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Amerks end season with rough weekend |
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When I talked with longtime Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens very early in the season, "The Voice of the Rochester Americans" expressed cautious optimism as the team started the season 2-0. He had a strong sense of optimism as there was a different feel to the organization yet it was too early to tell if that would make it all the way down to the Rochester ice.
It did, at times, but not enough to make a huge difference.
An inconsistent season finally came to a close yesterday and it's safe to say that the feel of the parent club hadn't quite reached Rochester yet. The Amerks finished a three-games-in-three-days weekend dropping a 4-2 decision in Toronto against the Marlies (TOR) yesterday. They also lost at Toronto the previous night 3-1 and had started out the weekend getting blown out 5-0 in their home finale against the Albany Devils (NJD.)
As disappointing as that close was, especially the loss vs. Albany in front of a season-high 9,746 fans, Rochester did finish the season with a slightly better record than last year. In 2014-15 the Amerks went 29-41-6 (.421 win percentage) while this year they finished 34-38-4 for a .474 win percentage. That said, they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season and still have a way to go before they can think of hanging with the big boys of the AHL.
The different feel Stevens alluded to emanated from the Sabres hockey operations, and brandished itself in two bold trades last year by Buffalo GM Tim Murray. Both were made to bolster the forward ranks and when adding in 2015 second-overall pick Jack Eichel, the forward depth improved immensely touching all the way down to Rochester's fourth line. Having said that, even though depth improved, the Amerks upper-level talent was just about the same as the previous season.
But in bolstering the offence, organizational depth on defense took a pretty good hit. Trades and graduation left the Rochester blueline thin and when added to even more inconsistencies between the pipes, the Amerks finished the season by giving up an AHL third-worst 3.28 goals per game. Although Murray's moves up-front did create depth, Rochester did not have the firepower to make up for that deficiency.
Even with that, there should be no sense of panic as a surge of talent is on the horizon, especially in the forward ranks.
Winger Hudson Fasching (2012, 118th overall, LAK) who just signed his entry-level contract with Buffalo and also scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, will probably be headed to Rochester next season. He'll be headed to the Amerks to join a bevy of big, young, talented wingers like second-year pro William Carrier (2013, 57th, STL) should he not make the jump to Buffalo and Justin Bailey (2013, 52nd) who finished 12th in the AHL in rookie scoring with 45 points and was the first rookie to score 20 goals for a Buffalo affiliate since 2010-11 (Luke Adam, Portland Pirates.) Also in the hopper up-front is Nic Baptiste (2013, 69th) and Evan Rodrigues (2015, FA) who finished the year strong.
On defense, Anthony Florentino (2013, 143rd overall) will shore up the Amerks blueline should he decide to forgo his senior season at Providence as will Everett Silvertips (WHL) puck-moving d-man, Brycen Martin (2014, 74th.) However, according to hockeysfuture.com the Sabres will need to make a decision on Martin as the soon-to-be 20 yr. old can re-enter the 2016 NHL Draft should they not sign him.
Murray still has plenty of work to do up and down both lineups and he should be a very busy man once again this off season. Although the Amerks went out with a whimper, in direct contrast to the Sabres finishing on a positive note, as he and Buffalo head coach Dan Bylsma said at the year-end presser, the type of finish a team has is not always indicative of what will happen the following season.
Both teams have already gone through growing pains and we fans will see more next season, but we're probably in store for more year-over-year progress as the talent amassed the last few drafts will start making their way to the pro ranks.
At least, that's the plan.
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