Skysports.com asks the question: Is Nottingham's defence good enough to win the 2011/12 Elite league?
Concerns over the Panthers' defence linger ahead of new campaign
Corey Neilson could have made believers out of us all. But once again, he chose not to. Once again Neilson left us with that creeping doubt. Once again Neilson has chosen to do it his way. And once again he wants to prove that he's right.
He hasn't succeeded so far, but as September rolls around and Nottingham's player-coach and his stellar roster sharpen their skates, there is only one concern about the Panthers' ability to win the title: Defence.
Here we are again in 2011, with the same lingering question about the Panthers that has populated season previews in every year of the Neilson era: Is their defence good enough to win the league? The team that began with a three-import blueline and Craig Kowalski in net a year ago wasn't good enough, so what's changed?
In his goaltender and forward pack, Neilson has perhaps the number-one units in the country. They're as good as it gets. But he's out to convince the world that the Panthers can win the league title with a three-import blueline and Danny Meyers coming off shoulder reconstruction. Neilson could have reinforced K-Wall with a blueline of four AHL studs and erased all doubt about who the favourites for the league title were. But as is usual policy in his regime, the Panthers player-coach opted to swing with a three-import D, and that's counting the offensively-minded Neilson himself.
Healthy
Neilson is putting his mortgage on incoming defenceman Brock Wilson, who joins the Elite League as the absolute must-perform player in the country. The Panthers know what they have in Neilson and returning hard man Guy Lepine. Wilson will have to shovel pucks away from the crease like a snowplow to give the Big Cats any hope. The pressure on Wilson is huge and it's becoming more intense every day that Meyers isn't completely healthy.
Coventry are going with only two-imports at the back, but the Blaze have a fit and healthy Dave Phillips and Jonathan Weaver to boot. Both teams are rolling the dice, but this year the Blaze have more chips on the table to begin with.
Everything else about the Panthers is good enough. No doubt there. They have an excellent goalie, a superb crop of Brits, a pack of impressive import lamplighters and now they even have the right coaching combination with Neilson, the offensive co-ordinator, and Rick Strachan holding the reins on the bench. The defence is really the only doubt about this team. Coming off the Challenge Cup and Playoff victories, the Panthers also have momentum on their side as they chase that elusive league title. And this year, they'll be doing it without Jade Galbraith.
Nottingham have waved goodbye to the mercurial Galbraith, the embodiment of the Panthers' hot dog culture in recent seasons. If you had to bet your house on someone in the Elite League to score a critical breakaway goal, many would be tempted to pick him. But as good a player as Galbraith is, he hasn't demonstrated that he can be a grinder every night of the week. Teams can still afford to have luxury players and perhaps do need characters like that, but whatever the reason, Galbraith's time was up. For now, as a member of the Braehead Clan, Galbraith wears the mantle left behind by Bruce Richardson as the former Panther most likely to torment his old team.
On the offensive side of the puck, the Panthers have retained the services of former league MVP David Beauregard and long-time AHL forward Jeff Heerema to skate alongside the Brit pack led by David Clarke and Matt Myers. Pesky forward Marc Levers and winger Robert Lachowicz provide further depth to a group widely heralded as the number one-ranked British forward unit in the league. This British depth up front makes the decision to ride with a three-import D more surprising. However, Levers could also be counted on early in the campaign to eat some minutes on the blueline.
Critical
There's been a lot of turnover on the roster otherwise as the Panthers welcome in a new string of forwards. Scott Champagne (Crimmitschau ETC, Germany), Brandon Benedict (Belfast), Jordan Fox (Jokipojat, Finland) and Matt Francis (Gwinnett Gladiators, ECHL) are all on board. Neilson must also be counting on a strong two-way element from his new forwards and the ability to quickly buy into the Panthers' system.
One thing that the Panthers can't afford to happen this year is having to suspend players for breaking curfew on the road or any other disciplinary issues. They need to improve leadership and resilience more than they need to work on the powerplay. Danny Meyers is a vital piece of the puzzle and it's tough to see them going toe-to-toe with the big boys consistently without him.
Last year's experience must have helped Neilson to improve both as a coach and as a leader. Having Strachan on board from day one this time can only help.
They have the talent and resources to win the title, but it will have to be seen to be believed.
