I'm sure Horner as defense was just temporary. He just makes horrendous gaffes.
EshK is already more capable than Brady (offensively at least) and should get regular 3rd pairing D minutes.
I liked Ekberg last night. He seemed involved and not afraid of close quarters; but yeah we do need a cheap stop-gap reliable centre (like Lawrence last year).
You can not expect a guy that has been a forward to step in and shine as a D in one game. That being said, I think his toughness is better suited to being a forward where he has been, or if he is going to be a d, then play the minutes in games that he needs to get his confidence back.
The problem Esh is going to have is size and getting manhandled by bigger players. Until he gets some size he is gong to have trouble clearing the net and dealing in the corners
Keyword is CHEAP and not a star someone that can fill the 1st line unti Ekberg gets used to the OHL and then is willing to move back or because it is a development year we stay withEkberg on 2nd line Whitehead on 3rd and see what happens,
It’s a very small sample size but Esh looked far more ready to contribute than Whitehead, Amidovski, or even some of the veterans last night…I hope he gets regular minutes all year.
If DC stays true to form, once everyone gets back, Esh will see limited minutes. I'm not saying it's right; I'm saying that is the DC way of coaching.
DC has already written off Whitehead and Yanni. He could care less about them, and if left alone, he will let them rot on the 4th line. Then, next year, he will whine about not having any impact players.
Personally, if I were them or their agent, I would consider going home and demanding a trade. Hell een playing in Niagara would be an improvement
