The Syracuse Crunch spent much of last season juggling bodies, waiting on call-ups, and trying to survive the ripple effects of Tampa Bay’s injury problems. Somehow, they still put together a season that looked nothing like a team in survival mode.
They opened with a see-saw first stretch, then caught fire in February with 12 wins in 13 games and surged to the top of the North Division. They couldn’t quite hold off Laval, finishing second by a single point, and their playoff run ended in brutal fashion against Cleveland. The Crunch split the first two games on the road, then dropped two overtime games at home, including a triple-overtime loss in Game 5.
That finish came after a season built on churn and adaptability. Forty-seven different players dressed for Syracuse, including 11 rookies, yet the Crunch still finished tied for eighth in scoring at 3.29 goals per game and sixth in goals against at 2.63 per game. That’s a strong showing for any club, but it stands out even more when you remember that Steven Santini, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, and Declan Carlile all missed more than half the season because of their time in Tampa.
At the top of the attack, Jakob Pelletier was the engine. He led both the team and the league with 77 points - 28 goals and 49 assists - and took home player of the year honors.
Dylan Duke made life miserable on the power play, finishing with 18 goals among his 32 points. Conor Geekie flashed real upside with 59 points in 57 games, including 17 goals and 42 assists.
The Crunch also got useful production from newcomers Nick Abruzzese, who had 51 points, Matteo Pietroniro, who chipped in 31 points from the blue line, and Simon Lundmark. Matthew Peca returned at the deadline and delivered 13 points in 14 games, with four goals and nine assists.
The goaltending was steady, too. Brandon Halverson went 24-11-6 with six shutouts, a 2.42 goals-against average, and a .905 save percentage.
Ryan Fanti posted nearly identical numbers in the crease with a 2.41 GAA and .905 SV%, though he didn’t get the same level of offensive backing and finished 13-12-1. Syracuse also got strong spot work from Jon Gillies, who put up a 1.33 GAA in 180 minutes, and Kevin Mandolese, who had a 1.50 GAA in 120 minutes.
Rookie Harrison Meneghin even made his AHL debut late in the year, logging almost 13 minutes against Belleville.
Now the question becomes how much of that group can stay together. In the AHL, rosters are always moving because most non-NHL contracts are short-term and players are constantly chasing the next opportunity. Even so, Syracuse has made a clear effort to keep a big chunk of last year’s team intact.
The first wave of moves came quickly after the playoff exit. Brendan Furry, who scored 14 goals and 14 assists, signed a two-year AHL contract a week after the Crunch were eliminated by the Monsters.
A few days later, Tommy Miller was back on a one-year AHL deal. Pietroniro then signed a two-year AHL contract of his own.
Before May ended, Max Groshev, Scott Sabourin, and Abruzzese all signed two-way NHL contracts. Abruzzese’s deal stood out a bit, given the season he just had. His AHL salary staying at $250,000 suggested he wanted to remain in Syracuse.
The roster work picked back up on July 1. Jarred Tinordi, who had joined the Crunch on a PTO last season, signed a one-year deal.
Clark Bishop arrived after serving as captain for the Calgary Wranglers. In goal, the Lightning added Mads Sogaard and Olivier Rodrigue on one-year, two-way contracts, and Michael Callahan came aboard on a two-way deal as well.
That help was needed. Halverson signed with Dallas, and Fanti moved on to Edmonton.
Halverson leaves Syracuse with 53 career wins, which ranks fourth in franchise history. His 12 career shutouts are the most in team history, and his 2.30 GAA also ranks fourth, just behind Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 2.28.
The Crunch kept filling out the roster with AHL deals, adding defenseman Zach Uens, forward Elliot Desnoyers, and Shawn Element, who returns as an old friend. The Lightning also brought in center Jansen Harkins on a two-way contract.
There are still some younger players who could make their AHL debuts this season, including Sam O’Reilly and Tomas Kralovic. Noah Steen appeared in a handful of games last year and should be in the mix for a roster spot this fall. With the Lightning potentially healthy, the forward group in Syracuse could get crowded in a hurry, and that means every shift is going to matter.
Peca and Mitchell Chaffee both found new homes elsewhere - Peca in Rochester and Chaffee with the Islanders on a two-way deal - but most of Syracuse’s top forwards are still around. That matters, especially with several players approaching the end of their current contracts. Tristan Allard, Connor Kurth, Dylan Duke, Lucas Mercuri, and Gabriel Szturc are all set to be RFAs next summer.
When the Crunch open the season on October 10 against Belleville, the lineup should look familiar. Joel Bouchard’s team has the pieces to chase that same regular-season rhythm again, but the North Division doesn’t make anything easy.
Familiarity should help early. Holding it together over the long haul is the real test.
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Lightning Fans Just Got A New Twist On Kucherov And Vasilevskiy
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International hockey still has its own gatekeeper, though, and the International Ice Hockey Federation has not yet reinstated Russia for competition. Even with the IOC saying it will keep monitoring compliance tied to Ukrainian territories and anti-doping rules, the biggest symbols of a return, including the anthem and flag, are still waiting on future decisions. [Read more 🡒]