SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Mikko Rantanen poses after being selected tenth overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that 2015 1st round draft choice (10th overall), Mikko Rantanen, has been reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. Dennis Everberg was called up to replace Rantanen in Denver.

Rantanen, 18, was scoreless in six games with the Avalanche and was a team worst -5. According to CBA rules, since Rantanen is 18, if he spends the rest of the year in San Antonio, his ELC will slide, meaning he will still be under contract for his original three year deal. There is also a possibility, albeit not set in stone, that Rantanen will be invited–and allowed by the Avalanche–to play in this year’s World Junior Championship, taking place in Rantanen’s home country of Finland. If allowed–and still in San Antonio–, Rantanen would miss at least five games between December 26th and January 5th.

Everberg was enjoying success playing on the Rampage’s top offensive line with Ben Street and Andrew Agozzino. In three games this season, Everberg posted a line of 3g-2a-5pts and was a team best +4. He registered at least one point in each game and played well in all three zones and was a big contributor on special teams.

While Everberg may be the better all-around player at this stage of their careers, there is no question Rantanen has the higher offensive upside, as his draft position would indicate. I don’t anticipate much, if any, drop off in production of the top line as Rantanen figures to slide into Everberg’s spot.

Rampage fans won’t have to wait long to see the rookie as Saturday marks the home opener for the Silver and Black. The team will host former Rampage mainstay, Drew Shore, and the Stockton Heat with puck drop scheduled for 7pm CT. As always, Dan Weiss will bring you all the action on Ticket760.

JP and Nate

On the newest installment of Running With the Herd Live, JP and I discuss the opening night OT loss in Cedar Park, the heroes and goats of game one, and look ahead to this weekend’s pair of games against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, we discuss policy changes at the ATT Center, I reveal my three stars of the week, and San Diego has ice issues.

We return to Tuesday nights next week–eventually returning to our usual Monday nights next month–to review the happenings in West Michigan and to be told our opinions are wrong, which happens often. Tune in next week or subscribe to the show on iTunes to have the show automatically downloaded to your favorite listening device.

JP and Nathan

On tonight’s season premiere episode of Running With the Herd Live, JP and I discuss ATT Center improvements, final roster decisions, and try to predict the future. We were also joined by Rampage radio play-by-play man Dan Weiss, I throw my projected lines at the wall to see what sticks, and talk Jack Skille and Mikko Rantanen.

The Rampage open the 2015-16 season with a single game this weekend in Cedar Park against the rival Stars. We’ll return next week to break down the game and talk more about the season ahead.

Phot via Icon Sportswire

Late Wednesday night–hey, I’m a school teacher, 9PM is late–my Twitter timeline started lighting up at the news that the Colorado Avalanche had traded defenseman Stefan Elliott. Elliott, an unsigned RFA, was slated to begin the season in San Antonio playing for the Rampage if, or when, he signed his new deal.

I’ve had the feeling since late July, that wasn’t going to happen.

Elliott had done pretty much all he was going to do in the Colorado organization. While a quality AHL player, he had struggled to establish himself as an NHL mainstay in his four year with the club. In that time, he had been passed on the depth chart by several players, most recently Tyson Barrie. It just didn’t seem likely that the Avalanche–or Elliott–were going to be satisfied with a fifth year player gutting it out for another season in AAA hockey.

This makes the return they got for him–at least in one amateur writer’s opinion–a steal.

Brandon Gormley was the 13th overall pick in 2010 of the (then) Phoenix Coyotes. Many felt the 6’2″ defenseman from Murray River PEI actually slipped to 13th and could’ve gone higher based on his skill set. A solid two-way player with high hockey IQ, Gormley’s one knock would be his skating ability. In 153 AHL games, he has put up 15 goals–including his first pro goal as a member of the Rampage–and added 60 assists. Gormley also has 32 games on his NHL resume, scoring 2g-2a-4pts.

Now that we’ve met the pieces, what does it all mean?

As I wrote earlier, I am of the belief that Stefan Elliott was probably never going to be a member of the Rampage. In my projected pairings last weekend, I left him off with the idea he may be headed to Europe for a season. For this reason, I can’t really buy into the notion that this is a huge “loss” for the Silver & Black. The trade did, however, return a quality player which will benefit the Rampage in one way or the other.

Gormley would need to pass through waivers to play in San Antonio, so it’s possible the Avalanche aren’t too keen on potentially losing a player they just traded for and he stays in Denver. If that does happen, someone who played in the NHL last season would need to go. Another trade is certainly possible. Another possibility is that a player like Nate Guenin or Zach Redmond are sent through waivers and assigned to San Antonio should they clear.

While neither of those guys are likely to make the average NHL fan excited, they are certainly quality AHL level players and would be a welcome addition to a very young defensive corps in San Antonio. The question remains, though, will Colorado be willing to send down a player on a one-way contract to play in the AHL for NHL money.

Whether it be Gormley, Redmond, or Guenin, their addition will certainly make the already strong Rampage blue line that much stronger. And if somehow none of those players make it to San Antonio, whether because of trades or being claimed on waivers, the job that Joe Sakic and Co. have done to build up organizational depth should make the “loss” of Elliott much easier to take.

SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 27, 2015) – The San Antonio Rampage will open their 14th American Hockey League (AHL) season, presented by CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System, on Oct. 10 against Pacific Division rival the Texas Stars at the Cedar Park Center at 7 p.m. San Antonio will play its first home game on Saturday, Oct. 24, as it hosts the Stockton Heat at 7 p.m. at the newly-renovated AT&T Center.

The ATT Center, much like the 2015 Rampage, is currently “Under Construction” Photo courtesy KSAT

Running With the Herd Live returned tonight for a special mid-summer edition. After some quick intros for our new hockey brothers and sisters to the northwest, we update Rampage fans on the whereabouts of some of our favorites from last season, look at the Avalanche offseason and how it impacts the Rampage, and dig deeper into players we could potentially see in San Antonio.

JP and I also discuss the brand new AHL Pacific Division, try to make sense of the recently approved AHL rule changes, and briefly touch on the ATT Center renovations.

We won’t have another show until we get close to NHL training camp, unless we get some big news from the Avalanche or Rampage. But be sure to check back for updated additions to the Rampage Offseason Chart and AHL Free Agent Big Board.

AHL Top 100 Free Agents — The Big Board.

When Jonathan Bombulie announced earlier this year that he was taking a job in Pittsburgh to cover the beat of the NHL version of the Penguins, one of the things that he left behind was his yearly AHL Free Agent “Big Board” which is a massive list of minor league hockey players ranked, 1-100 and beyond, that debuts right before the start of NHL Free Agency.

Well, thanks in part to the efforts of many, it lives on.

This massive, massive project, doesn’t get completed without the help of a broad spectrum of bloggers and journalists alike, from nearly every corner of the American Hockey League. Jason Iacona connected with several bloggers from throughout the AHL and what you see today is the efforts of those who lended a hand in typing up a capsule on a player from the Eastern Conference that the Western Conference never sees, or vice versa.

Before we get to the list of the Top 100 Unrestricted Free Agents, thank you to the following people…

Stephen Meserve from 100 Degree Hockey, who created the spreadsheet that everyone contributed to as well as his thoughts on the Texas Stars free agents.

Nathan Mallett from Runnin’ With the Herd, who laid the groundwork for the Top 100 list and contributed greatly to the capsules of the San Antonio Rampage as well as other teams.

Heath Sorey of Beneath the Scope, who went above and beyond the call and provided capsules for not only the Anaheim prospects of the Norfolk Admirals team he blogs for, but several other AHL teams.

Special thanks to Daniel Lavender (Admirals Roundtable) for his contributions on Milwaukee, Matt Trust (Chocolate Hockey) for Lehigh Valley and Hershey, Tracey Lake (Thoughts Inside the Box) for Albany, Eric Rodgers (Tend The Farm) for Oklahoma City, Darryl Hunt (210 Sports) for Worcester, Jenni Probst (Chasing Checkers) for Charlotte and Chris Roy (Maine Hockey Journal) for Portland.

We all hope that you enjoy the list. After the jump, dive into the Top 100 AHL Free Agents Available, then the “Best of the Rest” list below. Note that any Restricted Free Agent not tendered a qualifying offer will be added in on future edits, most likely starting tonight or by noon tomorrow, when the market goes live.

Dive in…

SEE FULL LIST HERE

The 2014-15 season ended Wednesday night with a loss to the Barons on home ice. Last night, the inaugural season on Running With the Herd Live wrapped up as well. JP and I talked about what went wrong in the Rampage’s opening round series vs. OKC, send off the Panthers in our own way, and welcome our new NHL affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche. We also chatted with AJ Haefele of BSN Avalanche about the new affiliation, players to watch, and what to expect next season.

We will be taking some time off to recharge the batteries and enjoy the San Antonio summer. We will pop back in occasionally whenever news breaks and sometime after free agency kicks off and you can also expect a short one or two segment podcast about once a month until September.

Until then, enjoy your summer and thanks, as always, for listening and following along on our crazy adventure through the AHL.

Photo By: Josh Huskin

The sun came up this morning—and what a beautiful day–, my wife and kids woke up healthy and happy, and I drove 30 minutes to a job I have grown to adore. Life is good.

After disappointing losses, sports fans often need perspective to bring emotions back down to earth. Not all fans are able to see this perspective, though. I used to throw remote controls, scream at inanimate objects, and pound my fists into the arms of my recliner. Then…I had kids. Isn’t it funny how two little human beings can change everything you’ve ever known?

It’s a sport. A game played for entertainment. It shouldn’t dictate your schedule; it shouldn’t dictate your mood. I would have entire weekends ruined because of a game. Now, I watch when I can. And heavens knows I’m a lot happier for it.

Which brings me to last night.

The San Antonio Rampage were in the playoffs for just the forth time in franchise history. They were also on the verge of elimination after two gut wrenching losses in Oklahoma City. Losses that saw them blow 3^rd period leads in both games and a three goal lead in game two. I was oddly calm walking into the arena. Then again, I expected the Rampage that we’ve seen all season to show up. The team that finished second in the AHL in goals scored (a franchise record 248). The team that won 45 games and accumulated 98 points, both also franchise records.

Instead, I got a team that looked slow, tired, and defeated. And I was ok with it. This team gave me my favorite season of Rampage hockey in 9 seasons.

I will always remember the 2012 playoffs because of the end result–a win over Chicago in 2OT—but I don’t remember much of anything about that six month regular season. The lone exception being the final game of the regular season, a 1-0 win over a Barons team resting its star players, which was irrelevant because the Rampage clinched halfway through the second period because of a Charlotte loss.

This season is different though. The Rampage set records. They won a division and they finally got us a banner. They were exciting to hell to watch and made going to games fun again after two seasons of misery.

It’s okay to be disappointed. It’s the nature of being a sports fan. But for this Rampage fan, the disappointment lies in the end result, not the team. For six plus months, they gave it everything they had. They made us proud to be Rampage fans again. For that, I am thankful to have been along for the ride.

Sometimes the destination doesn’t live up to expectations. But damn, the ride to get there can sure be fun.

Photo by Darren Abate.

The AHL playoffs are upon us and JP and I are back with another Running With the Herd Live. This week, we look back at a disappointing, but not terrible, end to the regular season, chat with Barons play-by-play announcer Jim Byers, and make our (sometimes) out of left field predictions for round one. We also hand out the inaugural “Herdies”, our end of season awards.

Next week, we will discuss games one and two in OKC and look ahead to the first Rampage playoff home game(s) in 3 years.

All of this week’s action can be heard on Ticket760 with friend of the show, Dan Weiss, at the mic. Game one is Thursday and game two is Saturday. If any Rampage fans are making the journey up I-35, shoot me some pictures and I will get them out on social media.