I suppose it is possible Chicago wants Misiak on the wing, Anaheim wants Terrance on the wing, Erie wants improved relations with the agent for Frasca, and Butler will let an undrafted 18 yr old dictate where and with whom he plays.
Erie Otters 2023-24 Offseason Thread (Part 2)
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I suppose it is possible Chicago wants Misiak on the wing, Anaheim wants Terrance on the wing, Erie wants improved relations with the agent for Frasca, and Butler will let an undrafted 18 yr old dictate where and with whom he plays.
frontsfan67
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Dirty I don’t know if you missed this but Spence and frasca both wanted to play together very badly- it resulted in frasca forcing his way out of Kingston.
Is there a chance of a second line looking like LW Spence C Frasca and RW Alfano?
Put Spence and Frasca together for sure as a LW and C and then whether it’s Terrance/Misiak/Molnar/Alfano with them 2 that’s how things go. Alfano just put up 60 points as a RW
Top line of Terrance LW, Fimis C and Misiak RW?
Second line Spence LW Frasca C and Alfano RW
Third line Molnar LW Smith C?? Edwards RW
4th Challenger LW Hammond C??? Royston RW??
Very solid forward group
Erie drafted an import goalie. If Misiak comes back, Molnar gets moved.
frontsfan67
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True. Forgot molnar is an import. My bad. Assume challenger gets moved up 1 then maybe.
I am aware Frasca wanted to be with Spence.
It is an excellent forward group.
I don’t know how you break up Edwards-Fimis. Maybe Butler is ok with writing up the game sheet with Frasca 2nd line but playing him as 7th in terms of TOI.
Edwards-Fimis-Alfano
Misiak-Frasca-Royston
Spence-Terrance-[Molnar(3rd import?)]
Challenger-(Messier?)-Hammond
And Smith is not staying as an OA - Misiak, Alfano, Fimis would be their OAs. I can’t imagine Erie traded McDonald in order to keep Smith..
I see your point dirty12 but … Too many people on this thread are OBSESSED with keeping any part of the “FEAr” line together. It’s possible they end up doing so but I think it’s a bit wild for fans to act like it’s crazy talk to do so or “how do they possibly split up that group!!” Again, this isn’t a Strome/Debrincat type of chemistry where you have two elite players that drive 1.5-2.0 ppg production.
Like I said, they could end up keeping them together but I don’t think the coaching staff or the management is looking at it as if they have to protect that or can’t consider tweaking things. And any coaching staff at this level worth a damn is going to be open minded to mixing and matching some line combos in camp to see what works.
frontsfan67
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Not my team was just contributing to the conversation. Thought I saw he was an 06. I obviously read it too fast
If we keep lines similar to last season and part of the condition was to play with Spence...
Terrance/Frasca/Spence
Fimis/Edwards/Alfano
However, that doesn't take into account the Misiak/Molnar situation. One of those two would have to go. IF they traded Molnar for another mid line player you could have a little wiggle room. If Misiak stays he's going to likely demand top minutes (Chigago) and I can't imagine Molnar demands any less than top 6. Then you'd IMO be looking to push Edwards or Alfano to line 3 depending on what we'd get in the next trade and they are arguably our best to goal scorers who return.
The only certainty I see here is DB and Butler can't be done and more pieces need to move to make this roster work for the season. As the roster stands today, I don't currently see Frasca in the top 2 lines under any circumstances but just my two cents.
Here's what I see right now with our Forwards.
Spence/Terrance will likely play together. You need another larger body forward whom is fast to compliment their play IMO.
Fimis is a wildcard in that his style of play suits a wide variety of players. Perhaps we see Fimis and Edwards to start things off.
I like Alfano and Roysten together for the fact that they are a change of pace from the first two pairings. Big body guys who can hold the puck, protect it, and we know Alfano can score and hoping Roysten makes the jump in production.
That leaves Misiak/Molnar? and Frasca to work into the top 2 lines in that instance you COULD put Frasca with Spence/Terrance and then Misiak/Molnar with Fimis, or vice versa.
One of Challenger, Hammond, Messier, would round out the 3rd line with the remainder, plus anyone new, including Toroptsev, fighting for 4th line minutes.
The monkey in all of this is we know if rumors are true regarding Misiak they need to move either Molnar or Misiak. If they do, would the return be picks or another 6 - 9 player? If it's another legit top 6 player (even trade) it complicates where Frasca fits IMO.
I personally believe at this point when we move someone we will be looking to get picks back as compensation. We have a pretty solid 3 lines as it stands up front and we know the 4th line will almost always be developmental.
The only area we MIGHT be able to pick up something is on defense. A Molnar trade or a Misiak trade for a veteran defender to help mentor the 3rd line pairing. My belief is Smith will be moved for a late round pick.
Schaefer/Henry
Daviault/Sauder
Holomego/Knight?
Then whatever new players make a case at camp...
Not sold on that 3rd line, especially with Holomego's struggles and Knight really never playing in the OHL outside of the playoff call up. It would go a long way to bring in a solid veteran defenseman to mentor the couple of young defenders we will carry and allow the top 2 pairings to do their thing.
Erie moving Sova/Mcdonald yesterday, combined with the rumors Zin shared weeks ago suggests that not only is Misiak coming back but Erie is planning to keep him over Molnar. They already cleared out space with the OA situation and Smith will be cut by end of camp/before the season. It’s possible Molnar just doesn’t come back to NA this year? If so, problem solved on its own with Misiak returning. If Molnar is back, Erie is trading him because he will have better value on the trade market due to no OA tag.
Terrance
Spence
Fimis
Frasca
Misiak
Alfano
Edwards
That’s a pretty good forward group. I still think they probably need to add a veteran bottom 6 player at some point but time will tell. Hammond/Royston/Challenger can then compete for the other 3rd line spot. Reading up on Frasca, it seems like he could be in a similar spot to what Fimis was last year. Both players were former 1st rounders with skill/upside but just didn’t really put it together yet. Frasca was mocked as high as 2/3rd round pick this past NHL draft. It wouldn’t shock me if a change in scenery can spark a big jump in his production. No question Erie has some talented forwards and about 7 forwards who I don’t think anyone would be shocked to see at a PPG or above. The question is do they start to reach their potential?
Terrance
Spence
Fimis
Frasca
Misiak
Alfano
Edwards
That’s a pretty good forward group. I still think they probably need to add a veteran bottom 6 player at some point but time will tell. Hammond/Royston/Challenger can then compete for the other 3rd line spot. Reading up on Frasca, it seems like he could be in a similar spot to what Fimis was last year. Both players were former 1st rounders with skill/upside but just didn’t really put it together yet. Frasca was mocked as high as 2/3rd round pick this past NHL draft. It wouldn’t shock me if a change in scenery can spark a big jump in his production. No question Erie has some talented forwards and about 7 forwards who I don’t think anyone would be shocked to see at a PPG or above. The question is do they start to reach their potential?
Kingpin794
Smart A** In A Jersey
Well Fimis is 2 years older. I was trying to compare where Fimis was over a year ago, which even in that spot - Fimis was older than Frasca is currently
I hear ya.
Overall, I’m content with their recent moves. They signed their goalie, and they got younger by bringing in Frasca and the rights to Bryan. At some point, imo, they needed to at least add a middle 6 forward if they actually wanted to make a true run this year. With the assets they have, it was going to be tough to do that unless they got creative. Hard to say if that’s why they moved Sova or if it was related to Misiak situation or both. Either way, I like that they added an 2006 forward, rather than an 05, and they still added someone with upside who at minimum is a good 3rd liner.
Now the priorities are:
Backup goalie
Depth of defense
Depth on offense
Some of these holes could be fixed with the current roster or guys in the system who pop in camp. Ideally, 1/2 of these things are addressed internally. Then they can address the other through a trade closer to the deadline as needed.
I believe their current cupboards (2-5th rounds) look like this:
2025: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
2026: 2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th
2027: 3rd, 5th
2028: 4th, 5th
If they really wanted to, they could definitely add a player or 2 - but it will wipe out much of the above. I’m personally fine with that IF they are willing to trade their high end players next year regardless of the season or situation they are in. If you trade Schaefer/Spence next year, you probably get 8-10 high end picks and 1/2 young players in return and the cupboards are better than normal. They are in a much better situation than 2017 to immediately recoup the picks and then some so long as they are smart (which I have my doubts).
Overall, I’m content with their recent moves. They signed their goalie, and they got younger by bringing in Frasca and the rights to Bryan. At some point, imo, they needed to at least add a middle 6 forward if they actually wanted to make a true run this year. With the assets they have, it was going to be tough to do that unless they got creative. Hard to say if that’s why they moved Sova or if it was related to Misiak situation or both. Either way, I like that they added an 2006 forward, rather than an 05, and they still added someone with upside who at minimum is a good 3rd liner.
Now the priorities are:
Backup goalie
Depth of defense
Depth on offense
Some of these holes could be fixed with the current roster or guys in the system who pop in camp. Ideally, 1/2 of these things are addressed internally. Then they can address the other through a trade closer to the deadline as needed.
I believe their current cupboards (2-5th rounds) look like this:
2025: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
2026: 2nd, 4th, 4th, 5th
2027: 3rd, 5th
2028: 4th, 5th
If they really wanted to, they could definitely add a player or 2 - but it will wipe out much of the above. I’m personally fine with that IF they are willing to trade their high end players next year regardless of the season or situation they are in. If you trade Schaefer/Spence next year, you probably get 8-10 high end picks and 1/2 young players in return and the cupboards are better than normal. They are in a much better situation than 2017 to immediately recoup the picks and then some so long as they are smart (which I have my doubts).
I like these moves. Loads up the team even more this season, plus still allows them to unload Schaefer/Spence/Frasca next season to replenish the cupboards and expedite the next rebuild.
As for what the roster will look like this season, it's starting to come more into focus. Aside from dealing away extra forwards, I don't think they need to make any more moves. Later on in the season they will likely have to address the third line and depth on defense if they're going to try and compete with London for the West.
My current guess would be:
Terrance - Fimis - Misiak/Molnar
Spence - Frasca - Alfano
Messier - Hammond - Edwards
Challenger - Phillips - Royston
Toropstev
Top 7 forwards (Terrance/Fimis/Misiak/Molnar/Spence/Frasca/Alfano/Edwards) are fairly interchangeable, as are the bottom 5 imo. Will just come down to who shows up in camp and the chemistry that Butler can find. It's a really good forward group though, great high-end talent. Probably one good third line forward away from being set. If Misiak returns, trade Molnar for whatever you can get. Similarly, trade Smith for whatever you can get if Misiak returns (though if he doesn't, I don't think it would be outrageous to keep him as the 3rd OA until at least the trade deadline to help stabilize the 3rd line, with Molnar in the top 6).
Schaefer - Henry
Daviault - Sauder
Holomego/Knight/Ambrosio/Bryan
Even with the loss of Sova, still a pretty solid D-core, though there is a lot riding on the progression of Schaefer. I liked that they cleared the path for him though to be the clear #1 and the PP QB. I can see them needing to make an upgrade on the 2nd pair at some point this season and pushing Daviault or Sauder down to the 3rd pair.
Erliden
Gibbons/Burns
I think they are set in net. Erliden should give them a solid ~40/45 games or so. I think one of Gibbons/Burns will emerge as a viable backup and give them ~20/25 competent games.
They should be a very good team this season, top 4 in the conference. They don't have a lot of assets left but there should be enough to make a push if the team looks like a contender by the trade deadline. Excited to see what they can do!
As for what the roster will look like this season, it's starting to come more into focus. Aside from dealing away extra forwards, I don't think they need to make any more moves. Later on in the season they will likely have to address the third line and depth on defense if they're going to try and compete with London for the West.
My current guess would be:
Terrance - Fimis - Misiak/Molnar
Spence - Frasca - Alfano
Messier - Hammond - Edwards
Challenger - Phillips - Royston
Toropstev
Top 7 forwards (Terrance/Fimis/Misiak/Molnar/Spence/Frasca/Alfano/Edwards) are fairly interchangeable, as are the bottom 5 imo. Will just come down to who shows up in camp and the chemistry that Butler can find. It's a really good forward group though, great high-end talent. Probably one good third line forward away from being set. If Misiak returns, trade Molnar for whatever you can get. Similarly, trade Smith for whatever you can get if Misiak returns (though if he doesn't, I don't think it would be outrageous to keep him as the 3rd OA until at least the trade deadline to help stabilize the 3rd line, with Molnar in the top 6).
Schaefer - Henry
Daviault - Sauder
Holomego/Knight/Ambrosio/Bryan
Even with the loss of Sova, still a pretty solid D-core, though there is a lot riding on the progression of Schaefer. I liked that they cleared the path for him though to be the clear #1 and the PP QB. I can see them needing to make an upgrade on the 2nd pair at some point this season and pushing Daviault or Sauder down to the 3rd pair.
Erliden
Gibbons/Burns
I think they are set in net. Erliden should give them a solid ~40/45 games or so. I think one of Gibbons/Burns will emerge as a viable backup and give them ~20/25 competent games.
They should be a very good team this season, top 4 in the conference. They don't have a lot of assets left but there should be enough to make a push if the team looks like a contender by the trade deadline. Excited to see what they can do!
I'll admit I was too and then I looked at his stats. He had a pretty good season after being sent down to Trenton in the OJHL. 43 points in 34 games. Looks to be filling out slightly and is listed at 5"10 and 175. Perhaps having some OHL experience if the team was looking to make a deeper run his name could be a part of the discussion. However, I almost wonder if being an 05 his window has closed with us and Stan will look to develop the future instead.
with Misiak at camp, it seems all but certain he will be back in Erie this year and possible the team already informed Molnar of this. Surprised they couldn’t find a way to trade him but also possible Molnar decided to go back home rather than stay in the OHL
Looks like they mixed up Bryan’s first/last name but good to see him at camp! Even if he’s only a 3rd pairing option, it’s a good add to the team and gives them more flexibility and offers better competition. He’s definitely on my radar this camp and preseason
As for Artichuk - they need camp bodies so it’s not too surprising to see him back. I doubt he’s back on the reg season roster but as a 4th liner, I could see him being an option if he’s improved and gotten bigger/stronger.
Also for goalies - it seems like they have a lot at camp. In the past 6-7 seemed normal but they have 10. Maybe they are really trying to find a good backup option and throwing as much darts to the wall for camp to see if they can find someone to be in that spot because they are uneasy at best with what they have returning from last year. 9 guys competing for it with Erliden locked in
Looks like they mixed up Bryan’s first/last name but good to see him at camp! Even if he’s only a 3rd pairing option, it’s a good add to the team and gives them more flexibility and offers better competition. He’s definitely on my radar this camp and preseason
As for Artichuk - they need camp bodies so it’s not too surprising to see him back. I doubt he’s back on the reg season roster but as a 4th liner, I could see him being an option if he’s improved and gotten bigger/stronger.
Also for goalies - it seems like they have a lot at camp. In the past 6-7 seemed normal but they have 10. Maybe they are really trying to find a good backup option and throwing as much darts to the wall for camp to see if they can find someone to be in that spot because they are uneasy at best with what they have returning from last year. 9 guys competing for it with Erliden locked in
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