While no one will ever complain about winning a championship, especially one as difficult to win as the Memorial Cup, the Saint John Sea Dogs are feeling the worst of the hurt after going all in for their 2022 Cup run on home ice. The accumulation of talent was expensive and now that a heavy majority of those players have moved on the team is struggling to maintain pace with the rest of the league. A busy weekend put them to the test with three games in three nights, but they came away with just 2 points after being obliterated by the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Nov.5, a game that saw a season-low attendance of just 1941 fans. The loss left them in last in the Eastern Conference of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
The bar was low entering this season. Fans are smart enough to realize that once a team commits the way that the Sea Dogs did, it is going to affect them for the next couple of years, and as the 2023-24 season marks the second season since the win it would likely be the most painful. That definitely appears to be the case because, with the way the team is playing right now, it may not be possible for them to fall any further.
Missing the Battle
The team as a whole right now, coaches included, have allowed way too many periods where they feel as though they are just going through the motions as a group that has become disinterested and complacent in the fact that they are a bottom-tier team in the league. Perhaps the most aggravating part for the fans is that does not have to be the case at all. The Sea Dogs have plenty of talent on their roster, but the compete level and dedication at times just do not match. Most of their losses this season have been close contests until late in the game, after which a small deficit turns into an insurmountable task very quickly.
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A lack of battle combined with a tendency to take numerous ill-timed penalties, which they can’t kill off, basically gifts their opponents a free win if they are just able to play a semi-decent game. In their most recent game against the Phoenix it was a back-and-forth contest that could have gone either way, especially after youngster Egan Beveridge brought the Sea Dogs within one halfway through the second. A late goal in the second period by the Phoenix restored their two-goal lead, and the pushback in the third period left a lot to be desired as two more quick goals just six minutes in carried the game far out of reach.
Focus on the Positives
The Sea Dogs are not without some offensive firepower. Captain Peter Reynolds is currently on pace to break all of his own personal point records, as his 10 goals and 11 assists in 16 games projected out over an entire season will have him putting up 88 points. He is joined by alternate captain Noah Reinhart whose 14 points in 17 games is just the tip of his effectiveness as he brings a bit of grit to the ice as well. Both young men are showing exactly why they were named to the leadership group for this season, but if things don’t start improving they may be more likely to be moved mid-season to a contending team for some draft capital.
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If NHL draft prospects are what excites you as a fan, then the recent play of Philadelphia Flyers seventh-rounder Matteo Mann should be a massive draw. It’s always easy to tell when the 6-foot-6 defender is on the ice, and despite a slow start that may be attributed to an offseason trade and an injury at the Flyers’ development camp, Mann has started to settle in and really show why the Flyers were willing to take a shot on him. He recorded a point in all three games of the Sea Dogs back-to-back-to-back, but more than that he has started using that massive frame to throw some thunderous hits. His skating is impressive for his size, and he definitely has a deceptively good shot. Look forward to some big moments from the big man.
More than anything I think Sea Dogs fans have a lot to be excited for in the upcoming seasons. A plethora of high draft picks are likely headed their way to add some elite young players into the mix, but don’t forget about the ones already on the team. Eriks Mateiko is eligible for the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft and is producing a point-per-game as a 6-foot-4, 200-pound winger. He was only rated as a “C” prospect by NHL Central Scouting, but I find it hard to believe some team will take a chance on the young power forward before the fourth or fifth round. A pair of 16-year-olds have also made themselves lineup regulars in Egan Beveridge and Benjamin Amyot. Beveridge is a small center, but has room to grow and already has eight points in his first season in the QMJHL, while Amyot’s development continues rapidly with every game he plays.
Perhaps the most interesting prospect of all is goaltender Justin Robinson. He started the season as the obvious backup behind 20-year-old Patrick Leaver, but has quickly transitioned into more of a tandem as the 17-year-old has had games where he has looked absolutely unbeatable. Unfortunately, he has also had games where he has been very beatable, although the worst of the losses tend to be entire team failures. With some improved consistency Robinson could easily take over the mantle of starting goalie in the future.
Real Test Coming Up
The real test for what the Sea Dogs can manage is coming to TD Station on Nov. 10 in the form of the Halifax Mooseheads. In the first game of three for that weekend, the Mooseheads are fifth in the entire QMJHL but are quickly gaining ground since the reintroduction of prized player Jordan Dumais. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect has 21 points in just eight games, helping the Mooseheads on a five-game heater which they carry with them to meet the Sea Dogs. It will take full dedication from the Sea Dogs to even slow down that weapon.