Nighthawks Prepare for S92

[tcookie 773]

Nighthawks Prepare for S92

S92 Malmo squad characterized by young players ready to break out

 

The Malmo Nighthawks had high hopes for the S91 season, but saw them crashing to a halt in the wildcard round of the playoffs as the upstart Helsinki Titans took them down in five games. It wasn’t supposed to be that way; the Nighthawks were by all accounts a great team on paper and in contention for 1st in the EU much of the year. They were held back by inconsistency in a season full of both high highs (a pair of ten-game winning streaks) and low lows (finishing 4th in the EU and losing in the wildcard round).

 

Entering S92, what will the Nighthawks be like this time around? There’s plenty of young talent in Malmo: the Nighthawks drafted defenseman Jacob Stone 5th overall in S88, then had three first-round picks in S89 to build a solid foundation. With those picks, they selected centres Viktor Jensen (1st overall) and Ronald Johnson MacWilliam (7th overall), as well as winger Savaisk Tzesar (12th overall). Add to that a high S90 first-rounder in defenseman Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish and you have a pretty good core of players from the S88-S90 draft classes.

 

Last season, the Nighthawks were built to contend. They scored a huge prize when they signed forward Yaroslav Bogatyrev in Free Agency, and they brought in arguably the league’s best defenseman, Skor McFleury, too. After failing to make waves last year, though, McFleury’s contract expired and he was shipped to Calgary in a sign-and-trade as he was expected to depart in Free Agency. Yaroslav Trunov, a Malmo-lifer who played five years with the team after being selected 6th overall in S87, found himself sent off to Chicago.

 

The Nighthawks aren’t rebuilding, but perhaps building around their strengths a little. With Henry Eagles and Bogatyrev in the fold, they will surely be competitive again this season. But with McFleury and Trunov out and newcomers Conference Prince-de-Galles (S90) and Phillip Rave (S91) replacing them, the Nighthawks’ lineup appears more focused around that S88-S90 class of players. As they develop - Jensen and Stone are prime candidates to break out this year, and MacWilliam, Tzesar, and Rave are probably not far off - there will be plenty of talent in Malmo peaking as Eagles and Bogatyrev play their final couple of seasons. The Nighthawks feel that’s the right mix. And while they will surely miss McFleury and Trunov, they do have another year of development from their key players, especially Stone and Jensen, coming into S91. So there is no shortage of belief in Malmo that they can contend this year.

 

“I think we’ve got another great group of players in Malmo. We’ve recently found success and I believe bringing back the big players we needed while also getting some help from our new players will drive us forward. The EU conference will be competitive but Malmo should make a name for itself this season,” forecast Malmo GM Christopher James when asked about the upcoming season.

 

Bogatyrev, Eagles, and Jensen will be counted on to lead the offense. Eagles set career highs with 42 goals and 96 points last season, and Bogatyrev completed a seamless transition from Seattle by putting up 40 goals and 82 points of his own. Down the middle, Jensen put up 75 points in 72 games for the best season of his VHL career. With the weapons around him, he’ll surely continue to improve entering his fourth VHL season. The former #1 overall pick continues to flash more and more signs of the dominant player he was expected to develop into at the S89 draft. There’s little doubt that franchise-changing impact is not far away.

 

MacWallace and Tzesar had 34 and 33-point rookie seasons, respectively, but with a full year of development behind them, they’ll feature more prominently in the attack this year, backing up that formidable trio of top-end talent.

 

Entering season five of his VHL career - a common time for VHL players to take a step forward from good to great - defenseman Jacob Stone is Malmo’s stalwart and after posting 69 points, 191 hits, and 175 blocked shots last year, the do-it-all defender is going to be key to Malmo’s efforts this year. Replacing Skor McFleury is a nearly-impossible task, but Stone is a good bet to give it a run. The younger McFleury, Reese, remains on Malmo’s back end and, with Big Ol Doinks in Amish, gives Malmo an effective 2-3 punch - though both will probably need to add some more physicality to their game to continue to grow their defense at the VHL level.

 

Ash Sparks returns between the pipes for another year after going 38-21-5 with an 0.923 SV% and 2.56 GAA (with 3 shutouts) last season. Sparks has been fairly successful since coming to Malmo, sporting an 0.926 SV% over three seasons. The Nighthawks will need quality goaltending in a very competitive European Conference this season, so Sparks will need to be at the top of his game.

 

By and large, Malmo’s season this year will come down to whether or not their young players can step up to the plate and deliver on their promise. This is a team that has the potential to do great things, but they have some difficult losses to overcome on their off-season slate. If the strong collection of young talent assembled here has it in them to, collectively, make up for the departures of McFleury and Trunov, we could see a big year out of the Nighthawks.

 

Rave, for his part, can’t wait to get on the ice. While he won’t play the biggest role in the team’s offense out of the gate, his work ethic has shone through over the off-season and his excitement for the game and desire to make an impact can’t be overstated. “I think we’ve got a great group of guys here, a lot of guys that are hungry to take that next step. Obviously, I never got to play with Skor or with Trunov and those guys are great… Skor is probably on track to the Hall of Fame one day, and you don’t just replace those guys overnight. But man, we’ve got talent here, you know? I know these guys can do it and I know Henry (Eagles) and Boga (Bogatyrev) have a lot left in them. I’m really excited to play with those guys, to get on the ice with this team and show the VHL what we’ve got.”

 

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1076 words, for this week & next.

@Advantage@Greg_Di@Bojovnik@RJMW@comrade cat@UnkemptCL4PTP@hylands@Spaz@scoop@DarkSpyro@KaleebtheMighty

[comrade cat 258]

Really good way of looking onto malmo will truly be exciting and interesting to see what we can do

[Banackock 7,798]

GO MALMO GO

[OscarTheSwagDude 11]

Review: The Malmo Nighthawks, coming off a mixed S91, face a pivotal S92 with a roster rich in young talent. Despite highs like impressive winning streaks, inconsistency led to a wildcard exit. S88-S90 draft classes form a solid core, but losses of McFleury and Trunov necessitate strategic shifts. The article effectively integrates player statistics, like Eagles’ career-high goals, and introduces newcomers, maintaining clarity. While player quotes, especially Rave’s enthusiasm, provide authenticity, deeper exploration of specific player developments and defensive strategies could enhance the narrative’s depth. Overall, it offers a concise preview with room for added insights.

[tcookie 773]

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