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

[sirius67fan]

I'm glad we're making an import pick. Hopefully an 18 y.o. center. As I've voiced keeping Korbler is the right choice imo.

 

[mianjo]

Both Mews and Marelli score, Mews also a assist for Canada currently up 9-2

Koerbler -1 3 sog 16:00

Marelli 1g +3 3 sog 18:04

Mews 1g 1a +3 4 sog 18:12

 

[beastintheeast]

I agree that players can put on weight. My worry is that if you have a small defenseman who is not physically able to play the game, he is going to spend a lot of time on his asset or the bench. I would rather see him play in Navan or such for at least part of the season to get used to dealing with his size and gain confidence in playing on the pairing and getting almost no minutes.

The same can be said for Amidovski or any one coming up.

As to drafting an 18 year old center I can see both sides of the coin.

a. we could use some experience at that poition
b. we are rebuilding and it would be nice ro find a player an let him develop with the team so that we do not lose both our Euro onthe same year.

If we are drafting an 18 yearold then we better be sure he is gong to come here and that he can play the minutes.

 

[OMG67]

I agree that players can put on weight. My worry is that if you have a small defenseman who is not physically able to play the game, he is going to spend a lot of time on his asset or the bench. I would rather see him play in Navan or such for at least part of the season to get used to dealing with his size and gain confidence in playing on the pairing and getting almost no minutes.

The same can be said for Amidovski or any one coming up.

As to drafting an 18 year old center I can see both sides of the coin.

a. we could use some experience at that poition
b. we are rebuilding and it would be nice ro find a player an let him develop with the team so that we do not lose both our Euro onthe same year.

If we are drafting an 18 yearold then we better be sure he is gong to come here and that he can play the minutes.

There are loads of smaller D-Men that are very successful. If the kid has skill, he should play. It is more about putting him in the right situations when he is young. The 3rd pair in the regular season doesn't need to match up against other teams top lines. As a 15 year old to start the season, he will likely get 3rd pairing minutes and will be allowed an opportunity to slowly catch up to the speed of the play and find a good comfort level. He may get a chance to play in the under-17 tournament which would be a great opportunity. A lot of the younger guys come back from that tourney with a lot of confidence.

Apparently the kid can skate and you cannot hit what you cannot catch. If he is slippery and good with the puck, he will probably be ok. I don’t expect big numbers as a rookie D-Man but it would be good to get him some experience. It was a bit of a smaller sized draft this year. It is what it is. We have what we have.We need to develop the players. You can’t suggest not playing the 16 year olds this year was a bad decision because it stunted their development and then suggest we should play a 1st rounder in Jr A.

 

[beastintheeast]

There are loads of smaller D-Men that are very successful. If the kid has skill, he should play. It is more about putting him in the right situations when he is young. The 3rd pair in the regular season doesn't need to match up against other teams top lines. As a 15 year old to start the season, he will likely get 3rd pairing minutes and will be allowed an opportunity to slowly catch up to the speed of the play and find a good comfort level. He may get a chance to play in the under-17 tournament which would be a great opportunity. A lot of the younger guys come back from that tourney with a lot of confidence.

Apparently the kid can skate and you cannot hit what you cannot catch. If he is slippery and good with the puck, he will probably be ok. I don’t expect big numbers as a rookie D-Man but it would be good to get him some experience. It was a bit of a smaller sized draft this year. It is what it is. We have what we have.We need to develop the players. You can’t suggest not playing the 16 year olds this year was a bad decision because it stunted their development and then suggest we should play a 1st rounder in Jr A.

Great if he was a forward, but in order to clear the front of the net or control the corners, you need size.

 

[OMG67]

Great if he was a forward, but in order to clear the front of the net or control the corners, you need size.

Brian Campbell won a D-Man of the Year at the CHL level and went on to play 1082 NHL games.

 

[PuckStop75]

Brian Campbell won a D-Man of the Year at the CHL level and went on to play 1082 NHL games.

Sorry but this kid is no Brian Campbell, beyond that, a team can't be built with 6 Brian Campbells on D, it needs to address all aspects of the game.

 

[HockeyPops]

I think if any team had 6 Brian Campbells they would be pretty happy.

 

[PuckStop75]

I think if any team had 6 Brian Campbells they would be pretty happy.

as long as they didn't have to play defense.

 

[dirty12]

I think if any team had 6 Brian Campbells they would be pretty happy.

Only because they could get a fair return for four of them

 

[OMG67]

Sorry but this kid is no Brian Campbell, beyond that, a team can't be built with 6 Brian Campbells on D, it needs to address all aspects of the game.

Brian Campbell was a 3rd round pick. He was small when drafted. He grew a bit and packed on some weight and became a player. Even as a 16 year old he showed well.

Just because a kid is small doesn’t mean he cannot play and contribute. We haven’t even seen this kid on the ice and some are bitching and moaning about it. It is far too early to pass judgement. The kid needs a chance to prove what he can do. It is unfortunate that small kids need to prove they can play while big kids need to prove they can’t!

Just because we have one small D-Man doesn’t mean we are deploying six of them. I’m sure they will play him with a decent sized kid. The 3rd pairing on the depth chart would have him and Dietsch.

 

[PuckStop75]

Brian Campbell was a 3rd round pick. He was small when drafted. He grew a bit and packed on some weight and became a player. Even as a 16 year old he showed well.

Just because a kid is small doesn’t mean he cannot play and contribute. We haven’t even seen this kid on the ice and some are bitching and moaning about it. It is far too early to pass judgement. The kid needs a chance to prove what he can do. It is unfortunate that small kids need to prove they can play while big kids need to prove they can’t!

Just because we have one small D-Man doesn’t mean we are deploying six of them. I’m sure they will play him with a decent sized kid. The 3rd pairing on the depth chart would have him and Dietsch.

With Mews and Marrelli already on the roster and then a barely 6ft Horner and Brady its not like he would be joining a larger group where he provides something they aren't already in abundance of. It comes down to roster composition and who exactly plays with who and how they balance experience and size.

 

[OMG67]

With Mews and Marrelli already on the roster and then a barely 6ft Horner and Brady its not like he would be joining a larger group where he provides something they aren't already in abundance of. It comes down to roster composition and who exactly plays with who and how they balance experience and size.

So, what is the option? We used a first round pick on the kid. Do you walk away from him because he is small and they just realized this?

They need to develop draft picks, especially early round draft picks. The kid was picked 21st overall. He is going to play, likely on the 3rd pairing with Dietsch.

We can discuss whether the kid should have been drafted, fine, but he has been drafted, the organization is obviously high on him so now we need to understand that the kid is going to play until he proves he can’t play. His draft status confirms it. If he proves his size hold him back from developing at the OHL level then fine but he first needs to prove that just like any other draft pick that comes to camp and either impresses or doesn’t.

Horner won’t be going back to defence. That would be suicide.

 

[PuckStop75]

So, what is the option? We used a first round pick on the kid. Do you walk away from him because he is small and they just realized this?

They need to develop draft picks, especially early round draft picks. The kid was picked 21st overall. He is going to play, likely on the 3rd pairing with Dietsch.

We can discuss whether the kid should have been drafted, fine, but he has been drafted, the organization is obviously high on him so now we need to understand that the kid is going to play until he proves he can’t play. His draft status confirms it. If he proves his size hold him back from developing at the OHL level then fine but he first needs to prove that just like any other draft pick that comes to camp and either impresses or doesn’t.

Horner won’t be going back to defence. That would be suicide.

If the success rate was a little better with first rounders, I would say sure run with that thinking. But lets be real in recognizing it was another opportunity to take a bigger player at a time when several were available and they went off the board and took a player who was substantially undersized for the position he was playing.

The last thing this team needs is another player like Barlas, Sirman or Horner who was mis-assessed and had to be repositioned in the lineup because they weren't what they thought they were. A 5'8 150lb defensemen on this teams roster will need to positioned carefully and I would say given the late birth a year in Jr.A wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him.

I really haven't figured out the roster construction that is being used, much was discussed about a Dave Cameron team and players and this certainly doesn't break the mold of anything they have been doing in the last few years.

 

[frontsfan67]

deleted

 

[OMG67]

If the success rate was a little better with first rounders, I would say sure run with that thinking. But lets be real in recognizing it was another opportunity to take a bigger player at a time when several were available and they went off the board and took a player who was substantially undersized for the position he was playing.

The last thing this team needs is another player like Barlas, Sirman or Horner who was mis-assessed and had to be repositioned in the lineup because they weren't what they thought they were. A 5'8 150lb defensemen on this teams roster will need to positioned carefully and I would say given the late birth a year in Jr.A wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him.

I really haven't figured out the roster construction that is being used, much was discussed about a Dave Cameron team and players and this certainly doesn't break the mold of anything they have been doing in the last few years.

In fairness, the players ranked around that pick were all smaller. That was a comp pick, so they needed a guaranteed report as well. There were no “big” players left that ranked in that range. At best they were average to below average size. The kid is a November birthdate as well so he is much younger. Blake Bell had him as his sleeper 1st rounder and gave him a really solid scoring report in Brock Otten’s mock draft:

2024 OHL Priority Selection Mock Draft & Preview

The 2024 OHL Priority Selection is set to go this weekend, with rounds 1-3 occurring Friday night. The Windsor Spitfires will select first a...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

There seems to be a misconception regarding the “Dave Cameron Style.” Most seem to think he relies on bigger players. That’s not the case. He relies on a defence first system. This may work against some players but the key is to acquire players that buy into what he wants done. We can discuss whether his system is the right system (I’m not a fan), but the reality is, any sized player can play his system. Some obviously more effective than others.

I think the 67’s will still rely on speed as the main component. Moving the puck with speed and skating with speed seems to be the emphasis. Whether Cameron can be successful with that as opposed to more of a bottleneck style of play is to be determined. I also question it.


Although I agree he may end up in Junior “A”, I think it is premature to write him off specifically because of his size. I also feel that we cannot criticize the team for not developing Dietsch, Yanni, and Hilton at the OHL level and then automatically turn the page on this and suggest the kid cannot play at this level at that size.


Brian Campbell was really small and he broke into the league when the rulebook was called much differently. HE had a great year one with Ottawa as a 3rd rounder. He and Boynton made a really solid #3 pairing for the team in 1995-96. There is no reason to assume a slick D-Man cannot compete without seeing him playing amongst his new peers.

Horner and Sirman were much deeper picks. Barlas was an early pick but he was a Covid year pick. No one had much info on that draft which is why we got Pinelli in the 2nd round. Overall, I agree their 1st round pick track record hasn’t been as solid as their depth picks overall compared to the rest of the league.

 

[HockeyPops]

It's pretty rare for first round picks to not play, and rarer still if they are drafted by a non-contender.

 

[dirty12]

If the ‘67s considered Eshkawkogan the best player available that would report as a comp pick or best fit for organizational needs, perfect.
But there were most certainly equal talents with greater size at every position.

 

[OMG67]

If the ‘67s considered Eshkawkogan the best player available that would report as a comp pick or best fit for organizational needs, perfect.
But there were most certainly equal talents with greater size at every position.

I think we need to assume he was at minimum the best available D-Man on their list at that pick. I assume they targeted a D-Man. If not, then he would not only be their best available D-Man at that pick but their best available player at that pick.

The reality is most teams will have different lists once they get to that area of the draft. Some would have that player further down on their list because of size and others would have him higher based on skill. It obviously depends on what individual franchises value more.

It looks like the 67’s had an opportunity to take a slick, puck-moving D-Man at that spot and based on their future needs, that is a position they felt they needed. Mews has 1-2 more years with Ottawa. Eshkawkogan will be 17 or 18 when Mews is gone and clearly they want a puck mover and aren’t concerned about size, especially since he is so young still and has room for growth.

 

[dirty12]

I think we need to assume he was at minimum the best available D-Man on their list at that pick. I assume they targeted a D-Man. If not, then he would not only be their best available D-Man at that pick but their best available player at that pick.

The reality is most teams will have different lists once they get to that area of the draft. Some would have that player further down on their list because of size and others would have him higher based on skill. It obviously depends on what individual franchises value more.

It looks like the 67’s had an opportunity to take a slick, puck-moving D-Man at that spot and based on their future needs, that is a position they felt they needed. Mews has 1-2 more years with Ottawa. Eshkawkogan will be 17 or 18 when Mews is gone and clearly they want a puck mover and aren’t concerned about size, especially since he is so young still and has room for growth.

Without a doubt virtually all had Nyman, Crete, Croskery, Cameron, Emerton rated higher.
There were 5 RD selected during picks 21-30. I think the ‘67s probably wanted a future PP QB and could have subjectively considered Eshkawkogan better than Greer, but I really doubt many teams had him as best available D at that spot never mind best player.

 

[beastintheeast]

I think he should, if he puts on weight, be OK. I just worry that if he is too light and they bring him up, it will hurt him.

I have seen very few players that had the work ethic of Brian Campbell. This is a kid that, as a rookie, went one-on-one with Yashin after practice to improve.

 

[OMG67]

Without a doubt virtually all had Nyman, Crete, Croskery, Cameron, Emerton rated higher.
There were 5 RD selected during picks 21-30. I think the ‘67s probably wanted a future PP QB and could have subjectively considered Eshkawkogan better than Greer, but I really doubt many teams had him as best available D at that spot never mind best player.

Ottawa did have him higher…..otherwise why draft him? They were clearly looking for a specific position, maybe even a certain type. I thought for sure they would draft Crete and was surprised they went with a D-Man but it is clear that is what they wanted and that was the kid they liked most. They didn’t have a 2nd round pick so they’d have had to wait until the middle of the 3rd round (#52) for their next pick.

The reality is, they picked that player for a specific reason. I don’t see them taking that player and not expecting him to break camp on the roster. I think they’d consider it a failure if he wasn’t’ capable of playing next year. Any team that drafts a player in round one would have the same mindset.

 

[dirty12]

Ottawa did have him higher…..otherwise why draft him? They were clearly looking for a specific position, maybe even a certain type. I thought for sure they would draft Crete and was surprised they went with a D-Man but it is clear that is what they wanted and that was the kid they liked most. They didn’t have a 2nd round pick so they’d have had to wait until the middle of the 3rd round (#52) for their next pick.

The reality is, they picked that player for a specific reason. I don’t see them taking that player and not expecting him to break camp on the roster. I think they’d consider it a failure if he wasn’t’ capable of playing next year. Any team that drafts a player in round one would have the same mindset.

The 1st pick will almost always right from the start dress every game and get some TOI every game.
I did say the subjective opinion of the ‘67s probably was that Eshkawkogan was better than Greer, and they probably felt a future PP QB was best for the team.
I am not believing the ‘67s believed he was the BPA or even best D though.

 

[OMG67]

The 1st pick will almost always right from the start dress every game and get some TOI every game.
I did say the subjective opinion of the ‘67s probably was that Eshkawkogan was better than Greer, and they probably felt a future PP QB was best for the team.
I am not believing the ‘67s believed he was the BPA or even best D though.

And that’s the problem. We dont’ know what the strategy was. He very well could be the best player or at least best D-Man available. They could have felt really good about the depth of stay at home types as well. They picked Bonomo late and that kid is a hulk for his age. IMO if there isn’t a BIG D-Man that can score, why not wait until the 4th through 7th rounds to pick they big stay at home types?

 

[beastintheeast]

We will not really know what Boyd is doing until after training camp, when they start signing cards.

The fact that we did to have the 2nd round pick to me removed a lot of the benefit of the 2nd first round. But that is Boyd's issue.

I think that DC and Boyd, who are under significant pressure this year, are the ones we should be watching closely to see what happens.

If the draft picks do not produce at a reasonable level, then I can see DC gone.

Comparison to Soupy is daft. I would put Bell, rivers, Blanchard, Boynton Bronilla as a much better defensive corp than we have now.

Also, we can see who signs cards and who plays. I have a feeling that Mayich is going to stay at least until the deadline so that he can help our young D.