A Midseason Check-In On The Chicago Wolves

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Chicago Wolves arrived at their All-Star break with a record of 23-16-2-0, sitting fourth in the American Hockey League's Central Division.

To start the campaign, the young roster experienced some growing pains, clocking in at American Thanksgiving with a mark of 5-9-1-0. However, the group has turned a corner in a major way since, winning 18 out of their last 25.

Carolina's 2023 first-round pick, Bradly Nadeau, has led the turnaround, producing 25 points in his last 19 games sandwiched around his stint with Hockey Canada at World Juniors. Another player who has been just as hot is 2021 fifth-round selection Justin Robidas, giving the Wolves 19 points in his last 18 games dating back to Dec. 21.

As for their All-Stars, no one had a busier week than Ryan Suzuki, who made his NHL debut on a few hours notice on Thursday, flew back to Chicago for a few hours on Friday, returned to Raleigh later that same day, played at Lenovo Center again on Saturday, and then flew over 2,000 miles to Palm Springs for the AHL's midseason classic.

Amid those few days, it looked like Suzuki's status for the weekend was in question, but as it turned out, it was Scott Morrow who received the bittersweet news that he'd be missing the event. Recalled by Carolina on Monday, Morrow paces all AHL rookie defensemen with 29 points in 41 games and became the league's first defenseman in over 10 years to have multiple hat tricks in the same season.

We caught up with first-year Wolves Head Coach Cam Abbott to talk about his team and a few of those players.

Cam, you're 41 games into your season, how do you feel about where your group is at as you enjoy the break?

"I feel good about our progress, but at the same time, there's a level of our game that we need to get back to.

The last 10 or 12 games we've gotten away from what's made us successful in November and December. Things change, we've had guys in and out of the lineup and things evolve, but so far, it's been a lot of fun. I love the camaraderie and the team-first mentality of our group. I see a lot of potential here."

What needs to be different about the way your group has played lately?

"A whole number of things. It's not just because guys have been in and out of the lineup, every team in this league has movement. It's just about always wanting more and not being satisfied.

We have to have the ability to drop the excuses of being a young team or an inexperienced team that hasn't played together, all of those things that you hear at the start of the season, especially after you lose a game or two. All of that has to be behind us.

We've shown that we can compete and beat every team in our division and do so in a way that's convincing. It's just the consistency in our group bringing more top performances on a nightly basis. That's not me criticizing anybody, it's just me not being satisfied."

When your team is earning those convincing victories, what is your team doing?

"Controlling how the game is played. Fast, simple, straight-ahead hockey that puts our opponents under a lot of stress. It's not a secret that we're trying to model a lot of our game off of the Canes and Rod and the style of play that they've developed.

Of course, we have a different skill set within our group in some areas and that presents different challenges, but when we're playing our best hockey, it's tough for other teams to handle. I think our team defense is tight above the puck, we don't give up a lot of odd-man rushes.

We try and limit our opponents' time in our defensive zone. We want to play with that proper risk-reward that keeps teams from generating a lot of good looks."

It's your first season behind the bench in the AHL after six in the SHL. What, if any, adjustments have there been for you?

"The number of games and a little less practice time, even though I think we're probably on the higher end of how much the guys are on the ice, is an adjustment. The physicality, guys understanding possession and how to handle the puck are a few differences that I've had to adjust to too.

The pressures and the challenges that particular players face is a little bit different in terms of that they're right on the edge of where they want to be - in the NHL. It's about making sure you're continuously building relationships with all of the players. There's been a bit of a difference in that area, but there are certainly advantages that we have here in our staff and the closeness we've developed with our group.

The leadership we have within our team is something that I've been very thankful for. Guys like Josiah Slavin and some of our other leaders who have stepped up to help our staff have been outstanding. It's a new experience for me, but honestly, there's a lot more things that are the same than they are different."

What have you liked about Scott Morrow's game this season?

"Scotty has a skillset that is really impressive, especially his puck control. He has an ability to deceive opponents and make high-end plays with his own feet moving while sharing the puck around. He's done a very commendable job of adjusting his game to be in line with how this team plays, and sometimes that's a bit conflicting with some of his past tendencies.

I'm so grateful for his trust in [Assistant Coach] Spiros Anastas and our staff, allowing him to try and round out the other aspects of his game as he continues to try and become the best hockey player he can be. His work off of the puck has been something that he's taken a lot of pride in improving and I think he should be recognized for that. He's made a lot of improvement in those areas."

What can you tell us about Ryan Suzuki's game?

"Ryan's done a great job of approaching this season as a new beginning for himself. He's played in Chicago previously but he's taken the time to examine his game and try to improve the parts that he's needed to improve on. He's been one of our offensive leaders and you can see that with the points he's put up, but he also brings a quiet confidence to our game.

It's exciting for him to be recognized as an All-Star. It's impressive for him to be recognized for the season he's having and for him to be voted is something he should have confidence in."

Bradly Nadeau has been piling up the points lately. What can you tell us about his first season as a pro?

"His adjustment to the pro game has been a learning experience, managing all aspects of the game, the lifestyle, the pressures he might face, the physicality and learning all of the details to the game. I love the conversations we've had and the work he's put in.

Most recently, he's definitely improved the physicality he plays with. You can see he's really effective with the puck and shooting the puck. He's making plays in the offensive zone from different areas. He's a leader on our power play and a real threat to score when he's in his spot right now.

I commend him on the work he's put in and the patience he's had as he works toward getting better each day. He and Felix [Unger Sorum] are two of the younger guys in the AHL, so we can't forget that most players their age are playing junior hockey.

There's been a lot of positives with Bradly and I really like the approach he takes every day. He puts the work in and he's played on our top line the last half-dozen games or so."

Felix Unger Sorum is another prospect who a lot of Canes fans have eyes on. How has his first season in North America gone so far?

"A lot of the same could be said about Felix. Both guys need to continue to put muscle mass on and be physically mature.

Felix is a really smart player who has the ability to slow the game down. Part of it, we're working on getting him to speed the game up in certain areas, but most of it is just getting reps in. There's no substitute for experience and we're trying to put both of them in sports where they can succeed and learn."