Niagara Icedogs 2024-25 Season Thread, Part IV

No idea why they didn't take a flyer out on Del Priore. Local kid and one of the top players in the OMHA this season. I don't get why no team took him.
 
Honestly assuming the team sells him not reporting is probably the best-case scenario. Trade He and Possibly Roobroeck as well and stock the cupboards and prepare for a new era.
Both guys you mentioned could get you a 16 year old back in a trade (Roobroeck definitely should)
 
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Honestly assuming the team sells him not reporting is probably the best-case scenario. Trade He and Possibly Roobroeck as well and stock the cupboards and prepare for a new era.
Why on a team that is expected to be one of the best next year after all crap and commpaining that the team is not cmpetitive would you now sell the stars of the team and play for the top drift pick next year.

That makes no sense to me. You have a great lineup coming back with a good coach. Why mess with the good things that you have or are you more interested in DD being runied than your city having a good team.
 
Honestly assuming the team sells him not reporting is probably the best-case scenario. Trade He and Possibly Roobroeck as well and stock the cupboards and prepare for a new era.
...as a former STH, willing to return to as one, but only if the team is sold, I'd support a qualified GM retooling this team. Along with moving one or both of those players, the new GM, would need to trade away some bad character players to usher in a new era.
 
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No idea why they didn't take a flyer out on Del Priore. Local kid and one of the top players in the OMHA this season. I don't get why no team took him.

Exactly! Good call. The kid had a great year in Oakville (28GP - 29G - 28A - 57pts) and so did a bunch of US based players. Yet, the IceDogs drafted a group of players with three points or no points, that no one knows who they are. Why-TF do they draft these players, that we never see or hear from again. WTF is going on? Seems very shady?
 
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Exactly! Good call. The kid had a great year in Oakville (28GP - 29G - 28A - 57pts) and so did a bunch of US based players. Yet, the IceDogs drafted a group of players with three points or no points, that no one knows who they are. Why-TF do they draft these players, that we never see or hear from again. WTF is going on? Seems very shady?
There was a comment in the Prospects thread that if someone has played on 3-4+ teams over the last 3-4 years that's a major red flag for off-ice concerns and I can't help but wonder if that was partially aimed at Del Priore considering EP has him playing on at least 3 different AAA programs
 
Both guys you mentioned could get you a 16 year old back in a trade (Roobroeck definitely should)
Those two would return an incredible haul of players and draft picks, that would allow a new owner and GM to put in place the foundations for a properly constructed team. One that can sustain success over multiple years and become a franchise other players will want to play for.
 
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There was a comment in the Prospects thread that if someone has played on 3-4+ teams over the last 3-4 years that's a major red flag for off-ice concerns and I can't help but wonder if that was partially aimed at Del Priore considering EP has him playing on at least 3 different AAA programs
I suppose that is possible. I don't know the player beyond watching him play. However, from an IceDogs perspective that still doesn't explain why they drafted some of those players they did instead of a series of flyer picks on some higher end US players that could find there way to Niagara in a year or two.

WTF is going on with drafting players (4 years worth) that should never have been drafted. What a total waste of draft picks that could serve as "a swing for the fences".

There is a long list of US players that arrived this past season and more coming in the years to come, but Niagara is going to be left behind in that talent pool avenue. Pathetic!
 
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No idea why they didn't take a flyer out on Del Priore. Local kid and one of the top players in the OMHA this season. I don't get why no team took him.
If everyone in the league passes on a kid with that level of talent what does that tell you?
 
Why on a team that is expected to be one of the best next year after all crap and commpaining that the team is not cmpetitive would you now sell the stars of the team and play for the top drift pick next year.

That makes no sense to me. You have a great lineup coming back with a good coach. Why mess with the good things that you have or are you more interested in DD being runied than your city having a good team.
Because they're no where near good enough to be serious contenders and don't have the draft capital to change that without crushing the team for years.
 
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Why on a team that is expected to be one of the best next year after all crap and commpaining that the team is not cmpetitive would you now sell the stars of the team and play for the top drift pick next year.

That makes no sense to me. You have a great lineup coming back with a good coach. Why mess with the good things that you have or are you more interested in DD being runied than your city having a good team.
I think it’s a little naive to think all theses players will be returning or that the coach doesn’t also receive some discipline as well once the current investigation wraps up. With all that hanging over this team it’s no surprise recent draftees are hesitant to report.
 
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I think it’s a little naive to think all theses players will be returning or that the coach doesn’t also receive some discipline as well once the current investigation wraps up. With all that hanging over this team it’s no surprise recent draftees are hesitant to report.
Absolutely. Changes need to happen for a variety of reasons this off season. It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that this team is so oddly configured.

Looking ahead to the future, the IceDogs have impact forwards that are 07, 08 and 09s (assuming Ryerson Edgar reports) and then in stark contrast they have a huge hole in their lack of 07, 08 and 09 defenceman.
 
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Because they're no where near good enough to be serious contenders and don't have the draft capital to change that without crushing the team for years.
For a team that has been at the bottom of the standings for the last three years, it’s extremely frustrating that they lack a surplus of draft capital.

As an example, London is going on their second consecutive championship run and still managed their draft capital (thanks in large part to DD) so they had a 1, 2, 3, 3 in the 2025 OHL draft.

Niagara had a 1, 3 and want fans to believe everyone they took in the first six rounds were 1st round talents LOL. I guess they outsmarted the 19 other teams!

I do love that Ryerson Edgar pic at 10, regardless of the current uncertainty.
 
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I suppose that is possible. I don't know the player beyond watching him play. However, from an IceDogs perspective that still doesn't explain why they drafted some of those players they did instead of a series of flyer picks on some higher end US players that could find there way to Niagara in a year or two.

WTF is going on with drafting players (4 years worth) that should never have been drafted. What a total waste of draft picks that could serve as "a swing for the fences".

There is a long list of US players that arrived this past season and more coming in the years to come, but Niagara is going to be left behind in that talent pool avenue. Pathetic!
Taking a hard pass on any single player dynamic is short-sighted and guarantees Niagara will never contend. If you aren't willing to have the best, you aren't willing to be the best. This attitude is contagious throughout the team dynamic, where no one believes in the IceDogs.

Even if you didn't sign the US flyers, you create a situation where if a team like London wants them, they have to pay you for them in picks. The speculation is that players who are otherwise undraftable pay cash to hear their names called. I am not naive enough to consider that other teams don't have a few friends and family choices, just maybe not so many or so blatant.
 
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If everyone in the league passes on a kid with that level of talent what does that tell you?
Do you of know of any situations whereby a player agent informs OHL teams “if his client is not selected in the first 4-5 rounds, they’ve requested the player not be selected by any team” so they can pursue the FA route instead?
 
Do you of know of any situations whereby a player agent informs OHL teams “if his client is not selected in the first 4-5 rounds, they’ve requested the player not be selected by any team” so they can pursue the FA route instead?
no
 
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Strange - Del Priore and Massimo Santa Maria (Detriot Little Caesars - led all scorers at Silver Stick this year) both went undrafted and both are with Gold Star Sports. High end agency. You'd think a powerful agency would be able to get them drafted

So either other issues or they told every team they are not reporting and going to the USHL. Which no longer makes sense as it did in the past
 
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It is my hope that any of these players that can help our team win will report. Hard to imagine that the Icedogs would select Michael Tang with a 4th round pick without some assurance that he would report. If not, he could have been taken in a significantly later round.
 

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