2019 AHL Free Agency: Hartford WolfPack Team Needs
HARTFORD, CT -- The Hartford Wolf Pack is looking for change as the franchise missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. The New York Rangers are in the midst of a rebuild that has a large influx of prospects entering the pipeline. As Jeff Gorton continues to build for the future, the Rangers changed upper management, bringing John Davidson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in as the new president. As a result, John Davidson is adding more commitment to the AHL level of the organization, giving Hartford a chance to be a top performer in the American Hockey League.
Rangers fans have high expectations for the prospects entering the organization. While New York is not ready for lengthy playoff run, Hartford should have the capability of making the playoffs considering the emphasis on player development and a winning culture.
This off-season will be interesting in Hartford and New York City as the potential roster for both teams will be difficult to determine until cuts are made.
Will the 2019-2020 campaign be the year where Hartford snaps their playoff drought? Will the Wolf Pack make noise in the competitive Atlantic Division? These questions remain unanswered in the short term.
Let’s take a look at who is definitely returning next season.
Under Contract
Forwards: Matt Beleskey, Ville Meskanen, Ryan Gropp, Dawson Leedahl, Gabriel Fontaine, Steven Fogarty, Ty Ronning, Tim Gettinger, Patrick Newell, and Jacob Elmer
Defensemen: Brandon Crawley, Darren Raddysh, Ryan Lindgren, and Sean Day, Joey Keane
Goaltenders: Adam Huska
Impending Free Agents
NHL RFA: Goaltenders: Chris Nell, Brandon Halverson. Defenseman: Chris Bigras Forward: Vinni Lettieri.
NHL UFA: Goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Defensemen: Rob O’Gara and John Gilmour.
AHL UFA: Forwards: Bobby Butler, Shawn St. Amant, Lewis Zerter-Gossage, Shawn McBride, Nick Jones, Ryan Dmwoski.
Incoming Players Under Contract
Forward: Vitali Kravtsov.
Defensemen: Rykov Yegor, Tarmo Reunanen and Joey Keane.
Goaltender: Igor Shesterkin
The Wolf Pack’s roster is still fluid, considering the range of prospects coming in. Free agency will address Hartford’s needs and determine the veteran aspect of the roster. The goaltending situation in Hartford will depend on the competition for the backup position between Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev in New York; one of the two will end up in Hartford. The other question is where Adam Huska ends up? Will New York sign another goalie for Hartford? The forward and defensive spots will be up in the air as well until training camp gets underway.
Wolf Pack Team Needs In Free Agency
Quality Veterans!
Hartford must have superior veterans to help the organization as a whole. Giving prospects dependable veterans and leaders will help create a wining culture for Hartford. The group should aim for four to five veteran players with playoff experience and the capacity to mentor prospects.
Here are the ideal players for Hartford.
Forwards: Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Andrew Poturalski, Eric Tangradi and Jordan Szwarz.
Defensemen: Aaron Ness, David Warsofsky and Vincent LoVerde.
Insurance In Net
Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin will likely split time next season. However, the Pack must have at least one veteran goalie in the mix to keep the crease stable, similar to Dustin Tokarski.
Coaching Positions Filled
This may be obvious, but Hartford still has yet to assign a head coach or assistant coaches for the upcoming season. As we approach free agency, the Rangers must have the coaching staff set in order to attract quality veterans. Not knowing who will be in Hartford coaching-wise may worry AHL free agents.
Consistency
Hartford was lacking consistency last year, especially on defense and at forward positions. There were games where offense was great, others where it lacked. The defense struggled the entire season. However, they must have solid coaching to fix these issue and have a reliable blue line ready to compete against teams regardless of standings.
