The Calgary Wranglers saw some key departures this summer. Former head coach Mitch Love accepted an assistant coaching position with the Washington Capitals and Matthew Phillips was right behind him. There were many preconceived notions about this upcoming Wranglers season, however, some storylines have started taking shape in a very different way.
Finding offense outside Matthew Phillips
The former Wranglers leading scorer signed with the Washington Capitals during free agency. After not seeing much time in the NHL, he bet on himself. The Wranglers had the possibility of falling back on forward Jakob Pelletier but he is now recovering from a preseason shoulder injury. There is no timeline for his return.
This may be the perfect time for Connor Zary to step into the spotlight. Zary was reassigned to the Wranglers in early October after a rather unmemorable preseason performance with the Calgary Flames. This is the opportunity for him to establish his game, as the forward’s development hasn’t been a smooth ride. Between a pandemic and injuries, he hasn’t been able to find his footing. However, last season he recorded 58 points (21 G) with the club.
Emilio Petterson is another player that could be of great value to the Wranglers’ offense. He found the back of the net 19 times in 61 games. He has the capabilities of scoring north of 20 this season and there is a good chance he does. This is his fourth season with the Wranglers and it’s time to get ready to take the next step.
Depending on the Flames final roster cuts, I would expect Walker Duehr and Cole Schwindt to make up for lost ground as well.
Dustin Wolf starts the season with the Wranglers
The most surprising decision thus far has been Dustin Wolf being sent down. It felt nearly set in stone that he was making the Flames roster. What does he have left to prove? Having him in the AHL provides goaltending insurance for at least the first part of the season.
What does this mean for his development? Him getting more AHL reps just means he won’t fall behind while sitting on the bench. It is up to the front office to decide when that next step is going to occur. At the end of the day, the AHL is there to develop these players and get them to the NHL.
Organizational shifts
There is something to be said about the Wranglers success last season. It takes a team to make that happen. There have been a number of changes behind the bench and on the ice that are going to factor into this next rodeo for the Wranglers. Head coach Trent Cull has a work in progress on his hands and everyone should be looking forward to it!
The Wranglers will also be without veteran center, Kevin Rooney. Rooney suffered a preseason injury that required surgery. There is no time table for his return.
The Wranglers open the regular season on the road against Manitoba Moose on October 13 at 6:00 PM MT. You can catch the Wranglers home opener against the Colorado Eagles on October 28 at 1:00 PM MT.
