Erie Otters 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part One)

[NOA]

Wasn't performing or wasn't given the opportunity to perform?

Being honest, he's got size against him, much like Bressette, however BJ ran lines 1 and 2 ragged and he was, probably rightfully so on the 3rd or 4th line most nights and saw very little ice.

The fact he was given a 2nd chance and has used every minute to prove his worth has been nothing short of amazing and you can't take anything away from him.

Which is why I said it was both his performance but also lack of opportunity/development. Performance and work ethic leads to opportunity but we can’t minimize the coaching or even the size when guys like Messier are still here. Either way, kudos to Edwards for just getting to work and getting better, gaining confidence. He earned it and I’m happy he’s proving doubters wrong

 

[Mata]

Which is why I said it was both his performance but also lack of opportunity/development. Performance and work ethic leads to opportunity but we can’t minimize the coaching or even the size when guys like Messier are still here. Either way, kudos to Edwards for just getting to work and getting better, gaining confidence. He earned it and I’m happy he’s proving doubters wrong

I also agree with you it makes our top 6 look better for next season, but man, we're gonna have to figure some things out for our 3rd and 4th line and goaltending!

We know Bressette, Johnston, Gaudreau, Fraser are 100% gone. We have to assume Misiak, Smith, and McDonald are gone. That's a big chunk of talent to replace. Johnston played much stronger that I thought he would going into the season. Bressette started slow but came around. Misiak for me was a little underwhelming from how he was projected, but still a top player on most teams and I can live with that. Smith had a down year and McDonald played better than expected for me.

Roysten, Hammond, Toroptsev, and Messier need to make huge jumps (I think Roysten should) and I'm not sold on Holomego and to be honest at this point, Sauder either.

 

[dirty12]

I think Hammond, Messier, and Royston is a solid foundation for the bottom six. Butler will have little to no trouble assembling an effective fourth line

 

[NOA]

I think Hammond, Messier, and Royston is a solid foundation for the bottom six. Butler will have little to no trouble assembling an effective fourth line

Misiak is likely gone but that opens up an import spot. They will also have their 2024 1st round pick. So, a few new bodies should be added. Depth will need to be addressed but that’s affordable in the trade market and through development. Goalie by far the biggest need on the team but if they can figure that out, they should at minimum be a middle pack team again next year.

Regarding Misiak, I’m a little disappointed in the production they got from him. I was against the pick from day 1, and while he provided skill to the team - he only managed 47 points. I don’t think a 1st overall pick is worth one season of that ….
From the beginning I said I would much rather have a 17/18 year old that you can project for next year’s team. Complete misuse of a real assest but with DB running things, I can’t be surprised

 

[dirty12]

A top 17-18 yr import would have been better for sure. But the import draft is tough, tougher without Russians available; I think Mysiak turned out to be a good pick for Erie. Maybe he has a playoff similar to the one he had in the USHL last season. And maybe Erie now has good relations with an agent for imports.
If the OAs are Alfano, Fimis, and Sova; and Erie lands another good import, they should be well above the middle.

 

[NOA]

A top 17-18 yr import would have been better for sure. But the import draft is tough, tougher without Russians available; I think Mysiak turned out to be a good pick for Erie. Maybe he has a playoff similar to the one he had in the USHL last season. And maybe Erie now has good relations with an agent for imports.
If the OAs are Alfano, Fimis, and Sova; and Erie lands another good import, they should be well above the middle.

The issue is the age and knowing he was a one and done. When you are still trying to build something and you knew this year wasn’t a top end type of team, it just didn’t make sense. But again, DB has consistently approached things like this across the board, like with trades and their management of 2nd-3rd round picks. They have refused to have patience and ultimately it has delayed their climb back to the top. Just my opinion here but I have a hard time saying it was a good pick considering all the context and especially now, knowing that he wasn’t even a top 3 forward for them. I get it, the import draft is hard. But something tells me it’s harder for them because they just aren’t good at it.. so I’m not going to just excuse it by saying it’s hard to get players. Be better. I’m pretty sure they could have found a younger player. Misiak wasn’t the only one available. They just have been desperate to sniff success again

Yes, next year they should be a good team but until we see how the goalie situation shakes out - I’ll reserve expectations. We saw how much it hurt them this year and that was with BG playing a good chunk of games. With better goalie play this year, they are closer to 40 wins. The lack of development of Lalonde/Gibbons has killed them. If those 2 guys were legit, we would be confident about next season being a team that has a chance to make a run for it

 

[DCruickshank]

I know I missed it somewhere...but can someone remind me how Erie was able to play with as many OA's on their roster as they did

 

[HockeyPops]

EBUG

 

[DCruickshank]

EBUG

Did not know that an EBUG could be an OA....seems not necessary to me but what do I know

 

[NOA]

Did not know that an EBUG could be an OA....seems not necessary to me but what do I know

Well considering BG was one of their OA and was inactive, it seems reasonable to allow that exception to the OA rule. Plus didn’t the rule recently change to being able to have 4 OAs if one was a goalie? But you can still only dress 3? If so, Erie still only has 4 OAs

 

[HockeyPops]

I don't think that rule ended up changing.

 

[NOA]

I don't think that rule ended up changing.

Thanks for clarifying. I couldn’t remember and OHL doesn’t make things like that easily accessible

 

[onetimeshot]

Who remembers when teams were only allowed two OA's...

 

[onetimeshot]

10th overall pick on 4/12/24

 

[Mata]

Predictions:

Erie in 6

 

[Erie Otters Zone]

How do you think the Otters address the goalie situation next year? Go with Gibbons or Burns? Trade for a goalie or OA like this year? Anyone know of any good goalie prospects to draft?

 

[EON]

Looking forward to watching some meaningful playoff hockey for the Otters. If Terrance and Gaudreau returns, they could definitely win this series. Kitchener won the first 4 games in the season series, but Erie won the last 2. We'll see though, goaltending is a big question mark if Gaudreau isn't back. Either way, hopefully some entertaining games and at least a few wins for the Otters.

 

[SSMHoundsFan]

What's Gaudreau out for? I am assuming injury but how bad?

 

[OttersFan]

What's Gaudreau out for? I am assuming injury but how bad?

He took a puck to his foot/ankle when we were in SOO in January. He had a return window of 8-10 weeks with this being the 9th week.

 

[Mata]

How do you think the Otters address the goalie situation next year? Go with Gibbons or Burns? Trade for a goalie or OA like this year? Anyone know of any good goalie prospects to draft?

Wait to see how they progess going into camp...

Trade for a number 1 goalie if they aren't satisfied with either.

If they like 1, I suspect they will get rid of the other and look for a suitable backup.

At this point, however, I feel like a trade and/or import goalie would be the most likely road taken.

 

[JRHockeyBUZZZ]

Happy First Day of playoffs!
Kitchener Rangers (4) Taking on Erie Otters (5) Game 1 Friday Night 7:00 At the Aud.

Rangers are entering the post season being lead by 50 goal scorer and Kraken draft pick. Carson Rehkopf. the Kraken prospect finished the regular season with 95 points in 60 game played. Another highly touted prospect this time of the Flames Hunter Brzustewicz comes in as perhaps the favourite to take him the OHL's D-Man of the year. The Recently acquired Flames prospect finished the year with 92 Points in 67GP. Overage forward and Kitchener's own Matthew Sop looks to continue his childhood dream playing for the Rangers and bring a championship back to the Aud. In between the pipes will be 19 year old Jackson Parsons. He is looking to build off a terrific season in which he posted a record of 27-18-2 with an .897 Save% - In the 2022 playoffs Parsons took his game to another level posting a .928 Save% so we will be looking to Parsons to be a big game goalie and improve on an already great season.

On the other end of the ice we will have the Otters lead by 04 born Pano Fimis who lead the Otters with 76 Points. Carey Terrance the Ducks prospect looks to improve on an almost PPG season by driving the Otters into 2nd round appearance. Slovak born Molnar & Misak (CHI) look to continue their productive seasons coming into a round one date with the Blue shirts. In what was likely the craziest of seasons in goal for any OHL club (Ignoring Connor Crisp) the Otters had 8 different goalies play at least one game for them. in What is also one of the craziest stories of the season they have found stability with Overage rookie & former Firebirds U18 2nd Round Pick Ethan Fraser. Fraser who was playing with the Lindsay Muskies in the Ontario Jr Hockey League (OJHL). Fraser posted a record of 22-18-2 before getting the call from Otters GM Dave Brown and heading to Pennsylvania to backstop the Otters. Since getting to Erie Fraser has posted a record of 6-1-1 with a Save% of .904 & 1 Shutout.

I think this series is going to be a fun back & forth match-up Similar to the season series (Rangers 4-1-1) (Otters 2-3-1)
with home ice playing a huge factor as both the Aud & EIA are 2 of the best atmospheres in the league.

I give a slight edge to the Rangers & their depth but with that being said can Fraser & the Otters continue and complete a cinderella story!?

My prediction is Otters in 7

 

[GetOutDaKitchin]

Wait to see how they progess going into camp...

Trade for a number 1 goalie if they aren't satisfied with either.

If they like 1, I suspect they will get rid of the other and look for a suitable backup.

At this point, however, I feel like a trade and/or import goalie would be the most likely road taken.

That last sentence ^^^ is it. You cannot go into next season without doing something to address the goaltending situation. You have to get someone who's a bit more of a proven commodity. That's either going to come via trade or import draft.

Looking at OHL rosters, I wonder if Guelph would consider trading Damian Slavik. He's a 6'4, 187 '05 from Slovakia that had a solid 891 SV% and 3.01 GAA in 23 games this season. Guelph's no. 1 netminder, Brayden Gillespie, is also an '05, and got the lion's share of the starts for them. Would make sense for Guelph to move Slavik, free up an import spot to get an impact player at a bigger position of need and bring in a younger goalie to back up Gillespie and be the goalie of the future.

Molnar is Slovak, so Slavik would likely have a fellow countryman on the team....Fruit for thought.

 

[TonyB]

How do you think the Otters address the goalie situation next year? Go with Gibbons or Burns? Trade for a goalie or OA like this year? Anyone know of any good goalie prospects to draft?

Might want to go OA to stabilize the young goalies as neither has been proven.

 

[OttersFan]

My prediction this year is one that’s hard to make. I keep going back and forth between Erie in 6 or 7.

Selfishly I’d rather it get done in 5 because a game on a solar eclipse sounds awful. We might as well pitch a tent on the EIA lawn for parking.

At the end of the day, I want Erie to steal round one. If Benny and Carey are back, I could see us making some noise. It’s going to be a tough series for Kitchener as Erie has proven they can skate with them. We just have to figure out how to win in the Aud. We haven’t had much success there, but with Kitchener going backwards at the deadline, we could figure it out. Erie left around 1pm yesterday so bus legs shouldn’t be a huge issue.

The FEAr line has been outstanding and I hope they continue.

I’m going to go Erie in 6. It would be special for Erie to win the series on home ice.

I wouldn’t be disappointed if they did it in 7 though.

 

[onetimeshot]

Good luck tonight. Should be one heck of a series.