Sweeping changes transform Everblades
It was easy to see major changes were coming to the Florida Everblades roster for this season when head coach Gerry Fleming departed and ultimately was replaced by Malcolm Cameron.
No one could have believed the changes would be as impressive as they have been.
Not only did Cameron bring with him All-Star forward, and former Blades nemesis, Kevin Baker from the now defunct Texas Wildcatters, but he has been the driving force behind a plethora of huge signings in what has been one of the most active offseasons in the Blades’ 11-year history.
In just the last month, Cameron has worked hard to improve the Everblades. Based on the signings in that time he not only improved the roster, but very well has transformed them into the team to beat in the ECHL in 2008-09.
Among the many signings, Cameron worked a deal in the middle of August to bring in Yannick Tifu from the Dayton Bombers. The deal for the 23-year-old who scored 57 points in 39 games didn’t come cheap. Florida had to give up veterans Jarret Lukin, Mike Mclean, Steve Czech and future considerations to bring another All-Star forward to Florida.
“That one took a lot of work,” Cameron said Tuesday. “President (Craig) Brush and I spent a lot of time trying to get that one done. We just felt that, to get a player like him, without having to give an offensive type of player back, we just couldn’t refuse. … To get an offensive player like Tifu, who is still young and has so much up-side, we just wanted to go for it and we got him.”
The three players the Everblades traded to get Tifu didn’t have the kind of offensive numbers Tifu put up last year.
The All-Star signings didn’t end there. Just two days before announcing Tifu’s signing, the Blades made another huge acquisition — Ryan Lang.
Blades fans will remember Lang when he played for the Augusta Lynx, where he notched an impressive 73 points in just 61 games last season.
“Lang is a rarity,” said Cameron. “He is a veteran who plays with the passion of a 21-year-old. He was Augusta’s team captain and we are very excited to have him.”
The key to all of these players, Cameron said, is that they all play both sides of the puck, which will compensate for the youth the Blades now have on defense. The key signing there is rookie Aaron Brocklehurst.
“I got great reports on Brocklehurst,” said Cameron. “I like defensemen that can really jump in and skate. You need defensemen who can provide offense and skate, and in getting Aaron we got a guy who can really skate with the puck and who has a rocket for a slap shot.”
With all the signings, expectations will be running high among Everblades fans this year, and with good reason. It will take team unity, however, for this group of players to succeed despite their collective gaudy numbers.
Cameron isn’t worried.
“I’ve never had a problem with (unity),” he said. “I recruit in a way where every guy has a connection to somebody. Somebody has played with somebody before or has an attachment to me and that breeds an instant connection.”
For the most part, Cameron’s job is complete, as far as signing players goes. The two goalies the Blades carry every year are mandated by their NHL affiliations — the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.
Fans can only hope that the talent at goaltender is as good as the talent Cameron helped bring to the rest of the squad.
The Everblades begin their training camp on Oct. 5 with their first regular season game slated for Germain Arena on Oct. 17 against the Charlotte Checkers.