Flint Firebirds 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)
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FireBird71
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- Aug 6, 2015
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Lombardi and the Griffins on the NHL Network tonight at 8
Thanks.
Was trying to find a free stream of the Griffins game last night but had no luck.
Kingpin794
Smart A** In A Jersey
He looked good last night. Was a 2-1 loss where he was one of the few guys generating offense. Got PP time and was out on the ice with goalie pulled so the coaching staff liked what they saw too to give him those minutes.
If Kressler, Lombardi, or Kuzmin were returned, they would find room.
Lombardi and Kuzmin are as gone as Piercey and Deline. Kressler hasn’t proven durable enough for the OHL yet let alone the ECHL or AHL. I’d expect him to start next year in the ECHL and move up to the Marlies if he’s able to get ice and stay healthy but if they wanna send him back he’ll have a roster spot 100% and it would surprise, but not shock me. Right now you’d have to assume Guryev and Kressler are both on to the Pro ranks leaving only Giroux and Dann as your OA options and to me, Dann isn’t exactly OA material on the ice.
| Flint Firebirds | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | HAM 2nd | 3rd GUE 3rd | 4th KIT 4th* | 5th GUE 5th* | GUE 6th LDN 6th | 7th | 8th OSH 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | --- |
| 2024 | GUE 2nd | 3rd | 4th MISS 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th LDN 10th | 11th | 12th GUE 12th* | 13th | 14th | 15th |
| 2025 | 2nd | 3rd | --- | 5th | --- | --- | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
If that is correct, maybe they are going to use the 3's to move up for an extra 2nd?
Clearly loaded with 4's, 5's, 6's, they should easily move some of those for future picks.
I have zero faith in his ability to do anything that benefits the team or makes sense from a GM perspective. If history repeats itself the plan IS to acquire a pick to move up the draft but he won’t be able to get a deal done, panic and trade 2 3rds this year for a 5th in 2025. They’ve got 10 picks in the first 6 rounds and they can only roster 4 16yo’s next year so…..? He should be doing as you suggested and packaging a couple to move up the board AND moving a couple down the road into future drafts so they’re tradeable. It would be a pretty good looking stockpile of picks with plenty of opportunities to move picks around and set themselves up if he didn’t spend the 6 on Dann. As it is, it’s not bad, but it could be a LOT better. I’d be all about taking a couple risks with American kids but since he’s shown to be the worst GM/coach at recruiting kids in the history of the team, I’m not sure I wanna see that.
I guess these are the Final NHL Central Scouting Rankings? Take them as you will, but this is what they’ve got.
NA Skaters
32. Tristan Bertucci
37. Coulson Pitre
83. Ethan Hay
155. Blake Smith
Flint holds OHL rights
I may have missed someone here
44. Andrew Strathmann (Youngstown)
66. Brandon Svoboda (Youngstown)
219. Seth Constance (Tri-City USHL)
136. James Petrovski (Owen Sound)
NA Goalies
12. Nathaniel Day
Really glad to see Nathan the highest ranked goalie from the OHL and to see Petrovski make a decent showing on the list. It would be great to see Hay get drafted and Bertucci/Pitre go in the first 3 rounds. I’d be surprised to see Smith drafted but I think he can play Pro somewhere if he chooses that route down the road. I know it’s a completely different path and more about the NCAA route but if kids can be convinced to play in Youngstown, OH, this org needs to step their recruiting game.
NA Skaters
32. Tristan Bertucci
37. Coulson Pitre
83. Ethan Hay
155. Blake Smith
Flint holds OHL rights
I may have missed someone here
44. Andrew Strathmann (Youngstown)
66. Brandon Svoboda (Youngstown)
219. Seth Constance (Tri-City USHL)
136. James Petrovski (Owen Sound)
NA Goalies
12. Nathaniel Day
Really glad to see Nathan the highest ranked goalie from the OHL and to see Petrovski make a decent showing on the list. It would be great to see Hay get drafted and Bertucci/Pitre go in the first 3 rounds. I’d be surprised to see Smith drafted but I think he can play Pro somewhere if he chooses that route down the road. I know it’s a completely different path and more about the NCAA route but if kids can be convinced to play in Youngstown, OH, this org needs to step their recruiting game.
Of course they would. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the OHL just had a database? I guess it would be too much trouble to be transparent about ANYthing.
I don’t think Dent does either. None of his moves make any logical sense in any coherent direction. I think I’m out. I’d go watch the Jr Red Wings and Whalers occasionally over the years and I’ve been a Firebirds STH since literally Day 1. I haven’t put my deposit down and I don’t think I’m going to. Give me a roster of 16 and 17yo’s that are gonna struggle to find their way as they grow. I’m down. I’ll pay for that. Give me a team building up for next year. I’m in. Give me a powerhouse roster that scares everyone in the Conference. I’ll be there every night. But this? I mean is there even a direction? Not a loaded 19yo stud roster. Not kids that will grow into a contender in 2-3 years. Just kinda ok all the time with never a chance to ACTUALLY make it the Finals? I’m out. I’m not spending money on directionless mediocrity.
So…….dont build a team around the ‘05 class that they just emailed me had the most players ranked by Central Scouting in the history of the franchise? Trade away future 2nd round picks you would use to bolster your roster of ‘05’s in 24-25 so you can have 3rd round picks this year? I mean is the plan to really take a run in 2026-2027 with all these kids? If he thinks he’s gonna go on a run in 24-25 with his ‘05’s backed up by a bunch of 17yo’s drafted in the 3rd and 5th rounds I can 100% assure you he’ll fail. Again. None of his moves since he’s been GM have made sense. Before we could always see ok….here’s what they should do, this is the formula for success and we all saw it and agreed on it because it’s a pretty simple, logical system that’s been proven. This? It screams directionless ineptitude. Which is what we said after the trade deadline this year when we said they’d get bounced in the 1st round. Which they did.
FireBird71
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- Aug 6, 2015
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Looks like there might be a plan, ‘Dent’s’ team loaded with 2006-07. Future picks can be had easily with a sell in-season this year or next.
I don’t know dirty. My first question would be “what ‘06’s?” Kaden Pitre looked ok. Aspinall didn’t really have future 1st line winger written all over him. I sure as hell like Gee’s style but I’m not sure he’s top pairing material yet. Strohack looked good…..in one game. I know 16yo’s can develop a ton a look light years better once they develop and get ice time in year two and I have hope all 4 become top 6, top 4 material but I’m not completely sold yet. My second question would be You just watched your ‘05 goalie play absolutely insane for a 17yo for the last 1/4 of the season and a 7 game playoff round. How can you possibly watch that and not think “Hey. Uhm. Let’s build a team around this Day kid and Bertucci, Hay, Pitters, Jenken and the ‘06’s etc.”? Having a bunch of ‘07’s isn’t gonna help a ton when it’s 2024-25 and you’re gunning for it with your ‘05’s. Sure, one or two, maybe 3 COULD be major contributors and maybe you could flip 1 or 2 in trades but all you have to do is look at recent history. If you wanna make an OHL Final, you need a couple major OA’s and a bunch of 19yo’s. Right now I don’t see a team built for one decisive year or moves being made in that direction. I see talent scattered throughout the 04-07 age groups and no direction to go for it one year. We’ve see how that works. A goaltender carrying them to WCF elimination ( no title. no banners) and a 1st round playoff exit. If this is gonna be a “We win 30-35 games a year and always make the playoffs but we’ll never be good enough for a Finals appearance” type franchise, I’m not buying season tickets every year. I’ll come to games but Rolf was selling “model franchise” and “one of the top teams in the OHL”. Two playoff series wins in 7 years?
I think the ‘04 born for Flint are better than the ‘05.
If Dent is building around the 2006-07, sells Hayes if owner allows; the OAs in 2024-25 would be Hay, Day, & ….?
About the 2006, I really only know Dent drafted 5 by round 3 and the goalie selected in the 4th (Brown) had great #’s in the NOJHL. 18-1-3, 1.49 GAA, .0.925 SV%.
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