Here's your latest Alaska Aces roster update, and be forewarned: Pack a lunch and stock up on fluids; this is gonna take some time.
And it's not really all that cheery, given the Aces' thin lineup and their need for many victories in their final 28 regular-season games – 19 on them on the road; ouch – to work their way into ECHL playoff position.
The Aces are without their leading goal scorer, winger Olivier Archambault, who is up in the AHL with the Iowa Wild.
They are now without center Greg Wolfe, the ECHL's leading rookie scorer, who left on a red-eye Tuesday night on loan to the Iowa Wild in his first AHL promotion and a well-deserved one.
Meanwhile, erstwhile Aces defenseman Brad Richard, an ECHL All-Rookie pick last season, recently suffered a non-displaced ankle fracture that won't require surgery but which, Aces coach Rob Murray said, will keep him out for a stretch.
And winger Raphael Bussieres, who has played 19 games with the Aces, suffered an upper-body injury back up with Iowa and is out indefinitely. Forward Jason Gregoire, who played 15 games for the Aces, was injured for Iowa this week, Murray said – extent of injury unknown. Forward Ryan Walters, who with 23 games played for the Aces has appeared in more than half their games, remains up at AHL Iowa.
Also, Aces defenseman Corey Syvret, who has missed nine games with a lower-body injury and won't make the team's road trip to California this week, remains shelved. Part-time defenseman Brad Gorham, who doesn't travel – he's an engineer at BP – is out with a lower-body injury, so he's not available for home games.
And defenseman Dustin Molle, who still is somewhat part-time because he's aiming to become a firefighter, won't make the trip.
The Aces did gain a defenseman this week when they signed rookie Evan Renwick, who played at Robert Morris University and spent some time playing in the Netherlands this season.
OK, then.
By my calculations – full disclosure: My math blows – that leaves the Aces with 10 available forwards and six available defensemen, and that's counting swingman Tyler Currier, a forward by training, at defense. That's exactly what most ECHL teams dress for a game – 10 forwards and six D.
And that leaves the Aces skating a fine line. They have just enough players to dress a full lineup, but they are missing several principal scorers, and they embark Thursday on a four-game road trip.
They will also be relying on goaltender Troy Redmann, who will get the first chance in his career to assume No. 1 status in goal. He's never had to carry the load or deal with the pressure that comes with it. Redmann says he's excited and looking to seize the opportunity – look for a story on him later tonight on www.adn.com
And the Aces, three points behind Utah (and with three games in hand on the Grizzlies) for the last playoff spot in the Pacific Division, need wins, and now. They must buck their road trend – 5-11-1 so far – and get some points out of this trip that takes them to Ontario for two games (Friday, Saturday) and Bakersfield for two (Sunday, Tuesday). After that, the Aces return home for a three-game series against Utah.
The upcoming games against Bakersfield (the Condors started Wednesday night two points behind the Aces) and Utah are especially critical because they amount to four-point games – that is, a win in regulation not only earns the victor two points, but deprives the loser of any points.
So, the Aces are thin on bodies and don't have much room for margin of error as they near the last one-third of the 72-game regular season. The rap in this situation is that other players have to step up.
Presumably – hey, they are pro athletes – the Aces to a man like a challenge.
They've got one ahead.