Blades still have roster work to do
The ECHL season for the Florida Everblades did not end the way most had assumed it would.
After wining the Brabham Cup for the best regular season record behind the league’s leading scorer in Kevin Baker to go along with the league’s best goaltender in David Leggio, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Blades would be hoisting their first Kelly Cup championship trophy at season’s end.
After an early playoff exit at the hands of the South Carolina Stingrays in the Divisional Championship series, the work began to ensure the Blades go farther in the playoffs in 2009-10 than they did last.
Within weeks of the end of last season, preparations began to return a core group of players from last year’s squad.
First to rejoin the Blades was team veteran, and fan favorite, Earnie Hartlieb. His signing was followed last month by the signings of Kevin Baker, Colin Nicholson and Peter Metcalf, and two more weeks had Mattieu Roy rejoining the team for another season.
“There were obviously a core of guys that were all high priority for us to return to the team,” said second-year coach Malcolm Cameron. “Fortunately, we got them all (signed) early.”
These five players had “high priority” because they represent only part of what Cameron sees as the core of last year’s team. Eight more players were given qualifying offers, but turned them down. Among those were Milan Gajic, Ryan Lang and team enforcer Patrick Bordeleau. To date none have accepted, but Cameron isn’t concerned.
“It’s normal for guys not to accept their qualifying offer while they continue to look at other opportunities. It is something that will work itself out as the summer goes on,” he said.
Qualifying offers allow a team to hold onto a player’s rights while both the team and the player continue to pursue other options.
Of course, Cameron’s work hasn’t stopped there.
Besides focusing on retaining the core of last year’s team for another run at the Kelly Cup, Cameron has had to focus on rounding out the rest of his squad. As of Friday, only 11 of the 24 roster spots the Everblades have to fill, have been filled. Among them are three rookies whom Cameron is excited to see on the ice – Jadran Beljo, Scott Hotham and Benjamin Breault.
“(They) are all real good players,” Cameron said of his rookie signings so far. “Beljo we had in our rookie camp last year, but he got hurt and we didn’t get to see him play. We have really high hopes for him this year. Overall, we are very pleased with the quality of all of the rookies that we have signed so far and have high hopes for all of them.”
With just two months to go before the start of the regular season in October, Cameron has completed much, but knows there still is much work to be done.
“We still have a long way to go, but so far so good,” he said, “We are happy with where we are at with our signings and very pleased with the guys we have on contract so far.”
The Everblades host the division rival Gwinnett Gladiators for a pair of preseason matches on Oct. 9 and 10 at Germain Arena.
They begin the regular season on the road with three games at Toledo on Oct. 16, 17 and 18. Their home ice debut is Oct. 23-24 against the Charlotte Checkers.