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As with most, if not all, AHL teams this year the Rockford ice Hogs will combine veteran journeymen with would-be stars. The roster is as follows:

Forwards
#
11 Brad Winchester LW
14 Drew LeBlanc RW
15 Wade Brookbank LW
16 Brad Mills C
18 Phillip Danault C
19 Jeremy Morin LW
20 Pat Mullane LW
24 Byron Froese C
25 Alex Broadhurst C
26 Garret Ross LW
27 Brandon Pirri C
28 Mark McNeill C
36 Maxim Shalunov RW
37 Terry Broadhurst LW

Defensemen
#
2 Adam Clendening
3 Dylan Olsen
5 Joe Gleason
6 Jared Nightingale
8 Viktor Svedberg
10 Klas Dahlbeck
22 Theo Peckham

Goalies
#
33 Kent Simpson
35 Antti Raanta

It probably doesn't matter where this team finishes in the AHL standings, or even whether they make the playoffs. What matters is the development of individual players. And as far as that goes, it is certain the organization will be closely watching Danault, McNeill, Ross, Shalunov, LeBlanc, Clendening and Raanta closely.

Players like Pirri, Morin, Leblanc, Dahlbeck, Winchester and Peckham are more known commodities and could be pressed into service down I-90 with the Blackhawks due to injuries at some point in the season.

The same applies to Raanta, who is clearly the #3 goalie in the organization.

And in some ways, the 25 year old Finn could be key to the performance of both clubs, especially the Ice Hogs, where he will hold down the #1 job—unless, of course, he loses it.

And where last year's Ice Hogs were an up-tempo, but defensively sloppy transition team, I can see this year's team being better defensively, especially with the addition to of Theo Peckham to go with Klas Dahlbeck. I also expect Raanta to put up very strong numbers.

But that's why they play the games.

Other questions:

Where does Danault play, center (more likely) or wing? Same with Mark McNeill, who will probably line up on the wing, very possibly flanking fellow 2011 first round pick, Danault.

What of Russian import Maxim Shalunov, who has shown flashes of NHL speed and shooting?

How far, if at all, has last year's "mini-sensation," Drew Leblanc, fallen out of favor?

Can Dylan Olsen right his own ship and resurrect his NHL prospects?

Will Adam Clendening settle in and dominate as a puck-moving defenseman, while tightening up his defensive zone coverage?

The answers to these and many other questions should begin to reveal themselves at the Hogs opener tomorrow night in San Antonio.

If you want to watch the game (AND most other OHL, AHL and NHL games), go here:

http://www.hockeystreams.com/ref/51981


More tomorrow,


JJ

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