There is no example of an IceDogs team buying, or selling, or standing pat with a winning record over the past half dozen years, never mind a pattern
Niagara Icedogs 2024-25 Season, Part II
- Thread starter SoupNazi
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There is no example of an IceDogs team buying, or selling, or standing pat with a winning record over the past half dozen years, never mind a pattern
hahaha.
If you actually attended games at the Meridian Centre you would know how "absolutely 100% unequivocally" WRONG you are with that characterization of me! This is quite possibly one of your worst post on here!
OMG! You should "heed your own advice to others" and not critque what you have not seen in person!
I have been a die-hard fan since 2007; (invested 1000s and 1000s of dollars) into this franchise at home games; away games; merchandize; etc.... I have zero interest in being the "I told you so" guy. That will take care of itself, it won't be me posting it here.
A homer is one type of fan, it’s more difficult being the analytical and unbiased fan. That fan can’t simple say, “DD is terrible”, you have to support that claim with factual information. Myself and several others on here and social media, have on multiple occasions outlined the various ways (cost cutting, trades, import draft, recruitment, etc…) in which DD has done a terrible job with the franchise on and off the ice. The facts don’t lie. 2 + 2 is alway going to equal 4 whether a fan agrees with it or not.
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knowescape
Made you look
He won't need to wait three years. DDD has a taste for winning this year. He is going to try to improve the team at the deadline, with the limited picks he has left, but fail.
The casual fan will see the stellar start, not realizing the second half is different than the first, and will wonder -"What Happened". When the team has an early exit this year and no buying power next year, that same casual fan will shake their fist at the sky and blame the fates, when it's actually predictable.
This type of result won't bring back the STH who despite not being a GM, recognizes what went wrong. That will leave 9 years left on the Meridian Centre lease. The team can't leave but the owner can.
And despite it all, and whether you like it or not; Niagara has a pretty good and improving team that is relatively young with a small surplus of draft picks to compliment.
Hopefully Niagara leaves it alone or finds a core age player to improve the team this season and next.
knowescape
Made you look
Betting this post hasn't aged well by January 31st.
Also, hope in one hand
in the other - which do you think fills up first?There are pages and pages of posts that have not aged well from September to mid-November. Remember, the goal was playoffs and further development without selling the farm; so far, so good.
knowescape
Made you look
Wrong AGAIN! After DD is on record stating that the IceDogs were NOW going in a different direction, building through the draft and around the 07-08 core for a Mem-Cup Bid in 26-27, here was the IceDogs draft cupboard, after the 2024 OHL Priority Draft,
DRAFT CAPITAL
25: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5
26: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4,
27: 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5
28: 2, 3, 4, 5
Virgilio & Brauti are 3 year players, Loshko was FREE, the shelter NVV provides the developing D and goaltenders was well worth 3,4,5 picks imo.
It is not like the team used 10 picks on a rental that has lead to an additional zero wins.
Absolutely they did. If we had a GM with some vision and understanding of draft capital and the OHL, this could be the IceDogs 24-25 team.
2024-2025 SEASON
IceDogs could have used a 2nd (not in 2025),3rd,3rd to add Brauti; signed Eliasson; claimed Loshko (either add to the roster or trade for additonal draft capital). Adding 3 good players at a minimal cost
The IceDogs would be pretty much the same team and have an actual surplus of draft picks they could continue to add on to for next year or the year after.
GOAL
OA-04 O.FLORES
05 C.ROBERTSON
DEFENSE
05 U.PODREKAR
05 A.WYCISK
<>06 G.ELIASSON drafted July 2024
<>06 J.BRAUTI
06 C.CHEYNOWSKI
07 A.FROLOV
08 N.FRASCA
FORWARDS
OA-04 A. LOSHKO ?
OA-04 G. BRYANT
05 M. PARIS
05 M. LEVIN
05 A. ASSADOURIAN
06 K. HE
06 M. WRAY
07 R. ROOBROECK
07 E. CZATA
07 I GALIYANOV
08 B.WASSILYN
08 M.CRETE
DRAFT CAPITAL..after the 2024 OHL Priority Draft
25: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5
26: 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4,
27: 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5
28: 2, 3, 4, 5
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Back to reality, Eliasson could not be signed by the IceDogs. But if if the IceDogs can show agents and NHL teams they can be competitive and develop players, the IceDogs might be able to sign their next highly touted import selection. Excess, any draft capital is pretty much useless if unable to attract players.
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Thank you…acknowledgment that there is something seriously wrong with this organization. All eyes on one person and the reason why all the lost STHs will never return. Speaking of “return” I won’t even mention that! Wtf.
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knowescape
Made you look
Could have been traded for more than a box of pucks though. Or are you saying they have difficulty getting fair compensation in the league as well?
…or maybe they have recruitment issues or maybe both?
Barrie had both room for an import and the ability to sign a high profile import. Very few teams had both, apparently none that did would pay more.
You may have noticed Kingston only received a 7th pick for a pt/game import RD. Ottawa got a 4, 7 for Uronen.
Haha. Exactly. Neither one of those imports were high profile! Eliasson was! Comparing apples and oranges!
2005 Uronen was the last player selected in the 2023 6th round #192.
2005 Cromiak undrafted.
2006 G.Elisson 2024 2nd round #39 overall.
You can keep digging that hole but you already hit IceDogs’ rock bottom with each comment. Thank you for acknowledging “two” of this franchise’s biggest concerns caused by this owner.
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I actually think the opposite. The longer DD owns the team, the bigger the threat that the team will leave Niagara.
Attendance has plummeted and the reason is DD's cost cutting measures both on and off the ice. While I believe he is spending more now, there are still deficiencies in how the team is being operated, like not having a GM, having a league low 5 scouts, not drafting U.S. players and not investing in the import draft. Basically DD is trying to spend the bare minimum needed. But that will never result in a championship calibre team.
But most concerning is that DD had talks about moving the team to Brantford when he first purchased the IceDogs. Back then, it was obvious that he wasn't committed to Niagara. Will he explore other options when the lease allows him to move in 2034?
I think if attendance doesn't increase, DD will try to sell the team. IMO, that would be the best scenario for keeping the IceDogs in Niagara.
Chromiak is also an unfair comparison because Kingston had 3 OA so they had to trade him
Dogs Enthusiast
Registered User
I wasn't referring to any specific thing. As long as I have been an IceDogs fan, I see these types of trades every year. Sometimes to our benefit, sometimes to the other team.
I will repeat my basic point. Picks in the OHL are very fluid.
knowescape
Made you look
Ok, one last try here before I give up:
You'll agree trades are important?
It takes trading for key players to "go for it" ?
Key players take lots of picks?
IceDogs have been finishing low and drafting high for years?
IceDogs have enough picks for "maybe" one key player?
Let me know if you got any of this. If it still doesn't make sense, read it again slower in your best dog voice (like the pooch on Davey and Goliath).
Fastpace
The Devil's Advocate in Person
FYI - The Ice Dogs have accumulated 11(+) extra picks over the next 4 draft seasons, here is an up-to-date chart;
