What Will The 2024-2025 Moncton Wildcats Look Like?

The offseason changes continued for the Moncton Wildcats on Tuesday when the organization announced that Ritchie Thibeau had accepted a new senior position with JDI and that the search for a new General Manager of Hockey Operations would start effective immediately.

As Bob Dylan wrote, “the times they’re a changin,” but it’s still way too early to start speculating or throwing names out there for the two vacancies within the organization.

They have options, but the question remains what will the 2024-2025 Moncton Wildcats look like?

The 2024-2025 season was always earmarked as the “go for it year,” but do the Cats have the core group of players currently to build on and go all in for a chance to claim junior hockey supremacy?   

We have seen the Wildcats go “all in” before but what moves do they have to make to solidify their current roster heading into the draft and the start of the season?

One would think it’s imperative that the new GM whomever that is going to be will look at the proposed trades that have already been discussed but not yet ratified and access the situation moving forward. The Wildcats need to address several areas within the current roster if they want to be legitimate contenders for the Gilles Courteau Trophy and a run at a Memorial Cup.

Trades can’t be ratified until the trade period opens which usually occurs the morning of draft. One could also speculate that deals that have been discussed by the former GM have to be revisited and confirmed, the new GM will no doubt assess those deals, nothing is set in stone until the league itself ratifies the trade on paper.

Causes for Concern Moving Forward

The Backend

We all know the Wildcats personnel on the backend, and one can speculate that one of the deals already set in place is to bolster the backend especially with the loss of Boutin and Plandowski. Clearly one would think the trade already announced with the Halifax Mooseheads will have ramifications on the Wildcats backend. It’s far too early to speculate on the specific players, but the Mooseheads are going to be in full rebuild mode heading into next season so one could speculate that the Herd will be off loading key pieces of their squad this season in order to restock the shelves. Let’s speculate that the Wildcats will acquire one defenceman and one veteran power forward from the Herd, that might address or sure up one spot on the backend, but with that addition, are the Wildcats D-Corps a championship caliber backend? Let’s be realistic, the answer to that question right now is No. They have pieces, but those pieces will need to step up and play a massive role next season. Another question arises with regards to the vacant roles is what will the new GM want or be looking for their D-Corps and more importantly what kind of system will the new head coach want to instill or incorporate in Moncton and what kind of defender or defenders do they want and expect to patrol their blueline?

It’s not fair to start breaking down each players performance from last year due to a number of variables or reasons especially given the Wildcats well documented lack of DZC structure, physicality and overall team compete and toughness.

It is fair to say the Moncton Wildcats weren’t hard to play against this season and clearly that’s not a formula to a winning brand of hockey especially in the playoffs.  That element has to change heading into next season.

Tough decisions will have to be made to either bring in more size and grit on the backend which is clearly  needed with championship aspirations, but that also has to be countered with potential key pieces being moved out.  The backend is definitely a cause for concern for the Wildcats moving forward and will no doubt have to be addressed expediently especially given the time frame heading into the trade period and the draft.

Upfront

The Wildcats forward group needs a shot in the arm as well. They need to get a lot heavier and meaner to play against if they want to be successful. Moving pieces in and out, might also be difficult based on the premise of value. The depth chart looks promising up front, but there are some holes to fill especially with regards to grit, secondary scoring and the center position. Desnoyers, Lounsbury and Sumpf appear to be locks through the middle, but again that’s up for the new coach to decide what type of group they want to throw over the boards. Desnoyers had a phenomenal rookie campaign and can log big minutes in every situation, but do you move Sumpf to the wing? Lounsbury is a lock for 2nd or 3rd line center position, but Sumpf could probably score a lot more goals if he was moved to the wing. If another veteran 19-year-old centermen was brought in to be a shutdown defensive specialist with offensive upside could pay dividends. The Cats forward group need to find their identity and play to it. Again, it’s difficult and not fair to single out individual performances from last season, because of inconsistent line combinations and situational play.

Miles Muller’s departure leaves a massive hole to fill. Muller is moving on to the pro game after an amazing season. There’s no question it’s been an amazing journey for Muller. A lot can change over the course of the offseason and it’s not fair to speculate that Muller and the organization that he signed with might elect to push his contract a year for a possible return to the Hub City. Muller’s addition to the final NHL Central Scouting List is another massive victory for the Cats star forward. If Muller was to get drafted, it would be up to the NHL team to potentially make a decision on where he plays in 2024-2025, but no NHL team would be willing to send a player back to junior when they have signed a pro contract and is more than able to make the jump and have an impact. 

Imports

Perhaps the toughest decision the new GM will have to make is on the import front for the Wildcats. It takes time for imports to become acclimatized to the QMJHL and the North American way of life. Some would say the Wildcats duo this season have had an ample opportunity to showcase themselves while others might disagree. If the new GM decides to make a change in that area, they have a couple of options. Option 1: Add within the league via trade or Option 2 Select one or two new imports via the CHL Import Draft. The Wildcats have the 37^th overall and 97^th overall picks in this year’s CHL Import Draft.

Between the Pipes

The Moncton Wildcats goaltending tandem of Steinman and Warren had a solid season. Their numbers might not support that overall notion, but again that reflects the Wildcats overall defensive system more than individual performances. A new GM and head coach will no doubt evaluate and assess their tandem. The vetting process for goaltenders in the QMJHL is incredibly complex, but again those discussions and decisions have to be made by the hockey operations staff and the head coach.

What will the 2024-2025 Moncton Wildcats look like? Only time will tell.