The minor league veterans

Zac Dalpe – Scored 33 goals in just 55 games with Cleveland last season, giving him 95 points (52-43-95) in 110 games for the Monsters over the last three seasons and 141 career goals in the AHL…a veteran of 141 NHL games…turned pro after his sophomore season at The Ohio State University.

Nathan Gerbe – A veteran of 396 NHL games and two-time member of Team USA at both the U18 and U20 levels…a prolific scorer in college, Gerbe notched 35 goals in 43 games played before signing with the Buffalo Sabers after his junior at Boston College.

Brett Gallant – The veteran of 359 AHL games embarks on his fifth season in Cleveland…1,272 career penalty minutes in the AHL…collected 704 PIM in 145 AHL games over a three-year span (2012-2015)…played four games with the New York Islanders in 2013-14.

Stefan Matteau – Signed an AHL contract with Cleveland this summer after scoring a career-high 15 goals and helping the Chicago Wolves on their run to last year’s Calder Cup Final…appeared in 64 NHL games with New Jersey, Montreal and Vegas…has played in 32 Calder Cup playoff games in his career.

Bryan Moore – A veteran of 227 games in the ECHL, including 42 points (18-24-42) and 246 penalty minutes in 56 games last season with the Toledo Walleye…added 8-4-12 in 22 playoff games as the Walleye advanced to the Kelly Cup Final…772 PIM (regular season + playoffs) in his ECHL career…Has appeared in 42 games at the AHL level with Manitoba, San Jose and Grand Rapids.

The primary call-up candidates

Marko Dano – Originally drafted by Columbus in 2013, he bounced around for a few seasons, be returned to the Columbus organization after stops with Winnipeg, Chicago and Colorado…has played almost as many games in the NHL (138) as the AHL (140) since coming to North America from Slovakia.  In his first full season (2014-15), as a 20-year-old, he played in 35 NHL games for Columbus, putting up 21 points (8-13-21)…In addition to playing eight NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, he also represented Slovakia at the IIHF World Championships for the third time in his career.

Marcus Hannikainen – Spent the entire season in the NHL with Columbus last season, but cleared waivers last week…has only played 85 games over the past two seasons – 77 of those in the NHL…came over to North America in 2015 and has played games in the NHL every year since…scored 19 goals in 57 games for Cleveland in 2016-17.

The prospects

Kole Sherwood – The 22-year-old New Albany native, and product of the AAA Ohio Blue Jackets program, is back for a second season with the Monsters…scored 16 goals as a rookie and registered 71 penalty minutes in 56 games for Cleveland and made his NHL debut playing two games for the Blue Jackets…played three years in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), scoring a career-high 85 points (33-52-85) for the Flint Firebirds in 2016-17.

Trey Fix-Wolansky – Joined the Monsters for the playoffs last spring after completing his junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL)…played in three Calder Cup playoff games, producing twoi points (1-1-2)…A 5’7”, 187-pound spark plug who looks like he is on the fast track to the NHL…surpassed the 100-point barrier in his final WHL season, notching 37 goals and setting up 65 others for 102 points.

Nikita Korostelev – A late cut from NHL camp, he moved to Canada at age 14 to play high-level youth hockey…played his junior hockey on the OHL with the Sarnia Sting and Peterborough Petes…last year he played 16 games with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, scoring 3-4-7, in addition to his 31 games with the Monsters (3-10-13).

Paul Bittner – Entering his fourth season of pro hockey, the Crookston, MN native improved to 31 points (9-22-31), up from 9-9-18 the season prior…will likely have to use his large frame (6’3”, 211 pounds) in a bottom-six capacity to reach the NHL…helped the Portland Winterhawks win the 2013 Western Hockey League (WHL) championship.

Ryan MacInnis – Scored a career-high 24 points (4-20-24) for Cleveland last year after spending his first two pro seasons with Tucson (AHL)…a second-round pick (43rd overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in 2014…turned pro after scoring 81 points (38-43-81) in 59 games for the Kitcher Rangers (OHL) in 2015-16.

Sam Vigneault – The 6’5” center heads into his third full season of pro hockey…played three seasons at Clarkson University, producing 13, 26 and 36 points over his career…joined the Monsters at the conclusion of his junior season in the NCAA, getting his feet wet in 16 regular season games and scoring his first professional goals (1-4-5).

Kevin Stenlund – The powerful 6’4” center enters his second full season of North American pro hockey…got into four NHL games for Columbus and 59 for Cleveland in 2018-19, producing 25 points (10-15-25) for the Monsters and adding a goal in five playoff games…not a high-end offensive centerman, but plays a smart, simple game.

Maxime Fortier – Looking to establish himself as a regular at the AHL level after splitting his rookie season between Cleveland (20 games) and the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL where he produced 25 points (12-13-25) in 24 games…had a prolific junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) where he spent four seasons – wearing a letter for the last three – and collecting 270 points (104-166-270) in 263 games.

Eric Robinson – Signed with Columbus at the conclusion of his four-year collegiate career at Princeton and made his NHL debut in the final game of the 2017-18 NHL season…played another 13 games for the Blue Jackets last season and also put up 24 points (12-12-24) in 45 games for the Monsters…collected 67 points (28-39-67) in 128 NCAA games, capping off his college career with 17-14-31 during his senior year – for which he was named team captain.

Justin Scott – Will be playing his fourth season in Cleveland…posted a career-high 24 points (13-11-24) in 67 games played a year ago…played his entire four-year major junior career with the Barrie Colts, scoring 17 goals in 15 playoff games in his final season.

Derek Barach – Scored seven goals (7-4-11) in just 15 games at the tail end of the season after signing out of Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA where he produced at almost a point-per-game rate over his entire four-year NCAA career (49-95-144 in 150 games)…served as team captain as a senior.

Calvin Thurkauf – Played in just 26 games – all with the Monsters – last season as he dealt with a lower-body injury…scored 70 points (33-37-70) in 60 games for the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) in his final season of junior hockey, adding 21 points (8-13-21) in 17 playoff games…twice represented Switzerland at the IIHF World Junior Championship, serving as captain in 2017.

The minor league veterans

Adam Clendening – Produced 37 points (4-33-37) from the blue line in just 45 games for the Monsters last season…has played in 90 NHL games during his seven professional seasons, seeing action with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes before getting into four games with the Blue Jackets last season.

Dillon Simpson – A veteran of 320 professional games – including three in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016-17…played a career-high 75 games last season, adding four points (1-3-4) in eight playoff games…played four years at the University of North Dakota, serving as captain his senior season…Dillon is the son of former NHL player Craig Simpson – the 2nd overall pick in the 1985 draft and a 56-goal scorer in 1987-88.

The primary call-up candidates

Gabriel Carlsson – A high-end prospect and first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft…appeared in NHL games in each of the last three seasons, including his NHL debut as a 19-year-old in 2016-17…not a high-end point-producing blue liner, but has a path to the NHL as a smart, mobile stay-at-home type.

Anton Karlsson – A 26-year-old who has played his entire career up to this point in Sweden…Never drafted but has 247 games in the Swedish Hockey League under his belt.  The SHL is one of the top pro leagues outside of the NHL but there is a transition to be made – to smaller rinks, more physical play as well as culturally – and Karlsson will attempt to make that transition in Cleveland.

The prospects

Andrew Peeke – Embarks on his first season of pro hockey after playing three years at Notre Dame…member of the 2018 U. S. entry at the IIHF World Junior Championship…a second-round pick (34th overall) by the Blue Jackets in 2016.  The 6’3, 200-pounder hung around deep into his first NHL camp in Columbus, just getting sent down on Tuesday.

Doyle Somerby – played four full seasons at Boston University before turning pro with the Monsters in 2017…went from a -19 rating in 38 games as a rookie to +15 in 66 games last year…played his prep hockey at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH, serving as captain his senior year.

Ryan Collins – member of Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Tournament during his freshman season at the University of Minnesota…played three seasons with the Gophers before turning pro…has played 122 professional games – all with the Monsters.

Michael Prapavessis – played 11 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after completing his senior season at RPI in 2018.  Spent his rookie season in Cleveland last year, appearing in 26 games…brother Matt, who is playing professionally in Norway, was also a captain in the NCAA – at Bemidji State.

Brad Theissen – The veteran goalie/mentor is transitioning into a coaching career, but can still play.  He was between the pipes for the Monsters’ playoff run last year.

Matiss Kivlenieks – The 23-year-old played 43 games for the Monsters in 2017-18, but only 14 last year and saw some time in the ECHL…has represented his native Latvia at every age level of international competition, including the IIHF World Championships.

Veini Vehvilainen – No, don’t ask me to pronounce it…the most exciting prospect in the Cleveland crease, the 22-year-old has already played four full seasons in the top pro league in Finland, backstopping his team to a championship.  In 38 games last season he posted a 1.58 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in the regular season.  In the post-season he took it up a notch, going 1.47/.939 in 17 playoff games as his team, Karpat, came up just short in their attempt to defend their title, losing in the seventh and deciding game of the final…other accolades for Vehvilainen include a gold medal with Finland at the 2016 World Junior Championship,  a silver medal at the 2015 U18 World Championship where he was named to the all-tournament team, and being named the top goaltender in the league (SM-Liiga) the last two years.  He was also a member of Finland’s world championship team that won gold last spring.

--- Scott Harrington for Ohio Hockey Digest