Evolution of the Malmo Nighthawks: Roster Breakdown

[Advantage 2,891]

EVOLUTION OF THE MALMO NIGHTHAWKS

Roster Breakdown

 

Once again, the Malmo Nighthawks have surprised some doubters and stomped out to a 17-5-4 record for the second most points in the VHL, and the league’s best goal differential at +40.  They have scored the most goals in the league over their 26 game season, with 101, and allowed the least with 60.  This is despite their longtime netminder, Ash Sparks, retiring and their defense group going down to just three.  With that being said, the Nighthawks are red hot and are showing that they are a more dangerous threat than some predict.  Let’s take a look at the roster and check out the names that make up the squad.

 

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F - RANDY BOBANDY (S87 - @AJW)

S95: 26 GP, 12 G, 28 A, 40 P, +8, 13 HITS, 2 GW

PACE: 33 G, 77 A, 110 P, +22, 36 HITS

 

The Canadian veteran forward, entering his very last season, has decided to make his final hooray the absolute best one.  Coming off a career high 91 points in Season 94, his first as a member of the Nighthawks, Bobandy announced that after this season he will retire with his ninth being his last.  Bobandy currently finds himself on pace for 33 goals and 78 assists for what would easily be a career-best 110 points.  He sits 8th in points and 6th in assists so far, and has been one of the main guiding presences for the surging Malmo club.

 

F - VIKTOR JENSEN (S89 - @Advantage)

S95: 26 GP, 13 G, 17 A, 30 P, +10, 24 HITS, 2 GW

PACE: 36 G, 47 A, 83 P, +28, 66 HITS

 

The Captain of the Nighthawks currently finds himself in the seventh season of his career, with all of them being as a member of Malmo.  Jensen currently finds himself having another solid season with 30 points in 26 games, but it does appear that the forward has taken a slight back from his three previous seasons that all saw him tally up 90+ points.  With the incredible forward depth this team has, it’s natural that the veteran would find his name on the scoresheet, but he’s also a decent streak from being back on the 90+ point pace.  The Norweigan forward will continue to try and help play a disciplined well-rounded game and support the real offensive stars that the team has.

 

F - MARTIN KEMP (S90 - @leafsman)

S95: 26 GP, 10 G, 14 A, 24 P, +20, 70 HITS, 4 GW

PACE: 28 G, 39 A, 67 P, +55, 194 HITS

 

Martin Kemp was acquired in the off-season from the Vancouver Wolves, and is coming off his best season, where the winger had 32 goals and 47 assists over 72 games with Riga and Vancouver.  While he hasn’t drastically improved from that pace, he is still contributing at a solid 10 goal and 14 assist clip over the first 26 games of the season.  He has been an absolute physical force with 70 hits and has played a strong role defensively for the Swedish club. Perhaps most importantly are how clutch Kemp has been when the team has called on him, with the Canadian having four game-winning-goals already so far this year.

 

F - RONALD JOHNSON MACWALLACE III (S89 - @RJMW)

S95: 26 GP, 13 G, 25 A, 38 P, +19, 61 HITS, 0 GW

PACE: 36 G, 69 A, 105 P, +53, 169 HITS

 

This is a player that a lot of us have been waiting to see breakout for quite some time.  MacWallace has hit the PPG mark twice and did score a career-high 33 goals and 81 points back in Season 93.  With that being said, it finally seems that the 7th overall pick in Season 89, has started to live up to the lofty potential that the team banked on that year.  RMJ3 is on pace for 36 goals, 69 assists and 105 points; all of which would be career-best numbers.  If he keeps up this run he may be a contender for Most Improved and while his physicality has taken a slight step back, he still finds himself on pace for around 170 hits, meaning he is doing a lot more than just filling scoresheets.  

 

F - Phillip Rave (S91 - @tcookie)

S95: 26 GP, 17 G, 16 A, 33 P, +17, 10 HITS, 1 GW

PACE: 47 G, 44 A, 91 P, +47, 28 HITS

 

Speaking of players that we have been waiting to see breakout, let's take a look at arguably the best forward on the team.  Rave also just has a career-high of 81 points coming into this season, but the disciplined center finds himself on pace for a 47 goal and 90+ point season.  He finds himself tied for 6th in the VHL for goals and is one of many players to have stepped up and taken a greater offensive responsibility this season.  The reality is, for the Nighthawks to do anything this upcoming playoffs, they need Rave to be one of the best players on the team, and not the player that took a slight step back last season.  So far, so good for the 17th overall pick back in Season 91.

 

F - Savaisk Tzesar (S89 - @comrade cat)

S95: 26 GP, 13 G, 17 A, 30 P, +10, 108 HITS, 2 GW

PACE: 36 G, 47 A, 83 P, +28, 299 HITS

 

One of my favourite players on the team is Tzesar, who like Jensen, was a member of the Houston Bulls back in Season 88.  The 12th overall pick back in Season 89 has been known for his strong goalscoring and has been one of the biggest physical presences in the VHL over the last couple seasons.  With improvement shown every year he has played in the league, this could be the year where you see Tzesar finally plateau, but if he continues to be someone that can hit 30-40 goals while also being one of the hardest hitters in the league, I think you can take that plateau.  As of right now, Tzesar sees himself on pace for 36 goals, 83 points and 299 hits, and is one of the VHL’s best power forwards.

 

D - Conference Prince-de-Galles (S90 - @UnkemptCL4PTP)

S95: 26 GP, 3 G, 14 A, 17 P, +17, 43 HITS, 39 SB

PACE: 8 G, 39 A, 47 P, +47, 120 HITS, 108 SB

 

The French defenseman, who was drafted 14th overall back in Season 90, continues to carve out a niche as a solid shutdown defenseman that mixes good skating, excellent positional play and good physicality.  Prince-de-Galles currently finds himself on pace for 120 hits and 108 blocked shots, but its his improvement offensively that may just be most notable.  Despite taking slight steps back offensively over the last couple seasons, Conference finds himself around that 50 point mark, just like he did back in Season 92.  With the Nighthawks relying on just three main defensemen, they really needed all three to step-up and I do feel like the old man is doing just that.

 

D - Jacob Stone (S88 - @scoop)

S95: 26 GP, 14 G, 31 A, 45 P, +12, 70 HIT, 73 SB
PACE: 39 G, 86 A, 125 P, +33, 194 HITS, 202 SB

 

The best player in the league right now, and I will go toe-to-toe with anyone that wants to argue that.  Jacob Stone was someone that I featured as a potential Hall of Fame defenseman, and with the season he is currently having, I think he’s an absolute lock at this point.  The S92 Jake Wylde Trophy recipient is having one of the best seasons from a defenseman in a long time and may just be the favourite to bring home several awards including most of the defender ones and quite possibly even the Scotty Campbell Trophy.  Stone has guided them with a ridiculous pace of 39 goals, 125 points, 194 hits and 202 blocked shots.  Again, he is a defender that may just score fourty goals and hit over 120 points…..that is absolutely bonkers and easily the biggest breakout of anyone the Nighthawks have this season.

 

D - Vlad Von Carstein (S92 - @Dom)

S95: 26 GP, 5 G, 14 A, 19 P, +18, 46 HIT, 62 SB

PACE: 14 G, 39 A, 53 P, +50, 127 HIT, 172 SB

 

This towering German defenseman was acquired by the Nighthawks prior to the Season 94 season, and has continued to show that while his peak probably isn’t anything higher than a complimentary defender, like Prince-de-Galles, he has carved a solid niche as a good defensive presence that can still chip in offensively now and then.  When mixed with the league’s best defender, they help fill in some holes behind the lifeblood of the team.  With an offensive pace that would see the defender put up the best numbers of his career, the monstrous defender has continued to also be an intimidating hitter and one of the best at getting his body in the way of other team’s shots.  

 

G - Karl Herzlich (S89 - @LastGoon007)

S95: 19 GP, 12-4-3, .930 SV%, 2.08 GAA, 2 SO

 

After two consecutive seasons of backup minutes behind Ash Sparks, the German netminder knew that he had to take the reins and run with it, especially with top prospect Jorgen Lovstrom, breathing down his neck.  That is exactly what Herzlich has done, with the netminder currently sitting second in Save Percentage, first in GAA and tied for second in Shutouts.  In what was expected to be more of a split net situation, the Nighthawks have been riding the hot hand a lot in the early parts of this season, and considering he is probably one of the top candidates for the Aidan Shaw Trophy, you have to appreciate why.  The question will be whether he can keep it up, but the team has really not felt as much of a loss as expected, after the Sparks retirement.  

 

G - Jorgen Lovstrom (S93 - @Pifferfish)

S95: 7 GP, 5-1-1, .918 SV%, 2.51 GAA, 0 SO

 

The 7th overall back in Season 93, Jorgen Lovstrom, has really been incredible everywhere he has gone.  Lovstrom was the Most Valuable Player in both the Regular Season and Playoffs and Top Goalie in his only year in the VHLM.  Over the last two seasons on Vasteras in the VHLE, Lovstrom has shown off a blistering .927 Save Percentage despite the fact that his record is only 48-37-5 and has faced 37 shots per game.  He has been the steady force everywhere he has been, yet he does find himself more in a backup role this year, especially with the red hot Herzlich tending the pipes.  While it likely is more of a short term situation given his tremendous pedigree, Lovstrom has still made the most of it with a 5-1-1 record and a very respectable .918 SV% and 2.51 GAA over the course of his first seven games of his VHL career.  It will be interesting to see if the rookie gets a bigger piece of the pie as the season goes on, but as of now has been an energetic presence when called upon and someone that still shows a ton of potential.

 

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It’s hard to say if the Nighthawks will be able to continue their regular season success.  However, one thing they have definitely shown over this generation’s Nighthawks, is that they are a team that plays their best hockey during the regular season.  This of course is both a blessing and a curse, with the team consistently falling short in the playoffs for quite some time now.  The Nighthawks haven’t won a Continental Cup since Season 79, and have just two over the course of their time in the league, but their current squad definitively be one of their best offensive rosters in quite some time.  The questions really mainly revolve around their defense and goaltending.  Can Stone continue to be the league’s best player and help make up for the fact that the team only really runs three defenders consistently? Can Herzlich and Lovstrom continue being one of the better tandems in the league, despite the fact that neither has much experience in the Victory Hockey League?  We will see, but their General Manager, @KaleebtheMighty, definitely sees the potential in the team with the start they have had this year: “Definitely not going to lie, I was a little worried after our first few games of the season.  We weren’t playing like ourselves and I was questioning a tad bit on what our team was doing.  Since then though, we are showing our strengths off and playing to our best.  That is what I expected coming into this season and I am absolutely loving it!”

 

 

2000+ Words --- Week 1/4

Edited August 21 by Advantage

[Advantage 2,891]

Week 2/4

[Alex 3,198]

Just saw this now, really neat read @Advantage! I do think Malmö’s situation is very interesting, there’s more than likely a rebuild around the corner with an aging roster. I’m actually very interested to see when the trigger gets pulled on something like that, since there is a few young pieces that could be built around, but the lack of prospects and picks likely makes the future direction fairly clear.

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Week 3/4

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Week 4/4