How Good Will the 26-27 Sentinels Be?

It has been a very good offseason for Everett Thompson and the Indiana Sentinels. They have added in some key areas: offensive production, better defenders, and special teams help to name a few. But how much better did the Indiana Sentinels become this offseason when you compare it not just to the team they had last year and the players they either have not yet signed or have moved on to another team?

Last season, the Indiana Sentinels roster from the final game had a grand total of 101 goals and 158 assists for 259 points. On top of that they scored 23 powerplay goals and only 2 shorthanded goals in the 590 total games played, with a plus/minus that was a combined -215.

With the players that are either not returning or have not yet been signed, the Sentinels are losing 65 goals, 88 assists, 153 points, 12 powerplay goals, 2 shorthanded goals, 8 game winning goals and 726 shots on net with a -148 plus/minus.

A majority of the stats above are tied up in Ethan Esposito, who has since signed a contract with the Northern Michigan Warhounds in the MIHL, and Bo Zinchenko who is still yet to be signed, but it seems both camps are very close to a deal. Combined, Esposito and Zinchenko had 24 goals (37% of goals from players not returning or unsigned), 31 assists (35%) and 55 points (36%). Although guys like Kristers Bormanis, Filip Tomiczek and Donovan Powell made an impact in a much smaller timeframe and will still feel their presence lost, most of the points the Indiana Sentinels are losing come from two players.

As far as beyond the stats, Colin Tracy was superb on the back end last year. He played so well in fact that he finished the remainder of the season in the SPHL. Richie Colarusso was a phenomenal locker room guy who was consistent on the ice. Although he had his moments of frustration taking over, Richie’s presence will be missed behind the scenes and in the defensive end. Ivan Ponivanov will be missed as the team’s ice time leader on defense. It seemed like late in games Ponivanov was out there almost every other shift. Sturdy in his own end and offensively gifted, Ponivanov brought a lot to the table for the Sentinels, and his role will be difficult to fill.

Kristers Bormanis and Filip Tomiczek were added to the roster in the latter portions of last season but were spark plugs for this group. Both guys were essential on the penalty kill and factored in offensively in some clutch moments. Their presence was felt in the way they carried themselves on and off the ice. It was the exact type of mentality Coach Thompson wanted his players to have.

So, there is a decent amount of talent and overall good people that will not be returning for the Sentinels this year. Now the question is: were the Sentinels not only able to fill those holes, but get even better this offseason? It is becoming glaringly obvious that, yes, this will be a much-improved team than we saw at any point last year.

Let’s first take a look at the returning skaters that have signed: Seth Bacon, Jay Bucholz, Corey Cunningham, Denver Craig, Nolan Dawson, Noah Hippolyte-Smith, Jonas Leas, Marian Pazitka, Aaron Shahin, and Romeo Torain.

In that group are three defensemen that were solid for the Sentinels last year. Bacon in a short time span showcased his ability to move the puck with confidence, and make sure the Sentinels were exiting their own end with ease. Pazitka is a class clown in the locker room, but on the ice, he was able to help the Sentinels offensively and would have continued to do so had his season not been cut short by injury. Finally, Romeo Torain was a high energy player that left it all on the ice every shift. While that sometimes meant he made some errors defensively, it also meant he was a threat every shift. You were going to be black and blue by the end of your shift going up against RoRo Smooth.

Offensively, there is a lot to take away. First of all, you have what I call “the big four” in Corey Cunningham (13G/14A/27PTS in 55 games), Denver Craig (combined 15/20/35 in 47 games), Nolan Dawson (combined 9/24/33 in 43 games) and Jay Bucholz (combined 19/16/35 in 32 games). These four guys all made an indelible mark on the Sentinels roster last year, but not in a full season. Corey Cunningham was acquired late in the season, Denver Craig spent the rest of his season in the SPHL after the new year, Nolan Dawson was in Finland for two months, and Jay Bucholz was only able to play in one weekend of games due to school commitments but was able to rack up a game winning shootout goal and 2 assists in those two games against Topeka. If the Sentinels are able to get full seasons out of these four guys, the roof at The Ham will be blown off and in need of replacement by the end of October.

On top of that, the “OG Sentinel” Jonas Leas is back, and will be a huge help in the face-off circle as well as penalty killing. He will be a major leader on this team with his locker room presence being something of a North Star for the rest of the group to follow. Noah Hippolyte-Smith brings a ton of speed and skill to this group, and will help get play established in the offensive zone. When he is with the right linemates like we saw him with Donovan Powell and Filip Tomiczek last year, we know that Hipps can make a lot of good things happen. Aaron Shahin will be the team bodyguard while also providing a lot of energy for this team. He will be able to do his job and protect the guys that need protecting, but he will also be able to help in the defensive and offensive zones as well.

Those are the returners. How about the new faces we have not seen just yet? Up front, Ben Stefanini, Ross Bartlett, Dzianis Zaichyk, and Aldiyar Nurlan are players with a good amount of experience in the FPHL that will make a significant impact on the Sentinels roster.

Stefanini comes to the Sentinels one game short of 100 played in his career, the majority of which was with a very good Monroe Moccasins team. As a guy that can be used in almost every situation, Stefanini will be a solid Swiss Army Knife type of a player for this Sentinels group.

Ross Bartlett was able to put up 17 goals, 22 assists and 39 points in split time with the Baton Rouge Zydeco and Biloxi Breakers, two teams that had a ton of trouble putting together any offense. He also scored 7 powerplay goals last year to boot. If he can put up numbers like that on the offensively deficient teams he was on last year, expect his best year yet in 26-27 with this Sentinels squad.

The guy with the highest point total last year is a former Sentinel in Dzianis Zaichyk. He spent just about a month with the Sentinels last season and picked up 7 assists in 8 games. He would finish the season with Pee Dee where he took off finishing the season with 13 goals, 35 assists and 48 points in 59 games played. His 7 power play goals will also be a great deal of help to the Indiana Sentinels this season.

Aldiyar Nurlan was only able to play in 29 games last season, but he made each one of them count. He finished the season with 10 goals and 14 assists in those 29 games and averages almost 3.5 shots per game. He will turn a lot of heads with a full season under his belt.

From a defensive standpoint, guys like Ian McDonald, Nolan Renke, Ryan Brow and Trent Theissen will plug up some much-needed holes in the defensive end. One of the biggest needs for the Indiana Sentinels was to find ways to relieve pressure in the defensive zone. Along with some defensive minded forwards and returning defensemen, these guys will be a major reason why the shots against per game is going to see a massive decrease.

Ian McDonald stands at 6’2” 205 lbs. and will make you work for every inch of ice. He can fight, hit, and jump in offensively when he needs to. When he is on his game, he makes confident decisions with the puck and helps the breakout seamlessly.

Nolan Renke spent last year in Germany and was able to view the game in a much different way which will help him moving forward. A guy who makes the defensive side of the puck a priority will be the goaltender’s best friend. Do not be surprised if Renke leads the league in blocked shots next year.

Ryan Brow brings three years of NCAA Division 3 experience along with a run to the National Championship game last year with ACHA Division 1 Adrian College Bulldogs. Brow was leaned on heavily by the Bulldogs in their run to the championship game last year. His presence on the ice is felt at both ends and will be one of the most well-balanced defensemen on the Sentinels roster.

Finally, Trent Theissen is going to be difficult to overlook. The man is 6’8” 231 lbs. Don’t let the size fool you, he can skate just as fast as someone who is 6’0”. His surprising quickness and physicality will be a threat each time he steps on the ice.

When you sit and put the numbers together to compare what the Sentinels have added against the players they have lost and/or have not yet signed, here is what the numbers look like:

End of 25-26 Season: 590 games played, 101 goals, 158 assists, 259 points, .44 points/game, 23 powerplay goals, 2 shorthanded goals, 9 game winning goals, -215, 1123 shots on goal.

Start of 26-27 Season 763 games played, 122 goals, 243 assists, 366 points, .48 points/game, 37 powerplay goals, 4 shorthanded goals, 17 game winning goals, -146, 1107 shots on goal.

TOTAL: +173 games played, +21 goals, +85 assists, +107 points, +.04 points/game, +14 powerplay goals, +2 shorthanded goals, +8 game winning goals, +69 plus/minus, - 16 shots on net

Could you imagine what the Sentinels might have done last year if they were able to find this kind of production? For a team that was shut out 9 times, and lost 10 one-goal games last season, this added production could have helped the Sentinels grab a handful more victories.

While the hockey season is entirely unpredictable, it is clear that the Indiana Sentinels have put themselves in a position to be successful this season and push for a playoff spot which would mark one of the most remarkable turnarounds a franchise has had in FPHL history.