HOUSTON, Texas – Mike Yeo made one thing abundantly clear when he was introduced to media and fans as the new head coach of the Houston Aeros: The past is the past. This is a new coaching staff with new players and a new approach, and nobody’s looking backward.
Comparisons to last year’s team may prove unavoidable, however, as despite the turnover behind the bench, more than half of the players are returning. Several others are prospects of the parent club Minnesota Wild, who have had a year or two of prospect and training camps with the group and have a bit of history with the organization.
In fact, after two seasons of teams heavy on free agent signings, this Aeros roster has several legitimate prospects as well as young guys recently out of college or the Canadian Hockey League who the team hope will turn into late-blooming gems.
Bench Bosses
The new coaching staff trying to make that happen is led by Yeo and rounded out by fellow former Houston Aero Brian Wiseman and recently retired NHL defenseman Darryl Sydor.
Aeros General Manager Jim Mill says he’s delighted with his new crew of bench bosses.
“It goes to show you about Mike’s character, when I got a call from Ray Shero (Penguins GM and Yeo’s boss at the time) saying, ‘I think Mike’s interesting in coming to Houston and being your head coach.’ I had a long list of candidates, but as soon as I heard Mike’s name, I was immediately excited.”
After spending a day or two with Yeo, Mill said the decision was made, and the rest of the coaching staff unfolded from there. Wiseman played on the Turner Cup winning Aeros team that Yeo captained and Sydor played for Yeo in Pittsburgh for a little more than a season in 2007-08.
The staff is now tasked with creating a “winning environment” while developing the Wild’s prospects for the NHL. Here’s a preview of the personnel they’ll have to work with.
Goaltending
Even before Wild goalie Josh Harding tore two knee ligaments in a pre-season game, it wasn’t clear who would comprise the goaltending tandem in Houston. With Anton Khudobin, rookie Matt Hackett, and veteran AHLer Josh Tordjman on the roster, someone has to go down to the ECHL.
And it’s not more clear with the signing of Jose Theodore by the Wild to replace Harding, who is expected to be out most of the season. But the #1 spot in Houston is Khudobin‘s to lose, while Hackett and Tordjman will scramble to see who goes to Bakersfield, the team‘s ECHL affiliate.
Hackett was supposed to start in the Aeros first pre-season game Friday night, but the game was canceled due to poor ice conditions. However, Yeo gave Hackett a vote of confidence afterward saying he’s been the most impressive player in camp so far.
Defense
The blue line in Houston looks to be young but high-quality this season. As of this writing, stay-at-home stalwart Justin Falk is still up with Minnesota, and there’s room for him to stay up. But highly-ranked prospects Tyler Cuma and Marco Scandella have already been assigned to Houston and could have strong showings in their rookie seasons.
Returning is all-star Max Noreau, who tied for second in scoring for the Aeros last season. And free agent signing Drew Bagnall, should add grit, experience, and leadership to the defensive corps. Bagnall spent the last three seasons in the Los Angeles Kings organization, mostly in Manchester, and was captain of the Monarchs and a fan favorite.
The Aeros defense has the potential to be one of the best in the league, but the success of the young guys in a position that often takes a few years to master could make this more of a building season for the Aeros blue line.
Offense
Putting the puck in the net was a struggle last season, as evidenced by a defenseman being at the top of the scoring all season. For the Aeros to have offensive success this season, it will likely be scoring by committee.
The team should be stronger up the middle than in previous years, which could give wingers like Robbie Earl, JM Daoust, and Jon DiSalvatore more to work with. Second year pros Chad Rau and Cody Almond should continue to mature, as should power forward in-the-making Colton Gillies.
The team will also see if Joel Broda, who was a standout in the WHL, and Brandon Buck, who had an all-star season for ECHL Florida last year, can carry their success to the next level.
Overall
Though the power teams have changed, with San Antonio and Peoria both looking to be strong contenders this season, the West continues to be the toughest division in the AHL.
In some divisions, average teams could eek their way into the playoffs. Not so in the West, where teams really do have to be firing on all cylinders to see the post-season. But the Texas Stars proved last season that you don’t have to have a roster full of flashy scorers to make a deep playoff run.
A visit to the Calder Cup finals isn’t likely for this team, but if the chemistry works, the coaching is effective, and a few guys who have been looking for their stride finally find it, the team will be a fun-to-watch contender.
Contact Heather.Galindo@prohockeynews.com
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