Monsters Continue Developing Young Talent
AHL playoffs officially canceled
When the AHL officially announced that it would not be able to conduct a traditional postseason, it confirmed what the club knew was a possibility for the entirety of the year. With COVID protocols, such as mandatory quarantines when crossing the U.S.-Canada border, the league’s standard Calder Cup playoff format is not feasible in 2021.
While Monsters players and coaches have not been made available for comment since the AHL made the official announcement on April 25, the club must be at least somewhat disappointed with the decision. At 14-8-1-1, Cleveland’s .625 win percentage ranks within the top 10 in the league and trails only Chicago (.722) in the Central Division.
Cleveland has dominated the head-to-head matchup with Chicago, sweeping the season series while handing the Wolves four of their nine losses on the season. Under normal circumstances, the Monsters would be well-positioned to make a deep run in what could have been their second playoff appearance over the last three seasons and fourth in franchise history.
MOVING PLAYERS UP
Despite a season that cannot end with hoisting the franchise’s second Calder Cup, the Monsters have had one of their most successful seasons in recent memory in terms of player development. A lost season in Columbus paired with multiple season-ending injuries for the parent club have given several Monsters the opportunity to play regularly at the NHL level.
Forwards Liam Foudy, Kole Sherwood, Ryan MacInnis, Zac Dalpe and Nathan Gerbe as well as defensemen Gavin Bayreuther and Andrew Peeke are all members of the Blue Jackets’ active roster. Each has donned a Cleveland sweater this season, including 34 games combined between Foudy, Gerbe and Bayreuther. While Columbus’ subpar performance has partially contributed to the string of promotions, all signs point to the Monsters’ developmental pipeline operating as efficiently as ever.
Multiple young Monsters have broken out in 2021, namely promising rookie forwards Carson Meyer and Tyler Angle. Meyer, a former Miami RedHawk and Ohio State Buckeye, and 2017 sixth-round draft pick of Columbus, ranks second on the team with 18 points (8-10-18) across 21 games. The Powell, Ohio native put together a nine-game point streak from March 25 through April 20 and has at least one point in 12 of his last 15 games.
Meanwhile, Angle’s scoring prowess displayed over four seasons with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires appears to have translated to the pro ranks as the 2019 seventh-round draftee is tied for the team lead with 19 points (10-9-19) in 18 appearances, making him the only active Monsters scoring at a point-per-game pace. Angle, 20, has five multi-point games and a trio of two-goal performances, including a four-goal weekend across Cleveland’s two-game sweep at Chicago on April 24-25.
CALLED UP TO CLEVELAND
With constant roster shuffling, especially with this year’s taxi squad format, Cleveland has been forced to adopt a “next man up” mentality as it shuffles players in and out of its lineup. In recent weeks, rookie forwards Jake Gaudet and Billy Moskal have inked tryout contracts while defenseman Will Lochead also signed with the Monsters. Lochead has a bit of pro experience under his belt following a 28-game stint with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2020 in addition to 50 career games in the ECHL, but both Gaudet and Moskal made their professional debuts with Cleveland.
VETERAN THIESSEN HOLDING DOWN THE FORT
In between the pipes, the Monsters have turned back to veteran Brad Thiessen, whose 11 appearances pace the club. Thiessen owns a 2.73/.904 slash line while serving as a coach and mentor to a revolving door of young goaltenders including Matiss Kivlenieks, Veini Vehvilainen and Daniil Tarasov.
With Kivlenieks and Tarasov recalled by Columbus and Vehvilainen traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Thiessen and ECHL signee Justin Kapelmaster make up Cleveland’s current goaltending corps. Kapelmaster was impressive in helping the Monsters snap a two-game skid on Sunday, stopping 26 of 28 shots (.938) in his AHL debut after opening his pro career with a 16-game stay as a member of the ECHL’s Allen Americans.
The Monsters will become quite familiar with longtime rival Grand Rapids over the final week of the season, battling the Griffins over four of their final five contests including a pair of home games on May 11 and 14. The club will be provided with plenty of opportunities to solve an opponent that it has struggled against this season, posting a paltry 1-4-1-0 record over six appearances thus far.
