Team dynamic must be priority during rebuild

By Joel Wittnebel/Column

September is a time for change, and come the end of the month, when the next generation of Oshawa Generals sit down behind the bench at the General Motors Centre, the roster will be full of it.

It’s a word many Toronto Maple Leaf fans will be familiar with: “rebuilding.”

In the case of the Oshawa Generals, the word is smoothed out by the glistening presence of the Memorial Cup earned this past May.

In Toronto, it’s a blunt excuse for why the team has accomplished nothing in recent decades.

(And that’s enough from the troubled Leaf fan).

The Generals are set to bring in a gallimaufry of young kids to fill their roster and some of them will be looking to their older counterparts for guidance. However, these older counterparts may find themselves in a role that was once filled by their previous older counterparts who have now moved on.

It’s why new coach Bob Jones and his assistances need to be mindful of the fact that team dynamic is a crucial factor when they’re considering who will take the final spots in front of them on the bench.

Arguably, last year’s dynamic was a determining factor that led the team to Quebec and eventual victory over the Kelowna Rockets.

The kids clicked, it’s that simple.

Watching the bench from behind my camera all season long, players are communicating, tapping a helmet as a sign of solid effort, leaning in and talking over the din of the crowd. In short, the players all worked together to help one another, and that’s what makes a solid team.

When that happens you have players that are working for each other and not just for themselves, as former head coach DJ Smith would like to put it.

Now, with some of the key difference makers and most senior players gone from the lineup, the older players are going to need to step up and fill those leadership roles.

Joe Manchurek, Sam Harding, Kenny Huether, Mitchell Vande Sompel, these players who belonged to the team last year and played minor, but important, roles now have big skates to fill, not only on the ice, but off it as well.

The young guys coming out of junior league will need some players to lean on as they adjust to playing in the OHL, not an easy adjustment sometimes.

So far in the preseason, which has seen the Generals remain a perfect 3-0 after a 4-3 win in Bowmanville over the IceDogs last week, it appears these guys are ready for the challenge.

Manchurek potted a pair of goals in the victory and Harding and Heuther added ones of their own.

However, the dynamic goes both ways, these young players have more than enough skill for their older teammates to pick up on.

First-rounder Jack Studnicka is a perfect example. In the few preseason games so far he has shown he’s tough on his feet, hard on the puck and has managed a goal and three points so far.

However, Heuther, Harding and Manchurek may not need to worry too much, as some big names may be coming back to help them lead the way.

The likes of Kenny Appleby and Matt Mistele could both return as overages this season, depending on how their prospective NHL camps play out, and if the Islanders want to give Michael Dal Colle a little more time to develop, he also could be back wearing the Generals jersey.

The rebuilding will take time, and when the season gets underway at the end of this month, there may still be a few building blocks missing, but if Jones is able to apply the glue in the form of a strong team dynamic among his players, the foundation will hold until those other blocks are found.