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*Jayba1t* · 03-22-2023, 07:31 PM

Well it's been a long time since I've done one of these, last one was in S64 or something. In that time, a lot has happened and changed in Colorado over the seasons. Regardless, here's a little throwback to the Raptors Season Preview writeups I used to do.

Additions:

C Oliver Castillon (Draft)
LD Foggy Nelson (Draft)
G Scary Jerry (Draft)
RD Drew Sureshot (Draft)
LD Peter Potamus (Inactive Free Agent)

Colorado ended up filling each position during the draft, picking forward Castillon at 2OA, defenseman Nelson and Sureshot at 19OA and "42OA" and goaltender Jerry at 36OA. The Raptors' needed players to replace the aged out S67 players, and they got them. Potamus was an IFA claim that rounds out the roster.

Subtractions:

LD Isaac Forty-One (Aged Out/Call Up)
LD Chuchichaschtli Zopf (Aged Out/Call Up)
LW Carl Ray Jetson (Aged Out)
G Viktor Navolsky (Released)
RW Vesuviuo Fischoeder (Released)

Shoutout to Forty-One, Zopf and Jetson for sticking with us for 4 seasons! Forty-One and Zopf were a minute-munching D pairing, and Jetson provided solid secondary scoring throughout their tenures. We wish them best of luck in the future!

Depth Chart *not an actual/projected lineup

Flinders/O'Rugg/Bergmark
Uskjal/Ward-Prowse/Frazier
Castillon/Ozerova/Wobet

Nelson/Manius
Potamus/Nyckel
Davies/Sureshot

Brzeczyszczykiewicz
Jerry

The team right now has 2 IAs that are both slotted in the defense pairings, Potamus and Davies. In better shape than previous seasons, the forwards have players with a variety of skillsets, from dynamic offense to reliable defense, headlined by Captain Bergmark and O'Rugg. All 9 Forward spots are filled up at the moment. On the defense, stay-at-home defenseman Manius and Nyckel will be playing big minutes and running the D corps on the backend. Brzeczyszczykiewicz will be the projected starter, with Jerry backing up. The newly-drafted Raptors can be found at all positions and will provide crucial depth there.

Players to Watch for:

Erik Bergmark @NYR73: Bergmark is a talented offensive winger who's last season is S70. He has scored at an solid rate over the last 3 seasons, with 80 goals, 85 assists and 165 points in 198 games played. Bergmark's primary focus is getting that puck onto the net, with almost 700 career shots, or more than 200 shots per season. All in all, he is well-rounded offensively and is one of the maxed forwards Colorado has at their disposal. He's been effective on the power play in the last 2 seasons, and also brings a touch of physicality on the ice, with three 100+ hit seasons.

S70 Forwards @domffl @apollorion @Estovich: Okay since there are 3 of them, all centers, I'll mention them together here. James Ward-Prowse, Shorsey Wobet and Grisha Uskjal all made their Colorado debuts in S69, slotting in on second and third lines. Now in their sophomore seasons, they look to improve upon their rookie ones. Ward-Prowse and Wobet both are versatile centers who again, are well-rounded offensively and can make an impact on the team's scoring. Uskjal plays a steady two-way game, and plays well on both ends of the ice. Overall, the 3 centers will provide the Raptors with tons on depth up front.

Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz @Zerg: As I've said in past Season Previews, goalie can make or break a team. Obviously with FHM, they are a bit more unpredictable, however Brzeczyszczykiewicz has been rock solid in net for 2 seasons, and in S70, will continue to provide a stabilizing force in the net. Over the last 2 seasons he has been dealt a large workload, playing 100 games, with a 3.41 GAA and .895 SV%, while facing over 30 shots a game. Now in his third and last season in the J, him being maxed out will give the Raptors a great goalie.

Season Outlook: As their roster currently stands, the team has a nice blend of J "veterans" and youth. 3 S68s, 6 69s, 4 S70s and 4 S71s currently make up their S70 opening day roster. There are still plenty of players that weren't mentioned previously who still will be tasked with tough assignments and relied upon heavily. From veteran center O'Rugg, to top defenseman and defensive stalwarts Manius and Nyckel or even the rookie class of Castillon, Nelson, Jerry and Sureshot, every player on this Raptors team will look to contribute in the roles that they are played in. This team has improved since last season, and after a disappointing S69, these Dinos will look to jump back into the playoff push this season again, and enjoy meaningful games in the SMJHL. They've got a mix of talented and experienced players, and starting on Friday, begin S70, a new SHL decade.

Thanks for reading! Let's have a fun and exciting season! Go Raptors Raptors