Where Does He Land Next?

You might recognize the player to the left if you're a Winnipeg Jets fan. That's CJ Suess who skated for both the Jets and the AHL's Manitoba Moose in his career before deciding to take his talents overseas to Germany this past season where he signed with the Dresden Eislöwen. There was no doubt that this was going to be a tough season for the Eislöwen as they had been promoted from the DEL2 last season to play in the Penny DEL this season against some of the German superpowers like Berlin, Munich, and others. There has been all sorts of personnel turnover, though, as Dresden has been going through players faster than they go through bags of pucks, and we found out today that CJ Suess had left the Eislöwen after he and the team agreed to terminated his contract, making him a 31 year-old free agent.

I'm not here to lobby any team to sign Suess, but the options he'll have at this point of the season are relatively small. He scored just four goals and five assists in 31 games in Germany, and I don't know how many European teams will be hunting for a veteran, bottom-six guy. Suess could jump into a more offensive role if he can find it, but hunting for that opportunity in late February normally doesn't materialize unless one is a can't-miss player. That's not CJ Suess.

This departure, though, might be more due to the environment in Dresden. Earlier this month, Ice Lions captain Travis Turnbull left the team to sign in the DEL2, forward Andrew Yogan left Dresden for Norway's Stavanger Oilers, and January saw Jens Baxmann takes over as sporting director. Baxmann admitted in an interview with rbb24.de that "even if we had the economic means, we can no longer strengthen ourselves with other players" due to not having enough roster spots, so perhaps the terminating contracts of players who underperformed is Baxmann's way of solving that problem.

If that was his solution, Baxmann just opened up three roster spots in February held by veteran, import players. Turnbull and Yogan landed with new teams as reported above, so what becomes of CJ Suess?

That might be the toughest question he has to answer before going into the summer. There's probably a good chance he can find his way onto a DEL2 team or land in one of the other European leagues, but his options will be limited as to which teams have the flexibility to bring in an older, import player. Teams in Sweden and Switzerland usually fill their import roster spots very quickly, so there won't be much to find there. Norway, where Yogan went, could be a spot, we saw a former DEL player sign in Slovenia this week, and there could be options in the KHL if one wants to give that option a test.

Unfortunately, Suess may be forced to wait until summer to find a new team when free agency opens. He could return to North America where a number of AHL teams would likely welcome him, but the contract he signs might be for less money than what he'd receive in Europe. Of course, he could find a new team in Europe to join, but, like Dresden this year, there's no guarantee he'll finish the season there. This is the reality for a 31 year-old, hard-working forward.

My hope is that CJ Suess finds a team where he can be a veteran leader and help the younger players find a path to the next level. Whether that's in the AHL or in Europe is up to him, but there's no doubt in my mind that CJ Suess can still be a valuable asset for a team in the right role. He has experience, he's skated in the NHL, he's had success at the AHL and NCAA levels, and he's shown he can adapt his game to play the role he's assigned. Those are valuable traits.

Maybe we'll see the guy who wore #20, #25, and #27 for the Moose and #73 for the Jets back in Winnipeg next season? It could happen!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!