Bullies head into BFHL playoffs, this time without the weight of expectations

After reaching the semi-finals of BFHL playoffs for four consecutive years (and the finals in 2013), the Bullies are once again gearing up to compete for the Cup.  But this time, not as the favourites which came with being the back-to-back President Trophy winners.   Without the same weight of expectations, the team is hoping to surprise and potentially even contend with some of the heavily favoured clubs like the Bombers and Storm.

 “It feels different for sure,” says team scoring leader Evgeni Malkin. “Guys are loose compared to the last couple of years.  It should be fun.” 

Despite being a tier-two team this year, Bullies GM made several big deadline moves to improve the team’s chances, trading away valuable draft picks to bring in veterans like Cammalleri, Boychuk and Bouwmeester.

In fact some may say Bullies have in recent years traded away much of their future, leaving them depleted after this year.   But a closer look at the depth chart indicates that Bullies will be competitive for years to come, especially with several key players under contract at very favourable cap hits: Rick Nash at $4.3 million, Tyson Barrie at $2.9 million, Shawn Matthias at $1.6 million and rookie Mark Stone at $0.9 million for 3 more years.