The pieces are finally starting to set into place. The last couple of weeks have been quiet on the Beast side as no signings were announced since the season-ending roster was released. Now, Beast fans can finally learn what their team will look like in the fall as the Beast have released who has received a qualifying offer.
The Players
The Beast gave offers to seven players, three of them being defensemen and four being forwards. The players were, Rob Mann, T.J. Melancon, Chris Martenet, Nathan Todd, Daniel Leavens, Jackson Leef and Jared Gomes.
Rob Mann is a former captain of Robert Morris University in the NCAA. Last year, he joined the Beast and gave the team one goal and three assists in 31 games. He has also given the Beast a physical presence behind the blue line with other strong defensemen.
Likewise, T.J. Melancon had the highest amount of points of all the defensemen on the Beast last season with seven goals and 29 assists. He has been a strong force on offence and defence for the Beast.
Chris Martenet is the youngest defensemen to be offered a qualifying offer. The former London Knight and Memorial Cup winner joined the team two years ago and is another physical force on the blue line for the Beast.
The assistant captain, Nathan Todd, played 20 games in the AHL last year with the Manitoba Moose and the Belleville Senators. Although he only played for the Beast in 26 games, he managed to get 31 points in that short time span.
Recording sixty points in 60 games, Daniel Leavens has been a smart player with his accuracy on the shot and handling the puck. He also comes from Robert Morris University and was the assistant captain the same year Mann was captain.
Jackson Leef is a former SPHL forward who has climbed hockey’s ladder and has become accustomed to both the ECHL and the Beast. With 33 points, the forward from Fort Wayne, IN will be another strong addition.
In a bit of an unexpected offer, Jared Gomes is also on the list. The Brampton native has only played in five games with the team before he went to Germany to play in the second-tier league, DEL2 with the EC Bad Nauheim and then the Ravensburg Towerstars. What is held for Gomes with the Beast will hopefully be clearer as the season approaches.
What’s Next
The team is still far from being a clear picture. What is happening behind the scenes in these past few days could make or break the season. What is expected is that if all the players that were given a qualifying offer accepted them, the biggest pieces still left to fill in the roster includ the hockey club’s goalie situation.
We can expect that if the Senators hold onto Alex Dubeau, a goalie will be on the shopping list for the Beast to give stability in the net. David Valloroni will be someone to see if the Beast manage to get him back for a fourth season. He was second in the league for points with 31 goals and 40 assists.
Again, it’s only the first piece that was shown in the qualifying offers. What the team will look like in the autumn will be a sight to behold during the summer months.