Geese’ Greg Cronin Has Choices Forward of Second 12 months as Head Coach – The Hockey Writers – Anaheim Geese

Coaching camps throughout the NHL are formally underway, which suggests everybody from homeowners, administration, teaching employees, gamers, media, and everybody in between have gathered at follow services throughout North America in anticipation of the 2024-25 season. The Anaheim Geese have had an eventful week that started with the Rookie Faceoff and has since included the naming of the rugged Radko Gudas because the group’s ninth captain and a handful of intense follow classes at Nice Park Ice in Irvine, CA. The classes continued at present with the complete coaching camp roster cut up into three groupings.

Second-year head coach Greg Cronin can have time to take an intensive have a look at the seasoned veterans, pending rookies, top-flight prospects, skilled tryout (PTO) gamers, and everybody else over the subsequent few weeks earlier than making quite a few essential personnel choices for the upcoming season. At the moment, let’s recap his debut season as an NHL head coach, spotlight a few of these large choices, and set some expectations for Cronin and his employees. 

Debut Season Was a Blended Bag for Cronin

From a standings perspective, the Geese’ marginal enchancment to a 27-50-5 report in 2023-24 from 23-47-12 in 2022-23 isn’t a lot to put in writing residence about. They received 4 extra video games however collected factors in three fewer video games as a complete. They scored 5 fewer objectives but in addition gave up 42 fewer. It resulted in a one-point enchancment. So, not all that totally different. Personnel-wise, although, there’s a main distinction. Out have been veterans holding treasured lineup slots and in have been younger gamers rightly deserving of their likelihood to be on a regular basis gamers. That is what Cronin inherited – a loaded pipeline, a lineup stuffed with holes, extra questions than solutions, and a corporation coming off its worst season in franchise historical past. 

This transition introduced important rising pains that have been felt in all phases of the sport – even power, energy play, penalty kill, offense, protection, you identify it. Nevertheless it was all made considerably worse by each the harm woes and penalty bother the Geese discovered themselves in. It felt like from Recreation 1 to 82 they have been both coping with lineup absences or falling behind/costing themselves video games due to poor self-discipline. From that perspective, it was an up-and-down season that simply didn’t give the Geese, or Cronin, an opportunity to discover a footing. 

A coach’s job is to set the tone. To develop a philosophy that’s motivating and may be discovered, emulated, and adopted. Cronin mentioned all the suitable issues earlier than and all through final season, from educating his gamers to be accountable on each ends, ensuring they decide to particulars, competing onerous, and understanding the method. There have been durations the place it regarded prefer it was sticking, however different moments that simply left you scratching your head, questioning whether or not he was getting by to the gamers in any respect. For a group that took 30 extra minor penalties than the subsequent closest group, it was truthful to marvel that. 

It is a Reset Alternative for Gamers and Coaches Alike 

In the identical method the upcoming marketing campaign is a reset for a lot of Geese, it too is a reset for Cronin. It’s not that he did a nasty job; he didn’t. His vocation till this level in his profession has been participant growth. Talent and techniques constructing. Lengthy-term stuff you could’t actually decide a coach on after one season, not to mention one riddled with the adjustments, accidents, and self-discipline points we’ve mentioned. This long-term considering is what made him the suitable alternative for a group stuffed with younger gamers and prospects. 

Associated: 4 Geese Daring Predictions for the 2024-25 Season

A contemporary season brings pleasure, new alternatives, and a clear slate which may profit everybody. It’s vital to grasp the wins and learnings of the season prior, which was mirrored in his postseason feedback with the media shortly after the season ended. This is a crucial season for the membership because it continues its climb out of the rebuilding stage and towards competition, so getting into coaching camp with a clear slate can be particularly useful as they make key choices in a wide range of areas.

Cronin Has Necessary Selections to Make

After 5 straight bottom-five finishes within the Western Convention all through their six-season rebuild, the Geese have to take a step ahead this season, plain and easy. Finally, this comes right down to the gamers performing. Cronin, nevertheless, must set them up for achievement, which would require him to make various essential personnel choices. Let’s have a look at a number of: 

Offensive Combos

Loaded with expertise up entrance, Cronin wants to maximise the abilities of Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier. Does that imply placing all of them on the highest two ahead traces, or would they be higher served by skating alongside some veterans like Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano? Each of these veterans discovered success final season taking part in with a few of these younger skaters, and by the appears of coaching camp to date, they’ll get the prospect to do it once more. It might take some experimentation, however Cronin should discover mixtures that end in extra objectives, which the Geese desperately want if they’re going to sustain with groups in 2024-25. They solely scored 204 objectives final season, good for two.48 goals-per-game. That’s merely not going to chop it. A wholesome Zegras and an keen Gauthier will present a lift, although. 

Defensive Combos

The Geese are equally loaded with potential on the blue line, however it once more comes right down to optimum pairings. Pavel Mintyukov, when wholesome, ought to command a top-pairing slot as a result of he has each the offensive and defensive instruments to be an entire defenseman. Does Cronin pair him with a smooth-skating veteran like Cam Fowler? Or a reliable, defense-first man like Gudas? Additionally, who performs day by day? With guys like Olen Zellweger, Tristan Luneau, Jackson LaCombe, Brian Dumoulin, and Urho Vaakanainen competing for second and third-pairing slots, somebody received’t be. 

A mixture of veterans and younger gamers on the blue line is what the Geese have to maintain objectives out of their internet. They want guys that can be onerous on opposing forwards. Gudas and Dumoulin ought to cleared the path in that regard. 

Goaltending Tandem

Is it time for Lukáš Dostál to interchange John Gibson because the starter in Anaheim? Exhausting to say, however Dostál certain made his case final season when he dominated the begins towards the top of the marketing campaign. Gibson is a seasoned veteran with an ultra-calming presence, which can be what the Geese, who will as soon as once more be one of many league’s youngest groups, want early on to settle in. Huge choices within the crease are coming Cronin’s method. 

Particular Groups

Ah, the enjoyable stuff. The Geese have creativity, talent, confidence, and offensive exuberance littered all through the lineup, however what does it imply for the powerplay? And who will get to play on it? There’s sufficient expertise to make each energy play items for the Geese harmful and enjoyable to look at. I’m excited to see how Cronin and his employees experiment with mixtures. 

As for the penalty kill, this ought to be a veteran-laden group. You want penalty killers that may push guys round and punish them for attempting to take the puck to the online. There wasn’t sufficient of that final season. Each the ability play and the penalty kill should be higher, each in conversion percentages and quantity. Draw extra penalties, take much less, and kill off greater than final season.

Cronin, Just like the Gamers, Will Be A lot Improved in 2024-25

Heading right into a second season as head coach ought to be far more comfy for Cronin. There are new faces, however he’s accustomed to most of his gamers. There’s no settling into his new surroundings required. His philosophies have had a couple of yr to sink in. Now, he can simply give attention to analysis, the X’s and O’s, and setting this group up for achievement on the ice. It’s a vital time now, however his season of expertise, mixed with the familiarity and improved well being of his roster ought to set Cronin and the Geese as much as be significantly better this season. Hitting 70-75 standings factors is reachable and ought to be thought-about a disappointment if they’ll’t get there.