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LW Brennan Othmann - Hartford Wolfpack, HL (2021, 16th, NYR)

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Tryamkin

Tryamkin

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May 18, 2015
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As expected after a verbal commitment to Flint, Brennan Othmann goes second overall in the OHL Draft to Flint. If Dellandrea returns to Flint next year, they could be back with an actual competitive team of young talent.

Othmann has a high end wrist shot with a quick release and good power. He showcases quick hands and decent playmaking ability off of the wing. From very limited viewing, his skating leaves a little to be desired.
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If this guy ever wants play at the olympics i wouldn't mind if he joined the swiss roster. It would only be fair since you guys stole Rochette from us :D :sarcasm:
 
Video: First-Round Pick Brennan Othmann Commits to Flint – Flint Firebirds

Signing.jpg
 
Looks like he's having a good rookie season.

I liked what I saw from him. Good blend of offensive skills and can skate, definitely can drive offense from the wing.
 
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Great I hope we can finally pull a reverse Rochette on him as I speculated in this thread before :D. But seriously: This is not a terrible choice considering the uncertain future of the OHL right now, his swiss passport probably secured him a spot. Unfortunately a lot of games are being postponed in Switzerland right now so hopefully he will still get a good amount of games as long he is here.
 
Olten is not a farm team like some of the other Swiss League teams like GCK Lions oder the Ticino Rockets, so there is no way to move up to the NL this way.

According to swiss media however the duration of his contract is described as "until further notice". So he can basically change teams (if someone is willing to give him a spot) or going back to north america anytime, if he is unhappy with the situation in Olten.

I personally think though playing big minutes on the top line and pp in Olten would be better for his developement than a spot on the third or fourth line in the NL though.

Source (German)
 


His first game in pro hockey. Played just 04:30 as 13th forward but had a shot on goal and was noticeable. He also got to play on the top line with Knelsen and Nunn. The guy on the left that joined the commentators before and after the game is his uncle Robert who used to play for Olten, too.

Should he get more time with Knelsen and Nunn then that could help him rise in those draft lists. Olten hasn't quite found the right fit for their two foreigners. Shiriayev does work but the coaches want him to center their 2nd line to spread the wealth so Othmann could be what they're looking for.
 
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Hinterland said:


His first game in pro hockey. Played just 04:30 as 13th forward but had a shot on goal and was noticeable. He also got to play on the top line with Knelsen and Nunn. The guy on the left that joined the commentators before and after the game is his uncle Robert who used to play for Olten, too.

Should he get more time with Knelsen and Nunn then that could help him rise in those draft lists. Olten hasn't quite found the right fit for their two foreigners. Shiriayev does work but the coaches want him to center their 2nd line to spread the wealth so Othmann could be what they're looking for.
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I mean It's still early and it's good he's on the ice at least but man, I hope he plays more than 4th line minutes . It's not like he's playing in the NL.
 
wings5 said:
I mean It's still early and it's good he's on the ice at least but man, I hope he plays more than 4th line minutes . It's not like he's playing in the NL.
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He played this game only one week after arriving in Switzerland and he said that he was suffering badly from jetlag. This also was his first game on European ice and it was a very tight and tight checking game against the team with the leagues best goalie (Jeffrey Meier) and a legit nhl player (Tyler Benson) as well as several NL-players in the lineup. What do you expect? That they play him 20mins?

You're not gonna get a spot in the NL these days. Even with legit NHL level that's difficult because clubs can't spend any money and don't want to give spots to players who could be gone before the end of the season. Othmann got his gig with Olten because they don't have to pay him and because his uncle is a club legend and was smart enough to organize him a Swiss passport in the summer. Without that passport, 0% chance he could be playing pro hockey in Switzerland now.

Again, the spot next to Nunn and Knelsen, two of the best foreigners leaguewide, is pretty much vacant. He got to play with them in game 1. Should he get to play with them on a regular basis then he'll also get to score a lot at pro level while many draft eligible players won't get to play much at all and certainly not at pro level. In Europe, nobody waited for 17yo kids so this is a great chance for Othmann. Most other draft eligible can't just find a pro team in Europe because they don't have these connections and no European passport. Even Mason McTavish was apparently held up at the airport because he doesn't have a Swiss passport, just a Swiss playing license. He was also expected to play for Olten but they don't know if this is still gonna work or not.
 
Hinterland said:
He played this game only one week after arriving in Switzerland and he said that he was suffering badly from jetlag. This also was his first game on European ice and it was a very tight and tight checking game against the team with the leagues best goalie (Jeffrey Meier) and a legit nhl player (Tyler Benson) as well as several NL-players in the lineup. What do you expect? That they play him 20mins?

You're not gonna get a spot in the NL these days. Even with legit NHL level that's difficult because clubs can't spend any money and don't want to give spots to players who could be gone before the end of the season. Othmann got his gig with Olten because they don't have to pay him and because his uncle is a club legend and was smart enough to organize him a Swiss passport in the summer. Without that passport, 0% chance he could be playing pro hockey in Switzerland now.

Again, the spot next to Nunn and Knelsen, two of the best foreigners leaguewide, is pretty much vacant. He got to play with them in game 1. Should he get to play with them on a regular basis then he'll also get to score a lot at pro level while many draft eligible players won't get to play much at all and certainly not at pro level. In Europe, nobody waited for 17yo kids so this is a great chance for Othmann. Most other draft eligible can't just find a pro team in Europe because they don't have these connections and no European passport. Even Mason McTavish was apparently held up at the airport because he doesn't have a Swiss passport, just a Swiss playing license. He was also expected to play for Olten but they don't know if this is still gonna work or not.
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I said it's still too early to judge however Othmann is expected to be a decently high pick within the first couple rounds for next years draft. I'm sure he has the ability to play NL but SL isn't a bad option at all right now. We'll see how he adjusts once he gets his legs under him
 
wings5 said:
I said it's still too early to judge however Othmann is expected to be a decently high pick within the first couple rounds for next years draft. I'm sure he has the ability to play NL but SL isn't a bad option at all right now. We'll see how he adjusts once he gets his legs under him
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He probably could play NL but even if he would get a spot I'd say it's a smart decision to stay in Olten. If you can't commit to a club until at least the end of the season and aren't of nhl quality then you're not gonna get a lot of minutes in the NL. It's much better for Othmann to play for Olten and ideally log 20mins a game and in every situation alongside Nunn and Knelsen than to play 4th line or 13th forward in the NL where the best you can hope for is 10mins a game. Simon Knak is getting 10:36 on average in Davos with very little PK and no PP-time. You need to take what you can get and it's better than nothing but surely not ideal. Othmann is likely to get a lot of quality ice time with Olten. I'd rather be in Othmann's spot than in Knak's.
 
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Hinterland said:
He probably could play NL but even if he would get a spot I'd say it's a smart decision to stay in Olten. If you can't commit to a club until at least the end of the season and aren't of nhl quality then you're not gonna get a lot of minutes in the NL. It's much better for Othmann to play for Olten and ideally log 20mins a game and in every situation alongside Nunn and Knelsen than to play 4th line or 13th forward in the NL where the best you can hope for is 10mins a game. Simon Knak is getting 10:36 on average in Davos with very little PK and no PP-time. You need to take what you can get and it's better than nothing but surely not ideal. Othmann is likely to get a lot of quality ice time with Olten. I'd rather be in Othmann's spot than in Knak's.
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Maybe but not so sure this is always the case. Do you think it would have been better for Holtz and Raymond to play in Allsvenskan or Podkolzin to play all year last year in the VHL? Sure playing time is valuable but I don't believe it's always better. 10 minutes a game for a young prospect in a top league is not horrible, especially when you get to learn from elite vets like Thornton , players who played in the NHL and/or top leagues in Europe. I think this is a better situation than playing with guys who are career SL players and young prospects, of course there is a point where ice time can be too far too low for a young prospect. European hockey is full of these types of scenarios though
 
wings5 said:
Maybe but not so sure this is always the case. Do you think it would have been better for Holtz and Raymond to play in Allsvenskan or Podkolzin to play all year last year in the VHL? Sure playing time is valuable but I don't believe it's always better. 10 minutes a game for a young prospect in a top league is not horrible, especially when you get to learn from elite vets like Thornton , players who played in the NHL and/or top leagues in Europe. I think this is a better situation than playing with guys who are career SL players and young prospects, of course there is a point where ice time can be too far too low for a young prospect. European hockey is full of these types of scenarios though
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No, I don't think 10mins are enough. And in the Swiss League, not everyone has Swiss League level. Take GCK, the team they played. GCK played with two de facto NL lines. Axel Simic and Kaj Suter do have actual NL contracts, Ryan Hayes is one of the top foreigners in the SL and played NL before, surely does have NL level. Tyler Benson is an NHL player, Schlagenhauf and Casutt are long time NL vets. Their goalie, Jeffrey Meier, does have NL level, too. Many other teams in the Swiss League are farm teams like GCK so should Othmann get to play with Knelson and Nunn, his linemates and his opposition would probably be at least as good as if he played 10mins per game on a 4th line in the NL.
 
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