USHL 2023-24 Preview: Des Moines Buccaneers
Despite considerable roster turnover, can Des Moines make the postseason for the second straight year?
DES MOINES — For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the Des Moines Buccaneers earned a playoff berth last year, clinching the sixth and final spot in the Western Conference.
And despite finishing with the second-fewest goals (167), the Bucs scored four-plus goals in four of five games to close out the regular season.
However, the success of ending a two-year playoff drought — not including the COVID-cancelled 2020 playoffs — was short-lived, as Des Moines was swept in two games at the hands of the Lincoln Stars in the first round.
For many, those were the final games as a member of the Des Moines Buccaneers, but the playoff experience was invaluable for both the players and coaches.
“It was nice to be able to share that with them and be back in that environment. For our club in particular, it’s been a few years since we last had that taste,” said Matt Curley, who will be entering his third season as Bucs’ head coach in 2023-24.
“We’re all about the guys, and this league is about the players, so for them to get that opportunity to play a few extra games, spend a few extra days together, and give Lincoln a good go, it was good. It was great, in particular for the guys returning. I think (the experience) will really be beneficial for them as they establish what we are hoping to make it two years in a row.”
The Bucs are potentially losing three of their top four point producers this offseason and for sure their top-two netminders, so the 2023-24 season will offer plenty of opportunities for others to step up, including 16-year-old forward Ben Kevan.
The Fairfield, Cali., native was selected with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2023 USHL Futures Draft and recently participated in the Five Nations tournament in Czechia. With two goals and eight points, Kevan was one of the standout performers for Team USA in the four-game showcase.
While there is no long-term plan in place, Kevan is expected to be with Des Moines in the early stages of the season in what the team identified as a feeling-out process.
The Bucs will continue to monitor the forward’s progress to ensure he is comfortable with the pace of the USHL.
“Like any young player, we want to make sure that he’s in an environment that he can excel in, and if that happens to be with the Bucs this year, great. If not, that’s okay, too. He will go back to his club and have a great year with his LA team,” Curley said of Kevan’s development.
Key Departures
Jan Korec, G
Max Lundgren, G
Joey Muldowney, F
Michael Bevilacqua, D
Jak Vaarwerk, F
Key Returners
Owen West, D
Payton Nelson, F
Daniel Astapovich, F
Brayden Rourke, F
Christian Kocsis, F
Lubomir Kupco, F
Key Acquisitions
Adam Möller, G (USHL Phase II Draft)
Ben Kevan, F (USHL Phase I Draft)
Tender Signings
None
Three Keys To 2023-24
Replacing Lundgren, Korec
The competition in net is wide open, figuratively and literally.
The fact of the matter is that there is no easy way to replace Max Lundgren or Jan Korec. Both stepped into the organization as first-year players in the USHL and stabilized the goalie room in the 2022-23 season.
Lundgren came over from his native Sweden as a 20-year-old to backstop Des Moines, finishing with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage with four shutouts while playing in 41 of the team’s 62 regular-season games.
While Korec played a secondary role as the younger netminder with the Bucs, the 18-year-old provided invaluable depth while gaining critical experience at the USHL level before jumping to Boston College in 2023-24.
“Max was our backbone. He was our rock, not only on the ice but off the ice,” Curley said. “He was a wonderful young man and then obviously a terrific goaltender. He was really our anchor throughout the course of the year.
“Same thing with Jan, too. He was an excellent soldier and a piece, so losing those two guys has opened up a big hole in the net.”
Now the Bucs are tasked with doing it again.
Fortunately, Des Moines was proactive, taking three goaltenders in the 2023 USHL Phase II Draft, including two more Swedish netminders.
All three of Ethan Dahlmer, Adam Möller, and Jonathan Reinholdt will have the opportunity to showcase themselves in training camp and preseason, vying for the lion’s share of the starts in 2023-24.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” Matt Curley’s adage for the belief that competition brings out the best in everyone.
“It’s going to be a great competition,” he added. “I’m hoping those guys make it very difficult for myself and the rest of the staff on who gets to stick around.”
More Scoring
Des Moines finished with just 167 goals scored, the second-fewest in the league and over 100 goals back of the top-scoring team (Chicago). Losing potentially three of the top point producers underscores the necessity for others to step up.
Lubomir Kupco’s status for the 2023-24 season remains uncertain — I have him returning for now — but his 17 goals and 34 points from last season would be another loss for Des Moines to compensate.
The Bucs will again rely on their outstanding D core, even with Michael Bevilacqua departing for Bowling Green State. Des Moines allowed the sixth-fewest goals (194) in 2022-23, offering plenty of optimism for a relatively intact group.
That said, the team will lean on returners and new faces to step up.
Des Moines may not be the highest-scoring team in the league. Still, the Bucs hope that adding Liam Watkins (67 points in 54 games in the AJHL) and Alessandro Lurati (67 points in 41 games in the Swiss U20-Elit) to supplement key returners like Christian Kocsis, Brayden Rourke, and Payton Nelson provides a more collective effort.
“I know how we’re built, and I think that’s what we’re going to need to be leaning on again,” Curley said. “We may not have the true 1-2-3-4 lines, but I sure will take our (middle-six) lines rolling out wave after wave.”
Consistency On Special Teams
For reasons unknown, Des Moines was strong on both the power play and penalty kill at Buccaneer Arena but struggled mightily on the road. The Bucs converted on 21.9% and 83.2% on the power play and penalty kill at home, respectively — both excellent marks for the team to hang their hat on.
However, away from Buccaneer Arena, the Bucs went 16.7% and 74.1% on the power play and penalty kill, respectively, with both numbers in the bottom five of the USHL.
It’s an area Des Moines knows they need to be better in 2023-24, at the very least, consistent regardless where they are playing.
With Owen West, Joe Gramer, and Aiden VanRooyan returning and several new additions entering the fray, the Bucs believe the combination of veteran experience and players willing to step up in key situations will lead to a stronger effort on the penalty kill.
The efforts on the power play go hand-in-hand with the added scoring in even-strength situations: the collective depth must work together and lean on each other as a group and not as one being significantly better than the other.
“If our five-on-five play is any indication of what our special teams could be, I think we will be in a good spot,” Curley said.