Miami Marauders Off-season Review

[Ricer13 2,796]

 The Season  

 

  The Miami Marauders have had a very busy off-season. Between the draft and making trades GM Kris Rice has been busy preparing his team for what could be a season that the Miami Marauders have a real shot at a title. The Marauders had a debut season that the team will never forget. They drafted their roster based on the personalities of the players rather than their skills. GM Rice saw the potential in these players and knew that he could build on something special in Miami. The Marauders started season 72 off slow as everyone expected. Rice continued to remind the players that its only temporary and that if they continued to work hard they would see the results pay off as the season progressed. The players believed in his words and they continued to work hard and he turned out to be right. Miami went from the basement of the VHLM to making it into the playoffs and pushing the regular season champs Minnesota to 7 games in a tightly contested series. Despite being eliminated the Marauders knew they had accomplished something special and were eager to get back to it the following season.

 

The Draft

 

      The off season was a very uncertain one for the Marauders as the VHL had just expanded by another four teams. GM Rice did not know if his star players would get pulled up early to help fill roster spots or if they would be available to stay down in the VHLM to finish what they had started. Rice's first focus was the draft and he had to draft as if he was going to lose a few players. In the first round GM Rice took star centreman Kevin King. His thought behind this pick was that Kevin could replaced either of our two centres Lamb or Lebastard had one of them been taken up to the VHL for season 73 and if they didn't then King could be slotted on the wing to play along side these talented players from Miami. Next Rice drafted two defensemen in Matty Socks and Victor Grachev to prepare the team in case either Kosmo Kramerev or Wolf Stansson were to be pulled up to the VHL. He drafted so that he had contingencies in case the worst was to come for the Marauders. Miami held 3 picks in the second round as well and he brought back former winger Rocket who was originally part of the Marauders as a waiver signing. Rice was so impressed with Rocket he had to have him back on the roster. He selected winger Luke Thornton after that to add to an already deep Miami Roster. Rice traded his last second round pick to move down into the third round. Where he continued by adding depth to the roster with defensemen Eoin Byrne and forward Riley Couture who Rice then moved to Saskatoon to be reunited with her partner in crime Emi Rune. This next is where things got interesting, Rice with the 53rd pick in the draft took forward Patrik Laine. Laine who was projected to go in the first round dropped all the way to round 5 because of his claim to be moving up to the VHL for season 73. Well GM Rice had no other targets on the board so he took a chance and drafted Laine in case the impossible happened. Rice rounded out the draft with a few more depth picks and looked forward to the remainder of the off-season.

 

The Unknown

 

   GM Kris Rice then began to look at upgrading on his current roster. He began to move out some lower tpe players in order to upgrade on the wings. He acquire player Jared Willis in a deal with the Yukon Rush and moved out players Vlad Imir and Bobbie Cheechoo to create space in the line up for his star players to get enough ice time. The VHL expansion draft and VHL draft had come and gone and Rice was eager to know what the future would look like for many of Miami players who had been drafted. Lebastard was to remain with the team, Lamb, Sens and Stansson as well. This was great news for Miami but not all of the news was as good. Stud defenseman Kosmo Kramerev was given an opportunity he could not refuse in a top 4 role with the Calgary Wranglers and has left Miami to start his VHL career. Rice while disheartened by losing such a talented player was also very happy and proud that Kramerev was moving on to bigger and better things. Rice was then shocked with some incredible news, forward Patrik Laine and his VHL GM had decided that it was best or Laine's development to remain down in the VHLM for one more season. Rice along with the rest of the VHLM couldn't believe what was happening. A player who was destined for the VHL and passed over on had been sent down to help bolster an already deep Miami roster. 

 

The Future

 

      Now that the Miami roster has been set the real work begins. With the influx of so many talented players into the Miami locker room there has been some tension. Old players welcoming in new players can be tough as the old group has built such a tight bond with one another. Not everyone has handled it as seamlessly as others but as days have passed everyone seems to be gelling as they all have a common goal of winning a championship. However this task will not be an easy one, there are a few teams who took strides in the same direction as the Marauders and it will be a tough road in order to win a title in season 73. GM of the Minnesota Storm made a few deals to bolster his roster and are now looking to become regular season champs again. Saskatoon who just recently won a championship had a strong draft and returning players who are hungry to win back to back. San Diego who was in the basement all season long added a ton of depth in this past draft and are going to a problem for everyone in the VHLM to handle. Needless to say as deep and talented as the Miami Marauders are, they have a tough road ahead of them if they want to bring a title to Miami. The team is going to need to dig deep and continue to work hard all season for the results to pay off but GM Rice knows he has the right talent and personality in this locker room to get the job done.

 

Go Marauders Go!

 

WORD COUNT: 1117

[dlamb 1,326]

Can't wait for the season! Let's go Miami!!!!

[Laine 1,361]

Well written article! GO MARAUDERS!

[ahockeyguy 110]

Welcome to Miami! Getting jiggy with it!

[Jubis 1,347]

Rooting for you guys !!! 

[Ricer13 2,796]

Claim 1/2

[Laine 1,361]

Very well written with the style and equally divided into the 4 phases you guys have had so far. The suspense in the writing also makes it a good read. Keep it up Rice! 9.5/10

[Ricer13 2,796]

Claim 2/2