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

[beastintheeast]

Pinelli is going to have to outplay Vanacker, Rekhopf Basha, Cowan, and Howe. I would also expect that there will be a push by the Q seeing they had such a bad NHL draft.

It would be nice. I am just not sure he has the chops for the WJC. Remember, he still needs to learn defence, to a great point. Also he has not had alot fof international games

Also remember Cameron only has one vote.

I would think that Mews has a better chance of making the team than Pinelli

 

[frontsfan67]

Pinelli is going to have to outplay Vanacker, Rekhopf Basha, Cowan, and Howe. I would also expect that there will be a push by the Q seeing they had such a bad NHL draft.

Masse, Poirier, desnoyer and guite will be 4 guys to watch for.

Also Romani, barlow, greentree in the O

I don’t think Pinelli makes the team

I would think that Mews has a better chance of making the team than Pinelli

100% and even then that may be a long shot. If you want a good offensive d man from the O Zayne Parekh is right at the top of that list.

 

[dirty12]

Pinelli is going to have to outplay Vanacker, Rekhopf Basha, Cowan, and Howe. I would also expect that there will be a push by the Q seeing they had such a bad NHL draft.

It would be nice. I am just not sure he has the chops for the WJC. Remember, he still needs to learn defence, to a great point. Also he has not had alot fof international games

Also remember Cameron only has one vote.

I would think that Mews has a better chance of making the team than Pinelli

There is no chance Mews will be playing for the next Canada WJC team imo. The ‘06 RD that will be considered are Yakemchuk and Parekh. Just from the OHL ‘05 born RD Akey, Bonk, and Gibson will be given greater consideration than Mews.

 

[frontsfan67]

No chance Mews playing for the next Canada WJC team imo. The ‘06 RD that will be considered are Yakemchuk and Parekh. Just from the OHL ‘05 born RD Akey, Bonk, and Gibson will be given greater consideration than Mews.

Forgot about yak- good call. Lukas Dragicevic is one to watch too. Akey was good before injury, bonk is fresh off a championship and more well rounded, Gibson is a good 2 way d man- very steady.

Quinton burns may get a look too in a defensive d man position IF he tightens up penalties he can be very good.
^scratch that forgot we were talking about RD

 

[beastintheeast]

There is no chance Mews will be playing for the next Canada WJC team imo. The ‘06 RD that will be considered are Yakemchuk and Parekh. Just from the OHL ‘05 born RD Akey, Bonk, and Gibson will be given greater consideration than Mews.

Fully agree that there are a lot out there my point was not so much that he would make it but that he had a better chance of making it than Pinelli

As to @frontsfan67 and Burns, not a chance. He does not have the skill set nor the experience.

 

[Hinterland]

There is no chance Mews will be playing for the next Canada WJC team imo. The ‘06 RD that will be considered are Yakemchuk and Parekh. Just from the OHL ‘05 born RD Akey, Bonk, and Gibson will be given greater consideration than Mews.

Yakemchuk is 05 born.

Hey business is business! Jokes aside I did think he had a shot before DC got the nod. Reality is historically it helps when your coach is there. If Pinelli continues improving and has a good first half I think he'll be in likely bottom 6. Heck he's a great forechecker who can finish so why not.
Now back to sillyness. You said it yourself 23 years no championship. Time to get slimy. I foresee Pinelli, Gardiner, Foster, Mews and Marelli on the team! I even think Ekberg has an outside shot for team Canada.

I don't think Ekberg has Canadian citizenship.

 

[dirty12]

I did not consider that Yakemchuk could be a late birth, first time NHL draft eligible.

 

[sirius67fan]

Yakemchuk is 05 born.


I don't think Ekberg has Canadian citizenship.

I was joking about Ekberg, I know he's swedish.

 

[OMG67]

Pinelli will be in the mix. That doesn’t mean he will make the team. But, he is on the radar.

A lot of it comes down to politics. Pinelli was a 2nd round NHL pick that is signed by Columbus. He scores close to 50 last year. Those two factors alone place him on the radar regardless of other options. Another factor is he has his own coach as the Team Canada coach.

Barring injury, I cannot see Pinelli not getting an invite to participate at camp and make a push to make the team. What he does with that opportunity is up to him.

 

[dirty12]

Pinelli will be in the mix. That doesn’t mean he will make the team. But, he is on the radar.

A lot of it comes down to politics. Pinelli was a 2nd round NHL pick that is signed by Columbus. He scores close to 50 last year. Those two factors alone place him on the radar regardless of other options. Another factor is he has his own coach as the Team Canada coach.

Barring injury, I cannot see Pinelli not getting an invite to participate at camp and make a push to make the team. What he does with that opportunity is up to him.

Pinelli would not beat out Lardis or Rehkopf for a top six role, but he is fast enough, and I think strong enough to play a bottom six role for the WJC team if determined enough.
That is something that Romani is not at this time.

 

[frontsfan67]

As to @frontsfan67 and Burns, not a chance. He does not have the skill set nor the experience.

Was apart of the capital city challenge in 2021, Played for Canada in U18s so not sure what you mean about the experience.

He has the skill set for sure if you’ve watched any games his problem is that he constantly took dumb penalties last year. He’s a defensive d man who put up 35 pts in 58 games. Assuming he makes the leap to 50 points this season and works on penalties you don’t think he gets consideration?

 

[OMG67]

Pinelli would not beat out Lardis or Rehkopf for a top six role, but he is fast enough, and I think strong enough to play a bottom six role for the WJC team if determined enough.
That is something that Romani is not at this time.

The reality is they typically try to add players that can play a specific role. The only problem with that is it is rare that they end up playing the same role through the whole tournament. Best laid plans and all…

I am not sure what role Pinelli can play outside a top 6 role. Can he play a defensive role? Yes. But, the only reason to add Pinelli in a bottom 6 role is if they want the flexibility to elevate a player when one of the top 6 guys shits the bed and doesn’t produce as planned. I’m sure if they are strictly looking for a player to shut down another line, Pinelli isn’t the guy to do it.

Pinelli can make space in tight areas. Most Canadian teams aren’t trying to make plays in that manner. They like to work the puck low and blast from the points. They tend to prefer wingers with a bit more size that can lay the body. Senneke is the exact type of player they look at. I am not sure Pinelli is the right style of player that would get consideration outside the top 6. The 13th forward is always a centre. Pinelli plays the wing.

Romani plays the right side and Pinelli the left. It would be very interesting if they had a line with Luke Misa, Pinelli, and Romani. A smallish line but imagine the puck movement on that line? Then a Ritchie, Senneke, and Cowan line. Two lines with a COMPLETELY different approach.

 

[dirty12]

The reality is they typically try to add players that can play a specific role. The only problem with that is it is rare that they end up playing the same role through the whole tournament. Best laid plans and all…

I am not sure what role Pinelli can play outside a top 6 role. Can he play a defensive role? Yes. But, the only reason to add Pinelli in a bottom 6 role is if they want the flexibility to elevate a player when one of the top 6 guys shits the bed and doesn’t produce as planned. I’m sure if they are strictly looking for a player to shut down another line, Pinelli isn’t the guy to do it.

Pinelli can make space in tight areas. Most Canadian teams aren’t trying to make plays in that manner. They like to work the puck low and blast from the points. They tend to prefer wingers with a bit more size that can lay the body. Senneke is the exact type of player they look at. I am not sure Pinelli is the right style of player that would get consideration outside the top 6. The 13th forward is always a centre. Pinelli plays the wing.

Romani plays the right side and Pinelli the left. It would be very interesting if they had a line with Luke Misa, Pinelli, and Romani. A smallish line but imagine the puck movement on that line? Then a Ritchie, Senneke, and Cowan line. Two lines with a COMPLETELY different approach.

I can see Cameron wanting one, maybe two players like Marcus Foligno that he chose previously. Though I do not know, I was thinking Pinelli could be effective in a bottom six role; and in the event of an injury or ineffectiveness, Pinelli could move up or be added to the PP.
There will likely be 4-6 centres a lot more like Ritchie than Misa on the team. Honestly, I’m not convinced Misa could be a centre on the top two lines in a second round OHL playoff this season.

 

[OMG67]

I can see Cameron wanting one, maybe two players like Marcus Foligno that he chose previously. Though I do not know, I was thinking Pinelli could be effective in a bottom six role; and in the event of an injury or ineffectiveness, Pinelli could move up or be added to the PP.
There will likely be 4-6 centres a lot more like Ritchie than Misa on the team. Honestly, I’m not convinced Misa could be a centre on the top two lines in a second round OHL playoff this season.

I’m not calling for Misa to be on the team, more that a smaller line that is plain speedy and tricky would be a very different approach than we’ve seen before. It will NEVER happen. But, it would be fun to watch.

The reality is Senneke and Ritchie (IMO) are both on this team, assuming they are both playing junior. I don’t think anyone can dispute that. The conversation regarding a lot of the OHL wingers all seemingly similar in their attributes is more interesting. We shall see how it all plays out.

I agree about Pinelli but I am not too sure how deep the centre pool truly is. The Team Canada OHL candidates at centre seem to start and finish at Ritchie. I am not sure they would take a Cole Beaudoin at 18 years old to be a centre. I could see them maybe shifting him to the wing to play a big body role with the added flexibility of shifting back to centre in a pinch? MAybe a kid like Villeneuve will get a look if he can take a step forward offensively. I think his defence is strong. But, mostly after Ritchie, there is a bunch of potential question marks. On the wing? Wow. There is a lot of high end depth in the OHL. I could see the OHL dominating the wings if they decide to add a bunch of offence.

 

[dirty12]

I don’t know which if any ‘05 Canadian centres in the CHL or NCAA can produce and defend their position at the level of Ritchie. There were a few ‘06 centres selected in first round of the NHL draft. Maybe it will be one of those years with several 18 yr olds.

 

[OMG67]

I don’t know which if any ‘05 Canadian centres in the CHL or NCAA can produce and defend their position at the level of Ritchie. There were a few ‘06 centres selected in first round of the NHL draft. Maybe it will be one of those years with several 18 yr olds.

I think that is as accurate a statement as you can make for team Canada this year.

 

[Rinkrat101]

Pinelli is a great goal scorer and excellent on the pp but that's it . He's a liability defensively and very undisciplined if he represents Canada at that tournament we are in trouble.

 

[OMG67]

Pinelli is a great goal scorer and excellent on the pp but that's it . He's a liability defensively and very undisciplined if he represents Canada at that tournament we are in trouble.

Sometimes putting a guy in a slightly different role where he isn’t the guy who is targeted, they often end up completely changing their approach. On Ottawa, Pinelli is the target. He isn’t quite big enough to absorb the punishment so he tends to play more on edge than he would on a team with other more enviable targets that will hurt you.

 

[Hinterland]

I was joking about Ekberg, I know he's swedish.

He might have an outside chance to crack Sweden though. It's unlikely because Sweden doesn't usually select lots of double underagers but their 05/06 birth years are rather underwhelming compared to others.

I also think that Kimi Körbler is likely to make team Switzerland. Swiss 06 group is strong but the 05 birth year isn't.

 

[beastintheeast]

WJC

Cowan and Rehkopf will be the first and second line LW

Igilna will be a high consideration as well,

The big question is what is Celbrini going to do if he goes NCAA then he will be the first line center.

Cowan Cellbrini and Sennecke would be an interesting line

 

[OMG67]

WJC

Cowan and Rehkopf will be the first and second line LW

Igilna will be a high consideration as well,

The big question is what is Celbrini going to do if he goes NCAA then he will be the first line center.

Cowan Cellbrini and Sennecke would be an interesting line

I don’t think Iginla’s game is mature enough. He may get a look but I would be really surprised if he was given much of an opportunity. Maybe as the 13th forward because he is a centre? Celebrini signed with SJ so he is ineligible for the NCAA. He will be in SJ.

Cowan and Rehkopf are both left shooting right wingers. We will need to see if they are forced to their natural side for the tournament. That said, Denver Barkey is a right shooting LW that may get consideration as well… This is assuming they are all returned to junior. I think they will be but there is talk Rehkopf and Cowan will get a chance to stick in the NHL this year if they have a good first ten games and prove they are NHL calibre right now.

You have to think there will be 3-4 players eligible that stick in the NHL and the talk commences as to whether they get loaned to Team Canada or not. I highly doubt Celebrini will play for Canada. I’m not sure any other Canadians from this draft class will stay in the NHL the full season. Barlow and Ritchie seem to be the most likely to join Cowan and Rehkopf as potential NHL players sticking with the big clubs.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

A lot will depend on which players stick with their NHL clubs, but I see Pinelli as being in tough to make the Canadian national junior team. I think there are several better scorers at the wing position across the CHL, and he's not cut out for a 3rd line checking/shut down type role. With Cameron coaching, there is a possibility he makes the squad in a 4th line energy/forechecking type role, which actually suits him game pretty well, along with the goal scoring upside in case someone higher in the depth chart gets injured or under-performs.

Pinelli's best bet is to start off the season strong and continue at a 50-goal pace, get an invite to the December selection camp and impress the management team/coaching staff from there.

And next year (2025-26) for Mews, maybe Marrelli too as one of those versatile, veteran #6/7 d-men that Canada often brings to backfill the D unit in any game situation.

 

[OMG67]

A lot will depend on which players stick with their NHL clubs, but I see Pinelli as being in tough to make the Canadian national junior team. I think there are several better scorers at the wing position across the CHL, and he's not cut out for a 3rd line checking/shut down type role. With Cameron coaching, there is a possibility he makes the squad in a 4th line energy/forechecking type role, which actually suits him game pretty well, along with the goal scoring upside in case someone higher in the depth chart gets injured or under-performs.

Pinelli's best bet is to start off the season strong and continue at a 50-goal pace, get an invite to the December selection camp and impress the management team/coaching staff from there.

And next year (2025-26) for Mews, maybe Marrelli too as one of those versatile, veteran #6/7 d-men that Canada often brings to backfill the D unit in any game situation.

Because of the politics involved, I doubt Marrelli is considered as a non-NHL drafted player. The one caveat to that is his participation and success with the Program of Excellence. Mews will definitely be on the radar but with Dickinson, Parekh, and Yakemchuk clearly ahead of him with comparable offence but way better defence, plus guys like Danford, Gill, and Lavoie suiting the bigger body defensive roles, it may be tough for Mews to get an honest sniff. He is going to really need to work on all aspects of his game this year to prove he is more than a one trick offensive pony.

I am not going to count out Pinelli. I think the odds are stacked against him but he is in the mix with a bunch of other wingers that all have similar attributes. The one aspect that was brought up was his discipline. He will definitely need to prove to be better in that area if he wants to be considered. You can be chippy and engaged but you cannot take it too far. Pinelli has the tendency of taking penalties that fall into the selfish or stupid category and doesn’t bring players to the box with him enough to even it out.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Because of the politics involved, I doubt Marrelli is considered as a non-NHL drafted player. The one caveat to that is his participation and success with the Program of Excellence. Mews will definitely be on the radar but with Dickinson, Parekh, and Yakemchuk clearly ahead of him with comparable offence but way better defence, plus guys like Danford, Gill, and Lavoie suiting the bigger body defensive roles, it may be tough for Mews to get an honest sniff. He is going to really need to work on all aspects of his game this year to prove he is more than a one trick offensive pony.

I am not going to count out Pinelli. I think the odds are stacked against him but he is in the mix with a bunch of other wingers that all have similar attributes. The one aspect that was brought up was his discipline. He will definitely need to prove to be better in that area if he wants to be considered. You can be chippy and engaged but you cannot take it too far. Pinelli has the tendency of taking penalties that fall into the selfish or stupid category and doesn’t bring players to the box with him enough to even it out.

I agree with the general gist of what you're saying, but I'm going to presume that some of those d-men you mentioned will possibly crack their NHL squads by next season. I think a few of them come off the board, particularly the three you mentioned and a spot or two for an offensive-minded d-man open up. Canada has a track record of selecting undrafted players if they fill an obvious need, are 19 years old, and have really strong track records in the CHL. Joe Hicketts, who actually made the team twice (2015 and 2016) comes to mind as a recent undrafted national team player. It probably happens less frequently now, now that the selection camps involve significantly fewer players, teams are pre-selected largely on pedigree, and its more difficult for lesser-known prospects to make the national team on the basis of strong selection camps. I certainly wouldn't place money on Marrelli making Team Canada, but it is not impossible. He has consistently made national teams for his age group (as you pointed out), so there is that.

Your point on Pinelli's discipline (or lack thereof at times) is certainly a good one. He needs to clean that up, if not only for his chances of making Team Canada but also to benefit the 67s.

 

[OMG67]

I agree with the general gist of what you're saying, but I'm going to presume that some of those d-men you mentioned will possibly crack their NHL squads by next season. I think a few of them come off the board, particularly the three you mentioned and a spot or two for an offensive-minded d-man open up. Canada has a track record of selecting undrafted players if they fill an obvious need, are 19 years old, and have really strong track records in the CHL. Joe Hicketts, who actually made the team twice (2015 and 2016) comes to mind as a recent undrafted national team player. It probably happens less frequently now, now that the selection camps involve significantly fewer players, teams are pre-selected largely on pedigree, and its more difficult for lesser-known prospects to make the national team on the basis of strong selection camps. I certainly wouldn't place money on Marrelli making Team Canada, but it is not impossible. He has consistently made national teams for his age group (as you pointed out), so there is that.

Your point on Pinelli's discipline (or lack thereof at times) is certainly a good one. He needs to clean that up, if not only for his chances of making Team Canada but also to benefit the 67s.

Pinelli lacks maturity overall. That is my only real concern regarding his development. I think he can play NHL hockey as a 21/22 year old provided he can master the mental side of his game and be a leader for the 67’s in more ways than goal scoring.

I think what Pinelli lacks in maturity is what Marrelli has in abundance. We have the luxury of watching him regularly. It is evident he is a leader on the ice and possesses a boat load of intangibles.