Thrashers AHL prospects season review

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Thrashers AHL prospects season review

Written by: Holly Gunning on 06/18/2005

MacKenzie is the most NHL The Chicago Wolves made their fifth visit to the AHL/IHL finals in eight years, but were swept by the Philadelphia Phantoms. The four consecutive losses were just the second time the entire season Chicago dropped four straight, the first time was way back in November.

Twelve Atlanta Thrashers prospects spent time with the Wolves this season. Below is a review of their seasons.

Defensemen

The Wolves finished first in the league on defense, holding opponents to just 1.78 goals per game. Game 4 was the only time they allowed more than three goals during the playoffs.

Braydon Coburn - Coburn joined the Wolves with just three games left at the end of the regular season, but ended up getting in another quarter season's worth of games as the team lasted until the finals. Coburn slid easily into the line-up alongside defensive partner 27-year-old Joe Corvo. He saw a bit of time on special teams, more as the playoffs went on. The smooth skating 6'5 blueliner plays a solid, effective game. He has the skill to contribute offensively, but needs to feel like his own end is taken care of before he'll demonstrate it.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	3	0	1	1	.33	-1	5	7
2004-05 playoffs	18	0	1	1	.06	+1	36	16

Brian Sipotz - It was a very long season for Sipotz, playing 93 total games, compared to a college high of 36 last season. While he had just 11 points, it was a veritable offensive explosion for the 6'6 blueliner, whose career high was three points as a senior. His penalty minutes were remarkably low for any defenseman, let alone a stay-at-homer his size, however, with just 31 in the regular season and six in the playoffs. Sipotz had the best plus/minus amongst Thrashers prospects during the regular season at +6. He played on the third pairing with Tim Wedderburn for a good part of the year and into the playoffs. His contribution to the team was better than expected for a rookie, but he has more work to do to refine his game before the thought of time with the big club. He's started to look for outlets rather than chipping the puck out, but his stickhandling remains far below NHL standards.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	75	2	6	8	.11	+6	31	64
2004-05 playoffs	18	1	2	3	.17	+3	6	17

Paul Flache - Flache finished the regular season third in points amongst defensemen who were with the club all season, with 15. Paired with Kyle Rossiter and playing on both special teams, he lost his roster spot when the team gained Joe Corvo and Braydon Coburn and did not see time in the playoffs. The 23-year-old will be looking for a new contract this summer and his solid season should build a good case.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	61	3	12	15	.25	+4	172	57
2004-05 playoffs	0	0	0	0	--	0	0	0

Forwards

Derek MacKenzie -- MacKenzie did not score at the clip he did last year during the regular season, going from .56 points per game in 2003-04 to .42 points per game in 2004-05. During this regular season MacKenzie was a key player on the penalty kill had six shorthanded goals. At even strength, he played mostly with Karl Stewart and Brad Larsen. MacKenzie did once again step his game in the playoffs. He had the best plus/minus on the team during the playoffs, and was tied for second on the team with five goals. His energy level was a model for the rest of the team to follow. MacKenzie is the most NHL-ready of the Thrashers forward prospects who played in Chicago, and will likely get an opportunity again this season.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	78	13	20	33	.42	+5	87	178
2004-05 playoffs	18	5	6	11	.61	+10	33	34

Karl Stewart -- While MacKenzie's offensive production slipped a bit, Stewart managed to cut his nearly in half, going from .58 points per game in 2003-04 to only .31 points per game in 2004-05. He did pull his plus/minus up in the later part of the season to finish at +1. It had been worst on the team in late January. Stewart took a career-high 226 penalty minutes this year, an astonishing number for a player who isn't an enforcer. He finished the season second in the league in minor penalties with 68, behind only Darryl Bootland of Grand Rapids. Many of Stewart's penalties were the selfish variety, a case in point being a boarding penalty that lead directly to the fourth and most devastating Phantoms goal in Game 4 of the finals. Such penalties will not endear him to any NHL coaches.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	77	16	8	24	.31	+1	226	102
2004-05 playoffs	12	4	2	6	.50	+4	32	9

Stephen Baby - Though somewhat improved in skating and puckhandling, Baby went from .38 points per game last season with the Wolves to just .14 this year. Baby did have two game-winning goals during the regular season, from the fourth line. He replaced Stewart in the line-up in the playoffs when Stewart missed time due to concussion-like symptoms. Baby was the only player on the team who ended the playoffs with a negative plus/minus at -1, playing six games. Baby's lack of development will keep the 25-year-old out of contention for an NHL roster spot.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	64	6	3	9	.14	-2	115	67
2004-05 playoffs	6	0	0	0	.00	-1	0	8

Colin Stuart - A rookie out of Colorado College, Stuart did not see much ice time with the Wolves this season. Including the five games he spent with the Gwinnett Gladiators in January, his 44 total games played just barely exceeded his totals in college. He did not see any time in the playoffs. The smart defensive forward will almost certainly see increased time next season.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	39	3	2	5	.13	-3	12	48
2004-05 playoffs	0	0	0	0	--	0	0	0

Kevin Doell - Doell managed 12 points in 45 games with the Wolves before breaking his jaw. When he returned from injury, he was sent down to the ECHL where he had 15 points in 14 games. He finished the season with the Gladiators, and though he was recalled back to Chicago when Gwinnett's playoff run was over, he did not see further playing time with the Wolves. Doell turns 26 next month. Not talented enough to be a finesse player at higher levels, he's also not big enough to be an effective checker.

	GP	G	A	PTS	PPG	+/-	PIM	Shots
2004-05 season	45	4	8	12	.27	-2	69	64
2004-05 playoffs	0	0	0	0	--	0	0	0

Goaltenders

Kari Lehtonen - Lehtonen ended the regular season fifth in minutes played with 3378. He improved his numbers slightly from last season, a .929 save percentage compared to .927, and a 2.27 goals-against versus a 2.41 last season. While he didn't start the season with a quality defense in front of him, it did improve with the additions of Tim Wedderburn, Joe Corvo, Jay Bouwmeester and Braydon Coburn. Only two defensemen who played in the playoffs started the season with the club: Travis Roche and Brian Sipotz. Lehtonen raised his game in the playoffs, with two shutouts and a .939 save percentage.

	GP	MIN	W	L	SOL	SO	GAA	SV%
2004-05 season	57	3378	38	17	2	5	2.27	.929
2004-05 playoffs	16	982	10	6	--	2	1.71	.939

Michael Garnett - Garnett got 24 games in during the regular season. He was sent to Gwinnett to get some playing time in the fall, but did not play after a groin strain was diagnosed. Garnett was better in the second half of the season for the Wolves, and relieved Lehtonen when he suffered his own groin strain in the playoffs. Garnett was clutch when called upon, winning both games. The 22-year-old will need to negotiate his next contract this summer.

	GP	MIN	W	L	SOL	SO	GAA	SV%
2004-05 season	24	1324	11	9	0	1	2.86	.911
2004-05 playoffs	2	119	2	0	--	0	1.51	.957

Defenseman Jeff Dwyer did not play in the second half, nor in the playoffs. He has one year remaining on his contract. Defenseman Libor Ustrnul played 27 games with the Wolves before finishing his season with the Gwinnett Gladiators. His contract concluded this season.

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