KAC: The 'Veteran Squad' Gets to Keep Playing

The squad changes this summer were somewhat more extensive than usual, with departing Austrians (Maier, Dobrovolny) being replaced by foreign players. David Waschnig immediately returned from his overseas adventure and replaces the injured Fabian Hochegger.

Squad Strengths

KAC continues to be stacked with league-experienced players all the way to the fourth line and third defensive pairing. In the event of the usual (expected) absences this year, players from the revived farm team who already have league experience (Gerrit Böhs, Filip Simovic, or Stefan Klassek, brought back from Innsbruck) can step up. The Rotjacken have also handled absences well in recent seasons.

Kirk Furey is entering his fourth season as KAC head coach, having shaped a team that, through its skating prowess, gives opponents little time to breathe. This should not change this year; a long adjustment period would be surprising, even if the burden of CHL games should not be underestimated.

Mathias From, the (clear) top scorer (9 goals and 18 points more than closest pursuer Simeon Schwinger), has left the team. Even though he took his breaks and occasionally contributed defensively, he was able to decide many a close game with his solo efforts and shots.

Otherwise, KAC defined itself through a broad scoring base; goal-scoring was never a problem last season. And Travis St. Denis, who came from Salzburg, as well as Jan Drozg (also an offensive free spirit), should be able to more than just replace From.

In the past, KAC used to lecture other Austrian teams, in a know-it-all manner, about the correct number of foreign players, often putting themselves on a pedestal. Now, they are fully utilizing the maximum number of foreign players, and this doesn't even include any Slovenians from the farm team or Simovic (who is also counted as an Austrian in the league this year).

While this might cost some credibility, it is, of course, anything but a drawback sportingly. Only the double foreign player occupancy of the defensive-defender role by newcomers Mattias Göransson and Will MacKinnon (good legs, questionable hockey sense) can be debated. In the powerplay, Clemens Unterweger must prove himself in the first unit, after which Thimo Nickl and Jesper Jensen Aabo are ready. A true point man is actually missing...

When Jan Mursak extended his contract again, it was clear: the veteran squad around him (38), Sebastian Dahm (39), Nick Petersen (37), Raphael Herburger (37), and Matt Fraser (36) gets to keep playing, and the necessary rejuvenation has been postponed once more. The biggest question mark among the older players, however, is Thomas Hundertpfund: at 36, he is returning from an ACL tear and was anything but a light-footed player even before that.

In the goaltending position, Dahm's age was sometimes noticeable; he no longer stole as many games as he used to. Whether backup Thomas Vorauer will ever bring enough consistency can only be guessed – the now 26-year-old never truly earns trust, especially towards the end of the season.

In recent years, GM Oliver Pilloni has often brought in foreign players later in the season, which this year would only be conceivable in cases of injuries or weaker performances (what role should lightweight Jacob Hudson take?).

Outlook

The expectations of the KAC community are always high; the beer doesn't even need to get more expensive for that.

However, a top spot after the regular season should be achievable again, provided that injuries don't completely get out of hand...