Ottawa 67s 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I

[Hinterland]

Honestly, I don’t think it matters. We just threw another 23 shots on net and made the goalie look good again. We either have the shooters or we don’t.

Clearly Ottawa can carry the play for long stretches but this year, they are too immature.

Regarding Yanni specifically, they have to rotate guys in and out of the lineup with 14 forwards. So, either two guys sit out every game or the rookies and less impactful 2nd year players rotate in and out so this is just Yanni’s turn to sit out. Unless you want to go Beast Mode and sit out guys like Gerrior and Foster to make room for the rookies to play, you will just need to accept that two younger forwards will sit every game. OF course, they could just cut two rookies like Yanni and Hilton and not sit anyone out ever…..

I think that Barlas has to sit...just like Sirman on defense. So it should be only one kid sitting and personally, I don't think Yanni should be part of that rotation. Barlas had a few good games for the 67s but he was never a difference maker. He's 05 born and still slipped down the depth chart. I can understand Cameron not wanting to scratch Gerrior or Foster...but Barlas is replaceable. I don't see a reason why you'd scratch a kid to play Barlas. It doesn't make sense.

I agree that the 67's need a proper sniper though. Pinelli alone won't be enough. I wrote that in the old thread already. An additional goal scorer, ideally a righty to play with Ekberg, would be huge for this team. Horner and Kelly have their qualities but they're not necessarily known for scoring lots of goals.

 

[OMG67]

I think that Barlas has to sit...just like Sirman on defense. So it should be only one kid sitting and personally, I don't think Yanni should be part of that rotation. Barlas had a few good games for the 67s but he was never a difference maker. He's 05 born and still slipped down the depth chart. I can understand Cameron not wanting to scratch Gerrior or Foster...but Barlas is replaceable. I don't see a reason why you'd scratch a kid to play Barlas. It doesn't make sense.

I agree that the 67's need a proper sniper though. Pinelli alone won't be enough. I wrote that in the old thread already. An additional goal scorer, ideally a righty to play with Ekberg, would be huge for this team. Horner and Kelly have their qualities but they're not necessarily known for scoring lots of goals.

This is likely not a playoff team. But, the management and coaching staff need a month or so to evaluate that before they revert to a purge and a focus on throwing out the rookies for more ice time regardless of the outcome.

 

[Hinterland]

This is likely not a playoff team. But, the management and coaching staff need a month or so to evaluate that before they revert to a purge and a focus on throwing out the rookies for more ice time regardless of the outcome.

I think it is a playoff team. But regardless, veterans with little to no impact like Barlas or Sirman shouldn't be playing over kids. Kids may be a little less solid but you gotta play them whether you think you can win this season or not. The 67's did make the playoffs last season and Cameron saw himself forced to play clearly injured players just because he previously opted not to play many of the kids all season long.

Cameron can still scratch kids to play veterans in smaller depth roles come playoff time. Right now that just doesn't make sense. The veterans playing over kids should be impact players and difference makers.

 

[Vector Calculus]

I think that Barlas has to sit...just like Sirman on defense. So it should be only one kid sitting and personally, I don't think Yanni should be part of that rotation. Barlas had a few good games for the 67s but he was never a difference maker. He's 05 born and still slipped down the depth chart. I can understand Cameron not wanting to scratch Gerrior or Foster...but Barlas is replaceable. I don't see a reason why you'd scratch a kid to play Barlas. It doesn't make sense.

While quieter tonight, I thought Barlas was one of their better forwards in game one.

 

[Hinterland]

While quieter tonight, I thought Barlas was one of their better forwards in game one.

Yeah. That's a cool story. Like I said. Barlas played some good games for the 67's but the reality is that he's 05 born and isn't gonna be more than a depth player. He isn't gonna be a difference maker, surely not come playoff time. In an ideal world he would be traded to a team where he's a better fit but he shouldn't be playing over any of the 67's kids.

 

[mianjo]

67's down 3-1 after 2

Goal
#23 Will Gerrior (1) scores. Assists: #19 Kohyn Eshkawkogan, #22 Matthew Mayich
2nd 1:06

Shots on Goal

Teams	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
OTT	24	10	0	34
OSH	8	13	0	21

 

[ScoutLife4]

Niagara is better then Ottawa imo.
That leaves Peterborough as maybe the only team Ottawa might be better then in the East i think.
If NB sells off completely maybe you can get the 8 spot but i think this is a 9th place team.

 

[OMG67]

Yeah. That's a cool story. Like I said. Barlas played some good games for the 67's but the reality is that he's 05 born and isn't gonna be more than a depth player. He isn't gonna be a difference maker, surely not come playoff time. In an ideal world he would be traded to a team where he's a better fit but he shouldn't be playing over any of the 67's kids.

I could say that about Hilton, Korbler and Kelly as 18 year olds and Horner as a 19 year old. Should we dump them all or just Barlas?

 

[Hinterland]

I could say that about Hilton, Korbler and Kelly as 18 year olds and Horner as a 19 year old. Should we dump them all or just Barlas?

Barlas is 05 born while Körbler, Hilton and Kelly are 06 born. But yeah. Those three have to show what they can do over the course of this season...otherwise shipping them out may become an option.

Horner has been mighty strong during playoffs. Plus he's one of just two righty wingers and, as a defenseman converted to play forward, very versatile as well. I wouldn't mind scratching him to play the kids but he's a very useful player to have. If I can keep one of Barlas and Horner I'm gonna keep Horner every day of the week.

Barlas isn't a bad player by any means. I just think that the 67's have to play their kids right now and with Barlas slipping down the depth chart, he's the one veteran forward who's expendable and may be better of elsewhere.

 

[Hinterland]

Speaking of Barlas...how did he manage not to score there? He's never gonna get more time and space...

 

[Hinterland]

Man. What a laser by Ekberg! His first in the OHL is a beauty and big big goal for the 67's late in the 3rd.

 

[beastintheeast]

@Hinterland finally someone who agrees with me.
I'm relieved to find that I'm not the only one who's been seeing the writing on the wall.

We have to forget about making playoffs and winning championships.

We have to forget about these guys who have been here and should play.

We have to forget about the team not having any scoring talent so far.

These are all Boyd Cameron issues. Boyd for drafting the players he did and Cameron for not developing them.

The bottom line is Cameron did a crappy job of developing last years 3rd and 4th line.

Yes rookies are going to make mistakes. Hell, 4th year OA players make mistakes.

It is up to the coach to set up systems that work. In practice, teach the young players how the system works and get them to practice and understand it.

The coach then has the job of giving these kids enough ice time so that they can go out and practice in real game conditions and learn. Whitehead and others should have an understanding the system except tht Cameron never taught them last year or gave them ice time.

This is a team that should forget about playoffs, forget about who is older, and put out the rookies to get the ice time, experience, knowledge, and assistance from the coaching staff to make the corrections. BUT keep them playing.

If they do that then this team will get the idea and get better. If we keep saying well we need tolay the first line iwth all the older players then next year will be even worse and Ottawa will be a team no one wants to play for.

 

[mianjo]

67's win 4-3 in OT

Shots on Goal

Teams	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	Total
OTT	24	10	5	2	41
OSH	8	13	11	1	33

Goal
#29 Cooper Foster (1) scores. Assists: #20 Luca Pinelli
3rd 7:45
+/-

Goal
#34 Filip Ekberg (1) scores. Assists: #20 Luca Pinelli, #11 Henry MewsPOWER PLAY
3rd 13:59
+/-

Goal
#29 Cooper Foster (2) scores. Assists: #19 Kohyn Eshkawkogan, #26 Nathan AmidovskiGAME WINNING
4th 3:19

 

[Hinterland]

Good win. They were the better team but, as almost always, kinda crippled themselves with very dumb penalties, horrible powerplays and a lack of efficiency.

This was tougher than necessary but thanks to a very strong Jaeden Nelson they to come back from behind and eventually win it in OT.

 

[OMG67]

Barlas is 05 born while Körbler, Hilton and Kelly are 06 born. But yeah. Those three have to show what they can do over the course of this season...otherwise shipping them out may become an option.

Horner has been mighty strong during playoffs. Plus he's one of just two righty wingers and, as a defenseman converted to play forward, very versatile as well. I wouldn't mind scratching him to play the kids but he's a very useful player to have. If I can keep one of Barlas and Horner I'm gonna keep Horner every day of the week.

Barlas isn't a bad player by any means. I just think that the 67's have to play their kids right now and with Barlas slipping down the depth chart, he's the one veteran forward who's expendable and may be better of elsewhere.

As I mentioned in a previous post with beast, it is tough to let players go right now. I think we need to anticipate a Pinelli trade at or before the deadline. That reduces the forwards down to 13.

If they want to move Barlas, then the best way to set that up is to put him into positive positions to showcase him. I know some have sort of pointed to Ekberg playing 4th line but that is only because his line was listed last on the list. I think Ekberg with Barlas is at worse the 3rd line. Playing Barlas with Ekberg may have a positive impact for the 67’s trade prospects.

I disagree about giving those 18 year olds the year. I think the assessment needs to be had by the deadline. Of course, they may get the nod based on numbers regardless of their production/contributions but I think the Caden Kelly experiment is over. Hilton needs to show something soon. I’ve made no secret of my dislike of Korbler. I do not know why they traded Uronen to keep Korbler. I know some will point to age but you get Import picks every year and you cannot trade them. So, next offseason, we will likley pick somewhere in the top 15. We will have to either pass on that pick or release/trade Korbler. I think that is an easy decision but that decision could have been made this offseason by keeping Uronen.

I agree about Horner but the point was if we are looking at age/contribution as the criteria for who gets purged, I think all four of those players align with Barlas. Barlas is a very solid Penalty Killer and is a tenacious winger who can score points playing deeper on the roster and fill in at centre when in a pinch.

Good win. They were the better team but, as almost always, kinda crippled themselves with very dumb penalties, horrible powerplays and a lack of efficiency.

This was tougher than necessary but they needed a very strong Jaeden Nelson for this comeback.

Nelson had a great game.

We need to keep some perspective though. Ritchie, Senneke, Roobroeck, Danford, and Bedkowski (or Barlow when the trade for Bedkowski gets announced this week) out of th lineup. Essentially that is OShawa’s first line and 2nd D-Pairing from last years playoffs.

 

[Vector Calculus]

I’ve made no secret of my dislike of Korbler. I do not know why they traded Uronen to keep Korbler.

Has there been a more invisible forward in the first two games? Especially given his linemates…

 

[Hinterland]

Has there been a more invisible forward in the first two games? Especially given his linemates…

That's more of a coaching problem though. Pinelli needs an elite playmaker who can feed him pucks so that line with Foster and Körbler just doesn't make sense. I also don't think Foster should be playing Center at all. I think Pinelli should be playing with Ekberg. It would be a dangerous and dynamic duo.

 

[OMG67]

Has there been a more invisible forward in the first two games? Especially given his linemates…

Look at his stat line last year. He had 10 goals and 9 assists. HE played on the 1st line with Pinelli and Kressler the entire second half of the season. When you take a deeper dive in to his stats, you will notice he scored 8 goals and 7 assists against teams that finished 8th through 10th. That leaves him with 2 goals and 2 assists vs teams ranging from decent to good.

 

[Vector Calculus]

Look at his stat line last year. He had 10 goals and 9 assists. HE played on the 1st line with Pinelli and Kressler the entire second half of the season. When you take a deeper dive in to his stats, you will notice he scored 8 goals and 7 assists against teams that finished 8th through 10th. That leaves him with 2 goals and 2 assists vs teams ranging from decent to good.

It is baffling that he keeps getting the opportunities at the top of the lineup he does.

 

[Donnie740]

Disappointing loss for Oshawa blowing a two goal lead in the 3rd but that’s what happens when you take dumb penalties and turn the puck over at your own blue line.

With Sennecke and Bedkowski both injured, and Ritchie and Danford still away in NHL camp, Oshawa can’t overcome those costly mistakes.

 

[OMG67]

Disappointing loss for Oshawa blowing a two goal lead in the 3rd but that’s what happens when you take dumb penalties and turn the puck over at your own blue line.

With Sennecke and Bedkowski both injured, and Ritchie and Danford still away in NHL camp, Oshawa can’t overcome those costly mistakes.

100%

From my perspective, Ottawa beat and Oshawa team in overtime but Oshawa had an arm tied behind its back.

 

[44 95 plus tax]

Honestly, I don’t think it matters. We just threw another 23 shots on net and made the goalie look good again. We either have the shooters or we don’t.

Clearly Ottawa can carry the play for long stretches but this year, they are too immature.

Regarding Yanni specifically, they have to rotate guys in and out of the lineup with 14 forwards. So, either two guys sit out every game or the rookies and less impactful 2nd year players rotate in and out so this is just Yanni’s turn to sit out. Unless you want to go Beast Mode and sit out guys like Gerrior and Foster to make room for the rookies to play, you will just need to accept that two younger forwards will sit every game. OF course, they could just cut two rookies like Yanni and Hilton and not sit anyone out ever…..

LOL

 

[44 95 plus tax]

While I was surprised Amidovski was scratched opening night, I guess if there are rotations going to happen, you give him his first game in his hometown.

Need to play Sirman, until Deitsch is available, because Horner just isn't it on defense.

Mews needs to mature some. Nearly cost us the game bitching at the referee.

Ekberg will play between Pinelli and Foster soon. Give him a few games to get accustomed.

Eshkawkogen is the real deal. Going to be fun watching him for the next three or four years. Amidovski will be a stud as well.

Last thing. Everyone needs to relax a bit. It's two games into the season. A season with no real expectations.

 

[Vector Calculus]

While I was surprised Amidovski was scratched opening night, I guess if there are rotations going to happen, you give him his first game in his hometown.

Need to play Sirman, until Deitsch is available, because Horner just isn't it on defense.

Mews needs to mature some. Nearly cost us the game bitching at the referee.

Ekberg will play between Pinelli and Foster soon. Give him a few games to get accustomed.

Eshkawkogen is the real deal. Going to be fun watching him for the next three or four years. Amidovski will be a stud as well.

Last thing. Everyone needs to relax a bit. It's two games into the season. A season with no real expectations.

Agree with all these takes with the exception maybe of Dietsch. With how they seem to be sheltering Brady already and how little ice Dietsch got last year, I wonder if a Dietsch/Brady pairing will see even 8-12 minutes a game…

 

[sirius67fan]

Just watched the game on tape. Much better focused effort this time. Big factor imo was discipline which essentially cost us the Niagara game. Good on them to get the 2 points now because we won't get many when Oshawa gets the big guns back. That being said Ekberg is going to be good but play him with players at his skill level. Esh continues to amaze me. Yes he made a few blunders but they were not because of panic but overhandling the puck due to confidence...unusual for a young D. What also surprises me is that he's holding his own defensively. Good on Cameron to pair him with Mayich...perfect. Hey Beast the rook got top four minutes and on the ice in OT maybe Cameron does play rookies. Also really liked Amidovsky who showed flashes. Good skater needs to play every game. I agree for Korbler invisible in 2 games. However I was in minority that saw potential last year and trading Uronen was the right decision imo due to age. Too early to bail on Korbler but if he doesn't pan out this year simply replace him as we should have a pretty high pick.