The Hockey Information Anaheim Geese Finish of Summer season Mailbag

Rookie and coaching camps are simply across the nook within the NHL, adopted by the 2024-25 NHL season shortly after.

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Because the Geese look to show the nook on their rebuild, we requested for reader questions for our end-of-summer mailbag. We acquired to as many as we might within the video portion of this piece and can reply the remaining beneath:

From Paul C:

Will Sam Colangelo make the squad or go all the way down to the Gulls?

Patrick: Barring an damage, I would not count on Colangelo to make the Geese opening evening roster, however I am not ruling it out by any means. The present roster listed on PuckPedia appears comparatively set. Colangelo tailored nicely to the power and pace of the NHL sport in his transient three-game stint.

Nonetheless, for the sake of his improvement, it could profit him to play a major function within the AHL to start out the season quite than linger on the backside of the Geese ahead depth chart.

That’s except he blows the teaching workers and entrance workplace away in camp and preseason to the purpose the place he is an simple top-nine participant.

Derek: I feel Colangelo has the within monitor for a spot within the bottom-6 over gamers like Pavol Regenda and Nikita Nesterenko. He performed nicely down in San Diego earlier than coming as much as Anaheim and instantly had an instant impact in his first NHL game.

Like Jackson LaCombe, I might see an analogous path for Colangelo the place he performs all 4 years in faculty with a short NHL stint after his senior yr earlier than enjoying full-time within the NHL the next season.

From Kynn Okay:

What number of extra objectives can the Geese rating with the prevailing roster this season?

Patrick: The Geese scored 203 objectives final season and 206 the yr earlier than. Including Cutter Gauthier, one of many extra pure pure goalscoring rookies the NHL has seen in recent times, for all the 2024-25 season ought to show an improve inside the ahead group in that division.

The identical could be stated for a wholesome Trevor Zegras, who is just one yr faraway from back-to-back 60+ level seasons and has at the very least 25-30 aim potential. Robby Fabbri has scored at a 25-goal tempo in his profession and will bolster the underside of the lineup if he can stay wholesome.

In my view, the middle-of-the-road groups within the NHL scored round 250 objectives in 2023-24, so something within the 230-goal vary needs to be thought-about a large success.

Derek: Accidents have been the principle cause why the Geese’ potential was capped final season. The projected top-6 (Zegras, Mason McTavish Alex Killorn, Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano) solely performed a handful of video games collectively and made it tough to maintain energy play items in constant order.

With the addition of Gauthier for a full season and the remainder of the Geese’ forwards again at full well being, it would not be a shock to see them eclipse final season’s objectives whole by 50 or extra.

From Brent B:

What’s the one commerce you wish to see Verbeek make earlier than the beginning of the season?

Patrick: For higher or worse, I am the form of one who desires the Geese to at all times be concerned within the dialogue for the largest identify(s) available on the market. That market appears fairly dry proper now, nevertheless, and never many important trades usually happen this near camp.

That stated, the Seattle Kraken at present have $4K in cap space with solely 12 forwards slated for his or her opening evening roster. Andre Burakovsky’s contract carries an AAV of $5.5 million for 3 extra years and he had a disappointing 2023-24 season from a manufacturing standpoint, totaling solely 19 factors in 49 video games. Additionally they have a crowded top-nine with 2022 fourth-overall decide Shane Wright on the skin wanting in after a superb season final yr.

If Seattle intends to award Wright a non-fourth-line function within the NHL and carry 14 forwards, I wish to see the Geese goal Burakovsky in a commerce. Greg Cronin needs to be accustomed to him from their time within the Colorado Avalanche group and he matches what the Geese are attempting to perform from an on-ice perspective.

Derek: I would like to see Verbeek take a swing on Nick Robertson of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who hails from Southern California and is at present an RFA. He is yo-yo’d between the NHL and AHL and whereas he hasn’t been capable of finding a full-time function with the Leafs, he is proven flashes of what he can present as a complementary scorer.

The leverage for each events is not very excessive. Robertson has simply 34 profession factors in 87 NHL video games, with 56 of these video games coming this previous season. Robertson does not have arbitration rights, so the choice to re-sign him cannot be compelled by means of that course of.

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Then again, the Leafs could be promoting low on a participant they chose within the second spherical simply 5 years in the past who hasn’t gotten to play often on the NHL stage. Robertson can be a bit on the smaller aspect at 5-foot-9, with Verbeek’s targets of alternative often extra on the spectrum of 6-foot-1 and taller.

From Steven T:

Now that the jersey rebrand saga is over, what upgrades ought to Honda Middle have by the point OC Vibe is full? Escalators? Precise stuff to see after the sport?

Patrick: I am not well-versed within the plans for the OC Vibe, personally. I’m, nevertheless, as intrigued and excited as anybody for the realized plans of the world. There’s one thing about having fun with a meal in a restaurant earlier than a sport surrounded by different followers in anticipation of watching their workforce in an enormous sport.

The hope is the Geese might be firmly of their contending window by the point the district is up and operating.

Derek: I feel it might take lots of reconstruction to have escalators inside Honda Middle. Whether or not the Samuellis would need that, I am undecided. Including extra post-game occasions or visuals other than the Three Stars could be enjoyable. I used to be at all times a fan of a participant being obtainable for photographs on the Jack Daniel’s Membership after video games. OCVIBE is not anticipated to be absolutely accomplished till 2019, so there may be loads of time to enhance the gameday expertise earlier than then.

From Wayne G:

Why did the Vans footwear take so lengthy to exit?

Patrick: Sadly, I am not well-versed on this space both. My guess is one aspect or the opposite (the Geese or Vans) did not anticipate the overwhelming recognition of the product.

Derek: Primarily based on what was said by Steve Van Doren, son of Vans co-founder Paul Van Doren, it appears that there have been some communication points between the Geese and Vans when it comes to getting the product out on time. There have been points with having full inventory of The Offspring x Violent Gents jerseys for Offspring Evening final season as nicely.

From Benny T:

In your opinion, what’s the chance of a present “core” participant being moved earlier than the draft? And if it is a average to excessive likelihood, who’s your decide to be the outgoing participant?

Patrick: (For the aim of this query, I am going to contemplate the core to incorporate Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Lukas Dostal)

In a world the place the Geese transfer on from a bit thought-about a part of their core shifting ahead, the 2024-25 season would have both gone very nicely or turned fairly far South. The Geese have amassed a deep and potent stockpile of supremely gifted younger gamers, so shifting a core participant for a bundle of picks and prospects does not absolutely compute.

A commerce involving one in every of them solely is smart in the event that they’re concerned because the centerpiece of a commerce to accumulate a crystal clear improve. For instance, a bonafide, elite top-pair defenseman or perennial 90-plus level ahead.

Derek: My sentiments are just like Patrick’s. The Geese have already got their core so it would not make sense to maneuver a kind of items out to get one thing else. Now, it is extra about ensuring these core items proceed to develop and show that they’re certainly the inspiration of this franchise.

From Lallaren R/Isaac M:

What number of factors do you assume the Geese might get this season?/What number of factors do the Geese have to succeed in to be thought-about trending in the suitable route of their rebuild?:

Patrick: As Derek and I mentioned within the video section, the Pacific is as broad open as it has been in current reminiscence, and standings factors could also be extra up for grabs than in years previous. The vary of outcomes is huge.

In a world the place practically every little thing broke proper for the Geese, I can envision a season the place they sniff the 80-point mark, a 21-point enchancment from the 2023-24 season. A extra modest and practical expectation could be a end within the 70 to 75-point vary.

Primarily based on standings from the previous few seasons, they’d nonetheless be choosing within the high ten of the NHL Entry Draft with a end within the low 70s. Nonetheless, a 15 to 20-point enchancment ought to instill a major enhance of confidence within the route and imaginative and prescient of the group.

Derek: I feel the Geese’ ceiling hovers across the 80-point mark. Consecutive finishes with lower than 60 factors is actually not what common supervisor Pat Verbeek had in thoughts and I am positive it wasn’t what head coach Greg Cronin had in thoughts for his first season as an NHL head coach.

Anaheim misplaced lots of one-goal video games final season and turning round even half of these outcomes will have already got them near the 70-80 level vary. I feel anyplace in that vary could be thought-about a step in the suitable route for the rebuild.

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