Wolves bulk up, aim for return to playoffs

CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chicago Wolves are dubbing the 2009-10 Season their Sweet Sixteen Year. The team will not want a repeat of last season in which they have failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in the franchise’s 15-year existence. So far, Chicago appears on track for a high-scoring campaign, with many pucks hitting the back of the net.
 
There were changes at the top during the off-seaston. General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff went on to become the assistant GM for the Chicago Blackhawks. With that, the Wolves hired assistant coach Wendell Young who closed out his playing career with the the team.
 
Coach Don Granato returns for his second year, seeking the franchise’s fifth league title.  And the parent Atlanta Thrashers have made a few moves that almost makes the team look like the 2008 Calder Cup Champions. Jason Krog, who has been a scoring leader in the AHL the past few years, returns to the Wolves for his third tour with the team. He fills a spot at center where the team was weak last season. Krog scored 39 goals for 112 points to lead the team back in 2008. To deepen the position, the Wolves also signed Kevin Doell, who left to play in Sweden last season. Doell has played more than 275 regular season games for the Wolves in the past. And if that wasn’t good enough, the Wolves picked up Johnny Pohl who has spent a number of years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Add prospects like Angelo Esposito, Riley Holzapfel, and Rylan Kaip, and you get a very solid core coming from the middle of the ice. At wing, the team will have returning Brett Sterling — the 2006-07 AHL Rookie of the Year and goal scoring leader. Anthony Stewart signs on from the Florida Panthers where he has split time between the NHL and AHL the last four seasons. Joey Crabb and Spencer Machacek both played well during call-ups at the end of the season for the Thrashers. Also returning is Jordan LaVallee, as one of the fan favorites as a Wolves signee.
 
Defense is where the Wolves may be weakest. Nathan Oystrick returns to the team after playing most of last season with the parent club, along with Steve McCarthy, who was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round back in 1999 and has 302 games of NHL experience. Arturs Kulda is back, but needs to regain the confidence that he has as he did signing on during the 2008 Championship run.
 
In goal, the Wolves are very familiar with Drew MacIntyre, who has been one of the most dominant goaltenders in the AHL. Last season he played for archrival Milwaukee Admirals and won 34 of the 55 games he played.  It is unknown who will join MacIntyre; Ondrej Pavelec is still battling for a spot in Atlanta with veterans Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg. With a year under his belt, head coach Granato seems to have all the tools to lead the Chicago Wolves far into the playoffs. The team has amazing depth at forward and a goaltender that has the ability to take the shots away from a lagging defense. MacIntyre will have a quick incentive as he faces his old team, the Admirals, in the season opener at home at  Allstate Arena.
 
This season there will a little more to the rivalry than in the past. The 10-games that the teams will against each other will be called “The Amtrak Rivalry” with the winning team receiving a trophy and the most valuable player based on performance.
 
Contact matt.chin@prohockeynews.com