Ottawa 67's 2023-2024 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)

[dirty12]

Do you guys think DCs lack of trust in the 16/17 year old players has anything to do with the lack of size his GM keeps drafting in past years?
One thing I always notice with Ottawa is the lack of size and physicality of this team.
I didn’t go back through all of the last drafts but just a visual observation I have seen in the last 5 years scouting.

Some of the ‘67s earlier picks are ~6’0”, and most 5’10”, but in their 3rd seasons are 175-190 lbs. I agree more Amidovski’s size should be selected first, but it’s not like the ‘67s are all flyweights.

 

[OMG67]

Some of the ‘67s earlier picks are ~6’0”, and most 5’10”, but in their 3rd seasons are 175-190 lbs. I agree more Amidovski’s size should be selected first, but it’s not like the ‘67s are all flyweights.

Size can be a challenge. If you want size AND ability, you have two rounds to get that. If you haven’t drafted guys like that by the end of the 2nd round, you are rolling the dice or discounting skill and praying that a big kid can develop the ability to skate at 16 and 17.

To me, the 67’s need to start placing a premium on size and skill in round one specifically and bypass the higher skilled smaller players early. You can get smaller skill guys deeper in the draft. When you look at where Ottawa excels in drafting/development is the later rounds. Gerrior is a 9th round pick. You will fall into guys like that often enough. Even kids like Dever in round 4 can be unearthed often. You aren’t typically getting 6’1”+ 16 year olds that can develop into 6’3” 30 goal scorers at 18 years old outside round one or two.

If the 67’s want to have a team full of puck movers that play at a higher tempo but ALSO incorporate some size, they need to prioritize size early int he draft. This year they drafted Amidovski. Perfect pick IMO. The kid is starting off at 6’1”+. Maybe not heavy yet but he can add to the frame. If he fills out to 6’3” and 195 by the time he is 18, that is a win for the 67’s. You can draft the bigger kids for the back end in the middle rounds and same for the roll player types that augment the skill guys. But, if you want to be successful, you cannot have size ONLY in role players. Guys like Hilton, Houben, and Smyth can only do so much to effect the impact their size brings. They need size on key contributors as well. Running out 5’10” 170 centres and 5’11” 185 wingers isn’t going to get it done with an 4th line of knuckle draggers that cannot contribute on higher lines. Ottawa has done a horrible job in that regard. They need to get better.

Look at Oshawa. Pretty much all of their bigger impact players were picked inside the first 45 picks or in Kumpalainen’s case, an early Import pick.

 

[OMG67]

You're missing the point. Yanni did earn more ice time. Cameron refusing to give it to him doesn't change anything. Yanni made the most of the limited opportunities he got and the team was clearly better with him in the lineup. Can't ask for more from a rookie. I like Cameron but he was far too stubborn during playoffs. I liked his top9 forwards but the 4th line became a major problem once Yanni got scratched. Sirman was a major liability as well. Cameron refused to address those problems which is why the series vs Oshawa was a lost cause. I think it could have been a lot closer had Cameron been more committed to stop the bleeding and deal with the problems in front of him. You can't continue to dress and play kids who just keep on turning over pucks and get caved into their own zone. He should have reduced their ice time, or, even better, scratched them...especially with an impact player like Yanni in his back pocket. Cameron's hope and pray approach was never gonna work. He should have done something about it.

I’m not missing the point at all. Yanni proved to be a capable 4th line player but all of the wingers that were ahead of him last year remain ahead of him this year. What wingers did he play behind last year in the top 9 has he proven better than? Personally, I would say Korbler 100% but he is a favourite of Cameron so nothing we can do there. Horner was solid and finished as a +14 with 6 goals. Not bad for a half season at forward and a half season as the #6 D-Man.

Yanni needs to prove he is better than three of Pinelli, Foster, Gerrior, Stonehouse, Gardiner, Korbler, Ekberg, Amidovski, Barlas, Dever, and Horner. If he can do that, he will have earned his spot in the top 9. If he isn’t better than three of those players, he is a 4th line player which isn’t an insult for a 17 year old last pick of the 3rd round at #62. He will get an opportunity when he proves he is better than many of those players.

 

[Hinterland]

I’m not missing the point at all. Yanni proved to be a capable 4th line player but all of the wingers that were ahead of him last year remain ahead of him this year. What wingers did he play behind last year in the top 9 has he proven better than? Personally, I would say Korbler 100% but he is a favourite of Cameron so nothing we can do there. Horner was solid and finished as a +14 with 6 goals. Not bad for a half season at forward and a half season as the #6 D-Man.

Yanni needs to prove he is better than three of Pinelli, Foster, Gerrior, Stonehouse, Gardiner, Korbler, Ekberg, Amidovski, Barlas, Dever, and Horner. If he can do that, he will have earned his spot in the top 9. If he isn’t better than three of those players, he is a 4th line player which isn’t an insult for a 17 year old last pick of the 3rd round at #62. He will get an opportunity when he proves he is better than many of those players.

You're still missing the point.

My point is that Yanni did everything and more to earn a bigger role. He exceeded expectations. He proved he's deserving of a chance. What more you think he could or should have done? Score hattricks in his rookie season playing limited 4th line minutes with friggen Barlas and either Whitehead or severly injured players?

 

[Hinterland]

Do you guys think DCs lack of trust in the 16/17 year old players has anything to do with the lack of size his GM keeps drafting in past years?
One thing I always notice with Ottawa is the lack of size and physicality of this team.
I didn’t go back through all of the last drafts but just a visual observation I have seen in the last 5 years scouting.

I don't think Cameron is all that big on size or grit. He played the smaller kids (like Mews, Marrelli and Körbler) but not the bigger ones (like Dietsch or Hilton).

 

[OMG67]

You're still missing the point.

My point is that Yanni did everything and more to earn a bigger role. He exceeded expectations. He proved he's deserving of a chance. What more you think he could or should have done? Score hattricks in his rookie season playing limited 4th line minutes with friggen Barlas and either Whitehead or severly injured players?

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are getting at so I will ask a couple very specific questions:

1> Considering the returning forwards, are you saying Yanni should be placed in the top 9?
2> If yes, what players on the depth chart is he ahead of? In other words, what players should get pushed behind Yanni to the 4th line?

As previously mentioned, I have the three centres ahead of Yanni just by means of Yanni not being a centre (Gardiner, Dever, Ekberg). On the wing, I have Pinelli, Gerrior, and Foster clearly ahead of him. We can add in Stonehouse as well should they decide to keep two OA forwards but for now, let’s leave him off the list. I have Korbler ahead of him simply because Cameron played him on the 1st line last year pretty much the entire 2nd half and playoffs. I may disagree with that assignment but if I am making an assessment, I have to consider what Cameron is likely to do. That is four guys clearly ahead of Yanni on the depth chart. Then there is the 2nd tier of wingers where we could discuss the potential of Yanni to be above. That list includes Horner, Amidovski, Barlas, Kelly, and Hilton. Of those five guys (plus Yanni), only two of them will be given roles in the top 9. Horner adds an element the top 9 needs. He is the sandpaper. I sort of have him in limbo but I lean more towards 3rd line RW for him considering he is a 19 year old. I have Barlas ahead of Yanni most certainly. He may get traded but for now we need to consider him on the roster. Kelly is another RW that will be given an opportunity (one last opportunity) to prove himself. You could discount him and I wouldn’t argue with you. Same with Hilton. But, there is also Amidovski. If Ekberg plays centre and forces Whitehead down to the 4th line centre position (pretty likely), I think Amidovski will get an opportunity early to prove himself capable before Yanni does.

So, from my perspective, without trading Barlas, there is one winger position open in the top 9. Yanni would need to jump ahead of at least three other guys that are more likely to get the opportunity. That means that he would need to have a great training camp and pre-season. I am not going to suggest he cannot do it. As you mentioned, he didn’t have enough playing time. He basically only played sparingly in the 2nd half. I don’t think they will push both Kelly and Horner to the 4th line. So, I really don’t think there is a spot for Yanni in the top 9. IF IF IF Barlas gets traded? Well, that makes it a different conversation. If that happens, I think it becomes a straight up battle between Yanni, Amidovski, and Hilton for 3-LW. I think that would be a good battle. Yanni could win that battle. So, from my perspective, Yanni needs Barlas to get traded OR Pinelli to get traded to open that spot up in the 2nd half. Other trades involving Foster could happen too. Who knows? But I can only use what I have in front of me with respect to depth chart and the current depth chart does not favour Yanni.

 

[OMG67]

I don't think Cameron is all that big on size or grit. He played the smaller kids (like Mews, Marrelli and Körbler) but not the bigger ones (like Dietsch or Hilton).

I think some people confuse Cameron’s system favouring bigger players. I agree with you on this. I think Cameron would prefer experienced players that are bigger and more skilled but if he has the choice between small skilled players vs bigger players without skill, he will choose smaller skilled players.

I think we also should define “small.” 5’10” 180 is not small at the OHL level. I’d say 6’0” 180 is average for the OHL. so two inches less isn’t small. It is just below average.

Korbler and Whitehead playing at 155 is small. I would endorse that comment. But, I wouldn’t say Marrelli as a 17 year old playing at 5’11” 187 is small, or even Mews at 6’1” 183. Sirman is 5’10” 173 and he plays much bigger. Same with Gerrior at 5’10” 174. To me it is more about the size of the fight in the dog more than the size of the dog. Those two have a lot of grit and character. Granted, they need some true size to help lean on the bigger players more effectively when it gets down to the nitty gritty in the later rounds of the playoffs but anyone suggesting Ottawa is “small” wouldn’t be accurate IMO. They lack BIG players that play key minutes. That is different than them being small.

 

[beastintheeast]

Players need to earn their ice time. You cannot push 19 year olds to the 4th line to make room for 17 year olds especially when the 19 year olds are better.

Cameron gets paid to win games. You don’t win games playing players that are less impactful. You are advocating to play players less experienced and less impactful for the betterment of those particular players as if the names on the back of the jersey are more important than the logo on the front.

I have a saying I use, “Don’t get bitter, get better!” If the players deserve ice, they will get it. Work hard, keep your head down and perform when you get an opportunity. That should really end the discussion.


I have Yanni on the 4th line where his age and experience compared to his competition at that position really places him. He has done absolutely nothing regardless of his limited opportunity to play ahead of any of the players I listed And he is likely competing with this year’s 1st round pick as well. It is what it is.

@ScoutLife4 has stated there is definitely something there about DC and rookies. If they are not going to play them regularly, at least 10 minutes a game, at least until Christmas. Then you need to send them to the CHL OJHL so that they can develop.

I agree that players should develop and be able to come back and play a 3rd line. However, if you are drafting players that can not make the jump then you have to question the drafting.

James Boyd first 2 round picks
2011 Robinson Ciafone
2012 Clarke Amadio
2013 Day Barwell
2014 McLeod Kutkevicius
2015 Tippet McFarland
2016 Nizhnikov Ingham
2017 Hughes (USHL) Harley
2018 Tolnai Cranley
2019 Matier Beck Sirrizotti
2020 Moldenhaier Stonehouse
2021 Barlas Pinnelli
2022 Mews Marelli Kelly
2023 HB Whitehead
2024 Amidovski EshKawkogan NO SECOND

Out of this every first round pick that was not a D failed to develop. Tolnai was probably the best forward after Pinelli, who has done anything in the OHL.

I would suggest that it might be possible to state that Boyd looked so good as a general manager not because he was a good general manager but because he had Tourigny behind the bench.

 

[OMG67]

@ScoutLife4 has stated there is definitely something there about DC and rookies. If they are not going to play them regularly, at least 10 minutes a game, at least until Christmas. Then you need to send them to the CHL OJHL so that they can develop.

I agree that players should develop and be able to come back and play a 3rd line. However, if you are drafting players that can not make the jump then you have to question the drafting.

James Boyd first 2 round picks
2011 Robinson Ciafone
2012 Clarke Amadio
2013 Day Barwell
2014 McLeod Kutkevicius
2015 Tippet McFarland
2016 Nizhnikov Ingham
2017 Hughes (USHL) Harley
2018 Tolnai Cranley
2019 Matier Beck Sirrizotti
2020 Moldenhaier Stonehouse
2021 Barlas Pinnelli
2022 Mews Marelli Kelly
2023 HB Whitehead
2024 Amidovski EshKawkogan NO SECOND

Out of this every first round pick that was not a D failed to develop. Tolnai was probably the best forward after Pinelli, who has done anything in the OHL.

I would suggest that it might be possible to state that Boyd looked so good as a general manager not because he was a good general manager but because he had Tourigny behind the bench.

I stated yesterday that I honestly felt Jeff Brown was the guy we needed. I know there were health issues and some scuttlebutt about some behind the scenes issues. But, IMO, he was a big loss. I fully agree that the loss of Tourigny was the big blow. I wasn’t a fan of Boyd being named GM at the time. I question his track record close to as much as you. But, he has had success so it is hard to vilify him.

I thought passing on Beaudoin and going with Mews was a terrible decision at the time. The 2021 draft is tough because of the leagues being shut down the entire year previous. But, there are some really solid picks in there. Jack Beck was really good. Matier was outstanding. We had two defections so it is tough to judge that. Overall, I would like to have seen greater success on the 1st rounders but the drafts overall have been solid.

 

[beastintheeast]

I stated yesterday that I honestly felt Jeff Brown was the guy we needed. I know there were health issues and some scuttlebutt about some behind the scenes issues. But, IMO, he was a big loss. I fully agree that the loss of Tourigny was the big blow. I wasn’t a fan of Boyd being named GM at the time. I question his track record close to as much as you. But, he has had success so it is hard to vilify him.

I thought passing on Beaudoin and going with Mews was a terrible decision at the time. The 2021 draft is tough because of the leagues being shut down the entire year previous. But, there are some really solid picks in there. Jack Beck was really good. Matier was outstanding. We had two defections so it is tough to judge that. Overall, I would like to have seen greater success on the 1st rounders but the drafts overall have been solid.

He has not been bad with the D he drafted, although some could say there was better avail. I am not sure. The challenge is that he does not seem to be able to scout or draft forwards.

I give the credit for the team in the first few years to Tourigny who knew how to develop talent and get the most out of his players.

The reason that this team has done so well is that they had a strong d AND OUTSTANDING GOALTENDERS.

I am wondering has he made a trade that we can say helped the team other than the obvious Morrison and Mintikov deals that were simple and any one could make them.

BACK TO MY POINT THOUGH

If you are going to draft in the first round, it is expected that the players you draft will develop into star players, improving their skills and being able to play better each year. If not, then you are just wasting their time. First round picks are supposed to be players that have a reasonable shot at the NHL.

 

[OMG67]

He has not been bad with the D he drafted, although some could say there was better avail. I am not sure. The challenge is that he does not seem to be able to scout or draft forwards.

I give the credit for the team in the first few years to Tourigny who knew how to develop talent and get the most out of his players.

The reason that this team has done so well is that they had a strong d AND OUTSTANDING GOALTENDERS.

I am wondering has he made a trade that we can say helped the team other than the obvious Morrison and Mintikov deals that were simple and any one could make them.

Kind of a loaded question because you would need to define the word, “help.” For example, I could suggest it would be a big help for this team if Pinelli were traded at the deadline so we could recoup a bunch of assets to use in the future. Others would suggest that would hurt the team.

If we looked simply at the trades and assessed them, I think they are mostly trades anyone could make. Trading nine picks for Mintyukov isn’t a steal. Most would suggest Boyd got ripped off. Boyd’s goal was to not trade bodies so I guess one could suggest that was a great trade considering he didn’t have to move bodies. But, we are now discussing the misuse of Yanni and DC’s lack of developing talent. Well, if Boyd had have moved a player or two in that trade, it would have reduced the log jam we had last year on the wings. So, how deep do you want to go with an analysis on the Mintyukov or the Morrison deals? I said at the time we’d have too many returning players and Boyd should use expendable bodies that we could afford to give up to get key players. We are not opening up space for rookies. So, would it have been better if we scaled back that trade and deleted a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th and maybe dished off Ewles and Barlas in the deal? Is that better? The answer would be opinion based. Depends on who you ask.

You have to cut Boyd a bit of a break. We haven’t added in the Imports to the equation. Leading a strong organization attracts the good Imports. You can’t hit a home run every year in the 1st round, especially when you are picking late. Many of the depth picks have worked out well. I think to be fair, you need to assess his performance on balance of good and bad. You can’t just focus on the bad.

Boyd hasn’t been the GM long enough to honestly assess in any meaningful way. You need a couple full cycles to really make an assessment. Jeff Brown set him up nicely but he still managed to utilize his assts positively. You can’t criticize a guy for winning with the previous GM’s hard work. You could if he f’d it up.

 

[beastintheeast]

Kind of a loaded question because you would need to define the word, “help.” For example, I could suggest it would be a big help for this team if Pinelli were traded at the deadline so we could recoup a bunch of assets to use in the future. Others would suggest that would hurt the team.

If we looked simply at the trades and assessed them, I think they are mostly trades anyone could make. Trading nine picks for Mintyukov isn’t a steal. Most would suggest Boyd got ripped off. Boyd’s goal was to not trade bodies so I guess one could suggest that was a great trade considering he didn’t have to move bodies. But, we are now discussing the misuse of Yanni and DC’s lack of developing talent. Well, if Boyd had have moved a player or two in that trade, it would have reduced the log jam we had last year on the wings. So, how deep do you want to go with an analysis on the Mintyukov or the Morrison deals? I said at the time we’d have too many returning players and Boyd should use expendable bodies that we could afford to give up to get key players. We are not opening up space for rookies. So, would it have been better if we scaled back that trade and deleted a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th and maybe dished off Ewles and Barlas in the deal? Is that better? The answer would be opinion based. Depends on who you ask.

You have to cut Boyd a bit of a break. We haven’t added in the Imports to the equation. Leading a strong organization attracts the good Imports. You can’t hit a home run every year in the 1st round, especially when you are picking late. Many of the depth picks have worked out well. I think to be fair, you need to assess his performance on balance of good and bad. You can’t just focus on the bad.

Boyd hasn’t been the GM long enough to honestly assess in any meaningful way. You need a couple full cycles to really make an assessment. Jeff Brown set him up nicely but he still managed to utilize his assts positively. You can’t criticize a guy for winning with the previous GM’s hard work. You could if he f’d it up.

To me, and I know you think this is radical, I would have all players 2205 2004 available for trade now.

If we can get a good deal for Pinelli take it. A good deal to me would be a layer and a few picks.

I know that people think we should fight for a high playoff position or be ready to go for it again. To me that is ANAL

I would not be upset to see Gerrior, Kelly Barlas and Pinelli gone before camp.

The same goes for Sirman and MacK. I think Sirman is not going to bring much, and we have the worry of MacK being healthy and anyone wanting him at the deadline. Look what happened to Donoso.

The Euro scouting we have is great and they do a great job.

I agree with the 67's. Boyd has been here briefly, but if you add his record in Miss, he has really performed and drafted well. If we had drafted well in the later rounds, we would have a whole flock of people to choose from this year from last year's draft.

Time will tell but I am not seeing it. Boyd and DC won nothing in Miss and so far are not showing any ability to win anything here.

 

[Hinterland]

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are getting at so I will ask a couple very specific questions:

1> Considering the returning forwards, are you saying Yanni should be placed in the top 9?
2> If yes, what players on the depth chart is he ahead of? In other words, what players should get pushed behind Yanni to the 4th line?

As previously mentioned, I have the three centres ahead of Yanni just by means of Yanni not being a centre (Gardiner, Dever, Ekberg). On the wing, I have Pinelli, Gerrior, and Foster clearly ahead of him. We can add in Stonehouse as well should they decide to keep two OA forwards but for now, let’s leave him off the list. I have Korbler ahead of him simply because Cameron played him on the 1st line last year pretty much the entire 2nd half and playoffs. I may disagree with that assignment but if I am making an assessment, I have to consider what Cameron is likely to do. That is four guys clearly ahead of Yanni on the depth chart. Then there is the 2nd tier of wingers where we could discuss the potential of Yanni to be above. That list includes Horner, Amidovski, Barlas, Kelly, and Hilton. Of those five guys (plus Yanni), only two of them will be given roles in the top 9. Horner adds an element the top 9 needs. He is the sandpaper. I sort of have him in limbo but I lean more towards 3rd line RW for him considering he is a 19 year old. I have Barlas ahead of Yanni most certainly. He may get traded but for now we need to consider him on the roster. Kelly is another RW that will be given an opportunity (one last opportunity) to prove himself. You could discount him and I wouldn’t argue with you. Same with Hilton. But, there is also Amidovski. If Ekberg plays centre and forces Whitehead down to the 4th line centre position (pretty likely), I think Amidovski will get an opportunity early to prove himself capable before Yanni does.

So, from my perspective, without trading Barlas, there is one winger position open in the top 9. Yanni would need to jump ahead of at least three other guys that are more likely to get the opportunity. That means that he would need to have a great training camp and pre-season. I am not going to suggest he cannot do it. As you mentioned, he didn’t have enough playing time. He basically only played sparingly in the 2nd half. I don’t think they will push both Kelly and Horner to the 4th line. So, I really don’t think there is a spot for Yanni in the top 9. IF IF IF Barlas gets traded? Well, that makes it a different conversation. If that happens, I think it becomes a straight up battle between Yanni, Amidovski, and Hilton for 3-LW. I think that would be a good battle. Yanni could win that battle. So, from my perspective, Yanni needs Barlas to get traded OR Pinelli to get traded to open that spot up in the 2nd half. Other trades involving Foster could happen too. Who knows? But I can only use what I have in front of me with respect to depth chart and the current depth chart does not favour Yanni.

Foster, Gardiner, Körbler
Pinelli, Ekberg, Gerrior
Yanni, Dever, Horner
Amidovski, Whitehead, Kelly
Hilton

I think Cameron is gonna want to keep changes at a minimum and we're likely to see a healthy Gardiner replacing Kressler and Ekberg replacing Maillet. I'd replace Stonehouse with Yanni and start Amidovski on the 4th line. The only potential problem is that the 67's don't have a righty goal scoring winger to play with Ekberg. Gerrior might work just fine, otherwise it may be worth exploring trade options, potentially involving Gerrior. They could use a righty defenseman as well.

 

[beastintheeast]

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are getting at so I will ask a couple very specific questions:

1> Considering the returning forwards, are you saying Yanni should be placed in the top 9?

Yanni is a LW therefore the only players ahead of him are Pinellil, Barlas, Gerrior and maybe Foster

He is competing with Hilton and houben for ice time.

Ranking him I would put him in 3rd possibly second ( depending on what they do) behind Pinelli and Foster. Yes Gerrior is a good grinder but the upside of Yanni and development is more important.

2> If yes, what players on the depth chart is he ahead of? In other words, what players should get pushed behind Yanni to the 4th line?

O to answer your question I would put him ahead of Barlas, hilton and Houben. I would not [put Barlas on the 4th line. If anything I would trade him and Gerrior. Unless you can move Gerrior to RW.

The challenge is that next year if they put him on 4th line he is going to get screwed by scouting as Hilton was. He is not going to develop and you are going to expect him and whitehead to play 2nd line with no real training.

We know he will be lucky to get 5 minutes a game if he is designated 4th line.

But here is the next question IS EKBERG A CENTER and can he play center at the OHL level. Everything I read is that he is LW further screwing things up.

Personally I would trade Pinelli (depending on Ekberg) Barlas, Gerrior before the season starts. I would keep Foster as a center/ winger

Horner adds an element the top 9 needs. He is the sandpaper. I sort of have him in limbo but I lean more towards 3rd line RW for him considering he is a 19 year old. I have Barlas ahead of Yanni most certainly. He may get traded but for now we need to consider him on the roster. Kelly is another RW that will be given an opportunity (one last opportunity) to prove himself. You could discount him and I wouldn’t argue with you. Same with Hilton. But, there is also Amidovski.

RW do not count as Yanni is a LW. Barlas needs to go just as Pinelli and Gerrior do. Hilton should be given and chance in camp to show what he developed. Remember big guys take longer to get used to the weight and size. You could starthim off with the 4th line and give him time on the PP as the guy infront of the net,

If Ekberg plays centre and forces Whitehead down to the 4th line centre position (pretty likely), I think Amidovski will get an opportunity early to prove himself capable before Yanni does.

If Ekberg plays center why can he not play second line center. to start the year and move to first lne because i do not see Gardiner as a first line center.

So, from my perspective, without trading Barlas, there is one winger position open in the top 9. Yanni would need to jump ahead of at least three other guys that are more likely to get the opportunity. That means that he would need to have a great training camp and pre-season. I am not going to suggest he cannot do it. As you mentioned, he didn’t have enough playing time. He basically only played sparingly in the 2nd half. I don’t think they will push both Kelly and Horner to the 4th line. So, I really don’t think there is a spot for Yanni in the top 9. IF IF IF Barlas gets traded? Well, that makes it a different conversation. If that happens, I think it becomes a straight up battle between Yanni, Amidovski, and Hilton for 3-LW. I think that would be a good battle. Yanni could win that battle. So, from my perspective, Yanni needs Barlas to get traded OR Pinelli to get traded to open that spot up in the 2nd half. Other trades involving Foster could happen too. Who knows? But I can only use what I have in front of me with respect to depth chart and the current depth chart does not favour Yanni.

BOYD SCREWED UP He did not look at the team of the future he tried to get greedy the past 2 years and instead of looking at what he had he screwed the pooch by adding and not removing players.
If I was Yanni, Whitehead the first words out of my mouth at camp if DC says fourth is thank you I am going home TRADE ME AFTER i SIGN MY OHL CARD.
If I was a parent of a kid that was a 1st round draft pick I would tell Boyd no thanks do not pick me I will not let my son waste his development and potential with your team.

Again if YOu look at the Fronts under Mav when they were at the M center this is the same thing that he did.

So let Boyd stay the course and play to win this year next year you will have

Barlas Gardiner Horner or Dever the OA line
Yanni Ekberg (maybe) Korbler
Hilton Whitehead Kelly
Houben Amidovski ( 2 years on 4th line)

Just imagine the fear that the first line will give the opposition.

There is a point that you have to say OK we drafted crap and we went too,long trying to win it all now it is time to suck back and look at this team in 2026 and beyond. DC is not a Kilrea he does not know how to develop rookies. Either that or Boyd does not know how to draft.

Either way this is not a great team and will be worse unless Boyd sells. Again the true fans do not mind if the team loses this year as long as they give 100% and they can see the future on the players on the ice. 92-93 we had a bad team but then you looked at what we had and who we had coming back. You also saw a team that gave it's best on the ice.

 

[dirty12]

Yanni is a LW therefore the only players ahead of him are Pinellil, Barlas, Gerrior and maybe Foster

He is competing with Hilton and houben for ice time.

Ranking him I would put him in 3rd possibly second ( depending on what they do) behind Pinelli and Foster. Yes Gerrior is a good grinder but the upside of Yanni and development is more important.

I would argue that Gerrior is an OA with one final season to prepare for the next stage of his life, so his development is more important than Yanni who has four years of eligibility remaining. Also Gerrior is better now and would help develop others on the team playing with him than Yanni would.

O to answer your question I would put him ahead of Barlas, hilton and Houben. I would not [put Barlas on the 4th line. If anything I would trade him and Gerrior. Unless you can move Gerrior to RW.

The challenge is that next year if they put him on 4th line he is going to get screwed by scouting as Hilton was. He is not going to develop and you are going to expect him and whitehead to play 2nd line with no real training.

We know he will be lucky to get 5 minutes a game if he is designated 4th line.

But here is the next question IS EKBERG A CENTER and can he play center at the OHL level. Everything I read is that he is LW further screwing things up.

Personally I would trade Pinelli (depending on Ekberg) Barlas, Gerrior before the season starts. I would keep Foster as a center/ winger


RW do not count as Yanni is a LW. Barlas needs to go just as Pinelli and Gerrior do. Hilton should be given and chance in camp to show what he developed. Remember big guys take longer to get used to the weight and size. You could starthim off with the 4th line and give him time on the PP as the guy infront of the net,


If Ekberg plays center why can he not play second line center. to start the year and move to first lne because i do not see Gardiner as a first line center.

BOYD SCREWED UP He did not look at the team of the future he tried to get greedy the past 2 years and instead of looking at what he had he screwed the pooch by adding and not removing players.
If I was Yanni, Whitehead the first words out of my mouth at camp if DC says fourth is thank you I am going home TRADE ME AFTER i SIGN MY OHL CARD.
If I was a parent of a kid that was a 1st round draft pick I would tell Boyd no thanks do not pick me I will not let my son waste his development and potential with your team.

Again if YOu look at the Fronts under Mav when they were at the M center this is the same thing that he did.

So let Boyd stay the course and play to win this year next year you will have

Barlas Gardiner Horner or Dever the OA line
Yanni Ekberg (maybe) Korbler
Hilton Whitehead Kelly
Houben Amidovski ( 2 years on 4th line)

Just imagine the fear that the first line will give the opposition.

There is a point that you have to say OK we drafted crap and we went too,long trying to win it all now it is time to suck back and look at this team in 2026 and beyond. DC is not a Kilrea he does not know how to develop rookies. Either that or Boyd does not know how to draft.

Either way this is not a great team and will be worse unless Boyd sells. Again the true fans do not mind if the team loses this year as long as they give 100% and they can see the future on the players on the ice. 92-93 we had a bad team but then you looked at what we had and who we had coming back. You also saw a team that gave it's best on the ice.

 

[beastintheeast]

I would argue that Gerrior is an OA with one final season to prepare for the next stage of his life, so his development is more important than Yanni who has four years of eligibility remaining. Also Gerrior is better now and would help develop others on the team playing with him than Yanni would.

Are we looking for a make the person better or make the team better. I am not saying cut him loose but trade him. We have too many players flooding the system and stopping player development.

Look at next season are we going to keep Barlas Dever and Gardiner because we want to give them another year. That does not develop the team better.

These guys are players that are mid card and taking up space that younger players can develop and become better.

 

[dirty12]

Are we looking for a make the person better or make the team better. I am not saying cut him loose but trade him. We have too many players flooding the system and stopping player development.

Look at next season are we going to keep Barlas Dever and Gardiner because we want to give them another year. That does not develop the team better.

These guys are players that are mid card and taking up space that younger players can develop and become better.

You should want both; make the person better, and the team better.

You call these mid card players. Which team do you expect to trade for a ‘mid-card’ OA forward? I cannot think of one at the moment.
The ‘67s might think to move Barlas and others if Yanni warrants more TOI. There are teams that are probably willing to part with several picks right now for Pinelli, which is fine because you don’t want a talented young for the OHL player slotted above Yanni.

 

[OMG67]

Foster, Gardiner, Körbler
Pinelli, Ekberg, Gerrior
Yanni, Dever, Horner
Amidovski, Whitehead, Kelly
Hilton

I think Cameron is gonna want to keep changes at a minimum and we're likely to see a healthy Gardiner replacing Kressler and Ekberg replacing Maillet. I'd replace Stonehouse with Yanni and start Amidovski on the 4th line. The only potential problem is that the 67's don't have a righty goal scoring winger to play with Ekberg. Gerrior might work just fine, otherwise it may be worth exploring trade options, potentially involving Gerrior. They could use a righty defenseman as well.

OK. So that makes sense provided they trade Barlas and Yanni wins the head to head with Hilton and Amidovski. I could see that. But that is a lot of moving parts for that to work out.

 

[OMG67]

To me, and I know you think this is radical, I would have all players 2205 2004 available for trade now.

If we can get a good deal for Pinelli take it. A good deal to me would be a layer and a few picks.

I know that people think we should fight for a high playoff position or be ready to go for it again. To me that is ANAL

I would not be upset to see Gerrior, Kelly Barlas and Pinelli gone before camp.

The same goes for Sirman and MacK. I think Sirman is not going to bring much, and we have the worry of MacK being healthy and anyone wanting him at the deadline. Look what happened to Donoso.

The Euro scouting we have is great and they do a great job.

I agree with the 67's. Boyd has been here briefly, but if you add his record in Miss, he has really performed and drafted well. If we had drafted well in the later rounds, we would have a whole flock of people to choose from this year from last year's draft.

Time will tell but I am not seeing it. Boyd and DC won nothing in Miss and so far are not showing any ability to win anything here.

You need to be careful gutting your team. You can’t develop young players if they are doing nothing but chasing the puck against stronger competition. You need to keep enough talent to ensure you have puck possession and the players can develop offensive skills. I wouldn’t cut anywhere near as deep as that. I think the goal should be to zero in on the three OA’s you want to keep and move the rest. Then trade Pinelli assuming his value is as strong as anticipated.

Then you wait on Gardiner and foster to see if they return for an OA season. IF they do, you have a strong nucleus returning for the following season.

 

[Hinterland]

OK. So that makes sense provided they trade Barlas and Yanni wins the head to head with Hilton and Amidovski. I could see that. But that is a lot of moving parts for that to work out.

I don't think there's any sense in keeping Barlas. He wasn't the problem on that 4th line but he also wasn't really good enough to improve it. Might as well play Whitehead and give Barlas a chance for a fresh start elsewhere. No need to keep an 05 born player to play on the 4th line. Gardiner, Dever and Ekberg are just better than him and mostly younger as well.

 

[OMG67]

You should want both; make the person better, and the team better.

You call these mid card players. Which team do you expect to trade for a ‘mid-card’ OA forward? I cannot think of one at the moment.
The ‘67s might think to move Barlas and others if Yanni warrants more TOI. There are teams that are probably willing to part with several picks right now for Pinelli, which is fine because you don’t want a talented young for the OHL player slotted above Yanni.

I think there are a lot of moving parts. It seems likely that Barlas will be moved. At least if you believe the rumours. If that happens, it opens the door for a 3-LW. If Pinelli moves at the deadline, then that is another LW spot opening up. Perfect. We have some young depth guys that could use extra ice.

I’m not a fan of cutting deep in trades. I am cool with dealing excess players that aren’t being used efficiently to give them a shot elsewhere and dish off a graduating player with high value so you can push assets into the future. To me, that is strong management of assets.

I think certain players have a higher value on your team than int he trade market. Gerrior is definitely one of those guys. I don’t think you’d get a 2nd round pick plus for him. You may as well keep him and throw him out there to win pucks for his linemates. If he plays with a younger player, that younger player will get the puck on his stick more because of Gerrior.

Gerrior seems more destined for CIS hockey I think. I don’t see him as a Pro. If he is scholastically inclined, I think 4 years of CIS hockey while getting an education is perfect for him.

I lean toward Gardiner coming back healthy and making an impact so he is probably more likely to get the NHL contract but it is worth the gamble seeing if he returns. I doubt Foster gets an NHL deal. Dever is the most likely OA at this point. Maybe round them out with Horner? So, I wouldn’t move any of those four unless a deal is too sweet to pass up.

So, a 2025-26 roster would look like:

Foster(OA) - Ekberg - Korbler
Amidovski - Dever(OA) - Horner(OA)
Yanni - Whitehead - Kelly
Hilton - Perrier - X

Marrelli - Mews
Dietsch - Brady
Eshkawkogan

Nelson

That isn’t all that bad without factoring in changes and more draft picks etc. It would be nice to see Bonomo develop with his size on the back end and get Vandenberg signed.

I don't think there's any sense in keeping Barlas. He wasn't the problem on that 4th line but he also wasn't really good enough to improve it. Might as well play Whitehead and give Barlas a chance for a fresh start elsewhere. No need to keep an 05 born player to play on the 4th line. Gardiner, Dever and Ekberg are just better than him and mostly younger as well.

The problem with Barlas is he isn’t a centre. he was pushed into that role. He is a really good winger. He is head and shoulders ahead of Yanni on the wing. But, I agree. We have depth on the wings and if we can get a decent return for Barlas then we should do it, especially if it opens a spot ont he 3rd line for a younger player.

 

[Hinterland]

I think there are a lot of moving parts. It seems likely that Barlas will be moved. At least if you believe the rumours. If that happens, it opens the door for a 3-LW. If Pinelli moves at the deadline, then that is another LW spot opening up. Perfect. We have some young depth guys that could use extra ice.

I’m not a fan of cutting deep in trades. I am cool with dealing excess players that aren’t being used efficiently to give them a shot elsewhere and dish off a graduating player with high value so you can push assets into the future. To me, that is strong management of assets.

I think certain players have a higher value on your team than int he trade market. Gerrior is definitely one of those guys. I don’t think you’d get a 2nd round pick plus for him. You may as well keep him and throw him out there to win pucks for his linemates. If he plays with a younger player, that younger player will get the puck on his stick more because of Gerrior.

Gerrior seems more destined for CIS hockey I think. I don’t see him as a Pro. If he is scholastically inclined, I think 4 years of CIS hockey while getting an education is perfect for him.

I lean toward Gardiner coming back healthy and making an impact so he is probably more likely to get the NHL contract but it is worth the gamble seeing if he returns. I doubt Foster gets an NHL deal. Dever is the most likely OA at this point. Maybe round them out with Horner? So, I wouldn’t move any of those four unless a deal is too sweet to pass up.

So, a 2025-26 roster would look like:

Foster(OA) - Ekberg - Korbler
Amidovski - Dever(OA) - Horner(OA)
Yanni - Whitehead - Kelly
Hilton - Perrier - X

Marrelli - Mews
Dietsch - Brady
Eshkawkogan

Nelson

That isn’t all that bad without factoring in changes and more draft picks etc. It would be nice to see Bonomo develop with his size on the back end and get Vandenberg signed.



The problem with Barlas is he isn’t a centre. he was pushed into that role. He is a really good winger. He is head and shoulders ahead of Yanni on the wing. But, I agree. We have depth on the wings and if we can get a decent return for Barlas then we should do it, especially if it opens a spot ont he 3rd line for a younger player.

If playoffs are an indication then he's not. He was very good with Yanni but just as bad as Gardiner and Kelly once Yanni was taken out of the lineup. Again, I don't think he was the problem on that 4th line but unlike Yanni he wasn't really part of the solution either. Therefore I think a fresh start elsewhere would be ideal for Barlas.

 

[ScoutLife4]

Are we looking for a make the person better or make the team better. I am not saying cut him loose but trade him. We have too many players flooding the system and stopping player development.

Look at next season are we going to keep Barlas Dever and Gardiner because we want to give them another year. That does not develop the team better.

These guys are players that are mid card and taking up space that younger players can develop and become better.

Dever plans to go to School after this season.
Pretty sure he is aware he will not be back.

 

[AGranderson]

Dever plans to go to School after this season.
Pretty sure he is aware he will not be back.

Source?

 

[OMG67]

Dever plans to go to School after this season.
Pretty sure he is aware he will not be back.

Anything can change depending on role. I’m sure if the 67s offered an OA spot, he’d consider it and get the extra year of tuition.