The ZSC Lions defied their mammoth program, also won in Davos and stormed towards the top of the table. The only question mark concerns the future of identification figure Chris Baltisberger.
Crowd favorite and ZSC identification figure: Chris Baltisberger.
On Sunday, the ZSC Lions won 4-1 in Davos, it was a remarkable finale after a mammoth program with six games within eight days. The ZSC has to catch up on games that it couldn’t play in the fall because the new Swiss Life Arena wasn’t ready for occupancy. 13 games are scheduled for January, and those responsible are currently trying in dialogue with the league to reduce the density stress by postponing games.
The ZSC in Davos didn’t show any signs of the efforts of the last week. In general, the club has had a carefree season so far; it’s no comparison to last year when coach Rikard Grönborg almost got sacked in December after a series of miserable performances. In the meantime, the coach himself has forced his departure at the end of the season, he will switch to Finnish record champions Tappara Tampere. The search for a successor is ongoing, there is no time window. The head of sport Sven Leuenberger only says: “If we find the right man, we will sign him. That hasn’t happened until now.”
Dean Kukan’s transfer has been a hit so far
Since the announcement of Grönborg’s imminent farewell at the end of October, the ZSC has seemed like a team that plays freely. And wins remarkably often: After losing points, the ZSC is the leader. He has the second-best power play in the league behind Geneva/Servette, wins the most face-offs and can keep up Simon Hrubec rely on the goalkeeper who has the highest catch quota. Dependence on the offensive from a single player, like Denis Malgin in 2021/22, seems passé. With Lucas Wallmark, Sven Andrighetto and defenders Mikko Lehtonen and Dean Kukan, a quartet has already reached the 20 point mark. International player Kukan, 29, who was brought back from Columbus in the summer, has proved a winner, arguably the best defender in the league for the first half of the season.
As far as the future is concerned, everything is going according to plan so far: the contracts of Patrick Geering, Denis Hollenstein and Willy Riedi were extended early. Especially in the tug of war around Riedi, so far the discovery of the season, several competitors had positioned themselves. But the young attacker says: “The overall package in Zurich was the best. I currently have the perfect role. I feel connected to the club and have my family and friends here. You can become champion with the ZSC every year. It’s difficult to top that mix.” Riedi, 24, is currently spinning alongside the foreigners Wallmark and Alexandre Texier, he has collected 16 scorer points in 21 games.
There was a time when that role would have been held by Chris Baltisberger. Baltisberger, 31, is something like the only sporting political issue in the club these days. He has spent his entire career at ZSC and is in his 13th season. Baltisberger is a deserving player, a champion and a crowd pleaser. When the ZSC played a home game in the Champions Hockey League two weeks ago, supporters unrolled two banners: “Put mercenaries on identification figures and then talk about ‘I’m Züri’.” And then: “De Chris belongs to the ZSC.”
Without a wage cut, it would be difficult for Chris Baltisberger to stay
It was a fairly blatant request to extend the expiring contract with Baltisberger, who was the winning goalscorer at Davos on Sunday. In principle, the ZSC would like to do this, but there are obstacles. Under Grönborg, Baltisberger is currently number 12 in the striker hierarchy, receiving an average of just under eleven minutes of ice time. It is a role that does not correspond to the salary of the powerful winger. And nobody knows whether that will change again in the autumn of his career – injuries have affected him and slowed down his pace.
No one disputes this player’s importance in the team’s glue, his value as an emotional leader who has the gift of waking up this team with checks or goals. But it’s understandable that ZSC management doesn’t want to pay him like a second-line player. It’s not easy to assess the market value of Baltisberger – especially in the current situation, the whole league is more cautious than ever, with only one transfer confirmed for next season. But it seems clear that without a wage cut, it would be difficult for Baltisberger to remain in Zurich.