Ottawa 67's 2022-23 Season Thread (Part 3)

[OMG67]

Guess that's it then.

Once all the trades are complete and ratified by the league, they put a line atop the media notes transaction section that all trades are complete as of the deadline. Until they put that up there, it usually means there are still trades being processed by the league.

 

[OMG67]

Ethan Quick traded to Barrie for a 7th. That’s the end. All transactions final as per the MEdia Notes ont he OHL website.

No other significant deals made by any teams.

 

[mianjo]

Jan 10	KGN	Jackson Stewart Izayah Luddington		OS	Cal Uens
Jan 10	OTT	Ethan Quick		BAR	BAR 7 2024
Jan 10	GUE	Chase Coughlan		SBY	SBY 5 2024
Jan 10	GUE	Cedricson Okitundu		HAM	HAM 7 2024

 

[ecraigs]

Such interesting stuff. Cedricson Okitundu is on to his third team (Hamilton) in 3 years. Oh the stories I could tell. Ethan Quick to Barrie. Looks like housekeeping trades now.

 

[OMG67]

So, 10 D-Men on the roster. Cameron likes to keep 8 for practise. So, I assume Horner will be sent down to Tier II for the remainder of season and Smyth is out for a while. I’m not sure if Cameron will keep both Ewles and Marrelli on the roster or whether he will send one down and keep them practicing with the team.

14 forwards on the roster. I doubt Laforme will play much but he looks to stick around as a depth piece. Dever and Kelly likely to alternate ont he 4th line unless they send Kelly down to Tier II for added game action.

I see the lines as follows:

Foster-Morrison-Beck
Pinelli-Rohrer-Boucher
Stonehouse-Tolnai-Gerrior
Barlas-Gardiner-Dever/Kelly
*Laforme

Mayich-Matier
Mintyukov-Costantini
Sirman-Mews
*Marrelli-Ewles
***Smyth - injured

Donoso
MacKenzie

 

[44 95 plus tax]

So, 10 D-Men on the roster. Cameron likes to keep 8 for practise. So, I assume Horner will be sent down to Tier II for the remainder of season and Smyth is out for a while. I’m not sure if Cameron will keep both Ewles and Marrelli on the roster or whether he will send one down and keep them practicing with the team.

14 forwards on the roster. I doubt Laforme will play much but he looks to stick around as a depth piece. Dever and Kelly likely to alternate ont he 4th line unless they send Kelly down to Tier II for added game action.

I see the lines as follows:

Foster-Morrison-Beck
Pinelli-Rohrer-Boucher
Stonehouse-Tolnai-Gerrior
Barlas-Gardiner-Dever/Kelly
*Laforme

Mayich-Matier
Mintyukov-Costantini
Sirman-Mews
*Marrelli-Ewles
***Smyth - injured

Donoso
MacKenzie

Just spitballin' here, but I would flip flop Stonehouse and Foster. Add some scoring to the third line. Also gets a grinder and speed on each of the three lines.

Also I think that Mayich and Minty get flip flopped.

 

[OMG67]

Just spitballin' here, but I would flip flop Stonehouse and Foster. Add some scoring to the third line. Also gets a grinder and speed on each of the three lines.

Also I think that Mayich and Minty get flip flopped.

Anything is possible.

Pebbles has played well with Tolnai and they have a chemistry so I kept them together.

I’m nit sure pairing up Matier and Mintyukov is a good idea. Matier likes to push the play offensively when he gets a chance and Mintyukov pushes the play a lot. I think it makes more sense to separate them and keep each of them with a more defensive minded partner. Additionally, if you separate them, you cover a good 50 minutes of the game with the two of them offsetting each other. Besides, Mayich and Matier have formed a pretty good on ice bond. They play really well together and both have success.as a tandem.

 

[AGranderson]

So, 10 D-Men on the roster. Cameron likes to keep 8 for practise. So, I assume Horner will be sent down to Tier II for the remainder of season and Smyth is out for a while. I’m not sure if Cameron will keep both Ewles and Marrelli on the roster or whether he will send one down and keep them practicing with the team.

14 forwards on the roster. I doubt Laforme will play much but he looks to stick around as a depth piece. Dever and Kelly likely to alternate ont he 4th line unless they send Kelly down to Tier II for added game action.

I see the lines as follows:

Foster-Morrison-Beck
Pinelli-Rohrer-Boucher
Stonehouse-Tolnai-Gerrior
Barlas-Gardiner-Dever/Kelly
*Laforme

Mayich-Matier
Mintyukov-Costantini
Sirman-Mews
*Marrelli-Ewles
***Smyth - injured

Donoso
MacKenzie

Laforme was sent to Jr B

So, 10 D-Men on the roster. Cameron likes to keep 8 for practise. So, I assume Horner will be sent down to Tier II for the remainder of season and Smyth is out for a while. I’m not sure if Cameron will keep both Ewles and Marrelli on the roster or whether he will send one down and keep them practicing with the team.

14 forwards on the roster. I doubt Laforme will play much but he looks to stick around as a depth piece. Dever and Kelly likely to alternate ont he 4th line unless they send Kelly down to Tier II for added game action.

I see the lines as follows:

Foster-Morrison-Beck
Pinelli-Rohrer-Boucher
Stonehouse-Tolnai-Gerrior
Barlas-Gardiner-Dever/Kelly
*Laforme

Mayich-Matier
Mintyukov-Costantini
Sirman-Mews
*Marrelli-Ewles
***Smyth - injured

Donoso
MacKenzie

Laforme was sent to JR B

 

[OMG67]

Laforme was sent to Jr B

Laforme was sent to JR B

Looks like they will keep Kelly around as the 13th then.

And with Laforme going to Caledonia, it is very unlikely we see him back. I assume they tried to find a landing spot for him and there were no takers.

 

[LDN]

OHL Champs 2023

 

[ecraigs]

Anything is possible.

Pebbles has played well with Tolnai and they have a chemistry so I kept them together.

I’m nit sure pairing up Matier and Mintyukov is a good idea. Matier likes to push the play offensively when he gets a chance and Mintyukov pushes the play a lot. I think it makes more sense to separate them and keep each of them with a more defensive minded partner. Additionally, if you separate them, you cover a good 50 minutes of the game with the two of them offsetting each other. Besides, Mayich and Matier have formed a pretty good on ice bond. They play really well together and both have success.as a tandem.

You might see Matier and Mintyukov on the PP. One left, one right, switch them to their off wing. Perhaps only in clutch situations. Makes for some interesting speculation.

 

[OMG67]

You might see Matier and Mintyukov on the PP. One left, one right, switch them to their off wing. Perhaps only in clutch situations. Makes for some interesting speculation.

No doubt. There will definitely be situations where we will se them together. I jsut don’t think we will see them together regularly at 5 on 5 or the PK. Late in a game down by a goal or on the PP is almost a certainty.

 

[Millpond]

The big difference between Wright and Morrison is that Morrison wants to be here. Wright seems to think that he deserves to be in the NHL and that the rules just as they were so he could become an OHL player should be changed for him. Yes, I know the OHL rule was changed but he still had to be given the special tag.

There was a reason that he did not go to Montreal and I think maturity and the CHL rule were the biggest reasons. There is no way Montreal would have kept him this long on their roster he would have been back in the OHL in November.

Now I just hope that if Minty is a done deal JB turns off the phone and goes on a holiday for the rest of the week.

When was the last time that Ottawa got 5200 tickets sold for a Sunday game

Last Sunday hosting Owen Sound . 4th biggest draw on the road.
Attack families bouth at least 500.

 

[sirius67fan]

The more I think about it what incredible asset management by Boyd. Not only getting 2 elite players but not giving away any of our future. I was kind of resigned to losing pieces like Marelli, Foster, Ewles etc. But we kept everybody important for the next few years. Imo we project as a quality team next year. Add a quality import and an OA or two to our forward group and it will be pretty good. Our D and goaltending will be solid. And if ever Beck is back ( hope not for the kid) suddenly I can't see anybody clear cut better than us in the east. Then in two years we could be extremely good. The next 21/2 years are looking like a lot of fun.

 

[OMG67]

The more I think about it what incredible asset management by Boyd. Not only getting 2 elite players but not giving away any of our future. I was kind of resigned to losing pieces like Marelli, Foster, Ewles etc. But we kept everybody important for the next few years. Imo we project as a quality team next year. Add a quality import and an OA or two to our forward group and it will be pretty good. Our D and goaltending will be solid. And if ever Beck is back ( hope not for the kid) suddenly I can't see anybody clear cut better than us in the east. Then in two years we could be extremely good. The next 21/2 years are looking like a lot of fun.

We need to restock the cupboard. If we learned something this season, coming to the party with a fiat full of draft picks gives you options.

If we do what you are suggesting, if we want to make moves, it will cost us the big young guys at some point because we won’t have an alternate option.

Imagine for a second, we acquired Morrison for draft picks and the Petes needed to give up Lardis for two OAs. If they had picks, they likely would have only needed the picks and they’d have been able to keep their 1st round pick from last season.

 

[AGranderson]

We need to restock the cupboard. If we learned something this season, coming to the party with a fiat full of draft picks gives you options.

If we do what you are suggesting, if we want to make moves, it will cost us the big young guys at some point because we won’t have an alternate option.

Imagine for a second, we acquired Morrison for draft picks and the Petes needed to give up Lardis for two OAs. If they had picks, they likely would have only needed the picks and they’d have been able to keep their 1st round pick from last season.

Never seen someone so against going for it back to back as much as you are. In sports it’s called windows to win it, no reason why the next two seasons can’t be the 67’s window to win. Look at Windsor going for it again back to back years.

 

[sirius67fan]

I agree with OMG that going back to back is not feasible. I was only indicating we are going to be a good team next year and with the right moves and ongoing player development be a contender in 24/ 25 around our 05 group and 06 group.

 

[dirty12]

Never seen someone so against going for it back to back as much as you are. In sports it’s called windows to win it, no reason why the next two seasons can’t be the 67’s window to win. Look at Windsor going for it again back to back years.

It can be argued that Windsor & North Bay did not really go for it last season. If I recall correctly, only Hamilton was all-in.

 

[OMG67]

Never seen someone so against going for it back to back as much as you are. In sports it’s called windows to win it, no reason why the next two seasons can’t be the 67’s window to win. Look at Windsor going for it again back to back years.

Next year is not a window to win. The following two years are better options.

If we were to make no moves next year other than seller moves, the following seasons roster would be anchored by our current 16 and 17 year olds which are a better crop than our current 18 year olds. We have a fully stocked 2023 draft that will be our 17 year olds that season.

We just traded 15 draft picks between the 2nd and 4th rounds. Going into next season, we have ZERO picks between the 2nd and 4th rounds in 2025 and 2026. None. We would go into the deadline next season armed with five quality draft picks.

What does that mean? If we want to meaningfully participate at the deadline and compete, we’ll be faced with doing what Peterborough just did. Trade away the majority of their last two draft classes.

OR

We can hit the reset button and try to recoup some picks with some strategic seller moves and still likely finish in the 4-5 seed and still have a chance to win a round. We then make another run the following season armed more adequately.

That is the responsible way to do it. Throwing the kitchen sink at a “chance” is not a sustainable option. It is reckless. The reason why we came out of this deadline the way we did is because Boyd managed assets properly. He accumulated picks and used them to augment a league leading team.

 

[Blasty15]

Never seen someone so against going for it back to back as much as you are. In sports it’s called windows to win it, no reason why the next two seasons can’t be the 67’s window to win. Look at Windsor going for it again back to back years.

It's not so much that he's against it but it's against logic. If you go "all-in" back to back years paying premiums at the deadlines you likely won't have any picks moving forward and if you don't draft exceptionally well you're probably buried at the bottom of the conference for a while.

 

[NoQuit67s]

Next year is not a window to win. The following two years are better options.

If we were to make no moves next year other than seller moves, the following seasons roster would be anchored by our current 16 and 17 year olds which are a better crop than our current 18 year olds. We have a fully stocked 2023 draft that will be our 17 year olds that season.

We just traded 15 draft picks between the 2nd and 4th rounds. Going into next season, we have ZERO picks between the 2nd and 4th rounds in 2025 and 2026. None. We would go into the deadline next season armed with five quality draft picks.

What does that mean? If we want to meaningfully participate at the deadline and compete, we’ll be faced with doing what Peterborough just did. Trade away the majority of their last two draft classes.

OR

We can hit the reset button and try to recoup some picks with some strategic seller moves and still likely finish in the 4-5 seed and still have a chance to win a round. We then make another run the following season armed more adequately.

That is the responsible way to do it. Throwing the kitchen sink at a “chance” is not a sustainable option. It is reckless. The reason why we came out of this deadline the way we did is because Boyd managed assets properly. He accumulated picks and used them to augment a league leading team.

Except, if we start 9-0 again next year, like we unexpectedly did this year?
Returning a lot of players from a good team cannot be under-estimated IMO

 

[OMG67]

Except, if we start 9-0 again next year, like we unexpectedly did this year?
Returning a lot of players from a good team cannot be under-estimated IMO

I don’t understand this concept of “unexpected.” Sure, we maybe didn’t expect the team to be at the top of the Conference without any additions but there were five teams that were all packed together as contenders. Ottawa was one of them.

We could see last year what the returning foundation was going to look Like. We knew we had defence and goaltending. We knew we had depth on the wings.

I figured we’d need to add a centre to augment Tolnai and Rohrer. See what we are at the deadline. Our competition was pretty weak so we managed to make a go of it with hard work and brilliant execution. Perfect.

Saginaw just sold Mintyukov while in 3rd place. They valued next year for a couple reasons. There is nothing wrong with good strategy.

We return a weak team again down the middle and no true anchor on defence.

We will be good next year but not great. Even if we were leading the division again, we’d still need to add significant pieces at the deadline. Probably a #1 D-Man and a quality centre. There goes whomever we pick in the first round in 2023 plus the remainder of our picks through 2027 in a deal for the D-Man. Remember, our 2023 1st will be the 21st pick. Not as high valued as Martone this year. Then we are looking at dealing someone like Marrelli to get the centre because we can’t package a weaker player plus picks because, well, we don’t have any.

Then the following season when Mews, Marrelli (traded), Kelly, Barlas, Pinelli, Foster, Gardiner, Dever, Ewles, and Horner are 18 and 19 years old, we have nothing to augment that team and we are forced to sell because we have nothing to use to buy. Remember, if we keep the core intact next year and only trade strategically (Rohrer, Sirman, Gerrior and Smyth) we recoup some picks and return Mackenzie, Mayich and Stonehouse as OAs to go with our current crop of 16 and 17 year olds.

Possible core for 24-25

Barlas-Gardiner-Kelly
Pinelli-Foster-Stonehouse(OA)
Dever

Marrelli-Mews
Mayich(OA)-Ewles
Horner

MacKenzie (OA)

We have two consecutive Import picks that add to that roster plus all the picks from the 2023 draft that will be 17 that season. That doesn’t include the picks from the 2024 draft that we’d start recouping next season.

We’d have our full compliment of picks in the 2027 and 2028 draft to arm ourselves with plus whatever else we trade for next season.

To me, that is a much smarter strategy. But, we could trade a bunch of stuff away next year, cripple the team above doing it and waste Mews as an 18 year old when he’s likely a stud.

 

[beastintheeast]

I don’t understand this concept of “unexpected.” Sure, we maybe didn’t expect the team to be at the top of the Conference without any additions but there were five teams that were all packed together as contenders. Ottawa was one of them.

We could see last year what the returning foundation was going to look Like. We knew we had defence and goaltending. We knew we had depth on the wings.

I figured we’d need to add a centre to augment Tolnai and Rohrer. See what we are at the deadline. Our competition was pretty weak so we managed to make a go of it with hard work and brilliant execution. Perfect.

Saginaw just sold Mintyukov while in 3rd place. They valued next year for a couple reasons. There is nothing wrong with good strategy.

We return a weak team again down the middle and no true anchor on defence.

We will be good next year but not great. Even if we were leading the division again, we’d still need to add significant pieces at the deadline. Probably a #1 D-Man and a quality centre. There goes whomever we pick in the first round in 2023 plus the remainder of our picks through 2027 in a deal for the D-Man. Remember, our 2023 1st will be the 21st pick. Not as high valued as Martone this year. Then we are looking at dealing someone like Marrelli to get the centre because we can’t package a weaker player plus picks because, well, we don’t have any.

Then the following season when Mews, Marrelli (traded), Kelly, Barlas, Pinelli, Foster, Gardiner, Dever, Ewles, and Horner are 18 and 19 years old, we have nothing to augment that team and we are forced to sell because we have nothing to use to buy. Remember, if we keep the core intact next year and only trade strategically (Rohrer, Sirman, Gerrior and Smyth) we recoup some picks and return Mackenzie, Mayich and Stonehouse as OAs to go with our current crop of 16 and 17 year olds.

Possible core for 24-25

Barlas-Gardiner-Kelly
Pinelli-Foster-Stonehouse(OA)
Dever

Marrelli-Mews
Mayich(OA)-Ewles
Horner

MacKenzie (OA)

We have two consecutive Import picks that add to that roster plus all the picks from the 2023 draft that will be 17 that season. That doesn’t include the picks from the 2024 draft that we’d start recouping next season.

We’d have our full compliment of picks in the 2027 and 2028 draft to arm ourselves with plus whatever else we trade for next season.

To me, that is a much smarter strategy. But, we could trade a bunch of stuff away next year, cripple the team above doing it and waste Mews as an 18 year old when he’s likely a stud.

I understand your thought pattern and agree going all in next year might be difficult. BUT that being said if this is a team that is winning like this one is and at the top of the standings, then it would be ridiculous to trade away players just fo fall in th strings.

before we say that we have to selll nect yera I think we have to look at where the team is and what the competition looks like.

If we have a reasonable shot at Conference Champs and have good crowds at the games it would seem stupid to give that all away. to trade

 

[dirty12]

I understand your thought pattern and agree going all in next year might be difficult. BUT that being said if this is a team that is winning like this one is and at the top of the standings, then it would be ridiculous to trade away players just fo fall in th strings.

before we say that we have to selll nect yera I think we have to look at where the team is and what the competition looks like.

If we have a reasonable shot at Conference Champs and have good crowds at the games it would seem stupid to give that all away. to trade

You can look at the steelheads for a fair comparison. At the very least, their roster going into the season with Del Mastro, Beck, and Del Bel Belluz leading the way was better than the ‘67s will have next season.
They ‘should’ have been solidly #4 maybe 3 at the deadline had a couple of players taken the expected step forward and the import goalie been a bit better. It was not because of the coach.
But there was nearly zero chance they could have come out of this past trade deadline a real contender because there were no disposable assets. The Steelheads could not have pulled off what the Petes or Sting did. Misa and 18 yr old import G and OA Callahan to Saginaw for Mintyukov + OA Lennox was the only way. That was not going to happen knowing the Steelheads offerings were not as good as expected, Saginaw has their G for next season, and Minty worth 9(2-4) picks.
Next season will be another with a buying frenzy because the league will have two representatives at the memorial cup.

 

[sirius67fan]

You can look at the steelheads for a fair comparison. At the very least, their roster going into the season with Del Mastro, Beck, and Del Bel Belluz leading the way was better than the ‘67s will have next season.
They ‘should’ have been solidly #4 maybe 3 at the deadline had a couple of players taken the expected step forward and the import goalie been a bit better. It was not because of the coach.
But there was nearly zero chance they could have come out of this past trade deadline a real contender because there were no disposable assets. The Steelheads could not have pulled off what the Petes or Sting did. Misa and 18 yr old import G and OA Callahan to Saginaw for Mintyukov + OA Lennox was the only way. That was not going to happen knowing the Steelheads offerings were not as good as expected, Saginaw has their G for next season, and Minty worth 9(2-4) picks.
Next season will be another with a buying frenzy because the league will have two representatives at the memorial cup.

Good point about next year. Although OMG is predicting a buyers market next year I disagree because of the M cup. Might not be like this years frenzy but it will still be a sellers market imo. So again to my point even though we should have a good team next year strategic selling is the logical course.