With the Rookie Faceoff Event within the rearview mirror and coaching camp proper across the nook, the Anaheim Geese are shortly gearing up for the 2024-25 season. It could be one other down marketing campaign for the rebuilding Geese, who’ve did not make the postseason for a franchise-record six straight seasons. Regardless of latest historical past, there’s a lot to be enthusiastic about surrounding the workforce. They ice one of many youngest rosters within the league, together with a number of high-draft-profile gamers anticipated to assist flip the franchise round.
Associated: Geese September Collection: 2024-25 Expectations for Pavel Mintyukov
From a scorekeeping standpoint, this can be one other dangerous season for the Geese. Nonetheless, Anaheim’s future hinges on much more than what number of pucks went into the online on any given night time. Key gamers are taking up new roles with added duties, and the way they develop from this level determines how efficient they’ll be on Anaheim’s roster. A few of these developments will likely be a shock because the season unfolds. In that spirit, listed here are 4 daring predictions for the upcoming season.
Whereas suggesting the Geese make the playoffs is certainly a daring prediction, it isn’t precisely probably both. These 4 predictions are going out on a limb, however to not the purpose of fantasy.
Cutter Gauthier Wins the Calder
Beginning with the boldest prediction of the group and one which comes with {hardware}. The Geese have by no means had a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, which is awarded to the league’s most excellent rookie. They’ve, nevertheless, come shut with Bobby Ryan (2008-09) and Trevor Zegras (2021-22) every ending second.
Cutter Gauthier is usually listed because the fourth-most probably Calder winner behind Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and Logan Stankoven. Gauthier is a sniper with a knack for locating the again of the online, however standing out amongst this rookie group is a tall order. Celebrini and Michkov are being heralded as franchise cornerstones, and Stankoven’s 43-game (common and postseason) pattern measurement final season suggests he’s a professional level producer within the NHL.
Gauthier’s possibilities on the Calder are strengthened by the setting he’s getting into. He has little or no competitors to be a top-line winger, which is able to pair him with probably the most gifted forwards on Anaheim’s roster. He’ll probably be centered by Leo Carlsson, and Zegras might be feeding him passes from the other wing. Even with the expert forwards already on the roster round him, the Geese have struggled to attain in latest seasons. Geese’ common supervisor Pat Verbeek traded for Gauthier particularly to deal with this concern. Whereas it could be tough to generate noise in a crowded rookie class, Gauthier filling out the scoresheet would go a good distance.
Lukas Dostal Out-starts John Gibson
For the primary time for the reason that 2015-16 season, somebody apart from John Gibson will lead the Geese’ goaltenders in begins. Lukas Dostal has been the goaltender of the longer term in Anaheim for a while now. The 24-year-old Czechian netminder has performed one full season within the NHL, recording 38 begins and one other six appearances in reduction efforts. Dostal’s numbers in contrast favorably to Gibson’s together with an edge in save share, objectives saved above common, shutouts, and wins regardless of having fewer begins.
This prediction has extra to do with Dostal’s rise and the stage Anaheim’s rebuild is in and fewer with Gibson’s decline. Gibson remains to be able to the standing-on-his-head performances that when made him thought-about one of many league’s elite goaltenders in seasons previous. He’s solely 13 wins away from Jean-Sebastian Giguere’s franchise-leading 206, and he figures to set a brand new excessive mark with three seasons left on his contract.
Pavel Mintyukov Data 50 Factors
Final season, 20 defensemen across the league eclipsed 50 factors. Against this, the Geese haven’t had a 50-point season from a blue liner in practically 15 years. Solely Scott Niedermayer (thrice), Oleg Tverdovsky (twice), Lubomir Visnovsky, Chris Pronger, and Fredrik Olausson have reached this scoring threshold in a Geese sweater.
Pavel Mintyukov had an encouraging rookie season for the Geese, recording 28 factors and averaging just below 19 minutes an evening in 63 video games. The subsequent step in his development is turning into the workforce’s high unit power-play quarterback — a job that’s been held by Cam Fowler in latest seasons. Fowler had an additional 67 minutes with the person benefit over Mintyukov final season, however Anaheim’s persevering with development of getting a bottom-tier energy play is sufficient proof a change is critical.
I’m anticipating a giant season out of Mintyukov on the facility play, which helps the reason for the ultimate daring prediction.
Geese’ Energy Play Breaks 22%
Final season, Anaheim’s energy play transformed a Twenty third-ranked 18.3% of their possibilities on the facility play, however this isn’t a brand new concern. Energy-play objectives don’t seem out of skinny air, and the Geese have ranked within the backside 10 in penalties drawn in every of the final seven seasons. Moreover, accidents final season compelled some patchwork power-play groupings and time-on-ice discrepancies that in any other case ought to by no means occur.
This bounce from mediocre to a modest weapon is properly inside the workforce’s capabilities, particularly with some youthful gamers anticipating to take a step ahead of their growth. A clear invoice of well being for Mintyukov, Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish together with Gauthier’s cannon shot will help set up a formidable high power-play unit. Olen Zellweger on the second energy play feeding passes to 30-goal scorers Troy Terry and Frank Vatrano can also be a wonderful fallback.
It’s unlikely all of those predictions come true, however they function a superb barometer for the place the Geese are of their rebuild. Gauthier and Mintyukov generally is a large boon to Anaheim’s energy play. Moreover, Dostal’s emergence as a number-one goaltender is vital because the workforce finally turns into aggressive once more.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference.
