Erie Otters 2022-23 Season Thread

[OttersFan]

Well it would help if we had more talent and/or an offensive head coach with some modern gameplay ideas. Our coaching is just meh

And it’ll unfortunately always be that way. It’s just a cycle of recycled ideas. It wouldn’t hurt to find another goaltending coach as well to supplement what Clifford is doing.

We need to move our feet and stop taking lazy penalties. Nicholls holding the opposing stick, tripping, holding etc…

If we didn’t take so many of those I agree we would win a few more games. Luckily Niagara didn’t take advantage of it, but a good London, Hamilton, or Kitchener team will.

 

[Mata]

The penalties definitely stuck out in my mind...

For their home game last Sunday against Saginaw if the 2 and 10s counted, our team would have been well over 60 minutes of assessed penalties.

20, 20, 24, 10. When you are set to spend 1/3 of the game in a 5 on 4 situation it is definitely handicapping your potential. Hopefully it's just over-agressive play with kids wanting to make the roster, but I agree it needs reigned in.

It was good to see Gibbons play a fairly solid night again stat wise. Take away his 5 goals on 7 shots and he is sitting at an impressive. 923 save percentage the rest of the way whereas Nicholls is at .887%. I think if we want a true idea of these two goalies they will need to play full games as others have suggested.

So far scoring and points distribution has been well rounded so to me, that makes it harder on the coaches but pretty good. Maybe they are the "average but complete team" that plays above their skill level without a premier scoring forward? In any event, the kids seem to he playing hard and I can't imagine the roster decisions will be easy as to keep up someone like McDonald or Messier and trade an underperforming 04 or 05.

 

[NOA]

The penalties definitely stuck out in my mind...

For their home game last Sunday against Saginaw if the 2 and 10s counted, our team would have been well over 60 minutes of assessed penalties.

20, 20, 24, 10. When you are set to spend 1/3 of the game in a 5 on 4 situation it is definitely handicapping your potential. Hopefully it's just over-agressive play with kids wanting to make the roster, but I agree it needs reigned in.

It was good to see Gibbons play a fairly solid night again stat wise. Take away his 5 goals on 7 shots and he is sitting at an impressive. 923 save percentage the rest of the way whereas Nicholls is at .887%. I think if we want a true idea of these two goalies they will need to play full games as others have suggested.

So far scoring and points distribution has been well rounded so to me, that makes it harder on the coaches but pretty good. Maybe they are the "average but complete team" that plays above their skill level without a premier scoring forward? In any event, the kids seem to he playing hard and I can't imagine the roster decisions will be easy as to keep up someone like McDonald or Messier and trade an underperforming 04 or 05.

Given that they signed McDonald / Messier with their ages, I think both have to be here. Why sign them and send them back down? If they aren’t ready now it’s pointless to even sign imo. McDonald in particular has been productive and seems to be the only win who consistently wins draws on a team who for 5 years hasn’t been able to win faceoffs. I think he certainly stays. Someone like Signoretti is struggling to produce and is undersized. I would move someone like that. That keeps you at 13 forwards which is the amount you need to carry at minimum. It’s possible they just carry 14 to start and wait for the inevitable injury or two. But I would bet Signoretti or Saganiuk are most likely gone at some point this year

 

[EON]

Thanks for the thoughts OttersFan. I am definitely pretty concerned about the team's offensive gameplan and PP. I hope they are just working out the kinks in pre-season but I am not confident.

It seems like Gibbons probably has a much higher ceiling than Nicholls does, but is also very inconsistent due to his age and lack of experience. I'm interested to see if they plan on carrying three goalies, cutting Nicholls, or sending Gibbons down to Jr. A/Jr. B for more game time.

 

[NOA]

Thanks for the thoughts OttersFan. I am definitely pretty concerned about the team's offensive gameplan and PP. I hope they are just working out the kinks in pre-season but I am not confident.

It seems like Gibbons probably has a much higher ceiling than Nicholls does, but is also very inconsistent due to his age and lack of experience. I'm interested to see if they plan on carrying three goalies, cutting Nicholls, or sending Gibbons down to Jr. A/Jr. B for more game time.

I think it makes sense to start with Nicholls or just keep 3 for a bit. But I would at least give Nicholls the shot first. No need to rush Gibbons if you don’t have to but he is probably the better option. It just depends on how much you need him to play. We can’t give Lalonde 50+ starts again but 42-45 starts? That’s probably what he’s getting. Is Gibbons better off playing 20-22 games or getting more time in juniors to grow confidence? Again, I think that depends on how bad Nicholls is

 

[Mata]

I think it makes sense to start with Nicholls or just keep 3 for a bit. But I would at least give Nicholls the shot first. No need to rush Gibbons if you don’t have to but he is probably the better option. It just depends on how much you need him to play. We can’t give Lalonde 50+ starts again but 42-45 starts? That’s probably what he’s getting. Is Gibbons better off playing 20-22 games or getting more time in juniors to grow confidence? Again, I think that depends on how bad Nicholls is

Can Gibbons go better than 2-9 in 11 starts?

In my mind if he can max out his games played at the OHL level while being sent down it's our best option with him. Nicholls is an OA next season and will not be here unless we have 0 OAs and even then Gibbons should surpass him by next season.

The other option is unload Nicholls now and let Gibbons play a min of 20 - 25 games depending on how the season is going.

In scenario one, you can give Lalonde a rest in 25 - 30 games while not risking Gibbons too much. IF we make playoffs this year, Lalonde gets no rest.

As it stands...

Saganiuk, Bressette, Johnston, Kyrou, and Kulakov are the 03s. So I'm not really sure where Nicholls fits in this season or next other than an emergency goalie really. Even if we move Kyrou before the deadline for a boatload of picks and an 04 or 05 we still have potentially 4 players returning as OA before the 03 enter their OA season.

I'm a bit perplexed by the Nicholls thing right now.

 

[NOA]

Can Gibbons go better than 2-9 in 11 starts?

In my mind if he can max out his games played at the OHL level while being sent down it's our best option with him. Nicholls is an OA next season and will not be here unless we have 0 OAs and even then Gibbons should surpass him by next season.

The other option is unload Nicholls now and let Gibbons play a min of 20 - 25 games depending on how the season is going.

In scenario one, you can give Lalonde a rest in 25 - 30 games while not risking Gibbons too much. IF we make playoffs this year, Lalonde gets no rest.

As it stands...

Saganiuk, Bressette, Johnston, Kyrou, and Kulakov are the 03s. So I'm not really sure where Nicholls fits in this season or next other than an emergency goalie really. Even if we move Kyrou before the deadline for a boatload of picks and an 04 or 05 we still have potentially 4 players returning as OA before the 03 enter their OA season.

I'm a bit perplexed by the Nicholls thing right now.

First thing first: is Nicholls better than last year? If not, then the only logical thing is to go with Gibbons. Give Gibbons his experience and potentially you get better upside. But obviously .849% last year is pathetic and not close to good enough. Nicholls needs to be closer to what Lalonde was last year around .880%, at minimum. Or to me you just go with the rookie and let him learn. But that of course depends on his maturity and mindset.

Regardless the age status of Nicholls doesn’t matter right now. He won’t be here next year. Kyrou won’t be here either. So they really only have 4 potential OAs competing in Saganiuk, Bressette, Kulakov, Johnston. Given that Kulakov is an import, he’s much more likely to be shuffled out. That said, we can’t sign our imports so maybe he’s safe. Who knows. But regardless, they only have 4 guys in that potential OA fit for next year. That’s not an issue to address at some point next August. To me, that should have zero bearing on whether we keep Nicholls around or not. The only 2 factors should be 1) How much better is Nicholls and then 2) Is Gibbons ready to contribute right now?

If they feel better about Nicholls this camp/preseason, then the least they can do is give him 2-4 games. See what it looks. You can always go to Gibbons later on in the year or for some games later on in the year / when they get injuries. In the meantime, a little lower level seasoning and confidence for Gibbons might be beneficial. If Nicholls is the same guy as a year ago, then no point in wasting time. Just go with the rookie or make a trade for a cheap backup

 

[G0Otters]

The penalties definitely stuck out in my mind...

For their home game last Sunday against Saginaw if the 2 and 10s counted, our team would have been well over 60 minutes of assessed penalties.

20, 20, 24, 10. When you are set to spend 1/3 of the game in a 5 on 4 situation it is definitely handicapping your potential. Hopefully it's just over-agressive play with kids wanting to make the roster, but I agree it needs reigned in.

It was good to see Gibbons play a fairly solid night again stat wise. Take away his 5 goals on 7 shots and he is sitting at an impressive. 923 save percentage the rest of the way whereas Nicholls is at .887%. I think if we want a true idea of these two goalies they will need to play full games as others have suggested.

So far scoring and points distribution has been well rounded so to me, that makes it harder on the coaches but pretty good. Maybe they are the "average but complete team" that plays above their skill level without a premier scoring forward? In any event, the kids seem to he playing hard and I can't imagine the roster decisions will be easy as to keep up someone like McDonald or Messier and trade an underperforming 04 or 05.

Take away the 6 goals Nicholls has allowed and he is sitting at a more impressive 100% save percentage.

 

[Mata]

Way to go Kryou and Sova!!!

 

[Moroz]

Spencer Sova has been named to the Buffalo Sabres training camp roster: Sabres announce 2022 training camp roster . By all accounts, he was very impressive in the Sabres' Prospect Challenge Tournament over the weekend.

 

[LDN]

What’s the lowdown on the Otters for tonight’s game?

 

[OttersFan]

Anyone have a way to view the game for free? I could buy OHL season pass, but I have to wait for a season ticket holders discount code to get it cheaper.

 

[StingUpdates]

Anyone have a way to view the game for free? I could buy OHL season pass, but I have to wait for a season ticket holders discount code to get it cheaper.

Believe they r streaming the game on chl TV tonight as a "free view"

 

[OttersFan]

Believe they r streaming the game on chl TV tonight as a "free view"

That’s what I was hoping to find. I tried using the CHL website to view it but it said that I needed to register to play it.

 

[StingUpdates]

That’s what I was hoping to find. I tried using the CHL website to view it but it said that I needed to register to play it.

Signing up is free. Just need to put name/email & that's all. Might take u to a screen of season passes but don't click any of those.

 

[OttersFan]

Signing up is free. Just need to put name/email & that's all. Might take u to a screen of season passes but don't click any of those.

I will do that. Thanks! I figured I was too early and the site hasn’t updated yet.

 

[7D442]

Why isn’t LaLonde in ?? I see Brochu is

 

[OttersFan]

Why isn’t LaLonde in ?? I see Brochu is

LaLonde is a lock. Brochu is too, but Nicholls and Gibbons have to battle it out for back up.

Someone finally wised up and gave Nicholls an entire game. I hope Gibbons gets the whole game tomorrow.

 

[EON]

Team played decently last night, 5v5 play was solid and the PK was good, the PP continues to be an absolute disaster. Strong game for Nicholls overall imo, glad they gave him a full game.

Hopefully Gibbons gets that chance tonight so we can truly see what he can do. As of right now I would personally lean towards Nicholls being the backup and Gibbons going down to a lower level for more playing time. Nicholls looks improved and I think they can trust him to play ~25 games so Lalonde plays closer to the 40-45 game level.

 

[NOA]

Team played decently last night, 5v5 play was solid and the PK was good, the PP continues to be an absolute disaster. Strong game for Nicholls overall imo, glad they gave him a full game.

Hopefully Gibbons gets that chance tonight so we can truly see what he can do. As of right now I would personally lean towards Nicholls being the backup and Gibbons going down to a lower level for more playing time. Nicholls looks improved and I think they can trust him to play ~25 games so Lalonde plays closer to the 40-45 game level.

Yup totally agree on the BUG situation. It’s just safer to go with Nicholls to start. Give Gibbons some lower level time and if crap hits the fan with it and Nicholls reverts to last year performance, you can always call up Gibbons and give him a look. It’s harder to start with Gibbons and then go back to Nicholls if needed.

The PP will continue to be a disaster until we get more high end talent here. Molnar would have helped but in the meantime, they need to do a better job of puck movement and set plays. It looks so amateur out there and for that, I blame the coaching

 

[nelli27]

Sedore looked great today.

 

[NOA]

Let’s hope this means Lalonde is just that much better this year that there was no need to give him preseason action. Erie needs good goaltending combined with a veteran defensive core to be successful. They aren’t going to win many games 5-4 or 6-5. They have to be able to win 3-2. So Lalonde is critical to the success of the season. Gibbons/Nicholls need to be decent as backups but Lalonde has to establish himself as a former 2nd round pick and be a consistent #1 goalie. I have significant doubts about the ability for Lalonde or the defense to be consistent enough but hey, that’s our only hope going into this season. Otherwise it’s the same type of 9th seed type of season.

 

[GetOutDaKitchin]

This piece on Malcolm Spence from the Erie Times-News was well-written and interesting. Wish pieces like this were more frequent:

Erie Otters see all they hoped for in OHL No. 2 pick Malcolm Spence, 'plus a little more'

Hard work is making a difference for Erie Otters rookie Malcolm Spence, a left winger selected No. 2 overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection.

www.goerie.com

 

[Mata]

Final thoughts before the season opens...

Lalonde and our defense will need to be the stability necessary for this team to grind out wins early. Our back-up goalie situation will likely be what keeps us in or out of the playoffs. Kyrou and Sova should provide odd man rushes with their offensive prowess from the blue line and hopefully can help our struggling PP while Kulakov and Morton provide the much needed muscle. I would love to see jumps from Johnston, Sauder and Alboim as Holomego and Henry will likely be sent down and called up only when necessary.

Offensively, we will likely struggle early. Can Cohen carry the same offensive power he did last season being an OA? We've seen jumps from the likes of Yeti, Golod, and even D'Amato in recent years. Do we have any other offensive players willing to step up and lead/mentor our growing youth? Sedore, Bressette, Terrance, Saganiuk, or even perhaps Sam Alfano will help determine early success. How will our smaller players in Signoretti, Artichuk, and Saganiuk impact play or are they just too small? Do Lowe and Smith have the talent to make a jump into possibly the top 6 at some point? Messier, Edwards, and McDonald could be poised to push for more ice if they are consistent early, especially McDonald and Messier being bigger in size. And lastly, how will the future of our organization be defined in Malcom Spence? This kid at just 16 carries almost as much weight as McDavid did when it comes to the future of our organization. Does he live up to the hype or do we end up moving him like other high end talent (Lockhart, Fowler, Swankler, and Sproule)?

In a make or break season, our management from Dave Brown to the coaching staff will likely be under the microscope, and rightly so, as to whether we have the off-ice leadership to nurture these kids and get them to their true potential. I expect lots of variations of lines early up front until the chemistry comes together and in the back, the top 4 should remain consistent unless injuries arise. I believe we will see a lot of Lalonde and depending on the confidence in Nicholls and Gibbons, maybe even more than we'd like. Is there another trade on the horizon? I believe it is not out of the question depending on how we perform through the first half of the season. If there is a trade is it another burn like a Sopa trade or do we finally connect on one? There are more questions than certainties and the longer the playoff drought continues the more imperative it is to fill the urgency of making a top 8 to reignite a fan base that has been more than patient in the last 5 years.

Final thoughts on lines...

Lalonde -> Nicholls -> Gibbons

Kyrou - Morton
Sova - Kulakov
Johnston - Sauder
Alboim
Minors - Henry/Holomego

Cohen - Sedore - Bressette
Saganiuk - Terrance - Alfano
Spence - Artichuk - Lowe
Smith - Edwards - Signoretti
Minors - McDonald/Messier

 

[Erie Otters Zone]