Below are my practice notes and overall takeaways so far this preseason in the two practices I’ve attended (9/12):
- Chuck Blanchard scored a nifty goal in scrimmage play. He deked around a defenseman and went top‑shelf past Yegor Yegorov. He is going to push for ice time and has been one of the more impressive freshmen in the two practices I have attended.
- Layne Loomer has elite breakout speed. He reminds me a lot of David Deputy in the way he produced in the USHL last season with Lincoln.
- Matous Kucharcík, a 2025 fourth‑round pick of Buffalo, is a promising 6‑foot‑4, 196‑pound center who is making strides. He scored in a four‑on‑four drill, has an elite one‑timer, has a long reach, wins faceoffs, and is going to be a big penalty‑kill guy.
- Ryan Seelinger had a heck of a practice on Saturday. He played physical, scored, and was everywhere. He got pushed around a bit two weeks ago and has already shown growth in that department. “I had to work on it in the offseason, get more physical, play through guys, and the coaching staff here has been helping me out and telling me to finish my bumps and get above guys. I am trying to make that a point of emphasis in my game,” Seelinger said.
- Yegor Yegorov is adjusting to the North American game and looks solid. He leans toward being the number‑two goalie for me. He is a taller and bigger option than Drobac, good in tight, and gets beat up high a bit in practices. “He’s super athletic and competitive, an elite skater, able to make the difficult save, and he’s been on a lot of teams where he’s seen a ton of shots. He’s a guy that gives you a chance to win every night,” Noreen said.
- Branko Vukas skates extremely well for his size at 6‑foot‑4, 214 pounds, similar to other big additions like 6‑foot‑5 defenseman Jack Hamilton. “We’re not bringing in big guys who are clunky. These are big guys who can skate, who are mobile, who have great agility, who are athletic, and who also have offense,” Noreen said. Vukas fits that description perfectly and scored in the shootout to win it for the Grey Team.
- Ilia Morozov looks bigger and improved in the skating department. He scored a goal in tight during a four‑on‑four drill. There is a good chance this is his last season in Oxford, which he mentioned he would like to do this past summer to Buffalo media. It depends on whether his scoring production picks up and develops further if he makes the jump after this season.
- David Deputy might be the leading point scorer by the end of this season. He is continuing right where he left off after making the NCHC Rookie Team. He scored twice in a four‑on‑four drill and is the fastest player on the roster.
- Shaun McEwen laid out and blocked a heavy wrister in the scrimmage. He is going to get even more ice time this season after being the glue on the back end last year. Offensively, McEwen is due for an even bigger breakout after showing flashes of two‑way ability late last season.
- Matteo Drobac looks like the number‑one goalie based on what I have seen. Noreen will say it is a goalie battle, but after the way Drobac played last season, he has earned the starter job. He played nearly every game except one, earned All‑NCHC Third Team, and was a Goaltender of the Year finalist.
- David Helledy is a big‑time addition to the blue line. He led Bentley in ice time at 21:35 per game as a sophomore en route to an AHA championship. He has elite hands and can walk the blue line. “There are definitely some adjustments to be made. I am still trying to learn some systems. The D‑zone system is a bit different than it was at Bentley, but I think it has been good and it has been a lot of fun,” Helledy said. “Every defenseman wants to be a 200‑foot guy. I grew up playing forward, so I ended up taking those offensive habits and some of my vision and bringing them to the back end.”
- Captain Doug Grimes is a leader on and off the ice. He looks the part with his size and toughness around the netfront and will score some greasy goals this season.
- Assistant captain Ethan Hay will once again play a major role on the penalty kill, win faceoffs, and provide depth scoring.
- Assistant captain Bradley Walker will continue to play an enforcer role but needs to become smarter and make better decisions this season. Noreen clearly has confidence in him to take that next step by giving him a letter.
- The returning defensemen logged heavy minutes last season. Vladislav Lukashevich led the group at 22:35 per game, followed by Michael Phelan at 19:01, Ryder Thompson at 18:28, and McEwen at 17:29. They have all taken steps forward, look faster and stronger, and appear more confident with the puck.
- Junior Vladislav Lukashevich will be this team’s number‑one defenseman. He logged 22:35 per game last season, led the team in that category, and led the team in plus‑minus at plus‑11. He is a major factor on the power play, penalty kill, backcheck, passing, and everything else. He is the leader of the defensive corps.
- Many current and future RedHawks attended NHL development camps as invitees or potential undrafted free agents.
List: David Deputy (Boston), Shaun McEwen (Nashville), Kocha Delic (Columbus), Matteo Giampa (San Jose), Matteo Drobac (Dallas), Yegor Yegorov (Calgary), Austin Baker (Detroit), Matouš Kucharcík (Buffalo), Vladislav Lukashevich (Florida), Timofei Runtos (Montreal), Ilia Morozov (Buffalo) - The average team size is now 6‑foot‑1 and 192 pounds, bigger than last season’s roster.
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