Had a few GMs reach out and ask for more predictions... so here we go!  Please keep in mind that these are just predictions, and not a personal insult or vendetta against a specific GM.

1. The Halifax Chaos make it the the conference finals.  Entering the season, the Chaos have the 3rd fewest playoff games played, and have only amassed one appearance in a 4-2 series loss.  GM Oliver has never been shy to make moves and shake things up, and that's exactly what he did this offseason.  With the additions of Fox OCallahan, Adrien Karygiannis, Willem Halward, and Olaf Breiger, those 4 guys and captain Nils Lehman might be the best C core of any pro team.  Though some players may not be as proven, the potential is there for this to be an extremely tough group to play against.  Adding minutes-eating defenceman Alexis Pitsadiotis on the back end, underrated defenceman Eli Pajaczkowski,  and having an entire season of Karim Hogdal in nets, with Rylee Hak ready to take over, this looks like a much improved team on paper.  Though it may take some time to figure out which players gel with who, we believe that once it's figured out, the Chaos are poised for a deep playoff run that would ultimately see them in the final 4.  With three 1st round picks in the upcoming draft, the Chaos could definitely be buyers come the deadline if things are headed in the right direction.

2. The player that finishes the season with the most points belongs to Voodoo C Sergey Krivulya.  Is this a bold prediction?  Maybe not a bold one... after all he did finish with 96 points last season.  But with the free agent signing of veteran winger Michal England, it gives him an opportunity with more offensively gifted players.  Right now, he's been anchored with Gerald Slobodian who is no bum by any means.  With three quality pro left wingers, it gives GM Phillips a chance to mix and match some lines and combinations.  If given the runway, I think England and Krivulya would be able to create offensive magic together, and would somehow prop Krivulya up another notch offensively, seeing him win the points race at seasons end.

3. Alright enough positivity, let's get to the good stuff.  The first team to finally succumb to life outside of the playoffs are the Massachusetts Militia.  With star goaltender Andrew Wiewel dealt in the offseason, the Militia open the season with Russian netminder Aleksey Popleteyev as the number 1 guy.  First off, he's projected to be a fantastic goalie, and we believe he has a strong future as a certified number 1 goalie.  Is he ready yet?  Guess we'll find out.  As previously mentioned, the Chaos may have the best C depth among pro teams, and now we get to what may be the worst.  Marty Ruttan as the number one guy?  A man who's reached 50 points once in his career?  Yeesh, not a great look for management that's supposedly in win-now mode.  O'Curry looks like he could be good, but reaching a career high 37 points last year, can he do that again?  Yes you read that correctly, 37 points as a career high for a guy who is going to be their 2C.  Presswood, Gronvall, and Milliner are a good group of wingers, but outside of that, it's all up in the air.  An aging d core, this could be the first domino to fall in terms of playoff staples the first few seasons finally running out of runway as they look at a roster turnover.

4. Going to try this again, as one of these years it should finally happen.  The Twisters will make the playoffs due to the division they are in, but you finally see them take a major step back in points and get another first round playoffs exit.  Another year of aging stars should hypothetically mean this team declines, but they've proven that chemistry is all that matters.  In a division with the Orcas, Stormbreakers (who have still never made the playoffs), and the Dynasty, finally made the dance last year, it's not exactly the strongest division when based on years prior.  This should give the Twisters an edge, but still some concerns over the roster.  Trading Rasmus Koso for only two 3rd round picks, a young and inexperienced d core,  Rutenka as the only centre that has put up 50 points, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.  Adding Jordan Daley should be a huge add for them, and a full season of Kenneth Pehrson will help as well.  Though they have a chance at a division title, in the grand scope of things, they may be average when tested against the rest of the league.  Time will tell if the vets can hang on for another year.

5. We will see a new (but familiar) champion this year.  Season 6 sees the Edmonton Blizzard as the champions.  This has to be one of the most complete rosters in the league.  Scoring?  Defence?  Depth?  They have all of that.  Goaltending will be the question mark, but even if they get average goaltending, the team is good enough in front of them that it shouldn't really matter.  The team is really young and projects to be a force for years to come.  With plenty of picks and prospects in their possession, they are always in a position to add even more weapons if they deem in necessary come the deadline.

For Immediate Release:

The Bandits saw captain Rickey Rogan selected by Calgary in the expansion draft.  With it, marks yet another sign that Denver is moving on from its first few seasons.  GM Clow had this to say about how it played out:

"We've had conversations with Rickey through the end of last season and in the beginning of the offseason.  Obviously as a franchise, we haven't accomplished what he had hoped from the beginning, and all parties felt that it was time for a fresh start.  He (Rickey), is a phenomenal leader, and a really valuable guy to have in that locker room.  An amazing human being who gave it his all each game, exactly what you hope out of a captain and a number one defenceman playing tough matchups.  They (Calgary) are getting a great leader and player, and one that will be missed for sure,  Exactly the type of guy that a new team wants to form the culture over there".

As a result, a new captain has been named.  Winger Lloyd Mceachern has been named as the second captain in Bandits history, with Nino Hebar continuing to serve as the alternate captain.  The team has committed to one alternate captain at this moment.
It's a sign that the new wave of players is what the GM and team is focused on.  Players like Quinton Parsons, Rickey Rogan, and coach Trent O'Brien are now elsewhere, leaving the team to look towards the future and trying to build a new core that will ultimately achieve the goal of the franchise, which is to compete for years to come, and ultimately win a championship.  

Are there any more major changes coming?  That is to be determined.  But it's clear that management believes in the new young core of players that have been drafted and developed, and that has gotten the fans excited as the offseason continues.

The first major domino in Denver has dropped.  This afternoon, GM Clow announced that the team has parted ways with head coach Trent O'Brien, buying out the  final 64 games of his 5 year, $4,750,000 contract.  O'Brien has spent each of the first 5 seasons with the Denver Bandits, overseeing the team from it's inauguration.  During his tenure, the team combined for a 179-131-34 regular season record, with a +57 goal differential.  Despite the positive record, the Bandits have only made it to the playoffs in two of the first four seasons, and have yet to win a series, with a 3-8 record in postseason action.  O'Brien was named the coach of the year back in Season 2 by the awards committee, where the Bandits secured their only division, and conference title, finishing 2nd in the league in points that year.  Since then, it's been a real struggle for the team.  GM Clow released the following statement:

"We want to wish Trent the best of luck moving forward.  We want to thank him for being at the helm of the team and getting this franchise off the ground.  There will no doubt be a market for his services moving forward as he is an exceptional coach.  At the end of the day, the success of this team ultimately falls on me, and it's my job to get this team to the next step.  We felt like a new voice was needed to see how the the team responds.  Sometimes a new voice is all that's needed.  But at the end of the day, I will no doubt be busy in trying to get this team back on track.  We have the talent, but parity in this league is at new levels this season, so no game will ever be considered an easy win, and it's my job to give the coaching staff and players the tools to succeed."

GM Clow announced that Spencer Hartman will take over as head coach, signing a two year deal which will cover the remainder of this season and all of next.  Hartman spent the first four seasons in San Francisco with the Orcas, taking them all the way to game 7 of the Beacon Cup Finals just a few months ago.  Known for his defensive structures, and a wealth of experience, management is hoping that he can help turn the season around.  It will begin with back to back games this week, as the team flies out to LA to square off against the Dynasty before returning home on Tuesday to match up with the Chaos.

Will there be more components of the original core shipped out?  Will there be new beginnings elsewhere this season?  Only time will tell.

Before I get started, please note that anything listed below is not a knock on other GMs and their teams.  Could some of these scenarios happen?  Absolutely!  Nothing is a given.  But will they actually take place is the real question.  So let's all have some fun, and dive into some possible major storylines for Season 5.

1) The Portland Twisters will miss the playoffs for the first time in their franchise history.  I know I know.  The defending champions have made the finals in three of the first four seasons, but after all, these are bold predictions.  The Twisters have relied on their vets to get the job done, both up front and in nets, and they have produced.   Let's start with the offence.  Ristian Vuojarvi left in free agency, leaving a massive gap at the C position.  They have Maskim Rutenka who can more than hold his own, but after that it gets thin.  Newton Dee had a career year last year, but is he able to sustain that?  If not, it's a dark hole in a position that might arguably be the most important one in the sport.  On the wings, Blaize Bremer had a career worst year, Michal England is now 39, Daulton Millar is 35, Cruz Dupont is 33.  How much longer can these guys go before they start to decline?  While their defence is still in good shape, and Ash Galvin remains a viable option in nets, could this finally be the year that the Twisters fall off a cliff?  With no top forward prospects, or first round picks for the next two seasons, there doesn't appear to be any depth if these vets start to falter.

2) The Las Vegas Voltage will make the playoffs.  The franchise has made one playoff appearance in the first four seasons, clinching the last playoff spot in the conference back in season 1.  A team that's been trying to rebuild from the start, has a lot of pieces in place.  Young forwards include Glynn Forsyth, Antoni Petherbridge, Cliff Deruelle, Ivan Luks,  Denny Ashmann, and Mathys Nemeth, and don't forget their star centre Steve Banga, who is still only 29.  The defence on paper looks fantastic, highlighted by their combination of youth and veteran prescence.  Former first overall pick Aake Listenmaa has another season under his belt,  and produced very well in the farm last year.  If he makes the move to the pro, it could be another offensive weapon to add to the roster.  The big question mark for this team has always been goaltending.  While they have some good goalie prospects, nobody has really stepped up and made their mark yet.  So in the offseason, they went out and acquired Thatcher Goodyear from the Atlanta Royals.  If he can return to a .910+ sv%, expect this team to make the jump.  They will live and die based on how he performs in his first season in sin city.

3) Juho-Matti Nykvist becomes the North Stars number 1B in nets by season's end.  The North Stars have quite easily the best goalie depth in the league, and include 2 of the game's top prospects in that position, in Nykvist and Adrian Haslar.  Their current pro tandem is Pitt Kidwell and Emilio Istad.  Both of which will be 24 at the end of the season.  Why does that matter?  Well the expansion draft looms, and both of those goalies will be eligible to be claimed the either of the two expansion teams.  Either goalie would make a fantastic first goalie in either of the new team's history.  So which one gets exposed?  That would depend on the performance of all goalies in the organization.  I would expect both Kidwell and Istad to get plenty of starts to try and claim the 1A job.  But if Nykvist gets off to a hot start in the farm season, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the call up to the pro so management can see what they have at this stage while considering the looming decisions.  Nyskivst won the goalie of the year award in his last NJHL season, and had a stellar farm regular season and playoffs last year.  If he gets the call up, expect him to keep producing and perhaps stay up as the 1B behind of of their starters.

4) The Massachusetts Milita will miss the playoffs.  The Militia have made the playoffs in three of the first four seasons, so this could be considered a bold take.  But what would cause them to miss the playoffs?  In a busy offseason, the goalie carousel behind Andrew Wiewel continued.  Trading Leon Campaner a couple of seasons ago, and now Stephane Wazasnik this past offseason, they were replacecd by Dillon Valenzuela as the backup for Wiewel.  We will take a bunch of the similar reasons as why the Twisters could miss the playoffs.  An aging forward core, with no top prospects coming up to challenge for a spot to potentiallly make an impactful difference.  How much longer can Ruddell, Presswood, and Milliner go before their old bodies give out?  Can Wiewel keep up his past pace?  Can Valenzuela put up another .920sv% season?  It's all on the vets to decide if they want to play anymore than the 80 regular season games.

5) Stephane Wazasnik finsihes the season as the league's top goaltender.  Wazasnik has consistently put up a .920sv%, which is normally in the upper tier of goalies.  Heading to Port City, he gets his first year there.  Management has always had a keen eye with identifying great goaltenders, and we expect this to be no different.  Moving to a team with this high caliber offence, that should make his job easier in nets.  Newly acquired Samuel Hammer, and free agent signing Oiva Lyttinen should help in their own zone and make life for Wazasnik easier.

6) The Beacon Cup winners are the.......... Tuscon Muertos!  Congratulations to the season 5 champions.  It's funny to think that Sundholm's .917sv% was considered a down year.   If he recaptures his previous magic in seasons past, he's the top goaltender in the league.  With a potent offence already, it only got better in the offseason by adding Marcel Kacmarik and Ristian Vuojarvi.  A centre core of Vuojarvi, Palmateer, and Van Der Male is extremely tough to try and navigate as a defence.  Though they had a disappointing season four by missing the playoffs for the first time, there's zero reason to think that they can't go back to the championship caliber team that they were a couple of seasons ago.  The core is young, proven, and has only gotten better depth surrounding them.  Though 23 other teams will be eyeing a championship, only 1 team can win it, and the Muertos are well-positioned to make a real run at it.

The book has closed on yet another season for the Denver Bandits.  Through 4 seasons, let's look at some numbers.  The Bandits rank in the following regular season metrics:

Tied 6th in wins

9th in points

8th in goal differential

8th in goals scored

8th in shots for

6th in shots against

6th in PK%

Despite being a top 10 team in all of these categories, the franchise has a combined 3 playoff wins in 4 seasons, only making the playoffs in 2 of the 4 seasons.

So the question remains, where does it go wrong?

The team's core 4 has been together since the league's inauguration: Quinton Parsons, Nino Hebar, Vladilen Kanareikin, and Lukasz Pomfret.

Hebar is 21st all time in points, Kanareikin 29th (both closing in on 300 career points).  Parsons ranks 80th, while Pomfret is tied 17th among defencemen. 

So does that imply a lack of supporting cast?  The first two seasons saw disappointing results, missing the playoffs in consecutive year, though only missing by 1 point in season 2.  It's hard to point to a lack of depth when a new league starts and each team starts from scratch, but you can blame it to quality depth.  As the years moved on, the Bandits came out swinging in season 3, finishing 2nd in the league in wins and points, first in goals scored, and 8th in goals against.  Acquiring picks throughout the first two years, and using them as trade chips to build an offensive powerhouse and the ability to roll all 4 lines in season 3.  What did that lead to?  A 5 game series loss in their first ever playoff series, where the stars disappeared and all chemistry went out of the window.

With players hitting new career highs, and the roster staying almost the exact same, hopes were at an all time high in season 4.  What happened next came completely out of nowhere.  After a scorching start to the year, leading the division and filling the back of the net, the season completely flipped upside down.  Falling well out of a playoff spot, selling some pending UFAs, and trading star forward Kenneth Pehrson led to a deadline that the GM hadn't envisioned.  Players having career worst years, and trying to slowly work back into a playoff spot left management puzzled.  The team happened to catch fire after the trade deadline, and managed to squeak into the playoffs, where they lost in 6 games.  

The core three forwards produced their lowest goals and points total to date, whereas defenceman Lukasz Pomfret had a career best in assists and points.  Looking at the supporting cast, Tom Folke and Vallu Vaatainen had their worst years, and Dominick Maclellan had his 2nd worst year.

This lead to management relying more on their rookies who were given full time roles, in Cade Calkins, David Manno, and Wiktor Ehn.  Calkins was steady all year, Manno struggled greatly for the first half of the season before turning it around, and Ehn had his worst year yet.

So where do they go from here?

The Bandits have the following player under the age of 25 on their roster:

Lloyd Mceachern

David Manno

Jory Doucette

Evin Lapointe

Dominick Maclellan

Cade Calkins

Abram Nalyvaichuk

Dennis Kochetkov

Wiktor Ehn

Vladimir Opochinin

Shaun Dorais

With more prospects coming up in the near future.

With the core 4 all entering their final season until free agency, the decisions loom large.  Do they shake it off as an outlier?  Thinking that there's no way the core has another down year?  Or do they rebuild for the future and build around their youth?  The one thing that can be promised, is that management is going to be very active and will be spending hours upon hours doing their research this offseason, while the pressure and impending financial decisions loom over them.