The Kansas City Mavericks have their work cut out for them in the upcoming season. They were, to be frank, flat out bad last season, finishing the shortened season last in the Mountain Division with 53 points. They also added a record of 24-32-5. While they were atrocious on both ends of the ice, scoring only 2.73 goals per game (last in the Western Conference) and allowing 3.56 goals per game (11th out of the 13 Western Conference teams), by watching the team play last year, it was apparent the team’s issues started at the blue line.
Thankfully, Kansas City has had some pretty talented goaltenders that kept their defensive numbers from spiralling out of control and kept them in games, but it’s obvious that this year, the blue line has to be retooled almost entirely. Thankfully, new head coach Tad O’Had agrees and the Mavericks have started off this offseason by bolstering that blue line. I’ll talk about all four blue line signings the Mavericks have made so far and what each could mean for the team going forward.
Tommy Muck
Tommy Muck served as the captain for Bemidji State last season, and he had a career year, scoring four goals and adding 16 assists for 20 total points while posting a plus/minus rating of +15. He was named to the WCHA’s second all star team for his performance. Coach O’Had has said that Tommy “is exactly the type of young, hungry D-man that can be very successful at the pro level.
He is chock full of character and an exceptional addition to the Mavs.” From everything I’ve heard about this guy, the main theme is that he competes hard every night which is so refreshing to hear after watching the Mavericks fail to compete time and time again last season. If Muck can bring that first over the boards mentality to the ice for Kansas City, he will have a lot of success in his rookie year.
Luke Bafia
Luke Bafia finished his senior year at Western Michigan University with one goal and 10 assists for 11 points with a +/- of +10. Throughout his NCAA career, he posted six goals and 40 assists for 46 points in 134 games with a +/- of +37. The hopeful future pilot has been described by Coach O’Had as “a tough, physical player with a team-first mentality.”
Bafia played an enforcer role in his teens in the USHL, posting 252 penalty minutes in his two seasons, but transitioned into a more disciplined defensive defensemen in college with just 22 penalty minutes as a senior. This kid is going to stick up for his teammates and he’s going to bring it every night. Every blue line needs toughness and Luke Bafia has it in spades.
Cole Candella
Cole Candella, a former Vancouver Canucks prospect, spent last season playing for Denmark’s Odense Bulldogs after spending four years in the OHL split between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Sudbury Wolves. He posted 19 goals, 94 assists and 113 points across 298 OHL games. Last year in Denmark, he posted three goals and 16 assists for 19 points.
The competition in Denmark’s Metal Ligaen is fairly comparable to the ECHL, so this is a very talented kid coming in with a little bit of professional experience. I personally think this could be one of the biggest signings of the off season, as Candella has been praised by scouts and fans alike for his skating ability while standing at 6’3″ and weighing almost 200 pounds. He’s only 22 and I think he’s got a bright future in professional hockey.
Justin Woods
Woodsy is back! Woods was a bright spot for the Mavericks last season as an assistant captain. He posted four goals and 21 assists for 25 points with just 12 penalty minutes and represented the Mavericks at the ECHL All-Star event. Justin is a disciplined two way defensemen who plays with a lot of offensive IQ and he cycles the puck well.
Woods has overcome a lot to play the sport that he loves, battling Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer his freshman year of college. Justin was born to play hockey and nothing on earth could stop this guy from fighting and competing. We’re incredibly lucky to have a guy like this in Kansas City.
When a sports team has a bad year, there is a lot of anxiety and surely some doubt that permeates through the staff, the players and the fans. It takes a fresh start and a lot of hard work to turn things around, and from this fan’s perspective, the team has had a good start to this offseason. Coach O’Had is young, he’s hungry, and he and GM Brent Thiessen have gone out and signed guys who young and hungry too. Hockey success starts in your own end and the Mavericks are building the foundation.