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TheOPSquid · 04-17-2024, 11:22 AM

San Diego is one of two new teams thrust into Season 76 of the SMJHL, and in a sink or swim league, they have surfed their way above where they were expected to be. With an expansion draft taking place in the offseason and the SMJHL draft shortly after, the newly formed team has been able to keep the season afloat and are currently floating just above .500. Their biggest reasoning for their success so far is their ability to roll 4 lines and be confident with whoever is out there. With a lack of a true "superstar" the team was able to pick up some underappreciated players in the expansion draft that have excelled in their new roles. With the addition of some highly touted rookies from the SMJHL draft performing extremely well, the Tidal are poised to be good for the foreseeable future.

The Tidal's team identity is a high-event offense made up of rush chances. With the third highest goals scored in the league with 92 goals in 19 games, they also have the fourth highest goals allowed with 88. Averaging 4.84 goals for per game and 4.63 goals against per game, any Tidal fan that attends a game will be sure to watch an action packed thriller. San Diego has a bit of a weaker defense core and it is shown by averaging the 6th most shots against per game as well as the last ranked penalty kill with 21 power play goals against on 61 penalty kills so far.

The Tidal went ahead and picked up a couple of Season 74 drafted players in their final year of SMJHL eligibility but are primarily made up of players drafted in Season 75-76 with 4 rookies drafted in the most recent SMJHL draft. We will go through and gain a bit of an insight on the players on the squad and see how San Diego has been able to be successful so far this season.

The Season 74 Crew
With 4 players picked up from the Season 74 SHL class, they were able to snag 3 maxed out players from some deep teams that are now playing huge roles on the Tidal.

Brandon Gilleyes - Left Wing - 3rd Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 14 Goals 11 Assists 25 Points - 76 Defensive Game Rating - 24 Blocks

Gilleyes has been phenomenal for the Tidal this season. One of the best two way forwards in the SMJHL, he was a nominee for the Brodie Witzel (Playoffs MVP) Trophy this past season with Colorado. With a deep Raptors squad looking to make another run, San Diego was able to snag Brandon in the expansion third overall. Currently leading the team in points with 25 in 19 games, Brandon has averaged 4 minutes more of ice time with San Diego than he did on Colorado and has been utilizing it well. A main contributor on the power play and penalty kill, Gilleyes is a well rounded forward thrust into a top line role and has been producing greatly with his new responsibilities.

Meo Vanbiesbrouck - Goaltender - 14th Overall in the Expansion Draft
17 Games Played - 8 Wins - 5.04 GAA .869 Save Percentage

Grabbing a great goaltender in the back half of the expansion draft, Vanbiesbrouck is a rock in net that lets the younger squad focus primarily on offense. With the Tidal playing a high flying offensive style that focuses on scoring more than the opponent, Vanbiesbrouck is able to make the big saves needed in the big moments. Locking in the starter spot, his numbers are slightly down this season but will no doubt bounce back up as the season goes on. The 6'5 goaltender comes over from Anchorage where he has played the past 4 seasons.

Sergey Ivanov - Left Defense - 7th Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 1 Goal 11 Assists 12 Points - 73 Defensive Game Rating - 30 Blocks 13 Takeaways

Sergey Ivanov was a big part of the Nevada Battleborn last season, playing on the first line at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. Playing a similar role as last season on the Tidal, he is currently on pace to match his career high 42 points with his new team. With a bit of a weaker defense core, a lot of the defensive responsibilities have fallen on him and he has been able to keep the team working hard to keep the puck out of the net.

Future Considerations - Right Wing - 10th Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 12 Goals 10 Assists 22 Points - 75 Offensive Game Rating

Future Considerations has come over from the Regina Elk and is looking like he will crack his previous career high of 54 points this season. Sitting over a point per game and tied for second in scoring on the team, Future Considerations has been playing a third line role but is averaging a similar amount of ice time as last season with 17:45 average time on ice this season. San Diego has been spreading out minutes fairly evenly among the forward lines and with Future Considerations showcasing the team's depth by having over a point per game on the third line is quite impressive. With 12 goals in 19 games so far, the current scoring rate is sustainable as he is shooting a 13.6% close to his career average. If he keeps this going Future Considerations could see a career high in goals and possibly break the 30 goal mark for the first time in his career.

The Season 75 Troop

Journey Man - Right Defense - 15th Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 5 Goals 13 Assists 18 Points - 74 Defensive Game Rating - 22 Takeaways

Journey Man makes his third appearance on a new squad in as many seasons and is putting up a career best season so far. With 18 points in 19 games so far he leads all defensemen on the Tidal in goals and assists. Being picked up late in the expansion draft, Journey Man has already tied his career high in goals with 5, and is 2 points away from tying his career high in points. Journey Man has been playing next to Sergey Ivanov the majority of this season, as they form the backbone of the defensive core of the Tidal. Leading the team in takeaways with 22 so far, he is also second on the team in giveaways with only 3. Excelling in a big role on the power play and penalty kill this season, we will see if Journey Man has finally found a permanent home for the rest of his SMJHL career.

The S75 Defense Core
A lot of the Season 75 players are inactive so I won't be going too in-depth on them

Jurijs Ralfs - Silas Bart - Max Hammer - Mathias Olivera - Inactive Defenders

All three defenders have been listed as inactive on the portal at this time and are all defense first-defenders.

With Silas Bart leading the team in shots blocked with 44, the 155 TPE defender has been trying his best. Jurijs Ralfs has been a solid pickup by San Diego so far though, picking up 14 points in 19 games while playing second line minutes. Max Hammer is a 157 TPE defender that plays for the San Diego Tidal. Olivera is 200 TPE defensive center that has made the transition to play defense this season for the Tidal and has put up 16 points in 19 games so far.

Æric Calland - Inactive Center
19 Games Played - 7 Goals 11 Assists 18 Points

Calland has put up just under a point per game this season while playing with Future Considerations on the third line.

The Season 76ers

Caper Poirot - Left Wing - 2nd Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 6 Goals 14 Assists 20 Points - 41 Hits 12 Takeaways

The first pick by the San Diego Tidal in the Expansion Draft, Poirot has been extremely productive on the second line with Gina Pinard and Daquavion Davis II. Caper has put up 20 points in 19 games for the Tidal so far, scoring 6 goals with 14 assists. 5 points away from tying their point total in their rookie season, Poirot has slotted in on the penalty kill and has been paired with Gilleyes as their PK duo. Putting up 41 hits so far, they sit second on the team in hits and also have a solid giveaway to takeaway ratio so far sitting at .60 ta/ga. Poirot looks like they will a big piece of the future for the San Diego Tidal as they enter just their second season in the SMJHL.

Klims Jevsejevs - Right Wing - 19th Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 10 Goals 12 Assists 22 Points - 32 Hits 14 Takeaways

Jevsejevs was a big pickup by the Tidal in the Expansion Draft, being their final pick in the draft Klims Jevsejevs has had a breakout season for the Tidal. Putting up 22 points in 19 games, they are tied for second on the team in scoring and have done it while only putting up one point on the power play. Scoring 33 points in their rookie season with Kelowna, they are only 11 points away from tying that and look like they are going to double that total. Klims is rocking with an extremely high shooting percentage at the moment though, with the sniper putting up an 18.2% shot percentage so far. This will most likely come back down to earth but it isnt a stretch to predict them finishing around 25+ goals this season. A key part of the scoring depth for San Diego, Jevsejevs is the second member of the third line sitting at over a point per game with Calland sitting 1 point behind a point per game.

Daquavion Davis II - Left Wing - 6th Overall in the Expansion Draft
19 Games Played - 10 Goals 7 Assists 17 Points

Daquavion Davis II was the third pick by the Tidal in the Expansion Draft, further solidifying the offense first mentality the team is going for. Picking up the Sniper with 14 shot accuracy early in the draft, Poirot and Davis II will be a solid duo for the Tidal's future. Daquavion has tallied 17 points in 19 games so far after coming over from the Maine Timber. Seeing an ice time increase of almost 2 minutes, Davis II has already surpassed last season's goal total of 7 with his 10 in 19 games so far. The offensive forward has been plagued with a lower shooting percentage of 9.8 but has still been able to fill the back of the net with pucks or find a teammate to score. If his shot percentage bounces up to around 11-13% like league average, he could be scoring quite a bit more.

Josh Grygo - Goaltender - Inactive
7 Games Played - 2 Wins - 2.56 GAA .921 Save Percentage

Grygo was signed as an inactive free agent and has posted some good numbers as a backup goaltender in his limited games.

The Season 77 Squad

The core of the San Diego Tidal will be made up of their 3 most recent draft picks and a new free agent addition they picked up on waivers. With all three draft picks being captains for the newly minted franchise, the future is bright for the Tidal.

Gina Pinard - Center - 4th Overall in the SMJHL Entry Draft
19 Games Played - 7 Goals 13 Assists 20 Points - 77 Defensive Game Rating - 18 Takeaways 38 Hits

Gina Pinard is a great two way center that has exploded out onto the scene for the Tidal. Putting up over a point per game in her rookie season so far with excellent defensive numbers, the Alternate Captain of San Diego was the first ever draft pick in franchise history. Centering the second line of Season 76ers Poirot and Davis II, the defensive center has excelled on the power play and also the limited time on the penalty kill so far. A crazy ratio of takeaways to giveaways has shown the two way ability of Pinard off really well as she takes the puck away twice as much as gives it away. Sitting with the highest defensive game rating on the team, Pinard has been able to lock down any player they match up against. Pinard's 7 goals and 13 assists so far this season has put them tied for 5th on the team in scoring but is also putting up over a point per game. Not shying away from physical play, Gina has already put up 38 hits and likes to close the gap with a big hit when players are cutting through the neutral zone.

Skyler Stevens - Right Wing - 14th Overall in the SMJHL Entry Draft
19 Games Played - 6 Goals 12 Assists 18 Points - 54 Hits

Skyler Stevens has been one of the rookies with a huge impact on the Tidal so far, tallying 18 points in their first 19 games in the SMJHL. Leading the team with the C on their jersey, Skyler was the Tidal's second ever draft pick in the SMJHL draft being picked 14th overall. San Diego was keen on picking them up and traded the 19th overall pick and a second round pick to Carolina to trade up and select them and guarantee they play for the Tidal. An offensive forward who likes to play physical, at this time Stevens is leading the team in hits with a stunning 54 in 19 games. Picking up 6 goals and 12 assists while playing in a first line role, Stevens has been able to chip in throughout the season and contribute to San Diego's overwhelming waves of offense that leaves teams unable to shut them down. Currently one of the top rookie scorers in the league, Skyler is set on leading the team by example and is sure to be a big part of the Tidal's future as their first ever team captain.

Sam Volta - Center - 18th Overall in the SMJHL Entry Draft
19 Games Played - 8 Goals 13 Assists 21 Points - 50.8 FO% - 15 Takeaways

Sam Volta has been playing center on the first line in their rookie season, alongside fellow rookie Skyler Stevens and playoff MVP candidate Brandon Gilleyes. Volta has been solid at both ends of the ice so far this season, putting up just over a point per game with the Tidal while also being positive on the faceoff dot. One big thing rookie centers struggle with in their first few seasons and up to this point so far Volta has been able to win more than they have lost with a 50.8 faceoff win percentage. Picking up 8 goals and 13 assists so far for 21 points, Volta has been trusted in a major role on the power play and has been spending some time on the penalty killing unit as well. Taking on a big responsibility on the special teams units Sam Volta currently leads the team in power play points. The alternate captain is playing great at the moment and even boasts a positive giveaway to takeaway ratio, racking up 15 takeaways to 12 giveaways so far this season. Currently putting up a strong 23% shooting percentage, these numbers might drop off a bit more later in the season but with a deep offense like the Tidal have Volta's defensive contributions would more than make up for it.

Marko Kivimaki
No Games Played Yet

Marko has yet to play a game for the Tidal this season but the 6'2 Finnish defenseman looks to be a solid two way defender that will be a huge addition to the back end of the Tidal. Characterized as having a strong breakout pass, good positioning and the ability to break up plays with a solid body or stick check, Kivimaki will fit right in with the Tidal and will solidify the defensive side of their team.

The Tidal currently sit 9th in the league at the time of writing, and if they can lock in on the defensive side of their game could see this team move up a bit in the standings. Characterized by a strong, deep offense, good goaltending and a bit weaker defensive depth, the San Diego Tidal are already making waves throughout the SMJHL.

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