Halifax Mooseheads arrive for 2015-2016 season: 5 things to watch
Young players are hoping to make their mark
It's hard to believe hockey season has arrived.
Fifty players hoping to crack the Halifax Mooseheads lineup for the 2015-16 QMJHL season are trickling in to Halifax. The competition for roster spots will be intense.
Here are 5 five things to watch as the Mooseheads get ready for another hockey season:
1. Replacing Nik Ehlers
Almost everyone in Moose country expects forward Nik Ehlers to make the Winnipeg Jets this year.
The 19-year-old from Denmark was one of the Jets' last cuts last year and was easily the Mooseheads' top player last season.
Linemate Timo Meier could be tasked with filling the gap but his status with the Mooseheads is another question mark.
Meier was a first-round draft choice of the San Jose Sharks and will be looking to make an impression at the Sharks training camp. When, and if, Meier returns to Halifax is unknown.
2. Goalie concerns
While there will be big holes to fill up front, the Mooseheads goaltending is another major issue.
Erik Brassard ended the season as one of the team's leaders last season and is expected to grab one of Halifax's three overage spots this season.
Don't be surprised if the team makes a move late in the season. Brassard could be trade bait if the Mooseheads aren't having a winning season.
3. Next Cole Harbour star?
Brett Crossley's rookie season with the Moosehead's was plagued with injuries. He only scored 6 goals with the Moose.
But don't be surprised to see Crossley rachet it up this season.
The sky is still the limit for the next Cole Habour kid.
4. Flower ready to bloom
A Mooseheads draft pick looking to blossom as a rookie in the Q League is 16-year-old defenceman Walter Flower of Lunenburg.
And up front, the player to watch is Halifax's top pick, left winger Arnaud Durandeau.
5. Pressure will be on Ducharme
Over the last five seasons, no team in the country has had the star power of the Halifax Mooseheads.
Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Zach Fucale led the team to their Memorial Cup championship and Nik Ehlers was among the best junior players on the planet last season.
While Timo Meier could be back in Halifax, the team will not have a star-studded lineup.
The pressure will be on coach Dominique Ducharme to develop his young players early in the season and get the team in contention for a run deep into the playoffs.