KAC Klagenfurt
Reigning champions form Celovec(Klagenfurt) was not so active on transfer market during the summer. The club was celebrating 100 years anniversary last year, so they invested large amounts of money into squad to win the league. They had many departures during the summer.

Departures:
Travis Scott GK *****
Warren Norris (F) ****
Christopher Harand (F) ****
Christoph Quantschnig (D) **
 Mike Pellegrims (D) **

Players Joining:
Dieter Kalt(F) ****

Analyze:
I think KAC has very slim chances to defend their title as they lost to many important players. There will be Ezznehoffer and Swette for them in goal and they are both worse goalies as Travis Scott was. Although Swette showed some stellar performances last season, goal-tending will not be their top weapon in my opinion.  In defense they have some solid players in Sean Brown, Kirk Furey and Jeff Tory. Also home players are good and their defense line is more than good for that level of hockey. In attack they lost two very important players with Norris and Harand but there is still enough quality in their rooster to produce goals constantly during the season in Brandner, Shantz, Kalt, Schellander, Schneider, Schuller, Craig. They will probably have very solid PP, which is very important.

Conclusion:
For me KAC is one three title contenders although I believe, they will not be so strong as they were last years. From betting point of view: they will be very strong at home as always as they have very loud support from their loyal fans. I think at the beginning at their games lines for U/O should be set at around 6.00 due to their scoring power especially at home. If I remember correct last year they were really a machine in trashing weaker opponents at home, so many HC bets at home are expected.

Red Bulls Salzburg 
Last years final contenders to KAC changed their team a lot. For me first favorites to win the title but outright odds are set correct. They changed team a lot form last year, there where many departures and arrivals, so let take a quick look to their rooster.

Departures:
Mario Scalzo (D) ****
Mattias Schwab (F) **
Phillip Pinter (F) ***
Patrick Harand (F) ****
Victor Lindgren (D) ***
Lee Sweatt (D) ***
Oskar Cibulskis (D) ***
John Hughes (F) ***
Jordan Parisie (GK) ****
Ryan Mcdonough (F) ***

Players Joining:
Boby Goepfert (GK) ****
Michael Schiechl (F) **
Patrick Meier (F) ***
Robert Lembacher (F) **
Ryan Duncan (F) ***
Michael Gergen (F) ***
Jonathan Filewich (F) ****
Steve Regier (F) *****
Kelsey Wilson (F) ****
Brent Aubin (F) ***
Doug Lynch (D) ****
David Lenevau (GK) ****

Analyze:
As we saw Salzburg has changed almost half of the last years team. But this does not stopped them to play preseason brilliantly beating teams like CSKA, ZSC Lions, Slavia Praga. Teams that are really way over EBEL level. The fact is that their home tournament Red Bulls Salute which was played a week ago is one of the peaks of the season for them. They have extremely good goaltenders with Goepfert and Daniel Lenevau(try-out) and I think this will be one of their top weapons this season. Defense is strong with Lynch, Rebek, Siklenka and others, although my opinion is that this is weakest part of the team. They posses really a lot of scoring power with all mentioned players who joined during the summer. But here are still Trattnig, Pewal and Koch three of the top Austrian forwards. So, atm they are team way over the EBEL level and it is really hard to predict if anyone will be able to stop them.

Conclusion:
For Salzburg and their coach Pierre Page it is well known, that they start season well and then slow down a little and start to play very good when play-offs began. I think this will be also the case this season as they were found their top form for Red Bulls Salute tournament and this is reason why they are at the moment in much better form then all other teams. I predict that they will lost some of their form at the end of October. They will be strong at home and away and just lets hope that bookmakers will not overestimated them a lot, and we will be able to earn some money on them. The U/O line should also at the beginning should be set at around 6 as they posses really a lot of scoring power and they have solid goal-tending, so other teams(especially worse teams) will not be able to score a lot against them.
 

Vienna Capitals 
Strong team always in regular season, but somehow they are not able to get in good form when play-offs starts. I am little confused about them, I am sure they will again be very strong in regular season, but we will see what they will be able to do in play-offs.

Departures:
Jean-Francois Labbe (GK) ****
Doug Lynch (D) ****
Trevor Gallant (F) ***
Juha Rihjarvii (F) ****
Aaron Fox (F) ****
Raimund Divis (F) ***
Mario Altmann (D) ***
Andreas Judex (D) ***
Yuri Tsurenkov (D) ***

Players Joining:
Marcel Rodman (F) ****
David Rodman (F) ****
Aleš Kranjc (D) ***
Harald Offner (F) ***
Kevin Kraxner (F) **
Frederic Cassivi (GK) ****
Phillipe Lakos (D) ****
Francois Bouchard (D) ****

Analyze:
As I wrote down they are weird team. They posses a lot of quality everywhere I do not belive that they will have bad regular season at all. In the net they have a new, very experienced and good goalie Frederic Cassivi, in attack they bring back Rodman brothers form Jesenice. Other scoring power will be without any doubt Patrick Lebeau, Selmser and Ofner. In defense they get their most important reinforcement in very experienced and well know play-off contender Francois Boucahrd. He has experience in winning Elitserien and DEL. And player with such a winning potential is IMHO something that Vienna needs a lot. Rodman brothers for example are excellent players but they are not play-off contenders, so IMHO if Bouchard will be able to put some extra winning spirit in locker room, Vienna can reach finals this year.

Conclusion:
From betting point of view I think that there will be enough opportunities to make money on their games, as they will be very strong during the regular season. I hope that bookies will not overestimated them. They will be very strong at home and I expect them to be a high scoring team again as they did not replace their coach Kevin Gaudet and they always play very attacking kind of hockey.

Liwest Linz 
For years very solid team now, but somehow they can not put together winning season form the start to the end. This team is well know for their great displays in away games and also they have probably best goalie in league with Alex Westlund. They were not so active on transfer market, but they have very solid new coach in Kim Collins.

Departures:
Florian Iberer (D) ****
Patrick Maier (F) ***
Winfried Rac (F) **
Petri Litmanen (D) ***
Mickey Rourke (D) ****
Ray DiLauro (D) ***

Players Joining:
Rich Bronilla (D) ***
Darrel Scoville (D) ****
Franklin MacDonald (F) ****
Andreas Judex (F) **

Analyze:
I expect them to be in top four, same as last years. How long they will be able to come depends on chemistry Kim Collins will be able to create in locker room. As I said, they probably have best goalie in league. They have excellent attack with Markus Mattiason, Brad Purdie, Mike Leahy, Rob Shearer and others. Maybe they are little weaker in defense where IMHO they did not replace all Departures although they bring in two solid players with Scoville and MacDonald.

Conclusion:
I saw them as a much more Underish team then three teams I wrote about them before. They play a little more defensive system. That kind of system Kim Collins played when he was Jesenice coach. We will see what will he do in Linz? I think that team again will be very strong in their away games as always and I think we will be able to get some Value Bets on them. They are very well in-played because practically they did not change team a lot, so this could be advantage in first weeks of season.

Graz 99ers 
Every year same story. Active on transfer market every summer, big ambitions, big goals, but when season comes....nothing. So was this summer. They signed a lot of players and we will see if Bill Gillingan will be able to make a team out of this bunch of players. Due to a lot new signings I will mention here only important and I hope that will be ok for you.

Departures:
Tommy Jakobsen (D) ****
Kevin Kraxner (F) **
Michael Schiechl (F) **
Ivo Jan(F) ****
Brad Motherwell (D) ***
Dov Grummet Morris (GK) ****

Players Joining:
Florian Iberer (D) ****
Patrick Harand (F) ****
Victor Lindgren (D) ***
Jean- Phillipe Pare(F) ****
Warren Norris (F) ****
Christopher Harand (F) ****
Markus Peinter(F) ***
Cole Jarret (D) ***
Ziga Grahut (D) ***
Martin Oraze (D) ****

Analyze:
Probably you will read in analysis of all kind of tipsters around the world in first rounds of EBEL, that Graz have bought a lot of new good players, that they are candidate for finals and stuff like that. But IMHO things are very different. They do not have difference making goal-tending, which is extremely important in ice-hockey. I follow Charpentier for three years now and he is solid goalie, but nothing more. Not even close to Alex Westlund, Cassivi or both Salzburg keepers. His back-up Weinhandl is even worse. In defense they are solid with Cullen, Kupier, Oraze, Klimbacher, Iberer and Grahut but even here I think that Linz, Vienna, Salzburg and KAC are stronger. Most new players they bring in in attack. Jean-Phillipe Pare is key Center and will be big, big addition to their rooster. Also Warren Norris and Greg Day will be as good as they expected. And also Harand brothers will do the job. Markus Peintner is solid 3rd liner, but nothing more, so...

Conclusion:
Probably this will be most Overestimated team in league. In their away games we will be able to found quiet a lot of Valubets. I also think that their games will be more Overish than Underish and due to average goal-tending, good attack and probably solid PP I would set their line for U/O to 6.5.

VSV 
One of the teams with biggest tradition in that league. Their old firms derbies with KAC are well known. But they had some financial problems later and they are probably the weakest Austrian team at the moment. They were really not active on transfer market and I think they will fight hardly for play-offs this season.

Departures:
Justin Mapletoft (F) ****
Markus Peintner (F) ***
David Slivnik (D) **
Robby Sandrock (D) ****
Darrel Scoville (D) ****
Beniot Mondou (F) ***
Thomas Raffl (F) ****
Martin Oraze (D) ****
Dan Cavanough (D) ****

Players Joining:
Gerhard Unterluggauer (D) ****
Phillip Pinter (F) ***
Kiel Mcleod (F) ****
Mike Martin (D) ****
Christian Ban (F) ***
Mikael Wahlberg (F) ****

Analyze:
As we saw Beljak lost many good player this summer and some replacements are good(like Wahlberg) but it is sure, that they did not filled up all holes in their rooster. Their goaltender will be same as last year with Prohaska and Starkbaum. Both are average keepers and way from best keepers in league. Their rooster in defense is very thin and we can expect that they will add some players to their line-up later if financial situation will allow that to them. Also in attack they are average with exception of Wahlberg and maybe Mcleod, so I really do not expect some high number from them this season.

Conclusion:
Like KAC, Beljak also has very loyal fans and we will have to be very careful playing against them in their Arena as they are well known as a home team. But I think they are way bellow best teams in league and that there will be few chances to catch Value in their games when they will play teams like Vienna, Salzburg KAC and especially Linz. Their U/O line should be set at 6 at the beginning of the season.

Alba Volan 
Ok, they are in EBEL for three years now and IMHO this will be their best year. I will be honest and admit that atm I do not know a lot about them as sources for them are mainly in Hungarian language and I do not have clue about it. But when league will go on and when I will see them playing I am sure, that I will get in touch with them.

Departures:
Gabor Ocskay   RIP Gabor
Jason Guerreo (F) ***
Nick Martens (D) ***
Levante Szuper (GK) ****
Ryann Boni (D) ****
Nathan Marz (F) ***
Andreas Bystom (F) ***

Players Joining:
Balasz Ladanyi (F) ***
Imre Peterdi (F) ***
Tomi Sattossari (GK) ****
Arpad Mihaly (F) **
Marton Vas (F) ***
Oskar Ackerstrom (D) ****
Juha Alen (D) ****
Teemu Elomo (F) ****
Janos Vas (F) ****

Analyze:
Alba was pretty active on transfer market and bring in some very good players for that level as Ackerstrom, Elomo, Alen, Sattosari, Vas and others. They lost goaltender Levante Szuper to Hannover Scorpions and his replacement is Tommy Sattosari. He is solid keeper(he was goaltender for Olimpija few years ago) but he can make some terrible mistakes, so I am little doubtful about fact, that Alba replaced Szuper in correct way. Sattosari back-up, Hetenyi is more than solid. In attack Alba will miss Gabor Ocskay who passed away due to heart attack last spring just before the WC in Switzerland. Attacking additions to squad are more than good with Vas and Elomo and here is also Kristian Palkovics, toghether with Ocskay one of the best hockey players in Hungarian hockey history. In defence they have two very, very solid pairings with Ackerstrom, Alen and two home players Horavth and Tokaji.

Conclusion:
As I said we will have to wait a few rounds to get overlook into this team, but IMHO they will be Underestimated from bookies due to their last years displays. I do not know what kind style of playing new coach Tuomanen will play, but somehow I can not imagine Alba to play attacking hockey… so, lets wait and see…

  HK Acroni Jesenice 
Ok, my home team is probably one of the main mysteries of league. They almost collapsed last year financially, but somehow survived and start a totally new team with a lot of promising youngsters and few very experienced Russian players, which is unique case in that league as all clubs prefer players form North America or Scandinavia.

Departures:
Marcel Rodman (F) ****
David Rodman (F) ****
Aleš Kranjc (D) ***
Andrej Hebar (F) ***
Jean – Phillipe Pare (F) ****
Conny Stromberg (F) ****
Conrad Martin (D) ****
Kyle Deck (D) **
Andrej Hočevar (GK) ***
Dejan Varl (D) ***
Maks Selan (D) **
Uros Vidmar (D) **
Damjan Dervaric (D) ***
Gregor Poloncic (F) **
Boris Pretnar (F) **

Players Joining:
Boris Tortunov (GK) ****
Jan Golubovsky (D) ****
Andrej Troscinski (F) ****
Alexander Duck(D) ****
Andrej Makrov(F)****
Rok Tičar(F)****
Ales Remar(F) **
David Slivnik (D) **

Analyze:
As we saw a lot of players left Jesenice, but many of them were over paid with very little quality. Main blows for Jesenice are departures of Rodman brothers, J.P. Pare, Andrej Hebar, Conrad Martin, Ales Kranjc and Conny Stromberg. All other departures will be easily replaced with younger, much cheaper and in some aspects even better players from those who left. I think that main change will be much stronger defense with Boris Tortunov in net(15 years of RSL experience). He is very routine, but for now it is hard to say how much difference he will be able to make. In defense there are also very important two new players Jan Goubovski(ex Detroit Red Wings player with 56 NHL games) and Alexander Duck with over 500 hundred games played in DEL. Here is also Mitja Robar, probably the best Slovenian defender of the moment and some other younger players who will have to show their potential, if Jesenice wants to succeed. In attack there is key player Tomaz Razingar, home player and already a club legend. And he will have to be a soul of that team.

Conclusion:
Ok, there will be major change in Jesenice comparing them to previous seasons. They changed style complety and play now typical Russian hockey, 1-4 system. So, no more 10 goal games with sloppy goal-tending or sth like that. I hope that bookies will underestimate this fact at the begging of the season and that we will be able to catch some nice Unders on their games. Also they could be underestimated in other aspects as their preseason was really well. And we should not forget another thing. When Olimpija was in final of EBEL two years ago, they went through summer preparations with same coach, Jesenice has this season, Ildar Rahmatuljin. He failed there because he did not find chemistry with North America players. But here, he has Russian players and he is also legend of the club because he helped Jesenice to win two Championships titles in early 90s, when rivalry between Jesenice and Olimpija was really huge. So, all in all I see Jesenice as most Underish team in league and also I see a potential of the most Underestimated team in league, together with Alba.

Olimpija Ljubljana 
Another Slovenian team. It was big surprise, when they reached finals two years ago, but last year was really agony for them. Bad preparation period, unlucky with replacement for Alex Westlund, problems with salaries. All this resulted in last place in EBEL championships last year. We will see what they will do this year.

Departures:
Markus Korhonen (GK) ***
Žiga Pavlin (D) ***
Todd Elik (F) ****
Pasi Petrilanen (D) ****
Ralph Intranouvo (F) ***

Players Joining:
Norm Maracle (GK) ****
Boštjan Goličič (F) ***
Ivo Jan (F) ****

Analyse:
Ok, if Olimpija will not bring in very good center for first line, it will be very hard for them to archive something this year. They have two very good players in attack with Frank Banham and Ivo Jan, but they do not have player who would set up goals for Banham and Jan. Another weak point of Olimpija is their defense. In first pair they have now for three years Kevin Mitchell and Greg Kuznik. They are solid players, sometimes collecting two many penalty minutes. Other defenders are not so good and I doubt such defensive line will be enough if they will not buy another good defender. There is also big question what can goalie Norm Maracle contribute to this team. He was fired last year in DEL in Iserlohn Roosters cause he was over weighted and was not good prepared. He is very solid keeper otherwise, but Olimpija with such poor defense needs huge boost from goalkeeping.

Conclusion:
Olimpija has a lot of problems in preseason as they have many injury problems. Banham and Ivo Jan was injured, and also one of the most experienced players Tomaz Vnuk was also injured and he still is. So, atm they are not at the top level due to all problems I wrote up upside. They will probably play some high scoring games as their defense is poor, goal tending average and attack solid, especially PP. Last preparation game was 7-6 loss to Graz 99ers for example. So, IMHO 6.5 line here is correct for them.

Medveščak Zagreb 
After Innsbruck stepped down from the train called EBEL express the league invited Medveščak Zagreb to step in. They have to buy completely new team. How successful will they be? I doubt about them very much. Lets see.

Departures:
Are really not important as Medvescak rooster from last year was three classes below EBEL level. Only few players from last year will get a chance to play in EBEL.

Players Joining:
Robert Kristan (GK) ****
Aaron Fox (F) ****
T.J Guirardelli (F) ****
Mike Quellete (F) ****
John Hecimovic (F) ****
Robby Sandrock (D) ****
Conrad Martin (D) ****
Alan Letang (D) ****
Chris Powers (D) ***
Jeff Corey (F) ****
Andy Sertich (D) ****
Mike Prpich (F)***
For others I will post link for as they are not so important:
http://eliteprospects.com/transfer.php?team=1150

Analyse:
It was tough task for them to buy a complete new team, but somehow they did it. They have bought very solid goalkeeper Robert Kristan with  Elitserien experience. In attack they collect few very, very good players especially Aaron Fox, T.J Guirardelli, Mike Quellete and John Hecimovic. This four players will have to produce majority of goals for Medveščak. Defense is also solid with players like Martin, Letang, Sandrock and Sertich. Their main problem is depth and 3rd and 4th line. They really lack quality there, so I do not see them high this season as they will have to adopt quickly each other.

Conclusion:
I think they will be overrated form bookies from the beginning, especially in their away games, so I think we will be able to find quiet a few value bets. At home they will be average strong, especially if Robert Kristan will found his form. I would set their line to 6, as they will probably have a solid PP, and good goal-tending. So, we ll see them through the season.

Author botvinnik_kr