A year of growth in Saint John draws optimism for the future.
Nobody mistook this season's Saint John Sea Dogs as a good team, as they went 23-36-5 en route to a first round sweep at the hands of the Moncton Wildcats.
But, with one of the youngest rosters in the league headlined by top 2027 NHL draft eligible prospect Alexis Joseph, it's fair to say that this group got some good experience, and is ready to grow into being more of a true contender next year.
While Joseph is the headlining name, there are other guys like Olivier Groulx, Alexander Donovan, Dylan Rozzi, Everett Baldwin, Zach Morin, Olivier Duhamel, Olivers Murnieks, and more that Sea Dogs fans have to look forward to.
Alexis Joseph could challenge to be the number one pick in the 2027 NHL draft. (Photo: Mike Hawkins)Young teams always go through ups and downs, and this one was no different. There would be games where the young talent would take over, and they'd be able to hang with some much more experienced rosters.
But this Sea Dogs group was as prone to a blowout as anyone, and they did go through some tough stretches.
They didn't really defy or fail to live up to any expectations, since this was about what was expected with the point of the rebuild they're at. They moved older players like Egan Beveridge and Max Vilen before the deadline, and got back pieces like Jabez Seymour, and picked up an NHL-drafted goalie in Arseni Radkov, who became their starter down the stretch and into the post-season.
Next season's ceiling will be capped at however high their bevy of young talent can propel them, and of course Joseph is at the top of that list.
He finished second on the team in points this year, playing all situations as a 16-year-old, including being a legitimate key part of the penalty kill. It's probably unfair to expect an Alexis Lafreniere-level draft year season, but something like 35-40 goals and 85-90 points wouldn't be completely out of the picture, and those heights would certainly keep him at the top of draft boards.
Steps from other forwards like Groulx in his 19-year-old campaign and Rozzi, who could get drafted this summer will help insulate the team, and the blue line group should take a step as well.
Overall, this is a group who knows exactly what they need to do to improve next year, and will be exciting to watch in 2026-27.
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