SPRINGFIELD -- It's a new season for the Springfield Thunderbirds, but head coach Geordie Kinnear isn't ready to put the team's inaugural campaign in the rearview.

Yes, the 2016-17 season was an up-and-down ride for an inexperienced Springfield squad on the outside looking in at the Calder Cup Playoffs, but there were plenty of positive takeaways for Kinnear and his staff.

In particular, Kinnear was encouraged by the way his team closed out the year -- postings wins in 12 of its last 14 games within the friendly confines of the MassMutual Center. There's plenty to build off of those final weeks of the year, but Kinnear and his players are certainly not looking for the same end result in the T-Birds' second season.

"We're using last year as a building block," Kinnear said Tuesday following a team practice. "We always talk to the guys about getting better every single day. Hopefully in the summer, they put the work in to get better throughout that and build off of that. You never want to forget what you did last year, but you can't get complacent and say, 'We ended the season well.'

"Bottom line, you're out of a playoff spot and you want to be in that predicament at the end of the year when the pressure is on and this is for the playoffs -- not just to play it out and say we played well. We're looking for more impact in tight games."

The Thunderbirds are set to open their new AHL season on the road Saturday in Providence, rolling out a roster stacked with both returning talent and new skaters primed to make an immediate impact.

As the AHL affiliate of the Panthers, the Thunderbirds will be without the services of 2016 standouts like Ian McCoshen, Mackenzie Weegar and Jared McCann after the trio made the NHL roster -- but it's a expected adjustment for Kinnear.

Chase Balisy, Springfield's leading scorer last season, is set to return for another AHL campaign, while highly regarded prospects such as Jayce Hawryluk and Juho Lammikko are expected to make major leaps in their development.

Speedy forward Anthony Greco is expected to be a strong player up front for Springfield, while 6-foot-5 defenseman Josh Brown will be a reliable presence on the blue line.

"Skill and skating," Kinnear said of what stands out to him about this Thunderbirds team. "I was very proud of the kids we had last year that went into Florida's camp and showed very well and were very assertive - built off what they did last year. That's going to be the key to our success on our team -- it's those second-year guys really taking a leadership role and not being complacent with having a good first year. They need to step up and become elite players at this level and have an impact on a more consistent basis."

The Thunderbirds will need to rely on their veteran players to take them to the next level this winter, but the team will also have plenty of help along the way.

Two new additions that should have an immediate impact are forwards Curtis Valk and Alexandre Grenier -- as the pair tallied a combined 91 points last season with the Utica Comets. Maine product Blaine Byron should add a scoring punch, while Russian winger Maxim Mamim is expected to add plenty of speed to Springfield's game. In net, both Harri Sateri and 20-year-old Samuel Montembeault are expected to split time.

A trademark of Kinnear's teams has been an emphasis on developing a physical, hard-working mindset -- a trend evident by the team's 40 one-goal contests last season. Kinnear expects more of the same this year.

"We're focused on what I always say, just being ultra-competitive," Kinnear said. "When you're ultra competitive and you come to complete every single night, fans can appreciate that. I can tell you, the group we had -- every single night they gave me everything they had. I think the fans really took to them.

"Every game was close. We're just going to focus on our jobs every night -- compete every night, win hockey games, get better every single day. I know when you have that, the fans will follow and fall in love with these games."

Expectations are likely to be raised for the Thunderbirds this winter, even in an uber-competitive setting such as the Atlantic Division.

But dwelling on expectations isn't something that Kinnear concerns himself with. Rather, it's about getting results.

"I don't consider it pressure," Kinnear said. "This is what we do on a daily basis. We come to work, we get better, we compete. We want to build a winner. It takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work. Everyone wants it right away, but it definitely takes a lot of time. I can tell you this, this group is going to put the work in and that's what we're gunning for. When I took this job, I said that we'd have a product that the city will be proud of and that will continue."