The difference from past seasons, however, might be the overall depth and talent of this squad, which includes veteran leaders like Jeremy Reich, Wyatt Smith and Nathan McIver, along with an influx of rookies like Joe Colborne, Steve Kampfer and Max Sauve, all hoping for short stays in the Ocean State.
With the opening roster finalized and announced on Wednesday, Murray was kind enough to sit down and discuss this season's expectations for each of the 24 men eligible to see time for Providence this weekend.
Below, we present the forwards.
Jamie Arniel
"Obviously Arnie's speed is his biggest asset. He showed a lot of physical play during the rookie games in Boston. I'd like to see a little more of that here from him and I think that he's a guy that showed last year that he can really be a dominant player some nights in this league, so we're really looking for big things from Arnie as far as offensive output. He's a versatile player. He's a guy that right now is perceived as a first-line winger where he might be a third-line centerman. He kills penalties and he's going to play the power play. He's a multi-dimensional guy that I think, if he plays with any kind of consistent level, I'm looking for a big year from Arnie."
Joe Colborne
"Joe's a big strong kid that is still trying to find his way as far as where he's going to have the most success. He's playing center right now and I think that's where we want and probably project him as an organization. He protects the puck very well. His pace of his game is probably one of the things that he needs to improve and he knows that, he's been working hard at it. I think that he's a guy that had a taste of pro hockey last year and should be better for it coming in this season. He's a top pick, first round pick, so there are always a lot of expectations on these guys, but you know there's always that learning curve. I think that Joe's going to be fine, it's just a matter of getting him up to speed with the pro game."
Zach Hamill
"I think that Zach's had progression from his first to his second year and this is a big year for him going into his third season and last year of his contract. We're looking for Zach to hopefully be our number one center and carry the weight of what goes with being a number one center. I'm hoping for real big things from Zach."
Jordan Knackstedt
"Jordan's got great hands, great offensive instincts. I'm really hoping he has a big year because we're all fond of Jordan and he's been in and out of the lineup the last couple years at times and for stretches he's had great success. Hopefully he can bring that great success in a consistent role this year and be a big part of our team realistically on the offensive side of the puck. That's where we're looking for him to chip in and make sure he's getting his points."
Jeff LoVecchio
"Jeff, obviously last year being basically his first year after he sat out the first season with a concussion, again had a great training camp. Tested very well, probably the best conditioned athlete overall and he's a guy that has great assets in his speed, his tenacity. We're looking for him to fill in a little bit more as one of our top penalty killers this season and I think that Jeff last year almost got out of his role because he scored so much early in the season. But he's a guy that, although you want him to score and hopefully he's able to help out in that area, I think more so he's got to be a guy that's hard to play against and it's a grind against him every night."
Lane MacDermid
"I think Lane is a guy that probably benefited from staying here last year. His ice time probably wasn't where he would have liked it, but I think this year he's going to get a bigger role on the team. I think he was second for rookies in fights last year so obviously he's a tough kid and likes to fight and that will be part of his game, but I'm going to give him more of a role as far as a penalty killer this year. We worked him in a little bit last season, not nearly as much as we would have liked to, but that's going to be one of his responsibilities this season and also to bring energy, bring that grit we're looking for from him."
Kirk MacDonald
"Mac is just a solid American Hockey League veteran who's worked his way out of the East Coast League, a guy that we lean on quite a bit. He's one of those guys that I think you're always looking for and, since we have him, there is no point in letting him go. He brings a lot of intangibles to the game, he's a guy that can play up and down the lineup, can block shots, good penalty killer, can play center if need be, though not his natural position. Good leader and a guy that I know last year at times and I'm sure this year that we will lean on quite a bit."
Levi Nelson
"Levi is a guy who has got to bring energy every night. He's got to be a student of the game that is a smart hockey player out there. A lot of his game with his speed is based on angles and taking the right approach at puck carriers and things like that. Levi is a guy that plays up and down in the lineup, probably best suited to a third, fourth line role but in a pinch he played a little bit on the first line last year and he filled in for a couple games. He's the guy who's got the skill level to do that. It's just a matter of keeping it consistent."
Jeremy Reich
"I think Jeremy is a guy whose type of character was one of the things we missed at times last season. Reicher is a guy that I think that has improved his game from when he first came here. He was more of just a prototypical fourth-liner and now he's a guy that can bring different aspects to the game. He can score for you, he's still willing to fight and stick up for his teammates and he's a great leader. I think the guys really respect him and look up to him, he's very well liked in our locker room and I really am excited to have him back because I think that he was a guy that really could manage and police the dressing room without the coaching staff having to get involved and he does that very well."
Yannick Riendeau
"He's had a tough couple years as far as with the shoulder injury going into last year. He was only able to get into 22 games for us last year. His season was shortened because of the offseason injury and at the end of the season he hurt his hand in Reading and he missed out on most of the summer as far as training, so he's a guy that's got to get up to speed. He's got great offensive instincts, sees the ice very well, real good in tight. Because of his size he's probably not a guy who's going to beat you from the top of the circles on a shot but, in tight, he's got quick hands and if he gets into those areas he should have success."
Antoine Roussel
"He's an antagonistic type player and he showed he's not afraid to fight. He fought here in the preseason and fought in the rookie game. He brings exuberance. He brings a lot of energy to the game. He skates very well, he has decent hands. He's probably going to be a guy that falls right now into that fourth line role but brings energy and physical play and also will be an irritant out there to opposing players."
Maxime Sauve
"Max has got to use his speed. He's got very good hands. He's a guy that can burn you one-on-one very easily. We saw that quite a bit last year and even this year in the rookie camp and then in a couple preseason games. He's got to make sure he plays in the dirty areas of the ice, that he's not a perimeter player, that he makes sure he goes hard to the net all the time and uses his skill and his quick hands to pick up pucks in tight. He's a guy that will be able to beat you wide and, if he can't beat you wide, he might use his skill and deke you also."
Wyatt Smith
"He's a guy brought in to fill a role as far as a veteran leadership and a veteran presence. Wyatt is going to be a versatile guy for us. He might play a little power play on the point, we can use him as a checking centerman and he can fill in as the number one centerman. He's a guy a lot like Trent Whitfield was last year for us. It's not about his ice-time, it's not about his accolades, that kind of thing. He's going to be a good team guy and he'll get his ice-time and his opportunity to get points, but I think moving him around within our core of younger guys, he understands his presence here in this team and I think that we're going to need him to bring basically what we lost from Whit. Wyatt is a smart hockey player, he's good on face-offs and he can kill penalties, very smart that way in reading plays and then on the other side of it can be a top power play guy for us. There are a lot of intangibles in his game that will serve him well here."
Jordan Smotherman
"Jordan is a guy coming into his third organization now and he wants to make a good impression. Big body, skates well, shoots the puck well, good hands in front of the net. With tips and whatnot, he's good right in front of the net. I think he's looking for a fresh start somewhere and my take on his attitude so far is that he's really willing to do anything, whatever it takes to do that."
