Wilkes-BarreScranton
By Bob Grove

Some of the veteran players who helped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to the Calder Cup Finals last spring have left the organization, including Tom Kostopoulos, Eric Meloche and Toby Petersen. But assistant coach Mike Yeo says that's hardly cause for concern.

'That's what the AHL is - there's always a rollover. A lot of people think success in the AHL is dependent on your veteran guys, and certainly they do play an important role,' says Yeo. 'But you never see teams that are successful without good young playersÉA lot of young guys developed very well last year. Just through the long playoff run, you could see guys pick their game up.'

Yeo and head coach Michel Therrien should welcome an influx of players expected to sign AHL-only contracts in the face of the lockout - Tomas Surovy, Kris Beech, Matt Murley, Shane Endicott, Rob Scuderi and Ramzi Abid among them.

Add that to a strong group of players on two-way contracts that includes Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Whitney, Colby Armstrong, Matt Hussey, Andy Chiodo, Maxime Talbot and Ben Eaves, and there promises to be plenty of reasons for the entire Penguins' organization to monitor the AHL very, very closely this season.

'They'll be playing hockey when a lot of guys aren't, and they'll have a chance to develop their game and be under the watchful eye of, not only our whole organization, but scouts everywhere,' Yeo says. 'The level of play in the AHL is going to be very high this year.'

After a head-spinning season with the Penguins and their AHL affiliate, his junior team and the Canadian Junior National Team, Fleury right now is anchored with the Baby Penguins.

'We have the opportunity to make this season a very positive one for him,' says Yeo. 'The chance to develop a little stability in the early part of the season will benefit him.'

Whitney turned heads last spring when he concluded his career at Boston University, joined the Baby Penguins' defense for the playoffs, and was even while scoring 10 points in 20 games.

'We were all very pleased with him. He did an amazing job,' says Yeo, 'exceeded our expectations. Early in camp, we want to get across to him that that was something to build on and not be content with.'

Perhaps the most interesting player to watch in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season will be 6-2, 195-pound right wing Colby Armstrong, a No. 1 pick in 2001, who is entering his third year in the organization.

'We'll find out a lot about what type of season Colby's going to have when we get to the first day of fitness testing,' says Yeo. 'He knows he has to get bigger, stronger, faster. This is a critical year for him. It's time for him to step up and set a course for which way his future is going to go.'