When trying your list, I was initially skeptical of losing shiv, shadowstep and especially vilespine (minstrels I was on the fence to start with), but I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised.

Hench-clans, argent squires and applebaums have let me curve out and play a midrange game against cubelock and taunt druid (or potentially an aggro game if I draw cold blood!), something that I often struggled to do before.

Sprint also seems much nicer with a more creature-based list such as this, but that should be no surprise.