Erie Otters 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)

[Mata]

For what it’s worth… I think Pekarcik might’ve been a better option. A player who could have a similar impact to Misiak in the OHL while being a year younger and therefore able to return for another season.

However, Pekarcik’s agency has a couple teams they want to send their top players to every year. They have Lysell, Honzek, Lekkerimäki, Vikman and Titlbach, who all went to Vancouver. They have De Luca and Kral, who went to Spokane. They also have Adam Sykora, who was drafted 1st overall last year and just stayed home, because Medicine Hat isn’t among the teams his agency sends players to.

So yes, Pekarcik might’ve been a better option. But if he doesn’t report, wouldn’t you rather have Misiak instead?

And after that, there really aren’t many players at the same level who are also likely to report.

I think it's pretty obvious, Erie wanted him for a short term goal/reason. One can subjectively debate whether or not it is the right pick or wrong pick and at the end of the day, our opinions don't really matter because we aren't making the calls.

Does Brown suck, yes.

Is Misiak likely picked because Stan had goals he needs/wants to meet, yes.

Is he likely to report and thus the reason for the pick, regardless of age, yes.

Would any of the so called "better players" reported? Unknown, but we have to assume if there were higher ranked players willing to report and younger, Erie would have been all over it. There is a reason they went with Misiak and we don't have to be privy as to why.

Was there a better pick? Unless you're picking Connor McDavid, there is almost always a subjective pick who COULD be better for any number of reasons.

As far as I'm concerned, Erie did what they believed to be the right choice (whether anyone agrees or not) and if people are continually unhappy, they can just unfollow the team and save themselves a lot of frustration and no one will bat an eye.

 

[Mata]

Looking ahead...

The guys will be headed to camp in about a month and the big questions will now be...

Who of the overagers does Erie keep? Gilmartin, Saganiuk, Johnston, and Bressette.

I am not sure they need to keep all of them.

Given how Stan is shaking things up in the tail end of last season and heading into this season Gilmartin is a big question mark and with his goal of next season making a deeper playoff run, I'd have to suspect Johnston may not return in favor of Ty Henry and Schaefer, but I feel we would need two more defenders for preseason. I once thought Holomego would be that person but after watching him at the rookie camp, he just doesn't seem to have what it takes at a higher level.

Offensively, there's no question all 3 of the OA's can contribute, but after drafting Misiak I see a pretty distinct top 7 in Terrance, Spence, Bressette (OA), Fimis, Molnar, Alfano, and Misiak. The maturation and growth of Artichuk, McDonald, Smith, Messier, Edwards is going to be paramount and I'm not sure who out of that group really challenges for top 6.

Goalie...too many questions...

 

[EON]

If Misiak was born just over 3 months later, I think this would have been a great pick. A skilled center with size is exactly what this team needs. His numbers aren't eye-popping, but I haven't seen him play, and Chicago's scouts liked him enough to take him in the second round, so there must be some real high-end skill there. I think it's also a good sign that his numbers improved in the postseason, which indicates that when things get tighter he steps his game up.

The obvious problem that has been discussed a lot here is that he's an '04 and is likely one and done. For a team looking to contend in 24/25, this is objectively not the best use of the asset that the first overall pick was.

However, I am fine with the pick, assuming he reports. He should have good chemistry with Molnar which hopefully gets both of them going. This team needs a win and to start rebuilding their reputation. It's not great that he's one and done but they should have a good import pick again next year (probably top 30) which they can use to draft an '05 or '06 scoring forward to pair up with Molnar again in 24/25.

 

[7D442]

Misiak will be the best player on Erie sans maybe Spence and people are calling it a bad pick. At absolute worst third best player on the roster. What a world we live in. At worst flip him at the deadline to a contender for picks.

Looking forward to seeing him play - again most and at least part of this frustration here and w Erie fans is w managing the rebuild or lack there of -since the Championship days ..

..not on any one player and certainly not this one ..

 

[Guy In Burlington]

Sorry your feelings got hurt on a team thread that isn’t a scouting service

I promise you my feelings aren’t hurt. You don’t like when people question you, do you?

 

[Mata]

I found this article to be of some value while to get some insight on our new import pick.

Martin Misiak — 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

For the second year in a row, Slovakia boasts an intriguing group of 2023 draft-eligible prospects, with Martin Misiak certainly being one.

thehockeywriters.com

While not the best rated, he fits the MO of Erie in that he appears to be an above average skater, a great forechecker, a two way player, and a defensive minded forward (Stan's touch of expertise).

They do note his offense is needing to be developed and more consistent, but he definitely checks most of the right boxes (minus age for some) for Erie players.

 

[nelli27]

Erie Otters Notebook: Terrance, CHL Import Draft & More - The Hockey Writers OHL Latest News, Analysis & More

In today's Erie Otters Notebook, Carey Terrance opens up about his NHL Draft experience in Nashville & we recap the CHL Import Draft.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[OttersFan]

I haven’t watched Misiak play or have anything to base a strong opinion so take this as a grain of salt. From what it sounds, Misiak would be similar to a Kyle Pettit type player. Pettit wasn’t a flashy player, but he did what he had to do as a third line player to be consistent and reliable. Misiak unlike Petit, will have potential to buffer from the third line to the second line depending on development. Based on what Butler has shown, he wants 4 consistent lines. Shocker right, expect he’s not going to put up with kids slacking. You’re here for hockey and only hockey. Misiak has something to work towards in making the NHL roster. The Blackhawks see him as worthy to get to the next level and with a little help from Butler, it’s achievable. Bottom line, he’s getting playing time in the OHL and the ball is in his court as to where he ends up at the end of this season and into his OA season.

He has potential and it’ll be exciting to see what he does with it.

 

[Mata]

I haven’t watched Misiak play or have anything to base a strong opinion so take this as a grain of salt. From what it sounds, Misiak would be similar to a Kyle Pettit type player. Pettit wasn’t a flashy player, but he

I think it will be very interesting to see where people line up, but I can't imagine the 1st overall import going to the 3rd line especially after being drafted in the 2nd round by the Blackhawks.

What ripple down effects it will cause is also going to shakeup some veterans and how someone like Saganiuk fits into the scheme as they now have listed Terrance, Fimis, Misiak, McDonald, Edwards, and the top overall u18 draft pick Brett Hammond as Centers. Outside of Terrance, Fimis, and Misiak I'd have to say Saganiuk is probably our 4th best center, but as an OA, that's not very appealing to keep if we are looking to make playoffs this year and maybe have a deeper run next.

Curiously enough, Gilmartin may be in the same boat as Saganiuk being an OA player but at winger. I could see Molnar, Bressette, Alfano, and Spence ahead of him which means he could be looming comfortably at a 3rd line spot and is that where you want an OA?

Both him and Colby could be kept for more of a mentorship type role for younger players on lines 3/4, but that all depends on how our younger kids progressed. We had a lot of 1st year players see a lot of ice and it could bode poorly for our OA group.

 

[SouthernOtter]

I think it will be very interesting to see where people line up, but I can't imagine the 1st overall import going to the 3rd line especially after being drafted in the 2nd round by the Blackhawks.

What ripple down effects it will cause is also going to shakeup some veterans and how someone like Saganiuk fits into the scheme as they now have listed Terrance, Fimis, Misiak, McDonald, Edwards, and the top overall u18 draft pick Brett Hammond as Centers. Outside of Terrance, Fimis, and Misiak I'd have to say Saganiuk is probably our 4th best center, but as an OA, that's not very appealing to keep if we are looking to make playoffs this year and maybe have a deeper run next.

Curiously enough, Gilmartin may be in the same boat as Saganiuk being an OA player but at winger. I could see Molnar, Bressette, Alfano, and Spence ahead of him which means he could be looming comfortably at a 3rd line spot and is that where you want an OA?

Both him and Colby could be kept for more of a mentorship type role for younger players on lines 3/4, but that all depends on how our younger kids progressed. We had a lot of 1st year players see a lot of ice and it could bode poorly for our OA group.

I think the main question is how much do they really want to win this season or are they willing to make the tough moves to compete next season. Colby looks like the better keep being a right shot and the Pittsburgh connection. But theoretically, if we really want to win in the 24-25 Season, I don’t think we should keep any of the overagers besides Bressette. We have a bunch of guys playing big minutes that will be 19. We should be focused on developing in the bottom 6 and sorting out the 19 y/o for next year and trading who don’t see coming back next year for help at the deadline.

 

[NOA]

I think the main question is how much do they really want to win this season or are they willing to make the tough moves to compete next season. Colby looks like the better keep being a right shot and the Pittsburgh connection. But theoretically, if we really want to win in the 24-25 Season, I don’t think we should keep any of the overagers besides Bressette. We have a bunch of guys playing big minutes that will be 19. We should be focused on developing in the bottom 6 and sorting out the 19 y/o for next year and trading who don’t see coming back next year for help at the deadline.

Given recent moves, it’s clear the team wants to win now because they have continued to sacrifice the future. Which is odd because they are capped on how much they can actually win now, the roster is still limited. Yes, I understand they need to start winning for the fans, culture, and finances, but it would be nice to see them have a legitimate plan in place to do that. They have just been treading water for years now. Making moves to just scrape by and the only pay off has been a 9th seed finish instead of a 10th seed. Feels like this whole rebuild has been a complete waste of time and with zero benefit. A rebuild should at least allow you to stack young talent and compile a lot of assets for a future run but Erie not even really managed to do that…

 

[Mata]

I think the main question is how much do they really want to win this season or are they willing to make the tough moves to compete next season. Colby looks like the better keep being a right shot and the Pittsburgh connection. But theoretically, if we really want to win in the 24-25 Season, I don’t think we should keep any of the overagers besides Bressette. We have a bunch of guys playing big minutes that will be 19. We should be focused on developing in the bottom 6 and sorting out the 19 y/o for next year and trading who don’t see coming back next year for help at the deadline.

Stan's message has been pretty clear from the beginning:

This season's goal is to simply make the playoffs.
Next season he then expects a deeper than first round run.

However we get there, what moves we make or don't make is entirely unknown. At least with Hartsburg and BJ they appeared to have a similar approach. The only thing we can really go off of is what Stan has done for a long time in the OHL.

 

[OttersFan]

Does anyone know anything about Ken Peroff?

 

[Mata]

Delete

 

[Mata]

Erie Otters Name OHL Alum Ken Peroff as Assistant Coach

An individual with a wealth of experience in the Ontario Hockey League will join the Erie Otters bench ahead of the 2023-24 season, as general manager Dave Brown formally announced the hiring of Ken Peroff as the team's assistant coach today.

www.oursportscentral.com

I was coming here to ask the same...

Seems to be someone Stan either likes, admires, or all of the above and is young and he is willing to give him a shot. Wouldn't be surprised if he is our future head coach after Stan leaves.

 

[Mata]

This is what our current coaching staff will look like:

Stan Butler - Defensive minded coach
Wes Wolfe - Defensive minded assistant coach
Ken Peroff - Defensive minded coach

Anyone seeing a theme here? Vince ran the offense for the most part while he was here. So now we are surely going to be a defense first team.

 

[Mata]

It also sounds like Stan has kind of made up his mind about at least some of the roster slots...

"A lot of his attributes are things I hope he can pass on to the players," said Butler. "With three very young defenseman on our team for next season, I thought it was important for us to bring in a guy that's played defense in the OHL, and was an all-Canadian defenseman at the University of Guelph to work with our guys.""

So Schaefer for certain and if I had to guess Henry. Who would be the 3rd?

 

[NOA]

This is what our current coaching staff will look like:

Stan Butler - Defensive minded coach
Wes Wolfe - Defensive mibded assistant coach
Ken Peroff - Defensive minded coach

Anyone seeing a theme here? Vince ran the offense for the most part while he was here. So now we are surely going to be a defense first team.

The question is can that work long term at the OHL level in 2023? Hard to imagine it can but can it bring more short term stability and a better chance for middle pack success? Sure and I guess that’s the only way I would accept the plan - like hey, let’s just get back to our roots, be a disciplined, defensive team, grind out 32-36 wins and stop embarrassing ourselves … but long term, it’s not a great idea imo

It also sounds like Stan has kind of made up his mind about at least some of the roster slots...

"A lot of his attributes are things I hope he can pass on to the players," said Butler. "With three very young defenseman on our team for next season, I thought it was important for us to bring in a guy that's played defense in the OHL, and was an all-Canadian defenseman at the University of Guelph to work with our guys.""

So Schaefer for certain and if I had to guess Henry. Who would be the 3rd?

Holomego? He’s probably just speaking about the current signed players. So that’s likely who he’s referring to. Everyone will have equal chance at fall camp and if Holomego is that shaky, he won’t last long. But short term, he’s obviously in their plans given the age and the fact that’s he’s signed

 

[Mata]

The question is can that work long term at the OHL level in 2023? Hard to imagine it can but can it bring more short term stability and a better chance for middle pack success? Sure and I guess that’s the only way I would accept the plan - like hey, let’s just get back to our roots, be a disciplined, defensive team, grind out 32-36 wins and stop embarrassing ourselves … but long term, it’s not a great idea imo


Holomego? He’s probably just speaking about the current signed players. So that’s likely who he’s referring to. Everyone will have equal chance at fall camp and if Holomego is that shaky, he won’t last long. But short term, he’s obviously in their plans given the age and the fact that’s he’s signed

I think given the uncertainty at goalie, a defensive mindset first works for the short term. I can maybe get on board for a couple years to solidify the roller coaster like you said. I don't like it, but you have to make the best team out of what you have and goalie is a huge question mark. Shoring up play in front of the net could help us yield a few more wins.

I saw Holomego in person at the rookie invite, watched all 3 scrimmages and I'm just not sure he's going to be an OHL caliber defender...he wasn't even top 5 defensive players there IMO. The things he has going for him is he is very tall and will fill out if used as a house defender. Henry, for obvious reasons isn't on Schaefer's level, but every time he was on the ice he made it look easy against the other team.

We have limited value in Saganiuk, Gilmartin, and Johnston but could it be enough to swing a 6/7 defender with OHL experience?

 

[OttersFan]

This is what our current coaching staff will look like:

Stan Butler - Defensive minded coach
Wes Wolfe - Defensive minded assistant coach
Ken Peroff - Defensive minded coach

Anyone seeing a theme here? Vince ran the offense for the most part while he was here. So now we are surely going to be a defense first team.

With this in mind, could he bring in another offensive minded coach? Do we see him keeping Wes? It sounded that we’d keep him with the timing of Vince being let go.

 

[Mata]

With this in mind, could he bring in another offensive minded coach? Do we see him keeping Wes? It sounded that we’d keep him with the timing of Vince being let go.

I don't see them making any more administrative moves this season unless it is to fire DB.

For the reasons NOA pointed out, I think we may be looking at a defensive minded team for at least the short term until we can eclipse the 30 win category.

 

[SouthernOtter]

I think given the uncertainty at goalie, a defensive mindset first works for the short term. I can maybe get on board for a couple years to solidify the roller coaster like you said. I don't like it, but you have to make the best team out of what you have and goalie is a huge question mark. Shoring up play in front of the net could help us yield a few more wins.

I saw Holomego in person at the rookie invite, watched all 3 scrimmages and I'm just not sure he's going to be an OHL caliber defender...he wasn't even top 5 defensive players there IMO. The things he has going for him is he is very tall and will fill out if used as a house defender. Henry, for obvious reasons isn't on Schaefer's level, but every time he was on the ice he made it look easy against the other team.

We have limited value in Saganiuk, Gilmartin, and Johnston but could it be enough to swing a 6/7 defender with OHL experience?

The 6/7 defender idea is a good one. Especially a Right handed guy, preferably an 05. We need to use our excess guys to improve the margins. That’s how London has done it for years. Using our extra forwards, I would love to see them get a promising 05 for the 3rd line that could step into top 6 if Misiak is a one year guy. Easier said than done but maybe we can find a Diamond in the rough like the Petes have done to us. Are there anymore young forwards that we have signed (that weren’t on the roster last year) besides Royston and Hammond?

 

[EON]

The 6/7 defender idea is a good one. Especially a Right handed guy, preferably an 05. We need to use our excess guys to improve the margins. That’s how London has done it for years. Using our extra forwards, I would love to see them get a promising 05 for the 3rd line that could step into top 6 if Misiak is a one year guy. Easier said than done but maybe we can find a Diamond in the rough like the Petes have done to us. Are there anymore young forwards that we have signed (that weren’t on the roster last year) besides Royston and Hammond?

Not that I'm aware of, but they have three forward prospects from the 2022 draft that all had good D +1 seasons that they should pursue: Logan Sawyer (2nd, committed to Providence for 25/26), Jack Good (7th, committed to Merrimack for 25/26), and Jonathan Morello (13th, committed to Clarkson for 25/26). Sawyer is obviously the big fish here and would step right into the top 9 this season, but Good/Morello could definitely slot into the 4th line this season with top 6/9 upside in the future.

They should also probably take a look at Landon Watson (2022 6th) and 6'3" right-shot dman who appears to have had a pretty good D+1 season himself. Not sure if he's eyeing the college route though.

 

[NOA]

Not that I'm aware of, but they have three forward prospects from the 2022 draft that all had good D +1 seasons that they should pursue: Logan Sawyer (2nd, committed to Providence for 25/26), Jack Good (7th, committed to Merrimack for 25/26), and Jonathan Morello (13th, committed to Clarkson for 25/26). Sawyer is obviously the big fish here and would step right into the top 9 this season, but Good/Morello could definitely slot into the 4th line this season with top 6/9 upside in the future.

They should also probably take a look at Landon Watson (2022 6th) and 6'3" right-shot dman who appears to have had a pretty good D+1 season himself. Not sure if he's eyeing the college route though.

It would be nice to get even 1 of those 4 players but let’s be realistic, Erie has almost no buzz or presentation to present these players on why they should come here. At least in the case of Sawyer, he committed to college after Erie drafted him and has shown no interest. Until the product on the ice and coaching improves, I don’t see how Erie lands players with college offers and aspirations. They barely managed to do that during their 4 year run and with McDavid. It’s just really unfortunate how much the organization has fallen in recent years. They really had a better chance to capitalize on their success but that ship has sailed..

 

[onetimeshot]

Misiak has commited to Erie.