Allen Americans 2021-22 Season Preview

 The best place to start a preview of the 2021-22 season for the Allen Americans is to look back at last season. The Americans finished with the best record in the Western Conference and the second best record in the ECHL with a record of 42-19-5-3 and points percentage of .653. Allen was #3 in average goals per game (3.28) and #3 in average goals allowed (2.72). The Americans had the #2 power play in the ECHL at 20.5% and #9 ranked penalty kill (81.7%). 

-The challenge Allen faces in 2021-22 is replacing nine of its top 11 scorers. Only Spencer Asuchak and Phil Beaulieu will return from the top 11 scorers. Allen had a total of 639 points last season. The nine players that are not returning had 55% of the offensive production (Lancaster, 64 points, Mackin 62, Register 52, Laberge 37, Lammon 36, Franklin 32 and Mychan 24, Butcher 22, Conway 20. This group also accounted for 56% of Allen's goals.

FORWARDS

- All Steve Martinson did in the off season to replace some of the lost offense from last season is recruit the most prolific scorers in Allen history and two of the best in the ECHL, Chad Costello and Jack Combs. The top three single seasons in points per game average in Allen history belong to Costello and Combs.

When you consider the top points per game average in the ECHL last season (minimum 30 games) was 1.15 and just six players were above 1.00 per game, you can see the damage Costello and Combs are capable of.

1.75 - Jack Combs (2014-15)

1.74 - Chad Costello (2014-15)

1.69 - Chad Costello (2016-17)  

- Add in Spencer Asuchak as the net front net guy with Costello and Comb and it should be quite a show. Asuchak was Allen's third leading goal scorer last season with 21 goals. 

- As potent as the Combs-Asuchak-Costello line could be the Americans will have three lines that can score. As I mentioned yesterday, Brenden Troock has according to reports scored more goals during training camp than any other player and the team was strengthened this week when Seattle sent contracted player Ryan Lohin from Charlotte to Allen. It is worth re-stating Martinson's comment to me about the forwards on the roster, "We are going to have three scoring lines. Two lines are veteran proven scorers, the next has a bunch of nasty guys that can skate, make plays, score goals and kick your ass."

- Steve Martinson has often described the toughness on his teams in these terms, "Sometimes you have a lion and sometimes you have a pack of wolves." This season the Americans will have both. Darian Skeoch is the lion that will fight anyone in the league to protect his teammates. But right behind him will be the pack of wolves making it difficult for the opposition. Kelly Bent is a second year pro who is an agitator and had over 50 fights in his junior career in the QMJHL. Rookies Dawson Butt, D-Jay Jerome, Jackson Leppard all come out of the tough WHL and will play with toughness and skill. The Americans have finished #1 in penalty minutes in four of the seven seasons they have played in the ECHL and it looks they will be competing for the top spot again in 2021-22.

- With Chad Costello quarterbacking the power play it should be one of the best in the league. In the three seasons Chad played in Allen the power play was ranked:

 #1 in 2014-15 (21.9%)

 #1 in 2015-16 (21.1%) 

#3 in 2016-17 (24.4%). 

In the three seasons after Chad went to Europe the Allen power play was ranked; 

#15 in 2017-18 (17.1%)

#15 in 2018-19 (16.7%) 

#9 in 2019-20 (18.5%)

DEFENSEMEN

-  Allen returns five defensemen from last season; Beaulieu, Carroll, Kneen, Myllari and Skeoch but will struggle to replace the offense power lost by the top two scoring defensemen in the ECHL last season, Les Lancaster and Matt Register, who are playing in Europe. Lancaster was arguably the best player in the ECHL last season. His 26 goals were the most goals scored by a defenseman in 20 years and his 64 points ranked him #5 in points among all  ECHL players. Among Allen defensemen, Lancaster (64 points) and Matt Register (52 points) had more points (116) than all other defenseman combined (94). If you look at other ECHL teams last season, none had a defensive duo of defensemen with more than 78 points.

Coach Martinson was hoping to replace some of the lost offense with the signing of former Americans player, Miles Liberati, who was the ECHL's second leading scorer among defensemen in 2019-20 when he played for Tulsa. Liberati never reported to training camp because of the ECHL COVID protocol but Allen still has his rights so it is possible you could see him at some point. 

It is unfair to expect anyone to produce the points Lancaster and Register contributed last season but the Americans will be the typical team of the past with the defensemen being expected to jump into the play and score points. Two players that will contribute more offensively are second year defensemen Phil Beaulieu and Nolan Kneen whose seasons were cut short because of injuries. Beaulieu had nine points in the nine games before he went down with a knee injury at the end of April. Nolan Kneen had a season ending injury in mid March and will also contribute more this season. Rookie Josh Burnside will also add offensive power to the blueline.

It seems like every season Steve Martinson signs a player that surprises everyone when announced. That player this off season was a familiar name, defenseman Eric Roy. The 5th round draft choice of the Calgary Flames in the 2013 NHL draft hasn't played professionally since the 2018-19 season. Eric is in a better place now than when he left pro hockey and went home for a couple of years. He is still a young man at 26 years old. It seems like a long time ago but in 2016, as a 21 year old rookie, Eric had an amazing performance in the playoffs as the Americans won their second Kelly Cup. Had it not been for Chad Costello's record setting playoffs (36 points - 7G, 29A), Eric Roy would have probably been the playoff MVP. Eric had 21 points (5G, 16A) in 23 games and led the team in plus/minus at +12. Most fans don't remember this but Roy's 21 points in the 2016 playoffs were more points than Steffes, Pierro-Zabotel, Arseneau, Asuchak, Register and Makowski scored.

If you look at all time records for Allen Americans defensemen (regular season & playoffs), Eric is #6 in games played but #3 in goals (48), #4 in assists (81) and #4 in points (129).

From my reporting Eric has looked very good in training camp and will be a great addition to the blueline this season. 

GOALIES

Allen lost both experienced goalies from last season, as like so Allen many players, Jake Paterson and C.J. Motte are playing in Europe. Things look good for the 2021-22 season with two contract goalies expected to be in Allen. Antoine Bibeau is under contract with the Seattle Kraken and is currently assigned to Charlotte (AHL) and Frank Marotte is under contract with San Diego (AHL) and is currently with the Gulls. It is always a two edged sword when you have two contract goalies. On one hand you get top goalies assigned, on the other hand they are susceptible to being recalled.  Bibeau is the #4 goalie in the Kraken organization. Martinson expects Bibeau to be one of the best goalies in the ECHL. This will be his 8th year as a pro but his first ECHL assignment. He has played four NHL games (GAA 2.54, .907 save percentage) and 192 AHL games (2.73 GAA, .908 save percentage). Frank Marotte impressed San Diego at their camp and they signed him to an AHL deal as a depth guy. Last season Marotte played 12 games for the Americans with a GAA of 2.54 and save percentage of .917. It is expected both Bibeau and Marotte will be in Allen soon. The only goalie on the Allen roster right now is Alexis Gravel who was signed to a contract on October 13. Based on past conversations I assume Martinson would prefer to not carry three goalies long term but that is clearly not an issue as the season gets underway. 

CONCLUSIONS

- Steve Martinson has once again put together a team that is capable of a deep playoff run. Martinson's teams are always a combination of skill and toughness and the 2021-22 roster has plenty of both. 

- Injuries will play a key role in Allen's success. Yes, this is true for all ECHL teams but it is clear the Americans will need Chad Costello and Jack Combs to stay healthy and play like they have in the past. In 2020-21 Allen overcame the season ending injury to Jesse Mychan after he scored 15 goals in 25 games to start the season. It will be very difficult for Allen to win the division if Combs and Costello don't have good seasons.

- A big key this season will be how many contract players will Allen receive versus how many players will be recalled and loaned. This is particularly the case with goalies. If Bibeau and Marotte spend the majority of the season in Allen it will be a big help. It is a huge advantage when some ECHL teams getting 10+ contracted players from their NHL/AHL affiliate. It is unlikely Allen will see more than three or four contracted players unless Seattle signs more players later in the season. The first year of a new affiliation is always a learning experience. The first year of a new affiliation with a new NHL teams will be even more of a learning experience.

The X-factor for Allen is the experience of coach and general manager Steve Martinson. He has time and again overcome all kinds of obstacles to turn lemons into lemonade. There is no doubt he will be called on to do that again this season. I know first hand he is pleased with the team he has put together for 2021-22 and expects another great season. I also know first hand he will work hard everyday on and off the ice to improve the team. Allen is fortunate to have a coach with the experience and knowledge of Steve Martinson. He will hit another milestone early this season when he records his 1100th win as a professional coach. Martinson enters the season with 1088 wins and could care less about milestones.  

   

DID YOU KNOW: The top five goalies in total games played (regular season and playoffs) in Allen Americans franchise history. 

175 - Riley Gill (won Kelly Cup in 2015 & 2016)

112 - Chris Whitley

79 - Jake Paterson

75 - Aaron Dell (won CHL championship in 2013)

60 - Bryan Pitton (won CHL championship in 2014)