Erie Otters 2024 25 Season Thread Part I

[Mata]

This seems like either Dave Brown knows something or the ONLY person they talked to who would report was roughly the 47th best ranked overall player for this draft class.

Not a knock on the kid, but you can't tell me with the 12th pick there was no one else willing to report?

 

[Mata]

 

[Mata]

Also, FWIW, no statements from DB on social media today regarding the picks.

 

[NOA]

This seems like either Dave Brown knows something or the ONLY person they talked to who would report was roughly the 47th best ranked overall player for this draft class.

Not a knock on the kid, but you can't tell me with the 12th pick there was no one else willing to report?

No chance it was their only option..
their scouting dept just sucks and they reach EVERY single year. Always.

 

[NOA]

I don’t think Erie has taken this many US born players, let alone 5 in their top 8 picks, since ever? Interesting strategy especially after recent years of getting burned on these prospects. Maybe they finally got better at scouting / identifying top US targets that they know have real interest in coming here? Time will tell but this feels like a boom or complete bust type draft ..

 

[ZinErie]

The kid from the Buffalo Jr Sabres is a local. From Warren, PA.

 

[NOA]

Yes because when I think 1st round, 12th overall, I think “solid role player”

 

[Mata]

The kid from the Buffalo Jr Sabres is a local. From Warren, PA.

Sol is a great kid... watched him skate a few times. Good size, maybe a year or two of development and he could have a decent shot, but never know. These kids can make big jumps quickly.

 

[Mata]

Yes because when I think 1st round, 12th overall, I think “solid role player”

I'm moving from DB has to go to the entire Brown family seeing how Devin is the director of scouting.

 

[NOA]

I'm moving from DB has to go to the entire Brown family seeing how Devin is the director of scouting.

I chuckled out loud when I saw Devin on the social media page. That family basically owns the team now with JWs passing. I don’t feel great about either of them especially in the roles they have.. And SGrieve must be a son to DB because he keeps having this prominent role but like if he was so good, wouldn’t we see the results and/or wouldn’t this ‘young talent’ have been scooped up by another franchise by now? The issue with the org is scouting and overall strategy with team building. Both come down to cheap, incompetent people in charge. I don’t feel confident about much moving forward. Limited draft assets, likely to lose Schaefer for nothing in return after basically barely having him, and the roster / young talent looks bleak. Don’t feel great about the new coach either. I guess I can look forward to game 2 tonight where they probably get smoked

 

[Mata]

I chuckled out loud when I saw Devin on the social media page. That family basically owns the team now with JWs passing. I don’t feel great about either of them especially in the roles they have.. And SGrieve must be a son to DB because he keeps having this prominent role but like if he was so good, wouldn’t we see the results and/or wouldn’t this ‘young talent’ have been scooped up by another franchise by now? The issue with the org is scouting and overall strategy with team building. Both come down to cheap, incompetent people in charge. I don’t feel confident about much moving forward. Limited draft assets, likely to lose Schaefer for nothing in return after basically barely having him, and the roster / young talent looks bleak. Don’t feel great about the new coach either. I guess I can look forward to game 2 tonight where they probably get smoked

One of the son in laws and daughter have taken over the team. After JWs passing Scott was promoted to the acting Premier or whatever it is called where he was the top guy for the Otters. Prior to that he was the Chief Financial Officer.

That's kind of where DB has disappeared into the lime light. Also agree, next year looks brutal, at least right now.

 

[Guy In Burlington]

Sol is a great kid... watched him skate a few times. Good size, maybe a year or two of development and he could have a decent shot, but never know. These kids can make big jumps quickly.

Coached against his teams for a couple of years when he was a Buffalo Regal. That whole team was a hard working gritty bunch and I liked Wolf a lot.

 

[Mata]

Realistically speaking, if we fired DB, the scouts, and all the old brass so to speak. Given our draft stock, the liklihood of us losing Schaefer next season along with almost all valuable assets this season:

How many years do you think it would take to realistically rebuild this organization from a team perspective?

I honestly believe with the shape we are in right now, exiting this season, it would take roughly 4 to 5 years if we are being honest.

 

[M21]

Knights fan here (not trolling) just have to say the Otters white uniforms are the best in the OHL and the shoulder patch is awesome.

 

[CHL2024]

Realistically speaking, if we fired DB, the scouts, and all the old brass so to speak. Given our draft stock, the liklihood of us losing Schaefer next season along with almost all valuable assets this season:

How many years do you think it would take to realistically rebuild this organization from a team perspective?

I honestly believe with the shape we are in right now, exiting this season, it would take roughly 4 to 5 years if we are being honest.

Its a difficult question because when you drop all the way to the bottom, it becomes difficult to attract talent and retain it. Some teams know that all to well. Erie has a solid base of passionate fans, but its very obvious Erie has grown tired given the team couldn't even fill half the seats for their first playoff series win in 7 years. What is the team going to draw when they go from a slightly above mid pack team to a bottom dweller again? That creates budget issues.

Its crazy when you look around the league and see teams making solid runs ( and acquiring assets at the deadline) every 2/3 years, and Erie peaking after 7 years with one playoff series win and now will be heading back down again. I think that raises at a lot of questions about drafting, development and planning.

I think team is having a pretty solid year given a lot of adversity and a lot of the kids having their best seasons yet. Saying that, the team chose not to make the moves to make a run ( whether that was the right move or not) in the year they clearly were peaking. I think next season is very cloudy losing the majority of their offence and I'm not sure how that massive gap gets filled. Otters management is in a tough spot now but its a spot they put themselves in.

 

[Guy In Burlington]

It’s chicken and egg. Top players, those with leverage, will go to places that will spend money, treat them well, get them developed, and get them drafted as high as possible. That includes spending money on GMs and coaches. That’s why Kitchener went from being garbage in the late 90s to a top destination almost overnight; they lured DeBoer. That’s why everybody knew Dickinson being Niagara property was only temporary. And there are obviously countless other examples.

But teams have to attract guys to be able to attract other guys; the chicken and egg part.

So they’re going to have to convince agents and players that the ownership situation is stable, that the team is staying put, that its leadership (whoever it ends up being) is a top group;. That’s a start. It was good enough for Schaefer, Spence, Drysdale, etc., but things are different now. Is Mallette a guy agents like and trust? Maybe, and I hope so.

What helps Erie now are the rule changes re: NCAA eligibility. Canadian parents who might have worried about sending their kids to another country (especially given today’s political climate) at least know they don’t lose school eligibility in the process. And local kids might now think the OHL is their best option. Those rules changes help all 20 teams but I think they might help US teams a bit more.

Anyway, I hope the Otters survive and thrive after this cycle. I have a hunch Schaefer is back next year. I have no idea what Spence’s plans are but if they’re both back, those are two huge chips at the deadline. And that’s a good start for the next cycle.

Sorry for the long post. I’m at a dance competition and it’s either write this or listen to “This Is How We Do It” over and over.

 

[GetOutDaKitchin]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that DB and his crew have done a poor job and should have been fired awhile ago, BUT, as someone who spends more time following the OHL Draft and U15-U16 hockey prospects than he should, I am very, very pleased with the Otters draft this year.

YES, the Jake Murray pick at 12 is a bit of a head scratcher; however, F Tyler Cooper at 34 is an absolute steal. IMO, he's got a significantly higher ceiling than Jake Murray and should have - at a minimum - been invited to USNTDP Camp. He was THE driver in getting his team to the USA Hockey National Championship Game. His 74/61/63/124 slash line came against the best 2009 competition we have here in the States. He should sign and be in the OHL next year. He'll definitely be better than Tyler Challenger was for us this year. IMO, he's a top-20 OHL Draft talent.

Next steal was/is RW Lyndon Cabral at 81. The fact he fell that far is mind boggling to me. He's a top-40 talent. Sure, Don Mills was stacked this season, but he had the most points in GTHL games for them (33/25/27/52) and was a stud at the OHL Cup (7/3/7/10). He could play in the OHL next year, but I hope we start doing more of what London does and send him to the GOJHL (or OJHL), let him light it up, have a couple cups of coffee over the course of the season, then bring him in to play top 9 minutes in 26-27.

Next is the Broden McArthur pick at 99. He's arguably the top US-born 2009 D-man, so it's no surprise he made the NTDP and should be there for a couple of seasons, but what is crazy is that he's from TX and was passed over in the 2024 WHL Bantam Selection AND WHL US Prospects Draft, so Erie had the wherewithal to snag him before a WHL team could get him again post-NCAA decision. Just the possibility he comes for a season justifies this pick. If he were from Ontario, he'd almost certainly have been the 1st defensemen taken in the 1st Round. Will be shocked if he's not playing in the NHL one day.

Last steal, but far from the last legit prospect Erie selected, is D Anthony Valenti in the 12th (234th overall). He's a small, puck moving D from MI, and one of the best in the US. Was invited to NTDP Camp. He put up a crazy stat line: 64/11/69/80 for Honeybaked's U15 Team. For comparison, Spencer Sova put up 57/19/38/57 for that same team - albeit a more stacked one - in his OHL Draft season. Valenti's edge work is reminiscent of Jamie Drysdale's. He's legit. May need another year to get bigger and stronger, but his IQ and skating are so advanced that it would not surprise me at all if he's in the O next season.

Have followed our drafts since we picked Greg McKegg (1992) 2nd overall in 2008, and in terms of depth and quality of picks, I believe this one might be the best yet - at least on paper...

 

[ZinErie]

I saw on Twitter that McArthur father played for Sarnia and his brother was a Sting draft pick which I assume made him OHL eligible.

 

[Guy In Burlington]

I know Cabral a little. He was on the Huron-Perth team that won the All-Ontarios in 2022 (we hosted it) and was maybe their best player. Barch’s kid was picked before any of them I think, but Cabral was their best, at least back then.

He looked really good playing with Don Mills (incidentally, the team Huron-Perth beat in the 2023 All-Ontarios) but yes he may have fallen out of view because that team was stacked.

The one thing I wonder about; he’s changed teams a fair bit. Grey-Bruce Highlanders early on, to Huron-Perth by U13, then to Don Mills to join a superteam at U15. That sometimes makes me wonder.

EDIT: I was wrong, Barch wasn’t the first HP Laker picked, Murray was. Brain cramp.

 

[Mata]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that DB and his crew have done a poor job and should have been fired awhile ago, BUT, as someone who spends more time following the OHL Draft and U15-U16 hockey prospects than he should, I am very, very pleased with the Otters draft this year.

YES, the Jake Murray pick at 12 is a bit of a head scratcher; however, F Tyler Cooper at 34 is an absolute steal. IMO, he's got a significantly higher ceiling than Jake Murray and should have - at a minimum - been invited to USNTDP Camp. He was THE driver in getting his team to the USA Hockey National Championship Game. His 74/61/63/124 slash line came against the best 2009 competition we have here in the States. He should sign and be in the OHL next year. He'll definitely be better than Tyler Challenger was for us this year. IMO, he's a top-20 OHL Draft talent.

Next steal was/is RW Lyndon Cabral at 81. The fact he fell that far is mind boggling to me. He's a top-40 talent. Sure, Don Mills was stacked this season, but he had the most points in GTHL games for them (33/25/27/52) and was a stud at the OHL Cup (7/3/7/10). He could play in the OHL next year, but I hope we start doing more of what London does and send him to the GOJHL (or OJHL), let him light it up, have a couple cups of coffee over the course of the season, then bring him in to play top 9 minutes in 26-27.

Next is the Broden McArthur pick at 99. He's arguably the top US-born 2009 D-man, so it's no surprise he made the NTDP and should be there for a couple of seasons, but what is crazy is that he's from TX and was passed over in the 2024 WHL Bantam Selection AND WHL US Prospects Draft, so Erie had the wherewithal to snag him before a WHL team could get him again post-NCAA decision. Just the possibility he comes for a season justifies this pick. If he were from Ontario, he'd almost certainly have been the 1st defensemen taken in the 1st Round. Will be shocked if he's not playing in the NHL one day.

Last steal, but far from the last legit prospect Erie selected, is D Anthony Valenti in the 12th (234th overall). He's a small, puck moving D from MI, and one of the best in the US. Was invited to NTDP Camp. He put up a crazy stat line: 64/11/69/80 for Honeybaked's U15 Team. For comparison, Spencer Sova put up 57/19/38/57 for that same team - albeit a more stacked one - in his OHL Draft season. Valenti's edge work is reminiscent of Jamie Drysdale's. He's legit. May need another year to get bigger and stronger, but his IQ and skating are so advanced that it would not surprise me at all if he's in the O next season.

Have followed our drafts since we picked Greg McKegg (1992) 2nd overall in 2008, and in terms of depth and quality of picks, I believe this one might be the best yet - at least on paper...

Here is my reservation...

We have had big names, big trades, tons of picks. DB and company miss well above average and have had a long history of it. While these kids might be promising, until they have actually proven themselves (and I hope they all grow to be the best the can be), DB and his group have a horrid record for nearly 10 years.

I don't have a lot of faith that all of the sudden they hit a grand slam, unless we are using the phrase "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then".

 

[Guy In Burlington]

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment that DB and his crew have done a poor job and should have been fired awhile ago, BUT, as someone who spends more time following the OHL Draft and U15-U16 hockey prospects than he should, I am very, very pleased with the Otters draft this year.

YES, the Jake Murray pick at 12 is a bit of a head scratcher; however, F Tyler Cooper at 34 is an absolute steal. IMO, he's got a significantly higher ceiling than Jake Murray and should have - at a minimum - been invited to USNTDP Camp. He was THE driver in getting his team to the USA Hockey National Championship Game. His 74/61/63/124 slash line came against the best 2009 competition we have here in the States. He should sign and be in the OHL next year. He'll definitely be better than Tyler Challenger was for us this year. IMO, he's a top-20 OHL Draft talent.

Next steal was/is RW Lyndon Cabral at 81. The fact he fell that far is mind boggling to me. He's a top-40 talent. Sure, Don Mills was stacked this season, but he had the most points in GTHL games for them (33/25/27/52) and was a stud at the OHL Cup (7/3/7/10). He could play in the OHL next year, but I hope we start doing more of what London does and send him to the GOJHL (or OJHL), let him light it up, have a couple cups of coffee over the course of the season, then bring him in to play top 9 minutes in 26-27.

Next is the Broden McArthur pick at 99. He's arguably the top US-born 2009 D-man, so it's no surprise he made the NTDP and should be there for a couple of seasons, but what is crazy is that he's from TX and was passed over in the 2024 WHL Bantam Selection AND WHL US Prospects Draft, so Erie had the wherewithal to snag him before a WHL team could get him again post-NCAA decision. Just the possibility he comes for a season justifies this pick. If he were from Ontario, he'd almost certainly have been the 1st defensemen taken in the 1st Round. Will be shocked if he's not playing in the NHL one day.

Last steal, but far from the last legit prospect Erie selected, is D Anthony Valenti in the 12th (234th overall). He's a small, puck moving D from MI, and one of the best in the US. Was invited to NTDP Camp. He put up a crazy stat line: 64/11/69/80 for Honeybaked's U15 Team. For comparison, Spencer Sova put up 57/19/38/57 for that same team - albeit a more stacked one - in his OHL Draft season. Valenti's edge work is reminiscent of Jamie Drysdale's. He's legit. May need another year to get bigger and stronger, but his IQ and skating are so advanced that it would not surprise me at all if he's in the O next season.

Have followed our drafts since we picked Greg McKegg (1992) 2nd overall in 2008, and in terms of depth and quality of picks, I believe this one might be the best yet - at least on paper...

Do you know Oikawa at all? If so, curious on your thoughts about him falling to the 13th. I watched him play a couple times this year and he looked very good. Mind you he was playing with Raynor, who could get a ham sandwich 20 goals, but still.

 

[ZinErie]

Do you know Oikawa at all? If so, curious on your thoughts about him falling to the 13th. I watched him play a couple times this year and he looked very good. Mind you he was playing with Raynor, who could get a ham sandwich 20 goals, but still.

I was watching a youtube video of OHL scouts (forget which scouting service). One of the guys was a former gm or head scout for Belleville. He made a crack about Oikawa needing to cut back to three meals a day.