from the top down, including their GM (Evan Gold), head coach (Ryan Mougenel), and most of the roster. The list of players they lost keeps growing every week, with some of the big ones listed below.
- Michael DiPietro (the back-to-back AHL Goaltender of the Year who is expected to be the Boston Bruins backup).
- Riley Tufte (a top-line forward who signed with the New Jersey Devils).
- Matej Blumel (another top-line vet who signed overseas).
- Patrick Brown (the captain and top-line forward who signed overseas).
- Fabian Lysell (a second-line winger who was traded to the Colorado Eagles).
- Georgii Merkulov (arguably their best player offensively, who signed with the Eagles).
In short, the Bruins need prospects to fill the voids for at least four top-six spots and replace arguably the league’s best goaltender. This is the blueprint for a rough season ahead. It’s wild considering they had the best record in the AHL last season, yet they will take a step back and might take a few steps back.
It also doesn’t help that the rest of the Atlantic Division improved this summer. The Bruins, meanwhile, got worse and still don’t have a head coach. There’s still time to fix everything and put together a strong offseason while making an impressive hire. However, it doesn’t look likely right now.
